A Marriage Between Friends (3 page)

His palm landed awkwardly on top of Teddy’s soft auburn hair.

“Teddy. Teddy, let go, baby.” Jill was at Vince’s feet, pulling Teddy back to her. But the boy only clung tighter to Vince. “Teddy, he’s not your father.” Jill skewered Vince with a look.

“But you’re married.” The boy stared at his mother with eyes suddenly welling with tears.

Jill shook her head and drew Teddy away from Vince.

“But—”

“Your father didn’t want…” Jill’s voice trailed off and she looked at Vince helplessly.

Teddy cut a quick glance in Vince’s direction. “You didn’t want me?”

“Dad, I’ll be good. I promise. Don’t leave.” Trying not to cry, Vince blocked the door. But his father was bigger and stronger and had no trouble easing Vince aside. Had no trouble leaving without looking back.

“I always wanted you.” On impulse Vince put a hand on Teddy’s skinny shoulder. He’d been ready to take on the responsibility of fatherhood and give this boy the love he deserved. When he’d asked Jill to marry him he’d told her that everyone deserved to be loved, even a baby you hadn’t counted on.

“Vince, don’t build his hopes,” Jill warned.

Teddy wiped tears from his cheeks and gazed up at Vince reverently. In that moment, Vince would have done anything for the kid.

“You always think things are more complicated than they are,” Vince said softly, unable to take his eyes off Teddy.

“And you always believe you’ve found the best and only solution.”

Vince scowled and stared pointedly at his ring on her left hand. “You married me, didn’t you?” He hadn’t noticed the ring before and wondered why it was still there. There was no way she wore it for the same reason he did.

“So…are you my dad?” Teddy broke in, his bottom lip trembling as he looked from Jill to Vince.

The truth would take some of the shine out of the kid’s eyes and Vince was reluctant to do it. But the truth had to be said. “No.”

Jill spread her arms and Teddy filled them. Vince’s urge to drop to his knees and be a part of that embrace was surprisingly strong.

“Your father wasn’t ready to be a dad, Teddy. But from the moment I saw you, Teddy, I loved you.” Jill’s expression was fierce, kindling an ache in Vince’s chest. No one had ever claimed to feel that way about him. “I wanted you, Teddy. I was willing to do anything to protect you, even marry someone else, someone other than your dad, and move up here.”

Vince had been reduced to nothing more than a “someone else” in her life, not even a friend. If that wasn’t his cue to leave Vince didn’t know what was. But first he had to find out why Jill was against the casino. He needed as much support as he could get.

“But he’s here now.” His voice high-pitched and desperate, Teddy pointed at Vince. “He’s here and he could be my dad.”

Dad. This boy thought he was father material. Vince wouldn’t know how or where to begin to be a father. His own had given up on him after fourteen years. Still…

“He can’t be your dad,” Jill was saying.

“Wait a minute,” Vince said, causing Teddy to beam, which in turn made Vince’s heart swell—this little boy wanted him for a dad!

“A father is there for you every day, in every way. Vince lives in Las Vegas.”

“Oh.” Vince and Teddy were simultaneously brought crashing back to earth. Vince realized his toes were cold. Who was he kidding? No way was he father material.

Teddy wiped his face with his hands and then stood dejectedly, shifting on his long, skinny feet.

Jill kissed Teddy’s cheek. “I think we’ve done enough painting for one night. Why don’t you go on upstairs and get yourself some ice cream?”

“Three scoops?” Teddy sniffed, sneaking a glance at Vince.

“Two.” Jill wrapped her arms around the kid, only releasing him when he squirmed free. “I’ll be up soon to tuck you in.”

Teddy shuffled across the gravel driveway to a covered staircase. Vince’s anger grew with each step Teddy took as he climbed to the second story, but he held it in check until a door clicked closed.

“It’s been more than ten years, Jill. You haven’t told him anything about me.”

Jill jerked her head as if in shock, sending her auburn ponytail cascading over one shoulder. “You’re not his father, Vince.”

