Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Addie’s expression made it clear that she wasn’t surprised. “Just once or…”
“Only the one time,” Sutton said softly.
I cleared my throat and looked at Sutton as I spoke. “I, um…I got spooked by the way I felt…and I might have said something I didn’t mean to Sutton in order to push her away.”
“Oh my God. Is that why you married Jack?” Addie asked.
Sutton stared at me with an expression I could only describe as pure devastation. She almost looked like she wanted to slap me.
Addie leaned toward her. “Sutton?”
She turned toward her sister. “I guess it was part of the reason, yes. I thought Jack had changed and things would be different, but I was wrong. Once we got married, he slowly got worse, and the last few years of our marriage were a nightmare.”
Gannon leaned in and lowered his voice. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Addie’s hand flew up to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
Sutton shook her head. “No, not physically, but he got pretty verbally abusive. He was always controlling to a degree, but it started to happen more and more. When I caught him having an affair, it was the out I needed—so I jumped on it. But then Jack started to beg me for another chance. He called me nonstop and came to the store to disrupt my work so many times that I ended up having to get a restraining order.”
“What?” Addie looked at Gannon and then me. “Did you guys know this?”
Gannon and I both shook our heads.
“Not at first, anyway,” I replied.
Sutton sat back in her chair. “After I was granted the divorce, and he was ordered to sell me his share of the store, he left for France and has been stalling the sale ever since. Now he’s back and he…he won’t give up.”
Gannon shot me a look that said he wanted to kill me. “Did you know all of this?”
“Not all of it, at least not until recently. Jack stole all of the money out of Sutton’s business account.”
“Oh my God!” Addie exclaimed. “Did you tell Mom and Dad?”
Sutton sat up and leaned toward her sister. “No—and don’t you dare do it either. They have enough to worry about, and I will not be the reason our father has another heart attack.”
“But they can help you financially,” Addie said.
Shaking her head, Sutton wiped her tears away. “No, Addie. Mom and Dad are talking about retiring, and they need all the money they’ve saved for that. Anyway, it’s okay. The court ruled that Jack has to deposit everything back into the account. Brody helped out by lending me enough to pay for some invoices that were due.”
Addie and Gannon both looked at me. Addie offered a small smile before focusing back on Sutton.
“And my lawyer said if he continues to show up, I need to call the police.”
Gannon spoke next. “So, if all that’s settled, why did you and Brody get married?”
“Because he’s not going to stop,” I answered for her. “He doesn’t care about the restraining order and in his sick, twisted mind, I think he actually believes that Sutton will take him back. He keeps ignoring the order, showing up at her business, at her house.”
Sutton nodded. “If he knows we’re married, maybe he’ll leave me alone.”
Gannon and Addie’s eyes were back on me now as Addie asked, “So…what, you stay married until when? Jack finally gives up, gets remarried, moves away?”
Sutton and I looked at each other. Letting out a tired breath, Sutton answered, “We don’t know. I was going to try to keep this on the down low until after your wedding. The last thing I want to do is steal your thunder.”
“My thunder?” Addie asked, her eyes wide with shock. “Sutton, I couldn’t care less. The only things I care about are your happiness and your safety! Gannon and I love each other and nothing is going to ruin our day.”
“Well, we kind of ruined today for you guys,” I interjected.
Gannon laughed. “That’s true.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Addie said. “But Sutton, you can’t keep this on the down low. If you truly want Jack to realize that he’s never going to get you back, you guys have to be open about the marriage.”
“Open about the marriage?” Sutton and I both said at the same time.
Gannon nodded. “Yeah. You’re going to have to, at the very least, act like a married couple.”
I looked at Sutton. She was twisting her hands together in her lap. “What do we tell Mom and Dad?” she asked.
I gaped at her. “Wait, are you serious right now? You want to go public?”
Addie reached across the table and motioned for Sutton’s hand. “You need to tell our parents, Sutton. And Ken and Janet deserve to know, as well, Brody. Could you imagine if they found out some other way?”