Searching for Winslet (Fallport Rescue Operations #5)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Winslet hated it when her family invaded her space. She much preferred to go to her parents’ house, or even her sister’s, for family gatherings. That way, she could leave when things got too weird.

Like now.

She knew her little sister’s marriage wasn’t perfect. She’d known that from the start. But it wasn’t a bad marriage. They had a solid foundation despite everything.

Bennett had been Harvey’s best friend since grade school. They had done everything together. They might as well have been brothers.

And Bennett had covered up Harvey’s affair.

Something Winslet couldn’t ever forgive him for.

But outside of that, Bennett was a stand-up guy. He was good to Tammy and a damn good father.

Tammy had only been sixteen when Winslet and Harvey were to be married, and it had pissed Winslet off that Bennett, a grown man, had been eyeing Tammy. It didn’t matter that he’d waited for Tammy to turn eighteen before asking her out. He’d been sniffing around her for two fucking years.

A second point that had gotten under Winslet’s skin.

Tammy had been a kid. An impressionable teenager with a massive crush and Bennett knew that. He’d dated two other girls while waiting for Tammy to turn legal, making it even grosser in Winslet’s eyes.

But to her parents, Bennett, much like Harvey, had been the cream of the crop. A good man. A decent man. One worthy of their daughter’s affection.

Well, Harvey had turned out to be a two-timing cheater. But Bennett had not. He did love Tammy. But they had their issues.

He gambled. Not a ton. But it did cause a rift in their marriage. A few years ago, it had been a big enough problem that Tammy had given him an ultimatum. The last time Winslet spoke at any length with her sister about the issue, Bennett had gone to counseling and he’d been dealing with his demon.

He hadn’t gambled in over two years.

God, Winslet hoped that wasn’t the problem.

Tammy took the mug of coffee, palmed it, and continued to stare into it while she curled up in the bed. Winslet sat next to her, not sure what to say or even what to ask.

Their parents sat on the love seat.

Talk about a dysfunctional family.

Tammy, the good child. The one who did what the family expected. She taught grade school. The perfect profession for a young mother. One that allowed her husband to be the bread winner and if and when a second child came, she could give it up without a second thought.

Because it didn’t matter.

At least that’s how her parents thought.

Tammy almost never ruffled feathers.

She went to the college that her parents had picked out, instead of doing what Winslet had done, and that was—God forbid—thinking for herself. Her parents thought her career was strange. Who studied dead bones? If anyone should do that, it was a man, and even then, it was still an odd thing to do.

They could all go fuck themselves.

“What happened?” Winslet couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Why are we all gathered in my tiny studio apartment?”

Tammy turned her head and glared. “If you had answered my call last night, Mom and Dad wouldn’t have joined us.”

“And why did they? How did they even know you were here?” Winslet asked, though her tone could have been less aggressive.

“I don’t know,” Tammy whispered, shifting her gaze. “How did you guess I would be here? It’s not like this is my go-to place.”

“Because we called your friends,” Winslet’s father said. “Your husband is worried about you. It’s not like you to leave home. You have a child for Pete’s sake. What the hell has gotten into you?”

Oh shit. “Bennett didn’t have you come here?” Ignoring her parents, Winslet took her sister’s hand. “Is he?—”

“Dad? Mom? Can I be alone with Winslet for a minute?” Tammy asked.

“No,” Winslet’s father said. “What you need to do is go home to your husband.”

“Excuse us for a minute.” Winslet jumped to her feet. She jerked her sister off the bed. “Help yourself to more coffee. I also have breakfast fixings. We’ll be back shortly.”

“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Her father was on his feet. He sported a scowl. The same one he had when Winslet told him she was going far away after she’d been jilted.

“I’m not all that young,” Winslet said. “I want a word with my sister, alone. She came here to talk to me, and that’s what we’re going to do. You can stay, or you can leave.” The one thing that Winslet had that Tammy didn’t, was the balls to stand up to their father.

But that’s because Winslet held the power to crush the man.

And he knew it.

“I will not be spoken to that way by my own daughter.” He glared.

“I’m sorry, Dad. But I think Tammy has something she wants to say to me without the two of you hovering. Isn’t that correct?” She squeezed her sister’s hand. Again, they hadn’t been all that close.

But they were still sisters.

That meant something.

Tammy nodded. A tear dribbled down her cheek.

“We’ll be back.” Winslet raced the five paces toward the door. She jerked it open and headed right toward Jett’s. A dick move, but he’d understand. She pounded on the wood frame.

It opened five seconds later.

“Hey. What’s going?—”

She pushed past him, dragging her little sister behind her. “Jett. This is Tammy, my sister.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said with a little chuckle in his tone.

“And who are you?” Tammy asked.

“I think your dad referred to me as the flavor of the month.” Jett shut the door.

“My father can be an asshole,” Tammy said.

Winslet cocked her head. “I have never heard you refer to our dad like that.”

“Come on. Are you going to deny that you know he cheats on Mom?” Tammy waggled her finger at Jett’s mug. “Can I have a cup?”

“Sure.” Jett nodded. “Are you hungry? I was just about to make some eggs.”

