No Foolin' (Willowdale Romance Novel)

by Scott, Lisa

  She hugged her arms around herself. “I thought you meant we were going to celebrate the baby. I was too tired to argue about all that marriage talk with you again. It’s just not right for us. Never was.”

  He snapped the box shut. “I see.”

  “It wouldn’t be fair to you. I’m sorry …”

  He laughed softly. “Guess I deserve it. Payback’s a bitch, even six years later.”

  “So you’re not mad?”

  He puffed up his red cheeks and blew out his breath. “Oh, I’m pissed as hell at Teague. But not at you. You didn’t stand a chance against him.” He turned to leave and then stopped. “So his sister lives in Willowdale, too? That’s who I saw him in the park with?”

  She nodded.

  “What a coincidence.”

  She shrugged. “I guess.”

  He was putting it all together. “You two didn’t meet on the Internet, did you?”

  She hesitated long enough to give him his answer.

  He hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “What was it then?”

  Hell, Teague had probably explained the whole thing on TV; no use keeping secrets anymore. “He was trying to protect his sister. Some photographer was following him. He bumped into me and asked for a ride. When all the photographers were at the airport, he offered to pay me to be his girlfriend so the press wouldn’t know why he was really here.” Ugh, that sounded bad saying it out loud. Really bad.

  “He hired you to be his girlfriend and you said yes?” He clucked his tongue. “That surprises me even more than if you had been getting it on at Lookout Point.”

  Kate struggled for the words to defend herself, but he was right. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Tommy waved a disgusted hand at her and quietly left.

  She slumped on the couch, feeling anything but happy. Eventually, she lumbered back to the computer to make sure she’d really seen a marriage proposal on ET, for crying out loud. And she had. But Teague handled the “so they both lived in Willowdale question” a bit differently.

  “Yep, that’s why I responded to her email on the Internet dating site. I was intrigued that they were from the same town. It was like, fate, or something.”

  Kate winced. Teague hadn’t told the whole truth. But soon enough the gossip express would get the real story out, thanks to her.

  The thrill of his proposal was gone. Things just couldn’t ever work out between them.

  Each time the phone rang—and boy, did it ring—she waited to hear Teague’s voice. But he didn’t call. He didn’t show up. And when the news hit the press later that day about the way they really met, she knew why he wasn’t calling. She’d blown the lid off yet another secret he was keeping—their ridiculous arrangement. If he was too embarrassed to tell the truth about that, then what was the point?

  The only bright spot in the days that followed was Delores’s visit. She arranged an auction to sell off the most valuable of Mama’s antique pieces, giving Kate twelve thousand dollars in the bank. Kate was stunned to see what some of the pieces went for and decided she’d be scouring garage and estate sales the very next weekend. After sitting down at the diner to celebrate, Delores made Kate a deal. “Why don’t you come into business with me? You do the hunting and I’ll do the selling.”

  Kate had found herself a new career after all. I don’t need a man to take care of me. She tipped her nose up in the air just thinking about it.

  A week had passed since Teague’s TV proposal, but she hadn’t heard from him. She wondered how angry he was with her. The doorbell rang one morning—earlier than the UPS man would be showing up and earlier than any of her friends would be rolling around. She thought maybe, maybe, it was Teague, but it wasn’t. It was a tiny, withered woman clutching her purse.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Are you Kate Riley?” she asked in a whisper of a voice.

  She sighed. “Yes, how can I help you?”

  “I’m hoping you can help me find Teague Reynolds. He’s my son.”

  SHE THOUGHT SHE’D lost the connection on the phone because Teague hadn’t said anything in like, a minute.

  “I know you probably don’t want to see me, and that’s totally fine, but you’ve got a woman here sitting with a world of hurt. What do you want me to tell her?” Kate asked.

  “I’m here in Willowdale with Jennifer. I’ll be right over to tell her myself.”

  WHO TO DEAL with first, Teague wondered. Kate was pissed, he knew that. She hadn’t called him, hadn’t given an answer to his televised proposal. She was probably livid that he’d lied about how they met. Here he was trying to start over with her telling the world the truth about the baby, and he’d blown it with another lie.

  But his mother. Where to start there? You ruined my life? How could you just give me away like a book you didn’t want to finish? Why didn’t you love me enough to keep me?

  But all of his tough talk washed away when Kate opened the door and he said, “Where is she?” He’d deal with Kate later.

  “In the living room. I’ll be on the back deck to give you some privacy.”

  “No, stay. I want you to know everything about me, Kate. No more secrets.”

  Her eyes bulged at that, but she just nodded and led him into the living room.

  His mother was smaller and sadder than he’d imagined. He’d been ready to demand proof of her wild accusation that she was his mother, but he knew when he looked at her: the hair, the eyes, the guilt.

  She smiled and he wondered if she’d always looked so ragged, or if the years had just worn her down. “Your hair was that beautiful color the day you were born. You and Jennifer, both with those dark waves. People would stop me on the street to get a better look at you two.”

  It was like a punch in the gut, hearing how they’d been a family. “What about our father?” he heard himself ask. He paced the room, fighting all the conflicting feelings roiling inside him.

