With Every Breath (24 page)

Clare looked as though she were choking on venom.

“What, having second thoughts about where you’ve put your dick?” Jaden waved her hand to silence whatever he’d opened his mouth to say. “You’re an ass. You’ve always been an ass. You were never, ever, good enough for Mia. And now she knows it. And when that sets in, you’ll realize how much of an idiot you truly are.” She jerked her thumb at his girlfriend. “You think your parents are going to approve of that thing? Mia is ten times the woman she is. She took care of you, and she was never good enough for your mother. What do you think she’s going to say when she finds out you’ve let this come between your marriage?” Jaden clicked her tongue while David’s face paled with realization. “Good luck with that.”

She turned on her heel to walk back to the house.

From the porch, Hillary stood half in and half out of the house, as if she’d been trying to talk Mia into following her inside. They both turned to the street, and Hillary said, “Oh damn, who called the cops?”

Jaden whipped around at the bottom of the porch steps to see the marked car slow to a stop in front of the house. Now the entire neighborhood was outside, no longer pretending to be checking their mail or rolling up garden hoses. They watched in open wonder at the scene unfolding.

The flashers on the patrol car weren’t on, so that was a good sign. Cole’s pickup turned the corner right behind, and Jaden’s heart fluttered.

“Crap,” she muttered. She hadn’t yet figured out how to go about saying good-bye. A part of her wanted to slink out of town and end things the easy way. But after opening up to him about Ellie, and he’d held her while she cried, she was the one to shove them over the “just sex” line she’d drawn with big, bold chalk.

“Oh, good,” David said on a sigh of relief, eyeing the cop car like he wanted to jump inside and be whisked to safety—or sanity. He wiped rain drops from his forehead and out of his eyes, the front of his blue collared shirt soaked now, revealed the outline of an undershirt. He hadn’t yet noticed Cole’s pickup slowing to park behind the cop car.

“How is this fair?” Jaden stomped up the porch stairs. “David’s the piece of shit, and we get the cops called on us?”

“It’s okay.” Hillary said when the cop stepped out of the car. “It’s my cousin, Dusty.”

“Oh, thank God,” Jaden breathed.

Cole met the cop beside the car, where the two men spoke quickly, throwing a glance in David’s direction. Had they both already heard what David had done? She imagined the neighbors playing phone tag with the news.

Cole made his way across the wet grass to the front walk, taking long, quick steps. Dusty fell into step behind him. To David’s chagrin, he walked straight past and right up the porch steps, his head bowed against the rain.

“Hey, why don’t we go inside?” Cole wrapped an arm around Mia. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Mia turned her face into his shoulder and nodded in answer, and Cole’s body went rigid. He swung a furious gaze in David’s direction, and the other man cringed and took a step backward. Cole tightened his hold on Mia. “Dusty, get this piece of shit off my sister’s property. I’m taking her inside.”

Cole didn’t wait for an answer, but turned to guide Mia into the house.

After the front door closed, Dusty nodded at Jaden. “Hey, Jaden. How’s it going?”

She gave a quick shrug. “You know. Ridding the world of spineless assholes one specimen at a time.”

“I’ll go talk to him. But no more trouble. I don’t want to have to write any tickets today.”

Hillary rolled her eyes. “If you give me a ticket for this, both our moms will have your hide. Not to mention Grams.”

He started down the porch steps. “Yeah, yeah.”

Hillary collapsed into the porch swing. “I hope David lips off so Dusty can arrest him.”

“I’d make popcorn for the show.” She sat down next to Hillary. “When did this town get so...” she searched for the right word. “Active.”

“I’m not sure, but things are never dull around here, that’s for sure. Always some kind of excitement or drama.” She pushed off with her foot against the porch floor and set the swing in motion. “Sucks that this time it’s Mia’s marriage.”

The shirt clung to Jaden’s skin, so she pulled the cotton away from her stomach before dropping it back in place. “This day sucks.”

Hillary glanced back to the living room window behind them. “She’ll be okay, though.”

“She will.” Jaden glared at David being ushered to his car. Dusty had a hand clamped to his elbow, while Clare fumed at his side. “She’s stronger than David. He’ll suffer worse.”

There was no doubt in Jaden’s mind that Mia would be okay. She’d been the one to carry David their entire relationship, been the rock in his life when his dreams were ripped from him. And she’d loved him, despite his flaws. Flaws Jaden could never see past. But, Jaden’s experiences had turned her into a cynic. Mia, though, was trusting, loyal, and she had more faith in people than most deserved. That’s what made Mia, Mia. Some people weren’t worth the trouble or the heartache. Jaden only wished she hadn’t learned that truth this way. It wasn’t fair.

“What should we do?” Hillary rocked the porch swing.

“Maybe just sit here for a while?” Jaden didn’t know. “I think we should give her some time with Cole. She’ll want that.”

She sat and rocked with Hillary.

Cole stepped out onto the front porch, and Hillary and Jaden gazed back, their eyes swimming with questions. He closed the door and crossed the porch to a pillar. Leaning back against it, he said, “She’s going to be okay.”

“No, she’ll be more than okay. She just shed the biggest deadweight of her life.” Hillary stood and glanced down to Jaden. “I’m going to run in real quick to let her know I’ll be over later. I’ve got to run back to shut the bakery up. I left Crystal without a key.”

When she disappeared into the house, Cole crossed the porch to sit beside Jaden on the swing.

