Cherishing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 3) (4 page)

T
he sight
of herself well-dressed and well-coiffed compelled one more quick gander in the mirror. Shannon leaned in to check her teeth, then smoothed her lightweight cotton dress. Its alternating melon and strawberry stripes added to the summery feel of her outfit. That’s why she’d snapped it up at the discount department store.

A thumping on the bathroom door hurried her along. She turned on the water for a few seconds as if she needed to wash her hands, then promptly turned it off and opened the door.

“Mommy! Let’s go out by the pool. We have popsicles,” Olivia yelled.

Out of delays, Shannon took her daughter’s hand and walked out of the bathroom through Jeff and Taryn’s mudroom to the patio. Some of the guests at her ex-husband’s Labor Day barbecue sported neatly pressed shorts, but most of the women wore breezy summer dresses.

Labor Day might mark the end of summer, but in Texas, the temperatures soared throughout September. Shannon looked down again at her dress and espadrille wedges. Nothing in her appearance suggested she didn’t belong.

Jeff’s invitation surprised her. They didn’t see each other except for custody exchanges and the occasional school event.

“Olivia would love it if you came,” he implored with uncharacteristic brightness.

“Then, I’ll be there.”

Now, Shannon didn’t know what to do with herself. She wandered poolside with Olivia and found the cooler stacked with popsicles of every variety.

Then, Olivia introduced her to a couple of the neighbor kids jumping in and out of the water. Their joyous howls mixed with splashes and the patter of wet feet. Her daughter joined them, leaving Shannon to knock around on the fringes of several conversations.

Of the forty or so people at the party, Shannon knew her ex and his wife, and she spotted Taryn’s best friend Micky, whose boyfriend did legal work for Jeff. They’d met, but she didn’t know them well.

Shannon would be damned if she clung to Jeff or Taryn the entire afternoon. Finally, she ventured to the banquet table set up in a portico that ran the length of the pool.

Choices of ribs, brisket, sausage, and chicken spread out beside potato salad, coleslaw, and assorted dips with chips and vegetables.

“Try the brisket,” a warm, low-toned voice suggested behind her. Shannon whipped her head around.

Jonah stood in a wide, relaxed stance. The stretched bow of his lips tilted into a slanting grin, leaving Shannon to imagine how his dove gray eyes must twinkle behind his mirrored aviator sunglasses.

That smile always came with an eye twinkle. It appeared whenever he teased her or winked at her while asking for the check at the café. The sight of Jonah’s perfect white teeth sent a shock down her spine. Shannon’s hand hovered over the buffet table with a spoonful of potato salad.

“Or potato salad sounds good, too.” His suggestion prompted her out of her stupor. She let the creamy mix drop onto her red plastic plate.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“That makes two of us. You look lovely. I enjoy seeing you in color.”

Lovely? No one had ever used that word to describe her. Shannon’s lips curled up as she turned her head. Jonah saw her at work all the time in her uniform of black slacks and black button down shirt. Now, as he appraised her, her heart pounded.

His sunglasses reflected a sliding view of her form from her V-neck neckline and empire waist down to her toes, and then back up to meet her eyes.

“Thanks. I try to spice it up when I’m not working.”

“How do you know Jeff and Taryn?”

She held her breath before speaking. “He’s my ex-husband. We have a daughter together.”

Jonah’s brows lifted above the rim of his glasses. “His little girl, Olivia, she’s yours?”

“Yep. How do you know Jeff?” Shannon looked away and picked up a pair of tongs, poking at the various meats.

“That’s kind of a long story. His lawyer Nick was almost my brother-in-law. I met Jeff at Nick’s Fourth of July party a couple of months ago. He’s an entrepreneur, and I’m a financier. And,” Jonah gestured vaguely, “there you go. It’s nice to see a familiar face. I’m stalking the food mostly to keep from having another awkward conversation.”

Shannon chuckled. “You know more people here than I do probably. I’m only here because my daughter wanted me to come to the party.”

“You’re not missing much with most of his neighbors, I’m sure. But Nick’s great and so is his girlfriend, Micky.”

