Nausea rose bitter in Tanya’s throat as hope lodged in a ball of heat behind her rib cage. Please, God, let the man standing just behind Sasha be Matt Davidson. “I have no idea.” She pushed the photograph toward Lucy. “Do you recognize him? I imagine he’d be in his early to midforties by now.”
Lucy’s forehead creased in concentration as she scrutinized the picture. “I don’t recognize him.” She looked up, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Sasha looks like she knows him well, though. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that man meant an awful lot to her back then.”
Sickness rolled through Tanya’s stomach. “I’ll have to ask her.”
Lucy stood. “I’ll make the coffee while you look through the rest of Scott’s photographs.”
“Thanks.” Tanya lifted the picture again, her hands trembling as Lucy walked away.
I’m going to find you, you son of a bitch. I’ll find you and make you pay for what you’ve done to my sister.
* * *
IT HAD BEEN a long day by the time Liam left work and headed for the office parking lot. He’d lost count how many times he’d gotten up from his desk and stared across the street toward Tanya’s office. Indecision battled inside him whether or not to just drop in. From what he’d seen, she’d had no visitors or curious passersby today, and it had pleased him to see her and Lucy working side by side as they erected a flamboyant peach-and-cream, silk-and-bows window display.
To see the breadth of Tanya’s smile when she laughed at something Lucy said, or the pleasing sight of his past lover’s curvaceous behind when she leaned over in the window, had gone a long way to stirring up his renewed attraction to the woman who’d left his heart little more than a splintered mess eight years before.
Whether he wanted them to or not, his old feelings for Tanya grew stronger the more time he spent with her...even if his sense of trust was still firmly under lock and key.
Which was why he’d resisted the temptation to knock on her office door when he finished for the day. He sensed an anxiety in her; a deep fear that had to be about more than losing her job.
Since she hadn’t called him, Liam could only assume Scott hadn’t given Lucy any pictures. If that were the case, he understood why Tanya wanted to be left alone to nurse her disappointment.
Some time apart felt necessary anyway—he needed to enforce a bit of distance and control. He refused to become the same man who jumped to her side at every opportunity the way he had before. He couldn’t afford to let his work suffer when he’d so doggedly pursued his achieved level of success. If he allowed himself to be pulled back into love with Tanya again, who was to say making her happy wouldn’t consume him as it had before?
Liam unlocked his car and slid into the driver’s seat. Gunning the engine, he left the parking lot and forced his concentration onto the road...yet his mind whirled with what-ifs and maybes. Unease about tracking down Davidson rippled through him, regardless of his knowing he would help Tanya despite the risks involved. His fondness for Sasha alone dictated it. He gripped the steering wheel. He hoped to God Tanya had spoken to Sasha by now.
He passed along the promenade, running along the beach and farther still, until he reached the outskirts of the town center.
Tanya might have softened from the woman she was before, but every now and then, he saw flashes of determined fire in her eyes that he recognized as pure unadulterated ambition. Who knew how long she could contain that ambition? Or how long it would be before Templeton became a prison to her again and she packed up her office and left? He could not be drawn into an out-and-out manhunt without being sure of Tanya’s motives.
Even so, it was bloody hard to ignore the trace of something deeply painful that lingered in her gaze. Every now and then, she opened her mouth as if to tell him what that something was before she snapped her lips firmly closed...the subject changed or ignored. Well, he wouldn’t let her keep her silence much longer. If she wanted his help with Davidson, he needed to know what else bothered her.
It wasn’t just that he and Tanya could be walking blindly into something that could not only affect his state of mind and his career...his damn heart was on the line, too. Although she’d returned his kiss and touch with equal fervor, common sense told him their reactions to one another were steeped in a more mature need than commonplace lust.
He sensed her secrecy; saw the panic that flitted through her gaze and the slight tremor that sometimes showed in her hands. All these things were so far beyond the Tanya he once knew.
Frustrated and tired, Liam pulled up outside his house and killed the engine. Snatching the keys from the ignition, he got out of the car, the humidity hitting him after the coolness of the car’s air-conditioning. As soon as he put his keys in the lock of his front door, his dogs erupted into a barrage of barking and greeting him with thumping tails and lolling tongues.
Stepping inside, he bent down and roughly petted each of their heads before heading into the kitchen. Tossing his keys, phone and wallet onto the counter, he headed straight for the fridge and extracted a beer. He snapped off the top and drank deep, allowing the hit of alcohol to ease a little of his foul mood.
He looked at his dogs. “One beer and then I’ll take you out, okay?”
Each dog looked at him and then each other in disgust.
Biting back a smile, he walked outside onto the deck. The field behind his house stretched toward the horizon. The yellowing stalks of the harvested rapeseed glowed beneath the haze of the setting sun, the birds showing like black dots against the sky as they ducked and dived.
Liam breathed deep. He needed to gather his senses and think practically about what steps they could take in the investigation. He and Tanya were different people now, and he was pretty confident she wouldn’t want to fall into their previous routine of relying on each other any more than he did. Her business opened this weekend; she had to prove her change in attitude, as well as try to rebuild friendships.
