Where There's Smoke: A Texas Heat Novel (9 page)

Rowan stood near the bay window with Holly, Becky’s best friend in his arms. In his position, Rowan made it a point to never be alone with a member of the opposite sex.

The way he held the other woman now, so intimately. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, whispered in her ear. Pain bled from every cell in Sawyer’s body. “Rowan?”

He swiveled around. His green eyes speared her with icy contempt. Sawyer took a step back. He never looked at her that way before as if she were dirt beneath is feet.

Holly sniffed delicately. Her pretty face ravaged by tears and grief. She sat down in the nearest chair. Sawyer’s chest tightened. What the hell?

Rowan advanced on her with the fiercest expression she’d ever seen. Sawyer forgot to breathe. He shoved a copy of the article in her face.

“Why?” his voice lashed out.

Sawyer had to grip the door frame to keep her knees from buckling.

How to Marry a Millionaire – Replacing Becky Camden – It was So Easy! Mega Church Pastor’s Wife Tells All

Oh my God! Sawyer scanned the article. Her heartbeat shook her body as she read further. Bob North used exclusive pictures she gave him to support his article on how gold diggers go after politicians, athletes and even celebrity pastors. He twisted her words out of context. The reporter not only misquoted her and distorted facts, he invented entire conversations they never had.

Chapter 15

Bob: So you knew Pastor Camden long before he got married?

Mrs. Camden: Yes, we went to the prom together.

Bob: You don’t say? Did you have a sexual relationship at any time during his marriage?

Mrs. Camden: No, but we had an emotional affair throughout. Becky was always threatened by me.

Bob: Looks like she had every reason to be.

The new Mrs. Camden shrugs.

Mrs. Camden: I’ve always considered him mine.

Bob: How did you hear about her death?

Mrs. Camden: Rowan called me. He was understandably distraught. He said he was in New York launching a new hotel on Union Square. He promised to have breakfast with Becky at Windows on the World, you know the restaurant in one of the twin towers.

Bob: On September 11, 2001?

Mrs. Camden: That’s right, it was a Tuesday morning. She sat at a corner table waiting for him but he was running late. When the North Tower was hit, she called him in tears. He could hear people screaming and panicking in the background. The stairwell exits were cut off. She didn’t know whether to go to the roof or wait for emergency rescue. The heat and smoke were overwhelming. She coughed a lot and cried for him.

Bob: That’s awful. So you’re saying if Pastor Camden had shown up on time he would’ve died too?

Mrs. Camden: Yes.

Bob: Maybe this will be a point of healing for others, what were Becky Camden’s last words?

Mrs. Camden: She told Rowan, ‘I love you always, Holly and my parents, love you always.’ Then the building collapsed minutes later. Only a few of her limbs were found for burial.

Bob: Pastor Camden must have been devastated.

Mrs. Camden: He was, but I was there to comfort him.

Bob: Do you think Becky Camden knew you would end up with her husband eventually?

Mrs. Camden: I think so, had she not died, he would’ve left her for me, no doubt about it. Our wedding was not a surprise to people who know us well.

Bob: What advice do you have for young women?

Mrs. Camden: Marry for love
and
money. Don’t waste your time with a penniless man. Nothing kills romance like financial struggle. Never settle!

Bob: Why did you consent to do this interview?

Mrs. Camden: I want to empower women. Ladies, you can have it all!

Flashing lights swirled in her line of vision. Sawyer fought to stay conscious. She bit down hard on bloodless lips. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest. She kept gulping for air. Her chest tightened.
I never said those things!
She couldn’t get the words out. Her mind scrambled in panic. How? How did Bob North know those details about Becky’s last moments? Dear God, the enormity of the situation gripped Sawyer by the throat.

Rowan’s green eyes blackened with rage.

“Why?!” he growled again.

Sawyer flinched. “I-I didn’t-”

He snatched the article out of her hand and shook it in her face. “How did he get these pictures?”

“Fr-from me but-”

“You sat down with this scum, told him personal-”

“Yes! I mean no.”

Rowan’s livid gaze turned glacial. “The woman I thought you were would never do this.”

“I didn’t!”

“Then what the fuck!” Rowan roared in her face.

