Down by Contact - A Seattle Lumberjacks Romance (38 page)

“Hardly. I want him off the team, at the
least, benched. He’s a deterrent. The sooner it happens, the
better.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you might want to run before
tornado hits and save yourself.”

“I’m not going anywhere and neither is Zach.
Your father and the coaches are happy with his progress off the
field and his performance on the field.”

“Thanks to you. I was wrong about you. You
do have a talent for smoothing those rough edges sported by most
athletes. After all, good professional athletes are alpha, strong,
aggressive, and bluntly honest. Tact doesn’t win games. So of
course they need help in that area. It’s different than hiring an
image consultant, but then, you know all this.” Veronica looked her
up and down then tapped her chin. “My father has interests in other
sports teams, which would give your business quite the boost.”

“But?” Kelsie definitely heard a but in
there.

“Zach needs to be off the team first. You
can help me with that.”

Kelsie opened her mouth to chew Veronica’s
skinny butt then closed it, attempting to practice what she’d
preached so often to Zach.

“Well?” Veronica tapped one toe of her Jimmy
Choos on the hardwood floor. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Kelsie hesitated, momentarily torn between
her old opportunistic self and the new Kelsie she’d worked so hard
to reinvent. Taking a deep breath, she threw herself under
Veronica’s bus. “I’m with Zach, and he’s on the team.” Even as she
sealed her fate she felt sick to her stomach and gloriously free at
the same time. She’d never work in his town. She’d be living in her
car and eating out of dumpsters. Yet, it felt damn good to stand up
for Zach and do the right thing.

Veronica huffed. “We’ll have to see about
that.” She leaned closer, a sly smile on her coldly beautiful face.
“Did you ever wonder why your stalker went away after you married
Zach?”

“What do you know about my stalker?”

“Enough to know that Zach hired him to scare
you and force you into his arms for your own safety.”

“Zach would never do such an underhanded,
dishonest thing.”

“Oh, wouldn’t he? How well do you really
know him?” Turning on a spiked heel, Veronica strode from the
room.

Fanning her face, Kelsie headed for the
powder room as she fought for composure. Veronica caught her off
guard with that comment, but she did know one thing—she trusted
Zach, and she didn’t trust Veronica. Yet if Zach didn’t hire the
stalker, who did? And how the heck did Veronica know about him?

Unless…

Noises from the party filtered through the
bathroom door. Kelsie put on her game face, straightened her
shoulders, opened the door and strode into the room, pausing to
chitchat with guests on her way to check on the bar and the food.
Then she would find Zach and see how he was faring. She stepped
into the kitchen. The caterers were busy working and everything
seemed in order.

“Kelsie.” The smooth, cultured voice behind
her stopped her in her tracks. The night just went from bad to
disastrous. A root of panic pushed up through the ground and
attempted to take seed in her brain. She shook it off. Mark would
not
belittle her or scare her. She wouldn’t allow it. This
was her time. Her moment to prove how far she’d come.

She turned on him, all haughty and cold.
“What are you doing here?” Each word steamed like dry ice. Funny,
how much smaller and less threatening he seemed.

“I wanted to see what my wife was up
to.”

She raised her head higher. “I am not your
wife.”

“I told you when the divorce papers were
signed that it would never be final. You’d come crawling back
eventually.” Mark’s handsome face contorted into a cruel sneer.
Kelsie wondered how she’d ever been fooled by him.

“But I didn’t, did I?” She looked him in the
eye, something she hadn’t been able to do for years.

“You will. Soon. I understand your
convenient marriage is about to become inconvenient.”

For a moment, she hesitated, fearing he knew
something she didn’t. Judging by Mark’s smirk, he caught her moment
of indecision.

Any moment, he’d be moving in for the
kill.

Only this time she’d be armed and dangerous
with her newfound confidence and hard-won independence.

* * * * *

Zach tugged on his bow tie. Stupid-assed
things. Tyler Harris stood across the room, smiling and talking
with the billionaire geeks. Zach could barely manage to talk to his
smart phone. In fact, when he talked to it, it talked back, and the
phone had a major attitude. Meanwhile, Harris was cool and
collected as if he were talking to buddies while bellied up to the
bar.

