Heart of Clay (The Tanner Series Book 6)

by Jo Willow

  “I assume she owns it, I don’t know.”

  “What’s the name of the place Beth?”

  “The Loft. It’s in Savannah.”

  “So one of her artists decides to jump ship and open a competing gallery just down the road. She makes a play for him, somewhat succeeds, then he kicks her to the curb. Coincidentally, that night his barn, the place where he works, burns down? That’s what you’re telling me?”

  Beth leaned back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “What are you thinking David?”

  “I’m thinking it’s a little too much of a coincidence if you ask me. If she was here, she knew about the barn and she knows where he lives. She may not of lit the match herself, but I bet she knows who did. I also think it’s a huge coincidence that after he dumped her, she called him with magical contacts in Europe the next day. Where were these people a week ago?”

  “I don’t know. Surely she wouldn’t burn down his barn. Not if she cared about him.”

  “Sweetheart, you wouldn’t do that because you DO care about him. She’s playin’ him like a fiddle. When she’s got him where she wants him, she’ll drop him just like he dropped her. Bet on it.”

  “But that’s just cruel. Who would be that cruel to someone like Mitch? He’s a good man. He’s confused right now, but he’s still a good man.”

  David looked at the woman in his arms and could not believe that any Tanner man in his right mind would let her get away.

  “Beth, I’m gonna make some calls and get to the bottom of this. When is Mitch due back?”

  “Not until next week sometime. Hopefully the barn will be done by then and I won’t have to be around much. If he comes back and they’re together, I don’t think I could take it. I think I’ll have to move somewhere else.”

  “Now don’t do anything stupid. I happen to know that someone bought the land on the other side of Twelve Oaks and they planning on building a house there. It won’t be fancy, but it’ll be better than the one you’re living in and it’ll be bigger too.”

  “David I can’t afford no new house, I can barely afford the one I’m in.”

  “You let me worry about that. I’m building the house and we can go rent to own. You won’t pay a dime more and you’ll probably end up paying less. You and I will work that out. Just don’t go moving away until we talk. Okay?”

  “Okay. Why are you being so nice to me?”

  “I already told you. I like you. I also happen to think you’re still in the running to be the next Tanner and we stick together. Don’t give up on him yet Beth. Not until I figure out what’s going on.”

  “I’ll try, but it’s hard. I don’t want him tore up over this. If he loves her, he should have her.”

  “If he loves her, he’s a fool. Go on in the house and make some coffee while I deal with these guys. I’ll be in directly.”

  Beth made another swipe at her eyes and walked toward Mitch’s back door. David took out his cell phone. His first call was to Ian because Ian had Phil, the computer wizard. After a lengthy conversation consisting mostly of the transfer of details, they hung up and Ian went to work. His next call was to The Loft. He was quickly informed that Marla Simms was in Europe as an escort to an artist and would be gone for two weeks.

  David thanked the man and hung up. He tapped the phone against his free hand and the wheels began to turn. She was an escort alright, but he didn’t think Mitch was ready to pay her price.

  Chapter Seven

  London was a complete success. Mitch sold the jade green vase for a whopping twelve thousand dollars and he started to believe that his barn would be built without debt after all. Marla suggested a celebration, but he begged off claiming a headache and jet lag. She kissed his cheek and told him she understood, then dropped him off at their hotel while she went out with friends.

  Mitch locked himself in his room and sat down on the bed. It was Wednesday and he hadn’t heard Beth’s voice in three days. He hadn’t touched her in four. With his cell phone in his hand, he began to sweat. If he called and she hung up on him, he’d be lost. He had to believe that there was still a chance, even if it wasn’t true. If he called her and she asked if Marla had gone with him, he knew she’d cry and he’d seriously contemplate killing himself. He wouldn’t hurt her again. If it meant he’d have to live without her, then he would. Even though he’d regret it the rest of his life, he’d rather do that than see the look she had on her face when she’d left him on Sunday.

  It all came down to Marla. He was so tied up in knots with her, he didn’t know if he’d ever be free. Every time she touched him or he smelled her perfume, he remembered the two of them in the kitchen and he grew weak. Beth was right, he wanted her. Not like he wanted Beth, but he wanted her just the same. He wanted to control her somehow and that was the only way that seemed to work. When he was rough with her she enjoyed it and it spurred him on. She had control over him in every area but that one. That one thing, he owned. He hadn’t touched her yet, but he felt it building. If he could just hold on another week, he could break all business ties with her and he’d be free.

  They flew to Dublin on Friday and he fell in love with Ireland. The people, the place, the lifestyle, it all suited him to a tee. He met the buyer in a pub and he displayed the medicine jar on a table. Several people gathered and made a fuss and Marla preened. Mitch had never been prouder.

  When they walked out of the pub eight thousand dollars richer, he felt lighter than air. Marla threw her arms around him and he lifted her, pulling her close and spinning her around. They were both laughing. When she kissed him, he kissed her back and moaned. She started moving against him and he pulled back, breathless.

  “Not here. We’re in front of a pub on a major street.”

