by MK Harkins
I tried to smile.
“I don’t know if Jain’s told you this, but I’ve gone through the same thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Extreme heartbreak. Actually, twice now.” He shook his head. “You’d think I’d learn after the first time,” he said with a grin. He had a great smile.
“I don’t know if I’m heartbroken yet. I mean, I’m not sure what happened really. I needed to take a breather.” But I kind of knew already. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.
“Well, I’m a good shoulder if you need it. If you ever want some fresh air, I plan to take my boat out almost every weekend this summer. You can jump aboard anytime.”
We pulled up in front of my condo.
“Thanks, Erik. You’re a lifesaver. Really.”
“It was my pleasure. And I was serious, Tiffany.” He reached into his jacket, pulled out a card, and handed it to me. “Call me anytime. If you need a distraction…or whatever.”
He was flirting again, but I didn’t care. My stomped-on ego needed a little CPR. I laughed. “Thanks, Erik.”
Five minutes after I arrived home, loud knocking sounded on my door. I looked through the peephole and saw Todd’s beautiful, distraught face waiting for me to answer. Rubbing his temples with his brows bunched together, he looked about ready to bust down the door.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to talk to him, but I opened the door anyway.
“Tiffany.” He rushed to me and tried to take me in his arms.
I backed up and held my hands up. “We need to talk,” I said. I motioned him into the living room, and we both sat down.
Disappointment flooded his features. His warm brown eyes turned sad. “Don’t, Tiffany.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t go there. I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting to see Savannah, especially at your parents’ home.”
“I saw a lot more than shock. And don’t forget… scratch that. You did forget—my name.” I glared at him. Try to talk your way out of that one.
“I’m so sorry. She was the last person I expected to see. It just took a few moments to process it.”
“Why was she there at the party?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She said she wanted to talk to me, but I left to find you.”
Well, that part was good.
“What if she wants you back?” I whispered.
“I won’t go back. I want you. You’re the one I love.” He tried to take my hand.
I kept it on my lap. “You have four years of history with Savannah. We have two months.”
“You were the one who made me feel alive again. I’ve had feelings for you a lot longer than two months. You know that.”
I nodded. “But not four years.”
“It’s history. Sure, there may have been some things that were unresolved, but I don’t care about that.”
“I care.” I took a deep breath. “I can’t deal with her in the background, always wondering if you’ll go back to her.”
“I won’t. Trust me.”
Trust. Such a simple word for an emotion that was more complex than the theory of consciousness. At one point, I thought I’d understood it, and then the concept slipped through my brain, never to return. I’d lost it with Fletcher and never got it back.
“I want to trust you.” Big, fat tears rolled down my face.
“Tiffany, I won’t let you down. I promise.” His face held the sweetest, most sincere expression.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything.”
“You’re going to have to be honest with me about Savannah. I mean about everything. That’s what I need right now, especially with her in town. Can you do that?”
“Of course.”
“When Fletcher cheated, the first thing I noticed were the little lies. Any kind of lie, even one of omission, is huge for me. I want to make sure that isn’t a problem for you.”
“No, it isn’t,” he assured me.
“Before she leaves town, you’ll need to talk to her. You need closure—right?”
He responded slowly. “Yes, we should have a short talk.”
“I’m going to worry about it, you know. If you decide you want to go back to her—”
“I won’t,” he interrupted.
“Wait, let me finish. I can’t deal with lies and sneaking around. I need total and complete honesty.”
“You have it.”
“You promise?”
“Yes. Look at me.”
Our eyes connected, and I smiled. I saw everything in his beautiful, brown eyes—truth and love. The two things I needed most. “Okay, then.” I smiled.
“Really? Oh, thank God!” He jumped out of his chair and grabbed me, pulling me to him. “You scared me,” he breathed.
“I scared myself. I think I can wrestle with this trust thing. Give me time.”
“I’ll give you all the time in the world.”
He kissed me, and it was like the day never happened.
Almost
Chapter Thirty
Todd
I FINALLY MADE it home around dinnertime. The day exhausted me. My emotions bounced around like a tennis ball between champions—something I didn’t want to experience again. At least everything was okay with Tiffany. I could handle anything else, but not that. I wondered what Savannah wanted to talk with me about. After four years of hearing nothing, to have her show up out of the blue threw me. I still hadn’t had time to think about it.
All the years of wanting Savannah seemed so long ago. She looked the same, but I was sure she’d changed. But seeing her sent a swirling mass of once-repressed emotions to the surface. I’d done so much work to stuff them inside, only to have her show up, smile, and send me into a tailspin. I wouldn’t allow her to do it to me again.
Tiffany would most likely need a little extra attention in the new few weeks after my performance at the baby shower, which I would be happy to do. Once I managed to reassure her, I was sure everything would be fine.