“But I
am
your husband.” Not that he knew what that meant. Vince rubbed his forehead. He hadn’t come here to reclaim his wife. Vince should just slide back into the leather seat of his Porsche and instruct his attorney to draw up the divorce papers. He reached in his pocket for his car keys, but couldn’t seem to pull them out. “I told you when I asked you to marry me that I’d love your baby as if he were my own.”

“I know.” Jill looked away and lowered her voice. “Teddy’s been without a father for ten years because of me. I had some hard choices to make, but I’m willing to live with them.” And then she did look at him, squaring her shoulders. “Besides, you only came now because a business deal made it convenient. I don’t expect you to step into the fatherhood role after all this time.”

“Then what do you expect?” But Vince knew. Money. He flexed his fingers. It always came down to money, and Arnie had mentioned her buying this place. Shady Oak couldn’t have been cheap. “We’re still married. My family made a deal with yours. It’s been quite profitable.” Vince glared at Jill. They hadn’t signed a prenuptial agreement.

“How dare you imply—”

“How dare you
leave
me!” Vince lost the struggle with his temper. “You got what you wanted—a name to legitimize Teddy—and I’ve let you keep it all these years, no questions asked. Well, now you can damn well answer a few of them.”

“P
LEASE DON’T YELL
.”
Jill felt Vince’s anger pulse over her. She hadn’t realized how much she’d hurt him back then.

And yet she couldn’t tell him the real reason she’d left, because Vince was nothing like the memory of the man she’d carried with her all these years. He wasn’t patient. He wasn’t kind. He didn’t…

He’d never understand, and she’d had enough dreams shattered for one day.

Ignoring the way the cool air had her shivering, Jill turned her back on Vince and picked up Teddy’s paintbrush. There were two more boards to paint.

“I’m sorry,” Vince said after several seconds sounding anything but. He sighed.

Jill tried to ignore him. First thing tomorrow she’d spray-paint two powerful words on all of the signs. By the afternoon she’d have them up all over town and then she could make the guest beds, hang the linens and stock the rooms with toiletries in preparation for a new group of clients checking in Sunday afternoon.

And Vince—both the real and her fantasy version—would most likely be gone.

A pang of loneliness settled in her bones.

Of course, it could have been the cold. It was quite nippy now.

Vince’s Italian loafers moved closer as Jill splashed a curve of purple jerkily across the board. But Vince said nothing, and then his feet disappeared. A car door opened and closed.

Jill’s shoulders sagged. The Vince she’d fashioned over the years wouldn’t have let the conversation end, wouldn’t have left. He’d have stayed and faced the situation head-on.

“What kind of crazy stuff are they assigning school-kids nowadays?” Vince crouched next to Jill and picked up the other paintbrush. He’d taken off his expensive jacket and tucked his tie in the placket of his shirt.

“It’s…um…crazy.” Jill repressed the urge to smile. If the man didn’t have enough sense to leave she wasn’t going to tell him he was helping the opposition. Smooth and graceful, his line of green more closely resembled Teddy’s style than hers. It was only guilt that made her admit, “You’re good with a brush.”

Vince flashed her the smile he’d given the tribal council.

“But this isn’t rocket science, so I’m not impressed.” Jill went back to her own stiff lines as the wind rustled through the branches above them. The storm that was supposed to pass through during the night was building. The road to Mokelumne was tricky enough in daylight. Add darkness and rain and it was dangerous. “You’re not Monet. You can paint faster.”

“I don’t think Teddy would appreciate something just thrown together.”

“You’d be surprised.”

A faint roll of thunder sounded in the distance. The boards were on the east side of the garage sheltered by an overhang. They’d be protected tonight. If Vince didn’t leave soon, Jill wouldn’t be.

“Switch brushes.” Jill dipped her brush in purple and handed the dripping mess to him.

