When You're Back (Rosemary Beach #12)(46)

Smiling, I looked up at him. “Really?”

He cupped my face with one hand. “Really. And I’ll bring you Momma’s food. It’ll be better than any restaurant shit he brought you.” A small laugh escaped me, and he grinned. “You’re just so damn beautiful inside and out, Reese. I’m going to have to get used to men wanting what I have. They can’t help themselves.”

My cheeks heated, and I put my head on his shoulder. “I don’t think that’s the case. Captain is just . . . annoying.”

“You call him Captain. Do you know who he is?”

“He’s Blaire Finlay’s brother. He was at Lila Kate’s birthday. I found out his nickname then.”

Mase frowned. “I never saw him.”

“That’s because we talked when you were inside with Harlow. Then he just disappeared. I figured he went inside.”

“But he found you and talked to you,” he said, sounding annoyed.

“I was with Blaire,” I reminded him.

“Still, the dude is a dickhead.”

Yesterday, I would have been ready to disagree. But after what he did today, I couldn’t deny it. He had told Mase about our lunches for a reason, and it wasn’t an innocent one.

River “Captain” Kipling had just become my enemy.

Mase

After dropping Reese off at the office and kissing her long and hard, I headed out to find River f*cking Kipling. I’d given Arthur a call and asked him where I might find the guy. He’d told me he would be at the main offices for the Stout and Hawkins restaurant chain.

Stepping through the main door, I smiled at the young receptionist. I needed her help. “Morning,” I said with a nod, tilting the brim of my hat back.

“Good morning,” she said, a little too brightly.

“Arthur told me I could find River Kipling here this morning. You know where he might be?”

She didn’t even ask for an ID. She nodded and pointed to a door. “Go through there; he’s the third office on the right.”

I winked and gave her a nod, then went to find the bastard.

I didn’t bother knocking on his door. I just opened it and walked in, closing it behind me. River was working at his desk. When his eyes looked up to see me, I saw the gleam of challenge there. I was ending this shit.

“I actually expected you sooner,” he said, leaning back in his chair, looking pleased with himself.

“Reese came first. I’d been away from her for a few days, and I needed to be with my girl,” I said, putting the emphasis on my.

He smirked. “You here to stake your claim like a f*cking caveman?”

God, I hated this douchebag. “I’m here to protect Reese. That’s what I do. She was ready to give up a job she loves because of you. I won’t let you ruin this for her. She’s been through more shit than you could ever imagine. She doesn’t need you upsetting her.”

His face almost looked remorseful. “She’s overcome her dyslexia. She’s faced her demons, and she’s thriving. She doesn’t need someone to stand over her and keep the rest of the world out. Is she not allowed to have friends?”

She’d told him about her dyslexia? I was proud of her. She’d admitted it to someone else other than Piper and me. “Her dyslexia did hold her back for a very long time. But she’s lived through a worse hell than that. Don’t assume you know her. Because you don’t. And if she wants me to protect her, I will. From anyone and anything. She didn’t have that for most of her life, but she’ll have it for the rest of it.”

River frowned, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the desk. “You’re doing her an injustice by assuming that because she had a rough home life growing up, she isn’t strong enough to take care of herself. I know for a fact that made her a stronger person. I lived a life just like hers.”

I really hated this son of a bitch. “What? Was life hard for you? Did you get slapped around a little? Leave home when you were finally old enough? Yeah, well, lucky f*cking you. That’s not the hell I’m talking about. Just stay the f*ck away from her. You have papers for her to file? Then take them to her. But I’ll be bringing her lunch every day.”

River looked like he was weighing my words and deciding how to respond. His witty comebacks seemed to have dried up. “I was just being friendly,” he finally said with a shrug. “Both of you got too worked-up over that shit. Trust is an important part of a relationship.”

If I nailed him in his smug face, I’d end up in jail. I debated if that was worth it. “You being ‘friendly’ had her in tears yesterday. Sobbing tears. What you did yesterday wasn’t friendly. It was a low blow, and then you walked off and left her to deal with it. That’s not being a friend. It’s being an *. No woman deserves that kind of disrespect.”

He didn’t respond. I needed to leave before he said something that I couldn’t walk away from. One day, I’d get the chance to knock him on his ass. But this wasn’t the place or the time.

I opened his door and walked out before he could say anything else.

It was lunchtime. I arrived at Reese’s office with Momma’s meat loaf, fried okra, and creamed potatoes. When I opened Reese’s door, she looked up and beamed at me like I was the only person in her world. Before I could get through the door, she was out of her seat and hurrying toward me.