by Judith Keim
“Amazing, isn’t it?” he said. “What women go through for babies.”
Sukie let out a sigh. Cam was mature beyond his years, and though he was extremely handsome, it was so much more than his looks that had attracted her to him. It was his innate kindness. She’d never loved another man more.
Cam stroked Sukie until her body quivered with the need for more of him. She pulled him to her and, arching joyously, took him inside. They moved together, exploring, testing, urging each other, until their rhythm became hard and fast, driving them toward their goal.
Later, Sukie traced the strong line of Cam’s jaw. “Did you feel it?” she asked softly.
“Feel what?”
“That special connection between us.”
He chuckled. “Weird, isn’t it?”
“Wonderful,” Sukie answered, knowing what they had together was very rare.
Later, they moved upstairs, carrying their clothes.
“I’m not through with you yet,” teased Cam, drawing her up against him.
Her pulse dancing, Sukie indicated the door to her bedroom. Ted’s ghost had been chased away. For good.
###
Sukie awoke the next morning with a vague sense of wonder. She rolled to her side and gasped softly. Cameron Taylor lay next to her, enticingly naked beneath the sheets. She gently touched his chest, almost afraid to believe he was there.
Cam blinked sleepily. A grin spread across his face, which showed the beginnings of a beard. “Hi, beautiful,” he said, reaching out and cupping her breast.
Sukie filled with happiness as he pulled her into his arms. It hadn’t been a dream after all.
Sometime later, Sukie gazed at the clock, wondering how she could ever move her body out of bed. It had been a marathon of lovemaking and she was feeling the effects of it. “What time were you to pick up Chloe?”
“Around ten. Why?” Cam mumbled, nestled against her.
“It’s nine forty five.”
Cam came wide awake with a start. “Whoa! I’d better get going. How about fixing me a cup of coffee while I take a quick shower?”
“Fair enough.” Sukie rose and covered her nakedness with a robe.
Downstairs in the kitchen, she listened to the water running in the shower and realized how much she’d missed the sound of someone sharing the house with her.
Cam appeared, his hair still wet.
Sukie gave him a quick kiss and handed him a cup of steaming coffee.
“Thanks.” He took a long sip, keeping his gaze on her. “Think we can get together later this weekend? Sunday, maybe?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
Sukie laughed. “Call me.”
He took another sip of coffee and set the cup down on the counter. “Have to go.”
They kissed goodbye in a way that proved to Sukie how much he wanted to stay. She dreamily wondered how it would be to have him kiss her that way every morning.
After Cam left, Sukie sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee, reliving every wonderful moment of the past several hours. The whole thing was crazy—cautious, careful her, lost in a passionate affair as if she was sixteen with no cares in the world. But Sukie loved the way she’d come alive. She’d been given a second chance at life, and she wasn’t about to throw it away. The connection between Cam and her was so strong, so compatible, so right.
She knew their relationship would face challenges. Many in their conservative small town would not like the idea of her and Cam together. Her children were still reeling from their father’s defection. She didn’t think they’d be happy with the idea of her dating so soon, especially someone as young as Cam. It was too close to what their father had done.
The phone rang. Ignoring the protests from her body, Sukie got up to answer it.
“Hi, Mom,” came Elizabeth’s cheerful voice. “I tried to get you last night but there was no answer. Out on a hot date?”
Words got stuck in Sukie’s throat.
“Don’t worry, Mom, I was just kidding,” Elizabeth said before Sukie could answer. “I’ve decided to take some summer courses. A professor of mine suggested it and it would help me tremendously. I’ve already talked to Dad. He didn’t sound too happy about it, but finally agreed to spring for the tuition when I told him it would mean graduating earlier.”
Sukie instantly became alert. “Tuition shouldn’t be a problem. A college fund has already been set aside for you. We started it when you were just a baby.”
They talked of other things—a new restaurant Elizabeth had discovered, a cute guy in one of her classes, an upcoming interview with a marketing firm for a part-time intern position and other exciting details of Elizabeth’s daily life.
