Interference (16 page)

How long does it take for the honeymoon period of a relationship to wear off? Because Indie and I hit our four-month anniversary last week, and I still can't keep from smiling every time her name and face light up my phone screen.

“Hey!” I answered.

“Hey!” Indie greeted me. “How's your day going?

“Awesome, now.” What a fucking sap.

“Okay, I have a weird question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you want to go to the world's largest pub crawl?”

“Excuse me?” Out of all the questions Indie could have asked, I certainly wasn't expecting that one.

“I just got off the phone with KK and she's going down to Charlotte in March to visit Auden. They're going to this huge pub crawl on the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day. At first I thought it would be a cool girls' weekend thing, but KK said her parents were going. So, then I thought I'd invite my mom and Dale.” Indie stopped.

I hoped she took a breath, because all of that came out in one long sentence. I opened my mouth to respond, but she continued before I could speak.

“And maybe you can invite your parents? I know I get along with your mom, and your dad is a big beer guy, and I thought it might be fun to go as a group. I mean, I don't know.”

In my head, I pictured Indie blushing, with her eyes cast down at her feet, as if embarrassed to share the idea with me. But I loved that she wanted to go on a trip with my family. I loved how she remembered that my dad was a beer connoisseur. I loved how thoughtful she was.

“What about Holden?” I asked. Damien would be in school, and if her mom was going on the trip, where did that leave him?

“Oh, yeah! So that's the other awesome part. My mom doesn't really drink. I mean, she'll have a beer once in a blue moon, but she said that she'd go down and hang out. But she looked up all this stuff for kids to do. And she's going to walk around Charlotte and take him to this cool science museum and children's library. She's so excited to go on a family trip.”

“Do you think my mom could walk around with them, too? I know she'd like that.”

“Yes, definitely,” Indie agreed. “That would be awesome! I'm so excited. Can you ask for that weekend off? Is it too soon?”

“I'll put in for it today. I usually find out within a week.”

“I'm excited to take a trip with you, copper,” Indie said.

“Me, too. Thanks for asking. It's a really cool idea.”

“All right, I'll let you go. Have a great day. I'll talk to you later.”

“Later.” I hung up.

I dropped my phone into the cup holder. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this happy. The last four months with Indie and Holden in my life had changed my entire world. The thought of taking a trip that merged our families didn't freak me out. In fact, I wondered how it hadn't happened sooner.

I grabbed my gym bag off the passenger seat and climbed out of my truck.

“Hey, Tone!” I called to the guy on one of the treadmills. “Long time no see.”

With my crazy schedule, we rarely worked out at the same time anymore. Usually, we were like ships passing in the night, one entering as the other was leaving.

“What are you so happy about?” Tone asked in response to my greeting, as if by entering the gym with a smile, I'd broken the law.

I jumped onto the treadmill next to his and set my water bottle in the cup holder. “Just hung up with Indie.”

“Indie Meadows?” Tone asked.

“Yeah.” I tapped the screen to start the running program on the treadmill.

“I thought I told you to stay away from her,” he snapped.

Why did this jackweed think he had the right to say anything at all to me about Indie?

“Sorry to tell ya, Tone, but what you say to me has little effect on my personal life.” I chuckled and pressed the button to increase my speed until I hit my running pace.

“Your big mouth is gonna get you in trouble, Officer Taylor.”

“With who?”

“I told you her ex is a big dude with a temper.”

“Yeah, he's also the biggest dickbag. Indie and her son are much better off without him in their lives.” I groaned. “I wish he never came back to Bridgeland.”

“People make mistakes, Taylor. As an officer of the law, you should know that.”

Tone increased his speed to a slightly faster pace than mine. Always a competition.

“I do know that. But I also know that he's not right for her. And she knows that, too. She's not dumb enough to go back to him.”

“What about the kid?”

My head whipped around to look at Tone. “What about him?”