“Starving. Thanks.” Tammy plopped herself down on the sofa. “He’s cute.”

“Don’t deflect. And how do you know about Dad?”

Tammy rolled her eyes. “Since right before you were supposed to marry Harvey. Like he was being all that discreet with Anne’s mother. Please. I was going to talk to you about it, but you did what you always do and disappeared.”

“That’s not what I do.” Winslet pursed her lips.

“Right. You hightailed it out of this town so fast it made my head spin. I was in high school. I had no recourse and Mom, she’s a blubbering idiot who puts up with it. I even confronted her about it.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Winslet took both mugs that Jett offered, handing one to her sister, and made herself comfortable on the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You took off. You made it clear that I was Daddy’s little girl. That’s a tough thing to be when Daddy’s a prick.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I was protecting you from the insanity of it all.”

Tammy waved her free hand. “No. I get it. I’d probably do the same thing if I was the older sister. And I didn’t make it any easier since I was madly in love with Bennett, who happens to be Harvey’s best friend. Our dynamic isn’t easy, but I would like to change that.”

“So would I.” Winslet swallowed the lump in her throat. “What’s going on with you two? What happened to make you show up at my place, use the code to get in, and not tell anyone?”

“He didn’t cheat, nor is he gambling, if that’s where this is going.” Tammy sucked in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “But it does have to do with that shit of a best friend he has.”

“What has Harvey done now?”

“You know his wife is pregnant with their third, right?”

“I heard that.” Winslet nodded.

“Well, he might have also knocked up Ivy Palmer.” Tammy arched a brow. “I don’t know if you remember her or not. But she was on my dance team. She now owns a ballet studio in town.”

“Oh. I remember her, all right. You and she were not friends.” Winslet laughed. “You hated her.”

“No. She hated me. But that’s beside the point. The whole entire thing is so gross I want to vomit, and Anne has the right to know her husband is dipping his dick in someone else’s vagina. I told Bennett I wanted to tell Anne, and he thinks I should keep my trap shut. He reminded me of how our mother doesn’t care, and maybe Anne doesn’t care either. But what if Anne doesn’t know? I mean, once you found out, you kicked that asshole to the curb.”

Just then, Jett appeared with plates full of food.

“Here you go, ladies.” He set the breakfast on the coffee table. “My sister has always told me I have a special talent for interjecting my thoughts where they don’t belong, so before I go and do that, I’m going to ask permission to speak freely.”

“That means you’ve been listening,” Winslet said.

“Kind of hard not to. My apartment isn’t that big.” He sat in the recliner across from them and had the audacity to wink.

“I’m all ears.” Tammy smiled.

“Take it from a man whose wife cheated on him. Knowledge is power, but the source does matter. If whoever tells her is coming from a place of love, it will be taken that way, even if she doesn’t want to hear it.”

“I struggle to believe that.” Winslet took her plate and shoveled some eggs into her mouth. She chewed frantically before finishing her thought. “My mother didn’t want to listen to me.”

“You had skin in the game. You were angry. But also, for whatever reason, your mom is willing to live the charade. I know a few women who are more than happy to go down that road.” Jett stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles. “You also have to remember that cheating isn’t always about love. Or even sex. Or about what might be missing in a relationship. I know my ex-wife cheated out of boredom. Not because she wasn’t loved. Or because she was missing something in the relationship. Although, I wasn’t the warmest of men. But my sister learned she cheated in her next relationship, and I should have known she’d cheat on me since I was the other man before that.” He arched a brow. “There are habitual cheaters. And there are cheaters who are looking for something. Sounds like this Harvey guy is of the former.”

“He was dating someone else when we hooked up,” Winslet said. “Made me feel kind of gross because he’d promised me they had been broken up at the time, but there was crossover.”

“You made my point.” He lifted his fork and shoveled more food in his mouth.

“That only makes me hate Dad and disrespect Mom more.” Tammy scrunched her forehead. “Bennett and I fought because I’m pregnant again and he thinks for the sake of our family, I need to keep my nose out of it.” She pointed her finger at Winslet. “Mom and Dad don’t know about the baby yet, so please don’t tell them. I’m so not ready for the onslaught of judgment about my life choices. Or both of them telling me how Bennett and I should raise our children. I mean, Mom thinks I didn’t breastfeed long enough and that’s why my toddler is chunky. Does she not remember what a fat little kid I was?”

“I would not call you fat.” Winslet cocked her head. “A dork. Yes. But fat. No. And my lips are sealed,” Winslet said with a smile. “I’m happy for you. I know you were trying for another one.”

“Thank you.” Tammy brushed her hair behind her ears. “Bennett is willing to distance himself from Harvey. But then there is the problem of our father. I can’t keep my mouth closed any longer. I’m so angry. Bennett and I have had our share of problems. He’s worked so hard to stay away from gambling. He doesn’t even play in weekly poker games with buddies. He knows it could be the thing that lulls him down that slippery slope and I’m more important. However, it’s an addiction. He has to work at it and if he ever went back to it, well, that could destroy us. I love my husband and respect him even more for not only putting his family first but doing the painful work to get himself back on track. I just don’t understand why Mom stays.”

