by Juanita Kees
“Mind your own business. What did you call for anyway?”
“To talk to my brother-mother. I miss you guys.”
“So, come home then. You know that’s what Dad would like.”
“I’ve promised Paige we’ll see out this season. This business with Ronan Jackson is getting ugly, Chase.” The smile slipped from Trinity’s face. “He’s doing some pretty nasty stuff out there on the track.”
A cold shiver stole down Charlie’s spine. Her brother had done some rotten things off the track in the past, but he’d never let that flow on over into his driving before. “What do you mean by nasty?”
“Nudging, sideswiping, pushing other drivers off the track. The problem is he’s good at hiding the moves, especially when he’s in the pack. I’m sorry, Charlotte, I know he’s family.”
Charlie shook her head. “Don’t apologize. But be careful, please. My brother doesn’t know where to draw the line. Have you reported it to the officials?”
“We’ve tried, but the claims have been dismissed. He’s an overconfident ass now that he knows he can get away with it. I think his false start allegations are payback.”
Charlie chewed on her bottom lip, far too familiar with Ronan’s brand of payback. It would be cruel, nasty, and even dangerous. Not a good thing when a driver would be doing more than two hundred miles per hour on a track where the smallest mistake could cause a spectacular crash. Not when that crash could cause injury or death. Not something she’d wish on her worst enemy, let alone someone as sweet as Trinity. And hadn’t the Calhouns suffered enough?
The poisonous tentacles of Jackson vendettas could reach far and the harm it could do would be life-altering. Anger fused with concern. She couldn’t let this escalate to a point where there’d be loss or harm to the family she’d come to love. Damage done by a family who cared for nothing other than victory. Whichever way they took it.
*
Chase watched Charlie work in silence. Ever since ending the call with Trinity, she’d been quiet and withdrawn. He didn’t mind admitting to being a little edgy himself. Knowing Ronan Jackson was a bit of a loose cannon on the track hadn’t set his mind at ease at all. Nor Charlie’s, it seemed.
“What’s eating Pyro?” Mason nudged his shoulder, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich between his paws. “She’s been pretty quiet this afternoon.”
“You mean besides you trying to scare her shitless with a sledgehammer?”
Mason had the good sense to look sheepish. “Yeah, sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “Is that a promise?”
“Something clicked back into place today.” Mason shrugged. “Not quite sure what it means yet, but I’m working on it. What’s going on in Charlotte’s world?”
“There’s some serious family trouble happening. Trinity says track gossip is that her father is trying to have her diagnosed as mentally unfit.”
“You’re not serious?” He whistled. “Pleasant family. Can’t say I’ve seen anything that makes me think she’s unstable.”
“You mean other than having the nuts to approach you in a rage when you have a weapon in your hands?” Chase pinched the bridge of his nose to stay the pain where a headache bloomed behind his eyes.
“You know the only thing I ever wanted to smash was that damn pickup truck.” He shifted his feet. “And I don’t want to do that anymore, so she’s safe.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I’m a little worried about her brother.” He filled Mason in on what Trinity had told him about Ronan Jackson’s threats. “It concerns me that the track officials appear to be ignoring his dangerous behavior in a race. That’s playing with lives.”
“Do you think Dad should call someone higher up and talk to them about it? Maybe I shouldn’t put that sledgehammer away just yet. If he so much as looks at Trinity the wrong way, he’s gonna feel the full force of the Calhoun wrath.”
“I’ll talk to Dad and see what he can do.”
Mason slapped a hand on Chase’s shoulder. “Go get ’em, Mother. By the way, Molly called. She says there’s a dodgy-looking rental car parked outside her shop. She spotted it on her way back over.”
Chase shoved his hands into his pockets and made sure Zoe was safe and snug in her porta-crib in the corner of the office. “Could be the private detective Trinity mentioned. Charlie’s father hired one to find her.”
Mason chewed on his sandwich as he processed Chase’s words. “I don’t get it. Why do that to your own child? Unless Charlotte is a damn good actress and has us all fooled?”
