Sweet but Sexy Boxed Set (43 page)

Chapter Nineteen

As hard as it was to get her mind off the impending confrontations, Sharon couldn’t help being the proud mother of number 32. Kyle made a touchdown five minutes into the game, and what followed was him and his teammates blowing their competitors off the field.

She enjoyed watching the game from the perspective of the stands, something she
’d never gotten to do while cheering. Jake made her laugh despite her heavy heart with his hooting and hollering along with the vast majority of the other Legendarians, though she wondered at his silence and the look of concern he sent her during half-time.

When the game ended, they exited the stands and went to wait for Kyle to come back out of the locker room. She looked up to find Jake staring off at nothing.

“Is something wrong?”

Jake smiled down at her, but it wasn
’t the same smile she was used to seeing.

“
I’ve been thinking. Maybe you and Kyle need some time to get through this thing with his father, without me there to cloud the picture.”

Sharon shook her head.
“
Why?
”

“
Your son, and maybe even his father, will need time together to get to know each other. That means you and the coach will be spending time together. It isn’t fair of me to stand in the way if there are still unresolved feelings between you two.

“
It isn’t fair to me either.”

Sharon wanted to protest and would have until he
’d added the last. “If that’s what you really want.”

Jake nodded.
“I think it’s for the best.”

There was nothing more Sharon could think to say, which was just as well as her son ran up to them, the smile on his face as huge as the odor coming off his body.
“Did you see?”

Sharon hoped her smile was as big as it should have been.
“I sure did. You were fabulous!”

Jake patted him on his still padded shoulder.
“Great game!”

Kyle looked up at him, his grin still ear to ear.
“Thanks!”

“
Well, I’m going to head out, congratulations on a job well done.” He turned to Sharon and his smile melted. “I’ll see you on Monday at the office.”

Sharon nodded, wanting so badly to ask him to reconsider, but she wasn
’t going to beg. “Okay.”

Jake walked away and she tore her gaze from his back to find Kyle frowning at her.
“What’s up with you guys, Mom?”

There was no point putting it off.
“He’s decided I needed a little space.”

Clearly confounded, Kyle made a face.
“What does that mean?”

Sharon blew out a breath.
“I’m not sure. But I need to talk to you about something really important when we get home.”

Kyle glanced over and grinned as Sharon
’s breath caught. Kyle Sanders was making his way toward them with purpose in his stride. He smiled at his son and then turned to Sharon with raised brows. “Your kid is a genius on the field. Reminds me of myself when I was younger.”

He turned to Kyle.
“Coach Hood needs to see you boys for a minute before everyone leaves.”

Kyle nodded and took off toward the field as his father turned back to her.
“You never told me.”

Sharon didn
’t react, though in truth she was relieved he knew. “I told your father. He wouldn’t allow me to contact you.”

A look of surprise followed by anger sharpened his gaze.
“
Are you serious?
My father has known about him all these years and never told me?”

Sharon wasn
’t going to lie, not even to spare his feelings. Kyle deserved to know the truth. “He probably assumed I used the money he sent to me to have the abortion he told me to get. I didn’t.”

Kyle looked like he was going to fall over, so Sharon placed a hand on his arm.
“I’m sorry to tell you all this, but I’ve had to live with that truth all these years, so I’m not going to lie for him.”

He shook his head, his eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t believe he did that. I always wondered why you left without a word. I wanted to look for you, but he told me you ran off and married some guy.”

Sharon wasn
’t going into all that. It was irrelevant. She had only one concern where Kyle Sanders was concerned. “I need to know what you plan to do now that you know about him.”

“
I’d like to get to know him, of course, and be a part of his life as much as you will allow. I want to help support him, even though I know it’s late in the game for that, but let me know what you need and I’ll take care of it.”

Sharon studied him, liking what she saw. He was still good looking, but she felt no attraction to him anymore. What was important were his words, the calmness of his manner, and since Coach Hood
’s hiring him was an endorsement in and of itself, Sharon breathed a sigh of relief. “He’s been wanting to meet his father ever since I told him about the boy I once loved.”

They both smiled at that before Kyle spoke.
“I was crazy about you too.” He looked her over, but was polite about it. “You’re still beautiful. Maybe even more so than back then. The doctor is a lucky guy.”

Sharon nodded.
“Yes, he is. I just need to remind him of that.”

At the curiosity in Kyle
’s gaze, she laughed. “He thought he was being honorable in stepping aside, just in case there were some lingering feelings between us, now we’re both back in Legend.”

“
And is there?”

Sharon laughed.
“Not on my part. You?”

Kyle grinned.
“If you were single, I might give it a shot, but nothing like an honest woman shooting you down from the get-go to put that to rest.”

