Jay’s face hardened. “Does Cat know about this?”
“I’m not sure. I’d planned to see her after the weekend before Liam mentioned he was coming to see you.”
Jay frowned. “Is that why you’re back? To find this Davidson?”
Tanya nodded. “Partly. Yes.”
Jay rubbed his jaw, his eyes darkening. “Cat was interested in a whole bunch of Kyle’s employees a while back, but she hasn’t mentioned this Matt Davidson specifically. If she knew about the molestation, I can’t imagine her giving up until she found him. You need to involve her. Going after this guy on your own isn’t an option.”
Tanya’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll talk to her, I promise.”
Liam slid his hand over Tanya’s clenched fingers and squeezed. Her eyes were wide with intent and her cheeks flushed. He looked to Jay. “One way or another, we’re going after this guy. Anything you know or remember about Davidson might help us catch him once and for all.”
Jay’s gaze darted between Liam and Tanya before he leaned back in his seat and sighed. “Look, Cat told me about files that held all the names of Kyle’s past employees, both at the fair and in his drug ring. My less-than-stellar history with Kyle meant I was more interested in the drug ring. But if I remember correctly, this Davidson character didn’t overly concern Cat at the time because he was only listed as working at Funland for a year back in the late nineties. If you go to her with this new information, she’ll get on board.” He faced Tanya. “She understands what it means when things are personal. If she knows this guy hurt Sasha, it becomes personal to her, and when that happens...”
Liam smiled wryly. “She’ll not stop until the job is done.”
Jay grinned. “Got it in one.”
Tanya shifted forward in her seat and Liam turned.
She frowned. “What if she tries to exclude me from the investigation?”
Jay shook his head. “This is a past crime...one where the perpetrator’s still a free man. Cat will want to find Davidson any way she can. Sasha will be willing to talk to her?”
Tanya nodded. “Once she really has to, yes. John, her fiancé, was really into finding Davidson a while ago. Sasha won’t want to get him riled up again unless we are sure Davidson is going to be found.” She glanced at Liam. “Which we will.”
She slipped her hand from his and stood, her chair scraping along the deck. Walking to the railing and gripping it tightly, she stared ahead, knuckles white. Liam dragged his gaze from her turned back and looked at Jay, protectiveness and frustration swirling in his blood. “You really believe Cat will get on board with this?”
“Yes.”
“Will she keep me and Tanya in the loop?”
“I don’t know. You need to go see her.” Jay leaned his forearms on the table, his gaze intent. He nodded toward Tanya and lowered his voice. “What else is going on here, Liam?”
Liam exhaled and swiped his hand over his face. “If I don’t help Tanya, she’ll go after Davidson alone. I can’t let that happen.”
Jay picked up his sandwich, and took a bite. He met Liam’s gaze and arched an eyebrow. “You falling in love with her again?”
Liam huffed a laugh, inwardly cursing. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Sure, you’re not.” Jay’s smile dissolved and he sighed. “Look, I’ll mention Davidson to Cat, all right? Whether or not the man poses a threat, this is dangerous. Cat will understand Tanya’s frustration and want to do whatever she can to find the son of a bitch.”
Liam shook his head. “The case should have never been closed if Davidson is still out there.”
“And Cat will totally agree.”
The tension grew along with the afternoon heat. Liam continued to stare at his friend, his body wired with frustration and determination.
Jay sighed. “Look, mate, I know how it feels to want to be with a strong woman, but Tanya—”
“When did I say I wanted to be with her?” Liam snapped. “This is about Sasha, not Tanya.”
“Maybe, but Tanya isn’t just anyone to you, is she? Be careful. I know what it is to fall stupid in love, remember?”
A scuff along the deck snapped Liam’s gaze to Tanya. She stared down at him and Jay, her hands fisted on her hips. “I’m opening my business tomorrow night so I am up to my eyes right now, but I’ll see Cat first thing Monday morning.”
Jay nodded. “Make sure you do.”
“But I’d prefer you didn’t mention us being here. I don’t want your wife turning up at my office, or apartment, before I’m ready to talk. I also don’t want people speculating.”
Jay lifted his hand to his brow, shading his eyes from the sun. “My lips are sealed...for now.”
“Monday morning, Jay.” Liam stood. “We’ll see Cat Monday morning.”
Their gazes locked and the angry protection in Jay’s eyes only served to fuel the unwelcome protection Liam felt for Tanya. They were two men safeguarding women they cared for...albeit Jay had married his.
Liam touched his hand to the base of Tanya’s spine. “Let’s go.”
She briefly met his eyes before turning to Jay. “Thank you. For everything. So sorry to waste your food.”
“No problem.” He dipped his head. “You kids be careful.”
Liam nodded at Jay before steering Tanya back through the house.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE MAJORITY OF the twenty-minute drive back into town passed in silence. Tanya cast surreptitious glances at Liam’s set profile, her stomach knotted with anxiety. Her armor was slipping faster than she could keep it welded together. The closer she and Liam became, the harder it was to stop from telling him her truth—all of it.
