by Jen Talty
By the time they got to the eighteenth hole, he was pleasantly surprised that he, not just Mark, still had a few followers left, especially since some of the bigger names had started to tee off.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Mark said, standing on the eighteenth tee box. It was really the first time he spoke to Jack. “I used to love to watch you when I was a kid. I wanted to have your game, and dude, you’ve still got it.”
“Thanks for making me feel old.” Jack smiled at the young man.
“No problem.” Mark smiled, turning his attention to his caddy.
“Nice buns,” Courtney whispered.
“All the more reason you shouldn’t be out here.” He took the club she handed him, without question.
“Think boob,” she said with a smile.
“You will never let me live that one down.” Once he had caddied for her, and he asked how women hit the ball without their breasts getting in the way. She went about showing him exactly how, and it dawned on him that her breasts actually helped her swing.
“Nope, I never will.”
He addressed the ball, and the second he started his backswing, he knew he should have stopped.
But he didn’t.
And he hooked the ball to the trees on the far right of the fairway. “Fuck,” he mumbled.
“It’s okay.” She hustled right next to him as he marched toward his ball.
Not a good way to end the day. It didn’t matter that no one of importance was around; Jack needed this for his own confidence. He stood over his ball with his hands on his hips and studied the shot. He had a couple of choices, but all of them had some serious risks that could push this hole into a double bogey if he wasn’t careful.
“Play the game. You can do this.” She handed him a club.
He looked down at it. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He sent her a glare. “You want me to pitch this short?”
She nodded. “The idea is to play smart. Now hit the goddamned ball.” She stepped away from him.
He stepped back from the ball and looked through the trees. He looked down at his club, then glanced over at her. She didn’t look back, but kept her focus on the green, with her hand over her visor.
“What the hell.” He swung and the ball rolled about twenty yards short of the green. “Chip and putt for par. I can do that.”
“I know you can.” She patted his shoulder. “Let’s finish this hole. Bri is getting antsy, and I want to get the hell out of here before we run into Tom again.”
Jack rubbed his jaw. If Tom came at him a second time, Jack didn’t think he’d be able to keep from retaliating.
He chipped the ball within five inches of the cup for an easy tap in. He shook Mark’s hand before lifting Courtney in the air and giving her a good twirl. “Thank you,” he said before kissing her temple. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“That’s true,” she said with a laugh.
Rudy greeted them at the roped-off area. Jack thought Rudy might actually have a smile on his face, instead of the look of doom he sported right now.
“Where’s Bri?” Courtney asked with a bit of trepidation laced in her words.
“She’s with a friend getting some pretzels for everyone,” Rudy said. “We need to talk.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Jack followed Rudy to a table on the patio outside the clubhouse.
“I ran into Tom,” Rudy started.
Jack held up his hand. “I don’t know what he told you, but I didn’t start it, and I didn’t finish it. He’s the one who hit me.”
Rudy arched a brow.
“I don’t think Tom told my dad about our little run-in with him,” Courtney said. “And for the record, Dad, Jack is telling the truth. Tom tried to bait him, but Jack didn’t bite.”
“Well, that’s good, but now we’re going to need you to control that temper because Tom told me, and Bri—”
“He saw Bri?” Courtney asked with a high-pitched voice. She pressed her hands against the tabletop.
“It was a brief visit. He said hello, gave her a hug. There weren’t any photographers around.” Rudy patted her hand.
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Courtney said, pushing her sunglasses up on her nose.
“Me neither,” Jack said, chugging a glass of ice water. “Don’t beat around the bush and get to the point.” A few other golfers milled about. Some glanced in his direction, whispering; others just rolled their eyes.
He had a lot to prove.
“Bri might have told him that Jack was living with us.”
Courtney gasped, covering her mouth. She caught Jack’s gaze, holding him captive for a long moment.
He rubbed his lower lip with his thumb. “What else did Bri tell him?” The last thing any of them needed was drama with Tom. That would be a shitshow no one wanted to buy tickets for.
“That was it, but from the sideways glances the two of you are giving each other, I’d say something happened and Bri saw?” Rudy asked with a flat tone and an expressionless face. He’d always been a master at hiding his emotions, and that had driven Jack nuts as a rowdy teenager because you could never really tell what the man was thinking.
“Crap,” Courtney mumbled. “She might have seen us kissing.”
“Might have?” Rudy asked with a sarcastic laugh. “Well, she didn’t tell him, or me, but she was certainly animated when talking about Jack.”
“I’m sure he didn’t like that, and if he plays bad, he’s going to blame us somehow,” Courtney said. “At least he won’t be in town for too long.”
“Only he mentioned regular visitation and told Bri she’d be seeing more of him,” Rudy said. “And then he went on to tell me he was concerned about you and your decision-making and perhaps Bri might need to go stay with him.”
Courtney slapped the table. “That bastard.”
“Wait a second.” Jack tugged his sunglasses off his face and set them on his thigh. “There is so much I don’t understand about this situation, and I’m not going to ask for all the details right now, but what does you taking in a border have to do with custody and visitation?” He really wanted to ask more about Rudy’s decision-making comment, but he’d leave that for later.
