Hosed (Happy Cat #1)(58)

“You are not going to prison,” Gerald says firmly. “I’ll wring a confession out of Steve with my bare hands before that happens.”

I shift my gaze to the big man with the kind eyes and smile. “Thank you, Gerald. I appreciate your support.”

“Of course,” he says, looking flustered by my gratitude. “A fair fight is one thing. But when one side starts playing dirty, decent people have to stand up for what’s right. I don’t want to live in a town with a sex toy factory, but I want to live in a town where innocent women go to jail even less.”

“You’re a good man, honey,” Maud says, her eyes shining. “I always knew you’d come around.”

“Speaking of coming around,” Ruthie May murmurs, nodding toward the picture window looking out onto the street. “Looks like someone’s pulled his head out of his backside.”

I turn to see Ryan—looking gorgeous in faded jeans and a tight red tee shirt—pushing in through the door to the bakery. Immediately my heart pumps faster for reasons having nothing to do with the cupcake-fueled sugar rush laying claim to my system.

I meet his eyes across the room, steeling myself against the stupid wish that we could go back to how things were a few hours ago.

He left me. Right when I needed him the most.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

His blue eyes are soft. Searching. And something that looks a lot like regret tightens his features as I double down on the resolve to be strong for myself this time.

“Can we talk? Maybe…outside?” he asks. “Please?”

“I don’t think we have anything left to say to each other.” The words hurt like ripping off a bandage. I thought heartbreak was bad when I was a teenager, but this is worse. So much worse.

“Cassie—”

“Please leave.” It’s killing me to stay strong, but when you discover the person you love doesn’t care enough to be at your side through better or worse, the only thing to do is to get out while you can.

“I know you didn’t set the fire,” Ryan says.

I can’t keep the bitterness out of my voice when I reply, “Oh, really? So you were just pretending like I did to protect me? Because you care so much?”

He hangs his head and rubs a hand over his jaw like he’s feeling a fresh bruise, like I physically slapped him. “I wasn’t thinking straight. Jessie had just played me this phone conversation between you and Savannah and—”

“What? What phone call? Jessie recorded my private calls?”

“What in the hell is this world coming to?” Gerald growls. “Last time I checked, this wasn’t a surveillance state!”

Ryan holds a hand up. “Someone sent it to the sheriff, who shared it with Jessie. I don’t know who, but I can guess.” He sighs. “Olivia told me about you seeing Steve’s shoes. He probably—”

“So you believe Olivia, but you couldn’t even stay and talk to me?” Now I feel like I’m the one being slapped in the face.

Over and over. With a sock stuffed with a brick. Or concrete dildos.

“You need to leave.” My voice is stronger this time, even though my heart is crumbling into pieces.

He’s not the man I thought he was. The man I wanted to believe he was.

I almost hope the sheriff does come and arrest me.

There’s no chance I’ll fall in love with anyone in prison.

“Cassie, please, I—”

“The lady asked you nicely,” Gerald says.

“More than nicely,” Maud agrees.

“I think you best be gettin’ on,” Ruthie May chimes in. “I’ve always liked you, Ryan. Don’t make me change my mind.”

He opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, but instead, he turns, shoulders drooped, and heads for the door.

I barely keep the sob in check until the bells stop jingling behind him.

“Aw, honey,” Maud says.

Ruthie May squeezes my hand.

And Gerald quietly sets another muffin before me.

It’s heartbreak medicine, and I’m going to need a lot more before I’m healed.

If I ever heal.





Thirty





Ryan





* * *



I’m done letting Cassie down. I’m going to fix this. All of it.

Her being framed for trying to destroy Sunshine.

People judging her and Savannah because of Sunshine.

That broken look on her face when I told her about Jessie and Olivia and Steve.

I’ll prove to her that she comes first for me, no matter what it takes. Starting with the sheriff.

I track him down outside the factory, where today’s shift is still doing recon on the fire that took out the east wing. “Sheriff. Cassie didn’t do this.”

Briggs lifts an uninterested brow. “I think you’re thinking with parts of you best left out of this discussion.”

“She saw Steve—”

“She told me her story.”

My jaw slips, because it’s clear he thinks she’s lying. “Have you talked to Steve yet?”

“Son, how I do my job is none of your damn business.”