Scott was well aware of Frederic's heartache. "Don't worry," he soothed. "Healing takes time, especially for the deep wounds Miss Renfro harbors. You need to be patient."
Frederic, lost in his thoughts, lamented, "If she doesn't recover soon, I might lose my mind."
Watching Joey being taken care of by someone else was driving Frederic to the edge. He yearned to pull her close, to keep her away from any other man. Yet, what right did he have? To her, he was nothing.
This realization of his awkward position troubled Frederic deeply. He had no justification to protect her. As Joey's ex, who had hurt her countless times, he couldn't compare to Stan, who had cherished and protected her for seven years. From every angle, Stan was the better man.
Frederic now understood Joey's past struggles
