TATIANA: Book Three; The Trouble Sisters Saga Page 3

  “Whoo-eee! Am I lucky or what?!” Tanya bounded into the yard, her face lit with excitement. “Not only do I get to see my nieces and nephews but I get to see their moms as well.” Rushing over to Tatiana, she yanked her off the lounge and gave her a resounding kiss. “Especially this mom, who doesn’t come out to play nearly often enough!”

  Tatiana returned her irrepressible sister’s hug, then got out of the way as Tanya barreled over to the four children who were abandoning their apparatus to greet their favorite aunt. After Tanya had spent more than enough moments oohing and aahing at the accomplishments of the proud children, she joined her sisters by the pool.

  Sinking onto the lounge beside Tatiana’s, she looked askance at Tatiana’s lemonade and focused on her older sister. “Please don’t tell me, Tara, that you are celebrating our recalcitrant sister’s unusual presence with lemonade?”

  Tara laughed and conceded. “Sorry, Tanya. I mistakenly thought that lemonade might be the appropriate libation to offer my guest given that it’s only two o’clock in the afternoon and Tatiana might have to go back to work.”

  Tanya hooted. “Good God, sis, please tell me we will never in our lives be appropriate, even when we are ninety. In fact, let’s pledge to each other that we absolutely will not be appropriate ninety-olds any more than we are appropriate twenty-somethings!”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that, Tanya. God, can you imagine Ryker or Griffin ever complaining that we are too strait-laced? Too goody-goody for them?” With a wink at Tatiana, Tara added, “Damn, even the most well-behaved Trouble sister has a naughty streak a mile wide. It just that because she’s spent the last six years of her life dealing with more issues than anyone should have to, her naughty streak has gotten submerged.”

  Tatiana rose up in her chair and started to take issue with her outrageous sisters, then settled back. There wasn’t much sense in trying to argue. She wouldn’t admit it to either of them, but more and more she was beginning to feel like a ninety-year-old woman. A burdened one at that.

  Just yesterday five-year-old Marcie had sidled up next to her, a frown creasing her normally smooth countenance. “What’s wrong, Momma?”

  When Tatiana had quickly claimed that nothing was wrong, Marcie asked, “Then how come you never smile anymore?”

  Determined to shake off the debilitating issues that were becoming too much a part of her daily life, Tatiana forced herself to grin at her younger sister. “Okay, Deputy Trouble. I admit I’m not as much of a daytime lush as you are. Don’t forget most of my time is spent with challenged women and a horde of needy children, my own included. I need my wits about me. However, at this moment you are absolutely correct. I was waiting for Tara to bring out the hard stuff. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my afternoon off than getting partially sloshed with my two exceedingly inappropriate sisters.”

  “Now, that’s what I wanted to hear! C’mon, Tara, break out the booze. And none of those girly drinks you sometime serve. I want the hard stuff. Vodka seems appropriate today. Straight up if you don’t mind, although I concede a lemonade chaser might be the perfect combination.”

  After she’d imbibed a healthy-sized glass of vodka-spiked lemonade, Tatiana allowed herself to give in to her fatigue. She saw her sisters exchange a glance at her stifled yawn and quickly confessed. “Okay, you two. I admit that I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I need.” Not wanting to get anywhere near what was really bothering her, Tatiana shrugged. “I have a work-related issue that frankly is challenging me.” At Tara’s raised brow, she said, “I think I’ve told you about Savannah Jenkins.”

  “The druggie?” Tanya asked.

  Tatiana blew out a dispirited sigh. “Leave it to you, Tanya, to cut to the chase. But yes, I guess that’s as close to calling a spade a spade as one can get. I knew Savannah Jenkins was in the system before she came to the shelter. A lot of my clients were in trouble with the law before they came to me, most of the time for drug or alcohol-related crimes. But as you know, I have a strict ‘no drug’ rule at the Sanctuary. I’ve had to impose it because so many of the women used illegal drugs to deal with their issues. It’s all part of the abuse syndrome. From my research, I decided when I first opened the center that I would have a strict no substance abuse policy. It’s hard enough to overcome the battered woman addiction without having to deal with substance abuse.”

  “But Savannah is challenging your rules?”

