Choosing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 2)

by Kris Jayne

  Taryn sighed. “I can’t. And you can’t be here all day. Don’t you have client meetings?”

  Jeff cursed. “I do. You’re ruining my mojo with reality.”

  Taryn’s shoulders tightened. If only he knew.

  “I know. I’m a terrible person.” She stepped away from him, retying her robe before disappearing hurriedly back into the bedroom.

  Suddenly, she wanted to speed through the rest of the day, get the final report on Shannon, tell Jeff, and, hopefully, get back to where they were this morning. Hopefully.

  Rick Calabro’s office was in Fort Worth, so he and Taryn agreed to meet half-way at a Chili’s near the airport. She arrived early, thinking she’d beat the investigator to the restaurant. However, when she walked into the restaurant, she saw his dark, curly head bent over his phone as he leaned against a wall by the hostess stand.

  He wasn’t tall, but his breadth was impressive. Rick had a wide stance, like he was ready to spring into action. Taryn didn’t know how to alert him to her presence without startling him. She cleared her throat.

  “Mr. Calabro?” His head popped up from his phone.

  “Good to see you, Ms. Lieber. And you can call me Rick.”

  “Okay. Then, it’s Taryn,” she replied and shook his hand briskly.

  “Y’all ready?” asked the hostess.

  Rick glanced at the young woman and grumbled. “Yeah, sure.”

  Taryn followed the hostess and the beefy private detective to a booth, taking a menu before sliding into her seat. Rick sat, and they stared at each other for just long enough to make Taryn nervous.

  “So. Any updates?”

  “There hadn’t been anything new until a couple of days ago. I was keeping tabs on the boyfriend, and I noticed him taking some of the items in the apartment and loading them into his truck. Followed him to a pawn shop. A TV and some small items. Got info from the pawn broker. A couple of gold chains and a fancy watch. A Tag Heuer. Not sure where a guy like that gets a three-thousand-dollar watch.”

  Taryn did. The guilt she felt all but completely dissipated. After all Jeff had done for Shannon, she stole from him? All she had to do was ask, and Taryn knew Jeff would continue to help her. What the hell? Taryn pursed her lips but didn’t comment on Rick’s news, so he continued.

  “He walked out of the pawn shop with a package. Pawnbroker wouldn’t tell me what Nelson bought—”

  “You mean Wayne, right?”

  “Yeah, the husband. So the guy wouldn’t say what he purchased, but he did say that Nelson had interest in a handgun. The broker let him know there was no getting around the background check, and so he begged off.”

  “Isn’t he a felon?”

  “Yep. An ex-con with more than one domestic. He and Shannon are still getting into it. They got into it again that night. He stormed out and drove off. Didn’t come back until after midnight, looking worse for the wear.”

  “When you say, getting into it, do you think he might hit her?”

  “I haven’t seen any big ruckus. Things aren’t right, though. I don’t see them leave together or spend any time together except at the house. More often than not, even then, one of them storms out. Why do you ask?”

  “Nothing, I guess. So he pawned a bunch of her stuff.” Taryn put her concerns to the back of her mind, refocusing on what else the man had to tell her.

  “He’s obviously looking to make quick cash for some reason. Being in the market for a gun is not good news. I’m not sure what you think you’re going to do with this information, but you’d do best to steer clear of this whole situation. Let your fiancé know and then drop it. Or let his lawyers handle it. A woman like you doesn’t need to get mixed up with the likes of this guy.”

  Taryn didn’t know what kind of woman Rick thought she was. She grew up shooting, hunting, and could handle a rifle, but she supposed he was right that she shouldn’t take on an armed convicted felon.

  “What about Shannon? Has she been involved in any of this? I mean, other than the watch. I’m pretty sure that’s the watch Jeff thought he lost somewhere in the house like he always does. She had to have taken it,” Taryn informed the PI.