“You don’t believe that and neither do I. And if anyone can pick a liar, it’s Dad. He would have said something if he thought she was lying to us.”
“You really like this girl, don’t you?”
His father said something to Charlie to that made her smile, a sweet, gentle tip of her lips full of affection. Not the same smile that lit up the room and made his heart pound, his mind blur, and his lips want to steal it from her mouth. He wanted to believe she saved that smile for him alone. “I don’t like to see people treated unfairly.”
Mason laughed. “Sure, that’s all it is. You keep telling yourself that. So, all those little touches, secret smiles…” He leaned closer. “All those un-motherly-like reactions—they’re all just for show?”
Irritation skittered along his nerve ends. Sometimes Chase wanted to swat his brother like an annoying fly. “Shut up, Mason. Eat your sandwich.”
His brother’s annoyingly knowing grin only grew wider. “I think I might go across the road and play with our mystery visitor outside Molly’s.”
Anger rose and flashed in Chase’s eyes. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid that will get Charlie into any more trouble than she’s already in. Stay out of it, Mason.”
“And you say you don’t care. While you think about that, I’m going to check out the ratbag in the car and make sure he’s just a tourist. Give him a nice warm, Bigfork welcome. In the meanwhile, you might want to start digging through that box and see what you can come up with to protect your girlfriend and her kid.”
“She’s not my girlfriend. And I’m coming with you to check out the tourist.”
“If he is a private eye, he’s pretty dumb to get himself spotted.” Mason finished his sandwich and dusted imaginary crumbs from his hands. “Or maybe he wants Charlie to know he’s there.”
Irritation with his brother morphed into wariness. “Like a threat.”
“Or intimidation.” Mason shrugged.
“Having heard what Trinity said about the family, that sounds exactly like something they’d stoop to.” Chase frowned as Charlie took a call on her phone, the scowl that drew her brows down quickly followed by her hanging up on the caller. She wiped her hands on her coveralls and headed toward the door into the showroom. “What is she doing?”
“Looks like she has the same thing in mind as we have. To make our mystery visitor welcome.”
“Damn it. Let’s go.” Chase crossed the floor with urgent strides.
“Right behind you.”
“Dad, could you stay here and keep an eye on Zoe?” He acknowledged his father’s nod before calling out, “Charlie, wait up.”
Chase’s stomach clenched as she ignored him. He followed her onto the street where Charlie wrenched open the door on the rental sedan.
“You can turn this car around and go right back the way you came, Ed. And when you get there, you can tell my father to go to hell.”
“Did you seriously think you could give me the slip?” He pointed to his cell phone in the cradle on the dashboard. “Tracking apps are amazing things. Should never have turned your phone on. Get your things and get in the car. I don’t want to have to make you.”
“The only thing you can make, Ed, is the drive-through lane at the burger joint. I’m not going anywhere with you and I’m not going home.”
“Still haven’t learned not to sass, Charlotte. Your father’s got me on the clock an
d he’s docking my pay for every minute of that time you waste. I don’t like losing that kind of money over a snot-nosed brat like you.”
“Then tell him to man up and do his own dirty work.”
“Pretty brave outside of your daddy’s jurisdiction, aren’t you?” He made a grab for her wrist as she stepped back out of reach.
Chase stepped in next to her, placed his hands on his hips, feet apart, braced for anything. “Do we have a problem here, Charlie?”
“Because we don’t mind taking care of trouble.” Mason leaned against the rear door, arms folded, feet crossed at the ankles, deceptively casual, but inside, his brother would be a tightly coiled clock spring, waiting to act if the guy in the car so much as sneezed in the wrong direction.
“Nothing I can’t handle. Ed here was about to head out of town and I wanted to give him a message to take away with him.”
Chase studied the man in the driver’s seat, his hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, eyes hidden behind reflective lenses under the brim of a baseball cap as he stared ahead and refused to look at them. “This is your father’s PI? Not very imaginative in his disguise, is he? Didn’t even try to blend in.”
