by Mysti Parker
“What do you expect me to do? Fall into his arms and tell him I’m crazy about him? I have a son to think of. A special needs son. He always comes first.”
“Don’t you think Tanner knows that? Why do you think he stopped when you guys were so close to—?”
Garrett cleared his throat. He had just stepped out of the store. Tanner was right behind him. Paige's face paled. Had Tanner heard all that? He was on his phone talking to someone and stepped off to one side. He certainly didn't seem to be aware that she and Paige had been discussing him.
“Um, is everything okay?” Morgan said.
Garrett glanced at Paige with a guilty smile. He must have heard their conversation, but how much, and would he tell Tanner about it?
He turned back to Morgan and rubbed the back of his neck, looking weary. “Yeah, although Tanner's about to blow a gasket. He had a look at the security footage, too, but couldn't see anything. Whoever did this must have come through the alley. It was almost as if he knew where the cameras were. I’ll have to put another one in the alley, I guess.”
“He? How do you know it wasn’t a she?”
He pressed his lips into a straight line. “I think we both know who the culprit is.”
Morgan peeled her eyes from Tanner, who was getting loud with whoever he was talking to and gesturing wildly. “You still think Jesse did this?”
“What about Jesse? What did he do?” Paige asked, while color finally returned to her cheeks.
“He put the knife in the tire.” Garrett gestured at it like she should have known what he was talking about.
“You don’t know that,” Morgan said. “He came out and investigated, didn’t he? Why would he want to investigate a crime that he committed?”
“To throw us off, honey. It should be obvious.”
Morgan crossed her arms and stepped back to where Paige stood. “I’m not stupid, Garrett.”
“I never said you were.”
Paige’s phone rang from inside her purse. She rummaged through and found it, then stepped away out of earshot.
Garrett touched Morgan's shoulder, but she shook him off. She didn’t appreciate being talked down to. He had better learn that real quick.
The look she gave him must have got the point across. His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. I never meant to imply anything like that.”
She had to hold back from hugging him, he was so stinking adorable. But she had to be firm and show him she was no pushover. Garrett may have been the nerdy, quiet one of the Mann brothers, but he was also bullheaded and prone to think he could never be wrong.
“I know Jesse better than you do," she said. "He takes his job a little too seriously and has a thing for me, but he knows I’m not interested, and I don’t think he’d ever go that far even if he thought he had a chance.”
“Okay, just realize we can’t rule anyone out yet.”
“Okay, but we can't go accusing anyone without proof either.”
Garrett smiled sweetly and opened his arms. She couldn’t resist any longer and melted into his embrace. He snuggled her close and kissed her hair. “Forgive me?”
“Of course.” If she didn’t need food or sleep, she’d have been happy to stay like that forever.
Tanner came back over to them, one eyebrow arched. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“Just a second.” Garrett lifted Morgan’s chin and gave her a soft kiss before releasing her. “Okay, now we’re good.”
Chuckling, Tanner stuck his phone in his back pocket. “I called Jimmy's Tires. He's a hard sell, but he's going to give me a set of new tires. I had to promise a free tray of Mann Cakes for the next six months of Rotary Club meetings. His wife's the president, and apparently, she's gaga over them."
"You mean gaga over you," Morgan teased.
Tanner shrugged. "Fair trade, I guess. So, now what?”
Garrett pulled the crumpled note from his back pocket and a piece of fabric from his front pocket. “We figure out who wrote this and left this behind.”
“Why didn’t you show all this stuff to Jesse?” Tanner asked.
Garrett’s gaze bounced between them. “We did show him the note, but I think he’s a suspect.”
“But not likely,” Morgan added.
“Bro, just because he arrested you for being a total creeper doesn’t mean he wants to kill you.” Tanner laughed and winked at Morgan.
She rolled her eyes. “He’s not a creeper, and Jesse’s no vandal. But get serious. It’s not just a random act here. Someone’s threatening you guys. You have to turn this over to the police.”
