by Hadley Quinn
When she got to Santa Monica, she grabbed her phone from her purse. She called him before she could change her mind.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted. “You make it back from Fresno okay?”
Her heart was pounding from hearing his wonderful deep voice, and after the information that she’d received from his father, she wasn’t sure how to respond. But she forced herself to. “Yes, I was just going to leave you a message since you’re at work,” she answered.
“Oh. Well I’m done now. Got finished a little early. I’ll be home in about two hours. I have a couple things to do first. Aren’t you heading to the doctor with Melanie?”
“Yeah, at three.” She just now realized she hadn’t checked her phone for her sister’s text. She didn’t know where she was, and now Teague’s whereabouts were driving her crazy.
“You feel like going out to dinner tonight?” he asked. “There’s a Thai place I really want to take you to. I think you’ll love it. And I, of course, will be your dessert,” he added, his voice giving away his smile.
“Sounds good,” she replied vacantly. She was just turning onto Chelsea Avenue, concentrating on her surroundings.
“You okay, Camryn? You sound kind of off. Did everything go all right today?”
She spotted the playground and hung a right on California Avenue, slowing to the curb. “Everything went fine. Visiting the cemetery was fine, breakfast was fine, the drive was fine… Everything’s fine.”
He paused on the other end. “Camryn, what’s going on? Where are you?”
She remained in her car, but she could see his truck plain as day up ahead. Her heart started to pound again and she tried to swallow down the panic that wanted to escape.
“Camryn? Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Are you okay? Something doesn’t sound right. I had another stop to make but I’m gonna head straight home. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine, Teague. I’m just tired. And I won’t be home. I’ll be with Melanie at the doctor. Just take care of your business and I’ll meet you at home tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Hey, I gotta go, though. Melanie wasn’t home when I arrived so I need to track her down. Drive safe, I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, babe. If you’re feeling run down, take it easy, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too.” It wasn’t forced. She truly meant it. And when she heard the line beep with the disconnection, she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the seat.
Teague was exactly where his dad said he would be.
Or at least his truck was.
She opened her eyes again and focused on the beautiful charcoal and chrome machine that she’d come to know so well, just as the driver’s door opened and Teague’s long legs stepped out. He slid his phone into his pocket and walked around to the back of the truck. He leaned one arm against the tailgate and just stood there for a moment, watching the playground.
Then he jutted his thumb over his shoulder, signifying to someone that he needed to leave. Camryn climbed out of her car so she could see better, almost wishing she hadn’t. A woman pulled a toddler out of a swing and set him down. She took his hand and walked him to the sidewalk, just as Teague stepped through the gate. He dropped to his haunches as the dark-haired little boy stopped in front of him. Teague said something to him and then ruffled his hair as a goodbye, leaving him with whom Camryn assumed was his mom. She looked just like the brunette in the photo that Craig had shown her.
It was Kate.
Cement filled Camryn’s chest. She couldn’t breathe. She watched Teague return to his truck and drive away, leaving behind his secret family and a devastated girlfriend on the street that didn’t have a clue. She was numb and confused. How Teague could have a son and not tell her was beyond her comprehension. It’s not like she would have loved him any less. Why would he lie to her?
She put herself on autopilot and left for Camarillo. The sounds from the passenger’s seat finally registered and she grabbed her phone to answer it.
“Cam! Where the hell are you?” Melanie whined. “You’re not back from Fresno yet?”
“Yes, I am. Where are you? I got home—er, to Teague’s—and you weren’t there.”
“What? I’ve been here the whole day. I was taking a nap, but I never heard you come home.”
Melanie had been home when she arrived? “Well where was your car? I didn’t see it.”
“Oh. Teague had Jay take it today so he could get new tires on it. Badass Jay is driving my little car today,” she giggled.
Camryn smiled. That image was kind of funny.
Then she thought of Teague again. Sweet, sexy Teague who had been keeping secrets from her. She had no idea what she was going to do with the information. If she—
“Cam? You there?” Melanie’s voice cut through the line.
