Keeping You Away

by Kennedy Fox

  After I make a cup of coffee, Mrs. Zelda comes in with the keys to her Camaro, and before long, the lobby is full of customers who didn’t have appointments. Once I’ve gotten them all taken care of, I go back to the garage and notice Tyler isn’t around.

  “Dad, we just had six cars pull up for oil changes. Is Tyler here?”

  He turns and looks at me. “No. Said he needed off.”

  “For what?” I ask as he wipes his greasy hands on a cloth.

  “Not quite sure. He mentioned needin’ to leave town for something important and would be back on Wednesday. I told him it was fine.” He tilts his head at me when my nostrils flare. “You okay?”

  Frustrated doesn’t explain how I feel right now. “That would’ve been great information to have before I told everyone their vehicles would be ready for pick up this afternoon.”

  He waves it off like it’s not a big deal. “It’ll be alright. I handled all of this before Tyler started helping out, and I can do it again for two days.”

  My eyes soften. “I know, Daddy. I just don’t want you to overwork yourself. That’s all.”

  “It keeps me young, sweetie. Everyone’s vehicles will be ready before close. And if not, go home and change during lunch and help me out. I mean, if you still remember how to remove an oil pan and change a filter.” He gives me a hefty laugh.

  This has me snorting. “Dad, I could do it in my sleep.”

  “That’s my girl,” he says, then gets back to what he was doing because there’s no extra time for chitchat. “If people don’t want to wait, tell them to come back later this week.”

  I nod and return to the lobby where my mind races. Tyler never mentioned going out of town, and a small part of me thinks he’s planning to leave Lawton Ridge again, regardless if he said he wasn’t. Deep inside, I feel as if I’ve pushed him away, and the guilt comes in full force, but so does the jealousy. Seeing him with that woman again is slowly eating away at me. All weekend, I’ve tried to ignore how happy Ruby looked when she saw him or how her voice changed an octave. I shouldn’t care that the man I first loved is moving on with his life because I have. Right?

  When I get a little break, I text Everleigh and ask if she’d like to grab a quick lunch. She’s been so busy at the boutique with all the fall sales and decorating for Halloween that it’s been hard to get together, but she agrees to meet me. As soon as noon rolls around, Dad and I leave the garage at the same time and go our separate ways. It takes me a couple of minutes to walk to the deli where Everleigh is happily waiting in a booth by the big windows. She waves at me with her million-dollar smile, and I hurry inside. Once I sit, we order our chicken ranch wraps and sweet teas.

  “So, what’s new?” She grins, raising her eyebrows. It’s the first time we’ve been face-to-face since I slept over after Robert and I had that big fight three weeks ago.

  I bite my lip. “Nothing much. Did wedding shit all weekend. Winnie is like a cracked-out wedding junkie,” I tell her.

  “Really? Need any help deciding on anything? Like who your maid of honor will be?” She waggles her brows, and I laugh at her obvious tone. I don’t want to have to pick between her and Katie, so I’ve pushed it off.

  I shake my head. “Nah. I just randomly picked things. Honestly, Robert would be better off doing all this, considering he’s so meticulous about the colors, cake, and the song for our first dance.” I quickly change the subject, hoping she takes the bait. “How’s the boutique?”

  She grabs a pack of crackers from the caddy and opens them. “Great. Super busy. You sure you don’t want a weekend job?” she asks around a mouthful, probably hoping I’ll say yes this time. “I can’t even guilt Tyler into helping me anymore since he got a job at the gym.”

  My cheeks heat at the mention of Tyler and how I had no idea he was employed there, too. No wonder he’s not having any problems moving on from our heated make-out session.

  Swallowing hard, I push the images of that night out of my head. “Girl, you should put an ad in the paper. I’m sure you’d have a handful of teenagers dying to be at your beck and call for an employee discount,” I tease. “I wish I had the time, but between the garage and wedding planning, there’d be no extra time.” I groan.

  She playfully rolls her eyes. “I guess that’s a good enough reason, but if you change your mind, hit me up,” she sing-songs.