She needed space to do that.
He took another pull on his beer just as his phone sounded from the kitchen. Heading inside, Liam sent up a silent prayer it wasn’t a client emergency. He wanted some time to think, to hopefully return to some semblance of a calm emotional state. Anything to avoid becoming embroiled in a push-pull between wanting to protect Tanya and drowning under the tumult of sexual frustration that simmered just beneath the surface of his control.
He put his beer on the kitchen counter, picked up his phone and looked at the display.
Tanya.
He inhaled a long breath and hit the speak button. “Hi. How’s it going?”
“Great. Absolutely great.”
Her happy excitement slithered down the line, fueling his desire. Nothing was sexier to Liam than when Tanya’s eyes shone and her full mouth was stretched into a beautiful smile. He coughed. “Did Scott deliver by any chance?”
“Yes, he did. At least, I think he did.”
“You think he did?”
“No, no. It’s him. I’m looking at Davidson. I know I am.”
“You have a picture?”
“Yes, of Sasha standing with an older man. I’m sure it’s Davidson.”
He frowned. “We have to be certain. We can’t go after the wrong guy. If we get this wrong and accuse someone of—”
“Why don’t you come over? Have you eaten? I make a mean jacket potato.”
The excited, jumpy, impulsive switch of subject pushed unease into Liam’s blood as his doubt about Tanya’s mind-set screamed in his gut. No matter how much he was willing to help Tanya, he wasn’t willing to trust her. Not yet. Too much pain and history surrounded their split; too much heat and desire swirled in his body.
“Liam?”
“I’m here.”
“It isn’t just Davidson I want to talk to you about...there are other things y
ou deserve to know. Things that have happened in the time I’ve been away. Things I’ve done.”
He closed his eyes, trepidation speeding the beat of his heart. To know what had happened to her was what he wanted, so why did the prospect of her confessions suddenly fill him with dread? “Things you’ve done?”
“Yes. You’ve already been there for me probably more than I deserve and, for that, I owe you more than a baked potato.” She huffed out a laugh, the sound laced with nervousness. “Come over and we’ll talk.”
Whether he imagined it or invented it for his own protection, her words hinted at manipulation, and his weakening resolve poured back into him, full force. “Fine, but not tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Liam—”
“I’ll stop by your office in the morning.”
“Lucy will be there. I need to speak to you alone. Would you prefer I tell you over the phone? I will, if that’s what you want. I just want you to know how much I regret everything I did or didn’t do when we were together.” She sighed. “It’s not just about me leaving, but how I blindly carried on being selfish, opinionated and judgmental until I had nothing left.”
His heart twisted. Liam grasped the phone tighter until his knuckles ached. “What’s so important it can’t wait until tomorrow?”
Irritation rose inside him. What if whatever he thought he’d seen in her eyes and demeanor, what he thought he tasted in her kiss and felt in her touch, was nothing more than Tanya doing what she did best...seduction for her own gain?
He took off his glasses and tossed them onto the counter. “Losing your job is not the end of the world, Tanya. People start over. Maybe you should put this stuff with Davidson on hold until you get your business up and running. That’s the most important thing to you, isn’t it? Or maybe this insistence you are going after Davidson for Sasha isn’t about Sasha at all.”
Guilt threatened, but he shoved it away. He had to know. He frowned. “Is this manhunt for Davidson just a smoke screen to what’s really going on with you?”
“How can you say that?”
“Because I know you, and it doesn’t matter that I still find you...that I still like you. I need to know who you are now, Tanya. I need to know before we go any further with this thing.”
“What thing? Are we still talking about Davidson or something else?”
Liam gritted his teeth and leaned his forehead against the kitchen wall.
She sighed. “I know you think I still only care about work, but why I’m back, why I’m looking for Davidson, has nothing to do with the success of my new business.”
He straightened, frustration humming in his gut. “So what is? Have you spoken to Sasha? Making money has always been important to you. You can’t tell me your new business is any different. Other people work to make the world a better place, to make a difference.” He pushed his hand into his hair and paced the kitchen. “I can’t be dragged back into your life where you do things for profit and profit only. I like my life now. I like who I am and I like Templeton. I thought...” He shook his head. “I thought you might be back to start over with yourself, too.”
“I am.”
“So what happened? You coming back must be about more than losing your job.”
Liam’s heart thundered and whispers of further guilt for haranguing her seeped into his conscience. He might be badgering her, but he was being hard on her for a reason. Day after day, he dealt with people in trouble or in pain. He recognized heartfelt trauma and fear, had seen flashes of true panic in Tanya’s eyes. He wouldn’t go easy on her until he knew why.
“I...I didn’t just lose my job. I lost a handle on everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“I had a breakdown, Liam. I couldn’t think, speak, act. I lost everything and Sasha got me back to where I am today. She was there when I hit rock bottom and I owe her big-time for everything she’s done for me.”