“Yeah, I’m here.” She glanced at the clock and said, “I’m running some errands, but I’ll be there by twenty till, okay?”
“Okay. Just honk and I’ll be ready.”
They hung up with each other and Camryn’s thoughts immediately went to Teague again. Had she been thinking straight, she might have followed him after he left the park. He wasn’t at his house when Camryn pulled up and honked for Melanie. Maybe he was meeting up with another secret family before he finally came home to his girlfriend.
Stop. She wasn’t going to do this to herself. She took a deep breath as she watched her sister practically skip down the sidewalk to her car. Melanie was pregnant with some loser’s baby and she could still find reasons to smile. Camryn decided to follow her sister’s example for once and look on the bright side. She did love Teague—truly, madly, deeply—and yes, he’d been keeping something from her. But there had to be a reason for it. Maybe she just needed to ask him about it and they could go from there.
Or…she needed to trust him, give him a chance, and see if her patience and faith paid off.
What else could she do?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Teague tried not to pace, but what the hell was taking her so long? Melanie’s appointment was at three; it was now almost six-thirty. He’d sent Camryn a text but she hadn’t replied yet. Would calling be too meddlesome? He hated feeling so paranoid.
Finally he heard the front door open and two familiar voices chatting back and forth. He stepped out of the kitchen and watched Melanie and Camryn file through the entry, both loaded with shopping bags. Camryn was smiling and laughing with her sister, so a bit of relief washed over him. She sounded so odd on the phone earlier. Normally a phone call with her was more like how she was in person: sassy, feisty, playful, and just…happy.
“Hey, I’ve been worried about you,” he said, and both girls came to a halt and looked up at him.
“You can’t worry about women when they’re shopping,” Melanie replied right away. “Unless, of course, it’s with your money,” she laughed.
Teague smiled as she collected all the bags that Camryn was carrying too and headed down the hall for her bedroom. He came across the room as Camryn set her purse down and shrugged out of her sweater. She seemed reserved again and he was cautious.
“So you two went to the mall after the doctor?”
“Yep. Well, just to a couple of stores in particular. We got some pregnancy stuff and a couple of baby items. I got her a book so she can know what to expect and stuff like that. Her appointment went well. I like her doctor.”
He gave a slight nod. She was rambling about her sister instead of coming to kiss him hello. He watched her mouth move as she spoke, such pretty lips that were soft and kissable. He liked hearing about her afternoon, but he wanted to hold her first. As she continued to talk about the appointment and what the doctor said, Teague stepped forward and gathered Camryn in his arms.
She froze mid-sentence. “Um ,what are you doing?”
“Hugging you, obviously. I’ve missed you. Can’t you
talk while I hold you?”
She was silent for a moment and then mumbled, “Yeah, I guess.” But she didn’t say anything further as her arms came around him loosely and without commitment.
Teague pulled back and placed his hands against her neck. “Please tell me what’s wrong with you, Camryn. You’re not acting like yourself.”
She glanced to the floor before softly answering, “I’m just tired. I didn’t really want to go shopping, but I thought it would be good for Melanie. She was excited to get the book the doctor suggested and that made my year. I hope she’ll actually read it, though. I might have to climb in bed with her and read to her like I used to. Two grown women. That’ll be a sight.”
Teague chuckled, pleased that her dry humor was returning. “Well that would be kinda cute. You can read to me anytime and I would be in heaven. I love listening to your voice. And I love you.” He leaned down and put his lips on hers. As he slowly worked against them, she began to return the affection. There was the Camryn he knew. Her kiss could do amazing things to him.
But she pulled away after a few seconds and said, “Were we going to go out to eat or something? I should go change—”
“No, I brought food home for you. Earlier you said you were feeling tired so I figured we could stay in. It needs to be reheated though. I was kind of expecting you sooner.”
She studied him for a few seconds and seemed to relax a little. But then she glanced at his neck and frowned.
“What?” he asked, his hand following her eyes. “Oh, that. Yeah, that’s a rope burn,” he smiled. “Not my most graceful moment when the slack was too loose.”
