Sophie Oak - One to Keep

Jen’s smile fell, and Stef kind of wanted to put a fist through his friend’s face. He knew how Nate felt about Jennifer. Nate had made it entirely plain to him during the plane trip to Dallas. He was angry because his wife, Callie, had been very hurt by Jen’s sudden disappearance. Callie’s other husband, Zane, was a bit more forgiving. Zane understood the need to run. If Zane would have been a lick of help, Stef would have brought him instead of Nate.

Unfortunately, Nate was the sheriff of Bliss, and there was just no substitute.

“Come on.” Stef tried to soften the gruff command by placing a hand on her back.

She stepped away. “You’re sure I can’t just stay here? My trial is going to be here. That lawyer person said I could stay with him.”

Stef’s heart plunged. She would rather stay with a complete stranger than come home. Maybe he should let her. Julian Lodge would make sure she was safe. Perhaps he should simply bow out. He never meant to come after her anyway. He should step back and allow her to live her own life.

“You’re coming with me or you can go back to jail.” So much for stepping back. He just couldn’t. And Julian lived in one of the most notorious BDSM clubs in the world. No way was he going to allow Jennifer to live there. She’d be collared in a heartbeat. She’d belong to someone else. He couldn’t handle the thought.

“See? Puppet master Stef is in the house. Fine. I’ll go back because Bliss is way better than the Dallas County Jail, but don’t think I’ll trade favors for my freedom.” She turned and walked out the door, her back regally straight as though she were a queen leaving her castle.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, love.” Stef followed her quickly. He shed his own jacket because the little queen was going to be awfully cold.

He caught up with her and settled the jacket around her shoulders. He thought briefly about uncuffing her, but decided he didn’t want to get slapped. He led her to the drive. “Wear it.” She smiled up at him, but there was no warmth in it. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of refusing Master Stefan. Besides, I like the fact that you’re cold.”

“How could he possibly be cold?” Nate asked with a smirk. “He’s been running ever since the PI called him yesterday morning. I don’t think his heart’s settled down once since he got that call. He had everyone in Bliss on their toes five minutes later.” Stef sent Nate his best “shut the fuck up” look.

Jen turned to Nate as the limo pulled up. “Really? I wish I could have seen that. Tell me something, how is she, really? Is Callie happy? Has Rachel had her baby yet? Did Stella find someone to replace me? I mean, I know she did, but I just…I missed everyone.

More than I realized.”

The driver popped out and opened the door. Stef got in and turned back to help Jen.

Nate softened slightly as he settled into the seat across from them.

He looked slightly out of place in the elegant limo. Sometimes it was hard for Stef to remember Nate came from money. “Callie’s really doing great. She and Zane are having the time of their life driving me crazy. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Rachel is due in a couple of weeks. Stef brought in a doctor. We have a nice clinic now.”

“Well, I had to, or Max and Rye were going to drive me crazy.

Why Rachel ever let them read those What to Expect books, I have no idea. They’ve been paranoid. And Max has become quite the medical expert. He’s diagnosed Rachel with everything from GERD to preeclampsia. I expect Ebola is next on his list of things his pregnant wife is dying from. I had to bring in Dr. Burke to save poor Rachel from Max keeping her on bed rest.”

Jen laughed. It was practically music in Stef’s mind. “I can’t believe I missed that. Has Mel made sure the baby is safe from alien probes?”

“Naturally. He’s consulted with Dr. Burke about making the birth completely alien free. The doc is a tolerant man. He’s also good with electronics. He’s modified the Detector 5000 to warn us if an alien invades Rachel’s womb.”

“Excellent.”

Jen turned her face to the window as they drove toward the airport. He watched her carefully. He wondered if she was sad to leave Dallas. He’d been inside her tiny apartment on Good Latimer. It was a studio space, but it looked like an art bomb had gone off inside.

There were canvases and three different easels, each set up to catch a different type of light. Everywhere he’d looked there were signs of her creativity. Sketchbooks were littered through the place as though she wanted one anywhere she sat in case an idea hit her.

The limo fell silent as Nate played around on his cell. He was probably texting Callie or Zane, who would immediately call Stella, and the grapevine would be in full bloom. In roughly five minutes, everyone in Bliss would know he was bringing Jen home. They turned up Mockingbird, and Stef thought about his own work. He’d only managed two canvases while she’d been gone, each a portrait of a slender brunette with flashing green eyes.

How was he going to keep his hands off her?

Minutes later, the limo rolled to a stop right on the tarmac.

“Wow, a private jet?” Her eyes were wide as she looked at his father’s corporate jet. Stef helped her out of the limo.

Nate was shaking his head. “The rich are different, girl.” Stef felt his jaw drop. “You flew in corporate jets most of your life, asshole.”

Nate winked and tipped his Stetson. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a country sheriff.” He disappeared up the steps.

Jen turned and stared at him for a moment. She bit at her bottom lip, tugging it into her mouth. “Stef, this is a bad idea. We don’t work.

You know we don’t.”

He stood there, unable to confirm or deny the allegation. He didn’t want to do either because that would mean making a decision, and he wasn’t ready for that.

She came close and went up on her toes. “But I want you to know that I’m grateful you came for me. It’s the nicest thing anyone ever did.”

She kissed his cheek, her lips warm on his cold skin. Then she turned and managed the stairs into the jet.