She turned to look at him. “Are you okay?”
He glanced at her, his gaze gently skimming over her face before he concentrated on the road ahead. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question? You distanced yourself back there, I could feel it.” He flicked his gaze to hers again. “Was that because of me or Jay? Because if it was Jay, the guy is honest, up front and straight-talking...well, ever since he and Cat have been together anyway. He only wants what’s best for us and Sasha.”
Tanya nodded. It was time for another confession. She couldn’t afford to risk losing Liam’s fragile trust through omission. She exhaled. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I don’t handle confrontation as easily as I used to, that’s all. The stress I used to thrive on sometimes ups and knocks me sideways nowadays.”
“Jay knocked you sideways?”
“No, you have.”
“Me?”
She smiled softly. “I kind of like you. It’s hard when I realize you are more often right than wrong.”
He frowned. “About what?”
“Me. You. Sasha...even DI Garrett.”
He lifted his hand from the steering wheel and took hers, resting it on his thigh. “Without Sasha’s testimony, you’re not going to achieve what you want from this.”
“And what do you think I want to achieve?”
He glanced at her. “Forgiveness. Hers and your own.”
Tanya stared at him as her strength threatened to flee. She clutched her purse in her lap. For the most part, Liam had a knack for knowing exactly what was going on in her head. His sixth sense should’ve been comforting, but right then, it was unnerving. She still had secrets. Secrets she was scared would send him running as far away from her as possible the moment she shared them with him.
They stopped at a red light and Tanya swallowed hard. There was no use putting off the inevitable. He had to know more about her; about who she was today. Once he did, she would know whether she could rely on him during her search for Matt Davidson, or if she had to go after him alone. Not to mention knowing whether or not she had a chance in hell of Liam ever wanting her again...
She inhaled. “I’m still suffering from bouts of anxiety. I’m jumpy. Nervous and unsure about some of my decisions. I’m not the woman you once knew.” She smiled wryly. “And I’m not sure how you feel about that. When Sasha was looking after me, she eventually persuaded me Templeton was the best place to get my life back on track.” She closed her eyes. “I want to be in Templeton, Liam. I want to be here for me, and if we...” She shook her head. “If I can lean on you a little...”
Further words failed her and she opened her eyes. He stared at her, his lips pursed. The moisture left her mouth as she waited for his response, waited for a sign she should continue, or else keep quiet about her feelings for him.
He frowned. “Part of me wants you to rely on me.”
Hope bloomed inside her and Tanya struggled not to fling her arms gratefully around his neck. “And the other part?”
He turned to the road. “Is telling me I’d be wise to walk away. I care about you. Probably too much, and you keep telling me stuff that’s making distancing myself harder and harder. I should walk away, but the very things you’re telling me make me want to stay closer than ever.”
She dropped her gaze to her lap, nerves leaping in her stomach as she clung to the prayer that Liam would come to trust her one day. “When you took my hand at Jay’s, it made everything I have to do seem easier.”
“Yet you pulled away.” His tone wasn’t accusatory but concerned. “You know how I felt about you, but if you aren’t sure about what you want to happen between us...” His jaw tightened. “I don’t know if I can handle us getting involved. I can’t risk having you walk away again.”
“After I left, I wondered time and again if I had made the biggest mistake by leaving how I did, but if I would’ve stayed there was no guarantee—”
“We would have lasted. I know that now. We wanted different things.”
Relief that he understood, that there was a glimmer of forgiveness in his eyes, pushed the air from her lungs. “Exactly.”
The light changed and he turned away. He steered the car through traffic as the tension grew. Tanya eyed the easy movement of his strong hands on the wheel...the way the tendons flexed in his forearms. Her core pulled with desire and the futile need to be close to him, closer than they were before.
“I keep telling myself I can handle your being back.” His voice broke through her illicit thoughts and she lifted her gaze. He shook his head. “That if I keep my distance everything will be okay.” He clenched his jaw. “But when I look at you, I want...”
Her heart picked up speed.
He glanced at her, his eyes dark with unmistakable yearning, maybe even hunger. He faced front. “You.”
Joy she wasn’t alone in her growing feelings toward him rushed through her. Before she could respond, Liam spoke. “I need to get back to the office.”
She stiffened. That was it? They said no more about their relationship? The future? She nodded. “Okay.”
“I need to prepare for a pro bono case later. My work has to come first.”
His voice had changed from deep warmth to icy cold, almost as if he was convincing himself more than her that his work was more important than them.
Regret wound a tight knot inside her. She’d badly hurt him, but the certainty in her heart that she was meant to be with him still lingered. She blinked back the burning in her eyes.
He coughed. “Will you be working late tonight?”
His concentration seemed zeroed on the road, leaving her no way of knowing what he was feeling or wanting from her. She swallowed. “Late enough.” They turned into the street where their offices were located. “I want to be ready by tomorrow so I have time to deal with any last-minute glitches.”
“Right.”