“You’re awfully, quiet,” Elizabeth complained. “Are you doing all right? It’s got to be hard for you in face of Dad’s behavior. Can you believe how proud he is of that baby? What was he thinking, fooling around with someone so young? For God’s sake, she’s not much older than I am.”
At the anger in Elizabeth’s voice, Sukie’s body went cold.
“It’s downright disgusting to even think of it!” Elizabeth continued, letting her feelings out in a blast of resentment. “I’m glad I can count on you to be different, Mom. Dad’s embarrassed me. All my friends back home know about his...his affair. Why did he have to go and get mixed up with her?”
“I’m not sure what he was thinking,” Sukie said as steadily as she could. She and Cam had made love on the couch, like two hormonal teenagers.
“Well, listen, I’ve got to go. Love you, Mom. Be good! Don’t do anything wild. Promise?”
“Love you, too, honey.” Sukie hung up the phone, shaken. No doubt about it. Elizabeth would not like her dating Cam.
###
It was noon by the time Sukie was able to pull herself together enough to shower and begin a load of laundry. She made a grocery list, checked to see if Lynn needed anything, and was about to walk out the door when the phone rang.
“Sukie? Can I come over?” Tiffany sounded as if she’d been crying. “Beau is golfing with his father, and his mother is away for the weekend at some spa in western Georgia. So, I finally have a chance to get out of here.”
“Sure. I was going to call you later. We missed you at our Fat Fridays lunch yesterday.”
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t make myself get out of bed. I felt sick and I’m so damn depressed I don’t know what to do. I’ll be right over.”
Amazed by how much her life had changed since she’d joined the Fat Fridays group, Sukie waited for Tiffany to arrive. Belonging to the group meant so much more than meeting for lunch. Lynn’s predicament had bound them to each other in a way nothing else could. Not a day went by that Sukie didn’t think of Lynn and wonder if and when her ex would appear, calling them into action.
When Tiffany arrived, she looked terrible. Dark smudges colored sleep-deprived pouches under her eyes. She’d obviously lost weight.
Dismayed, Sukie gave her an encouraging hug. “Come on in.”
Tiffany stepped through the doorway. “I know, I know. I look just awful, and the sicker I become, the more ecstatic Beau acts. Like my throwing up is proof of his manhood or something.”
“You surely have spoken to a doctor about it, haven’t you?” Sukie said, leading Tiffany into the kitchen.
Tiffany nodded. “I’ve got medicine for the sickness but it isn’t all that reliable. I should be getting over the worst of it very soon, he told me. After the first trimester, things usually get better.”
“Would you like to try some hot tea? Or some saltines and ginger ale?”
“Maybe ginger ale. Thanks.” Tiffany sank down on a chair at the table with a long sigh.
“I guess Beau must be pretty excited about the baby,” Sukie said, gently probing as she poured Tiffany a drink.
“Oh, yeah.” Tiffany made a face. “It has all worked out according to his plan. His whole family is going crazy. Thank God his mother was already scheduled to go to the spa or else she�
��d be camped out at the house, telling me what to do. She’s impossible!”
“You’re definitely having the baby?” Sukie slid in a chair opposite her. Studying her, Sukie was reminded of the difference in Tiffany’s appearance between their first meeting and now. Tiffany was still beautiful, but she seemed so defeated. Her shoulders slumped. Her mouth drooped with sadness.
“It’s too late to do anything about the baby. Besides, little stinker that it is, I want this baby. I already feel as if it’s mine, you know?” Tiffany’s expression softened.
At the show of Tiffany’s maternalism, Sukie relaxed. “Good for you.”
Tiffany’s eyes filled with sadness. “The thing is, I’m more certain than ever that I don’t want to stay with Beau. He and his family are making me so miserable.” Her cell phone rang. She glanced at the display and a look of despair crossed her face. “It’s him.”
Sukie rose and walked over to the sink to give her some privacy, but Tiffany made no effort to lower her voice.
