Off Limits

by Jules Barnard

  Hannah nods. “I understand. You did the right thing. You always were too good for my sister. I’m sorry she used you. We’ll tell the police what’s going on and help you in whatever way we can, but our first priority is to keep our daughter safe.” She shakes her head. “What if Kate had kidnapped her to use her? My sister is sick. I don’t want her anywhere near my daughter or my family.”

  Jaeger nods and pulls out his phone. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to call my parents. My father hired a lawyer and I want to tell them what we discovered.”

  Hannah stands. “Of course, go ahead. Can I get you anything to drink? My husband and I will go in to work late today—or maybe I’ll stay home.” She looks toward the hall. “I don’t want to be away from my daughter with my sister making dangerous claims. She’s selfish and irresponsible, but I never thought she’d do anything like this.”

  Jaeger exchanges phone numbers with Hannah and her husband before we leave. He gets a call from them on the drive back to Lake Tahoe. They’re filing a restraining order against Kate. Jaeger also spoke to his father and found out the lawyer his dad hired is having a thirty-day legal notice delivered to Kate to vacate Jaeger’s home. She’s claiming a right to occupancy, which technically she can, since Jaeger allowed her to move in.

  We’re stuck with her for thirty more effing days. “What if she destroys your house or steals stuff?” I ask as we pull into town.

  “My workshop is all I care about, and it’s locked tight. We’ll swing by, though, and I’ll remove important documents and my computer. Mason will hold everything until I get Kate out.”

  He looks over. “I’m sorry, Cali. For putting you through this.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m worried about you; you’ve been kicked out of your house.”

  “Even if she burned the place down, nothing could be worse than finding out Kate was telling the truth.” He stretches his neck. “I’m thanking my lucky stars she lied about the kid. No man should be tied to Kate for a lifetime. Or a child, for that matter. Besides”—he grins, the weight that’s been pulling down his features these last few days lifting—“I’m living in the best place in town.”

  “The tent?” I chuckle.

  Jaeger grabs my thigh and rubs it up and down. “Wherever you are is where I want to be.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The next morning, Jaeger takes off for a meeting with his father and lawyer. Afterward, he’s going to his shop to work. I hate the idea of him near Kate—the woman is ruthless and dangerous, as far as I’m concerned—but he’s got commissions due. I understand why he needs to return.

  Tyler’s sitting at the dining room table typing on his computer when I enter the kitchen.

  “What was Jaeger’s ex like back in high school?” I’ve tried less obvious approaches, but Tyler hasn’t responded to my subtlety.

  “A bitch. I hated that chick.”

  Okay, that’s direct. “Jeez, Tyler, tell me what you really think.” I’ve never heard my brother call a woman a derogatory name. Probably an artifact of growing up with a strong mother.

  Tyler’s hands still on the keyboard. He picks up the spoon from his bowl of cereal and scoops the last bite. “I barely knew her, but I heard rumors about her being mean to other kids at school. Typical bully. Never understood why Jaeg dated her. She just seemed like a social climber, and then she dumped Jaeg when he was at his lowest.”

  He stands and walks to the kitchen, dumping his dishes in the sink.

  “Hey, this isn’t a bed and breakfast. Wash your dishes.”

  Tyler saunters past me and kisses the top of my head. “That’s what I have you for.”

  “You’ve turned into a real ass, you know that?” Something happened to my affable brother back in Boulder. He’s always teased me, but he’s downright grumpy these days.

  “You have no idea. Taking a shower,” he says, and locks the bathroom door behind him.

  After class that evening, I convince Leo to drive the extra distance to Jaeger’s house. Jaeger’s been in his shop most of the day and I want to surprise him with the food and drinks I picked up from the on-campus café. It’s not much of a dinner, but I don’t think he’ll care.

  Jaeger may not have the stress of wondering if he has a child anymore, but he’s still exhausted and not eating enough. He has dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks are growing hollow from working so hard and coordinating with lawyers over the Kate situation. He’s been making two sandwiches when he gets to my place at night and inhaling them both before crashing on our air mattress. Sometimes I wonder if it’s the only meal he’s had all day.

