Redemption Hills: The Complete Collection

12. Milo

TWELVE

MILO

My chest pulled in all the wrong places as I looked out the bank of windows to the view out back.

She was there, sitting on the edge of the dock with her legs dangling over the side, her feet bare, her arms propping her up as she tilted her face back to the last fragments of sunlight that hung to the pink-hewn sky.

A breeze gently blew, and those fiery locks of red billowed with the soft gusts, in time with the ripples that shimmered across the placid lake.

She looked like a fucking painting right then, framed by the trees that towered on each side, the mountains a gorgeous backdrop behind her.

But the girl was the focus.

The center.

The light.

Like the painter had gotten the shading just right.

Throat thick, I eased open the door and stepped onto the porch. The air was cool as it brushed my overheated flesh.

Pushing away the reservations, I eased down the three porch steps and took the path that cut through the middle of the lawn. My footsteps slowed as I trekked across the yard to the beach, slower still as I took the first step onto the dock.

The wood groaned, and I could feel Tessa’s spirit race out to meet with mine.

That strange connection thrummed on a thread of peace.

Crazy, since I’d never had such a disorder toiling from within.

She sat up a bit and ran a hand through her hair to tame it, tucking it to one side and exposing the delicate slope of her neck as she shifted to look at me.

A slow smile moved across her stunning face, the sharp angles somehow so fucking soft while every part of me remained rigid and hard, my blood still boiling from the showdown with Karl earlier today.

“Hey, you,” she whispered into the quiet rustling of the forest.

Blue eyes swam.

A welcome.

Calling me to their depths.

“Hey.”

“Want to join me?” Tessa lifted her wine glass, her voice shifting into a tease. “I’m about to polish this baby off. Clearly, I need someone to save me from myself.”

She had a bottle of pink, bubbly wine chilling on ice in a wooden bucket, and a Bluetooth speaker hummed some indie band I didn’t recognize.

“Have to work.” I was having a hard time responding in anything more than grunts.

Amusement played all over that tempting mouth. “At a bar.”

Air puffed from my nose. “What, you think we sit around doing shots all night?”

“Isn’t that what people who work at bars do?”

“It’s my job to haul the drunk assholes out, not to be the drunk asshole.”

Her smile spread too wide. “Are you implying I’m an asshole, Milo Hendricks?”

Rough laughter scraped out. This girl just had a way of soothing the soul.

“Think you’re the farthest thing from it, Little Dove. Think you deserve that entire bottle after what went down today.”

Cautiously, I eased the rest of the way over and sat down beside her. That energy went to whispering around us the way it liked to do, calming, almost disarming, while my insides stormed with her claim.

Her smile softened, filled with this gratefulness that spun around her like silk. “Thank you for what you did earlier. I really hate dragging you into my mess.”

I huffed. “Dragging me into your mess? Pretty sure it’s the other way around.”

Her head barely shook. “You were there when I needed you.”

I warred, unsure of what to reveal, unable to stop the confession from bubbling out. “I wanted to be there for you. Needed to be. Walking in on that?”

My throat locked on the violence that still screamed for release. The truth that I’d wanted to end him. It’d taken everything in me to remain standing over the piece of shit and not let go.

Give in.

“I heard what he said, Tessa. About your brother?”

I hadn’t even known that she had a brother.

“That he’s been paying for his care?” I continued. “That’s why you stayed with him for all that time? That’s why you’ve been walking around looking like you’re gonna fall apart?”

Her nod was soft. “Yeah.”

“I never fully got it, but I guess I still knew he had a hold on you.”

Her head drooped between her shoulders, and I couldn’t help but reach out and tip her chin toward me, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t have to be ashamed, Tessa. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just fighting for someone you love.”

“And now I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

“It’s covered, Tessa.”

I had more money than I could ever spend. Autumn had had a life insurance policy when we’d met. She named me the beneficiary when we’d gotten married. It was money that made me sick where it festered in an unused bank account. I’d thought a million times to donate it, but I’d needed to use a portion of it to finish the house to give the kids the home Autumn and I had hoped for. Plus, I needed it to use for attorney fees, and the rest would go to the kids when they got old enough.

It would go for this, too. To the one who was fighting for my kids. To bring this family back together.

