by Ava Miles
“Is it too late to swing by Meredith and Tanner’s house, do you think?” he asked, eyeing the clock.
“No one but a single dad who has surgery in the morning is going to be asleep by nine o’clock. Text Mere and ask.”
He drew out his phone to send her a message. Her response was immediate and affirmative.
“She told me to come over,” he said.
“Good. Now get moving. There’s no need for you both to suffer any longer than necessary. Life is too short.”
“Thanks, Andy,” he said and pulled him in for a man hug.
His brother clapped him on the back. “Keep me posted.”
“Don’t tell the family about this development, okay?”
“What? Do I look stupid?”
“Only some days,” he said, feeling lighter now as he tugged on his outer gear at the front door.
“She loves you, Matt. Whatever you discover, remember that.”
With those words, he stepped outside into the bitter wind, a new flame of hope burning in his heart.
Chapter 28
To work off her ongoing fear and frustration over the Jane situation, Elizabeth decided to take an early morning Zumba class. She and the sunrise didn’t much like each other after her years of staying up late with Rhett on the road, but Dare wasn’t exactly Las Vegas. Everything pretty much died down by ten o’clock during the week, midnight on weekends if you were lucky.
The class was surprisingly full for seven o’clock in the morning, and it took her body longer to sync to the beat than usual. Her classmates shared her sluggishness. But by the time a peppy meringue number came on, her hips were swaying just fine, and her feet moved in perfect time with the teacher’s.
She caught Carol after class and gave her the papers she’d completed to go through the teaching certification. They chatted for a while, and Carol set some dates for her to complete her training.
Elizabeth left the studio with a new spring in her step and, deciding that a special coffee and croissant was in order, walked to Don’t Soy with Me. Things might be shitty in other parts of her life, but at least she was doing what she could to be happy. Growing up in a trailer park, she’d learned how to compartmentalize her life and create magical places for her free spirit to reign.
When she entered the coffee shop, she took a moment to appreciate one of her favorite haunts in town. The roasted coffee scent always made her salivate, and the bold colors of the yellow and red walls lifted her spirits. Patrons were scattered across the coffee shop with laptops and tablets set out next to their morning coffee. A pleasant jazz tune filled the air, and Elizabeth’s hips swayed to the beat.
After ordering a bold French Roast with a shot of hazelnut cream, Elizabeth wandered to the side to wait for her coffee.
She felt someone’s eyes on her then—she intuitively knew they were a man’s—so she casually turned her head to the right.
Terrance freaking Waters was standing in the line, waiting to order. His mouth tipped up in acknowledgement of her gaze. God, was she gaping? She swiveled her head around as her heart started to pound like the frantic beat of the Latin music in Zumba class.
It couldn’t be him. It wasn’t uncommon to think you’d seen someone only to realize it wasn’t that person.
She took a second look.
Those seductive lips that had kissed every inch of her body were tipped up at the corners, accentuating the small scar on the right side from a long-ago fight.
It was him.
Holy blooming hell.
What in the world was he doing in Dare Valley? Her mind raced through dozens of scenarios. He knew Mac and Rhett, so he could be here to see one of them, but why hadn’t she heard anything?
She smelled him before she felt him come up beside her, that spicy, erotic cologne he wore playing havoc on her senses.
“Hi there,” he said in a voice that was like sin chewing on marbles.
Biting her lip—keep it together, girl—she gave the barista a hopeful glance.
“I’ve heard this is the best coffee in town,” he observed, trying to draw her into his web. “I’m Terrance, by the way.”
When he extended his hand to her, she had no choice but to turn toward him, which he’d totally planned. God, she didn’t want to touch him, so she clenched her fingers together and shook as quickly as possible. It might have been the worst handshake on the planet, but it still sent a familiar burst of sensation shooting through her body.
“Hi,” she replied hoarsely.
“The barista seems to be backed up,” Terrance said again, probably mistaking her weirdness for that of a fan.
Chef T was, after all, a rising celebrity chef, one who had a popular TV show called The Tattooed Chef.
“Of course, that’s fine by me. I like talking to beautiful women.”
Right. He’d always been a smooth talker.
Face to face with him now, she couldn’t stop herself from lapping up the sight of him. His black hair was cut military style, accenting his muscular neck. His signature tattoos were concealed by the casual attire of a thermal black shirt and fleece with faded designer jeans. The man she’d fallen for two years ago had worn white T-shirts to showcase the griffin tattoos flying down his arms. In private, she’d seen the entire canvas of ink on his body, and it had always filled her with lust.
She stared into those forest-green eyes, her knees weak.
And waited to see his reaction.
In a few moments, the truth was undeniably clear: he didn’t know who she was without her poker babe get-up.
Oh, the wrench in her heart. She’d always wondered if he’d recognize her as Elizabeth and not Vixen. Well, now she knew.
He didn’t.
Then he cocked his head to the side. “I know it sounds cliché, but have we met? There’s something really familiar about you.”
Okay, so that made her knees want to give out, and she leaned a hand on the nearby counter for support.
