A Better Man

CHAPTER TWO

“LET’S GO. I’LL PREP the room when I get back. We’ll have to hurry in case Madison needs me.” Piper snatched her purse and headed out, eager to get this encounter behind her.

Then maybe Roth would go away and forget her. Again.

“Your enthusiasm underwhelms me.” She heard the teasing note in his voice and didn’t need to look to know he was smiling. His smiles used to turn her to mush. But she couldn’t let them have that effect now.

After locking up she followed him into the parking lot.

He scanned the busy-for-Quincey streets. “Traffic’s picked up from what I remember.”

“Over the past few years we’ve had several mom-and-pop antiques stores open up. That makes Quincey a mecca for weekend shoppers.” She hoped that meant the shopkeepers would be too busy with their customers to notice her comings and goings or her lunch partner. “The diner will be packed. There’s a barbecue place ten miles south of here.”

“Afraid to be seen in town with me?”

She couldn’t risk someone stopping by their table to ask about her son. “I don’t have the time to wait for a table or be constantly interrupted by people welcoming you.”

“I don’t think the welcomes will be a problem. I’ll drive.” He led her toward a big black truck.

She caught herself admiring the way he filled out his jeans and couldn’t force her gaze away any more than she could stop a freight train with her pinkie finger. Roth still looked damned good. Better than any of the slim pickings in town, for sure.

An old familiar hunger trickled through her—one she hadn’t experienced in so long that she almost didn’t recognize the budding tension in her belly. When she did she tried to pop the bubble by focusing on the wreckage he’d made of her life when he’d said goodbye.

She clung to the hurt and anger like a shield, but no matter how much his betrayal stung, she didn’t—couldn’t—hate Roth, because he’d given her the most precious part of her life. Josh.

He opened the door and she climbed into the high cab. When he slid into the driver’s seat she fastened her seat belt and took shallow breaths through her mouth to avoid the tantalizing aroma of his scent. It didn’t work.

He put the truck in gear and hit the highway. “If you didn’t go to vet school, what have you been doing since I last saw you?”

Raising your son. She held her tongue and searched for an acceptable answer.

“Right after you left, my father’s great-aunt fell and broke her hip. She needed live-in help while she recuperated. I was available.”

“I don’t remember your aunt.”

“She moved to Florida when I was a baby.”

That earned her a quick look. “Florida? You left Quincey?”

His disbelieving tone raised her hackles. “I was going away for college.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “You were going to commute. The chief wasn’t about to let his baby girl live in a dorm with all those wild college girls.”

True. She couldn’t deny she’d been sheltered and her father had been—and still was—overprotective, which explained the sad state of her social life. She might be thirty, but he still treated her like a child.

Scratching at a spot on her scrubs, she searched for a way to give Roth enough information to satisfy his curiosity without revealing too much. “I was ready for a change of scenery anyway after…”

“Our breakup?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you go to school after you finished playing nurse?”

“It took Aunt Agnes longer to recover than expected. By then I’d lost my financial aid and reapplying for everything was too much of a hassle. I went to community college for a veterinary assistant degree instead. As long as I’m able to work with animals, it doesn’t really matter in what capacity.”

“There’s a substantial difference in salary.”

“I was never about the money, Roth. You know that.”

For a moment his somber gaze held hers, then he focused on the road. “That’s what you always said, but you weren’t used to doing without or eating wild game or macaroni every night. You were the chief’s little princess.”

“And you only asked me out to get under my father’s skin in retaliation for him riding your back.”

“Best bet I ever accepted. Then I fell for you, Piper. Fell hard.” He shook his head. “But we were so damned young.”

The memories made her chest ache. “I heard your mother’s moving back. I’ll bet she’s happy you’re going to be here.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Surprise rippled over her. “But she knows you’ve been appointed chief, right?”

“If she does, she didn’t hear it from me.”

“Why not?”

He hesitated, a muscle bunching in his jaw. “We…had a difference of opinion.”

“About?”

“Several things. And after I joined the Marines communication was never easy.”

“You’re a Marine?” Her eyes raked him again. Military service could explain the short hair, chiseled physique and perfect posture.

“Was.”

“How long have you been out?”

“Four years.”

She waited for him to elaborate. Most men liked to talk about themselves. Why couldn’t he be one of them? Instead, getting information out of him resembled an inquisition. “What have you been doing?”

“Working with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg P.D. SWAT team.”

Her pulse stuttered. All this time he’d been only a few hours away. “You never mentioned an interest in the military or law enforcement when we were together.”

“Never considered either.”

“Then why enlist?”

His dark gaze stabbed her again. “Your father didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

The hum of his radial tires on the blacktop filled the cab for so long she thought he might not answer. “After he arrested me for jacking Gus’s car the chief gave me a choice. Enlist or jail. Either way, if I ever came near you again, he promised my mother would pay.”

