Текст книги "Take the Fall"

Автор книги: Marquita Valentine

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Chapter 2

Seth

Driving to my grandmother’s house, all I can think about is Rowan. It’s like the closer I physically am to her, the more she consumes my every waking thought.

I take a left onto Spruce Drive, and I park my truck in the driveway of the fifth house on the right, entirely relieved that there’s only one other car parked on the street. I don’t think I could have handled a bunch of people eating while they commiserated over what a fine woman my grandmother was, in true southern mourning tradition.

Yet, I’d allowed Rowan to deal with it. Guess that’s one more thing to add to my list of important things to apologize for.

Fishing my key to the house out of my coat pocket, I take in my surroundings. The place has been kept up, and there’s a black Camaro in the drive. A red racing stripe runs from hood to trunk.

I blink. That’s Tony Johnson’s car. Okay, so it’s a majorly improved version of the rat bastard’s car. Still…What. The. Ever-loving. Fuck.

Piper Ross comes around the corner of the house, a casserole dish in one hand. Her face pales when she sees me, and she stumbles as she tries to avoid crashing into me. I catch her before she goes ass over heels into the flower bed.

“You okay?” I ask gently. The girl has always been easy to spook, but she’s sweet, too. Her standoffishness is completely related to an obvious lack of self-assuredness. Something Rowan possesses in spades. I have yet to meet a woman more confident than Rowan.

Her gaze slides to the house, and then back to me. “Yes.”

“Thanks for including me in the funeral arrangements.”

She smiles shyly. “I’m glad to be of help. I know it must have been hard to be in Jacksonville while everything was going on here.”

With a little smile, I let her go and try to get a look into the dish. “You could have left that on the back porch, I would have gotten it. A man’s got to eat supper, and I haven’t had time to get groceries yet.”

Piper’s eyes get so big that I start to feel sorry for her. “You’re buying groceries?”

“Yeah. Figured staying here was cheaper than getting a hotel.” Plus, this was my home. I need to say good-bye before I sell it.

“You’re staying here?” She almost wheezes.

“It is my home,” I say evenly and take a step forward.

Her five-foot-nothing hundred-pound self moves slightly to block me. Color me surprised as shit. “Oh, yeah, it is, but um, with…everything, don’t you want to…stay somewhere else?”

My bullshit detector goes off. “Why would I want to stay somewhere else?”

She bites her bottom lip. “Because I heard you went ballistic when you found out about Mrs. Gardner’s passing. I’m sorry.”

Gossip spread faster than an STD in this town, especially when the gossip was juicy and false. “About what?”

“Your loss.”

“Thank you.” Weariness seeps into my bones suddenly. I run a hand through my hair. “What is Tony’s Camaro doing here?”

“It’s always here,” she says evasively.

“Really?” And my bullshit detector’s back on. There’s no way Rowan would let him within five feet of this place.

“Yep,” she says firmly, then starts to nibble on her bottom lip. “Except when it’s not.”

Well, that clears everything up. I’d have better luck asking the car why it’s here. Then it hits me, square between the eyes and right in the nuts. “She still lives here, doesn’t she?”

Piper smashes her lips together, making me admire her a little more. Her loyalty, although misguided, is commendable, and it’s more than I can say about her best friend’s.

“You don’t have to say a word. Rowan and I have it all worked out.”

Her eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “Y’all talked after the funeral?”

I nod.

“Okay.” She pats my arm. “I really am sorry. I’m glad you and Rowan worked everything out. She’s missed you, you know.”

Yeah, Rowan used to miss me, but I’d made sure to disabuse her of the notion that I could ever give a fuck about her again. “Have a good night, Piper.”

“ ’Night,” she says and then continues on her way.

So, Tony Johnson’s Camaro is in my drive, and Rowan is in my house. Only one of those things belongs to me, and I intend to claim what’s mine.

Rowan

The back door slides open and I frown. “I told you to go home, Piper. There’s nothing left to do.” I fuss gently, turning around to escort her outside. She’s been at my side for the past week, tirelessly helping me with funeral arrangements.

Instead, I run into the door. Well, if the door was a warm, living thing made of Seth. “What the hell are you doing here, O’Connor?” I practically shout.

“Still my home,” he says and holds up something shiny. “Got a key and everything.”

“Nice story.” I take a step back and hold out my hand, palm facing up. “Hand it over so I can put it back under the rock you should be living under.”

Seth grunts. “Not on your life, Ro.” He pockets the key and I purse my lips at him in annoyance. “Besides, that’s not a safe place to keep a spare.”

“Like you care about my safety,” I snap and then smash my lips shut. Don’t let him see you like this, not one tiny bit of emotion. Be a glacier. An ice queen.

