Choosing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 2)

by Kris Jayne

  “I’ve had my share of drama with exes, and my only advice is not to borrow trouble. Take things as they come and be there for Jeff and Olivia. You can’t control what some other woman is or isn’t going to do.”

  Taryn sighed, pounding her fists on the plush chair. “I know you’re right. You’re always so practical. But honestly, I feel like all the plans we’ve had and the peace in our life…everything is out the window.”

  “It’s not out the window,” Micky countered. “Unless you think Jeff still has feelings for what’s her name.”

  “Shannon. And no, he doesn’t have feelings for her. I don’t think he was ever in love with her. He was attached to her and wanted to help her. She was pretty, and he thought she was fun. He kind of fell for her when he was a teenager, but he wouldn’t have even married her if she hadn’t gotten pregnant.”

  “Then why the—I don’t know—jealousy? It’s almost like you think she’s going to take something from you, but what can she take from you?”

  Taryn shook her head and waved Micky’s words away with her hand. “Nothing. Trust me. There’s nothing about Shannon to make me jealous. I saw pictures of her when she was younger, and she doesn’t look like the same person. She’s obviously been living the hard life the past few years. I think she had problems with pills and meth. Frankly, she looked a little haggard, and her criminal record doesn’t help.”

  Micky stared at her intently and raised her eyebrows. “Look, I hate to bring this up, but she has Olivia.”

  “She doesn’t have Olivia. She hasn’t seen Olivia since she was a toddler. Olivia doesn’t even recognize her.”

  “But she will, right? If this woman has come back, chances are Olivia is going to find out who she is and have a relationship with her.” Micky abandoned the rack of dresses and grabbed her friend’s hand. “You’ve developed real maternal feelings for Olivia, and now she’s going to have her biological mother around. Do you think you might be afraid of losing the special relationship you have with her?”

  Taryn let Micky’s words sink in. She hated that her friend might be right. Is that why she was so convinced Shannon was up to no good? When Taryn had nothing to say, Micky continued.

  “Who knows what’s going to happen, but Olivia will love you. You’ll be in her life no matter what. And I can’t imagine that some recovering drug addict who left her kid is going to be getting custody or anything. You’ll still be there with her every day.”

  “Yeah, but I think I’d gotten used to being the mom, you know. And I love Olivia. I do. It’s why I have to stop being so selfish and think about what’s good for her. If Shannon has pulled her life together, then Olivia deserves to have her in her life.” Tears swelled in Taryn’s eyes, and Micky hugged her.

  “You’re entitled to be pissed off that this woman picked now to show up. You’ll hate her, but then you’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

  “If she is what she says she is, I will. I’m still not convinced that she’s all on the up and up,” Taryn grumbled.

  Micky patted her friend’s knee and stood, returning to the dress rack. “Just make sure you deal in the facts. Don’t sell yourself on her one way or the other. She’ll show you who she is. People always do.”

  Taryn wiped her eyes with her napkin. Pull yourself together, girl. Taryn vowed to be strong for Jeff and Olivia and to keep her eyes wide open concerning Shannon. “You’re right. I have to stay focused on the life that Jeff and I are building together. This should be the happiest time of my life.”

  “Exactly. I can’t have you getting all bridezilla on me,” Micky complained, offering a bright smile. “How about this ensemble?” Taryn beat back her anxiety and examined the silk taffeta blouse and skirt. The top was a pearlescent white halter with a ruffle at the neck that crisscrossed in a wrap style at the waist. It paired with a high-waisted, pencil skirt in the same fabric that could be dyed to match.

  “A little unconventional, but I like it. And I know they always say, ‘You can wear it again,’ but I think you really could wear the top again with any formal pant or skirt. You and Alexa can wear your hair back or up, with tendrils around your face. I like it. Go try it on. I’ll take a snapshot and send it to Alexa.”

  Her cousin Alexa Stevens was Taryn’s other bridesmaid. She lived in Austin, so she couldn’t attend as many bridal appointments.

  A few minutes later, Micky emerged from the dressing room, wearing the bridesmaid ensemble.