A sharp gasp raked from her lungs. “I can’t take money from you.”

“You can. It’s just been sitting there in my bank account. I want you to have it.”

She scoffed and tried to jerk her chin away. “I won’t be indebted to someone else, Milo.”

I slipped my hand down to her neck, my thumb tracing her jaw, coaxing her back. “There’s no debt, Tessa. No trade. This is a friend taking care of a friend, same way as you’re taking care of me.”

Tears blurred in those blue eyes. “Milo, I can’t?—”

“Please, let me do this for you. Because I can. Because I care for you. Just like I know you care for me.”

Her throat tremored. “Milo.”

“Please. We’re a team, remember?”

A soggy giggle slipped from between her red lips. “Twisting my words on me, huh?”

I grinned. “Whatever it takes.”

She blew out a sigh. “Okay, but just until I figure something else out. I won’t be mooching off you forever.”

“It’s yours for as long as you want it.”

“I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.” She exhaled a choppy breath. “Ugh, this is a total mess, isn’t it? I can’t even believe what he tried to do.”

Remnants of the fear she’d worn earlier traipsed through her features. “I had no idea Karl could be such a monster. A jerk? Sure. But something has changed.”

“Men like him don’t like bein’ told no. They think whatever they want is owed to them.”

“He can’t have me anymore.”

“And he doesn’t like that.”

“No, he doesn’t,” she whispered. Her gaze drifted out over the water, contemplation and worry, before she slowly shifted her attention back to me. “I’m not sure he’s going to give up. I think I might have pissed him off even more.”

“He gets near you again, it’s not gonna turn out so good for him, Tessa.” The words rang with a warning of truth.

Flames sparked where she touched my arm. “You can’t do anything reckless, Milo. You’re fighting to get your kids back, and the last thing you need is to get into trouble on my account. Karl…”

Tessa swallowed, her throat bobbing hard. “He has connections. He’s friends with the mayor. He’ll twist everything in his favor, and I’m already worried that he’ll find some way to retaliate after what happened today.”

“He doesn’t get a free pass for touching you, Tessa. I don’t care about the consequences.”

And fuck, I did care. Of course, I cared.

My kids.

The thing I wanted most in this world was to prove to my kids that they were worth it.

My love and my devotion and my everything.

But I couldn’t stand aside and let the bastard mess with Tessa. Not on my watch.

“I don’t want to be a burden to you, Milo.”

Taking her hand, I threaded our fingers together. It was becoming a nasty habit.

“Don’t think you could ever be that, Tessa. You’re giving me a gift.”

Uncertainty billowed from her spirit, and she peeked over at me. “I’m sorry you had to lie to your mom this morning.”

There was almost a question behind it, but more so, understanding.

I raked my free hand over my face to break up the discomfort. “She would never approve of this sham. She’d try to talk me out of it. Tell me I’m only going to make things worse. I think it’s best if she believes this is real. Otherwise, she’s going to worry more.”

“She’s going to be heartbroken when she finds out it’s not.”

“No doubt about that.”

“She’s amazing.” Tessa’s voice was wonder. “She loves you so much.”

“She is amazing. She’s always been my rock. The one who was there, no matter what.”

“Unconditional,” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

“My mom was like that, too, before she passed.”

My chest squeezed, and I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, feeling the slow swell of sadness ripple across her flesh. “How long has it been?”

“I was fifteen. My brother is four years older than me. He stepped up and took care of me when he was barely more than a kid himself.”

“And now you’re taking care of him.”

Her smile was frail. “I’m not doing a very good job of it.”

“Not true, Tessa. Most people would never go the lengths you have.”

“I just wish I could do it myself, but I seriously doubt my teacher’s salary or the small amount I’m making as the foundation director is ever going to cut it.” She choked out a little self-deprecating laugh.

“We’ll figure it out,” I promised.

The two of us sat there with our fingers threaded like it was the most natural thing in the world while the sun continued to sink behind the mountains.

Rays sparked behind the skyline, striking the wisps of clouds in oranges and purples and fiery reds. Twilight cast the air in that grayed vapor you could almost reach out and touch.

“It’s so beautiful here,” Tessa whispered into the duskiness. “A girl could get used to this.”