“Yeah, I’ve met her. She and Taryn are best friends.”

Jonah’s smile softened. “So, she’s a member of the Taryn coalition then?”

Shannon shook her head. “I get along with Taryn now. We’re good. Olivia adores her, which is a relief.”

Shannon wondered what Jonah may have heard about Jeff’s crazy ex-wife that had him connecting the dots in his head. Her breath caught in her throat.

He probably already formed an opinion of her. He knew about Kid. Now, he knew about her two failed marriages and that she didn’t have custody of her daughter. Shannon smirked.

On the upside, knowing she had been involved with someone like Jeff could only improve his opinion of her, right?

“Getting along makes things easier for our daughter.”

“I’ll bet.”

Shannon put some brisket and sauce on her plate and gave Jonah a sideways glance. “Did Nick almost marry your sister or did you almost marry his?”

“He almost married mine.”

“What happened there?”

A burst of laughter escaped him, causing one of the men in line to turn and stare. “My sister came out of the closet.”

“That would do it.”

“That would.”

“Good for her. Better to get the truth out than to live a lie.”

“I agree. I don’t know that my parents do, but they have their own ideas about everything.”

Shannon hadn’t considered what kind of family Jonah had. She’d assumed he lived in a Leave It To Beaver family with a mother who wore pearls and a father full of wisdom.

They got their plates of food and found a spot to sit at a picnic table beyond the pool.

“What ideas do your parents have for you?”

Jonah shrugged and stabbed a piece of chicken. “My dad thinks I should go into politics.”

Shannon wrinkled her nose.

“See that’s why I have doubts about becoming a politician. Who likes politicians?”

“You don’t have to be liked.”

“No, but I don’t want to be hated. I’d like to be useful.”

“Politicians are useful. Aren’t they? You can get things done. Look what you did for me. You lit a fire under the cops to be looking for Kid. I got a call that they talked to one of his old neighbors. They think he might be in Longview. They didn’t listen to me, but they listened to you.”

“They listened to money and status. None of that is mine. I was born into it.” Jonah flexed his jaw.

“Still, you get to choose how you use it, and you can do good for people,” Shannon argued.

“Maybe. Not sure politics is how I want to do it.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Ahh, that’s the problem. I don’t know. I’ve never had to decide. I finished college, went to business school, and then started working for my dad. That’s a hard question.”

“Nothing about your life seems that hard,” Shannon shot back, then blushed. “I don’t mean that how it sounded.”

“No. I get it. I can see how it seems that way on the outside.”

“With all you have, it should be pretty simple to find your passion and go for it. There’s nothing in your way. That’s what I meant. I have all kinds of things I want to do, but it takes time, and in the meantime, I have to eat and keep a roof over my head.”

Shannon pointed at Jonah with her fork.

Jonah shifted in his seat. “I have different pressures. Not that they’re as critical as food, clothing, and shelter, but…I don’t know. You’re right. I shouldn’t complain.”

“No. You shouldn’t.”

Shannon huffed and took a swig of her lemonade. She vowed not to drink today but had a hankering to slip a shot of vodka in cup. Her mind wandered to the two cigarettes in her purse—if only she could find a hidden corner to smoke one. No. She swore them off.

She felt Jonah’s eyes on her even though she couldn’t see them. She sounded bitchy, but she didn’t know how else to respond to Jonah.

“What’s your passion?” he asked.

“Waiting tables,” she responded without a hint of humor.

“No, seriously.”

“I used to think I wanted to go into beauty. Do makeup and hair. But lately, I’ve thought about design.”

“Fashion design?”

“No, interior design. Decorating and organizing. I’ve helped a couple of friends redo rooms, and I loved it. It’s not professional work, but someday. I’ve looked into the art college here in town. Next year, I should have enough money saved to start classes.”

Shannon had come to appreciate the beauty of having her own space. She loved keeping a pristine house without beer cans, filthy magazines, and boxer shorts all over.

Growing up, she lived in more than a dozen different homes. Her mother abandoned her, leaving her with her aunt when she was only three. Then, she bounced between various relatives and then foster families.

