He lifted his glass and took a fortifying gulp. “Seems to me we both have a lot to learn about who we are these days.”
She smiled wryly. “Maybe we do.”
A few moments passed in silence, Liam lost in self-absorption, as he suspected Tanya was, too. Blinking, he forced his mind to the matters they could maybe fix sooner rather than later. “So, what time shall I pick you up tomorrow before we head to Latchford?”
Her knowing gaze lingered on his before she slipped her hand from his arm and took another sip of champagne. “As early as possible. Our lovemaking hasn’t changed anything. Finding Davidson is still the priority. Agreed?”
Liam nodded and clinked his glass to hers. “Agreed.”
He drank deeply, pushing his lie down his throat. Their lovemaking had changed everything...
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TANYA STARED OUT the side window of Liam’s car as they neared Latchford, the next seaside town west of Templeton. Her mind constantly replayed the ambiguity of her late-night conversation with Sasha. They’d talked of the Party Place opening—Tanya omitting Russ Harwell’s visit. They’d talked of the residents and her burgeoning relationship with Liam—and she left out their impromptu lovemaking.
Worst of all, she hadn’t breathed a word to Sasha about today’s trip to Latchford, afraid she would veto this step forward.
Guilt weighed heavy on Tanya’s shoulders, but she knew that coming to Latchford without DI Garrett’s knowledge was the right thing to do. To deliver her some important development in the case would instantly make it a priority. Tanya was certain of it.
She curled her hands tightly together in her lap and glanced at Liam. He stared ahead, his jaw tight and his beautiful, sexy hands gripping the steering wheel. He turned onto a narrow side street that led to a little-known parking lot near Latchford’s fairground. The others would be heaving with tourists as the time neared midday.
The Sundrome was Latchford’s equivalent to Funland...albeit the former was somewhat more modern. Whereas Funland specialized in the traditional—carousels, bumper cars and the Ferris wheel—the Sundrome was all about high-speed, high-adrenaline and maximum thrill. The clientele would edge toward mid-to-late teens and beyond, all of whom would be more streetwise than the kids that came to Funland. Most worrying of all, the older these visitors, the more they could be used to taking risks to turn a profit...in whatever the line of business.
The car rumbled to a halt and Liam cut the engine.
Adrenaline simmered beneath the surface of Tanya’s skin. “You okay?”
“Sure. You?”
“Sure.”
Their eyes locked and the nervous tension rose.
Liam blew out a breath. “Okay, then let’s do this.”
He yanked on the door handle and got out of the car. Tanya took a fortifying breath and followed him onto the asphalt. She slipped on her sunglasses as the late-morning sun beat down, hitching her frazzled nerves higher. She pulled back her shoulders. Come what may, she had to make up for neglecting Sasha.
Liam might have made her realize her motives had been selfish at the beginning, but they weren’t anymore. Her conversations with Sasha had made Tanya want to ensure Davidson’s arrest entirely for her sister. Nothing else. As for me? Tanya took a deep breath. I will get better whatever the outcome because finally...finally...I’ve begun to forgive myself for what I cannot change.
She rounded the hood, and when Liam held out his hand, Tanya took it. Her worried expression reflected in the mirror of his sunglasses and she forced a small smile. “Thanks for being here.”
He squeezed her fingers and winked. “I said I would be, didn’t I?”
They left the parking lot and walked along the street toward the Sundrome.
Once outside the fair’s open gates, Tanya tugged lightly on Liam’s hand, bringing him to a stop. Nerves leaped in her stomach and indecision battled. “If Davidson’s in there, what then?”
He slid off his sunglasses. “We call Cat. We’d be stupid to risk any loopholes by not letting her in on this once we know Davidson is here.”
She nodded. Liam knew the law and if there was the smallest chance Davidson could get away again... “You’re right. If he’s here, we’ll call her straightaway.”
“Because this is all about what’s best for Sasha, right?”
The question jolted her, and she turned. “Of course.”
“Tanya. I know we keep coming back to this, but I need to know you want Davidson arrested for her...and not just you.”
The insult added to Tanya’s long-held injury of Liam’s distrust in her. She swallowed and slipped her hand from his. “I feel guilty about not seeing what was going on with Sasha, but, ultimately, I am doing this so she can finally move on.”
He slid off her sunglasses, exposing her to his intense appraisal. “Look, I trust you, okay? I’ve represented people in court who get involved in dangerous situations for the wrong reasons. No matter how much they might think they’re doing things for the right reasons, more often than not, they’re trying to heal themselves rather the loved ones they think they’re helping. Your initial reluctance to involve the police and Sasha worried me. I hate to think you’re making progress inside, but by delaying calling Cat, it says you still want to do things your way...and only your way.”
A horrible sense of pride, mixed with irritation, pressed hard on her heart. “I can’t keep having this conversation with you. I want you to trust me, to like me, but if that’s too hard for you—”
“I like you plenty...” His gaze hardened. “As for the trust, that will come in time for both of us.”
“Then why come here with me? Why say you won’t leave me alone to find Davidson, when all along...”
