Chapter 22
22
Tovah used a large shopping bag to deliver the cookies and brownies to their neighbors. At each house she asked about seeing anyone lurking in the neighborhood that didn’t belong.
They had informed her that Zach had asked the same question the day before and they were upset that whatever trouble had started, they were glad she and Zach had each other.
The only thing she qualified was that he’d been very good to Rose.
Emotionally exhausted by the time she returned home, she played with Trixie for a bit then started prep for the dinner she planned to make. A low and slow roast sounded like it would hit the spot. New potatoes with rosemary and some sautéed green beans.
She pulled the roast out of the fridge to begin seasoning it when the doorbell rang. Really? Always happened when she had her hands in meat.
“I’ll get it.” Rose limped to the door.
Tovah washed her hands and dried them. Rose made a face and turned around after looking at the screen on the video doorbell. “It’s Vincenzo,” she mouthed.
Shocked, Tovah stood like a squirrel contemplating which side of the road it wanted to run to while trying to avoid a car. What in all the hells was he doing in town? She’d told him specifically and quite clearly, she didn’t want to see him.
Taking a deep breath then letting it out slowly to reset, she motioned for Rose to sit down. She’d answer the door herself and get rid of him.
The doorbell rang a second time. Rose moved to the chair. Trixie nosed around and backed up to hide under the end table.
Tovah answered the door and stood there, arms folded as her ex-fiancé smiled his charming-as-a-snake smile at her.
“I had to see you.” The declaration was said without greeting or preamble.
“About what? I told you we weren’t happening. I think my refusal was succinct.” Tovah didn’t move from the doorway and effectively blocked him from coming in.
“Please, can we talk inside. I don’t want your neighbors to hear me.”
“The neighbors don’t care.” To prove the point Tovah swung her arm around to illustrate the empty street. “They have lives and so do I.”
He tried to placate. “I know, but I was hoping…” At this point he looked around him, then got down on one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “Tovah, I’ve been stupid and shortsighted. Please, take me back and say you’ll marry me. Not because your parents want it, but because I do… we do.”
The man was totally delusional. Not only that but whoever had given up her whereabouts was going to get an earful.
As she stood there trying to form a coherent refusal, Zach’s garage door opened, and he pulled out of his driveway on the bike.
Her heart dropped.
He hadn’t even stopped or slowed down. Probably hadn’t even seen her standing on the porch trying to keep from throwing Vincenzo ass over teakettle off the porch.
Tovah tore her gaze from watching Zach tear out of the neighborhood and returned it to the problem at hand.
“Vincenzo…I…no. I don’t love you. You most likely don’t love me. So, what, I stood up to my father and told the entire family to fuck off. Big deal. Are you afraid you’ll never reach that level of pissed off to do the same?” Tovah shook her head. “Do yourself a favor and leave the company. Go and marry Daphne and start fresh elsewhere. It’s possible to do that and be happy.”
Yeah, then why was she so damned miserable?
Rose took pity on her and came up behind her, cane hitting the door frame. “Young man, you treated both my granddaughters extremely ill. Do as she says and leave or I will get my gun. You didn’t want the real Tovah when you had her, now she’s blossomed, and you want to benefit from it. No. Not in this life or any other.”
Rose closed the door as Vincenzo scrambled to his feet, his face red and tears in his eyes.
What in the actual hell?
“Am I going to have to call home to find out exactly what is going on here?” Tovah asked Rose.
“No need. I will.” Rose’s expression had thundercloud written all over it.
Batten down the hatches, Hurricane Rose incoming.
Tovah returned to the kitchen and to a text from Darla asking if they could meet at the university. Odd place for her deposition, but maybe they wanted her statement in front of the school officials. Never having been involved in something like this she had no frame of reference.
The world had turned into a zoo and all the monkeys were flinging poo at her. Not a happy place to be for even a moment.
She put the roast in and set the timer, gave Rose instructions for it, and went to change.
The neighborhood was once again quiet when she left. No sign of Vincenzo and his ring. Incredulous at the events, she could only shake her head. She hadn’t given him any encouragement. Each time he’d called or texted, she had ignored him. Really, he had no reason to believe she’d ever take him back.
He’d burned that bridge to the ground then blew it up for good measure.
By the time she made it to the admin building her mind was spinning and she had to center herself before going inside. This was for Zach’s future. Nothing to do with her. Not anymore. But she had a responsibility to lay the facts open—even if she skirted a few details—and hope they believed her.
If they didn’t then she had nothing else to do but hoped he either won his lawsuit or found another job somewhere. It really wasn’t fair of them to handle the situation the way they had.
Admin offices were deserted since everyone was on break. The staff that was there had most likely come in expressly for this purpose.
She checked in with the receptionist then sat and waited until they called her in. Once inside, she was met with the president of the school, the dean of the science department, and one other person she didn’t know. They made their introductions and Tovah gave them a grave nod.
Darla walked in after the introductions. She took a seat near Tovah.
Then the questions began.
“How long have you known Dr. Quinn?”
“Four months.”