“I care,” he says simply. Sincerely.

Nonplussed, I stare at him. “Anyway, what do you want? If it’s leftovers—I’m happy to fix you a doggie bag so you can be on your way.”

“Maybe in a little while.” Turning slightly, he shuts the door and locks it. “Never know who might be skulking around here.”

Yeah, someone like you could be prowling around. “I can take care of myself.”

His black eyes flash. “I know you can.” He takes a step forward and then another and another until my back’s against the wall. I can smell the beer on his breath, but he’s in total control as he surrounds me. He holds my head in his hands and leans in, his coat touching me while his body remains only inches away.

He searches my face. My body prickles with awareness, seeking him, like it’s the most natural thing in the world for me to do.

I hate it. “See something you like?” I taunt.

He cocks his head to one side, his gaze drifting to my lips. I lick them. “Yeah. Damn,” he murmurs. “I didn’t know. This close. Yeah, I like what I see.”

Confusion sends me off-kilter. “That makes one of us,” I reply in a breathless voice that makes me sound weak.

His gaze jerks upward. His dark eyes burn into mine as he slowly eases away. “I fucked up, Rowan.”

My heart slams against my chest. “Well, we all can’t be perfect.”

“I made you feel like shit when I sent you away.”

The reminder of the day he left me all alone in the visitation cell sends me over the edge. I want to hurt him. “I never felt freer,” I say softly, peering up at him under my lashes. “You did me a favor. So, thanks. And now that we all feel better, you can go.” I pat his arm a couple of times and wait for him to move.

“I’m sorry,” he says as if I hadn’t said anything at all. “I was full of hate and anger. I’m sorry.”

Tears prick hard at the backs of my eyes. I shove my finger into his hard chest. “You do not get to be sorry. You do not get to walk back into my life…my house and apologize.” I have to look away. My chest painfully squeezes in on me like a vise. “You have no right, Seth. None.”

I feel his hot breath on my cheek. “I know, but I’m here anyway.”

I have nothing to say to that. The old Seth I knew would have, well…he wouldn’t have screwed up in the first place. “Fine. You’re forgiven. Get the hell out.”

He laughs. “That’s my girl.”

I glare at him. “I was your girl. Now, I’m my own woman.”

His body straightens, his arms falling to hang loosely at his side. “Fair enough.” He shrugs out of his coat and hangs it over one of the kitchen chairs. “What is Tony’s car doing here?”

The change in subject combined with his casual demeanor makes my head spin. “It’s mine.”

His black brows crash together. “He make you pay for it?”

Jaw tightening, I shake my head. “The rat bastard owed us.”

Seth strokes the underside of his lip with his thumb. “Yeah, Tony owed us. Is he still around?”

I shake my head. “He moved away not too long after he got out of the hospital. Got caught with some barely legal chick, and her family ran him out of town.” That still hadn’t stopped people from thinking my brother and Seth were criminals. But, whatever, we’re from the wrong side of Forrestville. Where the yards are small, houses are smaller, and crime is huge.

But Gardner’s Auto Repair is the best damn shop in the Piedmont area, so all those good people from the right side of the track—like the Oaks neighborhood—hold their noses while they open their wallets.

I gaze at Seth once more. With his fitted slacks, deep plum-colored button-down, and gelled hair, he could fit in with those people, if no one knew it were him. He carries himself like one of those people—all confident and full of swagger.

Full of crap.

“What’s on your mind, Rowan?” he asks.

You’ve moved on. You have a life. Even after prison you have a life, and I’m still here. Still piecing back the fragments of my existence. But I can’t admit that to him. I shrug. “I’m tired.”

He reaches out and I flinch a little. His hand cups my cheek and his thumb begins to rub the top part of my cheek. “You don’t have to be so brave, you know,” he says. “Her death hurt me, too. Yeah, she was suffering, but it still hurt. It hurt us both. I can be here for you, if you let me.”

I don’t move, even as his hand coasts down my cheek to my jaw and then around my neck to rub the sore muscles. My lashes flutter closed in response, but I force them open. Dangerous things happen around Seth and me when I close my eyes.

“Close your eyes,” Seth whispers into my ear. He drags his lips across my jaw and I shiver. I’m lying nude in his bed with his equally naked body covering mine. We’ve never gone this far before, but I love Seth. I want to be with him forever.

I close my eyes and smile. “How’s this?”

“You’re such a very good girl,” he teases, nipping at my throat. His hands cover my breasts and I arch into him. My eyes fly open.

His obsidian gaze is hot. “Close your eyes, or I’ll move my hand.”

“Don’t you dare,” I snap. I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Love you, Rowan, even when you try to be all bossy,” he says with a dark laugh, and then his lips wrap around my hard nipple.