Vince was more meticulous in his pass-off. The green didn’t so much as dribble off the brush when he gave it to her, reminding Jill how graceful he was. She’d always struggled to be the polished sophisticate, while he could carry off class in worn jeans and a T-shirt. He was probably an accomplished lover, too.

“You’re smearing the paint,” Vince pointed out. “You’ve got a big black blotch where the green and purple mix. Why don’t you turn that one over and start again?”

It was on the tip of Jill’s tongue to tell Vince the blotches didn’t matter. By tomorrow there’d be something covering up her sloppy work. “This will do.”

“Here. I’ll fix it.” Vince edged closer, reaching his arms in front of her so that he could pick up her board. Long arms, long fingers, long—

“It’s fine.” That self-preservation kicked in again. No longer cold, Jill elbowed Vince back into his own space, sending a glob of green paint flying onto one of his fine Italian-leather shoes. She snatched up a scrap of newspaper and tried to wipe the goop off, but the paint had already soaked into the leather, leaving a dime-size mark.

“I’m sorry. I’m always such a klutz.”

“Some things never change.” Vince laughed, a rich sound that seeped into Jill’s system and made her want to relax until she looked in his dark eyes and saw the same lure of heat that had made her heart pound when she was a teenager. Now her heart nearly stopped. Was she destined to be simultaneously intimidated and drawn to Vince?

As if sensing her confusion, Vince let his laughter fade away. His gaze trapped hers.

Thunder grumbled in the distance.

“You say that like it’s a good thing.” Turning away, Jill slapped paint on the last bare corners of her board. The wind had picked up, quivering the tree limbs overhead. “It’s getting late. You need to go before the storm comes.”

W
HAT HAPPENED HERE
?

One minute Vince was convinced Jill was out to fleece him and the next she had him eating out of her hand, only to send him away as if she hadn’t noticed the sparks between them. Which, considering their past, shouldn’t surprise him.

Vince had driven out to Shady Oak for some answers and had come up empty. Jill had ignored his demands to know why she’d left and he’d forgotten—
forgotten
—to ask her why she wasn’t going to support the casino. Frustration burned beneath his skin, and the pent-up energy demanded release.

Vince fired up the Porsche, toying with the idea of gunning it down the driveway as if he were a broken-hearted teenager. Maturity won out only because the gravel would pepper his fenders. Instead, Vince backed out quickly and took off with just a bit more gas than was wise.

The sky ignited with lightning, and thunder bellowed so close it shook the car.

His headlights picked up a smoking pink housecoat.

Vince slammed on the brakes. He’d almost taken out an old woman in curlers walking her poofy, volleyball-size, white dog. And indulging in a pipe.

The thunder faded away.

Vince’s heart started beating again. He turned off the engine, left the lights on and hopped out into the windy night. “Sorry about that. Are you okay?”

Silver curlers glinted in the car’s beams. The old woman drew the pipe slowly from her mouth. “I nearly peed my pants. Think Moonbeam piddled herself. How ’bout you?”

Relief had him grinning. “Pretty damn close.”

Moonbeam’s white hair stuck out like porcupine quills, but whether that was from fright or her natural state, Vince didn’t know.

“Name’s Edda Mae. I buzzed you in the gate.” The woman drew on her pipe, sending wisps of smoke curling into the air. “Saw you speak in town. I had hopes for you, boy.”

“The project is in the early stages. Don’t give up on me yet.”

“Wasn’t talkin’ about your money.” Edda Mae gestured with her pipe to the glowing windows above the Edda Mae’s Dining Emporium sign.

Vince glanced up at Jill’s place, allowing the woman to make assumptions. Jill had left Vegas and made something of herself while he’d flailed around without a clear purpose. A better man might not have felt jealousy. In any case, he’d get this casino off the ground despite Jill’s opposition, and then he’d finally feel as if he’d accomplished something.

Fat drops fell in a faltering pattern around them.

“Shouldn’t be out in this weather. You got a place to stay?” Edda Mae’s gaze was piercing.

“No.”

