After introducing them, and seeing a hint of recognition dawn on Justin’s face, she quickly explained in the briefest possible way.
He looked from her to Paul and back again. “Ohhh, I’m glad I’m driving ahead. I don’t want to be anywhere near Terrie when you tell her this. No offense.”
“None taken,” she said. “You’re the lucky one.”
“You sure you don’t want me to take him with me?”
“No. He stays with me.” She hooked an arm around Paul’s. “This has to happen sooner than later, and maybe it’s best it happens out of state. Are you all packed?”
“Yeah. I need to run by my roommate’s work and drop my key off when I leave, though. I really appreciate you doing this. I talked to Rachel already this morning. She’s apparently planning a big welcome dinner at her and Andrew’s place.”
“Glen and Wade are invited, I hope?”
It was adorable how the pink rose in Justin’s cheeks. “Yeah, that’s what she said.”
“Good for you.”
When Paul looked understandably curious, she waved off his questions. “I’ll fill you in later.”
After loading their bags into the truck cab and getting their rental loaded and secured on the car hauler, Justin gave Lynn a final hug before leaving, his car packed with clothes and things he’d need immediately upon his arrival in Florida.
Paul walked Lynn around to the passenger side of the truck. “Oh,” she said. “Have you ever driven one of these before?”
“Plenty of times. Including just a couple of months ago. I helped Sarah move out when I moved.”
“Oh,” she muttered. “Figures.”
It was like he read her mind. “Do we need to come up with a TMI code or something?”
“No. I asked. And of course you helped her move.”
“It was one of the few times she spoke to me after I filed for divorce.”
“I bet.”
“I wasn’t going to leave her there. If I had, she never would have moved. The house was being sold. I didn’t want to be held responsible by the realtors for violating the purchase contract by not getting out of there in time.”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that.”
“Exactly. I know that’s what she would have done.”
He helped her into the cab before walking around to the other side and climbing in. Before leaving Vermillion, they topped off the gas tank, Lynn once again reminded of her whopper of a secret as she swiped her credit card at the pump.
She called Terrie when they were on the road again. Terrie had sent her the address for a meeting place just off I-29 where they could have lunch together, the three of them.
Cough.
Lynn suspected her friends wouldn’t be quite so hungry when they pulled up and saw who was with her in the truck, but at least they’d be far enough out in the parking lot to hopefully avoid traumatizing any children from hearing the string of profanities that would no doubt spew unfettered from Terrie’s mouth when she saw Paul.
Using the Waze app, which Lynn had installed on her phone, she directed Paul to the meeting place. They were nearly thirty minutes early, even with a gas stop, so they parked on the far edge of the large lot surrounding the popular family restaurant, where tour busses and semi-trucks would park.
Lynn didn’t bother to text Terrie that they were there.
And fortunately, she’d used the bathroom at the gas stop, so if they needed to make a quick escape, they could.
Paul didn’t try to make small talk with her, either. They sat, the engine running and AC going to keep them cool while they held hands.
And waited.
Lynn’s stomach had tightened into a nearly painful knot by the time she spotted a pickup truck that pulled into the parking lot and drove around, approaching them. There was a piece of furniture secured in the bed.
Definitely Mark and Terrie.
When Paul shut off the truck’s engine and walked around to open Lynn’s door for her, she was pretty sure she could hear Terrie’s enraged shriek even from the other vehicle.
Although she might have been imagining that, but she wasn’t sure.
Mark barely had the truck pulled to a complete stop before Terrie came flying out of the passenger side and running over to them.
“What the fuck is he doing here? What are you doing here?” She seemed to be screaming at both of them, but Paul had given Lynn’s hand a gentle squeeze and positioned his body between them, shielding her from Terrie.
Lynn wasn’t sure if the heat shimmers in the air were from the hot sun bouncing off the parking lot or maybe they were coming from Terrie.
Mark shut the truck off and got out, rounding the front and looking every bit as angry as his wife.
“Terrie, please calm down,” Lynn said from behind Paul. “Just listen to me and—”
“I’m not listening to anything that worthless son of a bitch has to say!”
So much for her being okay with me contacting him after all.
Lynn had suspected the talk Terrie had given her in the hotel room in Clearwater had been more for Lynn’s benefit than the full-on truth of how Terrie felt about the situation.
“She called me on Thursday, Terrie,” Paul said. “She bought me a ticket and ordered me to—”
“You called him? When? I was with you almost every freaking minute of the damn day.”
“You were in the shower,” she admitted. “I called him and told him to be on the flight or to never contact me again.”
“So you bought him a fucking ticket?”
“I’m going to pay her back,” Paul said.
“She doesn’t need your money, asshole. You realize he’s only after your money, right? Awfully coincidental he just happens to show up right now, isn’t it?”
Lynn had never before in her life wanted to smack Terrie.
Right now, she really wanted to smack Terrie.
Paul turned, looking understandably confused. “What money? What is she talking about?”