I moan his name.

“Thank you,” he says, pulling me out of my head.

My face heats and my heart races. It’s a damn good thing he can’t read my mind. “For what?”

“For being with her when I couldn’t.”

Unable to withstand the gratefulness in his gaze, I move away from him. My skin is hot and tight, and I can still feel where he touched me. “Leftovers are in the fridge. Nothing’s changed, really, so you should be able to find what you’re looking for.”

Another smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t worry, Rowan, I’ll be gone tomorrow afternoon.”

Pain claws my heart, ripping it to shreds. I can’t deal with him leaving again. It’s stupid and futile. “I’m not worried. Besides, I have to work.”

“I’m spending the night.”

That again. “I don’t think so.”

His smile gives way to a serious frown. “Still my fucking house. I grew up here, you didn’t,” he reminds me.

“It used to be your house, but you chose to move away. Remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” he growls and yanks his dog tags out from underneath his shirt and holds them out. “But apparently your memory is shitty, because it was a judge who made me leave.”

Now, this I can handle. Better his anger than his remorse and gratitude. I whirl away and stride to my bedroom, tossing over my shoulder, “Not dealing with your bullshit, O’Connor. Crash in your old room and then be out of here before I get home tomorrow night.”

Chapter 3

Seth

The door slams shut with enough force to rattle the plates in the kitchen cabinets, but I refuse to go after her. I refuse to play her game. She wants me angry. She wants the excuse and justification to keep me at a distance.

When we were younger, she had me wrapped around her little finger. Not exactly a bad thing when the two of you are in love, but the shit she just pulled—I’m not letting her get the upper hand again.

Looks like the enemy wasn’t the only thing the military trained me to battle.

I tuck my tags back into place and run my hands over my face. “She needs more time,” I mutter. It’s been years since I was last civil to her. Her reaction to me won’t change overnight. Hell, it might not ever change, but the more she pushes me away, the more I want to hold on tight.

Exhaling, I move to the living room, plop my ass on the couch, and flip through the stations, finding a repeat of Band of Brothers. Score. And it’s a marathon. Double score. I love this show, and it’s enough of a distraction to keep my mind off of Rowan.

However, there’s still the matter of the envelope Shaw gave me, but I’m not that interested in reading it. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’ll go over the paperwork at our meeting tomorrow.

Pulling out my phone, I text a couple of my buddies and my commanding officer to give him a heads-up of what might be coming, then jump to my feet and stride to the back door. Grabbing my key along the way—just in case Rowan decides to lock my ass out—I head outside to get my duffel bag.

I have time to kill, and it doesn’t look as though Rowan will be joining me again this evening. I haul my bag to my room and toss it on the bed, noting that nothing has changed—same comforter on the bed, same posters on the walls, and same pictures of Rowan and me. Honestly, I’m shocked this proof of our relationship still exists.

Maybe there’s hope for us after all.

–

The next morning, Rowan is gone by the time I wake up. I glance at the clock, surprised at how late it is. Normally, I’m up at five thirty, but today I slept in and it’s almost seven fifteen. There’s a pot of fresh coffee on the counter, and the fridge is fully stocked. I fry up some eggs and bacon while I drink a cup.

Then I hit the road.

Shaw’s offices are located in downtown Forrestville, and it doesn’t take long to get there. Parking’s a bitch, though, especially with a truck the size of mine. I circle the block a couple of times before finding a space.

As I walk inside, a receptionist greets me.

“Hi, I’m Seth O’Connor and I have—”

“Go right in. First office on the right.”

The door to his office bursts open and Rowan walks out, a strange look on her face.

“Good morning,” I say.

She glances up at me, her strange look giving way to a glare. “I bet it is.”

“You can’t even try to be nice to me?”

“Why bother? You’re leaving. Again.”

You’re leaving. Again. The words echo in my mind. If Rowan didn’t care or had really forgiven me like she claimed, then she wouldn’t have said that. She would have left it with a simple Why bother?

“If I stay, will you be nice to me?” I ask.

“Totally,” she snaps. “In fact, I’ll be Little Miss Sunshine if you stay.”

She shoves past me, and I turn slightly to stare after her retreating form, grinning. She’s wearing faded jeans that showcase her ass, and a purple sweater that conforms to her body. I glance at her feet and grin. She still wears silver Converse sneakers. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say those were the same pair I’d bought for her.

“Mr. O’Connor?”

Dragging my attention from Rowan to Shaw, I nod at the man. “Ready when you are.”

“Come inside.”

We shake hands, and he indicates I should sit. I take out the envelope he gave me and open it. “I wanted to wait until I met with you before I read through this.”

“That’s fine. It’s a copy of Mrs. Gardner’s will.”

