Playing Dirty Read online

  Trenton pushed off the sink and turned around, then leaned back against the counter. “I punched the guy. That’s a far cry from calm, or rational.”

  Jed opened the freezer, removed the ice cube bin and handed it to Griffen. “I’d have knocked the guy into next week.”

  Griffen chuckled. “No doubt.”

  “You should’ve been here this morning,” Trenton said. “Then you’d have really seen something.” He let out a long, slow breath. “I’m not proud that I took a swing at Grayson, but the sight of someone manhandling Mattie apparently has the power to bring out the worst in me.”

  “Given the circumstances,” Griffen said as she pulled glassware from the cabinet and filled them with ice, “it’s understandable. You couldn’t have known it was Ford.”

  That wasn’t exactly true. His gaze shot to the family room’s fireplace, flanked by two built-in bookcases and the cluster of frames littering the shelves. Intermingled with the knick-knacks, hardbound books and a wide selection of DVDs, were frames of all sizes filled with candid shots of various family members. Phoebe’s first school picture, photographs capturing memories of the once happy couple. Pictures from Mattie’s first wedding. A snap shot of Grayson decked out in pristine Navy whites with a very pregnant Mattie by his side. They all mocked him. Photographs he’d once asked her if she’d planned to take down after they were married, to which she’d adamantly refused.

  He’d been stunned, and had seriously considered calling off the wedding, thinking perhaps she wasn’t as ready to move on with her life as she’d led him to believe. But then she’d explained the photographs were for Phoebe’s sake and had promised to move them to Phoebe’s room after the were married. He hadn’t liked it, but it wasn’t as if Mattie and Grayson had divorced. He’d been killed in action, or so they’d all believed, and it wasn’t fair to Phoebe to obliterate her father from existence just to make him comfortable. She deserved to know her father, at least in photography, if not in reality. So yeah, he probably should’ve recognized Ford Grayson—about half a second after his fist had connected with the man’s jaw.

  “What’s done is done.” Trenton took the glass of sweet tea Griffen offered. Even if he had immediately recognized Grayson, that didn’t mean he still wouldn’t have tried to knock the guy out for putting his hands on his wife. His wife, not Grayson’s. His.

  Jed pulled out a stool from the island and sat. “So what happens now?”

  Trenton shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s my decision.”

  Griffen looked toward the family room where Griffen and Jed’s fourteen-year-old son, Austin, sat on the sofa, his attention focused on the screen of his iPhone, a pair of ear buds in his ears. “Can Mattie get into any trouble over this?” Griffen asked quietly when she looked back at Trenton. “You know, criminally?”

  Trenton took a drink of iced tea. “Doubtful,” he said. “In a case like this, the District Attorney would have a real hard time convincing a jury of intent.”

  Jed leaned forward and rested his forearms on the quartz countertop. “What about legally?”

  “I’m in the litigation department. I handle primarily insurance defense. Still, I’m fairly confident if Mattie had never had him legally declared dead, Grayson’s resurrection simply invalidates our marriage.”

  Simply? There was nothing simple about the fact that their lives were going to be torn apart by Grayson’s resurrection. If Mattie chose to stay with him, there would be a series of legal hoops for her to jump through to make that happen, namely a divorce from Grayson, not to mention custody of Phoebe and visitation issues. Only then could they be remarried. As of right now, he didn’t have a legal leg to stand on with regard to his relationship with Mattie. Emotionally was another story. And that was the one he was banking on to see them through their current circumstances.

  “I can tell you for certain she never went to court,” Griffen said. “But she started receiving survivor spouse benefits from the Navy and Social Security almost right away.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, because I took care of the paperwork for her,” Griffen said. She let out a quick breath. “You have to understand, those were some very dark days for Mattie. She was devastated. Between mourning her husband’s death and a bad case of postpartum depression, it was rough. My mom and I were there to help as much as we could.”

  He wasn’t completely surprised by Griffen’s admission. Mattie had told him a little of that time in her life, but he hadn’t realized the extent of her family’s involvement.

  “You do get that regardless of what the law dictates,” Jed said, “you can influence her decision.”

  “Jed,” Griffen said, her tone chastising. “That’s not fair.”

  “You know damned well I wouldn’t hesitate to play dirty if your ex suddenly showed up claiming you were still married to his sorry ass?”

  Griffen’s smiled turned patient. “We’re not talking about you, honey.”

  Jed shrugged unapologetically. “I’m just sayin.’” He looked at Trenton. “It’s not about keeping the peace. This is about winning. I’ve got your back, buddy.”

  Griffen’s mouth fell open, then she promptly snapped it shut. “Winning?” She shook her head. “Are you serious? Why does it always have to be a pissing match with guys?”

  Jed just grinned, then grabbed hold of Griffen’s hand and tugged until she was nestled against him. “Like it or not, sweetheart, this is going to be one hell of a pissing match.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’d do the same for you.”

  Griffen rolled her eyes. “God save me,” she said, her tone filled with humor as she moved away and onto the stool next to Jed.

  “I appreciate the support,” Trenton said and managed a chuff of sincere laughter. “I’d break out the Team Trenton t-shirts, but the last thing I want to see happen is the family divided.”

