If You Adore Me

by Ciara Knight

  She was suddenly cold, despite the warm day. Her hands shook. Her mouth went dry. “You’re supposed to be in jail.”

  “Out on good behavior.” He smiled, revealing chipped teeth, but his dimples showed. The ones that always seemed to make women fall for his lies.

  “Doesn’t explain why you’re here.” She moved over so the bench remained between them.

  “This is my home.” He waved his arms like a king declaring his country. “Besides, where else would I go? I have a garage to run here in town.”

  She fisted her hands and thought she’d breathe fire. “There’s nothing you own here in town. The garage is mine. You need to leave.”

  “I’m afraid, little girl, you’re wrong. Your mother and I would be the beneficiaries of any of his property.”

  “You need to leave,” Stella said in a hostile tone.

  “No, you’re wrong. Besides, I’m not going anywhere. You wouldn’t send your only living relative that wants you away, would you? Not like your mother has any love for you. I’m all you got.”

  Stella eyed the square and knew he was wrong. She had a town-family. What she didn’t want was her town-family knowing anything about what had happened all those years ago. “I have no family. You need to leave.”

  He rounded the bench and closed the distance between them. “Don’t be like that, sweet girl. I’m home now. And we can be family again. Come on, I’ve changed. You wouldn’t leave your father out in the cold, would you?”

  This didn’t feel like a father coming home. He felt like a nightmare coming to life.

  Twenty-Eight

  “What’s going on?” Knox could only see Stella’s back as he approached, but she was tense. He’d spent enough time with her to recognize the signs of her being distressed.

  She whirled around, showing him it was more than stress. That was fear in her wide eyes and open mouth.

  He shot in front of her. “Who are you, and what do you want?”

  The man’s lips curled into a menacing grin. “Didn’t know my daughter had to have a man to take care of her.”

  “Daughter?” He squeezed the paper cups in his hands so tight, the lids popped off and hot coffee exploded over his fingers. He tossed the cups to the ground and stepped forward, not even feeling the pain of the liquid burning him. “You’re not welcome here. Leave.”

  The man laughed. “Who is this stranger that thinks he can tell a born and raised Sugar Maplean how to do something? Especially with my own flesh and blood. Oh wait, that’s right… You’re that prissy Internet guy. The one making videos about my sweet town.”

  Stella grabbed Knox’s arm and pulled him to her side. “Don’t feign any love for this town. Leave, or I’ll call the sheriff.”

  “Go ahead. I’m not doing anything wrong. No reason to arrest me. I have a right to come home.”

  People crowded around and whispered to one another. Why weren’t they running this man out of town before he could cause Stella any more harm, Knox wondered. Even if they didn’t know the full extent of the damage he’d caused, certainly they could see the man was no good and needed to be sent away.

  “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” Stella yanked Knox away. She hotfooted it through the square and up the hill.

  Knox wanted to call his war buddies and have them help take care of this so-called father. That was the kind of bond brothers had, but that’s not how this sweet little town handled their business. He walked backwards, headed after Stella. “Stay away from her.”

  Knox raced up the hill after her, not wanting her out of his sight with the threat in town. She moved so fast, it took him to the edge of the gravel lot before he caught up to her. “Wait. Stella, talk to me. What can I do?”

  “Nothing.” She marched up the three steps to the door and swung it open. He barely got over the threshold before she slammed it shut and locked it and the deadbolt. “He’s not getting in here. He said he was here to take the garage as his own. He doesn’t deserve even a piece of my abuelo’s legacy. My grandfather hated the man.”

  “Then I’ll hire an attorney, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t take it,” Knox vowed.

  “No.” Stella threw her hands up in the air. “You don’t get it. My father doesn’t play by the rules. If he wants this place, he’ll find a way to get it or destroy it if he can’t have it for himself.”

  “Then I’ll hire security.” He grabbed her hand to stop her pacing so she’d listen to him, but she pulled away from him. He hated watching Stella in distress. The rock-solid woman who handled everything with grit and confidence looked lost and afraid. It churned his insides with burning acidic anger. His desire to take down the enemy overwhelmed him, but this wasn’t war. This situation didn’t have rules of engagement.

  “You can’t save me from this. I’m the only one who can handle my father. You need to go before you get caught in the crossfire.”

  He saw it, her desire to run and keep her troubles from anyone else. To lock up anything she didn’t want to share. He wouldn’t let her pull away like that, not when he’d just managed to crack the vault on her feelings. “I’m not leaving you. Not now, not with him in town.” Knox wanted to scream, to shake her until she saw reason, but he knew her strategy. She wasn’t trying to protect herself but him from her father.

  “You have to. You’ll only make things worse,” she said in a soft tone. “When my father is cornered, he lashes out in a way people don’t expect.”

  Knox took a moment, forced his anger down, and spoke in the calmest voice possible. “Then educate me, and we’ll deal with this together. I won’t stand by and let this man ruin your life. Alone you won’t stand a chance. Together we are stronger.”

  Sweat trickled down his neck. The heat of the spring sun with the windows and doors closed and no air conditioning was causing the temperature in the room to rise, or was it his fear heating him?