“I’m at Sukie Skidmore’s house. No, I didn’t fix lunch for you. I thought you and your father were going to eat at the club. Tomorrow? Okay, I’ll ask her. Bye, Beau.” Tiffany sighed noisily, pushed the off button on her phone and laid it down on the table.
“Beau wants to meet you, Sukie. He told me to ask you to come to dinner tomorrow. His father is taking us out to the club.”
“Can you do that, go out to dinner, what with being sick and all?” Sukie knew how difficult that could be.
Tiffany let out a snort. “I make myself do whatever my in-laws want. Believe me, it’s much easier that way.”
“Well...”
“Please, Sukie. I really am feeling better. Will you come to dinner with us? It would mean so much to me, and it might help Beau understand my friendship with the women of the Fat Fridays group is all right.”
Sukie hesitated.
“Please, please, please!”
At the desperation in Tiffany’s voice, Sukie caved in. “Okay.”
“Great! I’ll call you later with the time.” Relief put a glow on Tiffany’s face.
Sukie was pleased to see her smile. They chatted about babies’ names, Lynn’s status, and Sukie told Tiffany about Carol Ann’s latest conquests on line.
“Maybe Carol Ann will have better luck than me,” said Tiffany. “But if all she wants is handsome and rich, it’s not going to be easy. She makes me so mad with all that kind of talk.” Tiffany checked her watch. Her expression turned grim. “I’d better go.”
Sukie showed Tiffany to the door and returned to the kitchen. Lowering herself onto a seat at the kitchen table, she stared out at the garden, lost in thought. Life was complicated for everyone.
Too restless to sit still for long, Sukie paced the room. Earlier, she’d thought she and Cam were soul mates because their connection was so deep. But maybe, she thought unhappily, she was simply trying to justify her uncharacteristic behavior. Cam hadn’t made any promises to her, had even said he couldn’t. Maybe their tryst was just a one-night thing. A hot date, like everyone thought.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LYNN
Fear stalked Lynn like it was her ex himself. Not so much fear for her, but for the brave women of the Fat Fridays group. Bless ‘em, Lynn thought as she hung up the phone. Not a day went by that she didn’t get phone calls from at least two of them, checking up on her. The whole idea of a showdown with her ex was scary, but exhilarating. The other women were right. It was time for her to stop running. And maybe, just maybe, she could have a normal life, use her real name, even keep her drapes open for as long as she liked.
Lynn drew a deep breath. She’d told the women in the Fat Fridays group that she’d stay in town. She was determined not to let them down. But at the same time, she couldn’t let anything bad happen to them. So she watched out for them as carefully as they watched over her. And unbeknownst to them, Lynn called people who’d helped her in the past to see if they had any information on her ex’s activities. She’d even gone to see the sheriff herself, because she knew damn well her ex was a psycho.
As she traveled back and forth to work and did necessary errands, she was determined to put on a brave front. But in many respects she still thought of herself as a captive to her ex’s threats. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, twisting in circles at the hint of a shadow, checking out parking lots, scouting for any sign of the sonuvabitch who wanted to hurt her.
So far, she hadn’t caught sight of anyone who looked even close to Buck. While he might not be easy to find, he had those big hands that had slapped so hard. And one of his shoulders slumped to one side from an old fight.
Taking a stack of rental movies into the living room, she went over to the window and pulled the blinds away from it, just enough to peek out.
Nothing suspicious.
Maybe, Lynn thought happily, he’d messed up again and was sitting in a jail cell in some faraway place, cooling his heels for doing something damn stupid.
She let the blinds fall against the window and pulled the drapes closed, shutting out the growing dark.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SUKIE
Sukie hung around the house, pacing restlessly from room to room, picking up and putting down magazines, wondering when Cam would call and what she’d say to him when he did.