Sawyer locked her knees to keep them from trembling. She could feel fine tremors throughout her body as fear took over.

“I-I did the interview but Becky-”

He punched the doorframe. “Don’t you dare say her name!” he hissed. Sawyer knew he was in unspeakable pain and she longed to comfort him.

“Rowan,” she nearly sobbed his name, “I would never-”

“But you did,” he said in anguish. “You told him things…”

Rowan swallowed hard, “I can’t trust you, I can’t even look at you.”

Sawyer blinked back tears. Instinctively she reached to comfort him. Rowan closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. She stroked his cheek. “I love you so much,” she whispered, “Please believe me.”

He opened his eyes. The cold fury took her breath away. He stepped out of her reach.

“Becky’s mother had to be sedated and hospitalized for chest pain. Her father is inconsolable. Her best friend Holly-” Rowan gestured. Holly was bent over double. Her hands over her face, sobbing so hard her entire body shook.

Sawyer realized with a sickening certainty that there was no way out of this. She suddenly remembered Bob North gloating. He said he waited in the hotel restaurant like the paparazzi, hunting for anything that would boost his social media numbers. His blog and expose books had taken down men in power for years. For some fathomless reason he was fixated on Rowan. Nobody could be that good looking, intelligent, rich and holy. The reporter couldn’t find a shred of dirt against Rowan.

Then Caleb walked into the restaurant as if he carried the burden of the world. The blogger recalled that Caleb was a recovering alcoholic. He stopped by his table, used his charm to get invited to take a seat and spiked Caleb’s drink when the young man looked away. The taste of alcohol was enough to push Caleb over the edge of sobriety after five years. Caleb drank steadily with the reporter generously paying the tab. Once Caleb was three sheets to the wind, Bob asked him question after question about Rowan and his personal life. No doubt that’s how the reporter got those intimate details of Becky’s last moments.

Sawyer didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t throw Caleb under the bus no matter how tempting. Yet, taking the fall for something so heinous wasn’t appealing either. Caleb had enough on his plate. The guilt over Felicity’s accident made him practically suicidal. Knowing he hurt his brother on top of everything else would kill Caleb.

“I’m sorry,” Sawyer said lamely, “I-I wasn’t thinking clearly, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

An awful silence settled between them. Rowan said nothing for a full minute. He looked at her with mounting disgust and loathing. “Get out of my sight.”

Sawyer couldn’t keep the tears from falling. The sight of her distress enraged him. “Please don’t hate me,” she whispered.

He looked at her as if she were a stranger he never wanted to meet. “I love you Rowan, till my last breath I love you.”

“We’re done,” Rowan said. He meant it. She understood but her mind couldn’t comprehend it. Her heart refused to accept the loss. It was too great, too much to bear. She had loved him so much, for so long.

“Since you like things on and off the record, let me be clear, I never would’ve left Becky for you. You’re way out of your league if you think you were her equal. She was and she will always be my first choice. I didn’t want you then and I sure as hell don’t want you now.”

Sawyer whirled and ran from him. She rounded the corner. No not the elevator. She found the stairwell and ran, tripped, stumbled down the steps. Sawyer fled with the clothes on her back. His words replayed in her head without mercy.
I didn’t want you then and I sure as hell don’t want you now.

The words wounded her like physical blows. Tears streamed down her face. Sawyer slid down the wall until her butt hit the floor. She covered her eyes with the heel of her hands.
He doesn’t want me! He never did! God, it hurt so much.

She trembled from head to foot. Damn it Sawyer, get up! She made herself stand. Shivering uncontrollably, Sawyer held herself upright. I will not fall apart, she ordered herself. The terrible things he said. She was never Becky’s equal. She wasn’t his first choice either. The way he looked at her as if she were nothing, worth nothing to him. Her chest tightened painfully. Dear God, she loved him, adored him and deep down he never wanted her. Sawyer felt so stupid for ever thinking a man as beautiful as Rowan could want her. Becky was right. I am plain, Sawyer thought. Not ugly by no means but she certainly didn’t have the stunning beauty of Becky Camden. He chose her.

Rowan only married Sawyer to prevent a scandal. Had that reporter not threatened exposure, Rowan never would’ve married her. Come to think of it, marriage was Sawyer’s idea not his. She felt another wave of pain pull her under.