  “Yes, Tara, she is. I suspected her of drinking, but yesterday, Millie, one of our house mothers, took me aside and told me that one of the other women confessed that Savannah offered her methamphetamine. I was sick about it. Not only because I know that I have to deal with Savannah, but also because the woman she offered the meth to has been sober for nearly three years . . . but was once a full-blown meth addict.”

  “Phew, that’s hardcore. But obviously you can’t have Savannah at the shelter if she won’t obey the rules.”

  “I know, Tanya, but I truly thought I was getting through to her. She has those adorable little girls, and God, she’s barely twenty herself. I had a no-holds-barred conversation with her, making it clear that it was her only warning. If she uses again, I will have to dismiss her. The problem, as you both know, is that if and when I do, she will need to take her children with her.”

  “Wow, sis, I don’t blame you for being upset. I wish there was something we could do to help. Unfortunately, addiction is a hardcore issue. From what you’ve intimated, in addition to drugs and alcohol, Savannah confessed that she is a sexual addict.”

  Tatiana sighed. “Yes, often the women who come and go from my center have multiple addiction issues. Unfortunately, at base it’s an addiction to abuse—whatever form it takes.”

  They were silent for a long moment, then Tanya’s lip quirked up in a salacious grin. “Okay, how about a change of topic?” Turning to Tara, she explained. “You took care of her kiddies the other night, Tara, which allowed Ryker and me to take our overworked sister to a place she definitely needs to frequent more often. Namely, the Bitter ’n Twisted.” Her eyes lit with barely suppressed humor. “Not only did our dear old dad join us, but an interesting interloper crashed the party.” At Tara’s raised brow, Tanya added with a teasing smile, “None other than our own Chris Hemsworth look-alike, Zane Wilder. Now I can tell you, as much as the classy district attorney enjoys drinking with Ryker and me, it was the redhead at the table that caused him to crash the party.”

  “You’re kidding!” Tara shot Tanya a surprised glance, then turned to her flushed sister, who was sinking lower in her chair. “Really, Tatiana, you’ve been here for over three hours and never mentioned that you were with Zane Wilder?”

  “I wasn’t with him, Tara. As usual, Tanya is overstating it. As she said, she and Ryker and the DA are drinking buddies. I just happened to be with them the other night when he joined the group.”

  Tanya pressed her lips together and assumed a pretend frown. “Hmm, that might even make sense if it were not for the fact that the sophisticated district attorney visited the Sanctuary yesterday. No doubt . . . it was a ‘business’ call.”

  Knowing that her cheeks were flaming, Tatiana tried to explain. “You don’t understand. He . . . Mr. Wilder told me some time ago that he would like a tour of the Sanctuary. For . . . legal reasons . . . ”

  Tanya laughed. “Of course he did. Not! Jesus, Tatiana, you’d have to be brain dead not to know the guy was coming on to you. Even Dad mentioned it after you both left. Damn, Ryker was practically doing handstands he was so excited that his buddy was interested in a ‘real’ woman.”

  Remembering the way that Zane had teased her when he came to her center yesterday, Tatiana tried to sound nonchalant, far from the feeling of turmoil threatening to overtake her. It had been hard enough to get his unsettling visit out of her mind. Certain her sisters could see though her uneasiness, she fought to appear disinterested.

  Tara unwittingly supported her view of the urb
ane man who’d thoroughly discombobulated her when she said, “Really, Tatiana, that’s the most interesting news I’ve heard in a long time. But Griffin knows Zane better than I do. I have to admit I thought he had a thing with that young ADA of his. You know, that voluptuous blonde, Chloe Richards. At least the two of them have come to a lot of Griffin’s premier events together.”

  Tatiana rose to her feet to retrieve her children and said over her shoulder, “Trust me, the only reason the district attorney came to the Sanctuary was for professional information.” Glaring at her younger sister, she said dismissively, “As for his various amorous pursuits, from what you and Ryker have said, Mr. Wilder is an inveterate ladies’ man. The last person he would be interested in is an old married woman with two pre-school children.”