“Don’t you dare give me that bullshit,” Terrie said, stepping forward, just to be hauled back by Mark. “You can’t tell me that—”
“I hadn’t told him about the boom yet. Congratulations, you just did.”
Terrie’s mouth snapped shut, her eyes widening in horror.
Lynn stepped around Paul. “That’s right. I didn’t tell him because you just told him.”
“Told me what? I still don’t understand what she’s talking about.”
Now Mark looked confused. “You really don’t know?”
Paul threw his hands up in frustration and turned back to Lynn, waiting for an explanation.
Glaring at Terrie for a long moment, Lynn finally took a deep breath. “I hit the Powerball a few weeks ago. Five hundred and sixty million dollars. My share dropped into my bank account Saturday morning.”
Now Paul’s eyes widened. “What?”
“And what motormouth here thinks is that you’re after my money. Except I know that’s not what was going on because I hadn’t told him yet.” Those last four words Lynn shot at Terrie, who now had both hands clamped over her mouth.
“I wanted to wait until we got back to Florida,” Lynn said to Paul. “Then I was going to tell you.” She turned back to Mark and Terrie. “I was hoping today would go a little more smoothly than this. You guys stay here, spend time with your family, and fly back later in the week. I’ll reimburse you for the tickets when we get home. Paul and I will drive the truck back. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Paul, but I knew you’d be upset. I wanted time alone with him to find out what, if anything, might happen. I’m sorry you don’t approve, but honestly? It’s my life. I love you guys, but I want to see if he and I can make it. I also wanted to try to get a head-start on that process before we got back to Florida and news broke about the ticket.”
She’d turned toward the truck when Terrie’s uncharacteristically tiny voice stopped her.
“Lynn?”
Sh
e stopped, finally turning back to face her. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I am, too.”
“I guess we’re even, huh?”
She finally walked back to Terrie and hugged her. “This isn’t a contest of secrets. There is no even or not even or points or score. I wasn’t thinking clearly the other day when I decided to do this.”
She glanced at Paul, who understandably looked like he’d taken a ball-tap. “I ordered him onto a plane, and he did it. If he hadn’t done it…I wouldn’t even be having this conversation with you at some point in the future. I wanted to know he meant it. I guess I wanted to test him. Meanwhile, he spent last week thinking Justin was my boyfriend and that he’d lost any chance he might have had with me.”
Terrie snorted. “But Justin’s gay.”
“Yeah, I know. We got that part sorted out.”
“And he’s Rachel’s little brother.”
“Again, I know. And now, so does Paul. That’s when I decided to fly him up here.”
“So the other day, the tornado siren at the park, you said ‘we.’”
“I was with Paul, yes. I lied to you. I’m sorry.”
Terrie tipped her head to look up at her husband. Mark was glaring at Paul again, but now Lynn felt reasonably sure he wasn’t going to take a swing at Paul.
She hoped.
“What do you think?” Terrie asked him.
“I think this is twenty kinds of fucked up. I told you you should have told her when you found out about him getting divorced.”
“Did anyone else know?” Lynn asked.
“I swore Rachel to secrecy. I told her the night that she went with us to the munch that I saw he’d filed, but other than Mark, she’s the only one. I know she didn’t tell anyone.”
“She’s the only other one?”
“Not unless Paul told someone.”
Lynn looked at him. Paul shook his head. “Well, I take that back. I talked to Tim on Facebook just before I made contact with you. But he said he hadn’t seen you in a little while.”
“So now what happens?” Terrie asked.
“Now, you and Mark enjoy your time here,” Lynn said. “Let me know when you get back to Florida. He took the week off from work. Don’t waste it.”
“Are we okay?”
She hugged Terrie. “Of course we’re okay. I love you. I know you wanted to protect me, and I know you’re angry at Paul, but please trust me. I’m an adult, and I love him. I’m not going to stand here all day and make him justify himself to you guys. It should be enough that I feel I don’t need to run it past you first. Believe me, I’m not simply clinging to him out of desperation.”
Or was she?
Then again, it almost felt like a wall had now slipped into place in Paul’s expression.
Maybe that was just her imagination.
After Paul and Mark transferred the dresser to the moving truck and secured it, Terrie and Mark left shortly after, pulling around the building to park and eat while Lynn and Paul got back into the moving truck.
Paul still helped her up into the cab.
It was only after he had the engine running, the AC going, and had sat there silently for a moment that he finally spoke again.
“So all this time…you were sitting on that secret?”
“Yeah.” She stared at her hands. “Sorry.”
He took a deep breath. “Anything else I need to know?”
“No. That’s it. One big boom.”
“Why do you call it that?”
“Just a code word. So we could talk about it and not worry about someone hearing us.”
“No one else knows about it?”
“Ed, and Derrick and Marcia because they’re our CPA firm. And now you. I forced Terrie and Mark to take a share of it, even though they didn’t want to. Eventually it’ll get out in the press, but we’re hoping it takes a little while.”
