Every Vow She Breaks

by Jannine Gallant

  “You’re welcome. Claire?”

  “What?”

  “Is everything’s okay?

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  He wasn’t sure he believed her. “Are you upset Dallas is the one who’s been bothering you? You seem—I don’t know—subdued. Not your usual upbeat self.”

  “Maybe a little upset. I don’t like thinking he has a…problem. But I’m confident we can work through it. Maybe Theresa will help. I know they’re close.”

  Relief lightened the weight pressing down on him. The niggling feeling that he was the reason for her downcast mood evaporated. “Maybe Simms should talk to a shrink. The guy has some real issues.”

  Her brow furrowed. “I can suggest it.”

  “But you don’t think he will?” His uneasiness returned.

  “I doubt it. Dallas was never a fan of talking about his problems. He always kept everything bottled up inside—”

  “Until he exploded? Shit. I think we should call the cops.”

  “No.” She shook her head, her hair brushing his chin. “He was never violent. Usually he just did something stupid to let off steam. Once, when he and his dad had this big argument over a math grade, he drank half a bottle of tequila.” Her nose wrinkled. “God, was he sick. But when the agony of the hangover wore off, he felt better and hashed it out with his father. He agreed to do some extra credit work, and everything was good between them afterward.”

  Jed snorted. “So you think he’ll go get drunk then get over you just like that?”

  “I hope so. Dallas was always willing to listen to a reasonable suggestion once he got over his initial anger.”

  “If he doesn’t, I’ll be here. One thing’s certain, the asshole isn’t going to get anywhere near you. That’s a promise.”

  Chapter 17

  Claire climbed out of the SUV and shut the door behind Scoop after the dog jumped to the ground. Dallas’s home had seen better days. Not much more than a shack set on the edge of the forest. A toothless old man in a rocking chair with a shotgun across his lap and a homemade still in the backyard wouldn’t have been out of place. She laid a hand on Scoop’s head. When the clerk who’d answered the phone at the hardware store told her Dallas wasn’t coming in until later in the day, she’d decided bringing the dog along for company might be a smart move. With the nearest neighbor not even within shouting distance, she was glad she had.

  Dense fog shrouded the cabin as she approached. Jamming her hands in her jacket pockets to ward off the chill, she headed up the dirt path to the front door. Claire hadn’t told Jed she was confronting Dallas in his home instead of at the hardware store. If he could see her now, he’d go ballistic. Her footsteps echoed and Scoop’s nails clicked on the porch floor. Raising her hand, she hesitated then knocked on the solid wood portal. When no one answered, she pounded a little louder.

  The door jerked inward. “What the hell? I’m not buying—Claire?”

  “Hi, Dallas. How was your trip?”

  “Good. I got a big buck.” He stepped back and waved an arm. “Sorry, I thought you were a salesman or something. Come in. The place is kind of a mess.” He kicked a pair of dirty socks under a chair as he passed through the main room. “I just made coffee. Do you want a cup?”

  “Sure.” She glanced back. “Uh, my dog?”

  “He’s not going to hurt anything. Let him in.”

  “Thanks.” After shutting the door, she followed Dallas to the kitchen. Her shoes stuck as she walked across the worn linoleum to the bar counter and stepped up onto the rung of a metal stool.

  Turning, his gaze followed her progress. “I spilled orange juice earlier. Guess I need to mop.” His chocolate-brown eyes were red rimmed. Wearing a pair of old sweats and a ripped T-shirt, his face was covered with stubble. “Clearly, I’m not at my best. We got in late last night.”

  “I should have called first, but your employee said I’d probably find you at home. Theresa texted me your address.”

  He set a mug full of coffee and a milk jug on the counter then turned to grab his own cup. Taking a gulp, he leaned one elbow on the Formica surface as he faced her. “Did you need to see me for a reason, or is this just a social visit?”

