by Starla Kaye
To everyone’s surprise, she stepped to Chad’s side and looked down at her not quite stable ex-husband. “I. Am. Not. Your. Wife.” she said carefully. “You bastard.”
Beaton struggled to his feet, his face beet red. “I’ll teach you to talk badly to me.” He looked ready to slap her again.
Not happening. Chad shifted her to the side, stepped in front of the demented man, and snapped, “You’re never coming anywhere near her again. She’s too good for you. Always has been, you lying, cheating SOB.”
Beaton snorted. “So what if I did? A man has needs and when his wife…”
Her father moved in front of him and punched him in the mouth, blood immediately trickling out of the corner. The reverend stepped backward, shook his hand against the pain he no doubt felt. But as Beaton gaped in shock and dashed away the blood, her father looked proud of himself.
“Daddy!” Toni gasped, obviously as surprised as the rest of them at what he’d done.
All her father said was as he looked at Chad, “Think you could put on some pants.”
Before Beaton could even think about moving, Alex was behind him. He jerked the man’s arms backward and clamped handcuffs on his wrists. “You’re under arrest.”
“What the hell for? I’m just a man trying to get his wife back. His whoring wife.”
“Take him away,” Chad ordered, glaring at the man, fighting his need to thrust his own fist into his face. “Lock him up for every count you can think of. And we’re filing a restraining order immediately.”
When he looked at Toni he found her cheeks flaming with embarrassment now that the situation was resolved. Her father tried not to look at him. She handed him his slacks that she’d managed to find. But she pulled in a breath and eased in front of him so he would be at least partially hidden as he dressed.
Alex forced Beaton out of the room, but stopped to meet Chad’s gaze. He winked and gave a small smile. His friend wasn’t going to let him forget how they’d found him. And he’d want an explanation for how he’d ended up in Toni’s bed. What he didn’t know - would never know- was that he’d been in her bed before.
“Well, I guess I’ll go with them,” her father said, sounding awkward. He studied Chad for a second, again not mentioning about finding him naked and his daughter wrapped in an afghan. “Don’t hurt her.” With that he walked out of the room.
***
Toni couldn’t move from the middle of the bedroom as her father, the sheriff, and her horrible ex-husband went to leave the apartment. Chad gave her a reassuring glance before following them into the living room. She heard his deep-timbered voice as he was all business. He would get a restraining order as soon as possible and he would do anything else necessary to keep Stanley in jail.
Stanley in jail. Locked away. Finally. Still, it was hard to believe.
“Whatever charges you try to file against me won’t stick,” Stanley growled in ferocity. “I’ve got more power, more connections with the ‘right’ people than you can imagine.”
He did, too. So much that no one had ever believed her, except her divorce lawyer. Their friends and his family were fully on his side. He was the poor husband with the unworthy wife. But she’d gotten the divorce and he’d been forced to put five million dollars in a bank account her lawyer had helped her get set up. Five million dollars. It had seemed surreal. As did this humiliating incident. But why had he come here? What did he really want of her? The money back? So not happening!
“Your power and your connections aren’t worth a damn here. You’re going to sit in my jail until you go before the judge,” Alex countered, anger lacing his words. This was not the gentle giant most knew and loved. This was a hard man, not to be pushed. “And I’m going to take my sweet time in seeing that happen. At least 48 hours.”
“This is all bull shit,” Stanley challenged. “I’ll have your badge. I’ll have you disbarred.”
She sensed that he must be looking directly at Chad, which infuriated her. Putting aside her embarrassment, she strode into the living room, ready to defend her friend and her lover.
Immediately Stanley sneered at her. “You’d better stop this before it goes too far,” he warned, his red-rimmed eyes hard. There was definitely something wrong with him.
What had she ever seen in him? She’d been blinded by youthful desire for more of anything. But she wasn’t blinded by that any more.
She marched next to Chad and hissed at Stanley, “You went too far. You more than crossed the line between what is right and what is wrong.”
His face reddened in anger, and he puffed up his slim form, ready to verbally assault her. She’d seen this expression many times before. Back then, though, she’d taken it. Loving him, yet hating him as well. Those days were long over.
Determined to have a showdown once and for all, she moved toward him. Alex raised an eyebrow at her, but stepped to the side, still gripping Stanley’s upper arm. Everyone around her appeared to wait curiously, including her wealthy-but-rotten, low-life ex.
She poked him with a finger in the chest. A chest that was soft and pathetic in comparison to Chad’s. Just one of hundreds of differences between the two men. “Your days of getting whatever you want are finished. You might have so-called friends and important connections back in Denver, but none here.”
He snorted. “I’m important. You should remember that.”
Whatever his problem was, it wasn’t hers. She poked him again as he glared at her. “Here you are a worthless piece of shit.” Realizing what she’d said, face heating, she glanced at her father, who stood listening attentively. “Sorry, Dad.”
To her surprise, he looked proud as he said, “Fitting description, daughter.”
Stanley focused on Chad, vowing, “I’m going to sue your ass off for assault.” He concentrated on her again. “You too, bitch. I can’t believe you had the nerve to kick me in the nuts.”
