That Man of Mine (Whispering Bay Romance 3)

She waited till the taillights from Rusty’s police car faded over the bridge. “Do you think he’s going to tell anyone?”

“Just the whole damn town,” Zeke said.

“I was afraid you’re were going to say that.”

They both began to laugh. It felt good. This easy camaraderie between them that they hadn’t had in months. And it wasn’t just because of the sex. Of course, that had gone a long way to producing this relaxed feeling. But it was more than that. She was tired of fighting the inevitable.

He must have felt it, too, because he put his arm around her and sighed. “I can’t promise you anything right now, but I’ll think about telling Allie. You’re right, at the very least, she probably deserves to know he’s still alive.”

She tried to keep her voice calm, when what she really wanted was to shout down the sky. It’s about time! But she wasn’t going to say anything that might make him change his mind. “That’s all I want, Zeke. You have to make it right with her, or you’ll never forgive yourself.”

It was a hell of thing making your woman a promise you had no intention of keeping. Zeke prided himself on being a man of his word. In the world of law enforcement, trust among your comrades was more than just a code of honor. It could save your life.

It had been over two weeks since couples Bunco. He told Mimi he’d think about telling Allie of the existence of Sam Grant. His exact words began with that bullshit line, I can’t promise you anything right now. The implication being that he would at least consider it, when all along he knew it would never happen.

But something had to give. It was the second week of May and he and Mimi had been living apart for almost four months now. The Neanderthal in him (and like it or not, Allie was right, that part of him did exist) was ready to toss Mimi over his shoulder and take her back to his cave. Not such a politically correct thought for a twenty-first century man, but there it was. It all came down to that most basic and primal instinct to protect not only his woman, but everyone else he loved, too.

Then there was the rational part of him. The part that thought with his brain and tried to use reason and logic to solve a problem. It was what had gotten him promoted to chief of police three years ago at the age of thirty-four, when there were numerous other, more experienced candidates vying for the job.

It was that rational part he was, at this very moment, trying to channel. Allie was smart, probably a lot smarter than him. She was a journalist and not easily fooled. Eighteen years was a long time. Maybe Mimi was right. Maybe Allie had the right to make up her own mind as far as Sam Grant was concerned.

Zeke opened up his laptop. His fingers twitched above the keyboard. Why had he never done this before? Probably because he was afraid of what he’d find. He had all the information he needed. Name, date of birth. Hell, he even knew the son-of-a-bitch’s social security number. He was just a few taps and a hit Enter away from finding out all of Sam Grant’s dirty little secrets. And find them out, he would, because he wasn’t about to expose his family to anyone without knowing exactly what he was dealing with.

He clicked on the link and began typing, then sat back and waited. What popped up on his screen made his jaw tighten.

There was an arrest for drunken and disorderly conduct in Pensacola, just three months after Mom’s death.

Then a second arrest, this time for a DUI. The date on that one was eighteen years ago. A coincidence? Zeke wasn’t sure. He read on. Sam Grant had pled guilty. He’d paid a fine, had his driver’s license taken away and served two years’ probation.

There was a third arrest, too, dated five years ago. This one was for failure to pay child support.

Child support? What the fuck? He’d done such a great job screwing up one family he thought he’d do it again?

The guy was a real prince, all right.

Zeke searched for any more incriminating evidence, but that was it. Of course, it was more than plenty and this was just the legal stuff. Who knew what the guy might have done and gotten away with?

Zeke had a simple philosophy. In some ways, life was just like baseball. Three strikes and you were out. And Sam Grant, was definitely out.

*~*~*

If Mimi ran into one more person who asked how things where “shaking” over at the Bay Bridge, she’d scream. Didn’t this town have anything better to do than gossip about her sex life? She loved Rusty to death, she really did. But he and his big mouth were on her last nerve. This afternoon over at the Piggly Wiggly, no less than four people had come up to “congratulate” her on her reconciliation with Zeke.

It had been two weeks since Rusty had caught them acting like a couple of teenagers on prom night. Zeke had promised her then that he’d “think” about telling Allie about their father. Knowing Zeke, he’d be thinking about it till the cows came home, as in forever, without actually doing it.

But what could Mimi do? She’d laid down an ultimatum and they were at a deadlock. In her mind she’d vacillated between their stances. She still thought Zeke was making a mistake by not telling Allie about Sam, but if she ever wanted her husband to come home, she might very well have to be the one to give in.

She brought in the groceries and quickly put them away. She had less than an hour till her festival committee meeting and Allie was supposed to drop by to go over some last minute wedding details. It was officially two weeks till the Spring Into Summer festival, and three till Allie and Tom’s wedding. If Mimi could get through this hectic next month, she’d sleep for a week straight.

The doorbell rang. A few seconds later, Allie walked in. She was family, no formalities needed. Toby wagged his tail and jumped on her, leaving a small drool stain on the sid

e of her denim skirt.

“What’s for dinner?” Allie asked, looking around the kitchen.

“Nothing until the Spring Into Summer festival.”

“That’s like two weeks away. Are you planning on starving my niece and nephew?”