Paul had never gone running with her. He preferred to get his exercise on the golf course, tennis court, and an occasional trip to the gym. Audra, on the other hand, loved jogging and had often accompanied Taylor on her morning runs before she went off to college. It was a good time for mother-daughter bonding and Taylor missed those days of companionship.
She thought about appearing on the Forever Sweethearts show and wondered what Audra would think of it. She could imagine her saying: "Go for it, Mom. You're entitled to make peace with your past. Just be careful you don't somehow forget about the present."
By the time Taylor finished her run, she had decided to tell Paul that she planned to be on the show. She should have told him last night. But the timing somehow seemed wrong, and she could have expected twenty questions from him—and not had all the answers. Paul was not the jealous type. Quite the contrary, he seemed pleased when other men looked her way, as if to validate that he'd chosen her to be his wife and the mother of his child.
Not that I've ever given him any reason to be jealous, Taylor thought. Or vice versa.
She had already begun her cool down as she approached the driveway and the back of Paul's silver BMW, when the front door of the house opened. Paul came out, carrying his briefcase. At first she thought he'd gotten his days mixed up and forgot it was the weekend, as happened from time to time.
"Taylor..." Paul said, touching his glasses, as if to make sure they were on his nose. "I was hoping to catch you before I left."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To the college."
"But it's Saturday, Paul." She was still panting as she walked up to him, getting a whiff of his cologne.
"Yeah, I know," he muttered routinely. "I've got some work to do. I left my papers at the office, so I thought I'd just finish things up there rather than bring them home."
Taylor frowned. "But I wanted to talk to you."
Paul was unsympathetic. "We'll talk later," he said. "Excuse me if I don't kiss you goodbye, but you're all sweaty and stinky."
"That's what happens when you run," Taylor said self-consciously, as if he needed an excuse not to kiss her, which he rarely did these days.
"Hey, no one told you get up when normal people are still asleep and go running," he told her. "I certainly didn't." Paul unlocked the car door. "I think you look fine the way you are and you don't need to try to be the fitness woman in town."
"Whoa—" Taylor spat at him angrily and in disbelief. "Where is all this coming from, Paul? It's not like I just started running today."
"And it's not like I'm telling you this for the first time," Paul retorted nastily. "I guess you just weren't listening. So what else is new?" He tossed his briefcase into the back seat and faced her. "Go take your shower. I'll try to get back as soon as I can. Then you can tell me whatever's on your mind."
Taylor stood there speechless as Paul got into the car, backed out of the driveway, and drove off. What's happening to us? she wondered. Or is it just me? It seemed like for every step they took forward, they took three backward. Maybe more.
Taylor went into the house, knowing now that it would be a big mistake to tell Paul about the TV show invitation and have him belittle her because of it. But she also knew that she had to go to there for her own peace of mind.
CHAPTER THREE
Taylor arrived in New York in the afternoon. A limo picked her up at the airport and took her to the hotel, which would apparently double at times as a set for the show.
She had butterflies and second thoughts about embarking on this journey of closure and curiosity. She had told Paul, who was already in Atlanta, and Audra that she had been invited to the Big Apple by a friend for a weekend getaway. Neither Paul nor Audra had questioned it. In fact, they had both told her that it sounded like a wonderful idea and would be good for her to get away for a few days. Audra had also told her that she wished she could be there, too.
Now Taylor wondered if this was such a good idea. She was lying to her family and maybe to herself for some sort of schoolgirl dream about reliving the past. Had she gotten herself into something that she would regret? Would seeing Vaughn Mitchell again create more problems than it solved?
By the time the limo pulled up to the hotel, Taylor had resigned herself to the fact that this was something she had chosen to do and she had to see it through to the end. Whatever happened, she applauded herself for having the courage to do something on her own for a change when given the opportunity. She was sure the experience was going to be very interesting and something that she could one day share with her grandkids.
Not to mention her husband and daughter.
* * *
It was clear to Taylor from the moment she exited the limousine to bright sunlight and a throng of people that this was going to be challenging at the very least. It seemed like cameras were positioned everywhere to catch the arrival of the show's guests, even if they were not at their best after long plane rides and jittery stomachs. Taylor was thankful that she had brushed her hair and touched up her makeup in the limo. She had dressed casually for the trip in a champagne-colored scoop neck tee and black slacks, feeling there was no need to waste a good outfit prematurely. Her feet were comfortable in black mules.
Clutching her purse, Taylor searched through the unrecognizable faces for the one she believed she would recognize, even after twenty-five years. But no such face presented itself, making her wonder if she might not be able to identify Vaughn after all.
A young woman with short red hair tucked behind her ears, blue eyes, and a wide smile quickly approached Taylor.
"You must be Taylor Holland," she said sprightly. "I'm Sarah Knight. We spoke on the phone."
Taylor smiled appropriately and reached for the outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you, Sarah."
"You, too." Sarah glanced around at the crowd. "I'm sure all these cameras seem pretty intimidating. Well, get used to them, as I'm afraid they'll be your constant companion for the next two days."
"Thanks for reminding me," Taylor said dryly, hoping the distraction would not interfere too much with the main purpose of the trip.
Sarah ran a hand through her hair and said: "If you're wondering if Vaughn Mitchell is here yet, the answer is yes. And I promise that you won't have to wait long to see him."
Taylor smiled, but inside she welcomed the delay seeing Vaughn, realizing she wasn't quite sure what she was going to say to him. Or what he would say to her.
"Let's go inside and get you checked in. Then I'll show you around and answer some of your questions..." Sarah said, putting a guiding hand on Taylor's elbow.
Taylor was only too happy to escape the bright sun and toasty temperature. Though she suspected that the perspiration she felt under her arms had absolutely nothing to do with either.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed these excerpts from FOREVER SWEETHEARTS by R. Barri Flowers, available in print, eBook, and audio.
# # #
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and bestselling author of more than sixty books, including thriller fiction, young adult mysteries, true crime, and criminology titles.
Bestselling mystery and thriller fiction, including Seduced to Kill in Kauai, Murder in Maui, Murder in Honolulu, Killer in The Woods, Dark Streets of Whitechapel, State's Evidence, and Justice Served. Other novels by the author include the bestselling romance, Forever Sweethearts, and the young adult novels, Count Dracula's Teenage Daughter, Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay, and Danger in Time.
Flowers has also written a number of bestselling true crime books, including The Sex Slave Murders, The Pickaxe Killers, Serial Killer Couples, and Mass Murder in the Sky. He was also editor of the bestselling anthology, Masters of True Crime.
The author has been interviewed on the Biography Channel and Investigation Discovery.
Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Goodreads, LibraryThing, MySpace,
and at www.rbarriflowers.com.
Billy The Kid’s Wife (A Time Travel Romance Short) Page 6