  Leo’s car idles in front of Jaeger’s house as I grab the bags of food. “Nice location,” he says, peering at the moonlit lake beyond the trees.

  The front door swings open and Kate steps onto the porch. A motion detector light reveals the scowl on her face. She’s got to be in top evil form now that they issued the eviction notice.

  I think I’ll skip the house and go straight to the workshop.

  I swivel my head to say goodbye to Leo, but he’s squinting at Kate. I look back to find her looking straight at him as well, recognition crossing her features.

  “You two know each other?” I ask.

  His mouth twists. “I—yeah, I think. My roommate’s into some stuff. He has these parties. Pretty sure I’ve seen her at them.”

  Jaeger walks out of his woodshop, wiping his hands on a towel, his frame bowed. He looks exhausted. His eyes scan from me to Leo and his mouth tightens.

  This doesn’t look good. “Thanks for the ride, Leo,” I say quickly, and hop out of the car.

  Jaeger has been pushed to his limit. I’ve seen the kind of damage he can do to a guy when he isn’t trying. I’d rather not give him a reason to take out his frustration on poor Leo.

  “Surprise!” I walk over and kiss Jaeger’s tense lips. His gaze tracks Leo’s small truck as it winds down the lane.

  I shove the bag of food at his chest and he looks down and blinks. A sweet smile spreads across his face. “You’ve been working so hard,” I say. “I wanted to check in on you.”

  “Thanks, babe.” Jaeger’s eyes flicker angrily toward Kate on the porch. She spins around and slams the front door behind her.

  There’s the angst.

  He holds me close for a moment, his lips skimming over my hairline, the tension in his shoulders releasing. “Give me a minute to clean up and we can get going.”

  Jaeger puts away tools, wipes down a table, and sweeps the floor of his woodshop. I watch from the couch, enraptured. I could stare at Jaeger all day, moving around in his jeans that fit his butt to perfection, wood shavings speckling his T-shirt and hair, all responsible and hardworking.

  He glances around as if checking for remaining cleanup, and his gaze lands on me.

  I squirm, suddenly aware of the last time I sat on this couch, or rather, lay on it.

  Jaeger moves forward and my heart kicks up. He crouches at my feet and runs his palms up my bare legs to the edges of my denim skirt. “What do you want to do?”

  Oh, I have ideas, but…

  I scowl in the direction of the house. “Let’s go to my place.”

  Jaeger agrees, and we make our way outside. He helps me into his truck, but his face contorts as he looks down the driveway. “Who’s that guy that gives you rides?”

  “Leo? He’s in my CAD class. We carpool, except it’s not really carpooling because I don’t give him rides. I usually buy dinner after class to make up for the gas money.”

  “You buy him dinner,” he says in a tone that’s not altogether happy.

  “I’ve gotta do something for him, Jaeger. I’d feel like a mooch if I didn’t.”

  He nods stiffly, obviously not liking my answer. “We’ve gotta get you a car. I don’t want you stranded or needing to rely on others to get around.”

  “Yeah, well, that would be nice, but I can’t afford one. Anyway, for now, I’m good. When Gen and Tyler leave in th
e fall, I’ll have to use the bus until I can save up for something.”

  Jaeger frowns out the front window of his truck as he turns on the ignition. It’s damn embarrassing to admit to your highly successful boyfriend that you can’t afford a car.

  Minutes later, we pull into my gravel driveway, my eyes bugging out at my mom’s blue sedan parked on the street.

  What the hell? Shit.

  My mom suspected something between Jaeger and me when I visited, but I haven’t talked to her since things became official. She probably knew more about my feelings for him than I did at the time. I was still in denial and dealing with the loss of my job and my graduate school issues.

  Crap, crap! I’m not prepared for this confrontation. I love Jaeger, but I’d hoped to have a private conversation with my mom. She might draw conclusions about me jumping into a relationship on the heels of my last. To her, this would look like a rebound, but it’s not. My relationship with Jaeger is the first real one I’ve had.