Tanner’s face darkened. His anger didn’t seem directed at her, thankfully, but at the situation at hand. “The police haven’t done squat with the arson case, and that was in the city. They’re too busy handling all the gang shootings. And here—shit, they think we’re to blame for the fire. So does the insurance company. That's why there's no insurance settlement.”
She held Garrett's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. “You were deployed. How would you have set fire to your own shop?”
“We asked the same thing," Garrett said. "The insurance company’s assumption was that we were in financial distress because we weren’t there to oversee things, and that Will was doing a shitty job running the business.”
“Was he?”
“Will wasn’t perfect, but he kept us afloat. They didn’t buy that. They said since there's no proof that we didn't hire someone to do it, that it makes us liable. So now everyone here thinks we’re arsonists. The cops won’t bust their asses trying to find the truth. They’ve already determined us guilty.”
“So what do we do?” Morgan studied Garrett’s troubled face. She couldn’t lose him now that she knew for a fact that she loved him. “I won’t just sit back and let somebody hurt you.”
Garrett put his arm around her. “We’ll be okay, but I think we need to take matters into our own hands. We’ll beat him at his own game and catch him red-handed.”
Paige approached on shaky legs. She’d paled to a deathly white. If she got any lighter today, she’d be invisible. Her deer-in-the-headlights eyes darted between the three of them.
Tanner went to her, grasping her shoulders. “Paige, what’s wrong? Who was on the phone?”
He looked genuinely concerned about her. Yes, he loved her all right. If only Paige could see it. She could be so stubborn when she wanted to be.
Paige looked over his shoulder, scanning the sidewalk as though it was some foreign place, until she finally focused on Morgan. “Mom called. She saw it on the news.”
“Saw what?”
“It’s Vic. He’s out.”
“What do you mean, out?” Morgan's stomach dropped like she’d just topped a steep hill in her Camaro.
“I mean out as in escaped. Just walked away, she said. They had transferred him to minimum security prison due to overcrowding. No walls, just a flimsy wire fence." The color left her cheeks again, leaving her pale and panicked. "What if he's headed here? I have to go to Ty.”
She turned and went for the car, but Tanner caught her by the wrist.
“Hang on. You're not going by yourself."
Morgan piped in. “I’ll call Linda and tell her to keep all the doors locked.”
“Thank you,” Paige said. It was probably a good thing Tanner stopped her before she drove herself into a tree.
“Don’t worry, he’s probably nowhere near this area. He’d want to get as far away as possible, if he’s smart,” Garrett added.
Paige held her hands out helplessly. “They don’t know which way he’s headed. But I’m not taking any chances.”
She started for the car again, but Tanner stepped in front of her. “We’re going to break that rule of yours. Give me the keys. I’ll drive you back,” he said.
Paige’s mouth opened, then closed as though she wanted to argue, but couldn’t find the words. She gave him her keychain.
Hand on the small of her back, Tanner led her to the p
assenger door and called back over his shoulder, “Morgan, you need a ride?”
Taking the phone from her ear, Morgan answered, “Linda says all is well, and Ty’s still napping. I’ll stay here with Garrett and help clean up.”
Tanner waved his assent, got Paige seated, and ran around to the driver’s side. A few seconds later, he fired up her angry bear of an engine and backed out, shifted into drive, and took off like a bat out of hell, squealing tires along the way.
****
“You sure you don’t want to go with Paige? I mean, you’re packing, after all,” Garrett said, holding the door to the shop open as Morgan stepped through. He followed behind her, then locked the door.
“I’m not too worried about my sister. She also took a lot of self-defense classes. And with Tanner there, I think she’ll be okay. Besides, you need someone here to watch over you.”
"Well, if you insist. But I better wash the dishes."
"Want me to mop?"
"No, that's okay. Just take it easy."
"What about the flat tire?" Morgan called after him.
"There's a spare. I'll change it in a little while."