“I get that a lot,” she replied, not answering him directly. “Must have one of those faces.”
“I wish I was staying in town longer. We might have found a way to become more familiar with each other.”
The relief was sweet. He was only passing through.
“Mmm,” she merely hummed. There was no way in hell she was telling him who she really was, so the less they interacted, the better.
The shock of seeing him was too fresh, and what good would it do to tell him? Who in the hell knew how he’d react? Would he be pissed? Or would he just shrug those muscular shoulders she’d loved running her mouth over and say, “Good to see ya, babe?”
Her belly tightened with lust. God, he was still so hot, downright badass, and all she wanted to do was shove him into one of the bathroom stalls and devour him.
The barista called her name then, and she carefully reached for her coffee.
“Elizabeth,” he murmured, handing her a napkin.
She automatically reached for it, but instead of letting go, he tugged on it, creating resistance between them. The spark of arousal inside her was fresh and dark.
“I like that name.”
“It was good to meet you,” she ground out, making herself step away from him.
“Perhaps we’ll run into each other again sometime,” he said mysteriously, his voice husky now.
She didn’t answer.
She fled.
Chapter 29
Crying had become her new normal in the hours after the scene in Matt’s office. Jane even broke her own rule and let Annie and Rufus sleep with her that night. The hurt was like a brand, the pain throbbing and insistent. She realized she’d never hurt this much.
Even as she tried to tell herself it was for the best, nothing could make the pain go away.
She didn’t get dressed the next morning. Stayed huddled under the covers. The white light from the sun touching the snow glowed through her closed blinds.
Today, she decided, was a day to shut out th
e world. She was no good to anyone like this. Yeah, she could use some groceries, but she could picture how that would go. She’d bawl her way through the produce aisle, picking up bananas and oranges while the other patrons stared at her in confusion.
Why bother?
This had to get better, right?
But deep down, the thought of losing Matt forever haunted her. She missed him. The warmth of his skin, the spicy scent of his cologne, the feel of his lips and body moving over hers.
How was she supposed to survive a broken heart? Now she understood why people had such a hard time getting over the loss of someone they loved.
It hurt, dammit.
When Rhett texted her around noon to ask how it had gone with Matt, she simply replied, Not good. Then she turned her phone off and threw it on the floor.
When someone pounded on her door a few hours later, she burrowed under the covers. No way she was taking company in her condition. Rufus whined and cocked his head at her.
“Stay,” she told him, her voice hoarse from crying.
When the pounding increased, sounding like a lumberjack chopping down a mighty tree, she knew it could only be one person.
Rhett.
A man determined to get his way.
Well, if he was going to be like that, he was just going to have to deal with the outcome. She stepped over the balled-up tissues she’d tossed on the floor and pulled on a white terrycloth robe.
“Go away,” she croaked out as she padded to the door in her bare feet. Cripes, she needed to turn up the heater, which she’d lowered before going to bed.
“Open the door, Jane,” her friend commanded. “I’ll tear it down otherwise. You know I can do it…”
She did. Rhett and his meaty hands.
When she unlocked the door, he was standing there on the stoop in his sheepskin coat with a red scarf Abbie had given him for Christmas wrapped around his thick neck.
“Oh, honey,” he said gently. He walked inside, slammed the door, and pulled her to him.
His body was cold from being outside, but the comfort he provided warmed up the barren space inside her. She started to cry.
“I’m a mess,” she whispered. “You don’t want to see me like this.”
“Wasn’t I a mess over Abbie when I thought I’d lost her?”
Hence the tearing-down-the-door incident in Monaco.
He led her to the couch, released her to shed his coat, and then made a quick fire. As it was starting to spark and crackle, he grabbed a box of Kleenex and carried it to the sofa, pulling her against him.
“Okay, you tell ol’ Rhett everything that happened.”
It couldn’t have been a pretty sight—she took her time in the telling, stopping every so often to wipe away tears or blow her nose. He was patient, but as she continued the story, a line appeared between his eyebrows.
“It’s over,” she finally said. “I know it’s probably better this way. I would always have been a liability for him.”
“Honey,” he scolded gently.
“Who would know better than me? My father has destroyed political opponents on less, and Matt wants to run for higher offices. Being the mayor of Dare is just the first run in what could be a long career. My father used to seek out and mentor young men who had great political promise, and Matt would have met his every requirement.”
Rufus whined at her tone, so she leaned down to stroke him under the ears.
“But he loves you, and you love him.”
“The Raven and Vixen secret is dangerous to everyone we love. You and your family, Liz, even Mac for being our front. We’re going to have to keep it quiet. Since he’s refused to accept a retainer from me, I just don’t see another way.”
Rhett took her hand. “There has to be. I’ve never seen you like this, Jane, and as someone who had the shit kicked out of his own heart, I know a bit about what you’re going through.”
From his thunderous frown, she knew he was remembering that horrible year after Abbie had broken things off with him. She, Rhett, and Elizabeth had pretty much been like sailors, playing poker overseas in every possible venue from Monte Carlo to Macau.