“How did you meet him?”
“He’s my grandmother’s next-door neighbor.”
That threw them a bit.
“So, you knew him before you took his class?”
“Yes and no. We had met, but I didn’t realize who the professor would be since the designation under instructor in the catalog stated TBA.”
They grilled her for over an hour, asking her every question possible and then turning to her grades in his class.
“Say what you want to, but I earned those grades. My final wasn’t even graded by Dr. Quinn. He turned that over to his TA. Also, if you look at my grades for my other classes, you’ll see a similar trend.” Tovah leaned forward having lost what little control she had on her temper. “You seem to be under the impression that I’ve done something wrong. I’m not a child and I already have a degree in another field. I’m not new to the college experience, nor do I take my studies lightly. As a result, is it any wonder I performed well on tests, papers, and quizzes?”
The Dean of Science put up his hand. “We aren’t saying you don’t deserve your grades?—”
“That is exactly what you’re implying.” Tovah stood. “You have your answers as pertains to the situation at hand. If this is a witch hunt just to find some small kernel you can use to reprimand Dr. Quinn on, then I suggest you stop. He is morally and ethically in the right on this, and you have no say in who he dates after the semester ends. And since we are both consenting adults, it’s none of your business, either. Good day.”
Darla followed her out.
“Tovah, please wait.”
Tovah turned. Darla made a face. “I’m sorry they were so hard on you.”
“Why didn’t you stop it? Do you secretly think he’s guilty of some impropriety?”
“No. Not at all. I know your hot buttons and figured if they kept going, they’d push them and have their asses handed to them by that Reese temper.”
That took the wind out of her sails a bit. “Yes, I guess that’s true.”
“For what it’s worth, their case really isn’t much of one. The only person they’ve been able to track down is you. Though, there was one student who they’ve taken to task for harassing Zach.”
Excitement shot through Tovah. Did that mean they’d identified the stalker? Why hadn’t anyone told her?
“Who was it? Did they tell you?” Silly question. Of course, they hadn’t.
Darla shook her head.
Oh, well, it never hurt to ask.
Zach went to his office to pick up a few of his personal things. He doubted he’d ever return here again. Not with the accusations and lawsuit. Not with the loss of confidence the admin had in him. Not with his anger over the way they’d treated him. If they were smart they’d settle with him and move on.
He shoved papers and trinkets into his messenger bag. Sadness moved through him. He’d loved this school, the campus, the students. It had been a good place to cut his teeth on teaching. He liked the smaller lecture halls and the fact he got to know his students by name.
Obviously, he hadn’t gotten to know some of them well enough.
And Tovah…shit. What in the hell had he seen when he’d pulled out of the garage? Was some joker proposing to her on her grandma’s porch?
What the fuck was that all about?
She hadn’t mentioned anyone else she’d been seeing. Had she played him like everyone else?
He shoved a stapler into his bag with a ferocity the office equipment didn’t deserve.
“Dr. Quinn?”
The hairs on the back of his neck rose again, but this time because he was standing in a small office with the person who had made his life hell for months. Someone he had guided and mentored. Someone he trusted to have his back with his students. The betrayal went so damn deep it hurt.
“Victoria.”
She watched him shove things into his pack. “So, that’s it? You were fired?”
“No.” He wasn’t going to tell her he wasn’t returning here because of her. Because every step he made she’d make his life miserable.
When he’d realized who had been the one to send the information to admin, he had contacted Bach for confirmation. With a name to work with, it had taken Bach only a short time to put it all together and nail the coffin shut.
What he really wanted to know was why she’d done it. Why she had almost flushed his career down the toilet at the same time doing so with her future. It wasn’t going to go well for her, but he hoped she got the help she needed.
At his answer, she brightened up. “Oh, good. But then why are you cleaning out your office?”
“It seemed time.”
“But you can’t leave.” She came fully into the room. “You’re needed here.”
“I thought so. Apparently not.” Anger built in him. What did she think was going to happen when she laid the accusations? That he’d drop Tovah and then what? Well, she’d at least managed the first item on her list.
“Where will you go?”
Zach lifted a shoulder. “Whatever school will have me now. Doesn’t matter that the accusations were unfounded or embellished in lies. This is a pretty small community and the word will get out what happened.”
Victoria winced at that. Tears filled her eyes before she blinked them away.
Had this shy, quiet, unassuming, socially awkward individual really sent him intimate pictures? It didn’t even seem possible. Yet, those pics didn’t look like something she’d pulled off the internet. They were so camera ready. And yes, she had looked so damn fuckable and sweet, but it had been so wrong of her. In every sense of the word.
He put the last of his belongings in his bag and started around her. “Have a good life. Make the most of your time to reflect.”
She’d have plenty of it where she was going.
As he started by, she grabbed his arm. “Don’t go. Please.” She no longer held back her tears. “I swear I didn’t mean it. I love you. You’re everything to me, and I couldn’t stand seeing you with someone else.”
And there it is.
“ Dr. Quinn. Zach,” she pleaded as he continued to try and walk away. “I just wanted you to see me like you did her. Like you do all of the girls you date.”