"That's what you think," Morgan said under her breath. She waited until he disappeared into the closet then went back outside. On second thought, she returned to grab her purse. Better to have her gun within easy reach just in case.
She'd found the lug wrench and spare on the back of the Jeep and had already gotten the one lug nut loose when Garrett flew out the door. His frantic eyes searched the sidewalk and finally zeroed in on her. He let out a loud breath, shoulders slumping as he walked over.
"What are you doing out here alone?" he asked.
"Changing your tire," she said with an isn't-it-obvious tone while she put one foot on the lug wrench and stood on it, using her weight to loosen the next lug nut.
"I know that, but you shouldn't be out here without me. Not with some crazy hiding who knows where."
"Which crazy? The arsonist or my sister's ex or a cop gone bad?" Morgan got the last lug nut loose and picked up the jack. "We have a dense population of crazy around here."
"I'm serious. And I told you I'd change the tire."
Morgan set up the jack, bending close to the asphalt so she could judge the best place to brace it. She stuck the crank shaft through the fish eye and rotated it until she had the flat a couple inches off the ground. Then she stood, hands on her hips, facing off with Garrett. His arms were crossed, mouth set in a stern line.
It was kind of cute, seeing his chest all puffed out like that, but she had to remind him about who he was dealing with. "First of all, I can take care of myself. I have a gun, pepper spray, and a taser, and I know how to use them. Secondly, I've been changing tires, oil, brakes, and rebuilding engines since I could hold a wrench."
He dropped his arms, and the hardness around his mouth melted into a worried frown. "You're amazing, Morgan. You really are. But please be careful. If this incident was connected to the person who killed Will, they might not hesitate to do it again. You're kind of in a vulnerable position out here."
Dang it, she just couldn't stay mad at him for more than thirty seconds. Morgan threw herself at him, hugging his waist tightly. He wrapped those big, strong arms around her, making her giddy and slightly weak in the knees.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I guess you're right, so how about I take you to my place for dinner since you fixed such a fantastic lunch, and we were so rudely interrupted?”
“I thought you said you couldn’t cook.”
“I can’t, but I can order pizza like a boss. How about we finish up this tire, then I’ll help you clean up the dishes?”
“I’ll do you one better—we have leftovers. How about we take them to your place? Unless you’d rather have pizza?”
“Are you kidding? Why would I want a grease puddle from Pizza Shack when I could have Garrett Mann’s lamb chops?”
It didn’t take long for them to wash up the dishes and pack up the leftovers. She usually did cleaning at a snail’s pace, but the thought of taking Garrett back to her place excited her in all the right places.
Before they left the shop, Morgan shot a text over to Paige, just in case. Hey sis, everything ok?
She’d love to be alone with Garrett of course, but if her sister needed her, she wouldn’t hesitate to rush to her side. With nervous jitters prickling across her skin, she bit her thumbnail and waited for the reply. Garrett had just finished wiping down the sink. That look on his face spelled trouble—the good kind, the kind that made her lose her mind and scream things she’d never say in public.
The phone buzzed in Morgan’s palm, and she almost dropped it.
Everything’s fine. Tanner is coloring with Ty. :)
Morgan grinned, trying not to jump up and down like an excited, and horny, teenager. But dang it…Garrett was freaking hot.
She replied: Wow, that’s awesome. I’m taking Garrett home with me. Keep your doors locked and call me if you need me.
Paige’s reply came immediately: Don’t worry about me. Get going already! PS – I want details later – not too much, but KWIM?
Oh, Morgan knew what she meant, all right. She just hoped she'd end up with enough details to be able to omit the naughty parts. Garrett jingled the keys and kissed her on the cheek. His soft, tender lips lingered on her skin until her bottom jaw trembled from anticipation. Things were happening in the land down under. It was time for him to boldly go where no man—well, only one other man, nothing to write home about—had gone before.
She grabbed the keys with one hand and grabbed Garrett’s hand with the other. “I’m driving, and you better buckle up.”
