Yours Forever

by Farrah Rochon

  “And now I need it more than ever,” Tamryn said.

  She felt him stiffen. “Go on.”

  “You don’t want to hear about this tonight, Matt.”

  “Go on,” he encouraged.

  “Fine.” Tamryn sighed. “Remember when I mentioned that there were some issues at work?” She felt him nod against the crown of her head. “Well, that issue happens to be the new head of the History Department.”

  “Sounds as if the history there is more than what you find in books.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. He had been in the department for about five years when I first started at Brimley. He took me under his wing, helped me to work through all the bureaucratic stuff.”

  “And?” Matt prompted.

  “And I fell in love with him.”

  “But you’re not anymore?”

  “Oh, no,” she said. “I am so far out of love with him that I can’t remember what loving him feels like.”

  “The two of you had a falling-out?”

  She huffed out a humorless laugh. “You can say that. This past fall, he was awarded a grant for a project that we worked on together. I put my research on the side for over a year so that I could concentrate on his research project. He’s been showered with accolades from all corners of academia.” She paused. “My name isn’t anywhere on it. We were supposed to be coauthors of the paper, but he took my name off before submitting the documentation.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Matt cursed. “Who does something like that?”

  “Dr. Reid Hayes,” she answered. “When I confronted him about it, he told me that I should be grateful that he allowed me to work on the project at all. He also said that if it wasn’t for the fact that I was screwing him, I would be working at some junior college.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Matt said. “I can tell you’re ten times better than half the professors who taught me just by observing your work ethic. Your dedication to your research continues to amaze me, Tamryn.”

  “I know I’m damn good at my job, but I won’t deny that Reid’s words put a chink in my confidence. He did help me to get my position at Brimley. It was before we started sleeping together, but did he recommend me just because he wanted to sleep with me? How will I ever know?”

  “Don’t.” Matt captured her chin and tilted her face up to his. “Don’t allow him to do that to you.”

  “You’re right,” she whispered. She took his hand and brought it around her torso so that his forearm rested just below her breasts. Staring at the swath of moonlight that cut through the lace curtains, Tamryn said, “But I still want to prove to him that he did not make my career. Having this book published by a distinguished university press will mean a lot for me on a professional level, but the chance to rub it in Reid’s face—to prove that I can stand on my own merits in the academic world? That’s what really drives me.

  “I just need to uncover that one piece of evidence that will bring all the research together. I know it’s there, Matt. I can feel myself getting closer. Everything points to my grandmother and Nicolette working together to start that school for slave children. I just need to find the proof.”

  “You will,” he whispered against her temple.

  Tamryn pulled his arms more firmly around her, relishing in the strength emanating from him. Those two words gave her hope that she would eventually uncover what she’d come to Gauthier to find.

  As she rubbed her hand up and down his arm, a part of her realized she’d already found more than she’d ever expected.

  Chapter 9

  “Hey.” Matt pulled up next to Tamryn as she bent over and rested her hands on her knees. “I thought you were a runner?” he said, tugging on her ponytail.

  She straightened and shot an evil look his way. “I usually run four miles a day. I’m just not used to running after having so little sleep the night before.”

  Matt didn’t even try to stem the wicked smile that drew across his face. “Don’t think you’re going to get me to apologize for that, because it’s not gonna happen.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you to apologize. In fact,” she said, closing the distance between them, “I won’t be all that upset if you make tomorrow’s run even more difficult.”

  Matt waited for the shiver to rush through him before he attempted to speak again. “You’re trying to get me to embarrass myself in front of all these people, aren’t you?”

  “And just how would I do that?”

  “Wait a minute and look south. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  Her eyes darted to the front of his rayon basketball shorts, which were loose but not nearly baggy enough to hide the hard-on that was minutes from making its presence known if he didn’t get a handle on his overcharged libido.

  Being in such close proximity to Tamryn wasn’t helping, but walking away from her was beyond his current capabilities. He wanted to grab her and kiss the smile right off of her face. Dropping her off at Belle Maison this morning had been harder than he could have ever imagined.

  Matt had spent the majority of the ensuing hours unable to think about anything but her lips, and hips, and those delectable thighs. He could feel them wrapping around his waist. If he closed his eyes, he could see the tiny ankh symbol that had surprised the hell out of him when he’d discovered it high on her hip. The professor was full of little surprises, and he was having more fun than he ever thought possible uncovering them.

  Only one thought dampened his mood—knowing that he had the diary she was still desperately searching for. For the briefest moment last night he’d considered taking it out of the safe in his family library, but Matt had quickly disregarded the idea. He had too much to lose if the secrets within those pages ever came to light.

  Instead, he’d remained in bed snuggled against Tamryn’s soft warmth. He knew he was being selfish, but he wanted to put all of the lies of omission out of his mind and just enjoy his time with her.

