Ties That Bind (The Escort, #3)

by Kristen Strassel

  Jagger stood, staying close to me. Touching was the most honest form of communication. “That’s what I always say about you. That you’re good at what you do because you put a piece of yourself into every project.”

  “There was a long time I had a lot to give and not many takers.” I frowned, fighting the tears that were begging to make an appearance. “I was thrilled anyone cared about what I thought.”

  “I care about everything you think.” Jagger kissed my forehead, pulling away only slightly. He chuckled. “Oh, shit. Look at that.”

  “What?” I whipped around quickly, expecting to see someone running out the door with a painting, or a guest puking red wine on one of the couches. But it was even worse.

  Zach had arrived, and he was standing way too close to Shannon. He wiggled his eyebrows and she tipped her head back, laughing way too loudly at whatever he said. I didn’t need to hear any of it. Shannon was a magnet for terrible men. “I’ll be right back.”

  Jagger didn’t let me get further than a step away. “Let them have fun.” He smirked when I rolled my eyes. “Zach can be an ass but he’s not that bad.”

  “He’s doing it to piss me off.” I tried to make eye contact with either of them, but as far as they were concerned, no one else was in the room. “And she’s ignoring the guests.”

  “So aren’t you.” He had a point. “Shannon could do a lot fucking worse. He’s got money, a ton of shit to talk about, and he knows what he’s doing. He won’t put something in her drink and screw her while she’s passed out. Yeah, they’ll probably crash and burn, but in the meantime she’ll have a lot of fun and probably the best sex of her life.”

  “True.” If Zach even had a drop of what Jagger brought to the bedroom, she was in very capable hands. Whoever taught these guys how to fuck deserved a Nobel Peace Prize. Like art, sex wasn’t something that could be taught if the vision and the natural ability weren’t there to begin with. But it could be cultivated into something mind-blowing.

  Shannon wasn’t much older than Raven. I trusted her with my business, and I needed to take off my mommy hat and let her take care of herself.

  “A lot of people expected us to crash and burn, too,” Jagger reminded me.

  “I’m sure they still do.” I sighed. I waved to one of the shop owners from down the street. We had to get back to our guests. “Maybe she’ll straighten him out.”

  Jagger looked over at them. I’d never seen Zach’s face like this. The hardness had faded. I never realized how much he had in common with Jagger.

  “Maybe,” he said. “But he really needs is someone who can keep up with him.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Jagger

  Leah may have agreed with me, but she made a beeline for Shannon and Zach the minute she got the chance.

  “Jagger!” One of the shop owners from down the street intercepted me. “A friend of mine wants to talk to you about your work.”

  “Awesome.” This night was fucking amazing. I still hadn’t wrapped my head around the museum thing—although I was pretty sure they’d tell me it was all a mistake when I called them on Monday. Now this.

  And Leah’s ring was in my pocket.

  As long as she didn’t pour gasoline over Zach’s fire, the night would end on an even better note than it began. Zach wasn’t my best friend in the way Kari was to Leah, but he’d had my back for a long time. I couldn’t say that about many people. He was wrong about Leah, and to a certain extent, Leah didn’t have it right about him, either. It sucked.

  I sat on one of the couches, hoping two of the most important people in my life could behave themselves for a few minutes while I spoke to the person who approached me.

  “I own a coffee shop near this property.” The woman who was introduced to me motioned to the display on the wall above us. “Developers just bought the land, there’s been a ton of changes in the area lately.”

  “What are they putting there? Condos? A supermarket?” Whatever it was, it would be boring as shit.

  “Worse. A car dealership.” She laughed. “It’s great to see a new business, but a lot of my regulars are pretty upset. Many of them worked in that factory, or their parents did. It was a huge part of the history of the town. I’d love to have some of your photos available to them. I think it would mean a lot for them to have a keepsake of such a special piece of their past.”

  “I’d love to work something out with you,” I said. We exchanged cards and made a time for a phone call the next week.

  The tension between Leah and Zach was thick enough to catch in my throat. If I wasn’t careful, I’d choke to death on it. Leah jumped when I slipped my arm around her waist. I loved the way her belly felt, firm and round. The second I got her dress off I’d kiss it. There was nothing sexual about it; it was pure reverence and devotion to my daughter.

  These two almost coming to blows made all the good stuff more believable.

  “Do I need to turn the hose on you two?” I pulled Leah closer against me and Shannon laughed nervously.

  “Not at all. I was just telling Zach what a fantastic coworker Shannon’s been, and I asked him if he knew when Claire planned to arrive.”

  Shannon beamed anytime Leah praised her. The two of them were a lot alike, putting their all into everything they did. No surprise they worked so well together. I didn’t hate the idea of Shannon with Zach half as much as Leah did. Anything could happen, even if it was just for the night.

  “Funny thing about that. I was just telling Shannon what a great coworker you were, Jag, and I wanted to know what she was doing after the party.”

  Shannon’s gaze darted to Leah.

  “Why don’t we all go out together?” I suggested. Shannon practically melted with relief but Leah and Zach glared at me.

  Zach gestured at Leah’s belly. “Your girl can’t go anywhere.”