Sick inside, Zach shook his head. “Goodbye, Victoria.”
As he walked down the hallway, two men in official looking suits walked toward him.
“We’re looking for Victoria Carson.” Badges. FBI.
Oh, boy. What all did Back find?
A ping of regret twisted his heart as Zach jerked his head toward his office and kept on walking. He didn’t want her hurt, or scared, but she had brought all this on herself and needed to pay the price.
Bach had promised to go over Zach’s bike with a program that detected tracking devices. It was the only way she would have been able to know where he was and not follow him twenty-four/seven.
He drove back home and parked his motorcycle in the garage. His head hurt and stomach felt sour. Wasted potential for a bright, wonderful person. Guilt ate at him for not seeing the looming disaster sooner. For not seeing the signals she put out for what they were. He’d been blind where Victoria was concerned.
As he moved around his house, his attention kept going to the house next door. Tovah deserved an apology and an explanation. And yeah, maybe he did, too.
The fact of the matter was that now Victoria had been unmasked, he had no reason to stay away from Tovah, unless she had accepted a proposal from Mr. Bended Knee.
Time to put up or shut up.
He crossed the yards again, hoping this wasn’t a mistake. That he wasn’t showing his belly and letting the wolf have it for lunch.
Tovah answered the door, stuck her head out, and looked around. “Come in.”
He glanced around the neighborhood before stepping inside. “Expecting someone else?”
“More like hiding.” She closed the door behind them as Trixie rose on her hind legs to get his attention. He scooped her up and put her on his shoulder. She purred like crazy.
“Yeah, from who?”
She narrowed her eyes for a brief moment regarding him as if she didn’t know whether to believe him or not. “Ex-fiancé. He’s been trying to get me back, though he’s engaged to my cousin. It’s weird.”
Ah, that explained it.
“Have you been encouraging him?”
Offended, she reared back. “Are you serious, right now? No. He tried to throw me under the bus for a mistake that cost the company millions. Like I’d ever take him back after that.” Her brow smoothed and she hiked up a shoulder. “Though my family seems to think that it’s an even trade if they help you with their influence then I have to marry him.”
It was Zach’s turn to rear back. Trixie jumped down and walked away offended. “What?”
“Never mind. They were shot down by both me and Grandma. I wish you could have heard her give my father chapter and verse. Classic Rose.”
Despite the fact he really wanted to punch the fuck out of her father at the moment, he chuckled. “I can imagine.”
They sat in silence for a moment, before Tovah rose and said, “Where are my manners.” Then headed into the kitchen to start some tea.
He watched her. Familiarity warmed him all over. He sat at the bar and gazed at her as she took down a tea pot and put loose leaves into a mesh holder in the center. All right, so she was going fancy for this cup of tea.
“That’s kind of a nice segue into what I came over to talk to you about.”
“Oh,” she glanced over her shoulder at him.
“The culprit has been uncovered and is at this very moment dealing with questions from the FBI.”
Tovah stood up straighter. “What? You couldn’t have led with that? I’m left here answering questions about a non-issue when you’re sitting on that.”
She twirled her hand in a circle. “So, who was it?”
“My TA, Victoria.”
Shock widened her eyes, and she leaned on the counter. “Wow. I never would have guessed it, but now that you’ve said it, it makes sense.”
Zach jumped on that. “Pretty obvious I missed a lot with her.”
“For an astute observer of all things female, yes, you did. She was obviously infatuated with you. The time she came into class to ask you to take over for that other professor, she looked at you like you hung the moon. Of course, the rest of the women in the class did, too, so I didn’t think much of it. You have that effect on women.”
“And you?” Zach rose and came around the bar and into her space. She smelled like cookies, and sugar, and Tovah. “What kind of effect do I have on you?”
“Zach.” Her voice had dropped a couple degrees, and a hint of resignation filled it.
He covered her lips with his thumb, brushing it back and forth as he gazed into her gorgeous eyes. “I only said we couldn’t see each other because I didn’t know what or who was following you. I didn’t know if they were dangerous. I wanted to protect you. If that meant distancing myself, then so be it.”
Tovah frowned and spoke against his thumb, sending an oddly sexual vibration through it. “You never said.”
“I wanted it to look real. And I was right to do so as it turned out. She was taking candid shots of you all over campus and the neighborhood, and God knows where else. If you looked happy, it wouldn’t have been convincing.”
She hit his shoulder with the heel of her hand. “Asshole.”
“Yes,” he agreed then lowered his mouth to hers. “But one that wants to make it up to you in every way possible.”
“Oh, yeah? And what makes you think I’ll let you?” she challenged.
Zach smiled and ran his hand down into her yoga pants. Wet, female flesh parted under his questing fingers. “Mmmm, this.”
He ran his finger back and forth over her clit a few times and she shuddered.
“All right, maybe we can talk about it after we finish.”
Zach laughed and picked her up, carrying her into her bedroom.
From deep in another part of the house, Rose cackled. “I told you so.”