  “I like it,” Taryn exclaimed.

  Ronaldo, Taryn’s bridal consultant, breezed into the room with more samples.

  “That’s so lovely on you, dear. I also pulled some others for you to try. The good thing about the one you have on is that with the high waist, you can also add a contrasting sash if you want that ties in your other colors. Maybe the apple green or goldenrod yellow. Or you could go a tick paler on the yellow. I’ll get you some sashes.” Upon giving his opinion, he immediately spoke into his phone to have the sashes brought to the room.

  “Are there other options on the top? I’m not sure about the ruffle,” Taryn said and snapped a picture with her phone. They spent another hour going through different options.

  Finally, they settled on a different halter top in cream that buttoned on the back of the neck and wrapped in the front with smooth folds of fabric, tying in the back with a bow. Taryn preferred the cleaner lines on the front. With the outfits ordered, she was one step closer to making her vision a reality. Whatever Shannon would throw at Jeff, they’d handle it together.

  Chapter Nine

  Shannon peered into the motel room, holding a heavy sack of newly clean clothes. A stiff wind swept across the parking lot. She shivered in her old raincoat. She lost the lining a long time ago, and it left her unprepared for the wintry day. The briskness in the air had lingered into the early afternoon with the low-hanging clouds.

  Kid’s car wasn’t parked out front, but that didn’t mean her husband wasn’t there. She didn’t know when he’d be back. Kid hadn’t been back in the four days since he’d dropped off her things from back home in Mineola—or what had been home.

  Now, Dallas would be her home, along with Kid’s. He insisted on coming with her. No way was he going to let her move to Dallas and be close to her rich ex-husband without him. Then, he up and left. Fucking typical. Shannon had good news for him, but she needed his help to think through their next move.

  As she put her laundry bag down in the corner of the small, dank room, the image of Jeff’s foyer popped into her mind. He wouldn’t let her into the house, but from the open door, she saw the polished marble floors, curved wooden staircase, and a vase of fresh flowers on a heavy wooden table, probably expensive, just for decoration. The flowers had to be the fiancée’s idea. The backyard had been huge. Big enough for that bounce house, two massive trees, and rows of tables spiked with balloons.

  In her mind, she saw Olivia running through the yard with her friends. The little girl looked just like Shannon had when she was young—with the same blonde curls and incredible energy. Shannon wondered if her daughter had freckles. She couldn’t tell since Olivia had been far away with her face painted.

  Growing up, Shannon hated her freckles. She took great pains to cover them with makeup whenever she lived with foster parents who would allow her to wear it. She called it her war paint.

  Shannon cut off that train of thought. It was too late for her. Olivia didn’t need her. What kind of mother would she be anyway? Children were a lot of work, and it never let up.

  She remembered feeling trapped in that apartment with that screaming baby constantly needing her. She wasn’t cut out for it. She’d left Olivia with Jeff for a reason. No, she needed to keep her goal in mind.

  Jeff was about to hit it big, really big. Shannon dug through her giant shoulder bag and pulled out a folded printout. She opened it and read it again. Not that she needed to. She could recite the most important parts by memory.

  “The company has raised near
ly $12 million to date in venture capital, and insiders put its market valuation close to $65 million.” Sixty-five million.

  Google, or Facebook, or some big companies were interested. God bless the Internet. With a few web searches, Shannon turned up what had the promise of being her lottery ticket. Jeff already had money, but soon, he’d be majorly rich. There’s no reason she couldn’t get a piece of that.

  He started the business when they were married, and she got bupkis when they divorced. Nothing. He showed up in Houston and threw papers at her. She didn’t read them or have a lawyer. She signed away her life in a haze of drugs. There’s no way that shit was even legal.

  She didn’t expect half. Kid was nuts to think she’d get that much. But she’d get something out of Jeff. All she had to do is hang around and get him to trust her. The article had said the sale of Jeff’s business was expected to go through before the end of the year—probably by summer. By that time, Jeff would be ready to pay. He’d pay her to go or pay her to stay. It didn’t matter to her.

