“Marsha? What’s the matter, babe?”
I blink again, and when my eyes open up this time, everything is moving around me, all of it rushing at me like a wall of water. And at the front of the wave is Colin, Carson’s shirt in his fist as he pulls him off the stool and backs him against the bar.
“I said, ‘What the fuck did you do to her?’” he shouts in Carson’s face.
Carson is laughing, shaking his head as he hangs limp in Colin’s grasp. He gets closer to Colin and whispers something. Colin’s face flushes and he steps away, shaking Carson before he lets him go. Then his face turns stony cold.
“Try it,” Colin growls, “and get up close and personal with my attorneys. I’ll bury your two-bit hoodlum ass so deep it’ll take them years to find you.”
Carson shakes his head and holds up his hands like he’s surrendering. I know he’s not.
“Whatever you say, rock star. I’m passing on what’s in the news. That’s all. Who knows if it’s even true, right? Course, I heard there’s medical records to confirm it. I wonder how people would get their hands on something like that?” He grins and grabs his glass of whiskey. He raises it in a mock toast to me, slugs back the remainder, and walks out of the bar.
“YOU HAVE to talk to me about this,” Colin hisses as he follows me into the kitchen, where I’m picking up an order.
“I’m working,” I hiss back. “Thanks, Marty.” I give the fry cook a wink.
“Any time, Red.” Marty gestures at Colin. “He know he ain’t allowed back here?”
“Yes. He does.” I nail Colin with a don’t-fuck-with-me glare. “You’re not allowed back here. And again, I’m working.”
“Fine.” He stalks to the door. “I’ll wait.”
“My shift goes for another six hours.”
“I’ll. Wait.”
At some point, Colin must have gone out to his car, because the next time I look around for him, he’s sitting at his favorite table in the back corner, reading while he drinks a beer he didn’t ask me for. Obviously he’s been visiting with Jimmy.
“I have never seen such a stubborn man in my life,” I mumble to myself as I deliver a tray full of dirty glasses to the bar and sort them into the sink.
“You want me to throw him out?” Jimmy asks from behind me.
I don’t look at him, humiliated that he overheard me. “No, it’s all good.”
“Really? ’Cause it sure doesn’t look that way to me. Kid orders his beer from me, and when I ask him how he’s doing tonight, he says to ask you. So I’m asking. How’s the rock star doing tonight?”
I sigh and drop the last glass in the wash water, looking at the closest person to a father I’ve ever had. He has his hands on his hips, eyeing me critically.
“What?” I squeak.
He levels me with a look that says I’d better cough it up.
“Fine. Carson was here giving me a hard time when Colin walked in. They nearly took chunks out of each other, and now he wants to ‘talk about it’ and I don’t.”
Jimmy’s face turns red and his jaw clenches. “What the fuck was that little prick doing in my bar?”
“Getting a whiskey and blowing up my life,” I answer honestly.
“He came in last week while you were gone, asking for you and making all kinds of remarks about where you were and who you were with. I told him in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome back here.”
Jimmy doesn’t get angry often, but when he does it’s not pretty.
“How did he know I was in Hawaii with Colin?” I ask. I’m scared, but I’m also wondering what’s going on because Carson seems to know a whole darn lot about what I do and with whom.
“I have no idea. I didn’t even think about it. But when he started making remarks about your morals, I tossed him out on his ass. Truth is I’ve always hated the fucker. He finally gave me a good excuse to do what I’ve always wanted.”
I look at Jim for a moment more then return to the sink and pick up a glass to wash.
“You haven’t told me what he said to you tonight.”
“Yep. And I’m not going to,” I answer, my voice hard but still fearful.
Jimmy puts a heavy hand on my shoulder. “The kid only wants to help.”
I sigh and feel tears pricking my eyes. “He can’t. He can’t fix this for me.”
“If it helps, I think he really cares. He’s a good guy, Marsha. You haven’t found many of those. Why don’t you let him help out?”