Determined to stop the spinning thoughts in her head, she picked up a romance novel and curled up on the couch. After reading a few pages of a woman falling in love, her mind drifted. Making love with Cam, she’d felt a real meeting of their souls, something she’d never experienced with Ted. Her dreamy thoughts ended abruptly when she thought of her children. Elizabeth wouldn’t like the idea of her dating Cam. And Rob? He probably wouldn’t like it either. Conflicted feelings tore her emotions into painful shreds. She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes.
The ringing of the phone startled her awake. Disoriented, Sukie stumbled into the kitchen and checked the digital clock on the microwave. Midnight. The caller ID screen said Private Caller. Sukie’s thoughts flew to her children. Rob and Madeleine were away, visiting her parents. Elizabeth had told her she was going to bed early.
“H..hello?”
The sound of partying blared in the background. A man’s breathing came through the phone—steady, stealthy breaths.
Sukie’s hand froze on the phone. “Who’s there?”
No answer.
“Who’s there?” she said in a trembling voice, frightened now.
The phone clicked and went dead.
Unable to shake the creepy feeling that swept over her, Sukie thought of Lynn. She quickly dialed her number.
“Yeah?” Lynn answered sleepily.
“It’s Sukie. I’m so sorry to wake you, but I needed to make sure you’re all right. I just got a hang-up call and it scared me. Do you think it was your husband?”
“Oh, hon, that’s not his style. Get some sleep. Hear?”
“’Night,” Sukie said sheepishly and hung up. She’d overreacted, she knew, but ever since she’d heard Lynn’s story, she and the other women in Fat Fridays had been on edge. Her thoughts turned to Ted. Would he do something stupid like that? She shook her head. That wasn’t his style, either.
She climbed the stairs, put on her nightgown and slid into bed. Under the covers, she inhaled Cam’s scent on the pillow next to her. Wishing he was there beside her, she hugged it to her.
After a restless night of tossing and turning, Sukie told herself to face facts. Cam’s silence had sent a strong message. She decided hooking up or casual sex was probably all it meant to him. She could well imagine everyone in town laughing at her foolishness for thinking that one evening was the beginning of something that might last.
Feeling the need to settle her feelings, Sukie decided to go to church. It had been a while since she’d gone. She dressed and drove to the white clapboard building in the center of town and took a moment, as she always did, to admire the tall steeple that se
emed to reach for heaven. Williston Congregational was one of the oldest churches in town and stood as a symbol to Sukie of all that was noble.
She parked and entered the church, trying her best to ignore the curious stares cast her way. In the past, sitting beside Ted in their pew, Sukie had always enjoyed the light coming through the rainbow-hued glass windows. Alone, she closed her eyes and concentrated on finding peace. She told herself that somehow her life would straighten out, but niggling worries snaked through her thoughts.
When Sukie got up to leave, she found Katy Hartmann on the other side of the aisle, right in her path. The gleam in Katy’s smile made Sukie’s stomach clench. She gave Katy a reluctant nod, hurried down the aisle and came to a frustrating stop in the midst of the crowd at the doorway waiting to shake the minister’s hand.
Katy came up behind her. “It was such a surprise to see you the other night, and with Cameron Taylor, no less. No wonder you looked like your hand was caught in the cookie jar. Some cookie!”
Sukie gave Katy a cold stare. She shook the minister’s hand and moved away before he or Katy could engage her in further conversation. She was halfway down the marble steps when Katy’s voice brought her to a halt.
“Sukie, hon, wait for me!”
Several people turned and stared at Sukie. She pressed her lips together and turned to face the biggest gossip in town.
Katy hurried over to her. “I want to hear more about that gorgeous hunk you were with. The women’s club has been abuzz about him ever since he moved into the area. I had no idea you really knew him.” She elbowed Sukie in the ribs. “You know, it’s got to be great being with a younger man. It makes spouses seem pretty unappealing. Lucky you, you don’t have to contend with a spouse anymore, do you?”
Refusing to take the bait, Sukie clamped her teeth together.
Katy’s husband, Jim, came over to them. “Hello, Sukie. Long time no see.” His gaze swept over her and came to rest on Sukie’s breasts.