Unfolding the packet of papers, I scan the first page and my jaw drops.

“She left me everything,” I say, incredulous at her generosity. What the hell will I do with all this money? I already have everything I need with the Corps Savings in the bank from my tours in Afghanistan; my truck’s paid for, and my off-base apartment is a straight-up bachelor’s pad, complete with the requisite leather couch, Xbox, and a flat-screen that takes up an entire wall.

Shaw nods. “Everything and then some. Of course, a portion of the life insurance policy is going to one Rowan Patricia Simmons.”

My gaze jerks from the packet of papers to his face. “My grandmother left Rowan money?” Is that why she looked so pissed? I’d gotten money she thought she deserved? It’s an honest question, and while I don’t naturally assign the title of gold digger to a woman, I don’t know Rowan like I used to.

“Yes.”

“How much?” I’m not asking because I want the money. Honestly, I’m more curious than anything.

Shaw names the amount, and I blink. “She’ll never have to work again,” I mutter to myself.

“Ms. Simmons donated half of it to Jailbirds to Jobs.”

Jailbirds to Jobs? “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a charity Ms. Simmons started a few years ago that puts convicts to work at your grandmother’s auto shop once they’ve been released. She personally works with their parole officers. Her organization has helped hundreds of people and has lowered the recidivism rate by 10 percent in this area. I know that might not sound like a lot, but considering the rate is normally close to 90 percent, it’s a wonderful reduction.”

Wow. I always knew Rowan was smart as hell and had a soft heart, but this…a charity like this is beyond the soft-heart thing. Lots of people have intelligence and soft hearts yet do nothing to help others on such a large scale.

“You seem to know a lot about it.”

“I’m one of the sponsors of the charity, and I’m on the advisory board.”

“What are my options?”

Shaw’s face grows concerned. “Concerning Ms. Simmons’s inheritance?”

“No. I could give two shits about her inheritance. I want to know what I’m supposed to do with all this paperwork.”

Shaw’s face brightens. “Ah. That I can help you with.”

We spend the next hour going over the details, and what the law requires me to do as the executor of my grandmother’s estate. Apparently, it’s a hell of a lot.

“Can’t we get someone else?” I ask. “This might be more than I can do, given my occupation.”

Shaw takes a sip of coffee. “I’m afraid not.”

Mentally, I consider my alternatives and decide against any course of action that would label me a lawbreaker. I have a real aversion to breaking the law. Actually, I have a real aversion to prison. “Fine. I can get about two weeks off right now, but once that’s gone, I’ll have to come up on weekends.”

“Mrs. Gardner informed me that you’re a helicopter crew chief in the Marines. Will we have to work around a deployment schedule?” Shaw asks.

I shake my head. “No, my contract is up in eight weeks and then I’m out. For good.” Freedom. I can hardly wait. “But everything else, like paying off outstanding debts, can be handled electronically in the meantime, right?”

“Right, of course.” Shaw sits in his chair. “We’ll take care of most of it, and if you like, give you a list of reputable agents in the area who can help you sell the residence and business for a fair market value.”

“I don’t know if I want to sell them.”

“It’s within your rights to keep or sell. The majority of my clients in your situation would sell and be done with it.”

I eye him. “Like I said, I don’t know what I want to do.” Am I ready to part with those memories? Lately, I’ve been entertaining the thought of returning home to put down roots again. Well, as soon as Uncle Sam didn’t own my ass anymore.

“May I make a recommendation on the business at least?” Shaw asks.

“Recommend away.”

“You should let the current manager buy it. She’s done an excellent job turning the place around, and—”

She? The hairs on my arms stand at attention, and I place the packet of papers on the table between us. “Give me the manager’s name.”

“Rowan Simmons.”

Leaning back in my chair, I shake my head and fold my arms over my chest. “You’re joking.” Somehow my grandmother had failed to share this with me. Somehow I had to use this to my advantage. If I had to deal with the business, then that meant I had to deal with Rowan. She would be forced to be in my presence, and I’d have an excuse to stay at my own home. A win-win in my tactical playbook.

“No. As I mentioned, the shop employs the majority of the former inmates in the Jailbirds to Jobs program.”

“The hell you say. How is that remotely safe?” Damn, the woman thinks she’s invincible.

“Mr. O’Connor,” Shaw begins, obviously ready to defend Rowan, but I wave him off and stand up.

“Great meeting. I’ll go through the documents again and start the process to finish closing out her estate.”

“And Gardner’s?”

“I think I need to go down there and learn more about my grandmother’s business before I make a decision. Don’t you agree?”

Wisely, Shaw keeps his mouth shut and nods. I say good-bye and stride away from his office, determined to find out what the hell’s been going on.