I drop the glass on the floor in my anxiety. Luckily, it bounces on the rubber mat we’re standing on, but neither Jimmy nor I make a move to pick it up.
“Carson has some information. About me, when I was younger. If he tells it around town, it’ll make things really hard for Sean and me. There’s nothing Colin can do about that. And I don’t want to subject Sean to it. I can’t.”
“So what does Carson want?” he asks, looking confused.
“It’s what Jeff wants. He’s getting parole in two weeks, and he wants custody of Sean.”
“What?!” Jimmy’s voice booms across the whole room.
“Shh,” I hush him, looking around to see who might be listening.
“I thought you’d handled that when he went inside?”
“I thought I had too. But apparently Jeff’s been spending time with this pastor who visits the jail. He has the guy convinced that he’s found God, and the church is giving him a job when he gets out. Outreach minister or something. According to Carson, Jeff’s gotten this guy to agree to be a character reference so that he can go back to court and try to get custody. Carson said—”
“Carson said what?” Colin’s voice behind me is hard.
I swallow and face him.
“Time to talk,” Colin says.
I know I can’t avoid him anymore. He’ll still be here when I get done with my shift, so I might as well get it over with.
“Go on,” Jimmy says behind me. “It’s time for your break.”
I sigh, outgunned by the two of them.
I jerk my head toward the kitchen, and Colin follows me until we’ve walked outside to the back parking lot. The last time we were here together, he had his tongue down my throat and his hand up my shirt. Seems like a much better scenario than the one we’re facing right now.
He stands with his hands shoved in the front pockets of his jeans. “Who is this guy?” he asks.
“Carson is Jeff’s best friend,” I answer, my arms wrapped around my middle as if I can hold the panic inside me by force.
“So you told Jeff about the pregnancy? Because his buddy sure seemed to know the details of how the whole thing ended.”
I swallow. “No. That’s what I can’t figure out. I never told Jeff anything other than I’d had a boyfriend named Colin. I swear. I have no idea how Carson found out we were seeing each other or that we’d dated before, much less that I’d been pregnant.”
He scratches his head. “Well, however he found out, he knows now, and I have to head him off if we don’t want him to sell the story to some tabloid.”
“What?” I gasp. No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening to me. It can’t.
“Look, babe.” He puts his hands on my arms and rubs up and down as if to keep me warm.
I keep shaking my head like I can toss all of it away.
“I’m so sorry, but sometimes, the whole rock-star thing is a pain in the ass. People find out shit and think they can use it to take advantage of us and the money we have.”
I press back against the concrete wall of the Bronco, tears welling up in my eyes. The night air is heavy and my insides feel like sludge.
“Hey.” Colin chucks my chin, trying to get me to focus on him. “I’ll fix it. I’ll get my lawyers on it first thing in the morning. They can tell me what our options are. If I can’t slap some sort of injunction on him, then I’ll pay him off and make sure he signs an ironclad non-disclosure.”
I fold over, slamming my hands on my knees as great heaving sob
s suddenly pour out of me. I’m breathing so hard that I can’t see straight and sparks are flying around in front of my eyes. Suddenly it all makes perfect sense. Why Carson is going to so much trouble for Jeff to get Sean. And now I know that he won’t quit, because he’s getting something out of it too. I also know they’ve found the golden key. They’ll destroy my reputation in the media, the courts, and the town. Carson will get cash, either from a tabloid or from Colin, and Jeff will get Sean. I’ll lose my son. I’ll lose my whole life. Again.
Colin kneels in front of me, brushing my hair away from my face and murmuring soothing nonsense. “Shh, Marsha. It’s okay. I promise. This guy can’t hurt us. I’ll protect you. Please believe me.”
“Oh God,” I gasp. “You…you don’t understand.”
“What, baby? What don’t I understand?” he whispers as he runs his thumb across my cheek and looks up at me from under my curtain of hair.
“That’s not what Jeff’s after,” I rasp out.
“What do you mean?”
