Chapter One
Jeff Maddox stared at the cell phone vibrating on his sister’s coffee table. “Did you get a new phone, Daze?”
Mid-manicure, she concentrated on her French tips and shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Must be Lon’s.”
Lon. Just the name made his hackles rise. “So your jerk of a boyfriend can’t remember to take his phone with him after he creeps out of here?”
“More like swaggers,” Daisy said with a smirk, blowing on her thumb. She wiggled the rest of her fingers a few times and capped the bottle of polish. “He just forgot it.”
With another wave of her hands, she jumped to her feet and strolled toward the narrow galley-style kitchen that bordered one side of the living room. “Gonna make some cocoa. Want?”
“Sure,” he said, sitting down on the couch and grabbing the phone.
He had no compunction about flipping it open and seeing who’d called because the creep was balling his sister. Noisily and often, if the disgusting sounds emanating through the paper-thin walls last night were any indication.
Jeff shook his head. Didn’t it just figure? He’d intended to hang out with his baby sister for a weekend, relax, watch some movies while his own apartment got exterminated.
Instead he’d been treated to an X-rated night of squeals and deep groans that would have put a porn star to shame.
Worst of all, the guy was fucking married. He claimed to be separated. Most likely bullshit.
His sister so didn’t need this crap. She’d finally been on the path to a better life. Instead of constantly changing jobs and moving in with one friend after another, she’d found a good position doing hair at a place on Main Street. Better yet, she’d signed a six-month lease for this apartment, located on the decent side of town.
For a woman whose idea of routine meant keeping the same hair color two months running, she’d actually seemed headed toward stability. Jeff would be damned if she headed back down the drain thanks to Lonny fricking James.
He stared at the phone and saw the caller’s name. Karyn. Well, well. The Mrs. calling to check on her less than better half. He’d done a bit of research into Lon’s background and he recognized the name. How many Karens spelled their name with a ‘y’? Not that many, especially those that would be calling Lon.
Jeff’s thumb hovered over the buttons. Maybe if he had a talk with her, she’d find a way to keep her jerk of a husband home and drinking his own beer where he belonged. At the very least, he could expose the affair and make life difficult for the dickwad.
Confronting the guy and asking him man-to-man to get the hell out of Daisy’s life hadn’t worked. Nor had warning Daisy about the long-range possible consequences. That left the wife.
Contacting her might—all right, would—hurt his sister but he ranked her welfare as more important than her feelings. It also probably wouldn’t accomplish a thing. But he owed it to Daisy to try. Maybe one day she’d even thank him.
Jeff shot off a quick text to Mrs. James while his sister sang about “booty popping” in a loud, off-key voice and nuked their cocoa.
Ur husbnd 4got his phone. Meet u to return it?
He waited impatiently, rubbing the sides of his boots together to try to get off some of the mucky slush. Winter had started early in upstate New York this year. Tonight’s forecast included sleet and he really had no desire to be out late driving in the mess. Saturday night meant more crazy drivers on the road than usual and he had half of a software manual left to edit. If Karyn James agreed to a meeting, he’d have to get in and get out fast. Hopefully she’d be in the mood to listen to reason.
He also hoped he’d be able to pull more social skills out of his ass than he normally possessed. Cranky technical editors who spent more time meddling in their sister’s love lives than having one of their own weren’t exactly known for their winsome ways.
Or maybe that was just him.
After a moment, the phone vibrated in his hand. He glanced down and smiled at her reply. At least she had replied. Who’re you?
A friend. Jeff almost gagged typing the word. Can we meet?
Where?
He typed with his thumbs, cursing under his breath. No wonder he rarely used his own cell. They were too hard to navigate with fingers bigger than a toddler’s.
Shay’s Coffee Shp. 20 mins?
He’d gambled on her being in town and available, and Cedar Hollow wasn’t very big. Daisy had mentioned where Lonny’s old house was, so Jeff knew Karyn didn’t live far away. Unless she’d traveled out of the area for some reason, she’d be able to make it, even if it was sleeting. And he certainly wouldn’t keep her long. Last thing he intended was to waste his night on small talk.
Her answer came quickly. Thirty. What do u look like, frnd?
In spite of himself, he caught himself smiling at the cheekiness of her answer. Brn hr, bl eyes. Tall. Gray ftball hoodie. He didn’t wear a winter coat. Boots were ba
d enough.
K. I’m brunette, hazel eyes. Avg ht and wt. Name?
He typed as fast as his clumsy thumbs allowed. Jeff. C U soon.
He pocketed the phone and looked up when his sister arrived with two overflowing mugs of cocoa. She’d piled his high with the whipped cream she stocked just for him while hers was bare. As usual. His sister dieted constantly.
Lonny probably liked his mistresses rail thin.
Familiar acid churned in his gut. Nothing new there. He’d been churned up about this situation for too long now.