“It hurts, Rhett,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her heart.
“I know it does, baby,” he said and then just held her close and rocked her.
More tears fell as the finality of it all washed over her. It was done. Matt was gone. She’d never walk the dogs with him again. Never kiss him. Never talk to him. Never make love to him.
“I might need to leave Dare for a while,” she said, trying to pull herself together. “Move back to Vegas. I…don’t think I can take running into him here.”
“No, I won’t stand for any of this. You and Elizabeth are fighting. Your heart is broken. There has to be a way to fix everything.”
“There isn’t. He won’t accept the retainer because he had a horrible fallout with a friend the last time he mixed his personal life with his profession. Part of me understands that. I’ve seen what happens when lawyers take on friends as clients. They stop being friends. We’re at an impasse.”
“Bullshit.”
The resolve in his voice was just as strong as when he declared he was going to win a tourney. “Just let it go. I have to resign myself to the way things are.”
“What are you? The queen of bloody England? Resign yourself? Screw that! We need to find a way to make it work. And I don’t like all these assumptions you’re making about you being a liability to Matt’s career. You’re taking away his choice. Didn’t I make changes to my career to suit Abbie?”
She rubbed her heated cheeks. “It’s different. You didn’t have to give up poker. Rhett, even if I could tell him, Matt couldn’t win an election if he’s seeing the woman who used to be Raven. His refusal has forced me to see the naked truth.”
“You don’t know that.”
A spurt of anger broke through the fog of grief. “Don’t tell me what I do and don’t know! Rhett, I used to dress like a slut for work. Trust me, voters, especially the conservative kind, would crucify a good man for being involved with me even if I went on record saying that I’d found God and all that political bull. Men have ‘reformed’ successfully in politics, but not women, and it wouldn’t matter that Raven was all an act.”
“I don’t care about that crap,” he said, rising and towering over her. “You deserve to be happy, and it kills me to know I’m partially to blame here.”
Ah, so that’s what it was. She stood and put a hand on his arm. “Rhett, you are not to blame. We all made the decision. No one forced me to be Raven.”
“I don’t regret that. It helped you escape your parents, and now that I know about Elizabeth… Anyway, I know you wanted to tell Matt about Raven early on, and Elizabeth and I stopped you. Well, it’s going to end now.”
“Rhett—”
“No, I’ll talk to Elizabeth. And Abbie and Mac. This isn’t going to stand!” His decision made, he tugged on his coat and strode to the door. “I’ll take care of it, Jane.”
“No, Rhett—” Part of her couldn’t bear to dredge up all the hurt again.
And where would it leave her and Liz? Would their friendship be over for good? She wasn’t sure she could take that.
“It’s time to come clean, Jane. I’ll be in touch once I’ve taken care of things.”
Chapter 30
The day was interminable to Matt. There was no news from the Hale journalist clan after he’d told them what he needed. Of course, even though he didn’t have to say how important it was for them to keep their research confidential, he had. Meredith had gently caressed his back and said, “Matt. We’re family.” Tanner had nodded in agreement. They’d promised to tell Uncle Arthur first thing in the morning at the newspaper, and Meredith had texted him at around noon to say they’d made Jane’s past a priority and were digging into it.
But he didn’t stop there. Jane was too important.
He also called his forensic accountant friend—someon
e he’d been friends with since college and could trust with his life. As he was about to leave the office, his friend called with an update. He’d already hit a wall. Jane’s companies—she had five of them, it seemed—were receiving money from three companies, also registered in the Cayman Islands. No information was available on the owners. Only a Post-office box was listed as the companies’ address in the States. There was nothing illegal about them, his friend assured Matt. They paid taxes. It was just going to take him more time to track the source of the payments, since they were routed through Swiss bank accounts.
Swiss bank accounts? The obscurity boggled his mind. Jane, Jane, what are you into?
His friend ended their conversation with something Matt already knew: whoever had set up the companies knew how to hide things.
Well, she did have an MBA from Harvard.
After he ended their call, Matt stood at his office window for a few minutes, his gaze unfocused, a new chill running down his spine.
When he finally cruised home, he looked at Henry, whose tail was wagging in delight. His dog thought it was time for them to go to the park.
The park. Sunset. Jane.
He sank into a chair and put his face in his hands. God, he missed her. He was so desperate to hear her voice, to see that sweet smile reserved only for him.
Well, giving into despair wasn’t productive. He needed another run. A lung-burning, heart-pounding run. He went to the park where he and Andy had gone running, and he didn’t stop moving until his legs were burning. Maybe he’d actually be able to sleep if he exhausted himself.
After showering, he dressed and then texted Meredith to say he was coming over, asking for a time. She told him to come for dinner.
Like he could eat.
When he arrived, Uncle Arthur’s car was already parked in their driveway. He pulled in behind it and strode to the house. Meredith greeted him at the door with a warm hug.
“Matt,” Meredith said, taking his hands after he chucked off his coat. “Let’s get you settled. I think we found something.”