Her son ran back and put on the brakes in front of them, sending dirt up from the drying grass at their feet. He looked at the coach curiously.
“Coach Hood said he didn’t know what you were talking about.”

Kyle looked at his son, his heart in his eyes.
“I really just needed a minute with your mom.”

Kyle looked at his mother curiously.
“Am I in trouble?”

Sharon shook her head.
“Nope, but I’d like you to meet your dad.”

****

Since Kyle and Kyle were in total bonding mode, Sharon allowed them to head to town together. She wrote down Kyle’s address and then kissed her son goodbye. Kyle didn’t even protest he was so excited to find out his dad was once a Legend Dragon star player, as he planned on being Legend’s future star player.

The house Old Doc turned into his clinic years before was dark except for the one light shining in what Sharon guessed was Jake
’s room.

She pulled into the small parking lot and floodlights immediately illuminated the entire area. Either that or something alerted Jake to her arrival so he was standing at the open door as she approached. Before he could say anything, she pushed him back and closed the door behind her.

“I’m only going to say this once more. Don’t tell me what I need. Ask me, because I will be more than happy to tell you.

“
I
don’t
need an old boyfriend in my grown-up life.

“
I
don’t
need the man I am in love with telling me he wants me to be fair to him where another man is concerned.

“
And I
don’t
need time to know I have never loved anyone the way I love you.”

Jake smiled at her, his eyes filled with joy.
“What
do
you need, Sharon?”

She smiled back.
“I already told you that, too. All I need is you.”

THE END

Janet Eaves fell in love with reading while in high school after being given a novel called
Run Baby Run.
That story captured her imagination and fed her mind in a way that nothing ever had before. What followed were those thick romance novels of the time that swept her away to places she’d never been, introduced her to people whose lives were filled with adventure and passion, and reading became an addiction that kept feeding her own (already overdeveloped) imagination.

After years of devouring books written by others, she ran across a novel and thought,
“I can write a better book than that!” Which now makes her laugh. Especially since she ran across her first attempt at a novel a few years ago in a box of old manuscripts that never saw the light of day. Needless to say, she couldn’t, at that time, write a better story than the one she’d read.

But that
“not so great” novel was the catalyst that began a journey that lasted years, until she finally found that one story a publishing house thought worthy of release. And now, all these years later, Janet has so many contracted writing projects she won’t be able to leave her writing-cave for fresh air anytime soon.

One of those projects was accepting an invitation for a spot in the
Unforgettable Heroes
boxed set and she is honored to be in the company of so many wonderful
Turquoise Morning Press
authors. Janet’s contribution,
Sins of the Father
, can be purchased separately later this year, or now, within the boxed set, and is about a young woman whose life always seems to be on hold…only she doesn’t know why. When she has the chance to step out and declare her freedom from those who have always kept her on a tight leash, she embraces the experience with wild abandon. But she doesn’t really know who she is, or who her parents were. Worse, she doesn’t know what kind of danger can claim her now that she’s left the
protection
she’s always resented. And though the sexy and delightful struggling artist, Phillip, seems like he could become the love of her life, she has no idea who he really is either…. Friend with benefits? Possible life-long lover? Or foe? She can only hope in the end that he’s her
Unforgettable Hero
!

Jan Scarbrough

How was she going to keep her secret? It had been with her like a living thing for twenty-one years.

With her daughter all grown up and married, single mom Kelly Baron can start her new life, responsible only for herself. But first she must help her mother by returning to the small Indiana town she’d fled years ago.

Newly divorced lawyer, Rob Scott, seeks solace in his small-town roots. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship—until he runs into Kelly, and the secret she’s been keeping.

Chapter One

Seneca Park

Louisville, Kentucky

“
Kelly, will you marry me?”

Heat swept Kelly Baron
’s face, and it had nothing to do with the warm June day. Choking back dismay, she stared at the kneeling man at her feet. “For goodness sakes, Thomas, stand up.”

Thomas struggled to his feet and sat down beside her on the park bench. His normally flushed face was peppered with sweat, and he had an expectant look in his eyes.
“I’m serious,” he said, fumbling in his pocket and withdrawing a small, black velvet box. “Dead serious.” He lifted the lid.

Secured inside the box was a spectacular princess-cut diamond solitaire set in a white gold, cathedral setting. Kelly was somewhat of an expert about diamond engagement rings because of her daughter
’s recent wedding, but she never expected Thomas Dunlap to offer her one, let alone one that looked to be the size of a carat.

Kelly focused on the beautiful ring, avoiding the conflicting emotions whirling in her head and the warning bells ringing in her ears.

Her usually reticent suitor became assertive and removed the ring from its box. “Here. Try it on.”

Before Kelly could demur, Thomas grabbed her left hand and slipped the ring on the third finger.

“It’s too big,” were the only words she could force from her dry lips.