  Tanya shrugged. “Hey, sis, don’t sell yourself short. Number one, you are not old. And you are not a married woman. Indeed, you are a beautiful young woman who’s been on the shelf far too long. Now understand. I’m not disagreeing. Zane Wilder may not be the kind of guy you want to crack that celibate shell you’ve embedded yourself in. Although I can tell you from what I’ve seen of my buddy Zane, it would be a heck of a ride. Plus, even a ladies’ man can decide he’s interested in a real lady, not the marshmallow fluff he usually settles for.”

  Chapter 4

  Help me out, Ryker. If anyone knows what makes the Trouble family tick, it’s you. Somehow you’ve managed to capture the feistiest, most independent woman who’s walked our piece of the earth. All the while insinuating yourself into the good graces of none other than Sheriff Titus Theseus Trouble—accomplishments in my mind that rank right up there with the men who’ve walked on the moon.”

  Ryker laughed. “Wow, man, you make me sound even more formidable than I think I am. Although, modestly speaking, you aren’t too far from the truth. Both Tanya and her forbidding father are—were—worthy adversaries. That I’ve convinced his daughter to marry me and the sheriff actually supports the notion were no small accomplishments—even for a cocky Fibbie like me.” Sipping on his beer, Ryker nodded thoughtfully. “But remember, I’m not the only Delta Force operative that cracked the Trouble family code. Look at our buddy Griffin Black. If anybody is as challenging an antagonist as Tanya is, it’s her sister Tara. Christ, man, Tara and Griffin faced off in the beginning as dyed-in-the wool adversaries. She accused him publicly of planning to rape our pristine county. Within weeks, their bitter confrontation had dissolved into a love story almost as unbelievable as Tanya’s and mine.”

  Ryker shook his head as if remembering the craziness that had been both his and Griffin initiation into the Trouble family’s well-protected core. After a moment of contemplation, he allowed a smile to break through. “Something tells me, Zane, that as impressed as you are with my well-documented success, you might be seeking a little advice. I’m honored. After all, it isn’t every day that a Navy Seal seeks love advice from a Delta guy.”

  “You’re right, Ryker. Let’s just say this isn’t my usual MO. Frankly, when I want something, be it professional acclaim or entry into a boudoir that peaks my interest, the last thing I do is seek advice. Cocky son of a bitch that I am, I can’t imagine anyone knowing more than I do about how to claim the particular prize I’m ogling.”

  Ryker raised a brow, then said with a grin, “But there’s something about that Trouble bunch that kinda shoots all that cockiness to shit, right, man?”

  Zane agreed with a snort. “Yeah, you summed it up, Ryker.” He was quiet for a moment. “At first my concern was that Titus might not approve. That he’d drop the hammer if he saw a swaggering son of a bitch like me sniffing around one of his treasured offspring. But you and Griffin shot that theory to hell. After all, between the two of you, you set the cockiness level universes above my middling brazenness. Not to mention that you were both as disgustingly profligate as I am. But somehow you managed to convince Titus you were capable of walking the straight and narrow with his most prized possessions.”

  Ryker chortled. “Now, now, Zane. Remember you can’t bullshit a bullshitter. If anyone ranks up there in the arrogance ether with Griffin and me, it’s you.” He added thoughtfully, “Which in an odd way might be to your advantage. At least in breaking through your first impenetrable wall, Sheriff Titus Theseus Trouble.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Believe it or not, Titus and I have actually discussed you and your not-so-subtle ambitions. I recall when we heard you coming on to his painfully shy middle daughter, he asked rhetorically why strong, overconfident men always approached his daughters. I told him that we were the only ones arrogant enough to think we could scale the sheriff’s protective ramparts.”

  “And his answer was?”

  Ryker laughed. “He agreed.”

  “Hmm, so you think that Sheriff Trouble might not be an insurmountable roadblock if I openly court his daughter?”

  Ryker shook his head thoughtfully. “Believe it or not, Zane, and in all seriousness, I think the sheriff is the least of your problems.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know if I like the sound of that, Ryker. You think Tatiana is a bigger impediment?”

  “Yeah, buddy, I do. Griffin and I just had to overcome the feistiest, mouthiest, intrepid man-slayers that ever walked the streets of Sierra Vista. You, on the other hand, are trying to single-handedly infiltrate a warzone that hasn’t ever been infiltrated.”