“All along what? I need to know you understand what I’m asking you.”
“Oh, I understand.” She glared. “You want to know if the old selfish me is lingering somewhere inside.” Anger simmered, but deep down Tanya knew his doubt was justified because of the number of times she’d let him down, or passed him over for something else she needed or wanted to do. “I’m trying my best to make things right. If you can’t support me, then go back to the Cove. If I have to, I’ll find Davidson alone. I’ve told you that from the beginning.”
He held her gaze before he turned toward the fair. “I’d no more let you go in there alone than I would anyone else I care about.” He firmly took her hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go”
She followed him through the Sundrome’s gates, all too aware he hadn’t said when or how he would ever trust her in the future. Hurt slashed through her chest. He might have kissed her, touched her, damn well made love to her, but Liam didn’t trust her any more now than he did when she’d first arrived in Templeton. The realization split a chasm through her heart.
Despite the hurt he’d wittingly or unwittingly bestowed on her, nothing had changed. She’d come back to fix herself and find Sasha’s molester. Somewhere over the last few days, she’d begun to hope she and Liam could reconnect—maybe even be in love with each other again—but if he was determined to hold on to his distrust, Tanya had no inclination to wait around while he stewed about the past.
The future was what mattered. The future had to be what she focused on, or her anxiety, her guilt and the prospect of her upcoming court case would destroy her.
* * *
BY THE TIME he let himself and his dogs into his cottage after their walk, Liam’s mood was blacker than the night sky. Each shining star, even the scythe of the bright white moon, did little more than irritate the hell out of him. The entire day had been a waste of time. The need to be as inconspicuous and as friendly as possible in their investigations had resulted in a complete nonstarter. Every person he or Tanya attempted to question at the Sundrome had been tight-lipped, seemingly unaware of any ill
egal goings-on. Latchford and its fair appeared to be as equally welcoming on the surface as Templeton and Funland.
He and Tanya had left with one certainty—they needed to scratch way beneath the surface before the truth of the town and its people would be uncovered.
With his dogs fed, petted and walked, Liam grabbed a beer from the fridge, snapped off the top and headed outside to his deck. His dogs faithfully followed him outside, and when he dropped onto one of the deck chairs, they settled down at his feet. He glared into the darkness.
Davidson and his possible contacts should have been his paramount concern, yet nothing but his departure from Tanya that afternoon poked and prodded at his gut. He tipped his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes, her parting words reverberating in his mind.
I think it would be best if we take a little time and space from each other. I came back to the Cove to find some happiness. You not trusting me is making that too hard. I want to be alone.
She’d left him standing outside Sasha’s apartment building, his answering plea to start over trapped inside his mouth. Was he included in the things Tanya needed to work out? There was no question in his mind he wanted her...but would a reunion be the best thing for either of them? The weight dragging on his heart told him it wouldn’t.
He opened his eyes and glanced toward the house where his cell lay on the kitchen island. All he wanted to do was go inside and call her. The couple of hours he’d spent at the Seascape earlier, brooding over a plate of salmon linguini and a fine glass of Chianti, hadn’t brought forth a single nugget of wisdom that would lead tomorrow in the right direction...neither with the investigation nor Tanya.
She was right. Some distance between the two of them was for the best.
Despite the lack of leads toward finding Davidson, she seemed certain in her decision for time and space. He hoped, after a little alone time, Tanya still did the right thing and called Cat.
He took a long slug on his bottle. No matter how guilty he felt for bringing up his suspicions again that she pursued Davidson for the wrong reasons, he didn’t regret telling Tanya how he felt. The pills, the anxiety, even her breakdown, reminded him of too many cases that had ended with fractured families and broken hearts in the courtroom. In order to make the right decisions, a person needed a clear mind and an uncluttered heart.
From what he’d seen and learned of Tanya’s life, right now she held neither.
“And what about me?” His dogs lifted their heads when his words broke the night’s silence. Liam stared at each of his buddies in turn and frowned. “Don’t I want to be with her so I can show her what she missed out on the first time around? Aren’t my thoughts about her as misplaced and selfish as hers might be about Davidson?”
The dogs answered with a tilt of their heads and a sigh before their chins hit the deck once more.
Liam drained his beer. “A fat lot of help you guys are.”
He stood and went back into the house. The usual scrambling of dog paws followed him. He walked to the central island and stared at his cell for a long moment before snatching it into his hand. He hovered his thumb over the screen. The space and time Tanya wanted might be the right thing for them...but it was wrong that Cat was unaware of the serious criminality that could potentially be happening in their town.
He dialed Tanya’s number.
“Liam, it’s late—”
“I know, but just hear me out.” He closed his eyes, and her beautiful face, frowning in frustration, appeared behind his closed lids. He pushed on regardless. “I agree that we need some space, about us both needing time.”
She cleared her throat. “Good.”
“But—”
“No buts, it’s what I need right now.”
“Fine, but you going after Davidson alone can’t happen, Tanya. I won’t allow it.”
“You won’t allow it?”
Despite the disbelief in her voice, Liam nodded. “That’s right.”