  “Huh. As far as I’d seen, she goes to work, goes to see your step-daughter, and goes home. She has no friends. No social life. Like I said, she doesn’t go out with the boyfriend at all or go anywhere, really. Honestly, she seems as straight as someone with her history might be.”

  “Well, she’s a thief—who’s still on probation, if I’m correct.”

  “I know you don’t like her for obvious reasons, but there’s no telling what kind of pressure Nelson is putting on her. He’s a drunk, a drug addict, and nothing but trouble. For what it’s worth, she seems to be on the up and up. Women like her get tangled up with shitty guys, and it wrecks them,” Rick fumed. “Pardon the language.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Do you have the name of the pawn shop and everything else in the report?”

  “Yeah, and that’s pretty much it. I have details of each surveillance and all that.”

  “Okay. Thanks for this.” Taryn took the stapled report and slipped it into her bag. “That’s all I’m going to need from you, I think.”

  “Fine, but listen, I’m not kidding about staying away from this guy. I don’t know. I’ve got a bad feeling. If Shannon knew what was good for her, she should probably get away from him too.”

  “I don’t know that we have any control over what Shannon does. Clearly.”

  “Yeah, well, I hate to see that, you know, if she’s trying to make good.”

  Rick shook his head. Sympathy softened his gruff face. Taryn found herself mostly unmoved as she wrote out a check to the detective and gathered up her things. At this point, it’s not like Shannon didn’t have options. Jeff had given her everything she needed to rebuild her life. If she was keeping the likes of Wayne Nelson around, that said a lot about her prospects for a fresh start.

  “You staying for lunch or am I eating alone?” Rick asked.

  “Eating alone, I’m afraid. I need to get back.”

  Taryn had to get Jeff the report—including the bit about the watch. They could probably tie the theft to Shannon through Wayne. With her still on probation, Taryn figured an arrest—or threat of one—gave them leverage. If they needed it. And Taryn still thought they would.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Taryn waited until Olivia was in bed to drive over to Jeff’s and give him the report. She didn’t want any interruptions, plus she wanted to be able to have a frank conversation without worrying about little ears. She arrived at his house shortly before nine and sat for a moment in her car with her eyes closed and hands gripping the wheel.

  A series of deep breaths helped ease the tension in her shoulders before she headed into the house. Taryn set her intention as she passed through the garage. Honesty. Clarity. Getting a game plan. He might be mad, but when he saw the report, he’d realize that he couldn’t just take Shannon at her word.

  Taryn twisted the cold doorknob and went in, heading through the mudroom and into the kitchen.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself. What’s up? You’ve got me nervous.”

  That’s Jeff, Taryn thought, straight to the point. That’s what she had to do.

  “Let’s go to your bedroom. I have some news for you that’s important, but I’m not sure how you’re going to react at first when I tell you how I got it.”

  “News about what?” Jeff stopped cleaning up the takeout containers he’d brought home for dinner and led her to his room. Taryn closed the door behind them.

  “So you know the PI you hired a few weeks back?”

  “Uh huh.”

  Taryn swallowed hard but pushed ahead. “I had him keep looking into Shannon.”

  “You what?” Jeff’s voice was low and eerily quiet.

  “I paid the PI to continue to dig into Shannon’s story, and before you get angry, you should know that he found out some things that you should k
now.”

  “I thought we were on the same page, Taryn. You said you were giving her the benefit of the doubt. You said you were going to lay off.”

  “I did and I was treating her with the benefit of the doubt. I’ve done everything I can to keep things pleasant with her over here and spending time with Olivia. I never said that my doubts had gone away. I couldn’t ignore that feeling I had in here.” Taryn pressed her hands into her stomach.

  “You lied, Taryn. I don’t care how you rationalize it. You made me think that you had dropped the whole thing and then you were digging up dirt behind my back.”

  “What would you have said if I suggested that you keep paying the investigator? You would have freaked out and not looked into it. And Shannon’s story needed looking into. You need to let me tell you what the investigator found out.”

  Jeff slammed his fist onto the dresser next to him.