  She stirred milk into the fragrant brew before sipping cautiously. “I do have something to discuss.” When she opened her mouth, words she hadn’t intended came out. “Are you okay? If you need help with anything…”

  He straightened. “I look like shit because I got four hours of sleep last night. Mandy took me to the cleaners in our divorce, so I live in a rat hole. Other than that, I’m fine. I let my life go to hell after she left town with the kids, but I’m getting things back on track. Theresa’s keeping an eye out for a good deal on a better place. Until she finds something I can afford to buy, I don’t want to waste a lot of money on rent.”

  “Oh. That makes sense.”

  “So, despite appearances, I’m actually doing better than I have in a long time. I don’t need any charity. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  Wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic mug, she met his gaze. “I have a problem. Someone who probably has the best intentions in the world is scaring me a little. I was hoping to straighten out the situation.”

  “Is it that Jed, guy?” His voice deepened. “You want me to get rid of him for you?”

  Her eyes widened. “No. No! I’m not talking about Jed. This is a man from my past.”

  “Ian. The guy’s a weasel. I hate his type, coming into our town to act all superior with their fancy degrees while they hunt for a Bigfoot. The idiots don’t know the first thing about tracking animals.” His lips curved in a satisfied smirk. “This group didn’t find squat, and now they’re leaving with their tails tucked.”

  She sat back and sipped her coffee. “You really aren’t a fan.”

  An eye roll was her only answer.

  She brushed a few toast crumbs left on the counter into a pile while choosing her words. “I thought maybe Ian was…the one. I talked to him yesterday, but he isn’t.”

  “The one, what? What’re you talking about?”

  She’d hoped with a little coaxing he’d come right out and admit he was the person who’d left the notes. No such luck.

  Taking a breath, she let it out slowly. “I’m talking about the wedding trinkets you’ve been leaving. It’s sweet you still care about me so much, but we aren’t going to get back together. Our lives are just too different for anything between us to work.”

  A frown creased his brow. “You think I don’t know that? Jesus, I’m not stupid. Wait a minute, wedding trinkets? I don’t get it? Someone left you gifts?”

  If Dallas was faking confusion, he should have been on stage earning a fortune. His bewilderment was almost palpable. She’d been so sure he was responsible…

  “If you think I’ve been harassing you, you’re wrong.” Hurt clouded his eyes. “Damn, we were so tight all those years ago. Don’t you know me better than that? I don’t play games with women, and I sure as hell wouldn’t play them with you.”

  “He said I promised. It’s not like I’ve talked about marriage with a whole bunch of men. You, Ian, and Ross. That’s it.”

  He reached for the coffee carafe and topped off both their mugs. “Ross who?”

  “McGregor. We were engaged once, but Jed and I already tracked him down. He’s on the East Coast. It definitely wasn’t him.”

  “Then Ian—”

  She shook her head. “No, he has absolutely no interest in me. I’m one hundred percent certain of that.”

  Dallas held up his hands. “Well I sure as hell haven’t been bothering you. What exactly did this guy do?”

  “He left notes and little wedding favors and cake toppers. And a nightie. That one bothered me the most. The notes made it clear he’s waiting for me to live up to my promise to marry him.”

  “Sick freak.”

  “Or just lonely
and a little desperate.” Her voice softened. “I’m not blaming him. I just want him to stop.”

  “Oh, my God! You still think I might have done it.” He slammed down the mug. “Is that how you see me, lonely and desperate?”

  Scoop left the corner where he’d been licking something off the floor and walked over to her side. His butt hit the ground with a thump as he eyed Dallas. Claire rested her hand on his head.

  “I don’t know what to think. If you aren’t responsible, then who is?”

  “Hell if I know. You must have dated other guys.”

  “A few. No one serious. No one who wanted to marry me.”

  He laughed, but the sound held little amusement. “Are you really that naïve? I can name at least three guys in our graduating class who would have put a contract out on me if they thought you would have given them the time of day with me out of the picture. Good God, Claire, there could be dozens of guys out there who have a thing for you. All it would take is a warped mind to twist something you said into a vow of commitment.”