“It looks like a hickey,” she stated casually.
“Does it?” he chuckled. He walked over to a mirror that was on the wall by the front door and examined it. “It does not. It looks like a rope burn. And good, it’s not as bad as it feels. Funny how something so small can hurt like a motherfucker.” He turned around to face Camryn and noticed she was still frowning at him. “I’d wear this baby proudly if it was a hickey, hon,” he smiled, trying to keep the mood light. Jesus, he needed to get this girl fed and tucked into his bed. Her humor seemed to be on strike. “Follow me, I’ll feed you,” he motioned.
She sat at the counter and watched Teague scoop a bit of everything onto two plates to stick in the microwave. He started to talk about his morning in Burbank because she asked him how it went.
“So can I ask you a question?” Camryn said as he set a plate and fork in front of her.
“Sure.”
“So…you started out in the movie industry by being a surfing…whatever it’s called.”
“Stunt surfer. Yeah.”
“So how come you don’t do that anymore? And how come you don’t surf period anymore. I’ve heard so many stories about how good you are, but you’ve yet to tell me why you’ve given it up. And before you do it again, I know you always change the subject somehow whenever I inquire about it. So just don’t, okay? Tell me why you don’t surf anymore.”
He stared at her with surprise. She’d finally just flat out asked him what the fuck his problem was. He leaned against the counter across from her and decided since she asked, he would tell her. “I almost killed someone that was stunting the same wave with me. It was my fault, I fucked up, and he almost died.”
She returned his gaze but seemed wary. “How did you almost kill him?”
Teague barely shrugged. “My head wasn’t in the right spot that day. I could barely focus. Executed the stunt incorrectly with him and he ended up crashing into the camera boat. It was my fault. And then two days later my mind wasn’t together for the motorcycle stunt on the beach, and I almost killed myself. Wasn’t a good weekend for me,” he ended dryly.
He could tell Camryn was considering his confession and was measuring him up. It still hurt to think about and he was extremely remorseful, but whether or not she realized that, he wasn’t sure.
She licked her lip before she asked, “So was that when you left California and moved north? That’s why you hadn’t been on the beach for ten months?”
“Yes,” he replied honestly. “And I didn’t want to talk about it with you because I didn’t know you, and even though I got way more comfortable with you anyway, it just felt good to keep it in the past. I took advantage of the fact that you weren’t pushy about it.”
“So you prefer I don’t ask questions about your life? Don’t want any of your secrets to come out, huh?”
He sort of laughed, but he wasn’t sure if she was being playful or not. Her dry humor was normally distinguishable, but today he wasn’t so sure. “It’s not that I’m hiding anything. Some things are just easier to let remain in the past. I know you understand that; you’ve done the same thing. I like to live in the present, I guess.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she mumbled.
“So you gonna tell me what’s up with you today? I’m kind of worried about you, Camryn.” He came around the counter and sat on a stool next to her. She was staring down at her plate but still hadn’t touched her food. Teague took his hand and brushed her hair to the other side of her neck and said, “You know you can tell me anything, right? You can always talk to me.”
She finally looked his way and took a long moment to search his eyes. “And you know you can tell me anything too, right?”
He studied her for only a second and shrugged. “Of course. I love you, Camryn. We’re beyond the insecurities, don’t you think? I trust you,” he added, barely able to get the words out. It was one thing to love someone; it was another thing to trust them entirely. But he did. Or at least, he was starting to. For him to get those words out was an enormous feat.
Again she gazed into his eyes for a few seconds. “I trust you, too,” she answered quietly.
“I’ve never had a best friend besides Jay,” he said. “You’re my best friend, Camryn. With benefits, of course,” he grinned. He slid his arm around her hip and pulled her stool closer to his. “Major benefits,” he whispered in her ear, sliding his other hand over her thigh.
Well Teague could still make her blush, that was for sure. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink and she was trying not to smile. He pulled her sexy body even closer to him so she was wedged between his legs and kissed on her neck.
