A Matter of Trust (21 page)

“
Nope, and it’s not just
because Jake is my brother. If he wasn’t my brother and I wasn’t
madly in love with Cade, I’d think he was a great catch. In fact, I
still think he’s a great catch, and I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t
mean it. I love Jake, but I also love you, Trish. What has he said
about it?”

“
Here’s the thing. He told
me awhile back that he loved me, but I didn’t feel ready to handle
it. He’s been great about not pressuring me, but last night, things
kind of came to a head when the kids asked him to be their
dad.”

“
Holy shit!” Callie
started laughing. “How much do you figure he paid them?”

Trish scowled. “Very funny. The kids
had talked it over after some of their friends asked them why they
didn’t have a dad. They decided Jake would fit that bill and asked
us if it they could tell people he was their dad, since he did a
bunch of ‘dad things.’ If I hadn’t been caught so off guard, I
might have thought it was cute, too.”

Eva chimed in, “So, what did Jake
say?”

“
He told them that he
loved them and me. I told them they couldn’t tell people he was
their dad, because he wasn’t, but it felt like things were kind of
up in the air, and Trevor asked me to think about it. Jake was
great, as usual, saying how honored he was and how now the kids
were in his corner. You know, he’s just so perfect, it scares me. I
keep waiting for the bottom to fall out underneath me.”

“
That’s just your past
scaring you, Trish,” Eva commented. “Nobody’s perfect, obviously,
but you can find the perfect partner for you, faults and all. Do
you see any similarities between Jake and Pete?”

“
Absolutely not. Pete,
aside from his gambling problems, was weak. He had all these
dreams, but no plan to make them come true. Gambling obviously
doesn’t count as a plan.”

“
So, what’s the problem?”
Callie pressed.

“
Well, Callie, I think the
problem is that there is no problem, and that worries me. I know
I’m sounding loony, but it’s like I’m on some kind of a ledge and
below me is this beautiful, crystal clear water beckoning me to
jump, and I’m hot, and it looks so cool and refreshing, but in the
back of my mind, I remember that a long time ago, there were sharks
in that water and, although it’s supposed to be safe now, I can’t
get the previous danger out of my head.”

“
What a great analogy. So,
putting it in terms more pertinent, you think Jake’s great, and
he’d be a wonderful addition to the family, but you’re still a
little hesitant, because there’s always a chance that things won’t
work out. Is that pretty close?” Callie looked at Trish
questioningly.

“
Exactly. I’m trying to
get past that, but I don’t know how to.” Trish sighed dramatically
and looked over at her friends.

Eva added, “You know, I love Josh with
all my heart, but in the back of my mind, I know that there’s no
guarantee that we’ll have a happily ever after. I have no doubt he
would never abuse me like my ex-husband did, but that’s still no
guarantee. Either of us could be killed in a car wreck or any
number of things could go wrong. There are no assurances that
everything will work out for any couple, but if you learn from your
past mistakes – and I’ll bet you’ve learned plenty – when you find
someone special like you found Jake, it’s worth taking a chance. At
least I think it is. So, what have you learned from your first
marriage that you can apply to your second, aside from the bad
stuff. What will you do differently if you ever
remarry?”

Trish looked at both of her friends.
“I’ve learned not to leave the big stuff like finances up to my
husband. I want to be a full partner when it comes to budgeting and
making financial decisions. I’ve learned to voice my concerns as
they arise, rather than shrugging them off. I suspected things were
off before I found out what Pete had done, but I didn’t pursue it,
because I didn’t want to upset him or face up to the fact that I
suspected him of any wrong doing. And I’ve learned that I can’t
change anyone but myself. I knew Pete had issues, especially with
self-esteem, but I believed I could ‘cure’ him of that by standing
by him and building him up. It doesn’t work that way. Lastly, I’ve
learned – and Jake helped me with this one – the only actions I’m
responsible for are my own.”