Becky was and always will be my first choice.

Sawyer made a few phone calls on her cell and waited. Twenty minutes later Harper opened the stairwell door.

“Sawyer?”

“Over here,” her voice whispered brokenly.

Harper took one look at her white splotchy face and cursed a blue streak. “Oh God, is it your dad?”

“No,” Sawyer mumbled, “Rowan.”

“What the fuck did he do? I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“The hell it doesn’t!” Harper sneered. “If Rowan cheated on you I’ll cut his dick off with a rusty blade.”

Despite everything, Sawyer managed a half smile. She hugged her loyal friend. “Thank you for the sentiment but violence won’t be necessary.”

“Are you sure? I know people. Seth is a trained killer, my husband’s a cop – he can cover up evidence.”

They linked arms. “Just get me out of here, please.”

Sawyer took a deep breath and put her plan in motion.

Chapter 16

In less than twenty four hours, Rowan held divorce papers in his hand. He stared at Sawyer’s bold signature in disbelief. He wanted to crumple the document in a fist.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Felicity asked.

The Camdens held an emergency family meeting in Deena’s suite at The Grand Victorian. His mother paced the length of the Persian carpet, twisting the pearls around her neck.

“Well Sawyer’s an excellent actress I’ll give her that, she had me completely fooled,” Deena said.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Felicity said for the umpteenth time. “That girl is crazy about you.”

“Evidently not,” Rowan said. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded tight. The anguish of her betrayal was still raw. He didn’t sleep a wink last night. Every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing the tears falling down Sawyer’s face. Damn her!

One of the Camden’s legal team called back. “Oh good, it’s Harley.”

Deena put her on speaker. She sat on the edge of the walnut desk. “We’re all here,” Deena said. “Go ahead.”

“The divorce papers are legal,” Harley said.

“What does the little gold digger want?” Deena asked.

Rowan’s jaw clenched. He braced himself. He never had Sawyer sign a pre nup. He felt like an idiot who just got duped. Rowan scrubbed a hand over his face. “How much does she want?”  he asked wearily.

“Nothing,” the lawyer said.

Rowan sighed. “I have a net worth of thirty million plus assets and properties. There’s no pre nup Harley, I was a dumbass. I married someone I thought I knew she…” He shoved his hands in the back pocket of his jeans. “What does she want?” Rowan said though gritted teeth.

“At least half,” Deena said furiously. “That little bitch went after you like a predator, we’ll fight her-”

“How much?!” Rowan yelled.

“Did I stutter?” Harley asked. “Miss Landon wants nothing from you Rowan, not one dime.”

Rowan frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“She apparently wants out of the marriage, that’s it.”

Deena looked bewildered. “But she could take him for millions.”

“And she’d get it,” Harley confirmed. “But her wishes are clear. Dissolution of marriage. No money settlement, alimony or property division.”

Felicity threw up her hands. “I’m sorry, is anyone else confused?” she asked.

Rowan ran his hands through his hair.

“But she’s a gold digger and proud of it,” Deena said, “In the interview she made that clear.”

“Look, with all due respect,” Harley said, “I’ve dealt with my share of fortune hunters, this girl doesn’t want anything from you Pastor Camden. She even returned her engagement ring to our office.”

“What?” Deena asked. “That’s a solitaire from Tiffany’s, how much is it worth?”

“At least 100K,” Felicity said. She looked at her brother. “Rowan are you sure?”

“No,” he said honestly, “I’m not sure about anything. My Sawyer would never do that interview but she did, she admitted as much, then she lied to my face about why she did it. The only ones who knew about Becky’s last moments was everyone in this room and Sawyer. I know you two didn’t sit down for an exclusive tell all interview with that piece of shit – Sawyer did. She gave him pictures and told him things that only she could know.”

Felicity sighed deeply. “There has to be some other explanation. Sawyer loves you Rowan, I know she does.”

He wanted to believe that so badly. He could forgive the impromptu interview. Hell, he could even forgive the invasion of privacy and the public embarrassment. What Sawyer told the world about Becky’s death hurt him so deeply he could not, would not forgive her, God help him.

“I’ll sign the papers,” he said.

“Rowan don’t!” Felicity said.