Her breath caught at the unjust accusation. Her father had known how much she loved Roth. He wouldn’t deliberately hurt her by sending Roth away. “Daddy would never have made such a threat.”

“Wrong.” Roth clenched the wheel. “He put me in the back of his patrol car and took me to visit my father in prison. Then he drove me to the recruitment office and stood over me while I signed the papers.”

Denial ripped through her. “I don’t believe you. My father is a stickler for rules. He wouldn’t bend them let alone break them. Besides, your mother moved away soon after you did. My father wouldn’t have had any influence over her.”

A disgusted sound erupted from his throat. “I didn’t expect her to take the money I sent her each month and move closer to the prison holding the bastard who beat her and convinced her she deserved it.”

She gasped. He’d never spoken so plainly about his past when they were together. If anything, he’d tried to shield her from it. Sure, she’d heard the stories compliments of her father and the Quincey grapevine, but having Roth confirm them rattled her.

“None of that would have happened if you hadn’t confessed to a crime you didn’t commit. Daddy could never have proven you’d stolen Gus’s Corvette.”

“My prints were all over that car, and your father claimed he had witnesses and enough proof to lock me away.”

“There couldn’t have been witnesses or proof if you didn’t do it. And your prints were on the car because you’d worked on it that morning.”

Roth’s father had been a mechanic before going to prison, and Roth had taken over his daddy’s business while still in high school. Even though she’d had no interest in cars she’d spent countless hours standing beside open hoods watching him work to be with him.

“Your dad had most of the county’s legal system in his pocket. He could have railroaded a conviction through.”

“Of course he had influential friends. How could he not after all those years as chief? But having connections is not a crime. Lying to the police is. I tried to tell him the truth but he wouldn’t listen to me. You should have told Daddy Chuck took the car for a joyride. Instead, you chose to lie for your buddy over telling the truth and staying with me.”

The old anger, frustration, hurt and resentment poured like acid from her mouth. “Admit it, Roth. You wanted to cut your ties to me and Quincey, and Chuck provided the perfect opportunity. Maybe you and he prearranged it.”

Roth exhaled roughly. He swung sharply into the gravel parking lot of Pig In a Blanket, stomped on the brake and silenced the engine, then twisted to face her. “We did no such thing. I was bad news, Piper. You deserved better. And so did Chuck.”

“Chuck was a thief. Why did he deserve your loyalty more than me?” She hated the hurt in her tone, but this conversation exposed so many memories. The sharp edges of the bills stabbing her palm when he’d folded her fingers around his money roll. The cold resolution in his eyes when he’d told her he was leaving. The fear, hollowness and helplessness of watching him walk away without a backward glance.

He’d left her, eighteen, alone and pregnant and terrified of what her father would do when he found out.

“Let’s eat. You’re short of time. Remember?”

She blinked away the past. She was too upset to eat, but the chance to finally put her questions to rest sent her bustling into the unpretentious restaurant.

Roth surveyed the interior and the other customers. Piper searched for familiar faces as the hostess led them to the only open booth, and relaxed a bit when she recognized no one from Quincey.

Roth took the seat facing the door, the way her father always did. It had to be a cop thing.

The waitress delivered a fragrant basket of hush puppies, took their orders and departed.

“Would you really have gone to jail for Chuck?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.

“Why, Roth? Why would you sacrifice your freedom for him?”

He held her gaze. “Chuck was the closest thing to a brother I had. An arrest would have cost him his football scholarship to State and his chance to get out of here.”

Did he really not know what had happened to his best friend? “Have you kept in touch with Chuck?”

“No. He wasn’t much on writing.”

“He was kicked out of college his first year for cheating and he lost his scholarship. He’s been in and out of jail ever since, mostly for petty stuff, but still… You sacrificed us for nothing.”

Roth sat back so quickly his ladder-back chair creaked. “You’re kidding.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to catch up with him now. He’ll be one of your most frequent overnight guests at the station.”

She fidgeted with the corner of the paper place mat. “Why come back now?”

Now when she’d finally gotten her life together.

“The job opened up.”

“My father’s job.”

“Your father retired.”

“Not by choice.”

His eyes narrowed. “If not by choice, then how?”

“The town council forced him out.”

Frown lines grooved his forehead. “That could explain the hostility I’ve encountered. The chief was well liked. Why force his retirement?”

“Six months ago Dad had a mild stroke followed by quadruple bypass surgery. His recovery hasn’t gone as smoothly as we’d hoped.”

“He looked fine when I saw him at the station.”

“He’s getting better, but he still has some…deficiencies.” Her father went into the office every day even though the council wouldn’t let him do more than visit. He claimed his staff was his family and the station his second home. “If he had a bit more time, he’d be able to work again, but the council isn’t made up of Dad’s cronies anymore. We’ve had an influx of new blood. I guess they ran out of patience. They certainly hired you on the sly.”