  “I’m pregnant, not on the no fly list.” Leah rolled her eyes.

  I had to get Leah and Zach on the same page. “We’ll get something to eat. They’ve got orange juice everywhere—“

  “I’m still on the breakfast kick,” Leah said to Shannon.

  “And then you two can do whatever after that. I want to talk about the wedding while we’re all together.” Nobody could argue with that. I tugged Leah back, and she’d relaxed enough that she fell against me. Her curls fanned out against my shoulder, and she looked at me, grinning, probably because I looked as ridiculous upside down as she did.

  Zach nudged Shannon. “When was the last time you had a chaperone on a date?”

  “Last time I was here.” She laughed, but she didn’t miss the look Zach shot me. “Jagger almost threw down in the middle of the dance floor. I went out with a loser who tried to roofie my drink.”

  He leaned in, as close as he could be to Shannon without touching her. Leah tensed under my touch. “Believe me when I tell you that I’ve never drugged a woman to get her into my bed. And I’ve had absolutely no complaints.”

  Shannon turned pink. “I don’t expect you would.”

  “Let’s get back to the party,” I suggested. “We have things to celebrate.”

  Didn’t have to ask Leah twice. “Yeah, we do. Did that lady buy something?”

  “Not exactly.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. I’d been terrified all night I’d lose the ring. “She wants to set up a consignment program. A lot of her customers worked at that factory.” I motioned to the exhibit.

  Leah grabbed my face and kissed me. “We are so unprofessional tonight, but apparently it’s working.”

  “They know what I’m good at.” I wiggled my eyebrows and Leah pushed away from me playfully. I grabbed her hand. “But that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  My hand shook as I took the ring out of my pocket. It would be so fucking anticlimactic if this thing bounced off my boot and got lost under the couch.

  Leah watched me with confusion. There was no smooth way to do this. She laced her fingers between mine. So much for surpr
ises.

  “Marry me,” I whispered in her ear.

  “There’s nothing I want to do more.”

  I went down on one knee. I wanted to show everyone in the room were Leah had me. Her gasp was echoed by the circle surrounding us that I was only vaguely aware of. Now she understood what I was doing, she held out her hand for me and let me slide the ring on her finger.

  Tears ran from her eyes as she took in her ring. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “No, it’s not. But it reminds me of the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I could barely stand up. “You bloom, no matter what.”

  “It makes it real.” Her smile wobbled when she looked up at me. “It’s just a little thing, but it makes a huge difference.”

  “It’s no little thing.” I resisted kissing her again. This time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever let her go. “It tells the whole world that you’re mine.”

  **

  I’d had no idea how ready I’d been for a change. Waking up without a hangover after a night out with Zach felt good. Not having to corroborate on his alibi or figure out how to get a woman who’d outstayed her welcome out of our lives.

  I wasn’t the only one who wanted something different. Zach put Shannon in the driver’s seat for the entire night. He only did that when he wanted someone to stick around. I could count on one hand how many times that happened. This time, I hoped it worked. She picked a restaurant on the beach, and then we walked forever looking for a place to dance but we never bothered to go in anywhere.

  We’d stayed out way past midnight, laughing and talking. It was the best night I’d spent with Zach in a long time, even more so since he and Leah called an unspoken truce. At the end of the night, the girls agreed to start work late the next day.

  The late start was getting really late. It was almost noon and Leah was still sound asleep. She clutched the pillow, her ring barely visible over the sheet. I couldn’t stop staring at it. She was going to be my wife, and I was going to wake up beside her for the rest of my life.

  I resisted the urge to crawl back into bed with her. I had shit to do.

  And today was the day to do it. No more excuses, no more avoiding the truth, no matter how fucking ugly it was. My mistakes were like scars, they faded with time but they never went away. They served as a reminder to never let history repeat itself. This phone call would be like ripping a wound open, but I needed to let myself feel the pain this time. Watch the blood stain my skin and understand what I’d done.

  “Hi, Mom.” I wasn’t the only one who never thought I’d say those words together again, judging by the silence that returned my greeting. “It’s Jagger.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. It was slightly better than what do you want.

  “Nothing.” I didn’t expect warm and fuzzy, but I’d hoped for a little excitement. “Everything’s actually really good. How are you?”

  She exhaled loudly. “Why are you calling me now, Jagger?”

  The urge to hang up was overwhelming. It didn’t matter if I’d changed—she hadn’t. No big surprise. Her scars were visible, too. But I wouldn’t let her get the last word. I had to be the bigger person and invite her back into my life. “I’m getting married.”

  “To that girl on TV?”

  “Yeah, Leah.” I softened even if she didn’t. “I probably don’t have to tell you she’s not on TV anymore.”

  She scoffed. “So she knows what you do.”

  “We work together now. I’ve opened an art gallery in Miami, and we’ve incorporated her interior design office into the space.” If there was ever a time to sell myself, it was now. “I’ve been contacted by a museum in Kansas City that’s interested in putting together an exhibit of my work.”

  “Congratulations.” There was the softness I’d hoped for. I remained cautiously optimistic. “I didn’t know you were so serious about photography.”