The Cliftons did about as much as anyone ever had for her. They took care of her until she turned eighteen and made sure she graduated from high school. At that point, though, she struggled on her own until she got pregnant and married Jeff.

After getting wrapped up in drugs and leaving him, her life became a blur of flop houses, shelters, and, briefly, living on the street. Then, she met Kid.

He took her in. She’d been so grateful. A chill came over her at the thought of him. Getting him out of her house was addition by subtraction.

Jonah dropped his fork and leaned forward. “I can help you. My sister owns an interior design firm. I should introduce you to her.” He grinned.

“I don’t have any experience, and I haven’t gone to school yet.”

“You can get experience, and then school doesn’t matter.”

Jonah’s earnestness made Shannon squirm on the wooden bench.

“I’m not a charity case.”

“Good. This isn’t charity. It’s called networking. You might end up doing wonders for my sister. Then, she’ll owe me, and you’ll owe me.”

A chuckle escaped his parted lips. Shannon’s mind auto-generated a couple of scandalous ways to pay Jonah back.

She glared at his chest and wondered what he looked like with his shirt off. Tearing her eyes away from Jonah’s body, she focused on her plate of brisket.

“You don’t know anything about me, and you’re going to recommend me to your sister?”

“I know enough. You’re a hardworking woman with a plan who cares enough about her daughter to make nice with her ex, and I’m not recommending you. I’m introducing you. It’s up to you where it goes from there.”

Shannon reminded herself that she deserved a chance to transform her life. People who get ahead seize their opportunities. They don’t feel guilty over being handed an advantage. Look at Jonah. She doubted he ever felt guilty about much.

“Okay, then.”

“Perfect. We can meet for lunch this week. What day would work for you?”

“I’m off on Thursday.”

“I’ll check with my sister and call you.”

“Sure. Thanks, Jonah.”

“Don’t mention it. I like being useful, remember?”

Jonah lifted his sunglasses and winked. Shannon tittered and ignored the flutter in her gut. If he wanted to be useful, she could let him.

“
W
hat do
you want to drink, Shannon?”

“I’ll have a Coke and lime.”

“Got it.”

Shannon’s co-worker, Kim Brady, elbowed her way to the front of the bar to get their drinks. Her blunt-cut, ink-black hair swung as she moved, occasionally revealing the elaborate body art peeking above her collar. Shannon stayed at the small, round bar table, scooting back on her barstool. Their assistant manager, Penny, ran both hands through her hair, looking tired.

“How’d it go tonight?”

Shannon shrugged. “Okay. Better early than late. Sometimes, when we get the last rush of drinkers, the tips are terrible, but tonight was pretty good.”

“Good. You’ve settled in really well.”

“Thanks.”

Shannon started her job at the Scarlet Maple when she hadn’t waited tables in almost three years, counting herself lucky to get the job. Kim, who worked with Shannon at Wal-Mart before starting there, vouched for her.

On Kim’s word alone, the owner hired her. Every other restaurant manager dismissed Shannon as soon as they found out she was on probation.

“How long have you been there?”

Penny rolled her eyes to the side in thought. “It’s been two and half years now. It’s a good place to work. Good customers. A lot of regulars.”

Shannon glanced toward the bar, waiting for Kim to return with their drinks. “That’s true.”

Penny coughed. “That guy the other night, he’s your ex?”

Shannon tensed. Is that why Penny invited her tonight? Of course, her run-in with Kid would be the talk of the staff, but she didn’t have anything to say to anybody about it. Hopefully, the police would do their job.

“Yes. Unfortunately. I divorced him a few months ago, and honestly, I can’t believe he got released. He’s about to go on trial for…some serious stuff.”

“Well, if you ever need anything, you let me know, okay? I know what it’s like to have an ex who’s a problem.”

“Is he still around?”

“No. In prison. For a while. Do you have kids?”

“Not with him.”

“Good. You’re lucky. Worst thing you can do is make babies with the wrong guy.”