I had the choice of working out in the gym, or putting on boxer shorts and watching sports. Sports won. I grabbed a bottled water and flopped down on the sofa, ready for a night of relaxation. Just as I turned on the television, my doorbell buzzed. Maybe it was Tiffany. She told me she was too tired to move, but I hoped she’d had a burst of energy. That would make the night ideal. My favorite evenings were spent watching sports with Tiffany. She loved baseball the most, often yelling at the umpires. I enjoyed watching her more than the games.
I opened the door to find my doorman shifting from foot to foot. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, Mr. Jameson. I tried to contact you by cell phone, but I didn’t get an answer.”
Looking in the carved wooden bowl on the entry table, I noticed my phone wasn’t there.
“Sorry, Ben. I thought I had it. I must have left it in my car. What’s up?”
“You have a guest. A Miss Savannah Hammond.”
My stomach dropped. I did not want to talk to her now. I looked forward to either Tiffany or sports. Savannah didn’t play into my plans.
“Can you get rid of her? Tell her I’m not home?” I asked.
“I heard that!” Savannah appeared from around the corner.
I turned to Ben. “You let her up?”
His eyes looked ready to pop out. “No, sir. She must have seen the password. I’m so sorry!”
“Aw. Don’t get angry with Ben. I already knew you probably didn’t want to see me, so I stole the code and snuck up.”
Resigned, I said, “All right, you have ten minutes.” I turned to Ben. “Don’t let this happen again, okay?”
“No, sir. I’ll talk with Mr. Hartnett in management, and we’ll change the code for your elevator tonight. Once again, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Goodnight, Ben.” I turned toward Savannah. “I guess we have some things to talk about?”
“Yes. May I come in?” Savannah always had impeccable manners.
>
“Sure, make yourself at home.” For ten minutes. I needed to get this over with; the sooner the better.
She walked around the room, studying it. She passed a few tables in the living room, running her fingertips over the surfaces. Picking up pictures, she’d give them a few seconds’ glance then put them back down. I plopped down in my favorite chair and she sat down on the sofa across from me.
“You’ve done well.”
“I’ve worked hard.”
“Was it to prove me wrong? Or to prove my family wrong?”
She got right to the point. “No, I’ve done it strictly for myself. I found a job I love and I’ve worked hard at it. I have a good life, Savannah. Despite...everything.”
She looked lonely and lost, like the first day I met her so long ago. She continued, “I’ve wanted to talk to you about that last day. I feel horrible about the way it turned out. I never dreamed we’d end up like this, four years later, with this awkwardness between us. You were my best friend.”
“Well, you had a funny way of showing it. But it doesn’t matter now. I’ve moved on.”
“About that. You’ve been dating that woman at the party. You mentioned her name is Tiffany, right?”
“Yes.” I didn’t like her talking about Tiffany.
“I heard from someone at the party that you’ve been dating for a few months.”
A memory flashed forward. When Savannah was interested in something, she made sure to get answers. I needed to stop her from forming any ideas about us.
“It’s been longer. The actual dating didn’t start until a couple of months ago, but I knew I loved her well before then.” That should push any thoughts about a reconciliation out of her mind.
Her body seemed to deflate.
“You love her?” she asked.
“Yeah. A lot.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. For some reason, the teardrop, and its track down her face, made me angry. Why now?
“Why are you here?” My tone was sharp.
Her head snapped up. “I wanted to see you, to make sure you were okay.” Her lip trembled.
Now I felt like a jerk. “I’m sorry, but your presence at the party caused a bit of a problem with Tiffany and me. She wasn’t exactly happy about seeing my old girlfriend show up at her parents’ house.”
“My mom told me about the party, and I figured you’d probably be there. She had a copy of the guest list and made a few calls.” She looked down. “Sorry about crashing it. I knew you probably wouldn’t want to talk to me after the way things ended.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve kept track of your career. I know you work with Braydon Decker.”
“Why?”
“I never got over it. I never got over you.” She looked down at her fidgeting hands.
Her words were like a slap in the face. What the hell?
I got up from my seat and paced the room. I would have given anything for her to say those words to me before, but not now.
“Now you decide? Now?” I forced myself to keep my voice low. I wanted to yell and throw something. All those years wanting her, missing her. And now that I was happy, she decides to come back.
“It’s taken this long for my dad to realize that it was you, it was always you that I loved. He’s watched me suffer.”
“Well, you’re too late.” I needed some air, so I left the room and went to cool off on the deck.
She joined me next to the railing. “I dated a man, someone my parents approved of,” she said quietly.
I crossed my arms and waited for her to continue.
“It was horrible, Todd.”
“What you do mean?”
“He hit me.” She said it so softly, I barely heard her.
Something large and heavy weighed on my chest. Her big, green eyes were vulnerable, so sad. She was barely five-feet tall. Who the hell would do such a thing?
“The last time I was hospitalized. I had a punctured lung and broken ribs.” She burst into tears and threw herself against my chest, continuing to sob. “My dad, my dad…he was so upset. He knew he’d made a mistake with you, by sending you away. He told me to come find you. I don’t have to choose anymore. Can you please think about it? Please?”