“I only have two more days before I leave,” Jaden said into the silence. “Mia’s going to need me.”

Her words felt like a good-bye. “I know.”

“She had a really bad night last night.”

“That piece of shit needs his ass kicked.” He clenched his fists, wishing he could be the one to deliver the broken nose. With the final divorce hearing soon, he didn’t want to give the judge any excuse to question his parenting skills.

“I can’t believe how stupid that man is.” Jaden shook her head. She glanced to him, her face drawn into a frown. “It’s horrible, but I’m happy she’s getting rid of him. David is poison. This is the worst way for her marriage to end, but she’ll be happier.”

He took her hand in his, sliding his fingers through hers. “He’ll be back for his stuff, but I won’t let him anywhere near Mia. He’ll have to schedule it through me first.”

Her lips curled into a smile, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. “You’re a good brother, you know that? Mia’s lucky to have you.”

They stared out at the street, now quiet. Rain fell in small, soft drops, and the silence between them was heavy with unspoken words. This wasn’t the time to talk about them, not with his sister inside, devastated by the end of her marriage. But Jaden would be gone soon, and he didn’t want to lose this chance. Something told him this was it. If he didn’t keep climbing, the branch he was on would break.

“Will you come say bye before you leave?” The answer was in her eyes, and his chest constricted.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He clenched his jaw. “Why’s that?”

With a gentle tug, she pulled her hand from his and stood. “Because.”

“Because why?” He followed her to the porch steps. He had a feeling she meant to escape inside. He wouldn’t let her get off this easy.

“Because I said so.” She stiffened and stuck her chin out. “We both knew what this was.”

He cocked his head. “Okay, why don’t you fill me in on ‘this,’ please.”

“I told you I didn’t come back here for a fling.”

He pressed his lips together. “And yet...”

She glared at him. “That was a mistake.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t a mistake, Jaden, and we both know it.”

She shook her head so hard, he wondered if she were trying to convince herself. “It shouldn’t have happened. You and...” she put her hands up and struggled with the words. “We’re just not right. It’s never been right.”

“That’s not true.” The ache in his heart was familiar, and his throat tightened. He lifted a hand and grazed a finger along her cheek. Her eyes were a storm of blue. “You and I are great together. I wish you’d give us a chance.”

“Cole, you’re not even divorced yet. My career takes me all over the world.” She closed her eyes on a resigned sigh. “I’m not the kind of woman you need right now. Our lives are too different. There’s nothing here for me, and your whole world is here.”

“You’re wrong, Jaden.” He stepped closer, but he didn’t put his arms around her. If he did, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let her go. Instead, he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll be right here, waiting for you, when you’re finished shooting your show. I’ll be right here, still thinking about you, until you return. And you will. Because when you’re gone you’ll realize that this—” he took her hand and placed it over his heart beating wildly in his chest, “—is real.”

She didn’t call after him as he walked to his car. As he drove away, he slammed a hand against the steering wheel. Why the fuck didn’t you tell her you love her?

He supposed he knew why—if she didn’t say it back and she left anyway, it would ruin him. So he kept driving.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Jaden eyed the turkey critically. No matter how many layers of paint she dabbed on, there was no fixing it. “This is the worst turkey I’ve ever seen,” she muttered, and slathered on more beige.

“Well, if you ask me, good riddance.” Angie waved the paintbrush in her hand. “That man was as unreliable as they come.”

Jaden glanced to Mia, who smiled in answer. At least she was smiling now—much better than breaking stuff. Jaden gave up and set her paintbrush down on the newspaper beside the turkey. Maybe she could bring it back to Seattle to use it for a Halloween decoration.

“Grams,” Hillary chastised, then turned to pour more champagne into Mia’s glass. Ceramics and champagne—seemed like a good combination. Elaine had been excited about the idea too, but she’d brought her vodka to the table to sip on between champagne refills.

In River Bend, the end of a relationship banded a community together. Mia’s fridge was filled with casseroles from neighbors come to offer their condolences, like a scene from a movie. Except David wasn’t dead, he was just a cheating asshole. She doubted anyone had brought him a casserole, and wondered if he was bunking with his new girlfriend or if he went home to his parents’ house with his tail between his legs. Jaden had an idea that David’s mother was probably raging by now. As an active member of the church, and the kind of woman who made everything having to do with the town her business, the gossip would devastate her. Jaden guessed she’d be less worried about losing Mia as a daughter-in-law.

It’d been Hillary’s idea to get Mia out of the house, but since the end of Mia’s marriage was now town gossip, Angie’s ceramic shop was the perfect setting. Jaden lifted the champagne to her lips and sipped. They’d even stopped for a tray of chocolate covered strawberries from the dessert shop. Betty had gone through half of them already. Jaden hadn’t touched any; her appetite was gone with the damn wind. She hadn’t slept well, either. Cole’s words were on replay.

There was too much to work out between them, too much to think about. But he told you he’d wait. And she had no idea what to do with that.

Elaine sniffed over her vodka-filled thermos. “There’s no such thing as a reliable man.”

“Not true. John was a good man. He never complained about mowing that lawn.” Angie lifted the vase she painted. She turned it in her hand, her gaze roaming the piece. “He wasn’t much trouble.”

Betty waved a fancy berry, her pinky pointed up. “If you say so. But I remember that time he came home drunker than a skunk after playing cards all night and you whopped him upside the head with a skillet.”

“Grams!” Hillary’s brows drew into a line of horror. “You didn’t!”