  She’d missed a lot in the last ten years. I bit my tongue. “I’ll let you know when the exhibit opens.”

  “Ruby told me you might call.” Frost hung from her words. “I don’t understand what your sudden interest in your family is. We haven’t heard from you in years.”

  “I haven’t heard from you, either.” I couldn’t keep it all in. “I’d really like for you and Dad to come to the wedding. It’s Christmas day in the Keys.”

  I welcome this silence because it wasn’t a no. “Why now, Jagger?”

  She was looking for an apology she wasn’t going to get. Typical. My parents had raised their son to be just like them, and they never recovered from their failure. But I had. “Because I’m getting married and we’re having a baby. I explained our Name Day traditions to Leah, and I think my daughter would like to know where she came from.”

  “You’re not going to walk away from this one?”

  “Excuse me?” I almost dropped the phone. What the fuck?

  “Your son, Jagger. The one that you’ve never called, never bought a Christmas present for. You don’t care about your name, his name, or showing him where he came from.”

  She might as well have reached into my chest and ripped out my still-beating heart. “How do you know about Jacob?” I asked.

  And more importantly, why the fuck didn’t she tell me?

  “Kim got in touch with me after he was born, and she was so distraught that you’d walked away from her. Your baby. Luckily she found someone who was actually willing to step up and be a father to your son.”

  “None of that is true.” And even if it was, how the hell did my mother not do anything to fix it? She took the word of a complete stranger over her own son. It was fucking hypocritical for her to accuse me of doing exactly of what she’d done to me.

  “Of course,” she scoffed. “Everyone else is wrong but you. I’d thought at the beginning of this call that you’d changed. I see that’s not the case.”

  “I’ve been trying to be a part of Jacob’s life since before he was born. Kim didn’t mention that part, did she?” More silence. “I don’t need to justify myself to someone who hasn’t reached out to me, either. So yeah, everyone else is wrong.”

  I could probably cross Mom and Dad off the invite list.

  “We tried to reach out to you, Jagger. You didn’t listen,” she said. Bullshit.

  “If you really want to see if I’ve changed, you’ll come to the wedding. Meet my wife and be a part of your granddaughter’s life. Or you can stay home and have the satisfaction of being right. It’s your choice.”

  I hung up.

  Time would tell what kind of scar this conversation would leave me with.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Leah

  Something was wrong. I knew it as soon as Jagger crawled back into bed. He got in on my side, fully dressed—his jeans were rough against my bare skin—and pulled me in against his chest. I’d been semi-awake since he got up. It was hard not to notice when someone like Jagger wasn’t with me anymore, even when I was dreaming.

  His hands explored my belly. The baby wiggled inside me, responding to her daddy’s touch. I could already tell this one would give me a run for my money. I relished the moment, one of the first that could really define us as Mom and Dad. I was still in limbo, tired after a long, fun night with Shannon—and Zach, of all people.

  I turned to face Jagger, tasting his pain as soon as our lips met in a kiss. Hungry and needy, his hand tangled in my hair, like he thought I’d fade to a shadow if he let go. I rested my hand over his pounding heart, and gave him a chance to catch his breath.

  “Aren’t you going to work?” I asked. If I remembered correctly, Claudia had the day off. And Shannon was working with me.

  “Yeah,” he said flatly, like my kiss had stolen all his emotion from him.

  “What happened?” Maybe the lady from the museum had called and rescinded the offer. But he wouldn’t be so upset over that. I braced myself for his news.

  He closed his eyes, his fingers still in my hair, moving in th
e same rhythm that they had on my belly. “I called my mother.”

  “You did? That’s huge.” He’d planned to do it for a while, but after everything that happened with Jacob, I refused to nag him about it, because coming out on the other side without a victory had always been a real possibility. No matter what he told me, I was proud of him for going so far outside his comfort zone, and accepting that his past didn’t define his future. He could shape it and tell his own story.

  He nodded. “She . . . she knew about Jacob.”

  I had to be still dreaming. “What did you say?”

  “Kim contacted my mother right after he was born. Told her I’d abandoned her and Jacob.” He shook his head, his fingers tightening in my hair. “I told her you were pregnant, and she asked me if I’d walk away from this one, too. I feel like I’ve gone fucking crazy. I chased Kim down until I ran out of options. And my own mother . . . ”

  He couldn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t have to. The one person who should’ve had his back no matter what betrayed him. “ . . . should’ve done something to bring the two of you together.” I finished for him.

  “Yeah.” The word echoed against his emptiness. “She insists that she tried. It’s bullshit. This is the first time she said anything. It’s like she convinced herself that she did the right thing to feel better about keeping it from me. If she’d made the fucking effort to talk to me, to listen to anything I had to say in the last fifteen years, things wouldn’t be like this.”

  “I keep thinking I can make it better for you. That if the people who’ve hurt you were given a second chance to do things right, they’d jump at it.” I’d never been so wrong in my life. I sat up, but Jagger didn’t follow. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it. All I can tell you is that I love you, and your daughter already loves you. She moves around like crazy every time you touch my stomach.”