Page 37 of Faking It With My Pucking Protector

Jackson suddenly grins, a spark in his eyes. “We’re not going back to the house just yet. We’ve got one stop to make first.”

I blink. “Where?”

He walks to his truck, then glances over his shoulder, that spark still in his eyes.

“Follow me.”

Chapter Ten

JACKSON

The highway blurs under my tires as Ava follows close behind, but my focus is elsewhere.

I can still feel her fingers in mine.

She didn’t plan it. I know it. But it happened.

And I’d do it again in an instant.

I think about the quiet determination I saw on her face when she walked out of that apartment holding my hand like it belonged there.

My thoughts turn back to the conversation I had with Brad when Ava was up in the attic.

I grip the steering wheel a little harder than necessary.

He didn’t look so smug when I pressed him about where her luggage was.

At first, he played dumb. Shrugged. Said it probably got misplaced. But I knew he was lying.

So I didn’t let it go.

I stayed calm. Didn’t raise my voice. Just kept looking at him until he cracked.

He finally admitted he left the suitcase in the trunk of the rental car. Dropped it off that same night, just hours after she walked out of their wedding. He could’ve brought it back. Called someone. Hell, just texted Jenna to come and take it.

But no. He left it there out of spite.

He had the nerve to say he didn’t think she’d want it anyway.

My jaw clenches.

Ava’s already had enough to deal with today. Getting her suitcase back, andanythingelse for that matter, shouldn’t have to feel like an uphill battle.

The exit sign for the rental agency appears up ahead. I turn my blinker on, check the mirror again. She follows without hesitation.

I take a slow breath and ease into the turn lane, guiding us into a cracked lot lined with rows of identical sedans and a chain-link fence that’s seen better days. When we pull into the lot, Ava parks beside me. She steps out slowly, brushing her hands over her coat. She’s watching me carefully, probably trying to figure out where we are and why.

I meet her at the curb and nod toward the glass doors.

“I’ve got a hunch,” I say, tipping my head toward the building. “You’ll want to see this.”

She falls into step beside me. After everything Brad put her through, the least I can do is help her walk out of here with her luggage.

The car rental office is quiet except for the buzz of a flickering fluorescent light overhead. The carpet’s stained, the counter scuffed, and the woman behind the desk doesn’t look up right away when we step inside.

Ava stays close but silent, her eyes scanning the space like she’s waiting for something to go wrong.

I step forward. “Hey. I think you’ve got something in the lost and found. Gray luggage, probably dropped off by a guy in a bad mood last Saturday.”