Chapter Ten
Tristan waited until Vicki had left Stefan’s house for the night before going to see the other man. He wasn’t stupid, and everything Cameron said about Kate was the truth. His wife wasn’t going to let him go without a fight. Touching Vicki and being near her before he got a divorce would only ruin their time together. He’d already hurt her because of his marriage to Kate.
There was no way he’d ever put her through that again. He loved her way too much to put her through it again. Cameron was meeting him in the morning, and together they were riding out to the city to handle his marriage.
There were only two things he needed to do, and both of them involved Stefan.
Chloe, Stefan’s younger sister, opened the door. “Sheriff, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’ve come to see your brother.”
“Stefan’s in the kitchen.” Chloe moved out of the way letting him enter. Tristan followed behind her. He passed several of the Bad Boys and nodded in their direction.
“Stefan, the Sheriff is here to see you,” Chloe said.
“Tell him to fuck off. I’m not interested to hear anything more from him.” Stefan was flipping eggs at the stove as he spoke.
“Tell him yourself.” Chloe turned and walked away.
The man turned to him. “Sheriff, how lovely to see you,” Stefan said.
Tristan laughed. “Cut the crap. I know you’re faking it.”
“What brings you inside my house?” Stefan placed eggs on several plates followed by some sausage and tomatoes. He waited as Stefan shouted to whoever he cooked dinner for.
“They missed Vicki’s cooking. She makes a pretty decent meal, but she never makes enough for leftovers.”
Stefan wiped his hand on the towel as he walked over to where Tristan stood. “I take it this is not a social call?”
“No. I need a couple of favours.”
“You’re here for more than one favour.”
“You’re the only person I know to fit the bill.”
Stefan took a seat. “I’m all ears.”
Tristan sat down, accepted the cup of coffee and pulled a picture of Kate out of his pocket. He’d removed her photo from his wallet.
“I’m heading out of town for some time. It could be a couple of weeks, maybe longer before I return. I’m getting divorced and settling my affairs while I’m in the city. Law Castle is my future, and I’m going to make sure of that while I’m gone.”
“Does Vicki know about this?” Stefan asked, glancing at the photo.
“Yes. Vicki and I have a lot of history. She knows a lot more, and if you’ve got any questions go to her. Kate is making it hard to divorce her. I need to be present throughout the whole of these proceedings to make sure she doesn’t ruin me.”
“The little blonde has a chance of ruining you?”
He let out a sigh. Tristan didn’t have time for Stefan’s joke. “I’ve been made aware of her needs. She wants my money, and the reason she doesn’t want a divorce is because she’ll no longer be entitled to my money.”
Stefan sat back staring at him. The assessment from the other man didn’t go unnoticed by him.
“I’ve promised Vicki I wouldn’t touch her again until I can give her more than a quick fuck.” Tristan tore the photograph of Kate up. “If I could change what I’ve done to Vicki then I would. I can’t change what I’ve already done, but I can change everything else.”
“Okay, why do you need me?” Stefan asked.
“You’re not going to question me anymore?”
“You’ve got feelings for Vicki. Any idiot can see it. I want to know why you need me to bring about your little plan. We’re not exactly best friends.”
“The town trusts you. I may not like you, but I trust you to keep the people safe. You love the town as much as I do. I want you to step in as Sheriff while I’m gone.”
Stefan laughed.
“That’s not all. While I’m gone I want you to make sure Vicki eats and takes care of herself. This is important to me.”
The laughter stopped. “You’re being serious. You mean every word you say.”
“I’ve never been known for anything other the truth.” Tristan glanced down at the torn up photo.
“How do I know you’re not looking for a chance to leave Vicki?” he asked.
Tristan leaned forward. “Because I’m going to give you this. When I come back I want that back.” He handed Stefan a diamond encrusted wedding band. “I intend to claim Vicki as my own. She’s not going to be hurt because the woman I married thirsts for my money. The town accept you, and I’ve already prepared a news bulletin to go up.”