by Kris Jayne
Taryn considered what she’d heard. She already had an answer to her question. Shannon was hiding her relationship with her husband. Now she had more questions. Could she get answers for those in another week or two? Maybe. Maybe not.
“The only outstanding question I have is why she’d be lying about the husband. But it could just be that he’s such bad news, she knows admitting he’s still around would jeopardize her custody arrangement.” There had to be more. Why keep someone like that around in the first place? Maybe she couldn’t leave because he’s violent?
“Could be. It’s not something I could ferret out in the next couple of days. Honestly, I think a couple more weeks of watching, checking things out, and I might have more opportunity to see what’s going on.”
Taryn sighed and bit her bottom lip. She couldn’t stop pulling the thread now.
“Two more weeks. That’s it.”
“I think you’ll be pleased.”
“I hope so. Thanks.” Taryn hung up and crossed her fingers.
Taryn zoned out for a second before noticing the brake lights in front of her had gone off, and traffic snaked along for a few hundred yards before slowing again.
Jeff wanted her to come over, but she needed a night alone. She wondered what you did when you were married, and you need a night alone. She supposed this is why people spend time at bars and take up hobbies that don’t involve their spouses.
Maybe if she weren’t keeping a secret from Jeff, she wouldn’t have such a need to be alone. When she got the final report from the PI, she’d sit Jeff down and tell him what she’d found out. Taryn’s face heated. God, he’ll be pissed off. But the information was information he needed. There was no getting around that. She was counting on it.
Her cell phone rang, and she pressed a button on her steering wheel to send the call over her car speakers. “Hello?”
“Taryn. It’s Jeff. I got your message. So you’re not coming over tonight?”
“I can’t Jeff. I’m tired, and I still haven’t unpacked and done laundry from my trip. I need to drop some clothes off at the cleaners in the morning. I need to be at my place.”
“Oh, alright. Are you driving?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll let you go and give you a call when you get home.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I need to talk to you about something, but I don’t want to do it while you’re driving.”
“Because it’s going to upset me?”
“I don’t like talking on the phone when we’re driving period. Just text me when you get home.”
If Jeff wanted to save her an anxious drive home in rush hour traffic, he missed the mark. Taryn darted in and out of traffic and sped home. Once in her apartment, she dropped her bags next to the suitcase that still sat by the door and called Jeff. “Give it to me.”
“That’s hard to do over the phone,” he retorted, laughing.
“You’re not seriously joking about sex right now?”
“Sorry. I don’t want you freaking out.”
“Jeff!”
Taryn heard him sigh. “I’ve decided to tell Olivia about Shannon. This weekend.”
“Oh.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes.” The sadness Taryn expected didn’t come. She’d already been wrung dry by the whole experience, and she knew Jeff would tell Olivia eventually.
“You’re not mad?”
“I’m done being mad about this, Jeff. I worry about how Olivia will react, but really this is inevitable, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s time. I think Olivia should meet Shannon, and we’ll go from there.”
“Did you really think I’d lose it over this?” Taryn took a step back and imagined how Jeff must see her lately. Was he walking on egg shells afraid she’d snap? That upset her more than the news.
“I don’t know. Shannon’s coming back has been emotional for everyone—especially you. Everything is going to change. I know how much you were looking forward to adopting Olivia.”
That plan was now a faraway dream, but she still had Jeff and she would still be in Olivia’s life. If she and Jeff kept their home solid, nothing could get in the way of his having custody. They would be a family whereas whatever was going on with Shannon would likely blow up in some way. That woman couldn’t help but continue to spin out of control.
“Are you going to tell her on Saturday?”
“Yes. I thought I’d invite Shannon over in the afternoon. Before she gets here, I’ll sit Olivia down and tell her. Do you think you could be over here when I tell her?”
“Of course. I can stay over on Friday, and we can talk to her Saturday morning,” Taryn agreed, glad that she would be there to help Olivia adjust to the news.
Jeff heaved a sigh, and more tension left his voice. “Great. It’s important that Olivia know nothing is changing between the three of us.”
“I agree. How are things with Shannon? Did you guys have another therapy session while I was gone? I can’t remember.”
“Not an official one,” Jeff replied.
“What do you mean?”
“On Sunday night after I got the new version of the app done, Shannon called me upset. I still don’t know what the problem was, but I met her at that Chinese place for dinner.”
Taryn rolled her eyes, glad that they were talking on the phone instead of face to face. “She didn’t tell you what the problem was?”
“I think she’s lonely. She doesn’t have any friends here, and she has no one to talk to.”
“Is that what she said? That she’s all by herself?” Taryn couldn’t believe how Shannon was trying to play Jeff. Actually, she could believe it. It galled her.
“Yeah. Plus, she’s worried about how she’s going to support herself. And before you say anything, she didn’t ask me for money, and I didn’t give her any more,” Jeff declared. “She thanked me for what I’ve done for her so far. She wants a job with more of a future, you know. Some kind of career.”
“Like what?”
Shannon had a career, Taryn thought. She extracted money and attention from men using her sad sack tales and her good looks. The woman ought to be worried about her future. Making money using your feminine wiles wasn’t a long-term business plan unless you hooked yourself a big fish—preferably one older and with more compromised health than Jeff.