“
Damn, girlfriend, you
have learned a whole lot. That’s worth a high five.” Callie lifted
her hand up in the air, and the other women joined her in the
universal salute for a job well done.

Eva followed up with another comment.
“So, where does that leave you, Trish?”

“
Ladies, I do believe that
leaves me … in love with Jake. I’m still not completely comfortable
yet, but I have to be honest with myself, and I think it’s time
that I’m also honest with him. I’ve put off telling him, but I
can’t anymore, not only because he wants and needs to hear it, but
also because I want and need to say it. And, by God, I think that
deserves another high five.” Her friends agreed and complied, and
they spent the next couple hours relaxing and being pampered and
beautified.

The week passed by in a blur. Jake
left for Albuquerque and called her often, and she couldn’t wait
until he got back into town. She’d had a lot of time to think, and
she’d decided to tell him she loved him when he got back to town.
The more she thought about it, the more comfortable she got with
the idea, and the more she wanted to share her feelings with
Jake.

Should she just blurt it
out?
Hey, Jake, I’ve decided I love
you.
Or should she build up to
it
. Hello, Jake. I’ve wanted to tell you
something for awhile now.
Jeez Louise, she
didn’t have a clue. She’d have to give it some thought before he
returned from Albuquerque this weekend.

On Friday at closing time Trish walked
to the front of the center to collect Diana and lock up for the
night when the front door opened. Diana had changed her phone
number again and chose not to give her parents her new number, and
the harassment had stopped, at least for the time being. She turned
around to see who had entered, but whipped her head back around
when Diana’s chair flipped over.

“
Di, are you okay?” The
look on Diana’s face reflected sheer terror as she stared at the
man who had come inside. Diana couldn’t answer her, but it wasn’t
hard to figure out who was standing inside the doorway.

“
I’m sorry, sir, but we’re
closed for a meeting. You’ll have to leave now.” Trish put herself
between Diana and the intruder.

The man sneered at Trish. “A meeting,
huh? Is that why the parking lot is empty? You know what I think?
I’ll tell you what I think. I think it’s just the three of us here.
And I think it’s time we all sat down and had us a talk. I’ve been
watching y’all walk out together every night this week. Just the
two of y’all, all alone. I couldn’t help but wonder … what the hell
did the two of y’all think you could do against one of
me?”

Trish continued as if he hadn’t even
spoken. “Look, if I were you, I’d turn myself around and walk right
back out that door. You’re in violation of a restraining order. I
am the owner of this establishment, and I am asking you to leave.
Now. If you don’t, I’ll have to call the police and have you
removed.”

“
Is that
right?”

“
Roger, why don’t we go
some place, so we can talk? My boss was just going to lock up.
Let’s go.”

“
Now, you want to go talk,
Diana? The time for talking is fucking over, Diana. You had your
chance to meet me for a talk, but you wouldn’t, would you? Ever
since you got this fucking job, you don’t think you need me
anymore, do you, Diana? In fact, if it wasn’t for this little bitch
right here, you never would’ve left at all, would you?”

Hoping her voice wouldn’t waver, Trish
repeated, “I’m telling you for the last time. Get off of my
property.”

“
Oh, well if you’re
telling me, I guess I better listen.” He turned around as if he
were going to leave, but just when Trish was about to release the
pent up breath she’d been holding, he turned around and punched the
hell out of her, knocking her to the floor. Diana screamed and ran
around the desk to go to Trish, and Roger turned back around. And
locked the door.

Chapter 11

Jake rolled his shoulders. It only
took about four hours to drive from Albuquerque to El Paso, but
he’d put in a full work week before he’d left around two, and he
started to feel it. He’d thought briefly about staying one more
night in the hotel, but … hell, he needed to see Trish. Not for the
sex, although, shit, he’d never had better. It was Friday, and that
made it family night. He’d missed the kids, too. Trish closed up at
six, so she and the kids should be home by now or would be soon.
Should he surprise her, or should he call her and let her know he’d
returned early? Knowing Trish, if he didn’t call, she’d already
have dinner cooking, if she didn’t already, or she might take the
kids out. Wherever she was, that’s where he wanted to
be.