“Tom’s threatened this since Courtney left,” Rudy said. “It’s all been bullshit just to hurt Courtney, but with you back, Tom’s threats don’t seem so idle anymore.”
“Then I’ll move out.” No way would Jack let Courtney lose custody of her daughter.
Rudy’s strong hand landed on his shoulder. “I’m going to let Courtney ultimately decide if we need to do that.”
“I don’t want either of you or especially Bri to be hurt by me being here. I can still work with you and live somewhere else,” Jack said.
“I’ve been dealing with Tom for a while, and he’s all talk. He doesn’t really want Bri.” Courtney shifted in her seat, crossing and recrossing her legs. “I really don’t believe he’ll come at me for custody, but I don’t want him inserting himself into her life.”
“I’ll do whatever you want me to.” Jack ran a hand through his hair. “I never wanted to hurt either of you or Bri by coming back here.”
“Here comes Bri.” Courtney stood. “I’m sure I’ll be hearing from Tom soon enough. Until then, let’s continue about our business as usual.”
9
The following morning, Courtney tossed the newspaper on the kitchen table with a big huff. She leaned against the counter with her arms folded across her middle. “I don’t know why we thought Tom would quietly go away.”
“Unfortunately, if Jack hadn’t come back, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“It’s not his fault that Tom’s a dick.”
“Look at you defending Jack.”
She shot her father a nasty look.
He shrugged. “Tom was like this before Jack came back into the picture. Now, do you want to tell me about this kiss that Bri witnessed? Because she’s like a bank vault. S
he wouldn’t tell me shit, and I tried every dirty trick in the book.”
Courtney couldn’t contain a slight proud smile. “I’m sure she said something.”
“Only that it wouldn’t be polite for her to repeat a private moment like that.”
“So, she told you, without telling you.” Courtney laughed. “It wasn’t a big deal, but not something I wanted Tom to hear, for a lot of reasons.”
“Whether he truly believes it or not, I’m sure he thinks you and Jack are playing house under my roof and in front of Bri. And that is what we need to deal with.” He picked up the newspaper and waved it in the air. “I hate to admit it, but I’m really happy they caught Tom hitting Jack. It really makes Tom look like an asshole, at least the way the newspaper spun it.”
“This time.” Courtney turned and pulled down a mug and lifted the coffee pot. “But you saw what Tom said about doing what he had to in order to protect his family and that the cameras didn’t get the entire altercation.”
“When he called to see if he could see Bri today, he brought up the accident.” She looked at her father, shame crushing her heart. “He still has the text I sent him minutes before.”
He took her hand in his strong protective one. “You were in a very dark place back then, but you’re a different person now.”
“And Tom will use what I did to take Bri from me.”
Her father cupped her face. “I told you I would respect your wishes when it came to dealing with Tom only because I don’t want Bri to be a pawn in his game to hurt us, but I’m seriously tired of watching you be afraid of him.”
“He has more on me than I have on him, or at least that I can prove.” Tears stung at the corners of her eyes.
Her father pulled her into his arms and cradled her head against his shoulder. "Honey, if Tom did try to use your suicide attempt—”
“Her what?” Jack’s voice cut through her body like a sharp knife slicing into a perfectly cooked steak.
“You should tell him.” Her father cupped her cheeks.
She nodded, taking in a deep cleansing breath.
“I’ll go find Bri.” Her father left the kitchen, leaving her to deal with Jack who looked as though someone had smacked him in the gut with his driver.
She knew that feeling.
“When? Why?” he asked as he closed the gap between them.
“About six months before I left Tom for good,” she answered honestly. “We fought horribly and all the time. I would threaten to leave; he’d tell me to, and then he’d take Bri from me, and this particular time, he’d come at me with a laundry list of my transgressions and handed me a business card with his divorce lawyer’s name on it. He told me that he’d already filed the paperwork, and I’d never see her again. He took Bri, and I didn’t hear from either of them for two weeks.”
“What did your father have to say about that?”
She swiped at her eyes. “My father didn’t know what was going on until I tried to kill myself, though he suspected a lot of things, but since we didn’t have a good relationship, there wasn’t much he could do.”
“What about the cops? Did you call them? Because that sounds like kidnapping to me.”
“I didn’t feel as though I could. My life had spiraled out of control and without Bri, I had nothing.”
Jack drew his lips into a tight line. His nostrils flared, but he didn’t say a word.
She cleared her throat. “Tom actually called the police on me, telling them I was a drug dealer, and they came into my house. Lucky for me, I’d already found the drugs and gotten rid of them. However, it proved to me that Tom would go to any length to keep me where he wanted, and I was just done.”
Jack slammed his fist on the counter. “That man should be in prison.”
She wasn’t about to argue that point, but she needed to finish this story now or else she’d never be able to get through it. “I sent him a text message and told him what I was going to do and asked him if he had feelings for his daughter at all to let my father raise her.”
Jack inhaled sharply, making a harsh gasping noise.