“Lazy,” Mason agreed.
“I think you picked the wrong tourist season, Ed.” Chase folded his arms. “You should come back in the summer. The fishing is much better then.”
“I’m only doing my job,” Sullivan snarled.
“Then maybe it’s time you considered a career change.” Chase leaned down and stared at the man’s profile. “If you’re not out of town within the next ten minutes, Sheriff Hutchins will be asked to escort you to the outer limits.”
“Based on what? I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m outside a grocery store. I could be picking up supplies.”
Chase peered into the confines of the sedan. “With a laptop running spyware, a set of binoculars on the seat and wearing…” He sniffed the air. “The smell of someone who hasn’t had a shower in a few days? I hope antiperspirant is on your list. Get out of town, Sullivan. And don’t come back.” He straightened and stepped away from the car.
“See you, Ed. Tell my father if he wants to see me, it will be on my terms not his.” Charlie slammed the door shut.
They stood back as Sullivan pulled away from the curb, made a U-turn, and then watched the tail end of the car disappear down the street.
“Well, that went well.” Mason sounded almost disappointed.
“We can’t be sure he’s gone.” Chase shook his head.
Unease trickled down his spine. People like Ed Sullivan and Tony Jackson wouldn’t give up that easily. If they’d come this far across the country to find her, who knew where they’d set the boundaries.
He turned to Charlie. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She looked at him. “Thank you for the backup. Ed can be pretty nasty.”
He drew her closer with an arm around her waist. “You scared me going in alone like that.” She turned into him, so he gave in to temptation and wrapped her in his hold, securing her tightly against him.
“I wouldn’t have taken the risk if I thought Ed was a physical threat. He’s sneaky, underhanded, and nasty, which makes him dangerous at confrontation level. I need to be smarter than him. Get to my father before he does.” She shivered. “And that means I have to make a phone call. The one I’ve been avoiding because it’s too soon.”
“So, it wasn’t your father who called you a few minutes ago?”
Charlie’s hands tightened on his hips. “No, that was Ed letting me know he was parked across the road, waiting for me.”
“Too lazy to even get out of the car.”
She laid her cheek against his chest. “I’m glad I had the advantage of that. He freaks me out. He’s a slippery toad, that guy. Which is exactly why my father keeps him on staff.”
The wind cut a chill down the street. People moved in and out of Molly’s place, bags in hand, cutting them a passing glance. The gossip mill would be running hot at the checkout with everyone wondering what was going down. Mason walked back across the street to the garage, leaving them standing alone in the space left by Ed’s rental car.
“So what now, Charlie? You can’t hide anymore if they know where you are.” Would she run again? Find another town, another state to hide in?
She turned her face up to his, determination in her eyes. “I’m going to call my father and settle this right now.”
And because the determination and fire inside her was so damn sexy, he tipped up her chin, and kissed her in the middle of the main street, which would no doubt have the gossip mill turning for days. He only cared that Charlie kissed him back.
Chapter Thirteen
Ed Sullivan. Her father would only send that filthy, slimy scumbag. A man not afraid to lie, to manufacture rumors to achieve his goal. In the privacy of Chase’s office with Zoe safely in her arms, Charlie pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed, her spine stiff as she waited for her father to answer.
“Charlotte. I hope you’re cooperating with Ed.”
“How dare you?” Anger, hot and sharp, made every muscle in her body tense at the bored tone in his voice.
“I don’t know what you mean, Charlotte. If you weren’t so damn stubborn and rebellious, I wouldn’t have to hire someone to bring you home.”
“It didn’t occur to you to come and find me yourself?”
“I don’t play your little games of hide and seek, Charlotte. I have a job to do. I don’t have the time or patience for your attention seeking.”
“You think that’s what this is about? Attention seeking?” Hadn’t she expected it? All her life she’d fought to earn their love and affection, their praise and pride, but they’d never been able to see past Ronan and never would. The time had come to stop fighting for it, to fight for something far more precious. To follow her own path in life, ready or not. “Call your dog off. I’m not coming back. I’m an adult and I make my own choices.”
