Finding Passion (Colorado Veterans Book 3)

by Tiffani Lynn

  I went straight back to my office after meeting with her and did a preliminary background check and Internet search on Ronald Larinsky. The fact that his social media accounts are filled with selfies and pictures of him and his newest woman, who by the way isn’t half as hot as his soon-to-be ex-wife, says to me that he’s a complete and total douchebag. He reminds me of a teenage girl, but the funny part is his pre-teen daughter only has a few selfies on her social media accounts. In every picture, he’s flashing his overly bleached teeth at the camera like a toothpaste salesman. What a fucking cheeseball this guy is. How the hell did he score Valerie in the first place?

  My next step was a background check on her and she’s more than impressive. She graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree and was top of her class in medical school. It appears that she joined the Navy right before she started her residency—before she met Ron—and just separated from the Navy after 18 years of what looks to be exemplary service. Now she works at the VA hospital. Other than that, I found nothing on her. No history of arrest, her credit is good, her family still lives in Florida and she has one daughter. Her social media is covered with pictures of her and her daughter together and her family in Florida.

  Ron, on the other hand, barely made it through college. His GPA was skimming a 2.0 and his work history is minimal. He didn’t have a job before college and only had one before he met Valerie, which was an entry level marketing position at a plastics company in Baltimore. After they were married he worked for a couple of years until she had their baby. Then he became a stay-at-home dad. That would be cool if it looked like he did anything remotely for his kid besides get her to school and feed her. Seems the rest of his time is taken up with Sheila and selfies. I’ll be so damned happy if I can find something serious on him.

  Two and a half weeks go by and the only thing I’m certain about with Ron is that he’s the total douchebag I first suspected him of being. He does absolutely nothing but work out, go to the tanning bed and shop. What kind of man spends his time at the mall for himself? I don’t mean a little bit of time; I mean a couple of days a week. Looks like his alimony is going straight to the pockets of Dillard’s employees. He never leaves with less than two bags and none of them are from a section that would indicate he’s buying clothes for his kid. I still can’t understand how he’s gotten away with not working for this long.

  Sheila, on the other hand, is interesting as hell. She’s attractive—not as hot as Valerie, but still good-looking—so it’s easier to watch her and although her days are taken up with the gym, salon, shopping and apparently primping to the extreme, she’s also not alone for a lot of it. And when I say not alone, I mean she’s found herself a man on the side. At first I thought maybe it was her father or an uncle but you don’t slip your father or uncle the tongue like she does this guy. You also don’t come out of his home looking like you’ve been fucked against a wall for the last hour.

  I’m guessing by the fact that Ron is so self-absorbed he hasn’t noticed that his girlfriend—who doesn’t have a job either—spends a lot of time away from him and home. I wonder what he thinks she does all day and some evenings? When I’ve gotten a belly full of their weekly activities for the second week in a row, I make some notes to find out who the guy on the side is and take off to my parents’ house.

  It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m at my mamá’s house. Every week my family gathers here to eat and catch up on the week. I don’t know why since we talk all week long, and it seems a little redundant, but we’ve done things this way for as long as I can remember. We’re the closest family I know. I’m not just talking about my parents, two brothers and my sister. I mean my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and various friends that come and go. Most of the cooking is done by the ladies because it’s our culture. One of my cousins or I will man the grill when that’s on the menu, but that’s not often. You’d think the ladies would like a break, but they get bent out of shape if they aren’t feeding everyone.

  When I was going through school and I’d visit someone else’s house it was always a culture shock for me. Most homes now are evolved and the parents share the cooking duties. Some of my friends were even known to cook their own meals, but if I tried that at Mamá’s house she’d lose her Mexican mind; she’s old school when it comes to stuff like that. I stopped fighting it when I realized, contrary to current societal trends, this is what my mamá wants to do. I just make sure to thank her and help when I can.

  My papá is a manager on a horse ranch outside of town. He’s been at those stables for over 20 years and works 12 hours or more a day. My parents are two of the hardest working people I’ve ever met and every time I look at them I’m so proud to be their son.

  “Hijo, what’s troubling you?” my mother asks. She rarely calls me by name, always son.

  “Nothing, Mamá. I’m working a case that isn’t going like I expected. I want to help the woman who hired me, but I’m not sure if what I’ve got will be enough.” There was something about Valerie that propelled me forward both on the dance floor and to work on her case. I’ve been obsessed trying to find anything that will help her.

  I set up surveillance on the ex and his new woman immediately and my cousin, who works part-time for me, and I have been taking turns between the two so they don’t get suspicious. Although I don’t think we have anything to worry about because these two are so self-absorbed they wouldn’t notice anything but each other unless it fell on their heads. I’ve witnessed some affection to the daughter, but overall life is about them. They get manicures and pedicures, they get spray tans and they shop several days a week at expensive clothing stores. They eat at expensive restaurants often. Everything about their life is bought and paid for by someone else’s money. Neither work. It pisses me off to know Valerie’s working four days a week on 12-hour shifts so he can take his girlfriend out to the most expensive steak in town after she’s been pampered all day or banging some other dude. I can’t imagine how Valerie feels.