“Ew, go to your room,” Melanie scowled as she entered the kitchen. “Oh, yum! Thai food!”
“None for you,” Teague smirked at her.
“What?” she scoffed. “Rude. The baby is hungry. You wouldn’t deprive a child of necessities.”
“She uses that excuse for just about everything,” Camryn said. She took a bite of chicken Pad Thai and her feisty humor seemed to return. “Mmm, oh my goodness. That is incredible,” she moaned. “Poor Bart has to miss out.”
“Shut up!” Melanie laughed. “You know you pretty much gave the doctor a heart attack when you told her I was naming the baby Bartholomew Hildegard.”
Teague got a kick out of that. “Wow, now that’s ambiguous.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “If Jordan was appalled to have a kid before, I can only assume that name would keep him away even more.”
“Well there you go,” Camryn smirked. “Double bonus. Awesome name and even better effect.”
“Don’t start, Cam.”
“Fine, I won’t.”
Camryn forked another bite into her mouth and chose to stay out of it. Teague knew that Melanie was still talking to Jordan on the phone and it was pissing Camryn off. Jordan even had the nerve to tell Melanie her sister was a whack job and shouldn’t be allowed around his kid. Melanie chewed him out, he buttered her up profusely, and then they continued trying to work things out like a pair of teenagers. Jordan was twenty-four, but you’d never know it by the stupid shit he said and the way he lived his life. Camryn wished her sister didn’t tolerate him so much and Teague couldn’t agree more. He still wanted to kick that fucker’s ass.
He changed the subject by asking Melanie about the part time job Kellie was able to
get her as a receptionist in a sales office. She explained how easy sixteen hours a week was as she heated some food and started to eat. Camryn swallowed her last few bites and got up to rinse her plate. Teague watched her the entire time and he was beginning to feel that awkward vibe again.
Later in the bedroom, as Camryn changed for bed and Teague vacantly flipped through channels on the television, the tension was finally too much to handle. His guilt was eating at him and he knew he deserved it. He also deserved Camryn’s wrath when he fessed up. It had to be why she was so distant.
She must already know.
Teague watched her prop herself up with pillows on the bed and slide her bare legs under the covers. She’d mentioned she had some work to do, so he listened to her return a few phone calls and discuss an upcoming workshop she’d be teaching at for Sonja. He waited patiently, using the time to build up a confession the right way, but the longer she was on the phone, the more frustrated he became.
When she hung up with her current call, he finally said, “Camryn, can we talk?”
She stared at him for a few seconds as he twisted on the foot of the bed to face her. He was uncomfortable because he was about to do something he didn’t want to do. And for some reason, the look on her face matched how he felt inside. She looked scared. What the hell for? Whenever he’d given her the “let’s talk” spiel, she always took it well.
She barely cleared her throat as she stared at her phone. “Well, I just have one more call to make and—”
“This is more important,” he closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead. “Please, Camryn. I have something to tell you.”
She slowly set her phone on the nightstand, along with the paper and pen she’d been jotting things down with. Sitting up and folding her legs under her she softly replied, “Okay. I’m listening.”
Teague stood and came around the bed. He sat on the edge next to her but didn’t make eye contact just yet. Leaning his elbows on his knees he said, “I have a problem trusting people, Camryn. It comes from living in the family I live in and being lied to so many times.” Staring at the carpet was much easier, so he continued to do so. “I never knew what was real when my dad told me one thing or another, and he used manipulative ways to get me to do work I didn’t want to do, or go to parties or events I didn’t want to be at, to date women I didn’t want to date. It took me a long time to even figure out my own family situation because news and tabloids make so many things up, and my dad was such a prick about telling me the truth. It wasn’t until I was twelve years old that I understood Max was only my half brother.” He sighed and rubbed a hand over his head as he finally looked at her. “I don’t know if that excuses my behavior or not, and yeah, maybe I’m looking for something to justify what I did, but I’m sorry, Camryn. I really am. If you feel like I’ve totally invaded your privacy, I understand, but please let me explain why I did it.”
