Joanne reeled back the moment she saw Tom Sullivan. Her breath caught, her stomach turned. Every instinct in her body recoiled.
Not again. Not him.
"Jo, get inside," Jeffrey said, parking the truck with deliberate calm.
There was nothing calm in his eyes, though. Joanne could see it—the storm gathering behind his gaze. He looked like a man ready to tear someone apart. She didn't argue. Instead, she stepped out and quietly walked to the porch, where she could still see everything.
She didn't want to admit it—but she needed this. She was tired of fighting her battles alone. It felt good… no, safe… to have someone who would stand between her and the things that once broke her.
Jeffrey slammed the truck door shut. The sound echoed across the yard like a war drum.
