Then he’d rejected her with a single thought.
One look at his face in the doctor’s office, and she knew. While his kiss had blown her world apart, it had solidified his intent. He wanted her gone. To his credit, he wanted her safe in addition to gone. Halia too.
Nothing had changed in that regard. She’d hoped giving him his daughter to hold would help. Make him realize the best place for her was with him. No such luck. Despite her panic attack earlier, they were still on opposite sides of the “you don’t belong here” fence.
A gust of wind caught her in the back and pushed her toward him. He frowned, grabbed her by the coat, and pulling the two halves together, he zippered it to her chin. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. I can see it in your face. What happened in the shop?”
She hadn’t told him the reason for their stop. Hadn’t wanted to set herself up to share the disappointment she felt now. She had a hard time communicating her wants and needs to other people. Too much potential for damage where her heart was concerned. Too much potential for ridicule when it came to her songwriting dreams.
Her mother’s fault. Melanie hadn’t been Summer’s safe place. Hadn’t been the person or the parent she could trust with her deepest desires or her heart’s secret wishes. She’d learned at a young age to hide her feelings, bury them so far down it hurt like hell when they surfaced.
“I’m freezing my cock off here, Summer. Tell me what’s going on in your pretty little head, or I’m going inside to find out for myself.”
“I’m not little,” she huffed and shoved her hands in her pockets.
He stood to his full height, and if she took a half step forward, she could press her nose to the center of his chest. “It’s an endearment, not a criticism, now quit deflecting.”
“Fine.” Where she preferred to avoid conflict by suppressing her feelings, Jamie had no problem with the direct approach. He communicated openly and honestly with her, even if what he had to say might hurt. “I pawned my guitar to pay for gas to get to the nanny interview Jay set up. I wanted to buy it back, but it’s gone.” Despite her best efforts not to cry in front of him, her tears welled.
“That sucks.” He grabbed her cold face, and tilting her head back until her eyes met his, he brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “Not your fault.”
“Maybe not, but I can see how much it meant to you.”
“I’ll get over it.” No. No, she wouldn’t. She’d get past it, but not over it. “How’s Halia?” Another deflection.
“Sleeping. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I let you starve.” He set her aside and opened the passenger door. “Get in the truck, buttercup. We’re going for lunch.”
“Where?”
“You choose.” His hand low on her back, he gave her a gentle nudge to get her moving. “Just let me know, and I’ll have Jay shut down any on-site surveillance.”
“He can do that?” She reached for the overhead handle to haul herself into her seat.
“Yeah.” He pulled her belt and handed it to her.
“Huh. Did he shut off surveillance at the doctor’s office?”
“Yes.”
She hitched her chin at the pawn shop as she buckled in. “What about here.”
“Here too.”
“He really is a tech genius, isn’t he?”
“The best.” He grabbed his crutches, shut her door, and she watched him make his way around the front of the cab. He moved with purpose. Steady. Quick. Efficient.
Shot twice outside the hospital in Boston before he’d killed one of the gunmen, he’d almost died. Gray had told her as much of the story as possible. What she’d seen in the news had filled in the rest.