  “Dammit, Taryn. We talked about this. I decided how we would handle Shannon, and I need to do what’s in Olivia’s best interest. Harassing her mother only makes things worse.”

  “He didn’t harass her. He checked out her story. What she’s been doing with her time. Who she’s been living with. Because she is living with someone—her husband. That shady guy that she told you she broke up with? They’re still married, and he’s living in the apartment that you helped her pay for.”

  Taryn stopped, waiting for her words to impact Jeff. Waiting for a follow-up question or for him to ask to see the report. Jeff stared at her.

  “You think that makes this okay?” he asked with surprise.

  “I think it shows that she needed looking into.”

  “And I’m so soft-headed that you can’t trust me with the truth?”

  “You were dead set on trusting her. Every time I even suggested that you shouldn’t or that you should take a more aggressive approach, you freaked out on me. I figured I’d look into it myself, and if there was nothing, no harm, no foul. But if there were something, I would tell you. So I’m telling you.”

  “You thought you’d just lie to me? And pretty convincingly too. You actually had me thinking that you were trying to get along.”

  “I was trying to get along. That doesn’t mean that I have to be a fool,” Taryn shot back. The words poured out of her mouth, leaving a trail of regret.

  “A fool like me? You think I’m a fool.”

  “No,” Taryn sighed. “I don’t think you’re a fool. I think you always see the best in people. There’s a time for seeing the good, and there’s time to watch out for the bad. That’s what I was doing. I was watching out for you and Olivia.”

  “You don’t look out for me by lying to me. Is that how it’s going to be when we get married? You know best, so you run off doing things behind my back, and then you pacify me with that sweet smile of yours. Do you have any idea how deceitful that is?”

  “You were being stubborn. And I had to find out the truth. Do you even care what that is? I know you’re mad at me, but you should know what’s been happening.”

  “You mean other than your lying to me for weeks.”

  Taryn suppressed a scream of frustration. She didn’t want to wake Olivia.

  “What matters is that Shannon lied to you. She wants unsupervised visits with Olivia, but she’s living with a violent drug addict. Who steals. The watch you thought you lost in the house? Guess what Wayne Nelson pawned a couple of days ago? A Tag Heuer watch. There’s a picture of it in the investigator’s report. It’s yours. Unless that skeevy convict has been in this house, how the hell do you think he got it? I might not have told you what I was doing, but Shannon has wormed her way into your life, getting you to feel sorry for her and give her money. But that’s not enough for her. No, she has to steal shit from you. She’s in cahoots with that loser to get whatever she can out of you. You can be mad at me if you want, but you should still look at the report. You need to see what’s been going on.”

  Taryn’s head swam as she ran out of breath. She said a silent prayer and dug the manila envelope containing the evidence out of her purse. She threw it down on the bed. He was mad now, but he’d calm down. When he stopped to think about it, he’d realize that her lie of omission was a risk worth taking. He’d admit to himself that maybe he’d been a little Pollyanna about Shannon’s return. He’d see. Taryn squeezed her eyes shut as tears pooled in them. He’d have to see.

  “You’re saying she stole my watch.”

  “I’m not just saying it. That’s. What. Happened,” Taryn bit out.

  Jeff stood silent. He slid is hand over the document, but didn’t open it.

  “Look, you need to read that report. This guy is dangerous. He’s a drunk, and he’s doing drugs. How long do you think Shannon’s going to stay clean and sober around a guy like that? Why is she even allowing him into her life? She’s had every chance to start over here, and she hasn’t.”

  “I’ll read it.”

  “Good. I mean if she stole from you, that’s a probation violation. We could have her arrested.”

  “I’m not having her arrested. Or doing anything until I speak to her.”

  “But—” Taryn started to argue.

  “No,” Jeff yelled. “I’m not having the mother of my child arrested and thrown in jail until I know what happened. If this guy is as bad as you say he is, there’s no telling what pressure he’s putting on her.”

  “Still giving her the benefit of the doubt, I see. You’re just going to forgive her.”

