Page 46 of Searching for Bristol
The man in the car down the street frowned as he stared at Bristol’s house. He just happened to be sitting there, as he did several hours a day in the hopes he’d catch her coming home, when an SUV entered the driveway.
He didn’t recognize the car, noticing it had a Virginia license plate. His blood boiled when he saw the large bearded man help his Bristol to the front door. They were way too close. Touching each other way too familiarly. He saw her laugh up at him, and a film of red dropped down over his vision.
She washis.
She wasn’t supposed to be smiling at another man.
Wasn’t supposed to be touching anyone else.
She had a cast on her leg. The man she was with must have hurt her in some way. It was the only possible reason he could think of for why she hadn’t been around for weeks. She’d hooked up with some guy—and he’d hurt her.
She hadn’t posted anything on her social media for nearly three weeks. Hadn’t put any new items in her store, and in fact had posted a note that said she was taking a break and was closing her store to new purchases for a while.
Unacceptable. The joy he felt when he held something she’d made with her own hands…something she’d touched, breathed on…was as necessary to his life as breathing. She’d denied him that.
And she was with another man.
No. Justno.
He sat where he was, seething and watching, all afternoon.
When the bearded stranger began hauling boxes out of her house and loading them into his SUV, he almost lost it there and then. He wanted to leap out of his car and storm down her drive and confront him. Was his Bristol moving out? Moving in with some abusive asshole?
Unacceptable!
She washis.
Chewing on his nails, he watched as the SUV got more and more full. When it was completely packed with boxes, both the cargo space and the back seat, he finally got to see his Bristol again—but the sight made his lip curl. The man wascarryingher. Holding her in his arms as he brought her to the passenger side of the SUV. He carefully placed her on the seat, held out the seat belt for her, then leaned down and kissed her.
Kissed her.
Right there in front of anyone who might be watching.
No. No, no, no, no, no!
Determination welled within him. He’d waited too long. He should’ve made his move sooner. But he had no doubt that when Bristol saw him, she’d fall madly in love. As deeply as he loved her. She’d feel the connection between their souls. She had to.
He needed to figure out where she was going and make plans.
Bristol Wingham washis. No goddamn lumberjack was going to take her away from him. No way in hell.
He memorized the license plate on the SUV as it pulled out of Bristol’s driveway, and after a few long seconds, followed behind the man taking his woman away. Once he figured out where she was staying, he could plan his next move.
He’d staked out her house enough to know how to get in without her neighbors seeing him. Part of his plan had always been to make sure, once they were together, that she’d be comfortable. That she’d have plenty of her own things around her. He and Bristol were meant for each other. No one and nothing was going to keep them apart.
Being sure to keep a few cars between him and his target, the man’s mind spun with what needed to be done, how he could get his Bristol back. Red-hot anger spiked as the SUV got on the interstate and headed north. He hadn’t expected her to be staying out of town…but it didn’t matter. He’d finally found her. He had no intention of letting her get away again.
CHAPTERNINE
Rocky unlocked his apartment door and the first thing he heard was laughter. The next thing that struck him was the delicious smell emanating from his kitchen.
He closed his eyes as he let the moment wash over him. How long had it been since he’d come home after a long, sweaty day of work to the feeling of truly beinghome?
How about…never.
His apartment had always simply been a place to lay his head. Even when he’d been in the Navy, it was the same way at the different bases where he’d been stationed. But ever since Bristol moved in, he actually looked forward to calling it quits at the end of the day, and he hadn’t worked past dark since bringing her home. Two things that rarely happened before her.
“Rocky!” Lilly called out, seeing him in the doorway. “Come look at what Bristol made for me!”