Jake dialed her house, but got no
answer. She took the kids out then. He dialed her cell, but again,
no answer. Maybe she got caught up at her parents’ house. He dialed
that number, and her mother picked up. When he asked for Trish, she
said she hadn’t been by to pick up the kids yet. Damn it, she’d
said she wouldn’t work late anymore. He dialed the Lit Center, but
no answer there either. Neither did it roll over to the recording
to leave a message like it usually did after closing. That was
strange. Diane never forgot to put on the answering machine. Jake
thought a minute and felt the first twinge of concern.

Next, he called his grandfather to see
if everyone had gotten together at the ranch, but he hadn’t seen
Trish or the kids all week, and he had planned a quiet evening
alone. He called his sister next, but neither Cade nor Callie had
heard from her that day, and when he called Eva and Josh, they
couldn’t tell him anything either.

That twinge had quickly morphed into a
chill which was well on its way to full blown panic. He decided to
drive straight to the Lit Center and look for her car. If he didn’t
see it, he’d go on to her house.

****

When the office phone kept ringing
right after Trish’s cell phone had rung, she looked at Roger across
the room.

“
People are already
looking for us, Roger. You’d better leave while you
can.”

Roger had dragged both women into
Trish’s office after he’d turned out the lights in the front. “Shut
up, bitch. It’s all your fault that my wife left me.”

“
Really, Roger? Because I
kind of thought it had something to do with how you kept beating
the hell out of her.”

“
You want some more of me,
lady? Maybe I’ll show you some of what I’ve been showing
Diana.”

“
Roger, please, let’s just
go.” Diana continued to cry in the corner of the room.

“
Shut up, Diana! I came
here tonight to bring you home where you belong. Then, this fucking
bitch had to butt her nose into our business. If we leave now,
she’ll turn around and call the cops. I need time to explain things
to you, Diana. I need to tell you that I love you. I want you back,
baby. It’ll be different this time, I swear.”

Trying to hold a cold compress to
Trish’s cheek, Diana answered, “You always say that, Roger. Look
what you’ve done to Trish. She’s my boss and my friend. I’m
supposed to think you’ve changed?”

“
That uppity bitch had it
coming to her. She has no right messing around in my business. I
don’t want you seeing her anymore, do you hear me? Things were
better before you made these new friends of yours. First, it was
that Mexican whore and her friend talking to you about how to write
a resume and how to fix yourself up with that makeup shit. You
don’t need them, Diana. You’ve got me. From now on, it’s just me
and you. You need to stay away from them. You don’t need to work. I
make enough money. Your job is in our home taking care of your
husband and your house. And that’s the way it’s going to be from
now on.”

“
Fine, Roger, fine. Let’s
just go then. Trish, thanks for everything, but I have to go now.
Roger needs me.”

Trish looked frantically for something
she could use as a weapon. She caught a glimpse of something long
and shiny under a stack of mail and recognized it as the silver
letter opener her parents had given her as part of a desk set when
they’d opened the Lit Center. She leaned over the desk and looked
right into Roger’s wild eyes.

“
Get. Out. You’re already
in over your head. You’re in violation of a restraining order,
you’re trespassing, and now you’re guilty of assault. You’re going
to jail. Do yourself a favor and leave. Then, hide. Hide very well,
because when my boyfriend sees my face, he’s going to want to meet
you. He’s going to want to have a little … talk … with you. If
you’re lucky, the cops will find you first. You’re a real big man
when it comes to hitting women. Let’s see how you like it on the
receiving end, you son of a bitch.”

As Trish’s hand wrapped around the
letter opener, Roger started towards her, his face mottled with
fury. The cords in his neck were standing out, and he turned so
red, she thought for a minute he might have a heart attack and save
them all some trouble. Unfortunately, he kept coming.