by Emma Roman
"Yes, she was. When I got home, I called Ryan and asked him if I'd been replaced. He came rushing over. Outside in front of my house, he confessed he drank too much that night and got drunk. The next thing he knew he and Rhonda were having sex. He felt bad, but I couldn't forgive him.
"My brothers looked out the window, saw me crying and screaming at him and they came storming out. The fight was on."
Kelsey shook her head and took a sip of the hot drink. "Before I realized what was happening, my brother Jim was beating the crap out of him. One of the neighbors called the sheriff to come break up a brawl. My mother came out of the house and hauled me inside while my father calmed everyone down and kept them from going to jail."
What else was Ryan hiding from her? How had he forgotten to mention this little incident and did he really think she would never find out? What kind of man deliberately thought he could get away with lying?
"Afterwards, my family thought best if I spent the summer traveling abroad before going off to college. I should tell him thank you for giving me a wonderful travel experience, but I grieved for weeks after I learned he slept with Rhonda."
Taylor bit her lip. The question hovering in her mind that she didn't want to ask, but needed to know. "Do you still care for him?"
Her friend shrugged like it no longer mattered, but Taylor didn't believe her.
"Our breakup was for the best. I don't begrudge him any longer. I'm not pining away yearning for him. There are no lingering feelings. A nicer, non-threatening law enforcement involved ending would have mended our fences years ago. Hey, I got a trip to Europe because of him."
She stared at Taylor and gave her the evil stink eye. "Are you certain the two of you are not an item?"
How could Taylor answer Kelsey's question without hurting her even more? She'd fallen in love with the man only to learn he was creative with the truth. After he promised her he never cheated and she accepted his word, then finding out he two-timed Kelsey… When would he be unfaithful to Taylor? "No. Not anymore."
Kelsey gazed at her like she didn't quite believe Taylor.
"But you were seeing Ryan?"
Unable to glance at her friend, she sighed. "We went out a couple of times," she admitted.
She was not about to tell her the last few weeks the two of them had been burning up the sheets together. Not now when the pain of his betrayal ached like a surgeon carved her heart out without anesthesia. Bitterness filled her throat almost gagging her and she longed to curl up in a ball and cry. God, how she missed Jack. He understood men and helped her comprehend the reasons behind their behavior.
"Look, I care about you, Taylor. You're my friend. Maybe he's changed. I don't want him to hurt you like he did me. You said it yourself that you like lawmen and they cheat. He's got a proven record of not being faithful. Don't let him sweet talk you into believing he's a good guy."
Sighing, Taylor glanced at Kelsey. Everything she said about Ryan was true. Everything she said about Taylor was true. She couldn't deny being a sucker for a man in a uniform wearing a gun. Unfortunately, they liked to live dangerously.
"I know. I just wanted to make certain I heard your side of the story. We're not dating," she said, knowing she would end it with Ryan. Stick a fork in her, they were done.
At this point it wasn't even the fact he had been traitorous. It was more about the lie he told. He knowingly misguided Taylor. Now Taylor appeared dumb. Ignorant for thinking he was different. For believing him when he said he never cheated.
10
Ryan was ready for this day to be over. First, he'd given one of his officers a formal reprimand when he caught him hitting a prisoner. The mouthy drug offender yelled obnoxious and offensive words at his officer, but as a lawman, you ignored the insults and did your job. Daniel let the man antagonize him and Ryan removed him immediately from the scene.
He wasn't a bad employee, but sometimes prisoners got under your skin. When he'd called Daniel’s mother a horrible name, the jailer broke and retaliated.
Later, he'd been on duty at Jack's funeral and escorted the family to the cemetery, where they laid him to rest. Ryan wanted to be with Taylor during this difficult time, and instead watched her in the distance while he stood at attention.
Sometimes the job interfered, and yet in a small town, he had a limited number of men and women on his team. Today, he couldn't attend Jack's burial as a friend, but was there in an official capacity. He hoped Taylor understood.
Finally, on his way home tonight, Mrs. Raffsberger called. Once again he dropped everything for a feline pursuit. That damn cat would be the death of him. But the little old lady only had her pets and the joy on her face when he brought the animal to her warmed his heart. And she always gave him a pie or cake to take to the station to share with everyone.
Maybe he was nothing but an oversized lump of mush, but how could he refuse to help her? Alone at eighty-three, there was no one left to chase her cats but Ryan.
In front of the restaurant, he noticed all the lights were out. He glanced at his watch and realized at ten minutes after nine, she'd closed-up and gone home already.
As he drove the route she walked home, he searched until he arrived at her house. He couldn't have missed her by much. A warm glow came from inside and he could hear Zeus barking.
Knocking on the door, he heard the dog yapping excitedly. The door opened and there she stood. Every time he saw her, a rush of excitement went through him.
"Hi," she said.
Sadness gazed from her red-rimmed eyes where she'd been crying. "Tough day?"
"Yes," she said and he walked through the door. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, knowing he couldn't wait to take her in his arms.
Reaching down, he petted Zeus who jumped and danced around like his best friend just walked in.
"I saw you at the funeral, but when I finally got free, you were gone," he said.