  She waved a weak little hand in the air. “Oh, he took off before you were born, and I had no means to track him down. Truth was, I didn’t want to share you with a horrible man like that.” She smoothed her cotton skirt, the one she probably wore on special occasions like this, although it looked old and faded. He wondered how many special occasions she’d had in her life.

  He swallowed hard and tried to channel all the anger and hate he’d felt the last thirty years. He wanted to storm out. He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to demand proof she was who she said she was. But the familiar rage just wasn’t there. Something had changed inside of him. So he sighed and said, “Why did you give us away after two years?”

  “I didn’t.” Somehow, the woman slumped in her chair even more. “You were taken from me.”

  Kate froze and Teague’s heart seemed to stop. “Taken? Why?”

  She dropped her face in her hands and sobbed.

  He sat next to her and surprised himself by gently rubbing her back.

  She looked up and wiped her eyes. “Because of Jennifer. Her—injuries.”

  Teague backed away. “What did you do to her?”

  She reached in her purse for a hankie and blew her nose. “Negligence, that’s what the police said. Child endangerment. All sorts of charges to confirm what I already knew—I was a horrible parent. But I was so tired that night. I had you two in the tub—gosh, how you loved your baths. Always loved the water. You were splashing and laughing and you got your pajamas on the floor all wet. I went in your room to get new ones.” She took a deep quivering breath, and Teague rubbed her back again until she found the words to continue.

  “And suddenly, it was too quiet. Jennifer was face-down in the tub and you were trying to pick her up …” Her hand hovered over her mouth and she worked to regain her composure. “It was a miracle, really, that she lived. But she had serious brain injuries. And since I was going to be serving time in jail and had no next of kin or anything, they placed you both in foster care, although Jennifer needed a special living situation with her need
s.”

  Her hands were on her knees, shaking, and Teague wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. It felt to him like grabbing a lifeline when you’re kicking and flailing underwater. It was terrifying, yet a relief at the same time.

  She squeezed back.

  He heard Kate sniffing, or maybe that was him, because he felt tears streaming down his face. Tears. T-Rex was crying. Damn. “Why didn’t you ever get us back?”

  “I was in jail for two years. That was a long time to convince myself that I was a bad mother who didn’t deserve children. I gave up rights to you, thinking it was for the best. I’m so sorry. I’ve been sorry for years. I never had the courage to look for you, because I figured you wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I’ve lived in Whitesville ever since my release. Had no idea where you two ended up.” She took a deep breath. “But once I heard your story of finding your long lost sister, and adopting the baby because she couldn’t take care of it, I just knew you were mine. I’d seen you before, recognized your first name and thought, could he be my little boy? But when I heard that story the other night on the TV, I knew.”

  He sat there for a while, letting all that sink in. “You named me Teague?”

  She nodded. “Teague and Jennifer McHenry.”

  He stared off, a million puzzle pieces falling into place now that he’d found the one missing link.

  She set her hand on his knee and he looked at her. She drew in a deep breath. “Is there any way you could give me a second chance? Let me into your life after all these years?”

  Teague stood up and looked out over Kate’s backyard. He’d imagined a moment like this for so long. Only, he’d imagined confronting his mother, showing her what she’d missed out on and telling her to get lost. He never dreamed he’d consider forgiving her for what she’d done or even considering to let her back in.

  That wall he’d constructed in his heart to keep people out had stood guard for a long time. But he could feel the bricks tottering out of place. And he had Kate to thank for loosening them up.

  He turned to his mother and held her hands in his. “Yes. I can give you a second chance … Mom. Someone recently showed me that real, true love is worth a second chance.” He looked at Kate, and she smiled at him.

  They hugged and cried and his mother finally raised her pale face to him. “Do you think I could see Jennifer?”

  “Yes, but I need to talk to Kate first about some important things.”

  “No, Teague, go with your Mama. We can talk later.”

  Teague grabbed her by the hand. “You’re coming with us. I’m not letting you go again, Kate.”

  Chapter 23

  ONCE HIS MOTHER was settled in her hotel room after the teary reunion with Jennifer and a damn hard time prying her away from that baby, he and Kate headed back to her place. Not one word had been mentioned about their relationship or the proposal on the ride over. But she brought him up to date on a new antique business and let him know she was doing okay on her own. Turns out she didn’t need him or Tommy.

  And that made him love her even more.

  She led him into her house, got them both a drink—scotch on the rocks, after a day like this—and she sat and looked at him and said, “So.”

  “So,” Teague repeated with a weak laugh. “So … it turns out there’s something worse than Internet dating when you’re a movie star.”

  “What?”

  “Hiring a woman to pretend she’s your girlfriend. Remington dumped me from the movie. Looks like I’m going to be here in Willowdale for a while.”

  Kate caught her breath. “I’m so sorry. How can he do that?”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Oh, there’s all sorts of clauses in those contracts. Adopting a baby, that would have been tough to fire me for. But hiring a girlfriend? My lawyer said that broached fraud and moral indecency blah, blah, blah.”

  Kate shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I told Tommy and he told … everybody.” This time, she knew it was him. Couldn’t pin this one on Delores.