  “So, um, Jaeger?” I say, hesitantly.

  He looks over, brow furrowing. My voice is shaky and I realize I’m squeezing the bejesus out of his hand on the seat between us. I loosen my grip. “That’s my mom’s car. She’s here. I didn’t know she was coming.”

  A beat passes. “You need me to leave?” He’s trying to hide it, but there’s hurt in his eyes.

  “No, but it might not go perfectly. I haven’t had a chance to tell her about us.”

  “I’m okay, if you’re okay.”

  I smile. “I’m okay.” Or I will be after this confrontation. It’s like pulling off a Band-Aid. My mom’s a little overprotective. She might react to the suddenness of my relationship with Jaeger, but she’ll get over it.

  We walk to the front door. And then I remember the tent out back and the fact Jaeger is staying with me.

  This is going to be awkward as hell.

  My mom is washing dishes in the kitchen when we enter, her back to us. She’s humming, breaking into the chorus of “Love Bites” by Def Leppard every few bars. It’s one of her favorites. If I’m warped, I blame it on the eighties music my mom subjected me to over the years.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  She spins, gasping, her hand over her heart. “Calista, don’t sneak up.” She huffs out a breath, and eyes Jaeger. “Can’t a mom visit her children?” she says distractedly.

  “You usually call first,” I point out.

  She shakes water off her hands over the sink and walks into the living room, patting them on her jeans. She reaches out a hand to Jaeger, glaring at me. “Hi, Jaeg. Good to see you again. My, how you’ve grown.” Her eyes dart down his body as she grasps his hand.

  It’s official. Jaeger can’t control the effect he has on women. My own mother just checked him out. He’s a weakness to the female sex. I should know.

  “Mom, Jaeger’s my boyfriend.”

  Despite her obvious admiration, my mom’s mouth puckers and twists. She nods.

  I hate that look. It’s the one that says, You’ve got some explaining to do. I’m a grown woman. Whom I choose to love is my business.

  I walk over to the couch and sit down. “What’s up, Mom? You don’t usually show up out of the blue. Everything okay?”

  She slowly drags her suspicious gaze from Jaeger to me. “I’m here to talk to Tyler. Do you know where he is?”

  So this isn’t about me? It’s about Tyler? Excellent.

  Now he’s done it, though. Mom showed up, so whatever Tyler did, it must be bad.

  Come to think of it, I haven’t kept close tabs on Tyler and he is acting strange. He comes home reeking of beer and cigarettes, and I haven’t figured out why the sudden desire to spend the summer in Tahoe. Getting dumped, fired, and falling in love distracted me. So I’ve been a shitty friend and sister. Wonderful.

  Before I tell my mom I have no idea where Tyler is, my brother walks in the door. He freezes with his hand on the knob. “Hey,” he says nervously.

  What is going on? I mean, my mom can still put the fear of God into us, though she’s tiny and we tower over her, but Tyler looks more nervous than I’ve ever seen him.

  “Your work called,” she says. “You’ve missed the pre-semester meetings and they haven’t been able to reach you.”

  Tyler breaks eye contact and bends down, rustling around in his overnight bag. “I’ve got it, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Really? Because it doesn’t seem like you’ve got it, son.”

  Jaeger sinks on the couch beside me. He’s watching my mom and brother with rapt interest. This is the first bit of drama that doesn’t involve us. He’s probably as giddy as I am.

  “What’s going on, Tyler?” Mom asks. “Don’t lie—you’re no good at it.”

  Tyler straightens and plucks the shoulder of his T-shirt. It’s one of his nervous tics. “Well, if you really must know, I’m not going back. I’m staying here.”

  My mom sits on the edge of the recliner. “What does that mean? Your employers thought you were missing, Tyler. This isn’t how you give notice you’re leaving a position. The college administration told me they were about to notify the police of a missing person. Imagine their relief when they reached me and I told them you were here.”

  “I should have called.” He knuckles his forehead and sighs.

  “Why are you leaving your job?” she asks. “I thought you loved Boulder and your career.”

