What the fuck just happened?

One second, I’m laying into Joseph about how shitty he’s been treating our mom, and the next, I’ve got some hot shirtless man coming to my rescue. I remember Dodge Trimble from across the street, but he didn’t look anything like this when I last saw him. Not only has he added several inches of thick muscle to his chest and shoulders, but his soft baby face features have matured into a sharp jawline and full lips that look completely kissable.

And he asked me a question, didn’t he? “Um, yeah. I just got back into town.”

Joseph clears his throat and slams the door shut. “I hate to break up this little reunion, but it’s getting late.”

Dodge rolls his eyes as he turns to look at my asshole brother. “We don’t mind at all. You can head out. We’ll check in on your mom in a little while.” He stares at my brother, silently daring him to try a more forcible removal.

Joseph looks between us for several beats, his fists clenching and unclenching before he laughs out loud. “Okay, fine. You want to play nurse tonight? Be my guest. I’ll come by tomorrow. And you both better be gone by then.”

Dodge and I stand there for a full minute after Joseph storms out of the house and drives away.

Finally, he turns to me and realizes how close he’s standing. “Sorry,” he mumbles, taking a step back.

I nod and lick my lips, trying to find some moisture in my mouth so I can speak.

“I saw him pull up and thought he might try to start trouble. I didn’t mean to barge in like that.”

“I-i-it’s okay,” I stammer. “I’m glad you got here when you did.”

His eyes immediately move to my arms. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

Dodge cocks his head as he looks down at me from several inches above my five-foot-nine frame.

“He won’t. He’s a fucking pussy when it comes down to it. But don’t let yourself be alone in a room with him.”

My eyes immediately drop to the floor in shame, and I bite my lower lip. “Yeah, I know.”

Dodge’s hand moves toward me but then he pulls it back, as if thinking better of the gesture. “He probably won’t be back tonight. Are you staying long?”

How does he know exactly the worst question to ask me right now? “I have no idea.” I sigh then walk to the couch and take a seat. “I didn’t have a plan when I got here, but now that I can see how bad my mom is, I can’t leave her here with him.”

Dodge just nods and then crosses his arms over his chest as he walks to the window.

With his back to me, I can get a good look at his thick muscles and smooth skin without fear of getting caught. He really is a beautiful man. I just want to touch—

“I can stay here tonight, if you want.”

“What?” I shake my head to catch up to what he means, half sorry and half relieved he interrupted my train of thought. “Oh, I’ll be fine. Like you said, he probably won’t be back tonight.”

Dodge looks around the room before grabbing a pen off the end table. He scribbles his number on a notepad then hands it to me. “Here’s my number. I can be here in thirty seconds if you need anything. I’ll come by in the morning, but if you or your mom needs anything before then, call me.”

I’m still in a daze as I tuck the phone number into my back pocket and watch him walk out of the house. A chill races down my spine when I think about what might have happened if he hadn’t shown up when he did. I still don’t understand how he knew to be here, but that doesn’t really matter.

Dodge was in the right place at the right time, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

Exhaustion is starting to set in, but there’s no way I can go to sleep with the house as disgusting as it is. There are probably roaches or mice getting fat off Joseph’s crumbs. So, for the next thirty minutes, I walk through the entire downstairs with a trash bag and broom, cleaning up all the shit he left strewn about and then wiping down every surface with Lysol until I’m confident it’s clean. I really need to vacuum, but I don’t want to wake up Mom, so I throw a clean sheet over the sofa cushions and make a bed on the couch.

It’s tempting to go upstairs and peek in my childhood bedroom to see if my stuff is still there. But I know it won’t be. It’s been four years. There’s no way Mom would’ve kept my stuff all this time. Besides, I don’t actually want to ever step foot in that room again. All my worst nightmares occur in that room, and if I never look inside it again, that’s okay.

I still haven’t said what I need to say to Joseph, but I will. Truthfully, I haven’t had it out with Mom yet either.

But there’s enough going on right now that it can wait. This visit is no longer about me getting closure on my past but about being here for my mom and making sure she has a future.

That’s what I need to focus on right now. If she pulls through this, maybe we can be a family someday. And if not, at least I’ll know I tried.

Besides, if that means a little more time to admire the gorgeous alpha neighbor with the kind of muscles I want to climb up and get lost in, then I guess that’s just how it’ll be.