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Tessa
Tessa couldn’t find her hairdryer and towel drying was the closest she was going to get to managing her hair.
Seeing JJ with his broad shoulders and still trim waist under his fitted suit made her want to hide under the towel for good. She shot a glance between Nathan and the man she suddenly realized she’d never been able to forget and she tried to calm the pitter-pat of her heart beat. Nathan looked so much like his daddy. What was she thinking to leave like she had?
Leaving had been the best move for everyone. Jeremiah looked to be doing well. He wouldn’t have that, if Tessa had hung around and saddled him with a baby.
Seeing JJ standing beside his son sent the strongest twinge of remorse through her gut. She’d taken that from him. Lifting her chin, she refused to give in to the inevitable guilt and the emotional instability of being back in Bride under the circumstances she was trapped in.
Not taking her gaze off JJ, Tessa reached down to her side and snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp in the apartment. Nathan didn’t blink as he hurried to her side. Tessa didn’t watch her son as he approached. He understood when she wanted to be minded and she didn’t need words for it.
Continuing to stare at the man she’d left at the altar, she held her breath. What could he possibly want? Her stomach clenched and unclenched. She swore she wouldn’t be able to breathe if he didn't say something soon.
Why did he look so good? He was supposed to get uglier with age. If anything, the man’s good looks had only increased over time. The absolute injustice of it was overwhelming. His dark hair hadn't begun to recede as an endearing chunk fell across his forehead.
The angles of his strong jaw were enhanced with the presence of a shadow. Dang, if she didn’t want to press the tip of her index finger into the small dimple in his chin. Dark eyes watched her without judgment, just perusing her from head to toe.
She clenched her jaw. How many times had he held her and kissed her and told her she was the one? How badly had she hurt him? She had all but physically slapped him in the face when she’d left him. The pain in her stomach took a different turn and she subconsciously dug her fist into the soft spot above her jean waist band.
Admitting that the sight of Nathan standing beside his father had almost undone her would never happen. She lifted her chin. She had to harden her heart against seeing him and the things he did to her insides.
Tessa had walked away from her chance with him. She took a deep breath. Keep things professional, Tess. “What can I do for you?” She furrowed her brow and finally looked toward the door. “How did you get in?” Was it obvious that she didn’t understand what was going on? Hopefully, he couldn’t tell how much his presence affected her.
No man needed that much knowledge of power.
JJ pointed down the stairs and glanced at Nathan. “The man of the house let me in.” His voice was still the same husky rough tone she'd always thought belonged in a Western song.
Tessa ran her fingers through her thick, damp hair and pushed away from the safety of the bathroom, heading toward the couch. She couldn’t show her weaknesses around him. She couldn’t...
Motioning in the general direction of the empty cushions of the longer piece of furniture, she smiled brightly as she claimed a spot in front of the short loveseat. “Well, come in. What do I owe for this visit?” She had just gotten into town and there he was, less than twenty-four hours later.
Of course, Tessa had Aunt Suki to thank for that. Stupid small town.
She inhaled, keeping her gaze trained on JJ, even though she wanted to eye Nathan. She would definitely add to his list of don’ts – answering the door for strangers when Mom didn’t tell him he could. She couldn’t be mad at him, because, of course, he hadn’t known any better.
Inclining his head, he stuck his hands into the pockets of his well-fitted slacks and turned halfway, glancing at Nathan and then facing Tessa again. His eyes were soft which only irritated Tessa more. “I heard you just got into town.” He didn't move toward her, as if ignoring her invite. Nor did he take a seat on the couch. Cocking his head to the side, he watched her as if waiting for information he already had from his aunt.
Small towns sucked.
If he wouldn’t sit, neither would she. She'd be hanged before he'd stand above her. Holding a pleasant expression on her face that she hoped didn’t wilt any time soon, she nodded. “I saw your aunt. Is she the one who let you know I was here?”
“Of course.” He smiled a long, slow, lazy curl of his lips that did things to her insides even after seven years since seeing the last one. Dang that man and his mouth.
Tessa looked around, unsure of exactly what she was supposed to say. She nodded, pressing her lips together. After a moment, she eyed him. “You look official.”
And he did with his neatly pressed button-up white shirt and red and blue tie. He didn't have the normal gut men in their late 20s usually were beginning to develop. He was fit and his pants were slightly loose at the waist with a straight front that wasn’t pleated.
He grinned, tugging on the bottom of his tie. “I hope so, I'm a lawyer.” JJ glanced down as Nathan walked past him and claimed a seat on the couch to play with a small toy car. “I handle all kinds of cases – family law, estate law, liability, you name it. I’m pretty much the only lawyer in town since Old Man, I mean, since Mr. Jamison passed away a few years ago.”