An invitation for him to come over when she was done danced on her tongue, but Tanya snapped her lips firmly closed. The need to have him, to make love to him, caressed her entire body. Her previous impulsiveness to seize the moment gripped her and her heart thundered. Fear she would never change from being hasty and, in turn, end up hurting those around her, made her feel sick.
She had to get back to her office, where it was safe, where she wouldn’t make any irrational decisions or mistakes that could end up hurting him.
If anything was going to happen between them, she wanted Liam to take the initiative. She sensed it was vital for them both that he make the first move. She needed to know he wanted her as he had before. She longed for his passion to be directed toward her as well as his job. Those virtues in him were more pronounced and sexy than ever. He was a self-made man, a man who ruled his own life and the courtroom. He was stronger and more powerful than she could ever have imagined, or given him credit for.
She was ashamed. And frustrated.
He pulled the car to a stop outside her office and cut the engine. Tanya forced her eyes to his. His gorgeous, deep blue gaze moved over her face. “I’m glad Sasha was there for you. I hate that you might’ve been alone.”
Relief that he didn’t avoid the subject of her anxiety and breakdown relaxed her shoulders and she smiled. “I was never alone. Sasha was there pretty much every minute while I got better.”
His gaze bored into hers, carefully assessing. “And are you better?”
She dragged her confidence to the forefront and embraced her previous deterioration. “I’m getting there.” She cast her gaze over his hair and face. “I’ve a feeling the longer I’m here, and the harder I work to make friends and rebuild broken bridges, the happier I’ll be.”
He took one of her hands and smoothed his thumb over the back. “I’m going to be here as much as I can for you, but my trust...not just in you, but most of the human race, is wafer thin. From time to time, I’m bound to mess up, say or do something you won’t like.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
She covered his hand with hers and squeezed. “Yes. I hurt you. It will take time for you to trust me. I get that.”
He dropped his gaze to her mouth. “Our split wasn’t all your fault. I took us for granted, went about my life and our relationship as though we had all the time in the world.” He met her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Tanya’s heart twisted with gratitude that he’d met her halfway, and a little more of her self-hatred dissolved. “We both made some stupid mistakes.”
“Do you still want me, Tanya?”
Shock and hope mixed, sending flutters of excitement through her stomach. The soft tone of his question seeped across the narrow space between them and spread over her body. Her center pulled. “Yes.”
His gaze lingered on hers before he tugged her forward and dropped his forehead to hers. His breath teased her lashes. “One step at a time, okay?”
She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. “One step at a time.”
He pressed his lips to her brow and pulled back. Their hands slipped apart and, with a final glance at his handsome face, Tanya grabbed her purse from the foot well and got out of the car.
Shutting the door, she strode toward her office, her legs trembling and her heart aching for a man she once loved and had lost. Fear she loved him more than ever simmered under the surface of her resolve. Would she ever recover if their love went horribly wrong a second time?
* * *
LIAM RAMMED HIS papers into his briefcase as the courtroom cleared. He’d lost a case he’d been working on all week. He’d done everything he could. Given an electric closing speech and his trust to the judge, but that hadn’t prevented his client from being served a custodial sentence. He slammed his briefcase shut and snapped the locks.
Despite warning his young client of such an outcome, and knowing it was a pro bono case, where the guy was in front of the judge for the third time in as many years, annoyance still shot through Liam on a bullet of disappointment.
>
Who was to say he couldn’t have gotten a lesser sentence if his head had been entirely on the case, and his work not punctuated by thoughts of Tanya and Sasha?
Tanya, because the woman was 100 percent under his skin again—and Sasha, because he wanted to find Matt Davidson and wring every last breath out of the animal’s body.
Liam swiped his hand over his face and picked up his briefcase. Gone was his control; gone was his ease of separation between criminal and victim. Sasha and Davidson were personal, and for the first time, Liam fully understood—with astute clarity—what it was to be involved in a crime from the victim’s perspective.
Scowling, he shoved open the gate separating the public gallery and the court. He marched toward the door and out into the lobby. He swept through the courthouse and onto the street.
Late afternoon had filtered into early evening and, despite the hazy blue sky turning peach as the hour edged toward dusk, Liam couldn’t shake his frustration. Could it really be that he had never stopped loving Tanya? What kind of man did that make him?
One minute he was planning on finding a new love, someone else to date, and then bam! His body and mind were filled with a woman so beautiful, so driven...so unbelievably vulnerable and scared, he wanted nothing more than to go to Tanya’s office right now, shut the blinds and show her, physically, how much she meant to him—had always meant to him.
But he wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t leap headlong into the physical and shatter the barrier that was the last of his protection.
He glared ahead as he made his way toward the town center.
The deep bass of a rap track pulsed toward him as he started along the promenade, the volume drawing him closer to a destination he’d had no intention of venturing toward until now. The beat of the music matched every stomp of his shoes against the boards beneath his feet. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and every lawful instinct he held raged forth on a barrage of need to do something right, something tangible and more concrete to counteract the mess of emotions tumbling dangerously through him.
Funland lured him with an unmistakable force.
Her Hometown Redemption Page 15