I pulled in a breath. That word was like nails on a chalkboard to me. It was tough to hear.

Jamie was right, though. Those women were … that word, but still. Tough to hear. I couldn’t help but react to it.

“Jealous ’cause you were younger, smarter, probably hotter,” he continued, staying pitched forward. “Couldn’t handle the fact you had all that goin’ on plus everything else you got goin’ on, which is a fuckin’ lot, babe, so they dogged you for it.”

“They dogged me all right,” I echoed, laughing a little at that expression.

Jamie didn’t laugh watching me. He didn’t smile. He didn’t lose that tense, worried look in his eyes either. If anything, it grew thicker.

“Babe,” he mumbled, and I knew his next words before he even asked them. “Tell me you did not let those bitches run you out of there. That’s fucked up.”

“I did not let them run me out of there,” I told him, watching his head jerk and his eyes lower. “Me leaving was my decision. They might’ve influenced it, but they did not make that choice for me. I did.”

Jamie’s eyes lifted again. They narrowed and his mouth got tight.

I sat up then, swinging my legs over the side of the cushion to join him in his position. Reaching out and taking one of his hands between both of mine, I planted my feet so they staggered with his and slid forward, putting our knees together.

“I am very protective of my family, Jamie,” I started, holding his eyes. “I don’t ever want anything touching them that could hurt them in any way. Not even if that thing is me. Those women were talking and they weren’t being shy about it. The things they were saying got around and eventually got back to me, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before they spread further. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want anyone thinking badly about my father. I didn’t want people saying he was the type of man who didn’t care about his business because he was letting family work there who weren’t qualified to run it into the ground. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want his character getting tarnished.”

“Why would that happen?” Jamie questioned. “That shit wasn’t true. You were qualified.”

“Rumors about John Rivera’s daughter being qualified and earning the position she got aren’t juicy. They don’t travel,” I explained. “But rumors about how John Rivera’s daughter got her position by begging her much older boss, from her knees …”

Jamie jerked back. White-hot anger flashed in his eyes. “Fuck. Are you serious? They were sayin’ that about you?” he asked gruffly.

“They were saying a lot of things about me. That was one,” I confirmed.

“Jesus,” Jamie mumbled. He shook his head and twisted his hand inside mine, taking hold of me as he got closer. His other hand reached out and cupped my face. “Legs, straight up, they should’ve been fired for that,” he said, staring into my eyes. “You should’ve taken that shit straight to your boss and let him handle it. You should not have been dealin’ with that.”

“I agree with you,” I told him. “They deserved to be fired, but I didn’t want to draw more attention to it and I really didn’t want Walt knowing what all they were saying. He’s the nicest man. Always close with my family. He was like my grandfather. I didn’t want him hearing that ugly. Firing four women over one quitting would’ve drawn attention and spread it wide. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him finding out. Or my dad. That could’ve reflected on him if people believed it.”

Jamie’s brows shot up. “Your dad still doesn’t know?”

I shook my head, saying, “Only you,” and watching Jamie’s eyes get soft. “You’re the only person who knows. Syd doesn’t even know.”

Jamie closed his eyes for a breath, feeling what I just gave him and letting it sink in deep. Then he looked at me again and moved his thumb over my cheek, whispering, “Babe,” as his fingers curled around my neck.

“I quit after two months and I don’t regret it,” I continued. “Not only because me leaving killed those rumors, but because I didn’t love that job. I liked it. It was a job. It was something I could’ve done until I retired and I would’ve been satisfied, but I wouldn’t have been happy. Not really. Not like I am now.”

“What’d you tell your dad?” Jamie asked.

I smiled, stating, “That I wasn’t happy. He told me to go find my happiness and I did. Right here.”

Jamie’s mouth twitched hearing that, but not much. He was still angry at what I’d gone through.

I reached out and took his face between my hands. I scooted to the edge of the cushion.

“I am very protective of my family, Jamie,” I repeated, wanting him to cling to these words and the ones that followed. To hear these over the others I’d said. “I would never let anything near them that could hurt them in any way. Or bring them shame or anything negative. I wouldn’t let it happen.”

“I got that, babe,” he replied. “Loud and clear.”

“Good.” I smiled again. “Then you should get why I had no problem asking my father if Rivera Frozen Foods would like to sponsor their first world-champion surfer.”

Jamie’s brows shot up. I felt his jaw tick beneath my palms.

“He said yes, by the way,” I added, smiling bigger because Jamie was looking shocked. “But you’re going to have to talk to him because I have no idea what all he has to do and he has no idea either. They’ve never sponsored anybody before. But that doesn’t matter. Dad said he would be honored to back a man like you.”

Jamie’s nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath.

“He also had some choice words for the sponsor who dropped you,” I continued on a chuckle, remembering those words and how quick he was at letting them fly. “Dad said if people don’t want to back a man who goes to his woman and chooses her over everything else, then they’re a bunch of idiots—only he didn’t say idiots.” I chuckled again, thinking Jamie would join in this time, but he didn’t.

Tilting my head, I let my eyes roam over the heavy expression he was wearing. I couldn’t read him. He wasn’t saying anything. Wasn’t smiling. His jaw was still tight. He was still holding my face but his thumb was no longer moving.

He was a statue, only breathing and blinking.

And not knowing how Jamie felt about all of this led to me having a panicking thought.

“Do you not want to be sponsored by them?” I asked, keeping the hurt from my voice because I didn’t want him hearing it. “It’s okay if you don’t. I know they’re just a frozen food company and not some major sports retailer. If you’d rather they didn’t, I can talk to my dad. It won’t—”

My words were halted when Jamie slid his hand to my neck, yanked me forward, and crashed his mouth against mine in a hard, deep kiss that made my toes curl inside my shoes and the muscles in my stomach clench and every fear or worrying thought I had go quiet inside my head.

“You did that for me,” Jamie panted against my lips, keeping his grip firm on my neck and bringing his other hand up to palm my cheek.