  After dropping her off at Belle Maison this morning, he’d come straight here to help Carmen and the volunteers she’d secured get ready for the race. They’d set up several water stations along the 3.1-mile course that wound through downtown Gauthier and several of the residential streets before ending at the waterwheel in Heritage Park.

  He and Tamryn headed for the base of Main Street, where volunteers were instructing participants on how to line up for the 5K.

  “Remember, runners in the front, walkers in the back,” Isaiah Ryder, the track coach at Gauthier High School, called to the crowd.

  “Are you running or walking?” Tamryn asked, widening her stance and stretching her arm over to one side.

  “I usually run it, but after last night, I don’t know,” Matt said. “I think my body needs a little recuperation time.”

  “Shh,” she hissed, her eyes darting from side to side. “You’re too loud.”

  “Do you realize how cute you are when you’re blushing?” he said, swooping in for a kiss.

  Tamryn swatted him away before his lips could make contact, and pointed just over his shoulder. Matt twisted around and discovered that they were the main event. About a dozen eyes were watching unabashedly. Several of the ladies, most of them members of the Gauthier Civic Association, gave them the thumbs-up sign, and they all had broad smiles on their faces.

  “Oh, great.” Matt snorted. “By the afternoon we’ll be engaged and you’ll be picking out wedding china.”

  Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “I just love this small town.”

  Matt snorted again.

  Several minutes later, the group of nearly two hundred runners, which was mostly made up of kids from the middle and high schools, were lined up and ready to go. Coach Ryder shot blanks into the air, signaling the start of the race.

  Matt set out on an easy jog in
the center of the pack. After the first mile, he told Tamryn that he wanted to go to the back to see how the older residents who were walking the route were doing. She jogged alongside him, keeping pace. A sexy sheen coated her body, making him itch with the need to run his hands all over her.

  Matt sucked in a deep breath, willing his body to calm down. If he had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting through today without showing all of Gauthier just what was on his mind right now, he would have to pull himself together.

  Tamryn joined him in manning the race, jogging back and forth several times, until Eloise Dubois, accompanied by her daughter, Maureen, granddaughter, Mya, and great-granddaughter, Kamri, made it to the waterwheel in Heritage Park an hour and a half after the start of the run.

  Over the years, the celebration after the 5K had grown into an event in its own right. There were games for the kids, along with myriad snacks for runners and spectators.

  Matt was handing out bottles of Gatorade donated by Cannon’s Dry Cleaner’s when Corey Anderson, the pride of the Gauthier Fighting Lions baseball team who’d had a short career in the major leagues before returning to coach at the high school, walked up to him. His baby girl was fast asleep in his arms.

  “How’s it going, Matt?” Corey asked.

  “Pretty good, don’t you think?” Matt answered. “The turnout was even better than I anticipated.”

  “If there’s one thing you can count on from the people of Gauthier, it’s supporting the cause,” Corey said. “It’s what makes living here so special.”

  “I hear you. Thanks for getting your baseball players involved.”

  “It was either run the 5K or run twice that much during practice.” Corey laughed, but then he sobered and his voice took on a hesitant edge. “Hey, Matt, want to step over here?” He tipped his head toward a wooden bench.

  Matt’s brows drew together. He handed a couple bottles of Gatorade to the kids waiting in line, then dried his hands on the hem of his T-shirt as he followed Corey a few yards over to the bench.

  “What’s up?” Matt asked, taking the seat next to him.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while, but as time went on without you ever bringing it up, I figured it was something you just weren’t planning to share.”

  “What are you getting at, Corey?”

  “You know that I was originally a big proponent of that chain retail store that was proposed for Main Street last year, right?”

  A thread of unease traveled down Matt’s spine. That retail store had opened up many of the old wounds first created by the construction of the Maplesville outlet mall. The residents of Gauthier were convinced it would destroy many of the businesses on Main Street.

  “What about it?” Matt asked.

  “The same developers who were seeking to bring the retail store were the ones who built the outlet mall over in Maplesville. They mentioned some of the other supporters.”

  “Look, Corey—” Matt started, but the other man stopped him.

  “I’m not saying anything one way or the other, Matt. I know that a lot of the people around here were against the outlet mall and it’s caused a lot of negative feelings between the two towns.”

  “Corey, I didn’t know the developers were going to go to Maplesville,” Matt said. He put his elbows on his thighs and ran his palms down his face. “This has all turned into the biggest damn mess.”

  “Look, Matt. If it does come out, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The people here are pretty forgiving.”

  “I don’t know about this one,” Matt said. “The controversy surrounding this outlet mall is bigger than anything this town has ever seen. If people find out that I was the one who first sought out the developer, they’ll accuse me of trying to bankrupt the town.”

  “Were you?”

  “Hell, no, Corey! Come on! That’s the exact opposite of what I was trying to do.”

  “I’m sorry I even asked that. I know you would never intentionally do anything to hurt Gauthier, not with all your family has done for this town.”