“What if Indie getting back with her ex is better for the kid? Being a real family and all? Don't you think the kid deserves that if it's a possibility?” Tone asked.

My first thought was to reject that notion, but I stopped and thought before I spoke. “First off, Indie would never get back with her ex. And second, Indie's ex is a shitty father.”

“You're saying she should keep him from his dad?”

Why the fuck was this dude up in arms over me and Indie? If he was one of Indie's good friends, I could understand his being defensive and standing up for her, but I'd never heard her mention Tone. Ever.

“No. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that people break up for a reason. And from what I've seen, her ex is a piece of shit. Never picks Holden up when he's supposed to. Makes him feel like he's not worth his dad's time. Shit like that doesn't change in a few months. Selfish is selfish. Until he gets over that and starts acting like a real man, I don't think that's someone Indie or Holden need in their life.”

“What do you know about what they need in their life, you selfish prick?”

“Excuse me?” I slammed the bright-red Stop button on the treadmill.

Tone slammed his button as well. “I think it's really shitty that you'd stand in the way of a kid being around his father. You don't know anything about Indie's ex. You don't know if he's changed or if he's a good dad. You're being selfish because you want her. Is that the kind of guy you are, Officer Taylor? Putting pussy ahead of what's best for a kid?”

I didn't know how to respond. I didn't think I'd ever have a heated argument about family values with a meathead like Tone. Was he an undercover family-rights advocate or something?

“Do not say one more thing to me about what you think I want from Linden Meadows.”

“I'll say whatever the fuck I want, because no one else has the balls to say it.”

“Who the fuck are you? Who I date is none of your business.”

Tone didn't back down from the threat, but he lowered his voice. Sweat rolled from his forehead, down his nose, and sat on the tip, waiting to fall. He leaned over the side of his treadmill, into my space. “It is my business. Because I'm Holden's father.”

What?

“What?” I asked.

“Don't act like you don't know who I am. The whole town is talking about you. The dirty pig who rode in here in his brand-new truck, saying all the right things to fuck a vulnerable single mom. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your city dick in your pants and mind your own fucking business.”

Instead of sticking around to assist me with the boxing portion of my workout, Tone hightailed it to the door.

“I'm serious. Stay away from my son. And if you try to take him away from me, you'll have a fight on your hands. A bigger fight than my fist in your face.”

Then he stormed out without waiting for a response. Which was a good thing, because I could barely control my fists, shaking at my sides, itching to beat the shit out of him. Following him would be a bad idea, so I touched the green circle on the screen to start the treadmill again instead.

Poor machine is gonna get all my aggression today. I pounded the up arrow on the control panel, increasing my speed to a pace I could barely keep up.

How was Tone Holden's father? Was Tone a nickname for Tim?

Why would he lie?

Every time my feet stomped the belt, I thought about his accusations. After I met Indie, I did go full-court press on her. I fell hard and threw logic out the window, even after I found out about her son—her biggest concern. But I didn't seek out a vulnerable single mom. I sought out a snarky, sexy woman who kept me on my toes. I didn't even know she had a kid.

I needed another opinion. A trusted opinion.

My head was reeling from my altercation with Tone—or Tim, or whoever the fuck he was—all day. Good thing Bridgeland barely has any crime, because I didn't know if I could even remember the Miranda rights at this point.

“What's up, kid?” Steve McDonald, my veteran partner, asked as we sat at a red light.

Out of all the people I'd met in Bridgeland over the last two years, I trusted Steve the most. As a Bridgeland native and all-around decent guy, I knew he would have good advice. Though I hadn't told him exactly how much I liked Indie, he'd heard me talk about her nonstop since I met her, so he had a good idea about the intensity of our relationship.

“Indie's ex blew up at me at the gym this morning.” I looked out my window, still vigilant as we talked. “Only, I didn't realize it was her ex.”

“How did you not know it was her ex?”

“It's a kid I see at the gym every once in a while. He introduced himself as Tone.”

