by Force, Marie
“Can you blame me?”
“Not at all. It was a surprise to both of us.”
“I just keep going round and round about why he would keep such a big thing from us. Did he think we wouldn’t understand or want to support him or be with him?”
“Maybe he just wanted to be left alone, and this was the best way to make that happen.”
“Two years ago, maybe so, but he’s been here for months and had plenty of chances to say, hey, Jared, by the way, I ended up losing the bottom half of my leg. He never did that.”
“We’ve never told him that we’ve been trying to get pregnant and having no success.”
“Yet.”
“Yet. But it’s been months, the same months he’s been here, and we’ve never told him that.”
“So what’s your point?”
“Some things are just private, even between siblings.”
“Losing a leg is private?”
“To him, yes.”
“I don’t get it,” Jared said with a deep sigh.
“You don’t have to. It’s what he wanted, and it was his business to share or not share, just like us trying to get pregnant is our business to share or not share.”
“I guess.”
“Sweetheart, look at me.” When she had his attention, she kissed him. “I get that this was a shock. It was for me, too, but please don’t let it cause a rift between you and your brother. It’s not worth it. No matter what, we can’t undo the past. Now you know what really happened to him. Go forward from here.”
“My Elisabeth with an s is not only gorgeous, she is wise, too.”
“So you agree?”
“I agree. He must’ve had his reasons for not telling us, and whatever they are, they’re his reasons.”
“Exactly. And to his credit, look how well he’s recovered that we never suspected his leg had been amputated. Other than a slight limp, you’d never know he’d ever been hurt.”
“That was true until tonight. I feel terrible that he fell because of the hole you told me to fix.”
“What have you learned from this?”
“Fix the holes so no one gets hurt.”
“No! Listen to your wife. She’s always right.”
He laughed. “I walked face-first into that one.”
“With your eyes wide open. Can we talk about Mallory rushing over here to get him?”
“That was a bright spot in an otherwise awful hour.”
“I like them together. She’s good for him.”
“I don’t want to talk about them.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Us. Kiss me, sweet Lizzie.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and did as he asked, leaving him dizzy with longing for her, which was nothing new. Every time she came near him, he wanted her.
Nuzzling her neck, he whispered in her ear. “Wanna fuck?”
Lizzie laughed the way she always did when he said that.
“Is that a yes?”
“When do I ever say no to you?”
“Um, other than that one time you famously said no to my proposal?”
“As we’ve discussed many times since then, I never actually said no.”
“That’s still up for debate, love.” Sliding his arms under her, he scooped her up and carried her inside, stopping only to close the door with his foot while she flipped the lock and shut the lights off.
He carried her into their bedroom and put her down on their bed.
She held out her arms to him, and he gladly let her wrap him up in her love. “Are you okay?”
“I am now. Thanks for talking me down.”
“Any time. That’s what I’m here for.”
“That’s not all.”
“What else?” she asked, smiling suggestively.
“To be my best friend and the love of my life.”
“Jared,” she whispered, placing her hands on his face. “Sometimes I still can’t believe that we get to spend the whole rest of our lives together.”
“Believe it, baby. You’re all mine.”
Chapter 20
Tiffany Taylor got up before the sunrise and longed for the coffee that used to jump-start her day pre-pregnancy. Now she had to settle for non-caffeinated tea that didn’t do a thing to jump-start anything. It did, however, soothe her upset stomach, so that was something.
She’d been dreading this day for weeks now. She was due to meet with the prosecutor trying the assault case against her ex-husband, Jim Sturgil, who was also her daughter Ashleigh’s father.
Thankfully, Maddie had invited Ashleigh to sleep over with them last night. Tiffany didn’t need to worry about her little girl as long as she was with Maddie.
She curled up on the sofa, the one Blaine had gotten for her after Jim left and took all their furniture with him. Through the big sliding doors that led to her deck, she could see the sky turning pink from the sunrise. Normally, she loved this time of day, the calm before the storm of life with a toddler.
The baby she carried moved inside her, making her belly flutter from one side to the other. Blaine loved to watch that happen. He was endlessly fascinated with their unborn child and couldn’t wait to meet him or her in person. They’d decided not to find out what they were having, which was fine with her.
In an otherwise peaceful time in her life, today’s visit with her past was an unwelcome intrusion. She deeply resented the actions of her ex-husband that had led to her having to testify against the father of her child. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Though Jim had brought all this on himself, would Ashleigh believe that when she was old enough to find out that her mother had helped get her father convicted of a felony, ensuring he’d be disbarred, too?
By now, Blaine was more Ashleigh’s father than Jim had ever been, even before he lost his mind and left her and Ashleigh for reasons that were still unclear to Tiffany. What did it matter now anyway? She was happily remarried to Blaine, expecting his child, and Ashleigh had adjusted to their new family situation, accepting Blaine as a father figure even as she wrapped him around her tiny little finger.