  As I think about my next words, my heart begins to race. “Tyler didn’t show up today. Is…everything okay?” I can’t help the hesitation in my voice.

  “I think so. All he told me was he had something to do in Vegas. I drove him to the airport yesterday afternoon, and I’ll pick him up late Tuesday night. He didn’t give me much info, regardless of how hard I tried. Honestly, I thought you were aware because he said he was approved to be off work. Sorry, I would’ve mentioned it otherwise.” She narrows her eyes. “It’s suspicious that no one knows what he’s doing in Vegas, right?”

  “It is,” I say with a nod. I think about him leaving again and moving back to Sin City, but then I think about Ruby. Would he leave her too?

  “What?” She watches me, noticing my mood change.

  I force a smile and try not to act too curious. “Does Tyler have a girlfriend?”

  Everleigh is in stitches over my question, but I don’t think it’s that funny. “A girlfriend?” She snorts. It’s obvious she has no idea about Ruby, but I won’t be the one to tell her because it’s not my business to do so.

  “He’s never had a girlfriend—other than you, of course—and he probably won’t start now. It’s not in our blood to be in relationships.” There’s a sadness in her tone when she talks, and I figure it’s because of how they grew up. The only healthy marriage they witnessed was their grandparents’. Everleigh shows me her ringless finger and wiggles her hand.

  “I suppose. Though, if it’s any consolation, any man would be lucky to be with you. Assuming he could wrangle you down.” I laugh, and she throws a piece of her cracker at me.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. What do you know that you’re not telling me?” she asks as our food is set in front of us, and we thank the waitress.

  I lower my eyes, looking at the plate. “Nothing at all.”

  “You’re such a bad liar!” she scolds, and I meet her stare. “Is my brother dating someone?” She arches a brow, waiting for me to answer.

  One thing is for certain—Everleigh won't let this die and will probably confront Tyler as soon as he’s home. Tucking my lips inside my mouth, I pretend as if I’m zipping them up and tossing the key.

  “Did you forget who you’re talkin’ to? You can’t change the subject that easily, she continues, then takes a big bite of her wrap, but I’ve lost my appetite. “Who is she?”

  “No idea. I don’t know anything about it, but thought you would if it was serious,” I confirm, which isn’t a lie. I don’t dare tell her how pretty the woman is and how she’s perfect for Tyler—fit with tattoos, bright eyes, and high cheekbones. Instead, I keep those details to myself because just thinking about her causes my blood to boil. Compared to her, I’m homely, the girl next door type. Ruby seems like she could give Tyler the best night of his life, and as much as I shouldn’t care and tell myself I don’t, there’s no denying the fact that I do.

  I pick at my food, eating half of it as she talks about the shop and the new inventory she ordered. I’m happy she fills the silence because I don’t have much to say.

  After we’re done eating, she hurries and grabs the check before I can, then takes care of it.

  “No fair! You never let me pay.” I pretend to pout but smile and thank her. We exchange a hug, and before I turn and walk toward the garage, she looks at me.

  “Everything okay between you and Tyler?”

  Though a cool breeze is blowing against my cheeks, I feel like I’m on fire.

  “Yeah, why?” I press, wondering if he said something about me.

  She shakes her head. “Just wondering. You’ve both been…weird
lately.”

  I force a laugh. “No idea what you’re talking about. Everything about Tyler and me working together is weird.”

  Waving her hand, she chuckles. “I guess you’re right. If you get bored tonight or tomorrow, come over! We can have a girls’ night since my brother’s gone. We can get drunk watching nineties rom-coms and eating Ben & Jerry’s.”

  I grin, remembering I have to decide if I’m going to dinner with Robert tonight. “Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Deal!” she tells me, and we go our separate ways. “Hope you sell out of everything today!” I shout over my shoulder.

  She chuckles, giving me a thumbs-up.

  The rest of the day at the garage is busy as hell. Robert texts me again about tonight, and I decide to join him. Apparently, I need to dress nice because the client we’re meeting is extremely high profile. I read between the lines of his message and know he wants to impress her. A few minutes later, he calls me.