"I spoke to his daughter and then I left," she said. "He's no longer there."
"No," he said knowing she was right, but shocked she didn't wait for him.
They sank down on the couch at the same time. She turned to face him, bringing up a leg to keep him from getting closer. He frowned. Usually they sat holding one another for at least ten to twenty minutes, just talking. Tonight, she seemed to be trembling in her corner, keeping distance between them. What was wrong?
"You and the girls still going to the spa this weekend?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "We're leaving day after tomorrow."
It would be lonely without her, but then this week he was working every day but Sunday.
"Kelsey came over this morning," she said.
A trickle of alarm spiraled up his spine. For days, he meant to tell her before they left for their retreat, knowing she needed to know before the women were all together about his reasons for lying.
"I asked her to have breakfast with me so I could understand why the two of you haven't patched things up. I couldn't fathom how a break-up in high school would leave two people hating each other as much as you two obviously do."
"I don't hate Kelsey," he said wanting her to know right up front that he held no animosity toward the woman he'd done wrong.
"She told me what happened between the two of you," Taylor said, her voice stern, her eyes wide and her hands shaking. "You lied. You said you'd never cheated. Yet you cheated on Kelsey."
How could he make this better? He was in so much trouble. He faced her, trying to think of any way to get out of this, realizing he'd been caught. "You're right. I lied to you. I wanted to spend time with you, get to know you and show you not all lawmen are cheaters. I knew if I told you the truth, you would never go out with me."
"Why didn't you tell me before I found out?" she asked.
"I tried. Every time I went to tell you, something would happen. I put off being honest with you because I knew this would not be an easy conversation."
"No, it's not," Taylor said.
"Look, I
did two-time Kelsey, but I would never do that to you. At eighteen, I was a young, stupid, horny male who wanted to experience sex. A virgin who wanted to prove I was a man. I got drunk that night and later learned I screwed Rhonda. I don't even remember being with her. After seeing how much my indiscretion hurt Kelsey, I swore to never cheat on another woman. And I haven't."
"But you deceived me."
"I had no choice if I wanted to spend time with you. I don't regret this time together. I crave being with you, only you. No one else."
She turned her blue eyes on him. They were glistening with tears. "I was falling for you. I thought that whatever this thing is between us could grow into forever. How can I build trust with a man who lies? How can I ever be certain you're telling me the truth?"
He swallowed, his chest aching with the pain. How could he argue with her? She was right, but he hadn't duped her in a mean spirited way. His reasoning had been selfish. But his stupid high school drunken mistake was not something he told everyone.
Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "I'm so damn honest, it hurts. But you're right. I mislead you about Kelsey because I wanted no one else but you."
A tear trickled down her cheek. "I think you should go. I need some time to think."
"Taylor," he said, fearing that if he left, she would never let him back in. "Everyone makes mistakes. I made a huge one when I stepped out on Kelsey. I was wrong and I'm sorry. When I deliberately deceived you, I did it because I wanted to be with you. There are no doubts in my mind. I still want to be with you."
She shook her head. "You've got to go."
He rose, feeling like a fifty pound weight sat on his chest. He loved her. He hadn't told her because he wanted the moment to be special and everlasting. And now it appeared that moment would never come.
"I'm leaving, Taylor, but I'm not giving up on us. I want to be with you," he said walking to the door.
She didn't say anything, but turned her back as he left her townhome.
For two days, Ryan couldn't sleep. He couldn’t eat and it was a good thing the Raffsberger's cat didn't come up missing or he might’ve jail that pussy. He worked, he moped and grew angrier.
An incident in his life at the age of eighteen still wreaked havoc on his life. He missed Taylor’s closeness, the smell of her, her smile, and the way she would take his hand in hers and squeeze their palms together.
She was his missing half and he wanted her back. For two days, he gave her space, knowing she needed time and distance to realize the worst crime he committed against her was wanting to be with her.
At night, he followed in the patrol car not far from her, watching her walk home, tormenting himself because he couldn't chase her down, pull her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
He loved her and needed her.
His mind searched frantically for some solution that would make her grasp his lie showed he cared. Tomorrow, she was going to the spa to be with her girlfriends. She'd be with Meghan and Kelsey.
Like a slap to the face, the solution hit him and he groaned. The idea was perfect, but gut wrenching. Grabbing his hat, he slipped on his coat and strolled out the door.
Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of the Kelsey's Boutique, where he hoped to find Kelsey inside.
Opening the door, he heard her working.
"Cody, is that you? I'm almost ready," she called.
"No, it's Ryan," he said, his strides taking him toward her voice.
She came around the corner and stared at him. "What are you doing here?"
He removed his hat and twirled it nervously in his hand. "I know you hate my guts and I can't blame you."
"I don't hate your guts," she said frowning.
"Well, let's just say I came here today to apologize. At the time, I was an eighteen-year-old horny boy who was disappointed when I couldn't get into your pants."
She laughed.
"At the graduation party, after several shots of tequila, the alcohol loosened me up and made me stupid. I started making out with Rhonda which led me to cheating on you." Hanging his head for a moment, he looked into her eyes. "I want to say how sorry I am. If I had remained sober, the teenage hormones would never have gotten loose."