David Jamison had died? The Jamison family had been as entrenched in the Bride community as the Sinclairs, except from the right side of the tracks – like Jeremiah and his family.
None of that mattered compared to JJ’s success. Success she had walked away from being a part of. Success he would probably never have found, if she’d stuck around. She had to hold onto that.
She blinked at him. “Wow, you did it. Great job.” He finished his dreams and in short succession. He'd always been so smart. Hearing he’d done something with his potential made her feel better about her decisions so long ago. Tessa worked her fingers, twisting and pulling at waist level as she watched him.
Even though she hadn’t been there, she couldn’t help the flash of pride that rushed through her.
Finally, he lifted his gaze and they connected. Tessa tried to stop the flood of whatever passed between them. She wanted to say she was sorry for leaving him and taking his child but... He hadn't even known about the boy until she was gone.
If he even knew. Had he known? How would he have found out, if her mother hadn’t told him? How forthcoming had Jillian been with him? Did he know about the fight between Tessa and Jillian? Shame came over Tessa. The last thing she needed was her dirty laundry out for Jeremiah to see.
“Your mom. With how you left... I thought... no, hoped you’d been lying. Jillian had said you lost...” He looked at her questioningly as if maybe he wasn't sure. He motioned toward Nathan, a shadow of betrayal growing in his eyes and the hardness of his jaw. Somehow he tempered the rising emotion.
Tessa dug her fingernails into the soft tissue of her palm. She never could control her emotions that way. “Yeah, well. Life happens.” She changed the direction of their conversation, catching the slight narrowing of his eyes. She had to cut him off before the accusations started and he asked why she left and why she’d taken Nathan. “How are your parents?”
“They passed away couple years ago.” He said matter-of-factly as if he hadn't just said that his parents had died. He didn’t even seem affected by their loss. The truth was hard to hear.
“I'm sorry.” But was she? His parents had hated her, as the daughter of the bar owner she was a blemish on Bride, Texas. His parents had never let her forget it. As if Tessa needed help remembering where she came from and who she was. Folding her arms, she stuck her foot to the side, leaning her weight on her hip. “What did you need, Jeremiah?”
“It’s Jeremiah now?” Something unrecognizable flashed in his eyes. “I was your mom's lawyer. We need to go over some things. When she died, Jillian owed only a small amount of money on the bar but not much. I know she had bills she was working on as well. Leaving you and your... son in the will, she had some caveats in place in case you didn’t choose to keep the bar. She didn't know Nathan’s name or even that he was a boy, so she never included that in the paperwork.”
“Caveats?” Tessa drew her brows together and chewed on her bottom lip. Her lack of education was showing and feeling stupid wasn’t on her list of favorite things. She blinked, wishing her breathing would calm down and that JJ wouldn’t realize she was about to freak out.
“Yes. For instance, if you want to sell the bar, you can only sell your half to the co-owner. If you sell the bar, the apartment goes with it.” JJ pulled his hands out and ticked off the information on his fingers. “There are a lot more, but we can go over those later. For the most part, that’s the biggest one. Did you want to sell the bar? Or, maybe you want to continue what she was doing...” He left the question as more of a lingering statement.
She clutched onto the main thing she understood. “What was she continuing to do? Seems like maybe that was an unfinished question?” Tessa was done playing games. She wanted the information blunt and fast and she wanted to know what was going on.
No more playing games. No more subtleties. Just tell her like it was. That wasn’t asking too much.
JJ cleared his throat and rocked forward on his feet. He tucked his hands back into his pockets. “Well, I'm a full partner in her business. I bailed her out financially a while ago. You and I both own the business at this point.” He had the sensitivity to look uncomfortable while dispelling that information.
That probably saved his life. Tessa’s confusion shifted to unabashed anger. She struggled to hold her irritation under control, but only succeeded in holding her breath until she saw spots.
Tessa couldn't stand any longer. Sinking into the worn cushions of the couch behind her, Tessa pressed her fist into her stomach. She felt she’d been punched through her gut to her back. What was going on?
Her anger seemed justified. Why would JJ be partners with Jillian? What did he have to gain? Had the changes been his idea? Had he pushed to change Jillian and succeeded where Tessa had failed?
Her anger faded and she suddenly felt like she’d been slapped down, filled with fatigue. She had no idea what was going on. She just wanted to... what? Take a nap?
Her mom had been business partners with JJ. Which meant... Now Tessa was business partners with JJ.
Why did she feel like things had gone from bad to worse?