  “Hey, darling. What’re you up to?”

  I smile at his genuine tone. “Just working my ass off. It’s been a Monday from hell.”

  He chuckles. “Hope I’m not bothering you.”

  “You’re not,” I say, as I make a fresh pot of coffee because I’m hitting my afternoon slump.

  “Oh, I wanted to ask if you could write Winnie a check? She’s ordering some things for the wedding, and I’m about an hour and a half away from the house.”

  “Yeah, sure. Not a problem. Can I do it when I get off at five?”

  “That’s perfect. The checkbook is in the top drawer of my desk. Write it for five thousand, put it in an envelope, and place it in the mailbox. She said she’d run by after she got done with a client. I won’t have time to make it home before I pick you up for dinner.”

  “Will do,” I tell him.

  “I miss you and am so happy you’re coming tonight,” he admits. “Can’t wait to see you.”

  “I know, baby, me too. Only a few more hours,” I remind him.

  “Will you stay the night with me afterward?” he nearly begs. “I know it’s not the weekend, but I bought you something from that lingerie shop you like. Thought you could model it for me.”

  A smile touches my lips. It means a lot to see him actually trying to spend more time with me. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

  “Thank you for everything. I gotta go. Don’t forget about taking care of that for Winnie. Love you!”

  “Love you too, Robert.” I end the call, then get back to work. The rest of the day passes by in a blink. Just as Dad promised, all the vehicles are ready to be picked up before close. He looks and sounds exhausted. We lock up and say our goodbyes.

  When I pull out of the parking lot, I head over to Robert’s house and turn off the security alarm, then walk into his office. When I agreed to marry him, he added me to his bank account, though I never use his money for anything.

  I sit at his oversized oak desk and open the top drawer. Once I find his checkbook, I write it out for the amount he said, then scribble the information in the registry. Afterward, I notice a handful of payments for three thousand dollars that are all dated within the last month. They’re not written out to anyone in particular, so I flip to the carbon copies to see if there’s more information. I sit there confused because the name is blank and only has the dollar amount and his signature on them.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I close the checkbook and place it back in the top drawer. It doesn’t close properly, so I reach my hand in and pull out several wads of crumpled paper. Instinctively, I smooth them out and notice they’re handwritten receipts.

  The moment I read the company name, my heart drops.

  I can’t breathe and nearly gasp for air when I realize they’re for a private investigator.

  With shaky hands and adrenaline rushing through me, I put them where they were, hidden and wadded up behind the stack of files. I grab Winnie’s payment, stuff it in an envelope, and try to calm down.

  After I place it in the mailbox, I get the fuck out of there. I’m so angry that I’m nearly in tears, and I can’t think straight. Maybe it was for something else, but I know for a fact I was being followed, and hell, maybe I still am. That means Robert was gaslighting me when he said he didn’t know what I was talking about and made me feel like I was going crazy.

  I have a feeling he knew exactly what was going on, and that’s why he didn’t come to my rescue. It makes me sick that he’d do this to me.

  How do I even bring this up after we agreed to put more effort into our relationship? This will undoubtedly change everything. I’ve lost complete trust in him and faith in our future. If I hadn’t already agreed to go with him tonight, we’d be discussing it right away.

  On the way home, I think about the check registry, and the timeline of when they were written matches when I first saw the SUV parked outside of the garage.

  I park in my driveway and allow myself a few minutes. My paranoia is in overdrive, wondering what they must’ve seen. Did they see Tyler come to my house the night they were there? Does Robert have pictures of him leaving? Is he following me because he thinks I’m cheating? A million thoughts and questions hit me, but I won’t get answers until after dinner.

  Though I technically crossed a line with Tyler, I stopped it before it went too far and have felt guilty about it ever since. Regardless, it doesn’t justify Robert hiring someone to follow me and invade my privacy.