Heavy footsteps on the stairs had her looking up to see her husband coming toward her, wearing only boxers. His muscular chest and arms were on full, delicious display, and his hair stood on end the way it did every morning.
Placing her empty teacup on the table, Tiffany smiled, because how could she not smile at the sight of the man who’d made everything right in her world again?
“You’re up early, baby,” he said as he dropped to the sofa next to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t like waking up alone.”
“Sorry. I was awake and didn’t want to bother you when you get so few opportunities to sleep in this time of year.”
He kissed her neck and cheek on his way to her lips. “You know how much I love to be bothered by you.”
When she returned his kiss, Tiffany tasted toothpaste and sexy man.
“Are you fretting about today?”
“A little.”
“A little or a lot?”
She smiled. How well he knew her. “A lot.”
“I’ll be right there with you, and we’ll get it over with as fast as possible.”
“For now. I’ll still have to testify when it goes to trial.”
“Maybe he’ll wise up and plead out when he realizes he’s totally screwed.”
“Giving up without a fight isn’t his style.”
Blaine ran his fingers through her hair.
Tiffany curled into him, taking the comfort he provided just by being there.
“Do you want me to make you some breakfast?”
“I don’t think I could eat. My stomach is in an uproar.”
He flattened his hand on the curve of her belly. “You need to feed my baby.”
“I will. After.”
“How about a shower?”
“That I do need.”
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
&n
bsp; “Is that a line?”
He chuckled as he steered her up the stairs with his hands on her hips. In the bathroom, he helped her out of her robe and nightgown and followed her into the steaming-hot shower where he gently washed her hair and every other part of her.
Tiffany wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
“Everything’s going to be fine, sweetheart. I promise.”
“What will Ashleigh think of me when she finds out that I helped put her dad in jail?”
Blaine tilted her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his fierce one. “None of this is your fault. Not one tiny part of it. You’re being legally compelled to meet with the prosecutor. You didn’t volunteer, and you don’t have a choice. When the time comes, we’ll tell her that if need be, but I have a feeling she won’t ask about it.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because she’s going to grow up happy and well-adjusted and very well loved by both of us. There won’t be anything lacking in her life.”
“He’s still her father, Blaine.”
“I know that, and she will, too, but that’ll be a minor detail to her.”
“For now.”
“Let’s deal with today and worry about tomorrow when it gets here. Can you do that?”
“I can try.”
He kissed the top of her head and held her close. “You’re the strongest person I know, Tiff. I have no doubt whatsoever that you’re going to get through this and every other challenge that comes your way.”
“Maybe so, but I’m so glad I have you here to keep me sane. I’d be losing it if I didn’t have you to tell me everything is going to be okay.”
“You’d be fine. You were fine before me, and you’d be fine without me.”
“But I like this so much better.”
“Me, too, baby.” He kissed her lips. “Let’s get this over with so we can get back to being blissfully happy.”
An hour later, Tiffany sat across from Sam Rhodes, the assistant attorney general, who’d taken the eight o’clock boat from the mainland to meet with her and Dan Torrington, who’d been assaulted by Jim. Their testimony would be critical to the prosecutor’s case, and he’d wanted to ensure they were all on the same page before next month’s trial.
Dan and his fiancée, Kara Ballard, were seated on the same side of the table as Tiffany and Blaine in the conference room at the public safety building that housed the police and fire departments.
“I want to thank you all for meeting with me today,” Rhodes said. “My goal here is to make sure we’re completely ready for trial. It’s important that you tell me everything you remember about that day, so there can be no surprises.”
“You have the police reports,” Blaine said. “We were very thorough in our reporting of this incident.”
“I do, and I commend your department for an excellent job, Chief, but I need to ensure that the testimony matches the reports. Mr. Torrington, I’d like to start with you.”
Dan walked Rhodes through the incident, from the second Jim showed up uninvited at the engagement party at the Summer House last summer. He’d been drunk and disheveled with an ax to grind against Dan, whom he accused of ruining his law practice on the island.
“Why did he think you’d done that?”
“I came out here looking for some peace and quiet and a place to write my book, and when people heard I was here, they started coming to me for legal advice. I’d gotten my Rhode Island license when I helped to get Charlie Grandchamp out of prison, so once the word got out that I was taking a few clients, I had more than I could handle. Apparently, that was the death knell for his already struggling practice.”
“Why was his practice struggling if he’d been the island’s only lawyer?”
“I can answer that,” Tiffany said, marshaling the courage she needed to fill in the blanks for the prosecutor so she could be done with this unsavory incident. “When Jim left me, he did so in grand style, taking every stick of furniture we owned, except my bed and our daughter’s bed. He even took the dresser that held her clothes. When the word got out, people around here didn’t like that he’d done that, and then, when I wanted to open my business, he made trouble for me. The island’s residents went to bat for me with the town council and left him humiliated once again. His reputation took a beating during all that.”