  “You’re in a fucked situation, buddy. No way could I be as gracious.”

  Gracious? Not quite. He was mad as hell. No matter how understanding he wanted to be, he simply could not avoid the jealously still tearing him apart. But he didn’t want to hurt Mattie, nor Phoebe. He hadn’t stopped loving Mattie just because Grayson had miraculously returned from the dead. But if she chose Grayson over him, could he walk away without a fight? He might not have any other choice.

  “Nothing is going to be resolved today.” At least he hoped not. Still, he couldn’t help but feel the longer Mattie took to make a decision, the better his chances of her staying with him.

  “What do you do in the meantime?” Griffen asked.

  “Take my condo off the market, for one,” he said. No sense selling his place if he wasn’t moving to Hart. “At least temporarily.”

  “I’m so sorry, Trenton,” Griffen said. “None of this is going to be easy.”

  He shrugged before downing the last of the tea. “Thanks.” He set the glass on the counter just as Mattie rounded the corner from the family room and walked into the kitchen. His heart lurched at the distress etched on her face, at the heartache banked in her gaze when she looked at him.

  Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away. Maintaining his distance from her was killing him. For as frustrating as their current situation was, at the first threat of tears, he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, offer her his strength, comfort her.

  Half a heartbeat later, he heard a door close down the hallway, then Phoebe came barreling toward him. “Trenton,” she squealed and launched herself at him. He lifted her, and she wrapped her little arms around his neck, squeezing tight. “I missed you so much.”

  A piece of his heart broke off and shattered. “I missed you too, Munchkin.” Mattie wouldn’t be the only one he’d be walking away from if he lost out to Grayson. Phoebe would be lost to him, as well, and that had him seriously considering Jed’s suggestion that he play dirty to keep what belonged to him—the two females who’d become his family.

  “Did you hear? My daddy�
��s not in Heaven anymore.”

  “Yes, I heard,” he said, careful to keep the fresh surge of anger clawing at his insides from his voice. He understood Phoebe would be curious about the man she knew only from photographs. Grayson might be her biological father, but he wasn’t who Phoebe cuddled next to to on Sunday mornings so he could read the funny papers to her. And Grayson sure as hell wasn’t the one who’d been up all night on Christmas Eve, building a dream condo for Barbie. Grayson had never kissed Phoebe’s boo-boo’s all better, hadn’t endured tea parties or helped dress a baby doll on demand. While he’d been only God knew where, Trenton had been the one sitting through an endless stream of Disney DVD’s. Okay, so maybe on some level he could muster a modicum of sympathy for the guy. In serving his country, he’d lost a lot, had missed out on moments that could never be recaptured. But did that mean he was just supposed to step aside and let Grayson resume his place in Mattie and Phoebe’s lives? God, would he even have a say in the matter?

  Griffen stood and went to Mattie, pulling her in for a hug. “Oh, Stinkerbell, I’m so sorry.”

  “You’re going to make me cry again,” Mattie said as she pulled away from her sister. She cast those green eyes in his direction. “Can we talk?”

  “We should go,” Jed said. “If you want, we can take Phoebe back home with us.”

  “No,” Mattie said. “Thank you, but no. I’d really like for you to stay.” She looked to Griffen. “Have you called Dad?”

  “Not yet. But I will if you want me to.”

  Mattie nodded. “He should be here.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Griffen said.

  Jed stood and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Why don’t Griff and I take the kids to Goldie’s for some ice cream,” he suggested. “Give you guys a few minutes alone.”

  “Thank you, Jed,” Mattie said with a half-hearted smile. “I appreciate it.” She turned and walked into the formal living room without another glance in his direction.

  Dread filled him as he set Phoebe down, but he forced a smile for the girl’s sake. “You go with Aunt Griffen, okay?”

  “But I didn’t get my presence from Paris yet.”

  “Your presents will be waiting for you when you get back,” he said. “I promise.”

  At that, she flashed him the same high wattage smile that had melted his heart from Day One. “Okee-dokee.” Oblivious to the tension in the room, she skipped out of the kitchen and joined Griffen, Jed and Austin in the foyer.

  Griffen cast a worried glance in Mattie’s direction. His bride stood by one of the yellow and white striped winged chairs near the large picture window, staring at the mountain of wedding gifts carefully stacked on the dining room table and on the floor near the china cabinet.

  “Let her know Dad’s not answering. I left a voice mail and will try him again later,” Griffen told him. She hesitated for half a second, then kissed his cheek. “I really am sorry, Trenton.”

  So was he. “Thanks,” he said, then closed the door behind them before he joined Mattie in the living room.

  As a litigator, he was paid well to think fast on his feet. He prided himself on his ability to look at both sides of any argument, and be ready for whatever the opposition might throw his way in court. But seeing Mattie now, at how dejected and hurt she looked, he didn’t have a clue what to say to her other than he loved her. In his mind, hell, in his heart, she was still his wife, regardless of whether Grayson had a pulse or not. She was the woman he’d promised to love for the rest of his life, not until her first husband came back from the dead.