Playfulness kissed her mouth as she smiled over at me.

My chest fisted at the sight, lust curling in my gut.

“It’s yours as long as you want it. But if it becomes too much? If it gets to be too much pressure or gets in the way of you finding your joy, you tell me, Tessa. I won’t be the bastard to hold you back.”

My hand that was twined with hers was suddenly tight against her chest, and Tessa shifted, pulling up a leg so she could face me. “I’m here for you, Milo. It’s what friends do, remember?”

“I doubt many friends ask something like this.”

“Oh, you should see the things Eden comes up with. She’s really pushing it, if you ask me.” The razzing played all over her face, her gaze knowing, kind and genuine.

A chuckle got free before my nerves were making a rebound.

Every cell in my body locked up tight as I shifted so I was facing her, too. It brought us knee-to-knee and breath-to-breath.

Just a fool who was letting my palm slip to the sharp curve of her jaw, my thumb running along her cheek.

Heat burned at the connection.

“Thank you.” My words were rough.

“It’s my honor, Milo.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I pressed. I had to offer her one last out. I was quickly realizing this was going to be more difficult than I’d imagined.

“Positive.”

Pulling my hand from her face, I gave her a tight nod. “Have somethin’ for you, then.”

Rosebud lips parted, and interest flared in her eyes. “Oh, what is it?”

I shouldn’t have been making it such a thing, but I was having a hard time keeping myself from feeling like this marked something.

An oath.

A pact.

Or maybe it was this affection that grew and grew. This emotion I needed to kill before it became a threat.

Still, I dug into my pocket and pulled out the antique ring, and shit, Tessa gasped a giddy, shocked squeal before she bit down on her bottom lip like she wished she could annul the sound.

She giggled nervously then, peeking between my face and the ring that I held up like a promise.

“Is this necessary?” she rushed like a secret.

“Think it is if we’re going to convince anyone we’re actually getting married.”

“Oh…um…right…of course.”

I took her left hand that was shaking like mad.

“Will you be my fake fiancée, Tessa McDaniels?” I fought for a tease, but the words were thick and choppy.

“Only if you buy me the Manolos, Milo Hendricks.”

I would have laughed, but her smile was wistful, and I was getting hooked on the expression on her face, the way those blue eyes got a little too misty, and her mouth tweaked at the side.

She lifted the ring. “This is like…crazy gorgeous, Milo.”

“I saw it in the window of Reid & Co. Instantly thought of you.”

Surprise pinched her brow when she realized where it came from. “Oh, God, are you serious?”

I gave a slight shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal.

I’d learned the hard way that money didn’t matter.

“I will protect this baby with my life, Milo. We’ll sell it when this is through. I mean, I’m kind of notorious for losing things, and I pretty much only buy really inexpensive jewelry because hello…Tessa. But this?” Each word left her with escalating intensity. “No way. It’s on this finger until the end.”

She waved her hand in my face.

“It’s yours, Tessa. Keep it. Sell it. Give it away. Whatever you want.”

“Milo—”

“Mean it. I want you to have it, as a thank you.”

“You are really stacking this generosity against me. How am I supposed to compete?” She tried to play it off as fun.

“There’s no competing in friendship, Tessa. We just take care of each other where we can.”

Something shifted in her features. “Okay.”

Our gazes locked there, tangled with the twilight that seeped away, darkness pulling at the edges of the earth and preparing to take the day in its grasp.

Had the urge to loop my arm around her waist and pull her close, rest her head back against my chest so we could watch the rest of the sun melt away and the stars blink to life in the sky.

The music soft. A love song that’d just begun.

Nothing but a fool’s game.

Clearing my throat, I hopped to my feet. “I should probably get going.”

Tessa seemed shocked out of the trance, too, momentarily disoriented, blinking and searching for lost breath, before she pinned on one of those smiles that I wondered if anyone else could tell was fake.

“Okay, great. Have a good night. I’ll just be over here nursing this.”

She dug out the wine bottle and emptied it out into her glass.

“Are you gonna be okay here by yourself, Little Dove?”

Her smile changed, real this time, edged in sadness. “Don’t worry about me, Milo. I’ve been alone for a long, long time.”