Conflicting emotions warred inside him. Sympathy and love for her battled with the need for order in his life. God, had it been less than a week ago, he’d decided to throw himself headlong into the dating scene and move past Tanya. That felt damn near impossible now. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“We have to talk about it at least.”
He clenched his jaw. “I don’t have to do anything. Not anymore.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone onto the counter, before curling his fingers around its edge. She still hadn’t said whether or not she’d spoken to Sasha, despite the unmistakable love for her in Tanya’s voice. Heat pinched his face as protection of his heart stormed inside. It was still possible that a single thing hadn’t changed about her—Tanya Todd was still the same selfish woman she’d always been.
Well, he’d moved on, and whether or not she stayed in Templeton for the duration, he’d keep moving on without her...once they found Matt Davidson.
CHAPTER TEN
TANYA WOKE WITH aching joints from tossing and turning throughout the night. The absence of contact from Liam had kept her awake and fully aware that once more she’d alienated him and undoubtedly ruined any chance of him ever trusting her. She could hardly blame him...but her annoyance that he hadn’t given her a chance to share what she’d discussed with Sasha still rankled.
She would tell him today, whether he wanted to talk to her or not.
His abruptness stung deep in her heart, but she could not afford to let it deter her from what she needed—and wanted—to do with her life from here on in. She had plans...lots and lots of plans. It didn’t matter that he’d so quickly and easily slipped back into her heart, she had to focus on what was important.
Finding Davidson and re-creating her own happiness.
If Liam couldn’t forgive or trust her, she would have to accept that and push forward regardless.
Getting out of bed, Tanya stripped off her shorts and tank top before padding into the bathroom. She stepped into the shower and streams of cool water bathed her body and hair as Liam’s reaction to her breakdown barged into her thoughts once more. His clear disappointment in her hadn’t been a complete shock, but she couldn’t deny the pain that slashed through her every time she replayed the tone of his voice in her head.
She scrubbed her hair with a little more force than necessary as her frustration gathered strength.
His long-held resentment of her was obvious, so why agree to help her find Matt Davidson? Worse, why kiss her? Not once, but twice.
Her skin tingled. His lips hadn’t been filled with dominance or aggression, but a soft tenderness that coiled deep into her heart and stayed there. She’d clearly been delusional in her deeply buried hope that maybe he might consider them trying again further down the line.
She could not afford to make another mistake with Liam or anyone else in town. If she didn’t get things right this time, she risked alienating the people of the Cove forever. After she’d told him about her conversation with Sasha, if that meant she and Liam must avoid each other at all costs, so be it. The thought of their estrangement made her ache with longing, emphasizing the fact her leaving could have been one of her worst mistakes, right along with failing to protect Sasha.
Tanya stepped from the shower and walked into the bedroom. She opened Sasha’s wardrobe and, just as it had every time since she arrived in Templeton, the distinct lack of business suits hit Tanya again. And not a single designer label in sight. Only a row of simple tops and T-shirts, scarves and belts...all bought from lower-end stores.
She inhaled a satisfied breath. Even though every single item had been paid for with the money she’d borrowed from Sasha, determination to succeed filled Tanya’s soul. She would pay her sister back every penny with interest. Even if, nowadays, her hunger to earn was grounded in the need to create happiness in people’s lives, rather than dealing in money, money a
nd more money.
Selecting an ankle-length maxiskirt and a pair of white flip-flops, she walked to the chest of drawers and pulled out a simple white tank top. She got dressed and sat at the vanity table. She twisted her long hair to the side, made a single plait and tied it with a leather lace.
She smiled at her reflection. Simple but elegant. A look she hoped said friendliness and trust. After she’d spoken with Liam, she intended to go into town during her lunch hour to ask people about Funland. She hoped her outfit illustrated the change inside, since most of the residents would most likely assume she was the same person as before.
Finding out how much Funland had evolved since Sasha left the Cove was important...more, if it had evolved since Kyle Jordon had been incarcerated. If people were receptive enough to her questions, maybe she could even ask a few more about Matt Davidson.
Applying mascara, Tanya pondered her tactics.
She had to be inconspicuous. Which meant avoiding the bakery and Marian Cohen...
But maybe not the Coast Inn or the Seascape.
She had a copy of what she hoped was Davidson’s picture; the next step was making sure it was actually him before she went any further. If she could find some people who remembered the man who befriended Sasha that summer, she might garner some information or an idea of where Davidson was now.
She needed to speak to the people who’d spent equally as much time at the fair as Sasha. Tanya grimaced as regret for her poor judgment reared its ugly head. She remembered those people well because she’d thought them stupid or immature at the time, as sun seekers and time wasters, rather than seeing them for what they were...fun-loving teenagers. A concept she’d struggled to comprehend due to her domineering mother.
A mother her sister had successfully avoided, choosing instead to wisely spend time with their kindly grandfather. Would things have turned out differently for me if I’d followed Sasha’s lead?
Tanya stood and pushed her futile contemplations aside. It would do no good to look back now...
Her Hometown Redemption Page 12
