Page 29 of To Believe In You
“I’m not sure what Shane’s goal is, except that he wants to talk.” The statement raced after him, clad in frustration. “He’s called twice now. He also texted once, the day you asked who died. I haven’t answered.”
She trusted him enough to discuss this? A thrill coursed through his veins. He’d made it to the mouth of the hallway leading to the back door, but he pivoted back and leaned his shoulder into the corner. “It ended badly?”
“And then some.” Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows drew closer together, and her line of sight rested on the phone. “We both contributed thousands to a joint account to fund our wedding. His withdrawals were reasonable at first. He said he was making down payments for the venue, the band, everything. I believed him.” Her mouth puckered as though she felt ill. “One day, the bank sent notice that the account had been drained and closed. He hadn’t made a single deposit for the wedding.”
Matt sucked a breath through his teeth. “Where’d it go?”
“Gambling. He got nasty when I confronted him.” Her delicate throat marked a hard swallow, and she rubbed her shoulder as though remembering an injury.
Fire rose from Matt’s belly and blazed in his chest, his arms. Her movements could’ve been coincidental, but more likely, the guy had gotten rough with her.
“You’re supposed to tell me you’re sorry, and he’s a jerk and you can’t imagine why he’d betray me.”
Matt crossed his arms. The problem was, he could imagine. The allure of sin, egged on by selfishness and pride, had powered his own decisions for years. Gambling could be an addiction like drugs, he’d heard.
Only God’s work in his life had transformed him into a different man now.
“Anyway, he messaged to say he’s sorry for everything and wants to make things right, but the timing is a little coincidental. Shane’s in real estate, and my dad and I own some property in Maine. Dad wants to sell, and I wonder if he put Shane up to this.”
That explained the tense conversation he’d overheard between her and her father. What sort of dad would send a scumbag after his daughter? “That sounds like a mess. I’m sorry.”
Her lips twisted as though she’d hoped for more insight.
“Have you asked your dad about it?”
“We don’t see eye-to-eye about Shane. He and Mom believed him when he said he put the money toward a short-term investment. He said he could replace the money in a couple of months and played it off like I was unreasonable for not being willing to wait. Talking to Dad about him would only invite judgment.” She shook her head. “Also … Maybe it’s foolish, but I do wonder … What if Shane is actually sorry?”
Steps in gambling recovery had to be similar to those in drug and alcohol addiction treatment. The protocol might encourage making amends, but only in cases where reaching out wouldn’t cause more harm. If Shane had gotten violent with Lina, the man ought to be proceeding with the utmost caution. “Regardless, you’re allowed to have boundaries. If you think he’s dangerous, don’t invite him back into your life.”
“He isn’t dangerous. He …” She twisted the ring on her right hand. The stone in this one was big and blue. Other days, he’d seen her wear different colors. Four so far. The rings, gaudy in their size, contrasted with her classy, neutral-colored clothes, her careful but subdued makeup.
But today wouldn’t be the day he attempted to uncover the secret behind that anomaly.
He focused on the problem at hand. “If he calls again, I’ll be happy to answer.”
A laugh burst through her frown. “Oh, he’d love that.”
“So? I …” Realization dawned. “You didn’t marry him, did you?”
“Oh.” She shook her head quickly. “I broke it off. Not evenIam that desperate to start a family.”
Relief caught Matt like a parachute. A loser fiancé had to be easier to recover from than a lying, gambling, abusive husband, right? As if her romantic past were any of his business. As if they had any kind of future. She wanted a family. Did he? His abs tightened. Why was he even going down that path? “You have a right to move on. It’s none of his business if a man answers your phone.”
“Oh, I know.” Her voice grew quiet. “I know.” She blinked, refocused. “It’s just, what’s the point? I don’t care enough to want to make him jealous, either.”
Matt took that as a good sign. “The point would be letting him know you’re not alone in the world. Not defenseless.”
A touch of humor turned up her lips. “You’d defend me?”
He would. The idea of someone hurting her bothered him far more than those boys harassing Bailey. But the tension in his muscles demanding an enemy to confront would do him no good here, alone with Lina in the studio.
He matched her lighter tone. “If you ask nicely, I might not even be a civil adult about it.”
“How gallant of you.”
Matt’s laugh sounded harsh to his own ears. Forced. He pushed away from the wall, straining to keep up the levity. “And you didn’t even want to hire me.”
8