Kelsie had been flitting nearby all night,
spreading cheer among the guests. Zach caught the hungry looks of
the men and envious looks of the women as she glided off in her
pink sequined dress that dipped lower in the back than in the
front. He shot murderous glares at any men who ogled her.

Sleeping in another room didn’t work for
him. Only he didn’t know what to do about it. He’d worked his ass
off trying to woo her with flowers and chocolates, and he hadn’t a
clue if his plan was effective or not. There had to be more.
Between the sheets, on the counter, and in the backseat of the
truck the two of them were beyond compatible. But relationships—uh,
marriages—weren’t built only on sex, they were built on love and
trust.

He loved her, but could he trust her? Did it
matter as long as they were sharing a bed? How much was he willing
to compromise just to feel her silky skin on his? The answer seemed
to be a lot, sorry sap that he was. Speaking of trust, Zach ground
his teeth so hard his head hurt. Kelsie had followed him around all
night as if she expected him to belch, fart, or spit any second and
embarrass their guests’ delicate sensibilities. Her hovering grated
on his nerves and stretched his patience to the point of breaking.
He hated this stuff, and Kelsie’s lack of faith irritated and
discouraged him. He couldn’t do anything right. He never could. Not
as a kid. Not as an adult.

Despite a few of Zach’s minor mishaps, the
gala was going off without a hitch. They were raising a record
amount of money, and Zach had made sure some would be earmarked for
the homeless shelter where he spent his Tuesday nights.

Brett walked up to him, beer in hand. “Boy,
you are one lucky dumb shit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kelsie. She looks at you like you’re the
only man on earth.”

“She does?”

“Yeah. You dickwad, don’t you even
notice?”

Zach shrugged, a little sheepish. “I thought
I just saw what I wanted to see.”

Brett rolled his eyes and wandered off,
leaving Zach alone with his thoughts. He glanced around, glad
Kelsie wasn’t hovering anywhere near. His gaze darted around the
room of milling people. Maybe he should ask her to dance, get her
to thaw a little.

Only he couldn’t find her. Finally he
checked the last place he expected her to be—the kitchen. Staff
bustled about the room with brisk efficiency, while the caterer
organized and inspected. Zach’s gaze swung around the room. He
paused and blinked. Kelsie stood over by the breakfast table, hands
fisted at her sides, shoulders thrown back, and a look of defiance
on her face. He didn’t like the threatening stance of the guy
standing only a few feet from her.

Zach did a double-take.

It was Mark.

Even though his beauty queen appeared to be
holding her own, Zach mounted his white stallion and rode to the
rescue, only to rein himself in a few steps from her. One scathing
glance from Kelsie broadcast loud and clear that she didn’t need or
want a white knight. Well, screw that. He’d rip the asshole’s head
off if he made one move toward Kelsie, gala be damned. In fact, if
they were anywhere else but this damn gala, he’d already be mopping
the floor with the guy’s face.

The two continued their stilted conversation
as if he weren’t there. Mark looked like some model out of some
fucking men’s fashion magazine, but then he always had. Zach hated
his type. Not only was the guy a pussy, but he had a way of making
Zach feel like he didn’t measure up. High school all over again.
But not this time.

His protective instincts rushed to take
over, but he cleared his throat and fought them off, bent on
showing her how much he’d learned. “Mark, you’re a long way from
Houston.”

“You’re a long way from the trailer park,”
Mark sneered at him.

Zach bit back a retort and tried to remember
Kelsie’s lessons about tact and playing nice with others. He really
wanted to plant his fist in the asshole’s face. “I’m thinking about
putting one in my backyard just so I’ll feel at home.” He kept his
voice calm.

Kelsie stared at Zach as if he’d just donned
a tutu and started dancing to
Swan Lake
. She blinked a few
times. “Mark was just leaving.”

“Actually, I’m not going anywhere.”

Zach tensed up, ready to grab the guy by the
scruff of the neck.
Never get defensive and don’t make rash
moves until you’ve considered all your options.
Kelsie’s words
bounced around in his brain. He took a deep breath. “I believe you
may want to reconsider.”

“I can handle this, Zach. I was doing just
fine before you showed up.” Kelsie pointed toward the door. “Good
night, Mark.”