  “No. I’m weak when you’re around me.” Her cold tone sent an icy chill through him. “You think you know my father, but you don’t. If you’re here when he comes around, then he won’t listen to any deal I can make with him. He wants money, not this garage. He must’ve seen or heard about the show and thinks I’m getting paid some outrageous sum, and he wants a piece of it. A large slice would be more accurate. That’s what my father does. He uses people to get money to feed his addiction.” She straightened, turned with a soft smile, and touched Knox’s cheek with distracting affection. “You said you trust me. I’m asking you to show that you meant that.”

  “I do, but there’s no way I’m leaving you alone with that man coming here.”

  “I won’t be alone. I’ll call the sheriff and let him know what’s going on. He’s an old friend with no love for my father, and that way if my father gets out of hand, he’ll arrest him.” She sounded certain of her plan, but Knox didn’t like it.

  “I thought you said if your father saw anyone else around, he wouldn’t listen to any deal.”

  “He won’t see the sheriff unless things go south.” Stella pressed a kiss to his lips, blurring his vision of protection and concern. “Trust me. I know how to handle this situation. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I love that you want to protect me. I’ve never had that in my life.”

  “I know, and that tears me up inside. You deserve to have a protector who cares for you. It might be hard for you to accept, but I’m here. Let me help.”

  “No. You being here won’t help.”

  “I’ll offer him money to go. You need your funds to save your garage. I know you don’t want me giving you money, but I’m not. I’m paying this man to…to leave so he won’t ruin my show.” Even he heard the lie in his words. This had nothing to do with his show.

  “It won’t work. If he thinks there is any way he can score some cash, he’ll never leave. And if I give him any, it will never be enough. Please, let me handle this the right way and send my father back to jail, where he can’t pop up every time there’s a possibility of money.”


  Everything inside Knox screamed for him to stay by her side, but he knew that she would hate him if he didn’t give her space. That didn’t mean he couldn’t stay nearby and watch and be ready to help. He’d leave the garage, but he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. “Fine. But I don’t like this.”

  She kissed him. A passionate kiss. A kiss he recognized.

  A goodbye kiss.

  Twenty-Nine

  The garage hadn’t felt so empty since Stella’s abuelo had died. She was alone, which was what she wanted. Her father would dredge up and twist everything to make her look like a freak. Her friends wouldn’t believe the lies, but they’d never look at her the same again. The shame filled her the way it had that day when she was rescued from that barn and ushered to her grandparents for good.

  She sat in her lawn chair, facing the door and holding her wrench. The man had once been a father who protected her, loved her, cared for her, even if from a distance while pursuing his dreams. But once her mother left him, he’d changed. The sweet man turned into an angry drunk. The more he drank, the more his mind altered to a state where she couldn’t even recognize the man anymore. Even when she’d seen him in the town square today, she’d noticed his pupils were wide, despite the bright sunshine.

  All day, she waited for the man, but there wasn’t a knock at the door. When the sun began to fade and the light dimmed inside the gray, oversized room, she began to doubt her decision to send Knox away.

  No, she knew what she needed to do. Money. That’s what he wanted. She’d finish the 916 and give him the money, but there was no way he’d get the garage. The one her abuelo swore her father would never be welcome in again.

  Maybe she should’ve considered Knox’s offer… No. It wasn’t an option. The corruption scandal would ruin Knox’s show forever. She had no doubt that her father would take to any media stream possible to share his relationship with Knox Brevard. She couldn’t let that happen. Of course, once the money was gone and the garage sold, her father wouldn’t have a reason to return.

  She slipped her phone from her pocket and texted Jake.

  How quick can you sell the property? I won’t make the payments. Sorry.

  Three dots danced on the screen until words popped up.

  Immediately. But you have more time. I gave you thirty days.

  She fought the tears pricking at her eyes and knew she’d made the right decision. And when her father arrived, it would be the quickest way to get rid of him for good.

  Thirty years won’t make a difference. Tell your buyer you’ll sell.

  The three little dots moved again but then disappeared. Showed again, but no words ever appeared.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Stella knew that knock anywhere. Her father had obviously indulged before facing her. All these years, she’d thought she’d been the coward, but now she saw differently.

  She rose and went to the door. “There’s no reason for you to stay. There’s no garage. It isn’t yours.”

  “You can try to fight me, but I’ll win in court.” Her father’s slurred words penetrated the metal door and years of distance between them.

  “No need to fight. You can have the garage.” She wouldn’t open the door, but she’d give him what he wanted and send him away.

  “What?”

  “It’s yours.”

  He pounded on the door. “Then let me in.”

  “No need. You’ll have to find a new location for the garage. This land is sold.” She never thought she’d be so happy about letting this place go, but she knew her abuelo would approve to get her father out of her life.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  “What have you done, child? We could have sold the business and made some money. This isn’t going to happen. I know it won’t,” he shouted through the door.