  Maybe she could stay, and Olivia would be with Jeff and his fiancée. She could just see Olivia every once in a while and be in her life somehow. If their lunch the other day had told her anything, Jeff still had a soft spot for her. He’d help her if he thought she needed it. She could sweet talk him into helping her get set up in Dallas. A place to live and a nice job.

  Kid wouldn’t like that. They’d talked when he got to town. He expected a big payday. She had to manage him. Keep him realistic. He always got impatient and tried to grab too much. They might get more over the long haul instead of upfront. Kid would probably blow a stash of cash without even blinking. She resolved to take things slow, get some real security. Jeff would want her to have that. She only had to convince him. If she played her cards right, he might even think it was his idea.

  A bang from outside shook Shannon out of her fantasy. The heavy shuffle of footsteps got closer and closer.

  Bam!

  “You in there, Shannon? Goddammit, I lost my key.”

  Kid sounded lit. Maybe she could pretend she wasn’t there. Shannon hadn’t put his name on the room, and maybe they wouldn’t give him a key. He might sober up and come back. You idiot, he won’t come back less drunk. And your truck is parked outside. Shannon got off her ass and opened the door as Kid ordered.

  “What took you so long?”

  Kid charged into the room. His small, wiry frame tipped from side to side. He was short, but good looking when his eyes weren’t red and frantic from any number of substances.

  Shannon liked tall men. She did like Kid’s body, a compact set of muscles earned through hours at a boxing gym and more than one stint in prison. The first time they had sex, her fingers traced the inked “1488” stretching between his shoulder blades and flanked by two “SS” insignias.

  The tattoos put her off, but she focused on the ripple of muscles underneath. He’d needed the strength to keep her up against the wall of the storage room in the honky tonk his cousin owned on Highway 80. He was tending bar and snuck her a couple of free drinks.

  Wayne Nelson. That was his real name, but his cousin and everyone else he knew called him “Kid.” The tattoos were nasty, but they’d been his protection in jail. Shannon tried not to look at them.

  “I was in the bathroom.” Shannon picked up her laundry bag and dumped its contents on the bed to separate her clothes from Kid’s and fold them.

  “You leave it sweet for me, darlin’?” Kid asked and slapped Shannon on the butt. “I’ve got to drain the lizard.”

  Kid ran into the bathroom, leaving the door open so Shannon could hear the awful splash of him using the toilet. How fucking hard is it to close a door? She’d asked him that once. Only once. Shannon’s hand automatically went to her right brow bone. You couldn’t see the scar, but she could feel a noticeable bump from where her head hit the edge of the bathroom counter.

  Now wasn’t the time to talk about Jeff. Maybe he’d pass out, get some sleep, and they could talk in a few hours.

  “What have you been up to?” Kid stepped out of the bathroom, zipping up his jeans.

  Shannon bit her lip to keep from asking him the same question. “Did some laundry today. Had that lunch with Jeff the other day. I figured you’d want to know how it went. I missed you the past few days.”

  “Yeah, listen, I had stuff to take care of. Until you get us going on this money, I got to hustle still.”

  “Things went well. He’s going to let me see Olivia and talk about having me around more.”

  “This ain’t about your kid, Shannon.”

  “I know, but that’s our in. Trust me. This is how I get my foot in the door. He already gave me forty bucks to help with the hotel.”

  “Forty bucks ain’t much. You suck his dick?”

  “What? No.” Shannon yelped, and Kid cackled.

  “Maybe you should. He used to be hot for you. You can use that.”

  Shannon ignored the nasty suggestion. “Give it time. We’ll get more. You have to be patient.”

  Kid grabbed Shannon by the arm and dipped his head until they were nose to nose. “I don’t have to be anything. We’ve got a golden opportunity. Golden. Don’t fuck this up. We’re gonna be beyond set. You hear me? Get a kick ass house, sweet car. Everyone in town will know we’re rollin’.” He let her go.