  Cold crept through her, chilling her bones. She rubbed her arms as she stared at him. “If that’s true, it could be anyone. Someone I went on one date with or the homeless guy I handed a dollar to on a street corner.”

  “I think you should call the police.”

  She forced herself to breathe. “He hasn’t threatened me.”

  “Do you want him to? If you ignore him, he may up his game.”

  “Oh, God.” Holding her head with both hands, she tried to think.

  Dallas touched her shoulder. “What does Jed say?”

  “We both thought it was you. He was concerned, but I assured him I could handle the situation, that you weren’t going to turn into a monster and chop me up into little pieces to feed to a bear.”

  His smile in response to her drama took away some of the numbing cold. She reached for her coffee cup and swallowed the contents. The heat kept her teeth from chattering.

  “I’ll do anything I can to help. I do care about you, but I’m not your stalker.”

  “I believe you. I didn’t want it to be you, but it would have been easier. Now…now I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Concern darkened his eyes. “Maybe he’ll get bored and quit. How long since he left the last gift?”

  “Almost a week.” Hope stirred. “Instead of escalating, it’s possible he’ll give up if I keep ignoring him. For now, I guess I’ll do nothing. I’m safe with Jed.”

  Dallas picked up the mugs and turned to place them in the sink. “That’s good. I suppose I should go take a shower and get ready for work.”

  Claire slid off the stool. “I’m sorry I thought you were the one harassing me. You’re right. I should have known better.”

  He shrugged. “I can see why you had to ask. Take care of yourself, and be sure to let me know if I can help in any way.”

  She forced a smile. “Thanks, I will. See you, Dallas.”

  “Bye, Claire.”

  Outside, she glanced around the yard. Thick fog obscured all but the largest objects. Was the movement in the trees to her left a branch swaying or a person ducking out of sight? Heart working on overdrive, she ran to the SUV and wrenched open the door. “Get in, Scoop.”

  The dog leaped up onto the seat then moved to the passenger side when she gave him a shove. After climbing in behind him, she started the engine, relieved when the door locks clicked into place.

  She glanced over at her pet. Tongue hanging as he leaned against the window with eyes half closed, he appeared the picture of relaxation. Wouldn’t he sense danger?

  “I’m sure there’s no reason to freak out. Still…” Clamping her teeth together, she backed the vehicle out of the driveway then headed down the road. It had been bad enough thinking someone she knew was watching her. Having a stranger follow her every move was infinitely worse.

  Unless it wasn’t a stranger. Maybe it was the man who rang up her groceries at the supermarket. She’d smiled at him the last time she went through the check-out line when he asked how her day was going. Or it could be someone she’d worked with at a past job or dated a couple of times or sat next to in her psychology class.

  Braking when she reached the main road, she swore. Going home wasn’t an option. She’d promised to meet Bart for lunch. Was he the one? Had she run into him at the U2 concert she’d attended in L.A. how many years ago and just didn’t remember? Maybe he’d seen her on the beach the next day and liked the color of her bikini.

  “Stop it!”

  Scoop opened his eyes and barked.

  “Sorry, boy.” Drawing in a breath, she clenched her shaking hands around the wheel and pulled onto the highway. She wasn’t going to imagine a predator behind every bush, in every man who said hello. She wasn’t going to start distrusting perfectly nice men who only wanted to have lunch and a conversation. At least she was going to try not to.

  When she arrived at the small park across from the high school, Bart was waiting. He waved as she and Scoop approached.

  “You brought your friend.” His blue gaze scanned her from head to toe. After he’d finished his perusal, he smiled.

  “I did. You’ll have to keep a close eye on your sandwich.” Instead of on me. “He’s pretty sneaky.”

  “Good to know.” He patted the spot beside him. “Have a seat. I hope turkey on wheat with all the trimmings is okay.”

  “Perfect.”

  Claire dropped onto the picnic table’s bench while Scoop wandered off, nose to the ground. Sitting next to Bart instead of across from him was probably smarter. If the doubt and suspicion she was trying so hard to hold at bay showed in her eyes, he wouldn’t see it.