“
That’s no problem,” Thomas said, bending over her hand. She could see the thinning spot of hair at the top of his head. He slid the ring up and down on her finger, and then raised his eyes. “We can get it sized to fit. What do you think?”

“
It’s lovely.”

“
No, about marrying me.”

That again. Panic set in. It
’s not that Kelly didn’t like Thomas. They had been dating since his divorce. He was an elementary school principal in Jefferson County, and she taught fifth grade in a local Catholic school. They liked to walk for exercise, go to Broadway Series plays, and eat Italian. They had a lot in common. But she had never, ever considered marrying anybody, not even when she’d been pregnant with C.B. and needed to get married in the worst way.

“
I’m not sure it’s the right time,” Kelly mumbled, looking at the way a thin strand of salt and pepper hair fell across his forehead.

Thomas sat back, opening a little space between them but continuing to hold her hand.

“It’s a perfect time.” His voice lowered turning persuasive. “We’ve dated five years. Colleen is happily married, and you finally settled your great-aunt’s estate.”

“
But her house hasn’t sold.” She looked down, avoiding his gaze. Aunt Bess had left her house to both Kelly and Colleen, and when it sold her daughter and new husband would have a tidy nest egg.

“
A technicality.” Thomas grasped both hands and renewed his efforts. “Look, Kelly, you’re not responsible for anyone but yourself now. It’s time for you to do what you want and move forward with your life.”

Kelly lifted her eyes to gaze into his face. She blinked. For twenty-one years she
’d packed her life full of busyness and responsibility, spending her time taking care of first her daughter and later Aunt Bess. Thomas was right. All that responsibility was over. She would be forty in July. It was time to be a little selfish.

But did that include marrying Thomas?

She shook her head once. “I don’t know. This is so,” her voice faltered, “unexpected.”

“
I know it is, Kelly, darling. But you must have guessed how I feel about you.”

Kelly dropped her gaze again, uncomfortable with his earnest, direct stare. Yes, she had known Thomas cared, but part of her had believed he would never marry again given the hideous nature of his divorce. It wasn
’t as if theirs was a platonic relationship. They enjoyed good enough sex twice a month, usually the weeks he didn’t have his son.

She met his gaze again.
“What about Clayton?”

“
Clayton goes to college in the fall,” he said. “Kelly, you and I are footloose and fancy free, sweetheart!” A smile transformed his face, smoothing out the worry lines in his brow, but leaving Kelly’s chest tight. “We’re good together, professionally and personally. It’s now or never, darling.”

Time for a forced smile. Did she want to spend the rest of her life with Thomas Dunlap? Become Mrs. Thomas Dunlap? No. For one thing, if she ever married, she would keep her maiden name. She would never succumb to an out-of-date tradition. And besides, she was too self-reliant, too used to doing what she pleased with only her daughter and her aunt to put her life in the hands of another.

But Aunt Bess was dead and C.B. was married. Thomas was right. She
was
free.

“
This is such a surprise. Will you let me think about it?” She hated the timid note that crept into her voice. Slowly, Kelly disengaged her hands and withdrew the sparkling ring from her finger. It was too much bling. It was too much pressure. She handed it back to him. “You know I don’t do change well.”

Thomas slid the ring back into its protective velvet box. He had the look of a man receiving a death sentence.
I hate to hurt his feelings.
She hadn’t quite told him “no,” but she hadn’t said “yes.”
If the situation was reversed, she’d feel like shit.

“
You have a habit of avoiding things,” he said with a sharp shake of his finger, reprimanding her as if she was a six-year-old caught hitting another child on the playground. “It’s a character flaw you need to work on.”

Kelly shifted on the park bench. Thomas was always too blunt. That was
his
character flaw. She pressed her right hand hard against the bench and fought down her annoyance.

Yet could Thomas be right?

Twenty-one years ago she had avoided telling C.B.’s father she was pregnant, but that was because his mother had found out they were secretly dating and warned her away from him. She made it perfectly clear her son had a future that didn’t include a small town girl from the wrong side of the tracks. It was evident she went behind her son’s back because he never said anything about his mother’s interference. Probably her husband didn’t even know about her scare tactics.

But his mother was right. When they talked about life after high school, he made it clear he didn
’t intend to end up in a small town like his father. He intended to go places, be important. Kelly was never part of that future he painted for himself.

When she found out she was pregnant, Kelly couldn
’t tell him. He didn’t love her. He would reject her and their child.

And so once Kelly started keeping the secret, she had never revealed the truth to anyone, especially not her own father, who had threatened to beat it out of her and confront the boy and his parents. It was just as easy to avoid telling her mother, who could be bullied by her husband, and later C.B., who accepted life without a father. Leaving her hometown and moving to
Louisville put distance between her and the problem.

Thomas cleared his throat.
“I won’t wait forever,” he told her.