Chapter Fourteen
Paige leaned against the counter, tapping her cell phone against her chin. She would have asked Linda to pinch her in case she was dreaming. But Linda had left as soon as she and Tanner walked through the door. She couldn't blame her—she had a little girl to take care of, and with a felon on the loose, they were all jumpy.
Tyler woke from his nap. He shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and froze when he saw Tanner standing beside her. She never knew how he’d act with strangers. Sometimes he ignored them completely, sometimes he’d run and hide, but occasionally he’d have a tantrum. It was one of many reasons she could count all the friends she had on one hand, and why she hadn’t bothered with dating again.
But Ty simply walked to the table and sat. He opened his coloring book and said, “Hi, thirty-three.”
Tanner waited until she nodded her approval. He went over to the table, then sat down beside Ty. “Hey, buddy. How are you?”
“Good.”
“I’m glad. What are you coloring?”
“Iron Man.” Ty kept his eyes on the open book, but slid the uncolored side toward Tanner and handed him a red crayon. And that was where they still sat, coloring together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Emotions tangled her thoughts like a messy ball of yarn. She shivered even though it was a warm seventy-five in the shop. Fear kept her glancing out the front door and windows, watching for any sign of Vic. If he dared set foot in here, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if she had to. But here at her kitchen table sat Tanner, the first bad guy she had fallen for, coloring with Tyler, her autistic son who rarely talked to strangers. It left a fluttering sensation in her belly which she hadn’t planned on feeling ever again, especially with the possibility that he could be Ty's father. But would he up and leave again, if they took a paternity test and found out that he wasn't?
She didn't want to think that far ahead, but she couldn’t afford to let herself fall for him again. Not with a shop on the verge of closing and her son to raise. Not when he’d already betrayed her. Nothing predicted future behavior like past behavior, according to Dr. Phil or some other TV psychologist. But they were teenagers back then. Teenagers made stupid decisions. Goodness knows she'd made a few doozies, Vic being the worst. But what about Tanner? How many h
earts had he broken since the day she threw his class ring onto the pavement, kicked a huge dent in Lisa's car door, and refused to see him no matter how many times he had called and come by the house, begging her to talk to him through her locked bedroom door?
She had wormed as much info from Garrett through Morgan as she could about Tanner’s relationships since they’d broken up. He’d had only a handful of remotely serious ones, and if she went solely by Garrett’s word, none of them had ended because Tanner had cheated. It was almost as if karma had caught up with him, but he seemed better for it. As much as it pained her to say it, maybe her mom was right. Maybe he had grown up from bad boy into a good man.
“You guys hungry?” she asked, unable to hide the catch in her voice.
"Yeah," Ty said.
"I could go for some pizza. How about you, buddy?"
Ty nodded. A smile flashed across his face.
"Want me to order some?" Tanner stretched his arms overhead and yawned.
Those muscles. Damn...
"Paige?"
She snapped out of her bicep-induced trance. "Yeah, pizza—I have some. I mean, I can bake some. It's frozen."
"Fine by me."
Concentrating on the task at hand instead of Tanner's physique would be a challenge. Okay, one thing at a time. Paige dug one of the better pizzas from the freezer and dusted the frost from the box. She found a pan in the cabinet, opened the package, and slid the pizza onto it with a clang. A pepperoni fell and rolled across the counter. She picked it up and slapped it back on, hoping Tanner didn't notice her hand shaking.
Good, now all she had to do was bake it. She opened the oven door and slid the pan on the middle rack. There. But it felt like she'd forgotten something. It was hidden behind images of her and Tanner on the bed, their bodies glistening with sweat, tangled together, her hips meeting his...
Tanner stood and came over. Without a word, he leaned in and turned on the oven. Then he draped an arm across her shoulders and laughed. "I think you need some sleep. Why don't you lie down, and I'll handle the pizza? Ty and me can finish our coloring."