  “I know. We’ll get there,” Shannon soothed. “The first step is getting him to trust me. Then, I can get a relationship going with Olivia. Once I do that, he won’t be able to get rid of me. I can ask for custody and let him pay me off. Or let him know that with a bit of money, I’ll go away. But he’s not going to get that money until at least the summer. So the big money is down the road. For now, I’ll see if he won’t give me money here and there. The hotel. Gas money. Money for taking time off work.”

  “No, you won’t see if you can get the money. You’ll get the money. I’m just looking out for our future. You have to think ahead.”

  Kid tapped his index finger against his temple.

  “I know, baby.”

  “You know? You didn’t even want to come out here. You’d have seen that article and just been pissed off. Women think small. That’s why you need a man. You need me to think big picture.”

  “I know. This is why I missed you. I wanted to talk this over with you. Make a plan,” Shannon placated.

  Kid stepped closer to her and took her shoulders in his hands. He shoved her backward on top of all the laundry on the bed, then joined her there. Shannon twisted toward him.

  “I got big plans.” He grabbed her head and kissed her. He tasted of beer and cigarettes and smelled of stale sweat, but Shannon blocked that out and focused on how his body felt pressed next to hers. He wasn’t a prince, but he was hers.

  Chapter Ten

  Jeff was beginning to hate lawyers.

  Nothing against the lawyers themselves, but their presence clearly indicated you had too many complications in your life, complications that multiplied exponentially with the number of attorneys. Jeff’s stress mounted even when they came bearing good news.

  Nick Halden, their merger and acquisition attorney, presented the latest buyout proposal for the company Jeff co-owned with his partners, Paul Frye and Brad McGill. Two companies now expressed interest in acquiring one of their software products. Comparisons between the two flooded them with a thousand questions.

  Jeff tried to focus on the specifics, but the larger issues swirled in his head. Ask him any technology question you wanted, but leave the finance to someone else. That’s why they had the attorneys and their financial consultants. Thankfully, Taryn’s friend Micky connected them with her boyfriend Nick, who had just set up his own practice.

  Underneath the swirl of questions lay the reality that both proposals would give the partners over sixty million dollars, with a larger share split between Jeff and Paul, and Brad claiming a smaller piece. The numbers flying around thrilled Jeff, but the responsibility of protecting that legacy sc
ared him.

  After their meeting, the crew adjourned to Spunky’s, a sports bar near their office. The evening crowd hadn’t filled up the restaurant yet. The bar typically got busy around five thirty every day during the week. People came for the dozens of beers they kept on tap and the greasiest, tastiest bar food, especially the Spunky Wing. The chicken wings came in three heat levels—angel, sinner, and devil.

  Paul smiled at the waitress. “Can we get two orders of devil wings, and I’ll have the pale ale. What are you drinking?”

  “Only a glass of water, and I’ll have another order of the wings and some queso to start.” Jeff replied. “Nick?”

  “I’ll have a Shiner.”

  The waitress disappeared to put in their order. A few minutes later, their drinks arrived, along with a bowl of chips with salsa and queso dip.

  Nick piled chips on his plate with a scoop of cheese. “How does it feel to be so close to being multi-multi-millionaires?”

  “Like pressure. I’m trying to keep my kids from counting chickens before they hatch,” Paul answered.

  “You told them? I haven’t said anything to Olivia.”

  “No. The Internet told them, or told one of Jack’s friends who told Jack who told the others.” Jack was Paul’s oldest child.

  “Who knew eleven-year-olds paid attention to local business news?” Nick mused.

  “They don’t. But they do get together and decide to Google themselves and their parents. The TechCrunch article came up in a search. Jack ran home with a wish list as long as his arm.”

  “That article is the gift that keeps giving. Some friends of my mom somehow found it and were pressing her for details. Then, I got a call from her wanting to know why I hadn’t told her,” Jeff grumbled.

  Nick tipped back his dark amber Texas beer and took a swig. “It’s probably still advisable to keep it under your hat. People crawl out of the woodwork when vast sums of money are involved.”

  Paul nodded. “Speaking of crawling out of the woodwork, what’s new with Shannon?”