  She held her palm to the cold metal between them, wishing their lives could’ve been different. That the man she knew as a young child would somehow conquer the man her father had become. It wouldn’t happen, though. She held her cell phone close to her heart. If she had to call the sheriff, she would, but not unless there was no other way. He’d end up back in jail soon enough and out of her life.

  “You think that boy of yours is so good? That you belong with him because he’s rich and powerful? Well, news flash. Good. We’ll have a constant source of income in our future.”

  Stella’s breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her courage. No. She hadn’t thought of that. He was right, though. If she stayed with Knox, her father would never leave them be.

  “I hear you’re restoring a 916 Porsche. Give that to me, and I’ll be gone.”

  His words were like daggers piercing her resolve, but she cleared her throat and mustered the remnants of her courage. “No, you’ll leave now.”

  “Fine, but I’ll be back. You can’t hide inside that place forever. Besides, I have some friends who want to meet my beautiful daughter.”

  His words were like acid on her skin, eating away at her determination to forget that awful night. Her legs wobbled under her, so when she heard clomping down the old wooden steps, her legs collapsed and she slid to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She heaved and breathed through old nightmares and new ones forming. How did her father know about the 916? Had it been on the Internet? No, she’d looked through everything on the blog. It didn’t matter. The truth of his words echoed through the empty garage. As long as she was with Knox, her father would never leave them alone. She shivered and shook as the room around her darkened, along with her newfound hope.

  Thirty

  The man who didn’t deserve to call himself a father backed away from the door at Knox’s approach. “Can I help you with something, sir? If not, the sheriff can be here in minutes.”

  “No need. I’m done here for tonight.” He stumbled and slid down the rocky parking lot.

  “You need a lift? Out of town maybe?” Knox followed him, ready for a fight if need be. He trusted Stella to handle this, but when she didn’t let her father in, Knox had assumed the sheriff was delayed. The woman was smart and capable, but everyone needed backup.

  He spit when he shouted over his shoulder, “Be on your way, boy. This is my home.”

  Knox realized it was pointless to argue with a drunk, so he returned to his car and followed him to the stop sign at the edge of the town square, where he got into a vehicle with another man and they headed out of town.

  Knox thought about returning to Stella, but then she’d think he didn’t trust her to handle the situation, so he parked in the little space under the large oak trees at the edge of her parking lot, where he remained in the shadows for the rest of the night.

  At the first sign of the orange light of the sun, he marched up to the garage door and knocked under the guise of visiting.

  “Who’s there?” her voice called through the door, as if she’d been sitting next to it all night. She sounded distant, tired. He didn’t like feeling out of control and unable to make things better for her.

  “It’s Knox.”

  “I’m, ah…not decent at the moment. I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

  He smiled at the thought. “No worries. I can wait.”

  “No. Don’t,” she snapped. “I mean, the sheriff is on his way here now, and this should all be over soon. You promised you wouldn’t get involved.”

  “I’m not,” he said, but the words were bitter. “Okay, I’ll go, but I’ll bring you some lunch in a couple of hours.”

  “No need. I’m meeting the girls for lunch. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Her words came fast and hard. Lies? No. Stella never lied. It was one of the things he loved about her. Her strength to always tell the truth, even if it hurt someone.

  “Please, you have to go.”

  He didn’t like the way her voice shook, but what could he do if she wouldn’t let him inside. “Okay, I’m leaving, if you promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  He touche
d the door, willing her to open it and let him in. “If you need anything, you call or text me. I’m here for you if you want.”

  “You don’t need to play hero.”

  He heard it. She was pushing him away and closing herself off to him. He couldn’t let that happen. “I’m not. I’m your friend, and I care about you.” He waited for a response, but when she didn’t say anything, he knew his options were limited, so he returned to his car. There had to be something he could do. Ms. Horton would know, but she wasn’t in town. He’d go hang out at the coffee shop and watch the road coming in and out of town. Perhaps he’d run into Stella when Mary-Beth went to meet her for lunch. He ached to see Stella. He needed to physically see that she was okay.

  At Maple Grounds, he parked and went inside to find the sheriff at the register. Knox was thankful it wasn’t crowded inside since it was early. “You headed to Stella’s garage now?”

  The sheriff raised an eyebrow at him. “Why would I be going there?”

  Knox eyed him and then Mary-Beth. Was he keeping Stella’s secret, or did he really not know? Knox backed away. “Sorry, my mistake. It’s early and I need a cup of coffee.”

  Mary-Beth jumped into motion. “Coming right up.”

  When her back was turned, Knox snagged the sheriff’s sleeve and pulled him away from the counter. The man looked down at his offending contact, but Knox ignored him. “It’s okay. I know about Stella’s father being in town and you going to hide and help her put him back in jail.”

  The sheriff pulled his sleeve free. “First of all, that sounds like entrapment. And second of all, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  Knox eyed Mary-Beth, eyed the sheriff, eyed the door, but he didn’t know what to do.

  “You okay? I think all this work is getting to you. Maybe you need a break.” The sheriff backed away from Knox as if he were the criminal.

  Mary-Beth appeared at his side, holding a cup out to him. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen the legendary ghost of Sugar Maple pond.”