  She took his hand and dragged him into a darkened alley. When she reached for the button on his trousers, he stilled her hands.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Right here, right now Mitch. Hot, hard and fast. We’ll be done in no time and what better way to celebrate?”

  “No. Absolutely not. Not here, not outside, not where we could get caught. No way.”

  “Then let’s go back to the hotel. Now. Please.”

  That one little word drove him over the cliff. He grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, rubbing himself against her.

  “Did you just say please Marla? You need it so badly you’re begging for it?”

  She stroked him through his trousers and he swallowed.

  “Is that what you need? You need me to beg?”

  He pushed her skirt up and pushed his hips against her. She was reaching for his zipper and he was clawing at her panties, when his phone buzzed in his shirt pocket. He snapped out of the haze he was in and jumped back, looking at his surroundings.

  Marla was smiling in a knowing way, making him feel cheap and sleazy. He raked a hand through his hair and regained his composure before he reached for his phone.

  “Mitch, it’s Beth. I wasn’t going to call, but I’ve got some good news. Incredible news actually.”

  Mitch walked quickly back to the sidewalk leaving Marla standing in the alley.

  “Beth? It’s really you? God Beth I’ve missed you so much, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. How are you? Is it going well?”

  “I’ve sold two pieces with one more to go. I should be home by the middle of next week. What’s your news?”

  “Oh. The blood red urn sold for fifty-thousand. Tim auctioned it off.”

  Mitch leaned over in an attempt to catch his breath. He’d never seen that much money in his life. When he remembered that, he grew suspicious.

  “Beth, who bought the urn?”

  “Ian James. He said he had to have it. The bidding got up to twenty thousand and he decided to cut everyone else off at the knees. He wants first refusal of anything else that looks like it. I told him about the black and gold, then I remembered...”

  Beth started to cry when she
remembered the piece that had been lost and Mitch grew distressed at the sound.

  “Baby, I’ll make you another one. Just for you. I promise. Please don’t cry Beth, it kills me when you cry.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day and we’ve started on the barn. David is working so hard for you Mitch. Daddy’s coming Monday to start on the electrical stuff and I’m supposed to ask you if you want any kind of special lighting. Also, we’re going to put two deep sinks in so that you don’t have to carry water anymore.”

  “That sounds great honey, just great. No special lighting, just more of it if it wouldn’t be a problem. That way I can work at night. I miss you Beth. It’s good to hear your voice. I was afraid to call you after Sunday.”

  “I told you then, I’ll always be your friend. You can count on me.”

  “I know, but so much happened and I don’t want to hurt you Beth.”

  “You won’t hurt me as long as we stay close. Just promise me that we’ll have that and we’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll always be your friend. I love you, you know that.”

  Marla heard the exchange and decided to make her presence known. She sidled up to Mitch and put her hand on his arm. She spoke close to the phone so that she could be heard by both of them.

  “Hurry up baby. We’ve got a hotel room waiting and my motor’s still running.”

  Mitch jerked as if she’d slapped him and he heard Beth’s sharp intake of breath on the other end.

  “Beth...”

  “No, don’t. Just don’t. I had a feeling she was there, I shouldn’t be surprised. Enjoy yourself and we’ll take care of things here. Goodbye Mitch.”

  She disconnected before he could say another word and he turned to the cause.

  “Why did you do that? You knew I was on the phone. Why Marla? Answer me!”

  She was shocked by the venom in his voice.

  “Sooner or later you’ll have to make a choice Mitch. She might be willing to share but I’m not. Now you need to ask yourself a question. In the long run, in the grand scheme of things, who can give you more? Who can take you farther? When you’re a famous artist - and you will be - who can open more doors and look better on your arm? It’s time to get serious and make the hard choices. Cut her loose now and spare her feelings.”

  “You don’t know a damned thing about her feelings. Or mine either for that matter. You’ve never had feelings for anyone but yourself in your whole life. You only want me because I’m a Tanner. You think I don’t know that? For some reason you think I have money, but I don’t! Not all Tanners have money Marla and for your information, I don’t have access to it either. I throw pots in a barn. That’s it. Every now and then I get a good one and people like it. I’m not the one with whacked out priorities and expectations, you are. Get a fucking grip.”

  He stormed off, leaving her standing on a sidewalk in Dublin, once again looking like a fool. She wondered who in the hell he thought he was dealing with. Then she wondered if phase two of her plan had taken effect. She started walking toward the hotel like a woman on a mission.

  Beth was pacing and fuming. She was still in Mitch’s kitchen, David was in the shower. He was staying in the house until the barn was finished to avoid the grueling drive back and forth to Atlanta. When he walked out in a pair of Mitch’s sweats, towel drying his hair, he stopped at the sight of her.

  “I don’t know what I missed, but something sure happened. Care to explain?”

  Beth stopped and braced her hands on the back of a chair. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

  “I called Mitch to tell him about the urn. It seemed as good an excuse as anything else.”

  David smiled and then realized she wasn’t finished.

  “And?”

