Page 111 of Miss Trust

Tory

The steady rain today reflected my mood. Last night Kelsey had been established a few miles away in a treatment facility. This morning, both Reid and Chance were visiting her. Meanwhile, Daisy and Teagan were helping me pack up my things. It was moving day.

“Mommy, I’m going to miss this house,” Penelope said in a sad voice.

Guilt over the situation was a heavy burden to bear. I’d made this mess, and as a result Penny suffered. “Me too, but we’ll be here every day for work. And you’ll still get to swim. And we get to stay with Daisy. That’ll be fun.”

She smiled. “It will be fun. Will I still get to see Mona?”

“You bet.” I’d already told Mona about the change in my living situation. She’d agreed to watch Penny at the Malibu house while I oversaw the renovations there.

Penny went into the other room with Mona while Daisy, Teagan, and I started to load up the two cars, mine and Daisy’s. Luckily my sister hadn’t asked many questions, opting to exercise a rare restraint. She probably thought my pride was driving this decision, which was fine by me.

We’d finished loading the suitcases into the back of my perfectly serviceable, little brown car, ducking the rain as best we could, when Chance’s Land Rover pulled in. I tried to hide my anxiety over seeing him again so soon after our strange interaction at the hospital. Frankly, I’d hoped to be gone by the time he’d insist on talking.

“What’s this?” he questioned, his gaze roaming over the car full of my suitcases. He paid no attention to the thick drops starting to flatten his hair.

Dammit, he looked way too handsome. Freshly shaved, he was dressed in jeans, and a sweater. And according to Teagan, he seemed to be getting along with Reid, who now got out of the passenger side with wide eyes.

I straightened in my ten-year-old raincoat. “Penny and I are moving in with Daisy.”

“Like hell you are.”

Teagan, Reid, and Daisy all stood there like a pack of deer in front of headlights.

The fact he’d pick now to get into this, with an audience watching, immediately pissed me off. “I’m not doing this here.”

“Fine, then we’ll talk inside.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Yes, we will.”

“I realize it’s not a word you’re used to hearing, but ‘no’ means this is not up for discussion. Not here, not in the house. Not at all. I’ll still work here, but I’m no longer living here.”

Teagan spoke up, “Um, maybe we should go inside.” Daisy and Reid looked equally eager to escape.

“No need. This is over. I will get Penelope, and we’ll be off.” I moved towards the house only to feel my arm being tugged backwards and my entire body lifted up.

“Oh my God, you are the biggest asshole on the planet. Put me down.”

Chance walked with purposeful strides through the house, both of us dripping water on the marble tile floor, and out to the covered patio before putting me on my feet. His thundering voice drowned out the sound of the rain. “You’re right. I am the biggest asshole on the planet. And I’m stubborn, selfish, high-handed at times, unapologetic about most things. But you’re going to hear me out.”

My hands went on my hips. “You have exactly three minutes.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I suddenly remembered the same ultimatum I’d given him when he’d first come to my apartment.

“I screwed up by pushing you too hard the other night. I was in a bad mood because the FBI was forcing my hand, and also Reid and I’d had words.”

“What did the FBI want?”

“Help in establishing contacts with certain criminal elements. That’s why I told you I had to leave town. I was planning to go to Dubai. The FBI is investigating the trafficking of women in the Middle East, and my ties to the Scarlett Letter entangled me.”

“But there’s no way you’re involved in such a thing.”

“No, I’m not, but they needed me to introduce them to some people who could get them to those who are. Anyhow, I had to play along two nights ago and even go to a party in Vegas and have women all over me.”

“Gee, you really know how to convince a woman to stay. Forget the three minutes. Time is up.”