secret again. If you plan to marry me, accept me as I am.”
“I do.”
“Then kiss me now.”
She planned to kiss him quickly, but the moment her lips touched his he didn’t allow her to escape and deepened the kiss with a mastery that made her head spin. When he finally withdrew she was breathless.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, and leaped over the railing, landing smoothly on the ground. He turned to her and his face broke into a smile. “You won’t regret this.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
He responded with a wink that said it all, turned and dashed to his car.
Suzanne waved as they drove off, knowing that she wasn’t saying goodbye but “see you soon.” In an instant she’d changed her life. She’d closed the door to leaving this town, to protecting her heart against Rick. She knew from the first moment she saw him that she loved Luke and the thought of being his mother was a thrill. That didn’t scare her. Loving a child was easy. What did scare her was that she was in danger of falling in love with his father, too.
Chapter 11
F rieda inhaled her fourth cigarette while staring blankly out the window, waiting for Rick’s visit. She glanced at her watch with impatience then took a swig of whiskey. Good company was few and far between nowadays and she’d never admit to it, but she looked forward to her son’s visits. Sometimes he brought his son—or what he tried to pass off as one, she thought with a sniff as she twirled the liquid in her glass. The boy was too soft and quiet for her taste. Not like the brash, loud man her husband had been. Not that she missed the bastard, just the company.
When the phone rang she stubbed out her cigarette on the arm of her recliner’s plastic cover and answered.
“Is it settled?” a familiar voice asked.
“Yes, the house is ours. He signed the papers.”
“So it’s a done deal,” Wallace said.
“That’s right.”
“And you plan to hold up your end of the bargain?”
“Don’t I always? Why do you want her back?”
“That’s my business. I just want to make sure the way is clear for me.”
“Yes. Without the house I’m sure she’ll fall right back into your arms.” Frieda paused when she heard a car. “Rick’s back. Gotta go.”
“He still doesn’t know anything?”
“No.”
“Good.” Wallace disconnected.
Frieda hung up the phone and quickly put the whiskey away. Rick hated seeing her drink. She smoothed down her dress, picked up a magazine and sat back in the recliner, so that when Rick entered the room she looked the picture of domestic tranquility. “You’re late,” she said. “I’ve been waiting.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Hello, Momma.”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“I told you we went to visit Suzanne.”
“Where’s Luke?”
“At the hotel.”
“Why didn’t you bring him by?”
“You’ll see him next time.”
She tossed the magazine on the ground. “So you let Suzanne meet that little girl you’re raising?”
Rick wiped crumbs from off the couch cushion and sat. “Luke is just shy.”
“As shy as a virgin in a biker bar. He needs some balls.”
Rick picked up the magazine and set it on the side table. “He’s only five.”
“Nearly six. You were further along at that age.”
“He’s not me.”
“You’re sure he’s yours?”
“He’s mine and we’re not having this conversation again.”
Frieda shrugged and grabbed a chip from the bag on the cluttered coffee table.
Rick frowned at the mess. “I thought I arranged a housekeeper to come every week.”
“I can keep my own house. Besides, they steal.”
Rick didn’t reply. Of all people, his mother would know about the habits of some housekeepers. She’d been one for ten years. Unfortunately, his older brother had gotten his sticky fingers from her and had landed in prison twice.
“When is she moving out?” Frieda asked.
“She’s not.”
Her heart began to race. “What do you
“I do.”
“Then kiss me now.”
She planned to kiss him quickly, but the moment her lips touched his he didn’t allow her to escape and deepened the kiss with a mastery that made her head spin. When he finally withdrew she was breathless.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, and leaped over the railing, landing smoothly on the ground. He turned to her and his face broke into a smile. “You won’t regret this.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
He responded with a wink that said it all, turned and dashed to his car.
Suzanne waved as they drove off, knowing that she wasn’t saying goodbye but “see you soon.” In an instant she’d changed her life. She’d closed the door to leaving this town, to protecting her heart against Rick. She knew from the first moment she saw him that she loved Luke and the thought of being his mother was a thrill. That didn’t scare her. Loving a child was easy. What did scare her was that she was in danger of falling in love with his father, too.
Chapter 11
F rieda inhaled her fourth cigarette while staring blankly out the window, waiting for Rick’s visit. She glanced at her watch with impatience then took a swig of whiskey. Good company was few and far between nowadays and she’d never admit to it, but she looked forward to her son’s visits. Sometimes he brought his son—or what he tried to pass off as one, she thought with a sniff as she twirled the liquid in her glass. The boy was too soft and quiet for her taste. Not like the brash, loud man her husband had been. Not that she missed the bastard, just the company.
When the phone rang she stubbed out her cigarette on the arm of her recliner’s plastic cover and answered.
“Is it settled?” a familiar voice asked.
“Yes, the house is ours. He signed the papers.”
“So it’s a done deal,” Wallace said.
“That’s right.”
“And you plan to hold up your end of the bargain?”
“Don’t I always? Why do you want her back?”
“That’s my business. I just want to make sure the way is clear for me.”
“Yes. Without the house I’m sure she’ll fall right back into your arms.” Frieda paused when she heard a car. “Rick’s back. Gotta go.”
“He still doesn’t know anything?”
“No.”
“Good.” Wallace disconnected.
Frieda hung up the phone and quickly put the whiskey away. Rick hated seeing her drink. She smoothed down her dress, picked up a magazine and sat back in the recliner, so that when Rick entered the room she looked the picture of domestic tranquility. “You’re late,” she said. “I’ve been waiting.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Hello, Momma.”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“I told you we went to visit Suzanne.”
“Where’s Luke?”
“At the hotel.”
“Why didn’t you bring him by?”
“You’ll see him next time.”
She tossed the magazine on the ground. “So you let Suzanne meet that little girl you’re raising?”
Rick wiped crumbs from off the couch cushion and sat. “Luke is just shy.”
“As shy as a virgin in a biker bar. He needs some balls.”
Rick picked up the magazine and set it on the side table. “He’s only five.”
“Nearly six. You were further along at that age.”
“He’s not me.”
“You’re sure he’s yours?”
“He’s mine and we’re not having this conversation again.”
Frieda shrugged and grabbed a chip from the bag on the cluttered coffee table.
Rick frowned at the mess. “I thought I arranged a housekeeper to come every week.”
“I can keep my own house. Besides, they steal.”
Rick didn’t reply. Of all people, his mother would know about the habits of some housekeepers. She’d been one for ten years. Unfortunately, his older brother had gotten his sticky fingers from her and had landed in prison twice.
“When is she moving out?” Frieda asked.
“She’s not.”
Her heart began to race. “What do you
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