“Jeff doesn’t care about the money. He wants Sean. Jeff wants Sean, and Carson wants the money, and between the two of them they’ll ruin me.”
Chapter Seventeen
Colin
I’VE BEEN awake most of the night, pacing the floor of my room at Mrs. S.’s, trying to figure out a way to keep Marsha and Sean safe. I’m so sick that I’ve dry heaved twice. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that Marsha’s ex would do something like this. If he and his buddy take the story to the tabloids, it’ll be all over the place in a matter of days. Marsha will be facing any custody challenges in a Texas court, one of the most conservative states in the country. I can’t imagine what kind of public outcry will arise over her abortion. And then the fact that I’m associated with drugs and scandal and rock will make the whole thing worse.
It’s hard to believe that Marsha could end up in a custody battle with her ex in one of the most anti-choice states in the country. How the fuck did this dick Carson find out about what happened to her?
I pull on my hair and yell to release some of the tension that’s building up inside me so that I think I might explode.
I lift my cell phone from my pocket and look at the time. Seven forty-five a.m. Only five forty-five in Portland. Fuck.
Finally, I grab Chet and decide to take a run. It’s the only positive thing I can think to do. We make our way through downtown, past the city park, and the Baptist church Jenny’s dad preaches at. Next we pass the Bronco and the diner where Joss, Mike, Walsh, and I ate breakfast together for the first time after we canceled the tour and went our separate ways.
Eventually, I find myself running clear out to the ranch. I’m a total mess by the time I get there, and I realize I’ll have to get Ronny or someone to drive me home. My legs can’t possibly make it all the way back to Mrs. Stallworth’s.
I knock lightly on the back door of the house and Leanne hollers for me to come on in.
“Well, hey there,” she chirps as I poke my head in. “You working today?”
I lead Chet in and Leanne squeals with excitement.
“Oh my gosh, who is this big, beautiful boy?”
“This is Chet. Say hi,” I command.
He sits and holds very still as Leanne bends down and puts out her hand. She talks softly, obviously familiar with how to deal with an unknown dog.
“Hi, Chet. It’s very nice to meet you.” As he sniffs her hand, she continues talking, but to me this time. “Where’d he come from, Colin?”
“Uh, you could say I found him,” I answer.
“He sure looks a lot like old Mr. Romine’s dog. But it couldn’t be. That dog was a monster and would never have let me pet him like this.”
I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, he does look a lot like Romine’s beast. I heard the old man was abusing that dog. Hopefully someone was smart enough to rescue the poor thing and give it a better life.”
Leanne looks at me shrewdly. “Yes, hopefully.” She stands and walks to the coffee maker. “You need a cup of coffee?”
“Only if it has a glass full of ice in it,” I answer, wiping sweat off my face with the bottom of my T-shirt.
“Actually, I can do that.” She goes to the freezer and fills a glass with ice. Then she pours the coffee over the top. “There you go. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” I tell Chet to lie down in the corner, then sit at Leanne’s kitchen table.
She gives him a big bowl of ice water. Poor dog, he’s not used to this kind of distance either. We’re both going to be sore as hell tomorrow.
“So, you never told me—are you working today? I can keep Chet with me if you want.”
“No, no. I’m not doing any work. I was, uh, on a run and sort of ended up here.”
“A run? That’s more like a marathon. I didn’t know you were a runner.”
I can’t help but snort. “Yeah, I’m really not. I do a few miles here and there, but not generally the ten it took to get out here. And I have to be honest, I’m not sure I can stand up from this table, much less walk back to town.”
Leanne laughs and shakes her head. “I’m sure we can find a ride for you. What prompted this long-distance mistake?”
I have another swallow of the cold caffeine that’s slowly reviving me. “I think I’ve gone and done the one thing I said I wouldn’t.”
“What’s that?” She sips her coffee and watches me thoughtfully as I slowly rotate the glass on the tabletop.
“I’ve made Marsha’s life harder. Ten years ago, I left her with a mess to clean up, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that. She’s hard, you know. She doesn’t trust easily, but I should have worked at it. I shouldn’t have walked away. Now it looks like my being here has brought a load of crap down on her and Sean, and I don’t know how to keep history from repeating itself.”