  Zane didn’t couch his surprise. “Wanna be a little more specific, man?”

  Ryker blew out a hard sigh. “Bullshitting aside, Zane? In my view, Tatiana is a walking minefield.”

  Zane narrowed his gaze further and spit out, “Again, asshole, specifics would help.”

  Ryker shrugged. “I can’t really give you any, at least none that have been verified. All I know is that Tara, Tanya, and the inimitable Titus have not been able to crack through the nuclear defense system that Tatiana has erected around herself.” Ryker was quiet for a moment, then added with a heartfelt sigh, “The most I’ve been able to glean from her exceedingly closed-mouthed sisters and father is that it has something to do with that asshole she was married to.”

  After several moments of studied silence between the two of them, Ryker sat back in his chair and assumed a more cheerful guise. “Hell, man. You were good enough to invite me to have lunch at your swanky club. Although we both know that you wanted intel, not merely my scintillating company, I’ll return the favor. Griffin and I and the Trouble sisters are hosting a birthday bash at the B n’ T tonight to celebrate Titus’s fiftieth. Everyone and anyone is invited. You definitely need to drop by.”

  ****

  Zane Wilder parked his high-end automobile among the Rams, Tundras, and faithful Ford trucks crowding the overfull B n’ T parking lot. He was glad to see Ryker’s Jag and Griffin’s Ferrari 488. At least his Bentley wouldn’t be the only ostentatious ride in the lot. Doing a quick survey and not spotting Tatiana’s gray Rav 4, he breathed a sigh of relief. It meant that one of her sisters or, more likely, her father had brought her here tonight. That was good news in that he fully intended to take her home.

  The raucous sounds of Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along” welcomed him into the crowded bar. When Chesney gave way to a Luke Combs tune, Zane didn’t try to decipher the words. The roar of the excited crowd made listening and likely talking a challenge.

  But Zane wasn’t at the B n’ T tonight to chat or listen to music. Hell, for a change, he wasn’t even here to drink, although he would certainly imbibe before the night was over. At least in this phase of the evening, he admitted with a reinforcing sigh, he was a man on a mission. A mission he fully intended to accomplish tonight. His conversation with Ryker had been instructive if more than a little daunting. The most positive component was that it was unlikely Titus would stand in his way. If Ryker was shooting straight, and Zane had no reason to think that he wasn’t, the elusive sheriff had already given him permission of sorts to sidle up to his daughter. The daunting component was that b
oth Titus and Ryker seemed to think winning over the sheriff would be the easy part. Apparently, the supposedly shy middle Trouble daughter was unplowed territory when it came to suitors. She simply didn’t entertain them. As in none, nada, never. Zane nodded to himself, confirming that was going to change. Starting tonight.

  “Over here, Zane. I was wondering when you were going to get here. We were saving you a place. Come and join us.”

  Following the sound of Ryker’s voice, he spotted his friend at the crowded table in the front of the room. He was gratified to see the entire Trouble family among the rowdy participants. He made his way to the line in front of Titus and waited until there was a break in the crowd.

  Shaking his head at the huge birthday cake in front of the famous lawman, Zane stuck out his hand. “Damn, Sheriff Trouble, how the hell did you let that happen?”

  Titus’s eyes crinkled in a good-natured smile. “Would you be referring to the fact that there are enough candles on that cake that when we finally light the damn thing we’re in danger of burning down the B n’ T? Or are you impressed that I allowed those persistent daughters of mine to make me celebrate this landmark occasion in front of hundreds of people?”

  Zane laughed as he clapped his arm around the impressive sheriff’s shoulders. “Trust me, Titus, if any of us comes close to the shape you’re in when we say good-bye to our forties, we’ll be in hog heaven.”

  Titus glanced at Zane’s understated, elegant wardrobe that included a dark gray Lardini jacket and open-necked white silk shirt and gave a soft snort. “I dunno, Zane, given the casual garb you’re wearing that likely put you back a couple thou, it’s hard to imagine you in ‘hog heaven.’ ”

  “Touché, Sheriff Trouble. But then, we don’t all have the opportunity to dress in a compelling uniform that reeks with power. Especially when the guy wearing it looks like a cover model for GQ.”

  “Would that be the senior citizen issue?”