Every man in the room flinched for a second in empathy. “First off, you hit Chad first. As for me, I should have done it years ago. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I escaped our marriage, and you, that I took karate lessons.”
He growled and tried to lunge for her, gave an outraged growl that his hands were in cuffs behind him.
Alex jerked him away and shoved him none too gently toward the door. “It’s time I got this asshole out of here.” Her friend hesitated and looked sympathetically at her. “I hate to say this, but you and Chad are going to have to come to my office and sign the charges.”
The fight and bluster had gone out of her; she began to tremble. Her stomach knotted. She’d gone to jail herself not long ago. She didn’t look forward to going there again. Still, she managed to say quietly, “Yes, of course.”
“Tomorrow,” Chad interrupted and he stepped beside her. He draped his arm around her shoulders, gently squeezed them “That’s soon enough.”
“I will make you all pay for this,” Stanley swore, glowering back at them.
Alex shook his head in disgust, not the least bit intimidated. He shoved the man out the front door. “Morning will be fine.”
“If you need me to go with you, I will,” her father said, gazing at her in worry. He’d been silent all this time, watching.
She was surprised by his offer, and yet not. He loved her no matter what mess she seemed to get into. She’d never forget the way her father and Alex had walked into the bedroom; both men looking stunned by the sight before them. Stanley being there was bad enough. Her in nothing but an afghan wrapped around her; Chad naked was worse. Humiliating. They had to have known what she and Chad had been doing prior to Stanley’s arrival. Not the specifics, thank God. Still, what they suspected was enough. She would need hours of therapy to put this all behind her.
“I’ll…I…” She couldn’t look him in the eye. Then she gave a weak whimper, hating it, but unable to be strong any longer.
“Oh, honey.” Her father took a step in her direction, stopping when Chad shook his head.
�
�I’ll take care of her.”
Chad’s promise was reassuring. But her father appeared uncertain, then finally nodded.
After an awkward couple of seconds, Chad pulled her into his embrace. “I’ll be there with her,” he said. “If you feel you want to be present, that’s up to you. But I can handle everything.”
She buried her face against him, tears sliding down her cheeks, wetting his chest, but he didn’t appear to care about that. He held her possessively, his strong arms comforting. Behind her, she heard her father leave and pull the door closed.
Chad held her for several minutes, but didn’t say a word. She drew in steadying breaths, determined to stop being so weak. He was such a good man, easy to love. But she couldn’t tell him how strong her feelings were. Although they’d grown closer - even intimate, he’d never said anything to make her believe he’d decided to take a chance on love again. He’d been shattered by his ex-wife’s actions, lost his trust in women. If anyone could understand his pain, it was her. She wouldn’t push him toward more than he was willing to give.
Stronger now, she eased back to look up at the handsome face etched with concern. “You don’t have to stay.” She swallowed down a sudden lump in her throat. “I know you have work things to do. I’ll be okay. Really.”
He shook his head, holding her gaze. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever work I need to do can wait.” And then he turned them both toward the bedroom. “I’m not okay. I need to -”
“I don’t think I can go back to what we were doing,” she said nervously. The humiliating images; him facing everyone naked, her naked and kneeling over the bed when Stanley had spotted her, were too much to get over this quickly.
“I wasn’t implying sex, Antoinette. Although I’m never against the idea.” He gave her a gentle look. “I just need to lie in bed beside you and hold you against me. I promise I won’t do more than that.”
***
Two days later, Toni sat numbly at her small desk, disheartened and apprehensive about her immediate future. Once again. Her life was a tangled web of complications. The issues with the house, and having to face that it would never be hers. Mending fences with her family. Wondering what she was going to do after her community service was up here in another twelve working days. The matter of Stanley and getting him permanently out of her life. And then there was Chad.
Even as exhausted as he’d had to be after leaving her apartment around midnight, he’d shown up on her doorstep right after sunrise. They’d gone together to the sheriff’s office to sign the complaints against Stanley. Walking back in there had been hard because of her recent problem with the law. Neither Chad nor Alex had mentioned it and, fortunately, Stanley didn’t know about it. She could only imagine his reaction, especially in his peculiar state of mind at the moment. Something had clearly driven him over the edge. She wondered about it, and yet couldn’t make herself really care.
She fiddled with the pen beside her mouse by clicking it on and off, over and over. Monday had been awful. But yesterday had been almost as difficult. Chad had been so supportive, so good to her the entire time they were at the sheriff’s office. He’d taken her home afterward and wanted to spend the day with her away from the office. She hadn’t let him, although she’d taken the day off. Convincing him to leave and making him understand that she wanted to be alone to think took all of her limited acting ability. Agreeable but unhappy, he’d walked her to her door and then pulled her against him. He’d kissed her more passionately than she’d ever been kissed. When he’d released her to walk away, she’d seen his need to protect her written all over him. Yet he’d put that aside to give her what she needed.
She’d thought about that kiss the rest of the day, dreamt about it; still almost felt the warm touch of his lips on hers. And she’d thought how seriously sexy he’d looked when he came to her place after work. His expressive eyes had been filled with longing and weariness. He hadn’t shaved. She’d had to fight hard not to let him in, let him come to her bed. She’d sent him away.