“The police report states that you attempted to confront your ex-husband at the engagement party, Mrs. Taylor,” Rhodes said.
“I did.”
“Why did you do that?”
Tiffany glanced at Blaine, remembering how furious and frightened he’d been by her attempt to defuse the situation. “I was trying to stop him before he made it worse. I asked him to think about our daughter and what he’d be doing to her if he hurt someone.”
“And he had the knife in his hand at this point?”
Tiffany swallowed hard. “Yes, he did.”
“Then he called my wife a stupid bitch, and I grabbed him around the neck,” Blaine said. “He fought back, and that’s when Dan got hit by the knife.”
Rhodes took furious notes, nodding as they added each new detail.
“What’re the chances that he’s going to take a plea?” Dan asked.
“Slim,” Rhodes said. “According to his attorney, he’s very defiant.”
“Still.” Tiffany shook her head in disbelief. “After all this time, he still doesn’t get that he brought this on himself.”
“I’m not seeing any indication of that,” Rhodes said.
“Could I talk to him?” she asked, drawing a shocked stare from her husband. “Maybe if I could remind him what’s at stake for his daughter, he might be willing to see reason.”
“That’s not happening,” Blaine said in the flat, emotionless tone that reminded her of how angry he’d been after she confronted Jim at the engagement party.
“What if it would help?” she asked him. “What if I could convince him to take the deal and spare all of us a trial that his daughter will one day have to hear about?”
“If you’d like to see him,” Rhodes said, “I could make that happen.”
“She’s not going anywhere near him,” Blaine said.
“I’ll let you talk about that on your own,” Rhodes said, apparently sensing a marital meltdown in the works. “In the meantime, I appreciate your help in filling in some of the blanks for me, and I’ll be in touch ahead of the trial.” To Dan and Kara, he said, “I understand your wedding is next weekend. Please accept my congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Dan said. “Are we done?”
“For now,” Rhodes said.
The four of them left the conference room, and no one said a word until they were outside.
“We’ll see you at the wedding?” Dan said as he shook hands with Blaine.
“Yes, you will. Looking forward to it.”
“See you then.” Dan put his arm around Kara and led her to the parking lot.
Tiffany looked up at Blaine, who was staring off in the distance, his handsome face devoid of expression. “Say something.”
“Let’s go home.”
They drove in uneasy and unusual silence that fried her already rattled nerves.
At home, Blaine held the back door so she could go in ahead of him.
“Are we going to talk about this?”
“Nothing to talk about it,” he said. “It’s not happening.”
“That’s not how we operate, Blaine. You don’t give me orders like I’m one of your officers.”
“No, you’re my wife, the most precious thing in my world, and there’s no fucking way I’m letting you talk to that scumbag.”
Knowing he was running on pure emotion rather than anger, she went to him, slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, hearing the strong beat of his heart against her ear. “Even if it would help to put an end to this before trial?”
“Even then.”
“I think it’s worth a shot. If I can convince
him to take a plea, he’d do less time in jail, and none of us would have to be put through a trial that Ashleigh will surely remember, despite our efforts to shield her from the details.”
“And who’s going to shield you?”
Tiffany looked up at him. “You will.”
“He’ll never talk to you if I’m there.”
“You’d go with me and wait for me outside the room and be there for me afterward, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, of course I would—if it were happening, which it is not.”
“I want to try this, Blaine, and I’m asking you to support me.”
“Don’t do that thing you do when you want your way and think you can bewitch me into forgetting my own name.”
She blinked rapidly and smiled up at him. “Would I do that to you?”
“Yes, you absolutely would. You do it all the time.”
“Only when I’m sure that what I want is the right thing for all of us.”
After a long pause in which he stared down at her, his golden-brown eyes intense and tender at the same time, he said, “Are you sure about this, baby?”
Tiffany nodded.
“All right, then,” he said with great reluctance that she could hear in his every word. “We’ll do it your way.”
Chapter 21
The first thing Mallory felt when she woke up was heat, the kind that came from either a furnace or the body of a sexy man pressed up against her, a heavy arm around her waist and warm lips against her shoulder. Not a terrible way to wake up, she thought, smiling at the realization that Quinn had sought her out in his sleep.
For the longest time, she lay there enjoying the feel of his body against hers, the comfort that came from his company—even when he was asleep—and anticipation for the day ahead. She hadn’t lived here long, and already she could feel her life changing in ways that she not only welcomed but embraced with open arms. More of her big boisterous family, one-on-one moments with her father, stepmother and siblings, a fun new job to keep her occupied during the summer and now this, whatever it was, with Quinn.
This was what she’d needed—a fresh new start and the time to really get to know her new family.
For the first time since she lost Ryan so many years ago, she didn’t feel rootless or detached from herself as much as the people around her. She didn’t feel like her wheels were spinning while she stood in place letting her life happen to her rather than the other way around.