  “He was with Marla! I heard her tell him to hurry up because their room was waiting and her motor was still running. David, her motor wouldn’t be running if he hadn’t revved her up. How damned stupid am I? How naive can one woman be? You’d of thought I’d of learned my lesson with Brian! He was a drunken womanizer that left me because I was pregnant with Patty! He didn’t want Scott, much less Patty, but I was too stupid to understand that until after he was gone.”

  She was shaking with anger and she hung her head in shame. She’d just confessed her biggest secret to what was basically a complete stranger and she felt like an idiot.

  “David, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that and you sure didn’t need to hear it. I’m gonna go now. This is not a good place for me to be.”

  David was crossing the room to get to her when the kitchen phone rang. They looked at one another, then looked at the phone. Beth crossed her arms across her chest.

  “Well I’m not gonna answer it. What if it’s him? I can’t talk to him. Not now.”

  David reached for the phone and held up his hand when she started to leave. She paused, her problem being with Mitch, not David.

  “Mr. Tanner?”

  “Yes, this is Mr. Tanner. Who am I speaking to please?”

  “Mr. Tanner this is Chloe Armand and I represent the owner of your gallery. As you’re aware Mr. Tanner, it was expressly written into your lease that the building is to be used exclusively as a gallery.”

  “It is going to be used as a gallery. Ms. Armand, what is this about exactly?”

  “This is about the announcement painted on the window of your so-called gallery Mr. Tanner.”

  “Announcement? What announcement?”

  “The announcement that reads, Tanner’s Cafe, Opening Soon. I’m calling to inform you that this violates the terms of your lease and it is now null and void. We’re sorry Mr. Tanner, but you knew the terms when you signed the agreement. We’ll take care of the sign ourselves, and change the locks besides. We wish you well on your endeavor, have a good day sir.”

  The phone went dead in David’s ear and he turned blinking eyes to Beth. She closed the short distance and put her hand on his arm.

  “David, what is it? You’re scaring me.”

  “Mitch lost his lease on the gallery.”

  “Lost the lease? How did we lose the lease?”

  “Someone painted a sign on the window that said a cafe was opening soon. It violated the lease. That was the owner’s mouthpiece calling to tell us to take a hike, and have a nice day.”

  Beth collapsed into a kitchen chair, her mouth hanging open.

  “Can anything else go wrong? For the love of god David, what do we do now? What’s Mitch gonna say?”

  David held the phone out towards her and tilted his head.

  “Call him and find out.”

  “And interrupt them again? No way. There’s only so much pain I can take in one lifetime, much less in one night. You took the call, you call him.”

  David sat down at the kitchen table and took her hand.

  “She’s behind it Beth. I know it and you know it. She’s circling the wagons and going in for the kill. She’s in Europe with him so that it can’t be traced to her, but if he loses his gallery how is he going to show his work? She’s making sure he needs her. You can’t let her win.”

  “Damn it she’s already won! You don’t get this do you? We were sleeping together. We were already sleeping together when he slept with her. We were about to sleep together again when she called on Sunday. He can’t stay away from her David. He can’t. She’s won and I don’t have what it takes to win him back. I don’t have what it takes to keep him.”

  David looked at her and couldn’t believe that she meant what she was saying. She and Mitch were perfect together and she was going to walk away from that. He could only think of one thing that would jar Mitch enough to bring him around to his senses. He just wasn’t sure if he could talk her into playing along.

  “Beth, we’ll find him another gallery and we’ll do it before he gets back. I need your help with something bigger. We’ve gotta get him away from her so she’ll show her hand. As long as she’s winning, she’ll never stop. We’ve gotta make her d
esperate and that’s where you come in.”

  “I’m not the sneaky type, I’ve never been good at it.”

  “This is easy. You don’t have to do anything but take the kids and stay somewhere else for awhile.”

  “Somewhere else? Where would I go? I can’t afford to go anywhere else and what about my clients? I have to work.”

  “I’ve got a houseful of clients that’ll keep you busy sunup to sunset. The kids will be safe and happy and have loads of company.”

  “Where do you want me David?”

  “I want you to go and get your little ones and head on up to Tara. Stay put until I call and tell you to come home. You let me deal with Mitch.”

  He was serious. She was looking him the eye and he was serious. He wanted her and her dirt poor children to live in a mansion with a bunch of rich people for who knew how long. She didn’t think she owned a pair of shoes that would be suitable to wear for walking in the front door, not to mention the fact that she didn’t know any of them except for Kevin and the man in front of her.

  She squeezed his hand and leaned back in her chair.

  “I can’t stay at Tara. That would be like slapping him in the face. Think about it. If she’s only after his name, what’ll it look like if I go running to his family? You can handle the business end of it if you want, you’re welcome to it. Me and my kids will stay at home and this place will be a no-fly zone, you have my word. If you need me, call me.”

  “Beth, I want you to promise me that if it gets to be too much, you’ll get in touch so that I can get you out of here. He may have to lose you completely before it really hits home. If he knows you’re next door, you’re still a crutch.”

  “Not if I don’t allow myself to be. I’ve got my kids and I’ve got my pride. It took me a long time to get that back and I’m not ready to toss it away again. Not for a man that can’t figure out what he wants.”