Then sirens sounded in the background, and his father’s eyes glazed again as he lunged, trying to punch someone nearby. Joe grabbed the back of his dad’s shirt to haul him away. Calm-talk time was gone.

“Stop it! Dad! You’re out of control.”

“Can’t you see? They’re all in on it. Are you too? Hell, maybe she is.”

His dad had indicated Beth as he wriggled from Joe’s grasp, rushing toward her.

Not Beth, damn it.

“No!” Time slowed as Joe moved to tackle him as several others did, which sent their balance out of whack and his dad kept going, right through one of the big windows, which shattered as Joe went through right with him, trying to protect his dad the best he could.

Two cops had arrived, one of them was Shane Chase, who helped Joe to his feet.

“What the hell? You okay?” Shane looked him over.

More sirens, and Joe hoped one of them was an ambulance because his father was bleeding profusely.

Beth rushed up, holding towels.

“Stay back, Beth!” Shane ordered. “Honey, there’s glass all over the place.”

“I’m aware. At least get these on Mr. Harris to stanch the bleeding.” Her voice was strangely calm. Her manner was matter-of-fact.

Joe didn’t want to look at her. Shame filled him. Warring with frustration, anger and exhaustion.

“Joe is bleeding too.”

“There’s an ambulance here now. They’ve got it.” Thankfully Shane kept her away. “Joe, you gotta get back. I need to get your dad in some cuffs. I’m sorry.”

“He’s having mental problems. He…he’s been on a new treatment. I guess it’s not working.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, jerking back when he realized he had tiny shards of glass all over his skin.

“Arrest me if you have to.” Beth shoved her way over. She thrust a wet hand towel at Joe. “Let me get your face cleaned up.”

She was everything that had been good in his life. Everything right and healthy and this…this thing with his father had gone and f**ked it up.

He’d taken his attention away from his dad and put it toward Beth, and now he had to make a choice. The last thing she needed was for this mess to spill into her life. He couldn’t bear to look at her.

“Just leave me be, for God’s sake.”

She stepped back, and he made the mistake of glancing up, finding her bloody. But she appeared to be fine enough to narrow her eyes at him. “You’re bleeding. He’s not going anywhere but the hospital. You can take thirty seconds to stop that blood from getting into your eye.”

“Look, Beth.” He gazed around at the chaos. They had loaded his father onto a gurney and were cleaning him up and strapping him down. Joe lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, but this thing isn’t going to work.”

“What thing?” She moved closer, reaching up to brush his hair from his face but he stepped back. If she touched him he’d lose all his resolve.

“This thing. The you-and-me thing. Beth, I like you. But my life is a thousand kinds of f**ked up right now. I don’t have the time or the energy to have a relationship of any kind.”

“You’re dumping me?”

“You can ride to the hospital with him if you like.” The paramedic tapped Joe’s shoulder.

Beth waved him on. “Go. I’ll check on you later.”

“Don’t. Beth, it’s over.” He turned his back on her and got into the back of the ambulance, careful not to look at her again.

Chapter Twelve

“Over my ass.” Beth watched as the ambulance pulled away.

“Honey, come away from all that glass.” Nathan put an arm around her, steering her from the mess.

A dude covered in blood had just dumped her.

Lily, eyes wide, took Beth’s hands, rubbing them between her own. “Sweetie, your hands are ice cold and you’ve got blood on you too. You were really close to the window when it broke. You’ve got bits of glass everywhere. Come on. Let’s get you home so you can clean up.”

She pulled away. “No.”

Nathan got that look around his mouth that said he was going to be stern. It usually made her feel better. Or at the very least, well enough to poke at him. But that’s not what she needed.

“Did you get hurt? You’re bleeding. Let us help.” He stepped closer.

Not physically. Nothing on the outside hurt.

“I need to be alone.”

Lily looked between them. “Honey?”

“I need to be by myself.” She started to walk away and Lily caught up.

“What the hell is going on?”

“He dumped me. I—” Tears began to well up and she couldn’t afford them just then.

“Let me help you. Please. I hate seeing you like this. He didn’t mean it. You know he didn’t.”

“What’s happening?” Jacob called out.

“I can’t with this right now. Please. Let me be.”

Lily’s eyes were full of emotion. She reached toward Beth. “There’s no way your brothers are going to let you just walk off in the dark after that scene. You know them.”

“I need to be alone!” She yelled it and then instantly felt awful. “I’m sorry.”

Lily’s bottom lip wobbled as she gave Beth a hug. “I’m sorry. I just want to make it better. Go. I’ll hold them off. You better pick up when I call you in an hour. You get an hour, Beth, and then your best friend is declaring make-it-better rights. Don’t make me come find you.”