  It took everything Matt had within him to hold in his sardonic snort.

  Yeah, his family had done a lot for this town. He could count on one hand how much of it was good.

  The baby in Corey’s arms began to squirm and, seconds later, started to wail louder than a police siren. Matt stared at Corey’s retreating back as he made a beeline for his wife. He couldn’t help but wonder if what the other man said was true. Would the people of Gauthier forgive him if he just came clean and explained his intentions when he originally sought out the Lakeline Group?

  Later that night, Matt lay in his bed with Tamryn nestled against his chest. He stroked up and down her arm, relishing the feel of her dewy skin.

  “Why are you so quiet tonight?” she murmured.

  “Because you wore me out?” he replied, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’m pretty much speechless.”

  “You are such a politician,” she said. “You always come up with the perfect response.”

  Matt felt her body vibrate with laughter, but he didn’t join in.

  Tamryn peered up at him over her bare shoulder. Her forehead furrowed as she studied him.

  “Matt, what’s going on?” she asked, twisting around so that she faced him. “You’ve been...I don’t know...off most of the afternoon.” His brows arched as his eyes drifted languidly down her body. “Well, except for what you just did a few minutes ago,” she added.

  Even her adorable blush couldn’t wring him out of his sour mood.

  Matt hauled her on top of him and settled his hands on her lush backside. She lay on her stomach, her breasts crushed against his chest. He could easily spend the next week in this position. Tamryn’s apprehensive expression stated that she clearly could not. She wanted answers.

  He pulled in a deep breath and debated the wisdom of sharing this. There was so much he was keeping from her already; it would be cathartic to finally let some of it out.

  “I have a confession to make,” he started.

  Matt felt her entire body stiffen. Her uneasy gaze roamed over his face. “You’re not married, are you?”

  He speared her with a sardonic look. “Don’t you think the people in this town would be lining up at Belle Maison to tell you if I was married?”

  “Good point.” She pressed a kiss to his left pectoral, then folded her hands on his chest and rested her chin on them. “So, what’s the deep, dark secret you want to share?”

  Matt stared up at her and, for the briefest moment, had an overwhelming urge come clean about it all. He thought of the wall safe downstairs, hidden behind a framed portrait of his ancestor. He thought about the leather-bound diary that resided inside of it and how it contained the very thing that had brought her into his life, the very thing that could possibly save her job: the story of her ancestor.

  But it was also filled with his aunt Nicolette’s detailed accounts of many of the wrongdoings early members of the Gauthier family had engaged in. Once the floodgates were opened, it would take very little digging for someone to unearth some of the other transgressions the Gauthier men had committed throughout the years. Some illegal, some just unethical, but all were offenses that would mar his family’s name in this town forever.

  The people of Gauthier loved the town’s founding family. Preventing those stories from coming to light wasn’t just for the sake of saving his campaign or his family’s reputation; it was for the sake of all the people living here who needed to believe that the Gauthiers were everything that was good about this small town.

  The load of bull he’d just fed himself was hard for Matt to swallow, but it did just enough to stop him from spilling his guts to Tamryn.

  Instead, Matt said, “I explained to you about the outlet mall in Maplesville a
nd the rift it’s caused between the two communities, right?”

  “You and several other people around here,” she said.

  He hesitated, then admitted, “I’m the one who brought this area to the developers’ attention.”

  Tamryn’s head popped up. “What do you mean?”

  “A couple of years ago I ran across an article about this development group who had built outlet malls throughout the southeast. They were looking for another site. There were people on both the pro and con side, but the pros seemed to have the better argument. Tax revenues, jobs, lots of prosperity—all the things I wanted for Gauthier.”

  “So how did the outlet mall end up in Maplesville?”

  “The developers got a better deal on the land, and there was more of it. They were able to buy huge acreage and, in the couple of years since they moved in, have sold it to other developers. Now there are retail shops and strip malls popping up all around Maplesville, and the shops in Gauthier are feeling the pinch.”

  “The pinch? None of the businesses on Main Street seem to be struggling to me.”

  “Well, they’re not now. Not with the tourists that have been brought to town because of last year’s revitalization efforts and the Underground Railroad discovery.”

  “So what’s your point, Matt?”

  He looked at her as if she were crazy. “The point is, I could have single-handedly ruined this town.”

  “But you didn’t. In fact, according to Mya Dubois-Anderson, if not for that outlet mall, the Gauthier Civic Association would have never gotten the revitalization effort off the ground. She said their anger over the outlet mall was the catalyst for all of that.”

  “True,” Matt agreed.

  “She also pointed out that, if not for a fact-finding mission she and Corey went on because of the revitalization effort, that discovery at the Gauthier Law Firm probably never would have happened.”

  “But Mya can’t be sure about that. It’s possible it would have been uncovered in some other way.”