The waitress placed their meals on the table and batted her eyelashes at Roth. Rather than watch to see if Roth returned the flirtation, Piper stared at her plate and gathered the courage to ask the one question burning a hole in her brain.

“How long are you staying?”

“Why? Does my return disturb you, Piper?”

She would never let him know how much. “I can’t imagine you being happy here. You always hated busybodies. Quincey is still full of them. Nothing has changed.”

“I spent nearly eight years on active duty, most of it deployed to the world’s hellholes, where I didn’t know who or what was waiting around the corner to take out me or a member of my team. I can handle gossips whose only weapons are words.”

The idea of him in harm’s way disturbed her, but she brushed it aside. His well-being was no longer her concern. “That’s not what you used to say when those gossips reported your every move to my father.”

“Times and perspectives change. The townsfolk will soon see they underestimated me.”

Relieved to finally learn the reason Roth had returned, Piper’s stiff spine eased. “Once you’ve proved that, then what?”

And how long would it take to make his point?

“Your father spent thirty years on the Quincey police force. What makes you think I won’t do the same?”

Panic pulsed thorough her. “You’ll hate it here. The way you always did. We’re forty miles from anywhere interesting. You’ll be bored out of your mind. No one comes back once they leave.”

“You did.”

“I—I—that’s different. My family’s here.” She’d returned for Josh. She wanted her son to have his grandparents’ love and support—even if it could be a bit smothering.

“And mine will be,” he replied, his tone and face grim.

Roth reached across the table and covered her hand with his. She tried to jerk away, but he held fast. The heat of his touch flooded through her, making her heart race.

“Piper, I invited you to lunch because I owe you an apology. I never intended to hurt you. Twelve years ago we were too young to handle the situation we found ourselves in.”

“You mean you weren’t ready for the responsibility of a wife and child.”

His cheeks darkened. “You’re right. I’m not proud to admit I freaked out when you told me you were pregnant. I suddenly saw myself as my father’s son. I’d spent my life listening to that bastard accuse my mother of ruining his life by getting pregnant—as if he’d had no part in it—right before he knocked the hell out of her.” His grip tightened. “I couldn’t do it, Piper. I couldn’t take the chance that I’d turn into a monster like him, and I couldn’t watch the love in your eyes turn to hate.”

“You wouldn’t have and I would never—”

“You don’t know that. And you deserved better than a mechanic who barely scraped through high school. Hell, you were a straight-A student with years of college ahead of you. If you’d married me, your parents would have disowned you. I couldn’t afford college tuition on what little I made from the garage. I would have held you back and you would have grown to resent me.”

The sincerity in his eyes told her he believed what he said, but it didn’t change the facts. His presence could cause problems for her and Josh. She yanked her hand free.

“Is that how you made peace with your decision, Roth? You weren’t there for me when I needed you. You left me to face my parents alone. I won’t ever forget that.”

He stiffened. “I’ve admitted I made mistakes. I thought we could be friends.”

Friends? With the man who could destroy her world?

“I prefer friends I can count on. And don’t think I’ve been sitting around pining for your return. I’ve moved on with my life.” She gestured to the untouched food in front of her. “Do we have to do this?”

“If you don’t eat your lunch, I’m going to think there’s a reason you can’t handle a little conversation with me.” His challenging tone reminded her of the old Roth.

She fisted her hands beneath the table and fought for calm. He wanted to play games? Fine, she could play games. But instead of him grilling her, she’d let him feel the heat.

“Your becoming a cop is ironic, isn’t it? You and your posse were pains in the Quincey Police Department’s behind.”

“We were. What about you? Did you stir up any trouble while you were out of the chief’s surveillance?”

Her heart bounded. “I had better things to do than cause problems for other people.” Except her parents, apparently.

“And what brought you home?”

“Aunt Agnes sold her house and moved into a retirement community.” One that hadn’t allowed children. “Then Dr. Jones, Quincey’s old vet, needed help.”

“He retired?”

“He died soon after I went to work for him. His heirs sold the practice to Madison. Lucky for me, she kept me on.”

“Ever married?”

Every muscle in her body snapped taut. She should have seen that one coming. “No. You?”

The idea of him with another woman and other children gave her indigestion.

“Not even close. I can’t believe nobody snapped you up. There were plenty of guys wanting what I had.”

“Oh, please. The men in town were terrified of my father and you know it. That’s why I’d never had a date before you asked me out.”

A tender, reminiscent smile curved his lips and her toes. “Eighteen and never been kissed. You know I won twenty bucks off my posse for asking you out. But you avoided my question. Any close calls?”

Stalling for time, she shoved a bite of the pork into her mouth and chewed without tasting. Then she swallowed and sipped her tea while hunting for the words and the guts to perpetuate the lie she’d been living. She’d told this story a dozen times. Why was it so much harder to repeat it to him? “I was…engaged.”

His fist clenched on the table. “Was? You dumped him?”