“I think I should remove myself from this conversation.” Jett stood.

No way was Winslet going to let that happen. She leaped from the sofa. “No.” She curled her fingers around his thick biceps. “You have an opinion. You lived some of this and you know all of my story. I want you to stay and I think I can speak for my sister as well.”

“Yeah. I agree. I want to hear from the flavor of the month too.”

“Seriously, Tammy?” Winslet glared. “I don’t think Jett likes being reduced?—”

“It’s fine.” He chuckled. “Considering the circumstances. There are worse things one could call me.” He cleared his throat and flopped back into the recliner. “Tammy, may I ask you a couple of difficult questions?”

“Sure,” Tammy said.

“Is this the first time that you know of that Harvey has cheated on his wife?” Jett asked.

Tammy glanced at her hands. She fiddled with her fork. “Well, no. And that’s honestly part of the problem. I’m tired of being a secret keeper. While Anne isn’t my bestie, she’s still a friend. It’s hard for me to look her in the eye, especially now that we’re pregnant at the same time. My oldest and her middle child are the same age. They are in the same preschool. It’s the whole girl code thing. And Bennett, he’s torn. He knew about Anne when Harvey and my sister were together and said nothing and to this day has guilt over that. He hates being put in that position but doesn’t want to be the one to come out and say it. We’re in a horrible situation no matter what we do.”

Winslet took her sister’s hand. The fact this was the first time she was hearing all this broke her heart. She understood much of why Jett approached his life with such a pragmatic view. It was easy to see why Winslet could be at fault for part of her and her sister’s lack of communication and lack of closeness over the years.

So much misunderstanding. So many lies. Half-truths.

“What I’m about to tell you must remain in the vault of sisterhood,” Winslet said.

“Oh my God,” Tammy whispered. “You haven’t said that in years. It scares me.”

“It shouldn’t but still. I don’t want Mom and Dad knowing about this. It will only cause a bigger rift in our relationship. But it might help you understand a few things.” She squeezed her sister’s hand, holding Jett’s gaze, hoping for a dose of courage.

Which she got in spades.

“A few months ago, I was in a relationship with a married man,” Winslet said softly. The shame of the words smacked the center of her heart like a category five hurricane.

“I find that hard to believe.” Tammy’s eyes grew wide with shock.

“Your sister didn’t know he was married.” Thank God for Jett and his kind words and sweet voice. “He lied to her their entire relationship. When the truth came out, he expected her to hide it. Sweep it under the rug like a dirty little secret.”

Tammy gasped, covering her mouth. “How horrible.”

“It was,” Winslet admitted. “Only it gets worse. He and his family are coming here, and I’m expected to keep quiet.”

“You don’t keep quiet about anything,” Tammy said softly.

“I will about this because he has kids.” Winslet took her sister’s chin with her hand, much like her mother did all those years ago, only the intent was much different. “When I learned about Daddy and his affairs, I went right to Mom. But she acted like it didn’t matter. That I needed to hush my mouth. That I didn’t know what I’d seen or heard. Maybe she was trying to protect me. You. I have no idea. But as much as I want the man I had the affair with to suffer for what he did to me, to his wife, those kids are innocent. They love their father. They are small children and don’t need my wrath. If he didn’t have kids, I’d probably find a way to tell his wife. But I’m not going to be a vindictive woman just because I can.”

“But what if she came to you and asked? Would you lie?” Tammy stared at her with her mouth gaping open.

“Probably not,” Winslet admitted. “But I won’t go to her freely just because I want to cut him off at the balls. I’m better than that. I think you should stop hanging around Harvey and Anne. If Anne asks why, tell her to ask Harvey. Have Bennett back you on that. Push Harvey to be honest. It’s not your place to tell Anne what he’s been doing.” She lifted her sister’s chin. “No one told me, but the truth did come out. It always does.”

“I can attest to that,” Jett interjected.

“And what about Mom?” Tammy asked.

“She knows the truth about Dad.” Winslet dropped her hand and sighed. “Mom either doesn’t want to face it or it’s okay with her. Either way, it’s not our marriage. You need to focus on yours.”

“I can’t believe you, of all people, were in a relationship with a married man,” Tammy said.

“Trust me. It wasn’t by choice,” Winslet said. “If I had known when I met him, I wouldn’t have slept with him at all. I might not do long haul, but I do have standards.”

Tammy turned her head. “And this one meets your standards?”

Winslet groaned. “I’m not answering that in present company.”

“But I will.” Jett chuckled. “I’m not married. Nor am I involved with anyone other than your sister at the present time. I’m not interested in marriage. Been there, done that. Don’t really want to do it again. I believe that meets your sister’s standards.” He waggled his index finger. “I also didn’t shy away from being called a flavor or from being mentally killed by your parents. So, I think for now, I’m within whatever your sister calls a standard , though my sister is currently contemplating boarding a plane, so she come down and check her out for herself, because she’s not so sure Winslet won’t break my heart.”

“Oh. Trust me. Winslet will totally destroy your heart. But unfortunately for you, you won’t see it coming.”