I moved back three steps, giving her the space she needed. “Margo,” I warned. “Don’t shut me out.”
“Is everything all right?”
Both of our heads snapped to the side. Rossy was standing halfway out the door, his eyes bouncing between the two of us. “Mr. Mitchell?”
“Everything is fine, Rossy,” I answered sharply, looking at Margo.
He hummed, clearly not believing me, and then he adjusted his glasses, turning his attention to Margo. “Darling, if you’re okay now, Carrie would like you inside. She has a surprise for you.”
“I think I’m good on the surprises, boss man,” Margo replied lightly, brushing off the last ten minutes.
Rossy gave her a small smile. “Yes. Well, nevertheless, she has asked for you.”
“Right,” she muttered, fidgeting with the clip in her hair. I watched, utterly tortured by the sight of her beauty, how quickly she was able to hide the agony that had been clearly eating at her. Agony that I’d had a part in.
I’d hurt her.
Fuck, but I’d hurt her.
My gut tightened as she looked at me. “Have a good night, Hayes.”
Then she disappeared inside, Rossy giving her an encouraging smile on her way. That smile quickly faded when he looked back at me. Stepping outside, he let the back door fall closed behind him. He pulled off his glasses, plucked the handkerchief out ofhis chest pocket, and started cleaning the lenses. “I owe you a debt, you know?” he said, focusing on his glasses. “For bringing Carrie back home. For finding my girls and protecting them.”
I said nothing, watching him closely as he continued to close the distance between us. When he was about a foot away, he pocketed the baby blue cloth and slipped his glasses back on, looking at me. This time, his eyes were filled with malice. “But I need to make certain you hear me when I say this, Mr. Mitchell, because if you don’t, the consequences will be most unpleasant.”
My eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
He stepped up to me, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp. “If you hurt my Margo in any way, at any time, I’ll make sure your coworkers and your family back in Kansas never find your body.”
My spine snapped straight. “Watch it,” I warned on a growl.
The bookstore owner looked me up and down. “I’ve been around men like you before, Mr. Mitchell. Whatever you have to say won’t scare me in the slightest.”
“Threatening me isn’t a smart move, Rossy,” I bit off, stepping close to him.
“Hurting my girl isn’t either.”
I blinked as he stepped back, looking toward the town. “Carrie came here to find peace, and she found it. Margo came here to find herself, and after three years, she is still looking.” His eyes met mine. “Don’t mess that up for her, Hayes.”
Before I could say anything, he gave me his back and walked inside, leaving me out in the night to drown in my mistakes.
“I want to thank everyone for coming,” Carrie began from her place in front of the hearth. Grayson leaned against the wall beside her, his eyes soft. “This last year has been a year of change, each of us having to undergo some sort of transition.”
The packed living room was quiet.
It had been over two hours since I ventured out onto the back deck in search of Margo, and those one hundred and twenty minutes had been dowsed in misery. Margo wouldn’t even look at me, staying close to Sarah or Rossy. The only people who seemed to have picked up on the tension between us other than Rossy were Dominic and the town sheriff, Michael, both silently watching from afar as I remained in my corner for the duration of the evening. Dinner had been served and devoured, dessert had been plated, sitting on the kitchen table, awaiting distribution. But before the night could end, Carrie and Grayson had an announcement.
“Everyone in here has welcomed me,” Carrie continued softly, her eyes scanning the room, meeting everyone for a moment. When they finally landed on me, she gutted me. “Everyone herehas become a part of my family, something I thought I’d never have again.” She smiled at me and I gave her a simple nod in return, feeling my gut twist again.
Ash was on my right, Jake on my left.
“She’s going to make me cry again,” Ash muttered under his breath.
“You’re so in tune with your emotions tonight,” Jake replied, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I haven’t seen you this emotional since DiCaprio slipped off the door and sank to the bottom of the ocean inTitanic.”
“Fuck off, Murphy.”
“Would you two shut the fuck up?” I bit off slowly as Carrie continued her speech, focusing on Sarah and Michael now. “Pay attention to Carrie.”