“She doesn’t know. She doesn’t have any sense of what she’s good at or what she likes. I suggested she move to a retail job where she could be more involved with fashion or beauty or something and maybe go into management. She used to like that kind of stuff.”
Taryn did her best to be positive. “Jeff, she has to want to do all of this stuff. Is she motivated to do something different or just bitching?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“If she asks for specific help, then that’s one thing. Hell, if she wanted to get into the beauty business, I’d introduce her to Alexa, but she needs to ask. I don’t want to waste someone’s time if she’s not serious.”
As a former model, her cousin knew makeup artists, stylists, all kinds of people. But she didn’t want to say something to Shannon and have her fake enthusiasm out of some misguided, people-pleasing impulse.
“I might mention the possibility to her. She doesn’t know what’s possible so she can’t even think of what she wants.”
Taryn remained silent in the face of Jeff’s excuses for Shannon’s lack of direction. She’d badgered him enough about treating his ex like a helpless child.
Without evidence to the contrary, Jeff would keep believing that she wanted to make a better life for herself—no ill intent. Taryn would have to wait until she had more proof that she was anything but. Then, they could have an honest conversation.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jeff woke up with a tight crick in his neck from thrashing around and finally falling asleep at an odd angle. He didn’t see how Taryn had been able to get any sle
ep at all, but she seemed to be fresh-faced and bright-eyed as usual. His fiancée met each day with a high level of determination.
Today would always be a stand out day for Olivia. When she grew up and looked back, her life would be divided between before she knew her mother and everything that came after. Jeff worried how to make sure the revelation caused the least trauma possible. Bringing Shannon back into Olivia’s life was the hardest thing he’d had to do since his ex-wife took off in the first place. He thanked God he had Taryn’s understanding and her positive energy.
The house phone rang, and Jeff cast his eyes to the heavens. Only one person ever called him on the house phone, especially on a weekend. His mother. Jeff scooted off the bed to get the receiver parked on the dresser.
“Hello?”
“Jeff, it’s Mom.” No kidding.
“Hey, Mom. What do you have going on today?”
“Nothing really. I need to tidy up and run to the store. But that’s not why I’m calling, Jeff. Is Shannon still coming over today?”
“Yes, she’s coming over at one.”
“Does Olivia know?”
“I told her our friend is coming over for a visit and didn’t said anything else. I told Shannon to give me a thirty-minute warning. I’ll tell Liv then who the friend is. I don’t want her anxious all morning.”
“Well, Taryn can help you with her.”
“Yes. She will.”
“I’m glad Olivia has her. You have to make sure not to let Shannon come in and push out the only mother Olivia’s ever had.”
“That’s not going to happen, Mom. Taryn and I are still getting married. She’s still going to be her step-mother.”
“Adoption would be better. I can’t believe after all Shannon’s done that you can’t move forward with terminating her rights and letting Taryn adopt Olivia,” his mother complained.
“Look, Mom, I’ve talked to my attorney about this. We’ve been talking with a therapist. The best thing for Olivia is not to keep her from her mother—so long as Shannon is drug-free.”
“We’ll see how long that will last.”
Jeff palmed his face.
“Mom, I need you to stop saying things like that. We’re trying to move forward. It’s going to be a problem if you can’t hide how you feel about Shannon. Every time you talk about her, I can practically smell the disdain. It’s not good. I don’t want Liv picking up on that. I want her to form her own opinion.”
“I know. I know,” Nora grumbled. “But you make sure you keep the full picture in mind. That girl has always known how to push your buttons to get what she wants.”
“I’m not about fall back into Shannon’s arms if that’s what’s worrying you. I’m not a teenager anymore, mom. I have to handle this my way. Okay?”
“Yes. Fine. I’m sorry if it sounds like I don’t trust you. You’re such a good dad. It’s just—” Jeff’s mom halted midstream. “Your father wants to speak to you.”
As Nora McConnell handed over the phone, Jeff could hear her telling his father to talk some sense into him.
“Hi, Son. Just a minute—” Jeff’s dad said something to his mother that he didn’t catch. It was a minute or so before his dad continued. “Sorry, I came into the study so we could talk without your mother interjecting. She means well.”
“I know she does.”
“But she’s such a worrier. How are you feeling? Today’s the day.”
“I’m dealing. I wish everyone could dial it back a little. This situation doesn’t need extra drama.”
“I’ll try to work on your mother, Jeff. And I’m real proud of how you’re working through this.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“If you need anything today, advice or a sounding board, just call alright?”
“I will.”
“I love you, Son.”
“Love you, too, Dad. Tell Mom I said goodbye.”
“Will do.”
Jeff hung up the phone and thought about going back to bed, but Taryn was already up. She made Olivia’s breakfast, and his daughter ran back upstairs to play in her room. Jeff had no appetite. Instead, he showered and sat on the couch, reading through the materials Dr. Baker had given him. In his mind, he ran through what he was going to tell his daughter.
The ping of an incoming text message blasted like a starter pistol.