  As I enter the cottage, while losing my goddamn mind, I get a text from Robert. I’ve already agreed to join him tonight, and I’ll have to make sure I play the perfect part so he doesn’t get suspicious. Afterward, when we go back to his house, I’ll confront him. I guess he didn’t remember what evidence he left in the drawer when he asked me to write Winnie a check. Or maybe he thought I was too stupid to find it.

  Robert: I’ll be at your house around seven. Don’t forget to pack a bag :)

  I feel sick.

  This gives me an hour to shower, get ready, and settle down. I don’t want to do this, any of this. But I’ll do it tonight, so I get ready anyway. I slip on a black form-fitting dress and apply some makeup, but my stomach is in tight knots. Right on time, a knock taps on my door, and I open to see him. He’s all smiles as he looks at me from head to toe, then leans forward and kisses me. It feels dirty and wrong, and I try not to tense. There’s bound to be an explanation for this, right?

  “You look gorgeous, Gemma. Are you ready?”

  “Mm-hmm. Let me grab my duffel.” I force out a smile and grab my bag.

  Robert takes it from me, and we walk to his car hand in hand. He presses a soft kiss on my knuckles before opening the door and ushering me inside.

  On the way to the restaurant, he talks about how huge this contract will be. His client wants to buy a hundred acres of land on the outskirts of town to fund a new upscale subdivision. He talks about her idea of million-dollar mansions built around a large pond. She also wants to get into other business ventures and possibly have a strip mall built close to downtown, which would give his company consistent business for years. It’d be his biggest contract to date, and he reminds me how great this would be for us. I try to act excited, but I’m not feeling anything but dread. Too many questions are soaring through my head about the wedding and our relationship.

  Regardless that I’m dying inside, I try to keep the conversation moving. “How does she have so much money?”

  “Her family is extremely rich, like generations of wealth, and she wants to expand her investments to small towns where she can capitalize. Getting her to sign with me would be a game changer for my company.” He turns and looks at me, grabbing my hand. “It’s why I brought my lucky charm.”

  With everything I have, I hold back a groan and the urge to throw up. After parking, we walk inside with our fingers interlocked. The lights are dim, and the waiters are all wearing black ties and slacks. It’s a five-star restaurant where all the drinks are served in crystal glasses, and every table has an expensive bo
ttle of wine on it. This is the type of place you’d take someone to propose.

  A smile fills his face, and I swear I see dollar signs in his eyes as he looks across the room. He waves to someone and then pulls me close before walking toward her. Even from a distance, the woman is gorgeous with her platinum blond hair and smoky eyes. She stands to greet us once we’re within arm’s length. I notice her skintight pearl-colored dress that probably costs thousands, and her designer heels are at least five inches tall. With her perfectly plump lips, high cheekbones, and contoured face, she could easily be a Kardashian cousin. This woman oozes elitism, and I know Robert is drooling over that fact.

  She looks me up and down and smirks.

  “Hey, so glad you could make it,” Robert says, taking her hand in his. “I managed to bring my beautiful fiancée with me after all,” he tells her, sliding his arm around my waist.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Gemma,” she says kindly, shaking my hand next.

  “You too,” I reply, then we all take our seats.

  “Robert has told me so much about his future wife, I feel like I already know you.” She chuckles as she taps her long nails on the table. “He talks nonstop about the two of you and how you’re getting married before the end of the year at the little white church on the hill. Congrats! It sounds like it’ll be a beautiful wedding.”

  I look over at Robert, narrowing my eyes in confusion. Nothing has been set in stone yet. What the hell is she talking about?

  He leans over and kisses my cheek with a bright smile. “Surprise, sweetie! I finalized everything over the weekend.”

  “What?” I wish we didn’t have company. Why would he spring this on me? No wonder Winnie needed to be paid right away, and she was all over my ass to pick out all the details. All the pieces are finally clicking together, which has me fuming inside.

  He flashes me a wink. “Can’t wait to make you my wife, darling. We’ll talk about it later. Tonight, we have some serious business to discuss.” He gives me a smile and another kiss. “Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you two.”