The sound rattled her courage and set her pulse on a wild ride. “Ten minutes after I sent that text, I drove his BMW into a tree at eighty miles an hour.”
“Jesus Christ,” Jack muttered, bringing his hand to his forehead. He rubbed his temples. “Is that how you got the concussion?”
“No. The story I tell people is that I tripped in the garage hitting my head on one of my golf clubs.”
Jack arched a brow. “But that’s not what happened.” He lifted her chin.
“Nope. Tom thought I should know what it felt like when you hit him with your driver.” She looked into his soft-green eyes and saw rage.
“Please tell me he never laid a hand on Bri.”
She softened her expression. It was painfully obvious how much Jack loved her little girl. And how much Bri loved him.
It shouldn’t hurt.
“No. He never hurt Bri physically. He has no connection with her other than his sperm, and even that he’s questioned.”
“He questioned her paternity?” He tugged at his shirt. “Let’s go outside.” He pushed open the door and guided her down the path toward the tire swing. “Get in.” He pointed to the swing.
Moments passed as he pushed her gently, and she pumped her legs. The sun moved toward the center of the sky. A few clouds danced with the slight northerly breeze picking up flowery spring scents.
“Tell me what happened with you and Tom.” He stopped the tire and sat down in front of her, fiddling with her sandals.
“Okay, but you have to tell me something.” She cocked her head. “And you have to let me take you shopping.”
“Shopping?” Both eyebrows arched.
She nodded. “And I get to pick the clothes and pay the bill.”
“Nah-ah, no way.” He held up his hand.
“Then I’ll shop without you, but you really need some more clothes. Two shirts aren’t cutting it. And we both know the bank book is nonexistent.” She jumped down from the swing. “Ugh.” Her foot caught on a root, and she tumbled forward.
“Umph.” Jack didn’t have enough time to react.
She landed on top of him. “Ouch.”
He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, his strong hands pressing against her spine.
She froze. His gaze captured hers and couldn’t break free from its grip. She saw compassion. She saw her friend. But she saw something else and felt the electricity between them. That feeling had to be shut down. “Crap. Sorry.” She wiggled free of his grip and rolled to the side. “So.” She brushed the dirt from her face. “We have a deal.”
“I won’t let you buy my clothes.” He scowled.
“Be humble, Jack. You can’t go on tour with two shirts. You can pay me back when you start placing. Besides, I’ll use Tom’s money. That should make it worthwhile for you.”
“That money should be for Bri.”
She sighed. “How much money do you have left?” She yanked at his arm. She stumbled backward as he shrugged his arm free of her grip.
“I don’t need your charity or your pity.”
“This is neither, and you know it.”
He tossed his hands wide. “Fine, but the first check I get I’m giving all of it to you and your father.”
“Of course, you are,” she said with a smile.
He leaned against the big tree. “You said you’d tell me about your marriage.”
“Then you have to tell me something.” She couldn’t believe that she was going to tell him the ugly truth.
And then ask for his honesty in return.
But they’d come this far, it was time to heal old wounds.
“Deal. I want to know why you let Tom play these games with you and Bri.”
She backed up against the counter. “Because he has the right. I can’t deny him. In the custody agreement, he technically gets her once a month and every other holiday, but it has to
be set up with me ahead of time. The way the law works, if he doesn’t visit her at all, I can nail his ass for abandonment and my transgressions might not mean anything.”
His strong hand brushed against the side of her face. “So, you plan on taking him to court?”
“Eventually, when enough time has gone by. He hasn’t paid child support in the last few months, and I stopped reminding him. I know it’s a sucky game, but I don’t know what else to do.”
His breath felt warm on her face. He cupped the back of her head, tilting it. His mouth brushed over hers like a feather floating in the wind. She couldn’t deny herself the simple pleasure of the way his full lips felt against hers. The way his body drew her near, giving her the strength, she lacked.
She felt safe in his arms.
“What’s going on with us?” he asked.
“Stuff that shouldn’t be happening,” she said.
“What if I want more of what that kiss promised?”
Her heart fluttered so fast it was difficult to breathe. “I can’t, Jack. Not now. We’re both still picking up the pieces of our lives. The timing couldn’t be worse.”
“I can respect that,” he said.
She smiled at him. “My turn.”
He threw his arms wide and laughed. “What do you want to know?”
Might as well go for the jugular. “Did you sleep with Wendy the night of my father’s birthday party?” she asked. Wendy had rubbed it in her face, but they never looked like a couple until he announced they were getting married. Before that, Wendy would hang on him, rubbing her breasts against him, and flirt with him shamelessly. However, Jack never seemed overly interested in her, other than what her father had to offer him, and maybe the drugs she provided.
“What the fuck kind of question is that?”
“We had a deal, remember?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. No. I didn’t sleep with her that night.”
“When did you then?”
“Excuse me?” he asked with wide eyes.
“When did you first take Wendy to bed?”
“Again, why the fuck do you want to know that?” His gaze caught hers with a mixture of grief and sorrow. “Why does it matter?”