I closed my eyes and drifted back to the early days, when we were happy. It was so good, I didn’t think anything could break us up. The dreams of her floated back, soft as a cloud. I loved her once. Could we go back?
Chapter Thirty-One
HE HAD TO lay low for the first month because Tiffany’s father became suspicious and assigned her a bodyguard. The security team surrounding Tiffany was good, but not good enough to detect him. He’d waited patiently, and, sure enough, they’d backed off. They probably decided the incidents were someone’s idea of a prank. He smiled, because, once again, they’d played right into his hands.
He thought this assignment would be a challenge since he’d never done anything like this before, but it proved to be easier to manipulate these people than he thought. It was like playing chess, and he was almost to check-mate.
Success in almost everything he attempted became boring, and the world felt hollow. The wealth, the accolades, all of it, didn’t matter. He didn’t have the love of the woman he wanted. She was gone, probably forever. But he could get revenge, which would soothe him to some extent. The sixty million pay-out wouldn’t really hurt his intended victim; he was wealthy after all. But making the victim think Tiffany was gone, or even dead, would be priceless. He wouldn’t see the suffering himself, but he would imagine it, savor it, and that would be satisfaction enough.
His employer revealed her hand gradually, over months. He guessed her motives were more than money, even though she’d tried to conceal them. Her real motives were irrelevant, though. He’d carry out his part of the bargain, take his twenty million cut, and pretend it never happened. That was the deal.
He hadn’t planned on growing fond of Tiffany, though. She was one of them, the wealthy, the elite. How had she managed to come through untouched? He’d watched her now for so long, he felt he knew everything about her.
She was different, just like him. He hadn’t let his family’s wealth taint him, and neither had Tiffany. There were no weekly trips to the beauty salon, the mall for shopping, or any of the other usual haunts where wealthy woman liked to pamper themselves.
She didn’t attend fancy parties, unless it was for a charity or another event that would benefit the downtrodden.
Her job was what fascinated him. She spent half her time in a storage locker, moving around couches, tables, and kitchen items. Sometimes, she’d fill her car and drop them off at someone’s house, usually in the Seattle area. Through his research, he discovered she shared responsibility with Jain Decker for a charitable foundation for ALS. Most of her activities were related to that.
Her other job also entailed visiting homes, this time for foster children. Always with a briefcase and clipboard, she would bravely enter the strangers’ homes. Her job as a social worker was precarious at best, and severely underpaid. Tiffany’s job was to check-in with each foster child to make sure they were adjusting to their new homes and that parents were treating them properly. There was abuse in the system, and it appeared Tiffany was trying to do something about it.
She worked part-time, but his plan to kidnap her could still be pulled off. The days she worked were constant; always on a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He could take her Thursday, obtain the ransom, and return her on Friday evening. No one would be the wiser. That was the beauty of his plan. Tiffany would be kidnapped, and she wouldn’t even know it. He would be an innocent bystander.
First, though, he needed to complete his plan to get Todd out of her life. He was a nuisance. Upping his game and installing a listening device in her home paid off. Hearing Tiffany talk about the importance of honesty gave him a new idea. He could make things happen, especially now that Todd’s old girlfriend was in town. He smiled, remembering the satisfaction he felt when Savannah showed up
at the party. These stupid people were making things too easy. His puppet strings were in place, and so far, his skills as a puppeteer were stellar.
He’d had a hard time finding any faults with Tiffany. But he finally found one. She was insecure and didn’t give her trust easily. It was surprising, but he would use that to his advantage.
He knew his next move would hurt Tiffany. But it was essential for success. Todd needed to go, and he knew exactly how to make that happen.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tiffany
“YOU TAKE THAT last scone, and your life as you know it will cease to exist,” I informed Colin.
Colin, Jain, and I were sitting around my kitchen island with bagels, cream cheese, fruit, and juice covering almost every surface. And…only one scone.
“You’re the host! Isn’t there a rule somewhere stating that the hostess has to forfeit the last scone?” Colin’s hand hovered over the plate.
“There might be, but it doesn’t apply if the guest has already scarfed down four scones to the hostess’s one.” I gave him my best don’t-mess-with-me look.
He took his hand back and exaggerated a moan.
I matched his moan. “Oh, for goodness’ sakes, I’ll split it with you.”
His little boy smile popped back onto his face. Ugh! I’d just been played.
“Unless Jain wants another?” I turned to ask her. She’d been watching our back and forth with a large grin.
“No, you can count me out. I’m full.” She rubbed her belly and looked around. “I love being back in my old condo. You’ve done a beautiful job decorating, Tiffany. This feels like old times!” She turned to Colin. “We had some great memories here. I miss you so much.” She waved her hand, fanning her face, blinking back tears. “Baby hormones strike again!”
We all laughed.
“Change of subject,” Colin said. “So, we called this little meeting to help you get over your heartbreak, but you look just fine.” He stopped to study me carefully.
I let my smile come through.
“Mission accomplished!” He raised his hands in victory.