“
Of course not.” Kelly shook off the memories and touched his sleeve. How did she soften her response? “I just need time to process this. Please?”

He kissed her then—a typical Thomas kiss with lips pressed firmly shut and eyes closed. Kelly responded as always, timidly, tepidly—trying to deny the longing in her heart for the love of her life, someone who cherished her, didn
’t want to change her and loved her just the way she was.

Someone she was too afraid to find.

****

“
Did Thomas really say that?”

Ear pressed to her iPhone, Kelly nodded even though her best friend Rachel couldn
’t see the action. “Yes. You know how he is,” she said.

Kelly leaned back against the headboard of her queen-sized bed with its cozy, apple green comforter and cotton sheets—her refuge from the untidy world where she lived. She
’d never had sex in it. Thomas preferred the six hundred thread count, extra deep Egyptian cotton sheets of his king-sized bed. What’s more, he didn’t like anyone touching him when he slept. She was used to sleeping alone, so part of her didn’t mind.

Another part longed to be held all night long, tenderly cuddled and caressed, not taken for granted once the deed was done.

It was dark outside, almost ten o’clock. One lamp illuminated Kelly’s cream-colored bedroom walls, casting shadows over her night stand where her stack of to-be-read books was piled.

“
What are you going to do?” Rachel’s voice, low and soft, was not able to mask its cautionary note.

“
About Thomas?” Kelly paused. “I don’t think I’m the marrying kind.”

She heard Rachel
’s sigh of relief almost as if her friend were in the same room, not seven hundred miles away. Did Rachel agree? When they met, Rachel was single and didn’t have a child, but she’d always been willing to let C.B. tag along with them when they went out to eat or shop at the mall. Then Rachel met Carl on eHarmony.com and the rest, as they say, was history.

Rachel had taken the chance Kelly had never been willing to take. She had married Carl and moved away settling in
Beaufort, North Carolina, where she and Carl ran a thriving bed and breakfast.

“
Thomas is right about one thing.” Rachel took a big breath as if gathering courage. “Your life is wide open. It’s time for you to start fresh.”

“
But…”

“
No ‘buts.’ I don’t want to hear any excuses. Life just doesn’t happen. You must create what you want out of it.”

Kelly flinched, her hand holding the cell phone suddenly going damp. She switched hands and wiped her right hand against her pajama pants.
“I know. I’ve been thinking I should do something different with my life.” Part of her wanted to make a change. The other part remained terrified.

“
You know you don’t love Thomas,” Rachel said. “He was simply convenient.”

“
You’re right.” The room suddenly seemed cooler as if Kelly was closing a door. “I know I should take a few more risks, but I’m not good at it.”

“
You can do whatever you put your mind to.” Kelly sensed Rachel’s smile. “You’re stronger than you think.”

Kelly shrugged off the praise. She
’d never considered herself particularly strong. “Whatever.”

“
Call me tomorrow? We’ll talk some more.”

“
Yes, tomorrow.”

“
Good night, Kelly. And don’t worry about Thomas. He’s not for you.”

“
I know. Good night, Rachel.”

Kelly ended the call and placed the iPhone on her nightstand. She sat forward and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Rachel was right. She needed change. She deserved it after all she
’d been through and all the sacrifices she’d made over the years for C.B.

But Thomas Dunlap wasn
’t particularly the kind of change she needed.

What
did
she need? Would she always date someone who was safe?

Kelly sighed, trying to shake away her funk.

C.B. and Daniel had moved into a small house in Middletown. He was taking care of her little girl now. What if she quit her teaching job and put her things in storage? Her apartment lease was up next month. She could let the realtor sell her aunt’s house. Then she’d be free to move to Lexington or maybe Northern Kentucky. At least she’d be away from the complication of Thomas.

The idea of creating a new life was new and exciting.

Yes, she’d do it. Having something to look forward to and making her mind up so quickly made her feel good.

Kelly relaxed against the pillows only to jerk forward moments later as the ringtone
“Back Home Again in Indiana” blared from her iPhone.
Wonderful.
Why did her mother always spoil her sweet dreams?

Kelly squeezed her eyes shut a few seconds. Then she reached over and picked up the phone.
“Hi, Mother.”

“
Kelly, dear, how are you?”

“
Fine. You’re calling late.”

“
I need your help. With Colleen settled and school out for the year, I thought you’d have time to come home and give me a hand.”

Kelly had been home once in twenty-one years and that was a year ago when her father died. She had avoided
Lanham, Indiana, like the plague.

“
What do you need, Mother? Is it something I can do for you from here?”

“
No you can’t.” Her mother’s voice was tight. “I’m moving out of this big house. It’s too much for me. I need your help to go through things. I’m afraid I’ll throw away something you or Colleen will want, you know things from your father’s family.”