> Be there in half an hour
“Is that Shannon?” Taryn asked.
“Yeah. It’s go time.” Jeff’s breath caught in his throat, growing shallow.
“Breathe, Jeff. It’s going to be fine.” Taryn propelled toward him and wrapped her arms around Jeff’s waist. She didn’t say anything else. Jeff felt her warmth and nestled his face in the crown of her hair. He could do this.
“Let’s go.”
Jeff and Taryn climbed the stairs and entered the hallway to his daughter’s second-floor bedroom with his hands closed around a small baby book. This book had pictures of Shannon when she was pregnant and when Olivia was first born. Olivia’s door stood slightly open, so Jeff hovered in the hall for a minute, pulling together the words he’d planned for the revelation. Then, he pushed the door wide open.
“Liv, sweetie, there’s something I want to talk with you about.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No, you’re not in trouble. There’s just something important I have to tell you.”
Olivia approached him cautiously. Jeff smiled in an attempt to look less serious. He could tell his nervousness was freaking her out. He had to spit it out and follow Dr. Baker’s advice to keep it to the simple truth. His problem was that the truth stuck in his throat.
“Let’s sit on the bed,” he suggested and then sat as she climbed up. “I told you that I have an old friend coming over, but she’s not just an old friend. She’s someone you know.”
“One of my friends?”
“Kind of. You remember how I told you that your mommy was sick and had to go away and try to get better. She couldn’t stay and take care of you. Well, your mommy has been getting better, and now she wants to meet you.”
Jeff paused to see what Olivia might say.
“My mommy?”
“Yes. Your mother. Remember these pictures I showed you. See the woman in the pictures. That’s your mother. Here she is when she was pregnant with you,” Jeff said and flipped through the photos. “There you are when you were only a couple of days old.”
“I remember. She has curly hair and freckles like me. She’s coming over?”
“Yes. She’ll be here soon.”
“Why?”
“She misses you. She wants to see you.”
“Is she going to live with us?”
“No, she has her own house. She used to live in another town, but she just moved here.”
“Oh.”
“Do you want to see her?”
Olivia scrunched up her face and shrugged, keeping her hands firmly on Jeff’s arm. “Am I going away with her?”
Jeff hugged her. “Of course not. Your home is here. You and I and Taryn, we’re still going to live here after the wedding. Your grandparents are still here. It’s just now you’ll have your mother around, too.”
“Is she better now? She’s not sick anymore?”
“She’s getting better, so she can see you and talk with you.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“If you don’t want to see her today, then—then you don’t have to. I can tell her that you’re not ready.”
“Will she be mad?”
“Of course not.” Jeff lied.
Shannon would be furious, but he couldn’t worry about that. He wasn’t going to force it today. He knew Olivia’s curiosity would win out over her fear eventually.
“Never mind. I guess I can see her. And say hi,” Olivia relented.
Jeff breathed a sigh of relief and hoped she didn’t change her mind because of some vibe from him.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Jeff led his
daughter down the stairs by the hand. He needed to let go to unbolt the door and open it, but couldn’t quite do it. Everything was about to change. He looked down at his daughter and opened the door.
“Hi, Jeff.”
Shannon stood on his doorstep looking more excited and expectant than he’d ever seen her—ever. Throughout her pregnancy, she’d been moody, rotating between a brave face, anger, and despondency. When Shannon finally gave birth, she barely held Olivia for the first couple of days. Jeff chalked it up to postpartum depression and fatigue and thought it would pass. It didn’t.
When she left over a year later, Jeff felt mostly relief. He’d never told anyone that. Yes, he panicked and wondered how he’d fare alone as a single dad, but he always knew that would be easier than being a married, single dad. He saw her leaving as a blessing.
Then, the older Olivia got, the guiltier Jeff felt for being so willing to keep her mother away. She hadn’t tried to come back, but he’d never tried to bring her back either. Perhaps that’s why he felt compelled to send the investigator to find her and tell him about her life.
On one hand, it was his last, guilty effort to reunite her daughter with her mother, but on the other hand, he wanted confirmation that he’d been right to keep her away. Having Shannon here on his porch was half absolution and half nightmare.
“Hi. Olivia, this is Shannon. She’s your mother.”
Taryn’s arm squeezed around his waist. Her weight pressed against him. He didn’t dare look at her. He had to focus on Olivia.
“Hi, Shannon,” said a tenuous voice behind Jeff’s legs.
“Hi, Olivia,” Shannon croaked. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she blinked furiously, and they were gone.
“Come in. Are you hungry? I ordered pizza,” Jeff announced.
“Yeah, I could eat.” Shannon’s eyes never left Olivia.
“Great. I can take your coat.” He reached out for it, and Shannon obliged by taking it off and rolling it into a bundle. Her eyes wandered to the blonde beside him.
“Hi, Taryn.”
“Hello, Shannon.” Taryn took the woman’s coat from Jeff by the collar, giving it a shake to smooth it. “I’ll hang that up.” Taryn turned the corner to the hallway that lead to the kitchen. Jeff heard the hall closet door open as Taryn rustling with Shannon’s coat. He felt frozen in the foyer, staring at his ex-wife.