The memory made her sigh with regret. Wanting him so intensely was testing her inner strength. It had been obvious how much he desired her, too. Yet he hadn’t admitted to how he felt about her. His own life was as messy as hers. He had a staggering case load of elderly clients who needed his help. He was being pressured to move his practice solely to Topeka. And, even though they’d become lovers, he was cautious about protecting his heart. She had to protect hers as well.
The outer door opened and she heard familiar footsteps; not Chad’s, his father’s. Chad wouldn’t be in today. When she’d arrived at the office, the temporary secretary had given her a message that he’d left.
In his quick, hard to decipher scrawl, he’d told her that he hadn’t wanted to leave her until everything was settled about Stanley at his arraignment this morning. But something had come up in Topeka with Alberta Harper. He had to go, but he would call her later.
Her shoulders slumped with acceptance. One of these days he would make the decision to move to Topeka. How could he not? He already spent at least two days a week there, and could easily do more. Except that he was reluctant to leave the law practice with his father. And he’d become a bit obsessed about being with her.
But not enough to take their relationship a step further.
“Are you all right?” Ethan asked as he stepped into the doorway of the copy room.
Toni stilled her troubled thoughts and took a second before facing Chad’s father. She wasn’t sure how much he knew about her involvement with his son. At least he hadn’t shown up at her apartment with her father and Alex. He hadn’t found his son standing naked in her bedroom, her wearing only an afghan. And she continued to thank God that Stanley had been the only one to see her in such a humiliating, vulnerable position beside the bed, having obviously had sex with Chad. Although they’d been a long way from done when they’d been interrupted. Beside the point.
“Your father is worried about you,” Ethan tried again to talk to her.
She sighed heavily. She’d put off seeing her family long enough, but she’d talked to her mother on the phone last night.
Finally she faced Ethan. “I’m going to have dinner with my family tonight.” She’d agreed reluctantly to the commitment. But it would be hard to look her father in the eyes after what he’d witnessed.
Ethan gave her a look of approval. Then his expression darkened. “Your ex-husband is going to be arraigned later this morning.”
“He’ll get off with hardly more than a slap on his hands. His family will see to it.” Bitterness spread through her. But all she wanted was him out of her town, out of her life forever. Between the restraining order and the Beatons she hoped it would happen.
Ethan’s mouth thinned and he said, “I hate to say it, but that’s probably true. They’re powerful, with lots of influence all over the Midwest.”
“It really doesn’t matter anymore. I only want him gone.”
He nodded in understanding and changed the subject. “I’m so sorry about the legal problems with this house, for all of us. Chad told me the whole situation.” He watched her carefully. “I got a call from William Carter yesterday. Their attorney has received the final signature needed to be able to have a clear title.”
Chad hadn’t mentioned it to her, but then he’d probably gotten tied up with handling the situation with Mrs. Harper. She forced a smile. “Then you and Chad will soon have the legal ability to buy the house. It’s only right, considering all the money you’ve invested here.”
“Yes, we have. Again, I’m sorry about your part of the Caruthers brothers’ fraud scheme. They’re been searched for, but…”
“I’ve already accepted that my considerable payment to them is long gone. I can live with the expensive lesson in being more careful in further business dealings.” The loss of twenty thousand dollars was considerable, but considering how little it was in comparison to her larger than expected divorce settlement, it wasn’t that much.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, frowning. “I’m going to the courthouse to represent you and Chad at Beaton’s arraignment. If necessary. With Alex’s testimony, I doubt I will be needed.” After a second, he asked, “Do you want to go with me?”
She shook her head. “I’d prefer to never see my ex-husband again.” Nor did she want to face her memories of being in the courtroom to face her own charges.
“I understand. My son and I will do our best to see that you never have to.” He gave her a final sympathetic look and left.
Stanley was her problem, not theirs. Besides, Chad wouldn’t be around to watch after her when he moved away. And she was sure he would. The idea sickened her. But she needed to move past her disappointment, past the loss of this house, past the short amount of time she had left working here. She’d stay in the apartment for now, but she would start looking for another place to live and another job to keep her busy. She never wanted to be one of the idle rich, even if she could afford to be that.
Sadness filled her as she glanced around her cramped temporary office. She would miss being here, miss Ethan and especially Chad.
Chapter Eleven
Exhaustion washed over Chad as he sat next to his father in the courtroom, waiting for Stanley’s appearance before the judge. Somehow, the arraignment had been postponed an extra day. He was thankful for that because he’d wanted to be here. But he’d had to work all day the day before and long into the night so he could hurry back.
He yawned and pulled in a deep breath. His eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep. He hadn’t gotten home until four o’clock, and sleep had evaded him. His mind wouldn’t shut down. He was juggling too many balls in the air; so many people needed his help. And there was the group in Topeka who were still pressuring him. His head throbbed with a pounding headache. The only thing good at the moment was that he’d see Toni again sometime today.
“You okay, son?” his father asked, lightly patting Chad’s leg to get his attention. “You should have stayed home to rest. I’m here to represent you and Toni, if necessary. But I think Alex has this covered. And I filed the restraining order yesterday.”