“You’re a disturbed adult who is no more than a child in her head. Your record is more than proof of that. Get in that car with Ed.”
“I’m not going anywhere alone with that disgusting man.”
“Are we really going to go down the track of that lie again?”
Pain, sharp as a knife, speared her chest. “A lie? He propositioned me, Dad. If I performed sexual favors for him, he wouldn’t slander my name all over social media. Do you remember that? I told him where to go and the next day, there were pictures of me all over the Internet.”
“Pictures taken when you were passed out drunk on the streets.”
“Pictures photoshopped to make it look like I was drunk, passed out on the street. Pictures taken without my knowledge or permission. And did you try to stop it? No!” All the old hurt of being called a liar resurfaced. That her parents had believed Ed’s story over hers. That her father had kept him on his payroll even though she had recorded proof of Ed’s propositions to her. He’d refused to listen to them, putting it down to more of her attention-seeking behavior.
“Enough! You will come home, Charlotte. You will hand over that baby for adoption to the couple I’ve chosen, and you will resume your position on the marketing team as if none of this ever happened.”
“I’m Zoe’s mother. I’m not giving her away.”
“You have no choice in the matter, Charlotte. You hand that baby over or I’ll have you declared mentally incompetent and unfit to take care of a child.”
“Why is this so important to you? I’ve always been invisible to you until now. Why the sudden focus?”
“You always have to make it about you, don’t you?” His anger vibrated through the phone.
“This isn’t about me.” Her anger surged to match his. “It’s about my child. A living, breathing human being you want to give away like some discarded memento that’s causing you embarrassment with its memory.”
“I have a family lined up, ready to hand over five million dollars for that
baby. Do you have any idea how much that money will mean to your brother’s career?”
Shock, colder than the wind that sliced down the street outside, froze the blood in her veins and robbed her lungs of air. “You sold my baby?” The sharp edge of the desk dug into her thighs as the impact of his words hit. “You bastard.”
“I want that money, Charlotte. Ronan needs a new car next season, and Leroy Diego has the funds to sponsor it in return for the baby his wife so desperately wants.”
“Then maybe Ronan needs to work harder at developing his skills and winning some races.” A flood of emotions rushed through her.
Disbelief warred with anger, disappointment fought with regret. Regret that her father would never be the perfect grandfather. That he’d never care for Zoe the way she did. That all hope he might change his mind once he got to know her had been squashed by his actions.
“My baby is not for sale.”
“You might want to think a little harder on that, Charlotte. I don’t know what crazy scheme you had in mind that made you choose to run to Montana. But choosing the Calhouns for cover was a big mistake.”
“The Calhouns have nothing to do with it. I didn’t choose to run to them. I hadn’t planned to come to Bigfork. Leave them out of it. This is between you and me. No one else.”
“Not anymore, Charlotte. You’ve given me the perfect leverage. I give you two days to find your way home.”
“And if I don’t?” She recognized the tone coated with the underlying threat of consequences. She wanted to ignore it, to think he couldn’t touch her anymore, but that would be foolish when her father was the master of manipulation.
“Trinity Calhoun will have a very hard time staying on the track in the next race and Ed will go live with the story that Chase Calhoun pushed his mother down the stairs and killed her.”
Silence screamed from the phone in her hand as her father hung up, his betrayal a hot blade that ripped at her heart. She eased down to the carpet and sat with her back against the desk, holding Zoe tight against her heart.
She could hand Zoe over to Ed and keep moving. Turn her back on the Jacksons forever. Leave Bigfork and the chance at making her dream come true, move away from the Calhouns and a future that might even promise happiness someday. Away from Chase. She couldn’t reconcile her thoughts to a life without Zoe. The notion cracked her heart wide open. Her father would have what he wanted, Ronan would win again, Zoe would have strangers for parents, and the Calhouns would remain untouched. There’d only be one loser in the game.