He stared out the windshield for a moment. “I’ll sign whatever Ed puts in front of me to protect you,” he said, finally looking at her again. “Whatever needs to happen. I’ll sign any prenup he puts in front of me.”
“I don’t need a prenup from you. I trust you.”
“You might trust me, but I want you fully protected.”
“Why do I need to be protected from you if you have no plans to leave?”
“Because…what if something happens in the future? I’ve got a sister and a brother. What if they try to sue you for a share of it or something?”
“Or Sarah?”
“She can’t sue for it. We’re divorced, and you’ve got adequate proof that you and I weren’t in contact until after you won. So she can’t try to claim we were partners in it or something.”
“But I don’t want to make you sign a piece of paper to prove I can trust you.”
“You ordered me onto an airplane, sweetie. Which I’m totally fine with, by the way. You aren’t making me sign a piece of paper. I’m telling you I will be signing a prenup. That’s your money.”
“This is silly.”
“This isn’t silly, Lynn. This is serious. Do you realize people have been killed over less than that much money?”
“I don’t have the whole thing. I split it with Mark and Terrie, and there were taxes and stuff.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “You know what I mean. I bet you don’t even have a security alarm yet, do you?”
“No,” she mumbled.
He scrubbed at his face with his hands before taking a deep breath. He reached over and took her hand in his. “I love you. I loved you before this, and I still love you. But do you trust me?”
She nodded.
“Do you trust me enough to submit to me?”
“Of course I do.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t be sitting here with you if I didn’t.”
“Then consider this an order. When we get back to Florida, first thing the next business day, you will call Ed and ask him to draw up a prenup he feels will protect you. I will sign it, without question. Period. Understand me?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “Good girl.” Then he let out an amused snort.
“What?”
“When we were discussing the tattoo, and I said I needed to save up for it, you got a weird look on your face. Like you were trying not to laugh.”
She felt heat fill her face. “Yeah.”
“Because you were sitting on this?”
She nodded.
He pulled her in for a hug. “Pet, I love you so damn much. Now I really feel like I’m dreaming.”
“We can buy a house, any house we want, and—”
“No.” He stared down into her eyes. “We’re not going to do anything like that. We’re going to focus on us. We’re going to rebuild us. I’m assuming you still own your condo. I’m renting an apartment. Before my lease is due, we’ll figure out where we’re living. Probably your condo because I can help pay expenses, and—”
“Why would you pay expenses?”
He arched the eyebrow at her again. “Because I’m not a mooch.”
“If we’re together, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got it all set up and—”
He gently laid a finger over her lips, stopping her. “Do you trust me, pet?”
She nodded.
“When I say I’m paying my share, I mean it. Understand?”
She nodded.
“Good girl. Now put your seatbelt on. We’ll go grab subs from that place I saw near the gas station and eat in the truck.”
She snickered. It’d been an old joke between them.
One she’d missed more than she realized.
“What?”
“I’m assuming you meant sandwiches?”
He smiled. “Sub sandwiches, yes.” He leaned over for another kiss. “I promised you no other subs but you, and I meant it. I should have clarified of the human kind. I love you, but I don’t think you can give me a rat
ional reason to force me to give up my turkey and Swiss on whole wheat.”
* * * *
Paul managed to keep up his end of the conversation despite his shock.
If it was a dream, he hoped he died before the end of it so he could die happy.
No, it wasn’t his money. But at least Lynn wouldn’t have to stress every month now, would be able to relax and write the books she wanted to write instead of the ones she thought she had to write.
She could take it easy.
He would still be working. He refused to mooch off her. Yes, he wanted to marry her.
Ironically, that would take a little longer now until he was sure she was sure. He didn’t want her having any doubts about his loyalties to her.
And he, too, cursed Terrie for blabbing. It should have been Lynn’s news to tell, in her time and her way.
He didn’t blame Lynn for keeping it a secret, either.
Unfortunately, it meant he’d need to take things even more slowly with Lynn to avoid any future problems.
He’d take forever, if he had to, to be sure he’d fully regained her trust.
* * * *
Late Wednesday afternoon, Justin was standing outside Rachel’s condo with Wade and Glen when they pulled into the parking lot. Justin waved, a smile on his face as he walked over to greet them. She’d texted him their ETA when they were five minutes out.
Then Terrie and Mark walked out, their faces neutral. Rachel and Andrew, at least, were trying to force smiles.
“Oh, boy,” Paul muttered. “I’ve got this. Let me handle it.”
“You sure?” The trip back to Florida had done a lot to help her. They’d been forced to talk, unable to do anything else. She was willing to trust him and give this a shot, even if her friends would probably think she was completely batshit cray-cray for even thinking about it.
She couldn’t not try. Hell, she’d manifested a winning lottery ticket, and her guy was back.
If she could create world peace, it’d be a perfect hat trick of mystical writing abilities.
They’d taken their time and stopped Monday and Tuesday nights, making love and sleeping late, avoiding rush-hour traffic.
And talking.
A lot of talking.
She’d also texted Terrie to keep her posted about their progress.
Beware Falling Rocks Page 16