Leanne’s brow furrows, and she bites her lip. Chet sighs and flops over on his side, obviously settling in for a nice long nap.
“When I saw Marsha yesterday everything seemed fine. Better than fine, actually. What happened?”
“Did you know Jeff?” I ask.
Leanne’s mouth tightens into a grimace. “Oh yeah. Everyone knew Jeff. He was a goodtime guy. Always glad-handing everyone. As oily as they come, but a very practiced charmer.”
“Well, he has some buddy—Carson?”
Leanne visibly shivers. “Now Carson is a different story. Jeff was sleazy. Carson is dangerous.”
“So it seems. He showed up at the Bronco last night. He’s been hassling Marsha and I didn’t know about it. Jeff got parole, and he wants custody of Sean.”
“What?! No. There is no way any court would give that guy custody. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him speak to Sean much less act like a father. Sean hasn’t seen him since he’s been in. The poor kid probably wouldn’t recognize him.”
“Oh it gets better,” I mumble.
“Tell me the rest, Colin. I want to be there for Marsha.”
I sigh, wondering if I can explain it without revealing the dirty details. “Carson found out Marsha and I have a history—and a present. He knows something about our past that could damage Marsha’s reputation. And Jeff has apparently manipulated some pastor from the prison into giving him a job as an outreach minister as well as a character reference for a custody fight. Carson plans to leak Marsha’s past to the media since it’s tied to me. He can get paid by a tabloid for the story, and with the damage to her reputation, Jeff will be left with an even better chance of winning custody from Marsha.”
“Oh my God,” Leanne breathes out. She sits back in her chair to digest the bombshell. “They can’t… Can they do that?”
“Truth? Possibly. I’ll be on the phone with my attorneys as soon as their office opens in Portland, but I can’t promise that they can prevent all of it.”
“Dear God. Poor Marsha. That boy is everything to her.”
My heart squeezes, and I swallow, the thought of Sean being taken from her sendin
g pain deep into my soul. That sweet kid being subjected to life with people like Carson is something I can’t stomach.
“Not only to her,” I say. “I’ll do anything, Leanne, anything, to keep that kid safe. Even if it’s from his own father.”
She leans across the table and places her hand over mine. “You’re a good guy, Colin. I’m sure Leanne is happy to have you on her side.”
“But see, that’s the thing. I don’t think she’s going to let me be on her side. She’s already started pulling away. It’s what she does, and this time it really is my fault. By being around and being famous I’ve brought all this down on her. If I’d stayed away none of this would have happened.”
“And Marsha wouldn’t have found her heart again either. Don’t you dare say you’ve been bad for her, Colin. I saw her yesterday after that week in Hawaii. She’s a new woman. You’ve given her a second chance to be happy and free. No one else can do that. You need to get on the phone with those attorneys and protect her. Fight for her, fight for Sean, and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. You understand me?”
I nod and clench my fists under the table. I’m the mellow guy. I don’t dig in—I ditch. I skate on by and leave the messes for other people. But I can’t do that to Marsha again. I have to stick it out this time, no matter what. She and Sean need me. I’m not seventeen anymore and there’s even more at stake now.
“Okay,” I tell Leanne. “I won’t give up. I’ll bring everything I’ve got, and we’ll win. We’ll make sure Sean stays with his mom, whatever it takes.”
Leanne stands and walks to the pegboard where her car keys hang. “You’re what’s best for her, Colin. I’m sure of it. You two can beat this. But for now, I’m going to give you a ride home because you smell so bad I can’t handle it anymore.”
I laugh and threaten to hug her as we walk out the door, Chet following close behind, protecting me like I plan to protect Marsha.
BY NOON I have my attorneys in Portland preparing an injunction against Carson, and the best custody attorney in the State of Texas is meeting me in Dallas tomorrow.
A Lush Reunion Page 16