  He considered taking a seat on the sofa, considered giving her space because he knew whatever she was about to say wasn’t going to be easy for her. But then he recalled Jed’s words about playing dirty. Maybe his brother-in-law had a point. He was fighting for his life here. What was fair about that?

  He walked up to Mattie and slipped his arms around her, then pulled her against him until her back was flush with his chest. “I love you,” he said before resting his chin on the top of her head.

  “I know,” she said quietly. “And that makes what I’m about to say very difficult.”

  “Mattie, you don’t—”

  “No. I do.” She turned in his arms and looked at him. The anguish in her eyes squeezed his heart and had his chest tightening until he couldn’t breathe. This was it. She was telling him goodbye.

  She pulled in a deep breath and took a step back. “I need to say this, and I really hope you can understand.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “You have to leave. You can’t stay here.”

  Tension climbed up his back and settled in his shoulders. “Are you coming with me?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  A hot wave of anger had his blood pressure skyrocketing. “What are you saying?”

  “It’s not what you think,” she said. “Ford and Phoebe need time to get to know each other. It will only confuse her if you’re here.”

  “Fine, then come with me to Dallas.”

  “You can’t seriously expect me to leave her alone with a stranger.”

  No, he didn’t, but he hated the fact that Grayson had a distinct advantage and wasn’t above playing it. He dropped his hands to his sides and took a step back. Rationally, he knew she was right. But that irrational, territorial part of him was burning up with jealousy. “Where’s Grayson staying?”

  “This is still his house, Trenton,” she said, her tone mildly patronizing as she pointed out the obvious.

  “His house?” he asked. “Or his home?”

  She frowned. “What’s the difference?”

  “A house is just a piece of real estate. Four walls and a roof on a plot of land. A home is where your life happens. It’s where you make memories, raise your family.”

  She closed her eyes and turned away. “You have no intention of making this easy for me, do you?”

  “Probably not,” he stated honestly. “In case you haven’t figured it out, he thinks you’re still his wife, too.”

  “I know,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Someone is going to get hurt, Matt. It’s inevitable. You have to make a decision. Me or Grayson. Period.”

  “You have to try to understand—”

  “I understand only one thing. Grayson’s moving back into this house isn’t about Phoebe, it’s about you.”

  “But don’t you see?” She turned back to face him, pain evident in her eyes. “Ford’s not moving back, he’s never moved out. For five years his life was suspended, but I moved on. I have to be fair to him. He’s lost so much.”

  Her words only heightened his frustration and fueled his anger. He was losing her and he’d never even been given a chance to fight. “This isn’t about fairness. It’s about him staking his claim on you.”

  “I don’t see—”

  “That’s the problem. You don’t where he’s concerned. Why can’t you see that he’s manipulating this situation to his advantage? That he’s manipulating you?”

  She shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”

  “Wake up, Mattie,” he argued. “He’s establishing his territory.”

  “Wow. Really?” Her eyes widened. He’d touched a nerve, but he was beyond caring. She wasn’t the only one hurting here. “Way to make me feel like a lone fire hydrant in a dog kennel.”

  “I apologize,” he said, knowing he wasn’t furthering his cause by being an ass. “But will you at least stay at your dad’s place. I’d be more comfortable if you and Phoebe weren’t under the same roof as Grayson.”

  She let out a sigh. “He’s her father, Trenton, not an escaped criminal.”

  “Fine. Then why can’t he stay at the motel? Hell, I’ll pay for it.”

  “Because this is his home. Stop being unreasonable.”

  “Am I?”

  “I don’t want to argue.”

  “Neither do I.” He closed the distance between them. “Don’t stay h
ere, Matt. Go to your dad’s.”

  “I made him a promise,” she said.

  “You made a promise to me, too,” he countered. He smoothed his knuckles down her cheek. “I’m not giving you up without a fight.”

  He tucked his hand beneath her chin and urged her head back. “I’m not giving up on us,” he said, then dipped his head to brush his mouth over hers. He expected her to pull back, to push him away, but hope swelled inside him when she kissed him back. Hope that they still had a chance.

  He swept his tongue into her mouth, took his time tasting her. He didn’t want to think about the decision she had to make, or how it was going to tear him apart if she chose to stay with Grayson. Going back to Dallas without her was the last thing he wanted to do, but really, what choice did he have? If he pushed too hard, he could end up pushing her right into Grayson’s arms.

  He slid his hand down her back to her curvy backside and urged her closer, aligning their bodies until she was pressed against him. He deepened the kiss, reminding her of what they’d shared these past months. The past two weeks.

  She leaned into him, fisted her hand into his golf shirt and clung to him. Letting go wasn’t an option. She was his wife, and he’d find a way to move heaven and earth if it meant she’d stay with him.

  “Well, isn’t that sweet. Saying goodbye?”

  Mattie immediately stiffened and jerked away from him. Color stained her cheeks. Because she was embarrassed at being caught kissing her husband?

  He looked over at Grayson. The bastard stood casually in the doorway wearing a smug expression, his shoulder propped against the doorjamb, his arms crossed. For half a second, he seriously considered planting his fist in the guy’s face one last time. “Fuck you, Grayson.”