“You best park that thing over here. Don’t know why young bucks need to drive like they’re havin’ bad sex.” She turned toward a miniature house on the downhill side of the garage. “Fast, fast, fast. What a waste.”

“Beg pardon?” He couldn’t have heard her right.

“The rain’s come,” Edda Mae said, her eyes trained on the rocky ground as she walked away. “The road won’t be safe. You’ll have to stay here tonight. Best hurry before I change my mind, boy.” As Edda Mae climbed the steps to the narrow covered front porch, the rain arrived with a roar, sending Vince scrambling for cover.

A few minutes later he sat on an antique brocade love seat with worn-out cushions and wood trim that creaked every time he breathed. The small cottage was crammed with an eclectic mix of possessions—Native American baskets and pottery, a short section of picket fence leaning against a wall, a 49ers calendar from two years ago—and smelled of tobacco. Moonbeam sat just out of reach and stared at Vince with dark, beady eyes.

“Whiskey?” Edda Mae asked, seemingly unconcerned that she was entertaining in her pink chenille robe and curlers.

“Beer?” he countered.

“Coffee?”

“Black. Let me help you.” Vince leaned forward to stand, but Moonbeam started yapping. Vince sat back again.

“Moonbeam doesn’t like strangers in the house. Best stay where you are. Besides, Jill gave me one of those newfangled coffee machines last Christmas.”

Vince slid to the end of the couch. The little beast pranced along with him, growling. Vince scowled at her. They were still having a face-off when Edda Mae came out with two mugs.

She handed the steaming one to Vince and then parked herself in a big brown recliner. “You aren’t a dog person, are you.”

“Never had one.” The ceramic mug was too hot to hold. Vince set it on a coaster on the antique end table.

Still growling, Moonbeam tilted sideways along with his arm. All it would take is one swift boot…

Edda Mae took a swig from her cup and studied Vince through faded brown eyes that seemed too knowing. “Everybody should have a dog. They’re man’s best friend.”

Vince shook his head. Moonbeam’s nose twitched. The dog was annoying but cute. He could never really hurt her.

“Ever own a cat?”

“No.”

“Canary?”

“No.”

The rain came down with hail-like ferocity. Moonbeam licked her chops as if anticipating an Italian snack.

“That’s just not right.” Edda Mae imbibed a bit more and then pinned him with squinty eyes. “You ain’t been around for Teddy.”

Vince opened his mouth to explain that he wasn’t the boy’s father, but thought better of it. Moonbeam’s snarl filled the air, instead.

A framed picture of Jill holding a baby with ruddy cheeks and a gummy grin caught his eye. “You watch out for Jill,” Vince observed, feeling unexpectedly empty. “I should go.”

If Vince slept on the antique love seat, he’d have to hang his legs over the side, and he was certain to wake up with kinks in several places.

“No need. I’ll get you set for the night. Jill’s an early riser.”

Edda Mae stood with the exacting precision of one who doesn’t always feel stable on her feet when she first gets up. “Come along.”

Ignoring Moonbeam’s noisy protests, Vince steadied Edda Mae, moving her toward what he took to be a closet where he guessed she kept the extra bedding.

Edda Mae dug in her heels. “I’m not going to let you into my bedroom, young man. We’ve only just met.”

He released the old woman. “I’m sorry. If you give me a blanket, I’ll make the bed.” Vince tried not to look at the love seat.

Now it was Edda Mae’s turn to take his arm, steering him toward the door. “You’re not sleeping with me. You’re sleeping with Jill.”

Much as the idea appealed to Vince, he was sure Jill would think differently. “Why don’t you put me in one of those guest cottages?”

Edda Mae pulled on a neon-pink hooded slicker over her curlers and robe. “We had the exterminator in this afternoon. Ain’t nobody staying in those rooms until they’ve been aired out and wiped clean. And we can’t start that until tomorrow.”

Frowning, Edda Mae looked Vince up and down, then handed him a small purple umbrella with pink polka dots. “Which is why you’ll be sleeping with your wife tonight.”