Stef reached for the keys to the handcuffs as he followed her. He had no intention of leaving her that way. She wouldn’t go back to Bliss in cuffs, although no one would question it there. Bliss was different from Dallas. It was why he’d dug it at a young age. He turned and looked at the city he was born in. It wasn’t home anymore and hadn’t been for a long time. It was just a place where his father summoned him from time to time. It was a prison to do time in until he could get back to his real life.

The pilot was waiting at the top of the steps.

“Mr. Talbot, if you’ll take your seat, we’ll be ready to go in a few moments now that all four passengers are aboard. Mindy will be our flight attendant. I believe she’s already getting your father his drink.

Please let her know if you need anything at all. We’ll set down in Alamosa at roughly noon Mountain Time.” Stef felt his whole body start to sink into the floor. He ducked into the jet, his mind racing.

Please, no. Let it be a case of mistaken identity. Please, let it be some executive who’s just catching a ride. Not my father. He couldn’t handle his uptight father right now. He didn’t need another lecture on fulfilling his family duties. He didn’t have Callie with him to act as a buffer. Crap . He didn’t have Callie anymore. His mind raced. Callie was married. She probably wouldn’t be able to play the role of his longtime girlfriend to keep his father off his back.

Or would she? Stef had bankrolled Zane’s bar. Hell, he was the whole reason those three had gotten together in the first place. They owed him. It wasn’t like he was taking her away. He would just borrow her from time to time to placate his father. That shouldn’t bother anyone. Callie had been doing it for years. His father believed he’d stayed in Bliss because he was deeply in love with Callie Sheppard. He would probably be upset to find out she was now Callie Hollister-Wright.

But it would be okay, because it wasn’t his elegant father who had a perpetual stick up his aristocratic ass. The pilot was misinformed.

“Hello, son.”

His father sat across from Nate, a broad smile on his face. He wore a sweater and jeans instead of his usual three-piece suit.

Sebastian Talbot looked older, softer than Stef had ever seen him. He wore his hair very short, and it was gray. His father had always had a stylist darken his hair.

“Dad.”

Jennifer’s whole face was lit with glee. She held her hands out.

No one could possibly miss those shiny cuffs. Nate was back to texting furiously. For a badass ex-DEA agent, he’d become a terrible gossip.

“I was just telling your father all about how you kidnapped me and how you’re a righteous pervert,” Jen explained.

His dad shook a finger at him. “And I told her that wasn’t how I’d raised you.”

“You didn’t raise me.” It was true. His father had left him behind in Bliss to be raised by a nanny. Although now that he thought about it, he’d really been raised by Bliss. Mrs. Harper had let him spend night after night at her house. Callie’s mom had taken him shopping and taught him to drive. And Stella, well, Stella had been his mom in every way that counted.

Sebastian shrugged. “Well, I’m sure I left a note for your nanny.

One always believes that not allowing your child to turn into a righteous pervert is implied. It can be hard to find good help.”

“What are you doing here, Dad?” Stef uncuffed Jen and gently showed her to a seat.

His father leaned forward, his face serious. “I’ve come with a request, son.”

“And you couldn’t just e-mail me? My cell works. How did you even know I would be here?”

“I had to approve the request for the jet.” Gray eyes assessed Stef.

“I knew this might be the only time I got to see you. You’ve been busy the last few times I asked you to come back to Dallas.”

“I have several projects due.” It was true. He had a couple of commissioned works he needed to finish. He didn’t bother to mention he hadn’t worked on them because he couldn’t get Jennifer out of his brain. “I apologize, but I couldn’t get away. Now, please hurry and tell me what you want. The plane is about to take off.”

“I’ve got cancer, Stefan. Prostate cancer. I’ve been in chemo and radiation, and I’m in remission, but it could come back. I’ve come to beg you to marry Callie. I want to see you settled and happy before anything happens to me.”

Nate stopped texting, his phone falling to the floor and his mouth hanging open. “What did he say?”

Stef felt his world spin. His father had cancer. His father had gone through therapy, and he hadn’t been there. Of course, his father hadn’t asked him to be there, hadn’t even told him he was sick, but it didn’t matter. Guilt gnawed at his gut.

Of course, he had another problem. Shit . His father wanted him to marry Callie. Nate and Zane might have a problem with that.

“And I’m not getting off the plane, son,” his father said, settling back in his seat. “I’m coming to Bliss with you, and I’m not leaving until I get what I want.”

The plane started to taxi down the runway. Stef felt like he was trapped inside a coffin. Everything was coming unraveled. His well-ordered world was coming back to bite him in the ass. His father had been sick and could be again. Nate glared at him, obviously waiting for an answer. His father, who had lost his damn mind, leaned over and patted his hand.

Jen let loose with a long, robust laugh. “God, I missed Bliss.” Stef felt his stomach turn as the plane took off. He gave Nate a shake of his head. Nate frowned, and Stef was grateful when he sat back, obviously willing to leave this argument for a more private time. Stef sat back and watched Dallas fall away. His mind wandered back to that night with Jen. That was when it had all started to whirl out of control.

If only he could change it all.

Six months before

Stef walked into the Bliss County Sheriff’s Office with blood on his hands. He gripped the shotgun he held like an old friend. Despite the fact that the threat seemed to be over, he couldn’t come down. He felt the adrenaline racing through his system. It made him ragged and jittery.

“Hey, Stef, you got the keys?” Max, one of his best friends, ran to catch up to him. They had driven back together, he, Max, and Max’s twin, Rye. Each had been silent in the car, as though they all had to take in what had just happened.