“Tone is Tim Antonio's nickname. I keep forgetting you didn't grow up here.”

“Tim Antonio?” I asked. “Any relation to Richard Antonio?”

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” Steve responded.

“Fuck,” I whispered. Tim was the son of Richard Antonio, the fucking mayor of Bridgeland? “How does he get away with not providing anything for Indie and Holden? Didn't that ruin his political image?”

“Like with anything in politics, it's all in how you spin it.” Steve turned onto Mason Street, Bridgeland's main drag.

“And how did they spin it?”

“That Linden Meadows got pregnant on purpose to ride the coattails of his football career. She dealt with a lot of bullshit back then. Antonio is ruthless.” He paused. “Both of them.”

“It wasn't like that at all. He completely ditched her.”

“I know, Jason. I've known Indie and Tim—and their families—for years. He's an immature, entitled idiot. He needs to grow up and keep a job, instead of relying on his parents. But they enable him. And he wasn't ready for a kid.”

“You think Indie was ready?” I asked.

“No. But Indie is independent and smart.” Steve gave me a sidelong glance. “I thought you weren't too keen on staying here. Thought you wanted to get back to Detroit.”

“I do. But then I met Indie and now, ugh! I don't even know anymore.” Truthfully, the only thing that I didn't know was how to make it work with Indie, since I refused to make Bridgeland my forever home.

“Well, I'm not trying to break your heart, but just remember that if you get involved with Linden Meadows, you're stuck.” Steve tilted his head and looked at me over the top of his aviator sunglasses.

What the hell?

I turned to face Steve. “I wouldn't call it stuck.”

“I would. If you're with a girl that has a kid, you can't move. Let me rephrase that. She can't move. Tim's not going to let you take his son to Detroit.”

“Tim doesn't have a say.”

“You and I both know that he does. And I'm pretty sure he'd get his dad involved if you tried anything. So you're stuck here for eighteen years. With Tim. And he's not the easiest guy to get along with.”

I nodded.

“Do you want to be here for fifteen more years?” Steve asked.

I stared out the front windshield, keeping an eye out for anyone we should be catching in the act of anything, as the truth ran through my mind.

No.

Even after meeting Indie, I never thought I'd be in Bridgeland for the rest of my life. It was a great place to start my career and learn the ropes, but my heart wasn't here. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I liked Indie.

“Exactly,” Steve said, correctly interpreting my silence.

“I really like Linden.”

“I know you do, kid. You're a freaking lovesick puppy dog.” Steve glanced at me before he continued. “But Linden isn't just Linden. She's a package deal. And the harsh reality about that package is that you are not Holden's father. You never will be.”

I pressed my lips together and stared out the window. The truth hurt coming from Steve, because I knew he was on my side, not like Tim, the piece-of-shit absent father.

“I'm sorry, Jason.” Steve pulled into the drive-through line at Tim Hortons. “If you think Linden is the real deal and you really care about her, you make the commitment to stay.”

“And if I can't do that?” I asked, though I knew what his answer would be.

“Then you should cool it off before she gets hurt.”

She would be hurt no matter what. I was the first guy she trusted enough to let into her life—into Holden's life—since Tim.

Indie was up-front about having a kid. She never held back, never tried to dupe me. I knew I'd taken on something bigger with her. More responsibility. More risk.

But we'd continued anyway, because greater responsibility and risk bring greater reward. Like every time Holden smiled at me or ran up to me and hugged my legs. Or every time Mom and Dad asked about him and when they'd get to see Linden and Holden again. Or every time Indie looked at me with a twinkle of adoration in her eyes.

But Steve's words cut deep into everything I'd already told myself, and I knew he was right. I couldn't string Indie along when it wasn't my intention to be here long-term. And I couldn't be Holden's dad if that meant having Tim breathing down my neck and threatening me constantly. Which sucked, because I loved every minute I spent with Indie. It was impossible for me to hold back when I was around her.