  “How’s the painting coming along?”

  She unwrapped the sandwich he handed her. “We’re nearly finished with the upstairs. Painting isn’t my favorite thing to do, but the results are tangible and rewarding. How about you? Did you camp in the woods with Ian last night?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. The fog was like a wet blanket. At this point, he’s on his own in his martyrdom to capture a Sasquatch on film. We’ve dismantled all the stations, so it was just Ian with his trusty handheld camera out in the dripping trees. He didn’t even take a pup tent with him, said he was afraid it’d scare off any foraging Bigfoot. I left camp before he got back.”

  Claire shook her head when he offered her a bag of chips. “Why didn’t you leave with Lee and Margaret?”

  “I had some notes to finish writing up, and I’ll be swamped at work the second I return. I figured I might as well wrap everything up here before going back.”

  Did I expect him to admit he stayed because of me?

  “Did you finish your reports?”

  “I ran out of battery on my laptop. The girl at the sandwich shop let me plug in my computer to recharge. I’ll have the final drafts finished by this evening. Actually, I thought about getting a motel room then decided to give our Bigfoot hunt one last shot tonight. If the fog clears, I may even sleep in the ferns with Ian. Tomorrow, I’m out of here.”

  “Oh.” Claire chewed slowly and swallowed then wiped her fingers on a napkin. “I guess I won’t see you again then.”

  His teeth flashed in his still tanned face. “Never say never. I’m not giving up on Bigfoot. I may come back up this way again. Our research wasn’t faulty. This is a prime area for a sighting, but we were unlucky. Maybe the Sasquatch in the region have temporarily migrated. The unusually dry summer could have affected their behavior patterns. If I do make another trip north, you can be sure I’ll look you up.”

  She pasted on a bright smile and turned to face him. “It’s strange. From the minute I first met you, I felt a…connection. You seemed familiar somehow. I don’t suppose we ran into each other sometime in the past. I moved around a lot when I was growing up and later travelled all over for work.”

  Little laugh lines appeared at the corners his eyes. “A man wouldn’t
forget meeting you, Claire. There’s something about you…” He smiled. “Let’s just say you’re memorable. You have a likable quality along with an upbeat humor and a truly fine uh…derriere that I would never forget.” He wadded up the paper wrapper from his sandwich and dropped it in the bag. “Good to know you’re so comfortable with me, though.”

  She was comfortable. Bart exuded laid-back charm. Imagining this man sneaking around her motor home to leave wedding trinkets was about as likely as Scoop turning into a show dog. When her mongrel flopped at her feet then turned on his back to roll with paws waving in the air, she smiled and let herself relax. Her detective skills sucked. She’d quit trying to trip up her lunch companion—who surely wasn’t guilty of anything other than admiring her ass—and finish her lunch without giving herself indigestion.

  “Since you’re so comfortable and all, I don’t suppose you’d ditch Jed to give me a proper send off this evening. I could be persuaded to rent that motel room instead of sleeping in the woods with very little effort on your part.”

  Her grin broadened. “Thanks for the glamorous offer of a night out at a no-tell motel, but I’ll have to pass.”

  He shook his head and sighed, yet the smile remained. “I figured it was worth making the suggestion. Maybe next time.” Bart reached in his back pocket to pull out a bulging wallet then searched through the compartments to withdraw a business card. “Call me once you’ve ditched Jed.”

  Her hand closed around the piece of cardboard. “You’re so sure I will?”

  “You’re a smart woman. I’m certain you’ll come to your senses sooner rather than later. The guy isn’t good enough for you.”

  She reared back. “Why would you say that?”

  “No drive and ambition. You have both.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Jed has more going for him than you think.”

  “I hope so for your sake, if you keep him around.”

  She dropped the last of her sandwich in the bag, her appetite gone. “You don’t think he’ll be the one to dump me?”

  His eyes widened. “Now why would he do that? No way. From what I’ve seen, the guy might be all about having fun, but he isn’t stupid.”