He glanced into her eyes and noticed they sparkled with what appeared to be laughter. How she must enjoy hearing him grovel after all these years.
"That night taught me a very valuable lesson. Never drink until I lose control. Besides the tequila making me sick, I could have caught any number of diseases or created a baby with a woman I didn't even like. Young and stupid, I just wanted to experience sex for the first time. Cheating on you exposed the damage I could cause. I've never stepped out on another girl. Please forgive me."
Kelsey smiled. "We were childish and naive," she said. "I must thank you. Because of you, I got a tour of Europe that summer. Mom and Dad wanted to keep us apart so we took off traveling. It was the best trip of my life."
"I'm glad something good came out of it for you," he said. "Your brothers beat the crap out of me that day."
"Sorry. They've always been awfully protective of me. Sometimes a little overly protective. What made you come over here today and tell me this? Is it because of my meeting with Taylor?"
He bit the inside of his mouth, scrunching his eyes shut and then opened them wide before he spoke. "We're taking some time. She's kept everyone in the dark about us seeing each other, but I really care about her, Kelsey. We have fun together. We fit each other, but more than anything, she makes me happy."
Nodding, Kelsey laughed. "What are you going to do?" she asked.
"I'm lost. I want her back in my life. Yes, I lied, but I did because I wanted to be with Taylor. Something drew me to her and I had to know if there was a possibility of this attraction growing. She would never have given us the chance. Now, I want to ask her to marry me, have children with her, grow old together," he said.
Kelsey frowned. "I can't believe I'm saying this." She shook her head and gave a little snort. "Give me some time. We'll all be together at the spa on Saturday. Let me see if I can somehow help her understand."
He wanted to grab and hug her, but refrained. That was not how you proved to your ex-girlfriend you were being loyal to your current girl.
"I would so appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you," he said, standing there awkwardly, he glanced around the store. "Your shop looks nice."
"Thanks. Now get out of here before my boyfriend arrives and finds us together. I don't want a repeat of our teenage years. What a crazy day."
"Your brothers let you have a boyfriend?" he asked his brows raising.
"Yes. My brothers don't know yet."
He shook his head. "I pity the poor man. Tell him that Jim has a mean right hook."
"I'll warn him," she said and walked him out the door.
"Thanks for coming by and apologizing. Let's put the past behind us and start fresh," she said.
So grateful, he gave her a polite, gentlemanly squeeze. "Agreed. Enjoy the spa."
"Oh, we will," she said smiling as she closed the door behind him.
Ryan had done everything he could to save his relationship. Soon it would be in Taylor's hands as to whether or not they stayed together.
Taylor glanced around at her friends as they sat in their bathrobes with their hair up in towels, drinking a glass of wine while they received a pedicure. They'd already gotten a massage and a facial. So far the day had been fun. Tonight, they had reservations at an expensive restaurant and were staying at an exclusive hotel in downtown Dallas.
Meghan laid back in the chair with her eyes closed. "This is the life. We should plan on doing this at least once a quarter."
"Maybe," Kelsey said watching the young man wrap her legs in a towel. "Depends on how the shop does."
"If I can find someone to cover the diner, I'm game," Taylor said.
Kelsey sighed. "I have a confession to make."
Taylor gazed at her friend an uneasy sense ov
ercoming her. What would Kelsey share?
"Ryan came to see me yesterday. After almost seven years, we finally put to bed the past. He apologized about how he hurt me."
"What?" Meghan said. "I knew you guys broke up, but what did he do."
"He cheated," Taylor said. "An apology doesn't make it right."
"He had some excellent points. He admitted to being a young, horny boy who just wanted to get into any girl's pants. And when you add tequila and a willing teenage girl to a high school party, you get trouble."
"Still doesn't excuse what he did," Taylor said.
"Hmmm," Meghan replied. "Did you ever have too much to drink in college and do something stupid?"
Taylor frowned. But that didn't compare, did it? Looking back, her college days were filled with high jinks that left her less than perfect. In fact, she was lucky to live to tell about some of her escapades. Ryan pulled his stupid stunt in high school. She no longer did those wild and crazy stunts. What made him exempt from evolving into a better person?
"I certainly did. It was a wonder I graduated," Taylor said, not liking the direction of this conversation.
"I told you how I popped my cherry in college. No, I'm not proud. What makes me any different from Ryan?" Kelsey asked.
Sitting there, Taylor didn't say a word, but listened as the two girls talked. Meghan didn't know about her dating Ryan, and Kelsey wondered if she realized how serious Taylor and Ryan were before she discovered his deceit.
"Did he do this to convince you to talk me into going out with him again?"
Kelsey laughed. "No, we didn't discuss you much. Though for only being on one date, the man seemed pretty crazy about you. You kept us in the dark regarding you and Ryan."
She swallowed. Well, rats. He told Kelsey about the two of them being together.
Meghan sat up, her eyes widening with surprise. "You and Ryan? Seeing one another? Really?"
She started laughing and sunk back on the chair.
"Yes, me and Ryan," Taylor said, wishing she'd been honest with them. "But he lied to me."