  “I don’t know, Taryn. But if I were you, I wouldn’t be complaining about my penchant for forgiveness.”

  “You can’t see the blind spot you have for her. You just don’t see it. I don’t understand it. Or maybe I do, and I don’t want to face it.”

  Taryn put her hands on the dresser, leaned over, and cried. She ached for him to rush toward her and put his arms around her. He stayed rooted to his spot.

  “What does that mean, Taryn?”

  “She still has a pull on you. Her wounded bird act still gets to you. Probably always will. There’s that corner of your heart that I can’t have. She has it, and I don’t because I’m not some doe-eyed victim.”

  “That’s what you think?”

  “That’s what it looks like to me.”

  “Maybe you should go. I need some time to look at this, and I think it’s best if I do that alone. I’ll call you. We can talk when we can do it without fighting.”

  Jeff looked her straight in the eye. His jaw was set. Taryn stared back at him.

  The anger stretched between them. Taryn realized he wasn’t going to say or do anything else—not even to comfort her. She picked up her handbag and buttoned her coat. Turning heel, she choked back a sob. She stumbled out of the house through the garage and pushed the button to raise the door. The rush of winter air didn’t faze her. She was already chilled to the bone.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jeff decided to stick to his word and only talk to Taryn when he could do it without fighting. He figured if he slept on it, his outlook would change. However, he’d woken up the next morning with the weight of his hurt pride still pinning him down. He didn’t know what to say to her. Either Taryn or Shannon.

  To think that some men volunteered to have multiple wives—simultaneously. Jeff didn’t even have one, and the pull of two women tore at him.

  Despite what Taryn thought, he only loved one of them. Taryn had his heart, which made the fact that she didn’t believe in him hurt all the more. Then, he had to deal with the information Taryn had dropped in his lap—however she’d obtained it. That, he’d do straight away.

  Hence the discussion he planned to have once Shannon and Olivia finished their visit. Jeff struggled through pleasantries as they watched Frozen for what must be the hundredth time. He hovered in the doorway while Shannon tucked Olivia into bed. A half hour after the end of the movie, his ex-wife skipped back downstairs in front of him, laughing.

  “I can’t believe how obsessed she is with th
at movie.”

  “Before you go, I need to ask you something.” He glared at her, unyielding.

  Shannon’s smile deflated. “About what?”

  “Several things actually. Let’s go into the office. I don’t want to wake up Olivia.” They ambled to the front of the house in silence, and he told her to close the door.

  “What’s up?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip and shifting from side to side. Jeff sat on the edge of his desk.

  “For starters, I need to know how my watch ended up in an East Dallas pawn shop. Then, you’ll need to explain why your supposedly ex-husband was seen pawning that watch. Then, maybe you can tell me why that felon is living with you since you’ve insisted up and down that you aren’t with him anymore.”

  Shannon parted her lips then pressed them back shut, stretching out the silence following Jeff’s accusation. Jeff threw up his hands and stood. Shannon flinched. Her shudder stopped Jeff in his tracks. As angry as he was, he had never felt sorrier for Shannon.

  “I’m not going to hit you.”

  “Huh? I know that.”

  “Do you? Just now, you looked scared.”

  “I’m not scared of you,” she whispered.

  “What’s going on, Shannon?”

  She looked at Jeff with those same big eyes he saw in his daughter except he saw a defiance he’d never seen in Olivia.

  “It’s all just a misunderstanding. I had no idea he was going to pawn that watch.”

  “So you did take it?”

  “It was an accident. I don’t know how that watch ended up in my bag, but…I found it. I was going to bring it back.”

  Jeff shook his head in disbelief. Same old Shannon. She was a perpetual fountain of excuses—most of which didn’t even make sense.

  “How does a watch accidentally get into your purse?” he asked and felt ridiculous. “You know what? Don’t answer that. I don’t expect you to tell me the truth. Obviously, this is what you do. The two of you are quite the team. You steal. He moves your stolen goods. Perfect.”