  Teague shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m not that upset, not really. At least we’re keeping the rags in business, the two of us.”

  Kate shook her head, still not able to understand. “Why did you do it, though? Why did you tell everyone about the baby when you tried so hard to cover it up?”

  He jumped up and walked over to her, kneeling beside her. “Because you were right. Even if you didn’t want to spend your life with me, I was tired of hiding secrets, too. I didn’t want to do that to little Teague. I can’t change my past, but I can change his future.” He looked down. “Of course, then I blew it by not being honest about how we met.”

  She nodded and then he took a deep breath, ready for the most important line of his life. “What about our future? Have I blown it? Or do we have a second chance?”

  DID HE REALLY WANT to try this? She couldn’t believe it. Kate shrugged. “You tell me, have I blown it? I lost you a movie deal, probably ruined your career.”

  “And you made my life one hundred percent better than it was. It was one more secret we shouldn’t be keeping. I’m not embarrassed by how we met. I’m just thrilled that we did.” He took a deep breath. “I know you don’t need me, Kate. You’re doing a fine job taking care of yourself. But I hope you want me. Because I want you—more than anything. Marry me, Kate.”

  She squeezed his hands, wanting to say yes. But something was holding her back. “Where do we go from here? I can’t move to L.A. with you. I’ve still got Dina to look after. And what are you going to do, move Jennifer and her boyfriend there with you? And what about your mom?” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It might just be too much for us.”

  “Isn’t there room for all of us in Willowdale?”

  She looked up at him. “You know that you can’t keep any secrets in a town like this.”

  “We’re not keeping secrets anymore.”

  She smiled. “No, we’re not.” She looked in Teague’s kind, happy eyes. Those eyes that had looked at his mother and forgiven her instantly. If he could give love a second chance, so could she. “I guess we should call Delores and tell her to get the word out. Yes, Teague Reynolds, I will marry you.”

  He swept her up in his arms and kissed her, and she felt that spark again. It probably would be there forever. That spark had always been the one true thing between them.

  Epilogue

  “ARE WE THERE YET?” Kate asked, as Teague drove her Jeep down a long dirt road.

  “Almost. Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you.”

  She sighed. “This is awful close to Lookout Point. I hope you’re not thinking about taking advantage of me …”

  He laughed. “You’re already pregnant, what could happen? Plus we’re married. It doesn’t have the same allure anymore.”

  She playfully tried to whack him with her eyes closed but missed. “Can’t we play twenty questions?”

  “Truth or dare. And I dare you to be quiet and wait for your surprise.”

  She crossed her arms and sighed.

  He drove along a bit more and then stopped the car. “Wait, let me get the door for you.” He hopped out, opened her door, and helped her slide out of the seat. Then he took her by the hand. “Follow me … just a few more steps. Now open your eyes.”

  Kate opened her eyes and saw a big, beautiful home overlooking the valley. Four giant white pillars lined the front of the brick home surrounded by big old trees and beautiful gardens. She couldn’t even count how many windows she saw. She turned to him. “What is this?”

  A huge grin split his face. “This is our new home. I had it built big enough to fit any of our family that could possibly want to live here.”

  Kate’s hands cupped her mouth in shock. “It’s gorgeous … it’s … gigantic. What about Mama’s home?”

  “You did mention it would be a perfect antique store. Time for you and Delores to move out of that old café.” He reached for her hand. “
Come on. Let’s look inside.

  She followed him in, stunned. An enormous crystal chandelier sparkled in the front hall. A fireplace stretched to the ceiling in the living room off to the left, much like the one at Teague’s home in L.A. This kitchen was even bigger than his. He ran up the stairs in front of her and proceeded to show her all the bedrooms. Then he opened the door to a small pink bedroom next to theirs. It was the same color she’d painted Ashley’s nursery for Dina.

  “It’s for the baby,” he said.

  She nodded, unable to say anything.

  He swallowed hard and his face was pale. “Do you like it? I took a chance keeping this a surprise. We can sell it if you don’t want it.”

  Kate shook her head. “I love it. Absolutely love it. But how did you do all this? You’ve been off filming.” The crazy way they met had ruined his action-star career, but it gave birth to a very successful start in romantic comedies for Teague.

  But not before they’d flown back to Hawaii to elope. They had managed to dodge the cameras by booking two different locations for their secret ceremony and then snuck away to exchange vows on that black-sand beach in Hana. And to her delight, Kate had discovered that the seashell heart Teague had made was still there. Not a picture of their wedding existed.

  “I’ve had construction crews working on this round the clock. I know I said no more secrets, but this seemed more like a wonderful surprise than a secret. How do you like the view?”

  Kate looked out over the rolling valley. “It’s incredible. This whole thing is amazing.”

  “I thought it would be a great place to move Jennifer and Darryl into their special suite with the baby, and we’ve got a suite for my mom. Heck, Dina and Mitch can live here too, if they want. And George, too, if he ever finds his way home.” He took her in his arms and squeezed.

  “It’s perfect.” It was wonderful, scary and crazy. It was real. Kate winced as the baby kicked, evidently as excited as she was about how this was all working out.