Dylan’s Redemption(18)

“Jess? Is it really you?”

He reached for her, grabbing her arm to pull her close. She gave him the shock of his life and seized his hand, spun, and using his momentum and her leg, flung him to the dead grass. He landed on his back, and she stood over him.

“Hey!” Still shocked, he didn’t know why she glared down at him with enough fury in her eyes to scorch him.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me again.”

Everything inside of him refused to accept that warning. All he wanted to do is hold her close.

“You can’t toss people to the ground, you know. Nice move though.” He tried to lighten things up, despite the murderous look in her eyes.

“You deserve to be dropped on your ass. No worse than what you did to me, and far less than you deserve. What are you going to do? Arrest me?” She waved her hand, dismissing the idea, but paced away and back again, her anger turning to uncertainty in her eyes.

“No, Jess. I just want to talk to you. Where have you been?”

“Why the hell do you care?”

Dylan rolled to his feet, raked his fingers through his hair, bent, and picked up his Stetson from the grass, setting it back on his head. “I thought you were dead.” He stared at her wide, shocked eyes.

“Why the hell would you think I’m dead?”

Anger laced her voice. Her eyes fixed on his gun and moved back to him with a cold glare. He wondered if she could hate him that much because he’d left without saying goodbye. He owed her an explanation, but he hadn’t expected her to be this angry. She really looked like she wanted to use his gun on him.

“Thinking about shooting me, honey?”

“The thought did cross my mind. It is tempting. Honey,” she said with venom. “You of all people knew I wasn’t dead.” She pressed her hand to her belly and the color drained from her face. “Why would you think I’m dead?” she asked, less hostile and more hesitant.

Dylan didn’t understand the stunned disbelief on her face, or why she’d ask that question when everyone thought she died. “You disappeared a few days after I left town. My parents said no one knew what happened to you. All kinds of rumors floated around. Your father and brother were questioned about your disappearance. Brian told me about the night you left. His story is pretty convincing your father killed you and took your body and dumped it somewhere.”

“Are you serious?” She planted her hands on her hips. “All this time you thought I was dead?”

“Yes. I did. I’m so damn happy to see you, Jess.”

“This can’t be. I mean, I can understand why Brian might think something happened that night, but not you. You knew I was alive. You had to have known.”

Dylan cocked his head, studying her. “I wasn’t even here. I didn’t contact my parents until two weeks after you disappeared.”

“I tried your cell phone, but you’d canceled the service, so I emailed you.” Jessie put her arms around her middle and held herself. Her eyes filled with so much hurt, he felt it in his gut.

“Jessie, someone stole my phone at the airport. I canceled the number and got a new one a few weeks later. I never got an email.”

“Don’t lie to me. You got it. You sent me an email saying you didn’t want anything to do with me, you had a new life, and you never wanted to hear from me again. I emailed you back. I tried to tell you, but you shut down your email address too.”

Dylan sucked in a shocked breath and took a step back. He couldn’t believe she’d think he’d do such a thing after everything they shared. Yes, he’d left without a word, but he’d had his reasons and none of them had to do with her and the friendship and more they’d shared.

Busy with the constant drilling those first eight weeks in basic training, he’d barely had enough time to eat and sleep, they kept him so busy. His parents were beyond angry he’d joined the army and didn’t go to their handpicked college to earn the degree they wanted him to have. He hadn’t questioned them about changing his email.

If his suspicions were right, his mother had done a hell of a lot more than change his email address. Anger flashed through his system.

“When your email didn’t work, I called your parents’ house and spoke to your mother. She told me you didn’t want anything to do with me. She said it was my fault you left and joined the military to get away from me.”

“Jess, I’m sorry. No. That’s not true. I’d never say anything like that about you. After I left home, my parents changed the email service.”

“Your mother’s way of keeping me from contacting you.”