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“It’s that obvious?” She frowned.
John cocked his head. “He’s supposed to be here.”
She groaned. “David showed up at the rehearsal studio just as we were leaving.”
“Damn.” A sheepish look flitted across his features. “I should’ve told you right away he was out on supervised release. I didn’t anticipate he’d pull such a stupid stunt. I was planning to tell you today.”
“How did you know?” Theresa asked.
“It’s my agency’s business to know, and we have connections.” He pinned her with an intense look. “So, Mr. Rhodes violated your restraining order. You called the police, right?”
Heat rose to her face as she joined him at the kitchen table. “I didn’t. David said he didn’t want any trouble. He only wanted to talk.”
“Talk. Of course.” John nodded slowly. “Was Caleb with you at the time?”
“Yes.”
“What did your ex have to say?” John asked. “Tell me about the conversation you two had.”
“It’s private, John.”
He arched a brow. “David Rhodes is the sole reason you hired a personal bodyguard. I read the transcripts of the threats he made to you. I was there at the rescue shelter when you adopted Sully, and I heard the threat he whispered to you that day as well. I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t concerned for your safety. Besides, I consider you a friend … in a professional kind of way, that is. My gut is telling me David is up to something. I’ll know for sure once you tell me what he said and did.”
“All right.” She groaned before launching into the details of her conversation with her ex. “So, he’s turning his life around, and he wants to get back together.”
“You told him no, didn’t you?”
“I told him I’d think about it.” She cringed inwardly. “I didn’t mean it though. I just wanted him to go away.”
“Hmm.” John got up and grabbed the coffeepot and the sugar bowl. He refilled her cup then his. Then he set the pot and the sugar on the table, and took his seat again.
“Here’s a thought,” he began. “If your ex truly was serious about becoming a better man, doing the right thing, yada, yada, yada, he would’ve done the right thing. He would’ve contacted you through the proper channels as set out in your divorce decree and your restraining order. Both are legally binding documents, I might add.”
“He’d gotten a call from my brother about my dad’s health crisis. David called my manager, and she told him where I was.”
“So? He could’ve asked your manager to get hold of you after rehearsal. She could’ve forwarded his message asking that you call him. Instead, Mr. Rhodes chose to violate your restraining order and show up where you rehearse, knowing Caleb would be by your side.”
“I don’t see what Caleb—”
“Prisons allow inmates access to magazines, newspapers, and tabloids, Theresa. They also have limited access to the internet. I have no doubt David knows you and Caleb are an item. It’s been posted and reported everywhere, along with pictures.”
“What are you getting at?” she asked.
“Pretty manipulative to beg your ex-wife for a second chance while her new guy is standing right there beside her, don’t you think? I’d bet my next paycheck David even shed a few tears.” John arched a brow again. “Did he?”
“He did.” A lump rose to her throat. I’d like a few minutes of privacy with my wife. That was what David had said to Caleb. Her ex had wanted to stir up trouble. Why hadn’t she seen that from the start?
“After a decade or so, don’t you think Mr. Rhodes knows how to push your buttons and maneuver you into the corner of his choosing?”
“He does. He wouldn’t let up until I told him what he wanted to hear, and he knew exactly what to do and say to get me to that point.” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m so gullible,” she moaned.
“I don’t doubt David wants you and his children back. It’s his motives that are suspect. He’s jealous. He’s also self-centered and greedy, and that’s not going to change. He knows you’re with Caleb, and that pisses him off. People like David are experts at seeing themselves as the victim in any given situation. They’re deceitful, manipulative, and their motives are always self-serving.”
She raised her gaze to his. “I should’ve called the police and walked away.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Being as close as you are to the situation, you couldn’t have known.” John leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“By ignoring your restraining order, Mr. Rhodes has already proven his change of heart is only skin-deep. I’m thinking he meant to drive a wedge between you and Caleb, and the call from your brother provided him with the perfect excuse to violate the restraining order.”