  Mamá pats my cheek affectionately. “You’ll figure it out. You are too smart not to.”

  “Thanks, Mamá, but smart has nothing to do with it this time.”

  “It’ll be fine. Now be a good boy and entertain your girlfriend. She’s out there with your tía and you know Maria’s not always kind to new people.”

  “Mamá, I told you, she’s not my girlfriend. We’ve been out a few times, but it’s not serious.”

  “You must be teasing me. Why waste your time on one that’s not serious? You’re old. When will I get grandchildren?”

  “Mamá, you know I can’t have children. Besides, you have 10 already. Mine would get lost in the mix.”

  Her hand connects with the back of my head in a don’t-be-stupid smack. “Hijo! None of my grandchildren go without love. I give them all attention.”

  “I know. I’m kidding, but you know I can’t have any so can we just leave it at that? Besides, Michelle isn’t wife material. Or at least not my wife.”

  “Hijo! You get my hopes up and probably hers too,” she snaps. I’ve clearly pissed her off because she returns to the stove as she mutters in Spanish while flipping something in the pan.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll go out there, but I won’t marry her.” I scoot out of the kitchen before she can swat me with her spatula.

  Sitting next to Michelle I watch as my aunt picks her apart. Tía Maria is subtle about it, but if she wants information she’s going to get it. It’s interesting to watch Michelle’s reaction. She’s squirming like crazy and can’t seem to give a straight answer. I guess I shouldn’t expect much. She’s 28, 10 years younger than I am, and divorced. I think she’s looking for someone to take care of her and her eight-year-old son, but that guy isn’t me. I’ve told her this before so I was surprised when she pushed to come here.

  Maybe she thought if she got in good with my family that would change my mind. If anything, it’s solidified the fact that she’s not the one for me. I’m not interested in
getting married. I’ve got my reasons and they’re good ones; besides, I’m having a great time. No one tells me where to go or what to do. I work whatever hours I want, go out when I want and juggle all the family responsibilities that I’ve taken on since I went into remission. A wife wouldn’t appreciate the lack of time I have for her or the amount of meddling my family does.

  My older brother, Mateo, and his wife, Paula, fight constantly about how close our family is and how much they know about his life. I’m afraid that’s the kind of woman I would end up with. My younger brother, Diego, and my younger sister, Adrianna, both met their spouses, Claudia and Bruno, at the Saturday family dinner so those two knew what they were getting and seemed to roll right into the Suarez clan without question. It helps that they grew up in a similar environment.

  “Tía Maria, déjalo ir.” Aunt Maria, let it go. I raise my eyebrow, letting her know that I’m serious. I’m done with the inquisition Michelle’s facing.

  “Sobrino, ella no es para ti.” Nephew, she’s not the one for you. She squints her eyes at me and shakes her head.

  “Tía, I already know.” I pat Michelle on the back lightly and ask, “You want to dance?”

  My family loves to dance so we have live music almost every week, and when they take a break, we have the radio playing. Right now the radio is playing a slow song. I pull her into my arms, noting that her perfume is heavier than usual tonight and it’s not a scent I necessarily like.

  “Javier, I don’t think your family likes me very much,” she mentions quietly.

  Here’s my chance to be clear and real. “They like you fine, but they want me to bring a wife home. I’ve told them a hundred times that I’m not getting married, but they still hold out hope.”

  “Not ever?”

  “No, I’m happy with my life the way it is.”

  “Oh.” I can tell she’s surprised by this, but I can’t figure out why since I’ve been clear about keeping things casual since the beginning. I’ve even been honest that I’m seeing other people. I’m enjoying life, plain and simple.

  For some reason, when the night is over and I take Michelle home, I have no desire to accept her offer to stay over. I’m not sure when the last time I turned someone down was, but I definitely wasn’t feeling it tonight. I’m more interested in getting back on surveillance for Valerie’s case.

  By Tuesday I still don’t have anything more than Sheila’s cheating so I ask to meet with Valerie again. I tell myself it’s to discuss the case, but the truth is I want to see her. Hector’s is a little more crowded than the last time. People in this town take Taco Tuesday to extremes. Valerie’s a little less timid this visit, more relaxed. She’s wearing another pair of ass-hugging jeans and a tight sweater and I swear it takes me 10 minutes of thinking of my abuela in her old-lady nightgown to settle things down in my pants.

  Her big blue eyes study me from across the table as I dip my chip in the salsa. “You have me a little concerned, Javier. I didn’t think I’d hear from you for a while. Did something happen? Did you change your mind about taking the case?” The worry in her voice is so heavy I want to reach out and stroke her cheek, erase it.

  Pedro approaches before I can reply to take our order and she surprises me by asking him, “Can I get a margarita?” Last time she drank water.

  “No, bella, nothing like that. I wanted to sit down and talk to see if I could find another angle. So far the only thing I’ve found is proof that Sheila’s a cheater.”

  She gasps like she’s surprised. “Sheila’s cheating on Ron?” Her bulging eyes make me laugh. “What?” she asks. “According to Ron they’re deeply in love. Even Thea thinks so.”