“That I know. Only good thing I ever did was have mine with my first ex-husband. He’s a really solid guy. It’s nice that I don’t have worry about my daughter.”

“Just the one?”

“Yes. You?”

“I have two boys. Drew is eleven, and Kevin is eight.”

“My Olivia is seven.”

Kim returned with three glasses triangulated in her hands. “Trading stats? I have zero kids. Yet. I’m hoping that changes before my ovaries turn to dust.”

“You’re only thirty-four,” Penny pointed out.

“Now, but I have no prospects. Not like this one.” Kim flicked her thumb at Shannon.

“What prospects do I have?”

“What about that guy who saved you from the asshole?”

“Oh, him. That’s nothing.”

“He seemed real concerned about you. Then, he came in last week, asking about you. You two had dinner.”

She blushed and avoided eye contact with Penny. “He wanted to let me know that he’d spoken to the police is all. And then—“

Shannon swallowed the rest of her sentence, which she hoped Kim wouldn’t notice. Too late.

“Then what?”

“I ran into him over the weekend at my ex-husband’s house. As it turns out, he and my first ex are friendly.”

Penny grimaced. “Awkward!”

She drew out the “r” and laughed.

“A little.”

“Did you make him jealous?”

“Jonah?”

Kim tilted her head, questioning. “Is that your ex?”

“No. Jeff is my ex. Trust me. He’s not jealous of anything going on in my life.”

Shannon wished she could say the same. She didn’t want Jeff back. They never worked well together, but he’d made something of himself. The first time she went to his new house, she’d gone home and spent hours sketching ideas for how she’d decorate the space. To have a house like that…Shannon could only imagine.

“But you talked to him?” Kim pressed.

“Jeff?”

“No, the guy. The blond with the perfect suits and eyes like silver satin.”

Shannon pursed her lips, slightly perturbed at her friend’s obvious attraction to Jonah. “Yes. Of course, I talked to him. He was surprised to see me there, and I explained my connection to Jeff. We talked some more. That’s about it.”

“Wait? Who is this?” Penny looked from Shannon to Kim, lowering her voice as if they were in on a conspiracy.

Kim set her drink down and threw her hands up dramatically. “That guy…The one who comes in all the time. Practically, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Penny scrunched her nose. “The slick guy with the gold chains.”

Shannon laughed, “No. The tall blond guy.”

“Ohh, the rich guy.”

Shannon rolled her eyes and gave a little shrug. “He’s nice.”

“He tips well, and he drives an S-Class Mercedes,” Penny observed.

“I don’t know anything about his car.”

Kim whistled. “Well, you should. Those things cost, like, a hundred thousand dollars.”

“What?” Shannon gulped.

Penny nodded. “Seriously. You see the way he dresses.”

“Yeah. He has a nice job. He works in finance, so he dresses the part.”

“What’s his place like?” Kim asked with mischief in her voice.

Shannon shook her head with vehemence. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it. We’ve chatted at work and talked at my ex’s. That’s it.”

She left it there. No way could she tell her boss about her possible side job, and even admitting she and Jonah had a date to meet up for lunch tomorrow would only invite more questions.

“What’s his name again?” Kim asked.

“Jonah Moran.”

Penny rubbed her fingertips together. “Definitely rich. You’ve heard of the Morans, right?”

“Sort of. I know he came from money, and I did a little cyberstalking. They’re society people.”

Penny waggled her index finger. “Exactly. Be careful. Guys like that come and go with the wind.”

She looked him up and saw some articles in the local paper about him and his family, but hearing someone else talk about his money had her reeling.

“I never said I was dating the guy. Kim thinks he’s a prospect. I don’t think anything about him.”

Kim smirked. “Sure. Rich. Good-looking. Interested in you. Why think about that guy?”

“I’m taking a break from guys to fix my jerkometer.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.”

Penny gave Shannon a sympathetic look. “I get it. When you have a string of bad guys—really bad guys—you have to take time for yourself. Get yourself together and raise your standards.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “If you’re raising your standards, isn’t he perfect?”

Shannon didn’t answer out loud, but “yes” came screeching into her mind.