“Well, Mr. Macho Man, regardless of the depth of arrogant testosterone filtering down this line and damn near drowning me, I’m seeing DI Garrett tomorrow. That’s what this is about, right?”
He clenched his jaw. “Good, because if you’re really doing this for Sasha’s sake, involving the police will prove you have her best interests at heart.”
“Do you know something? I don’t have to prove anything to you or anyone else. Sasha is my sister, not yours, and I’ll do what I think is best for her in my own way. A way that has nothing to do with you.”
“What’s going on here has everything to do with me, and you know it.” He gripped the phone. “Sasha is one of my best friends and I will not stand by when there’s every chance she’ll have to take the stand if this gets to court. Cat will know how to deal with this in a way that will cause minimum pain and distress to Sasha, and any other victims involved. Trust me.”
“Trust you? You mean like you trust me?”
He grimaced. “All I’m saying—”
“You can’t know anything for sure. Neither can I.” The anger in her tone lessened and her fear showed in the slight tremor in her voice. “Neither of us knows what DI Garrett will do. Who’s to say she won’t immediately pick up the phone, call Sasha and demand a full statement? If she does...” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Sasha will be ready for that. Why? Because my sister is a damn sight braver than me, that’s why.”
Liam closed his eyes, empathy edging into his heart. “Cat’s a great cop and a caring soul. She won’t put Sasha through any unnecessary distress. I promise.”
Seconds passed and Liam pursed his lips to stop from speaking. Tanya’s harried breaths resounded in his ear, and he could’ve sworn the heat of her frustration warmed the phone in his hand.
She sighed. “I’ll call her tomorrow. I promise.”
The line buzzed dead.
He hit the end button and tossed the phone onto the island. “Shit.”
He had what he wanted, a promise Tanya would call Cat, but he suspected his pushing Tanya had drawn a big fat line through any chance of them having a future together. Even friendship felt like a long shot, let alone love. He inhaled. What did it matter? Didn’t he know in his heart of hearts he pushed everyone away in the end? That his scathing mistrust in humanity caused him to live his life alone and always would?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON, Tanya left Lucy to oversee the Party Place alone, which was no big deal considering the office was so quiet. Any hope Tanya had that at least some of the nosy residents from Saturday night’s opening would come begging for her services after the weekend had evaporated. Clearly, Russ Harwell’s verbal attack had put people off rather than enticed them.
Pushing into submission her wish to find Russ and tell him to never come within a foot of her again, Tanya had walked into town and now stood outside Templeton’s police station.
Nausea churned in her stomach and her mouth dried as she stared toward the closed double doors. For the past ten minutes, she’d concentrated on her breathing while fighting the urge to turn and flee in the opposite direction. Her need to protect Sasha burned inside her—the trouble was, so did Liam’s warning that if the police weren’t involved in looking for Davidson, something could go very wrong.
Liam had no idea what it had taken for Tanya to come near a police station after her arrest, let alone willingly walk inside.
Inhaling a strengthening breath, Tanya marched forward, forcing herself through the station doors and into the stark gray lobby.
The beaming smile of the desk sergeant did little to allay her trepidation, and instead, his friendly air stretched Tanya’s nerves tighter. She had to do this. She stepped closer to the counter. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, miss. How might I help you?”
Tanya
released her held breath. “I was hoping to speak with DI Garrett if she’s available?”
“She’s certainly in her office, but whether she is available or not is an entirely different matter.” A frown creased his deeply lined brow. “Maybe I can help you?”
She shot a glance to the closed door at the side of the desk that most likely led to the main part of the station. She turned back to the sergeant. “I’d rather speak directly to DI Garrett. It’s about my sister, Sasha Todd. Maybe you know her?”
The rapid reappearance of the sergeant’s smile and the disappearance of his frown would’ve been funny if Tanya had been able to fight through her nerves enough to laugh.
“Sasha? Everyone knows Sasha. You’re her sister, are you?” He stuck out his hand. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you.”
Tanya took his hand in hers and smiled, a modicum of warmth seeping through her skin and lessening the thump of her heart. “I am. My name’s Tanya. I’ve been away from the Cove awhile, which is probably why you don’t know me.”
“Is that right?” He dropped her hand and nodded. “Sasha’s all right, isn’t she? The last I heard, she’d hightailed it off to Bridgewater with Kyle Jordon’s son. I didn’t like the idea of her having anything to do with a Jordon.”
Tanya relaxed—a little—at the kindly concern in the sergeant’s eyes. “She’s fine. In fact, she’s more than fine. She and John are besotted with one another.” She smiled. “Plus, there’s the fact of how well he takes care of her and manages to stand up to her all at the same time. She couldn’t be with anyone more suited.”
He beamed once again. “Well, that’s good to hear. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you take a seat and I’ll go see if the inspector is available. I’m sure knowing you want to speak to her about Sasha will tip the scales in your favor. We all miss her friendly face around town.” He nodded toward the seats behind her. “Take a load off. I’ll be just a moment.”
Her Hometown Redemption Page 20