“I paid good money to attend.” Mark leaned
against the kitchen table and crossed his arms over his chest.

“We’ll refund your money. Leave. Now.”

Zach clenched his fists then unclenched
them. He let his arms hang loosely at his sides.
Think before
you speak. Plan your words carefully. Diffuse a volatile situation
with calming words.
“It would be best if you left. Let me
escort you out.”

“I’m taking Kelsie back with me.” Mark stood
his ground.

“You can’t order me around anymore. You
don’t have the power to hurt me or control me.”

“You’d pick this backwoods hick with no
redeeming characteristics other than knowing how to tackle over
me?”

“You abusive asshole. You aren’t fit to
breathe the same air as this man.” Kelsie shrieked and lunged
forward, but Zach was quicker. He wrapped his arm tightly around
her waist and held her to his side. He would not be baited by this
asshole, nor would Kelsie.

“I’m guessing Kelsie never told you the
truth.”

“The truth?” Zach’s life teetered for a
moment then righted itself. He noticed several of his teammates
come into the kitchen. They must have heard Kelsie yelling.

“Come on, even you can’t be that dumb and
clueless. Did you honestly think it was a coincidence that Kelsie
showed up at that charity event a few months ago?”

Zach didn’t have an answer for that while
Kelsie struggled to free herself.

“You’re a pawn. I kicked her out when I
caught her screwing around on me. She came to Seattle specifically
because you were here, and she figured she could manipulate you
into helping her out. You were her last resort. You always have
been.”

Zach shook his head, feeling oddly
off-kilter. Kelsie jammed her elbow in his side, but he didn’t let
go. “You’ve been set up, buddy. You were always a sucker for her.
She invited me here tonight to make me jealous. Sounds
familiar?”

“You lying bastard,” Kelsie tried to pry
Zach’s fingers from her waist.

Zach couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could
hardly breathe. Even his teammates who stood watching the whole
sordid scene seemed to hold their collective breath.

He fought like hell to wrap his brain around
Mark’s comments, and one truth spoke louder than the rest. He
stared Kelsie’s ex square in the eyes and shook his head. “No, she
wouldn’t do that.”

“What about the stalker? Did you really
think I’d waste my bucks on a PI for her? She hired the guy herself
to manipulate you into taking her in.”

“I did not. You hired him.” Kelsie craned
her neck around to gaze at Zach with pleading eyes.

“No.” Zach shook his head even as his world
blew up like a planet being attacked on
Star Trek
. Mark was
lying, he had to be, twisting things to his advantage.

“You don’t think she married you because she
loved you?” Mark snorted.

Actually, he knew she didn’t. Her big blue
eyes pleaded with him, yet he couldn’t deny the guilt there. Mark
was telling the truth, at least partially. She’d used him. Again.
Made a fool of him. Again.

“Zach, it’s not like that.”

Kelsie seemed to have regained her
composure. Zach let go of her. “Then what is it like, Kelsie?” His
stomach rolled with nausea. His pride wouldn’t let him throw up in
front of his team.

“Not here. Not now. Let me handle this. This
is my battle, not yours.” Kelsie stepped away from Zach and turned
to her ex. “I’m calling the police and having you removed from the
premises.”

“You know what?” Mark threw back his head
and laughed, as if bent on goading Zach, but Zach would not be
sucked into a physical altercation. He would not ruin Kelsie’s
gala.

“You’re washed up. Without football, you’re
nothing, no better than your murderer father.”

“You asshole. How dare you insult my husband
like that?” Zach could feel every cell in Kelsie’s body vibrating
with uncontrolled fury. He realized he’d let go of her too soon and
snaked his arm back around her. With one vicious stomp, she rammed
her lethal heel down on his toe. He yelped and released his hold on
her.

She grabbed a large metal mixing bowl off
the counter by its handle and brandished it like a weapon. “Get the
hell out of here. Now. Do you understand? You bastard. Get out.”
She advanced on Mark, swinging the bowl in front of her. Caramel
sauce sloshed over the sides and drizzled across the floor. Mark’s
smile slid off his face. He backed up and regarded the armed woman
warily.