  “Oh no, bella, she’s got a man on the side, an older one. And I can confirm that she and Ron are two of the fakest people I’ve ever watched. He wouldn’t know real if it bit him in the ass and I can’t figure out how he landed you in the first place.”

  A pretty pink blush spreads up her throat to her cheeks and I smile. This happened several times at our first meeting and I couldn’t help but think it was cute. Most of the women I’m around are so busy trying to impress me they forget to be genuine. Every reaction, every expression, everything about this woman is genuine.

  “I was out with friends at a bachelorette party for one of the other residents at the hospital when he approached me. He was cute, a little dorky, but cute and he was sweet. It had been a long time since I’d been out to anywhere other than a restaurant for a quick dinner and I was drinking heavily so I ignored his sweater vest and focused on the smile. I’m embarrassed to say I went home with him that night.” She shrugs. “I was lonely and just felt like going out to have fun because it had been a while since I was with someone. The next morning when I woke up and realized what an idiot I’d been I hauled butt out of there. I must’ve given him more information about myself than I realized because he sent me roses every day at work for the next week. On the eighth day, he waited for me to come out of the hospital and asked me out. I enjoyed all the attention. It didn’t bother him that I was already in the Navy, which was huge. Most men would hear that and run. He was sweet and attentive and it didn’t take long until I fell for him.

  “My family was never crazy about him. In fact, my brothers openly hate him, but he was good to me up until that point so I ignored their warnings and married him.” Her eyes shift to her plate. “I should’ve known. Our only fights in the beginning were when Sheila called to ‘catch up as old friends’. I almost called off the wedding because I thought he was having an affair with her. He swore he wasn’t and the rest is history.”

  She drains her margarita in about four giant gulps and asks Pedro for another.

  “I’m surprised your brothers didn’t kill him. If it were my sister I would have.”

  “Mike wanted to, no doubt, but I talked him down. Even as much as I hate Ron for what he’s done to our family and to me, I know Thea needs her father. As for Thomas…that’s not his style. He’d be a little more stealth about it, like putting Vaseline in the door handles of his car or toilet papering every square inch of his newly landscaped yard or leaving a message on his voicemail telling him that he won a new car and leaving him an address somewhere buried in the ghetto. I should’ve let him do his thing, at least that way I would have gotten some laughs.

  “Looking back now, I understand that the only thing I got out of the marriage was Thea. I’d do it all over again to keep her, but I’d do it differently. I wouldn’t have signed the extension on my contract and gone on another deployment.” She gets quiet for a minute, fidgeting with her fork and knife sitting out on the table. When she glances up at me she asks, “So, can we talk about something else for a little bit? This subject makes me sad as hell. What’s your family like? Are your parents still alive? Do you see them much?”

  Pedro drops off the second margarita and she attacks that one with the same gusto as the last.

  I laugh long and loud and love the unsure grin she gets trying to figure out what I think is so funny. If she only knew. “Both of my parents are still alive. My papá’s been a ranch manager on a horse ranch outside of town for over 20 years and my mamá is a stay-at-home wife. We have a family gathering every week so I see them at a minimum of once a week, but usually more.

  “Since I’ve been back from the Marines I take my abuela, my grandmother, to bingo and the grocery store once a week. My brother Diego is building a house so I’m there two days a week helping him with whatever he needs. I’m also the family go-to person. If someone needs help of any sort they call me.”

  “Why you?”

  “I have the most flexible schedule and I’m the only one without a family of my own. My mamá stays at home during the day to cook and clean but she also cares for my two young nieces while their mothers work.”

  “That’s a lot of responsibility for you.”

  “Nah, it’s the way I was raised. Besides, I enjoy it.”

  “So if you do all that, when do you work?”
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br />   “When I’m not doing those things.” I grin at her, wondering if the smart-ass remark will bug her. She doesn’t even flinch. In fact, she smiles, her eyes a little hazy as the tequila slides through her system.

  “I don’t require much sleep so I find a way to fit it in. I also volunteer at a couple of local veterans’ charities when I can.”

  “I don’t know how you do it. I’m exhausted when I have the four shifts at the hospital and then spend a few days with Thea. I’m trying to add some volunteer time but I’m still trying to figure out how to do it consistently.”

  “Do you volunteer with the homeless vet shelter? I know you were at the fundraiser but I’ve never seen you there.”

  “No, I haven’t gotten involved there yet, but after that event I decided it was time to jump in and find a way to help.”

  “Did you meet Marv at the dinner?”

  “Actually, I sat next to him. What a character he is.”

  “He’s a ball-buster, that’s for sure, but a great guy. Did they tell you about him?”

  “No. I just figured he’s a resident there. He sort of has that weathered look I associate with people who’ve been on the streets for long periods of time.”

  “Marv was on the streets forever, I’m not even sure how long, and made friends with Dex, who I’m sure you heard is a cop. They grew tight but Marv refused any help for the first several years, but Dex knows a good man when he meets one so he kept the friendship with the crotchety old street dweller. After Marina had their twins, three homeless veterans were brutally murdered in Denver and they suspected a serial killer. Marina flew into a tizzy about Marv being on the street. She had a breakdown on him and the old man caved and went to a shelter, but had issue after issue.