  Tyler crosses to the kitchen and pulls a beer from the fridge. Now that I think about it, he’s kept the fridge stocked with a steady stream of Sierras. He’s been drinking too much.

  “I don’t. Not anymore,” he says.

  “Uh-hmm. And how will you support yourself? You planning to sleep on people’s couches for the rest of your life?” Mom is pulling out the sarcasm, which means she’s about to go ballistic.

  “I’ve been living like a student. I’ve got money saved to last a few years.”

  Well, shit, he should be paying me and Gen rent!

  Tyler finished his undergrad in three years and a master’s shortly after that. He really did get our father’s brains. Mom and I could never figure out why he didn’t go for his Ph.D.

  “Tyler, that money is better put toward a down payment on a house, not”—she waves her hand aimlessly—“freeloading off your sister and drinking all day.”

  Tyler frowns, and Jaeger and I glance at each other. This is serious stuff going down. I had no idea my brother was so screwed up. Diabolically, it makes me feel better.

  “Drop it, Mom. I’ll let you know when I have things figured out.”

  My mom cocks her head. Tyler never talks disrespectfully to our mother—not since he smart-mouthed her at age twelve and had his video games taken away.

  She looks at me. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  My eyes go wide and I shake my head.

  “I’m still in the room,” Tyler says angrily. “If I wanted you two to know my business, I’d tell you.”

  He can get away with being an ass to me, but not our mother. “Tyler!”

  He ignores me and storms out the front door. I jump up to the window and catch him tossing the now empty beer bottle in the trash can as he stomps across the driveway to his car. I bang on the glass. “Hey! That goes in the recycling!”

  Tyler reverses and tears down the street in his Land Cruiser.

  “Well,” Mom says, “guess we know your brother is in trouble.” She stands and pats her back pocket then pulls out her keys. “He won’t talk to me. You’ll have to help him.”

  Wait, what? “You’re leaving?”

  She grabs her purse and looks around the room, her gaze snagging on the enormous tent out back. “Not much I can do. He doesn’t want his mother involved in whatever is bothering him. Call me if you need to talk. And don’t let your brother drink and drive!”

  I spring up. “Mom! What the hell? You can’t leave this on me.”

  “It’s not really on you. It’s on him. This is his l
ife to screw up. I’m just saying, be there if he needs to talk.”

  She glances at Jaeger. “And this—” My mom points to the tent and the two of us. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on.” My face burns. “I expect a visit from the two of you in the next couple of weeks so I can get reacquainted with your boyfriend, Cali.”

  She squeezes the living hell out of me and smacks a kiss on my lips. “Adios!” she says with a wave.

  What kind of parenting is this?

  This is what you call the you’re all grown up now, deal with it yourself approach.

  My mom used to ride Tyler and me when she needed to, but she let us fight our own battles when we were younger. It might explain why Tyler and I are so independent. We’re capable of lifting ourselves out of the dung when things go wrong, but I get the feeling that whatever is bothering Tyler is big. I just hope it doesn’t hold him down forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Over the next couple of days, I try to probe my brother about what’s going on with him, but he’s being tight-lipped and giving me nothing. Things are still in limbo with Jaeger’s lawyers trying to get Kate out of the house, but life isn’t all bad. It’s great having Jaeger stay with me, and I’m loving my new classes.

  CAD just delved deeper into the structure of 3D design today, and my analytical mind was doing a happy dance over the layering. It’s finally getting fun. I’m confident about the progress I’ve made and hopeful that by the middle of fall I’ll have early mastery of AutoCAD for work. A raise would go a long way toward solving my transportation problems.

  Leo, however, seems to be struggling. “Damn, that class is killing me,” he says as we walk through the parking lot to his car. “You don’t find it difficult?”

  I’m not going to list the classes I found difficult. Some of the higher math and economics courses I took for a challenge in college, to name a few, the pre-law courses on constitutional and business law for sure—but CAD? No, CAD is not one of them.

  “It’s okay. I’m happy to help if you get stuck,” I tell him.