The Best Bride

by Susan Mallery

  Kyle, Austin and whichever of his other two brothers were around usually came over to watch football in the fall. He’d canceled last week because of Elizabeth.

  “Sure. She’s feeling better.”

  “So I will get to meet her.” Kyle’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Yeah, but watch yourself.”

  “I will.”

  Travis watched his brother open his car door. Before he stepped inside, Travis called, “Wait a minute.” He walked around the hood of the vehicle and hesitated. “Can you run a name for me?”

  “Sure. Who?”

  He shouldn’t do this. If Elizabeth found out, she would be furious. Worse, she would be hurt. She’d said she hadn’t done anything illegal, but what if she’d been lying? He didn’t want to think that of her, but there was obviously something she wasn’t telling him.

  He pulled a pad of paper out of his back pocket and borrowed Kyle’s pen. He vacillated another second, then wrote the name “Sam Proctor” down and handed Kyle the sheet.

  “Call me if you find anything. And keep it under your hat.”

  Kyle studied the name. “No problem. See you Sunday.”

  Travis watched the car pull away from the curb. What would Elizabeth think when she’d found out what he’d done? What would he think if he learned her secret?

  * * *

  Mandy licked her ice-cream cone frantically, but the drips were faster. “Travis, help,” she called, holding out her hand.

  He grabbed two napkins and wiped her clean. By the time he was done with that hand, the other one was a mess.

  “You’ve got to learn to eat them quicker, honey.”

  Mandy giggled. She had several grass stains on her shirt and shorts from the soccer practice. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and chocolate ice cream on her chin. She was adorable.

  “I’m done.” She gave him the half-finished cone, which proceeded to drip all over his hand.

  “Great. Thanks.” He licked it a couple of times, then tossed it in the plastic-lined trash container in the ice-cream shop. He wiped both their hands, then collected their packages. Mandy slid off her stool and followed him out onto the street.

  “Hold this,” he said, handing her one of the bags. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out the list Elizabeth had made. “Okay, we bought T-shirts.”

  “Three of them,” Mandy said helpfully.

  “Yes, three. And shoes. We got underwear.”

  “With pink bunnies.”

  “The bunnies are nice.” It had been tough deciding between bunnies, a popular female cartoon figure and flowers. He’d picked out female lingerie before, but not cotton panties for a six-year-old. He hoped Elizabeth approved of the bunnies. He scanned the list. “That’s it, kid. We just have to go by the post office and collect your mom’s mail. Then we’ll head home.”

  “Okay.” She started down the sidewalk.

  “Mandy?” he called.

  “What?”

  “It’s that way.” He pointed in the other direction.

  She smiled. “Okay.” The bag was light, but almost as big as she was. He reached down and took it from her.

  “I didn’t mean for you to carry that, sweetie. I’ll take it.”

  “But I want to help.”

  He sorted through the other packages. “Here. Take this one.”

  “Mommy’s present?” She looked in the small gift store bag and smiled. “Mommy will like it.”

  “I hope so.” It had been an impulsive purchase. A small yellow stuffed duck. She wouldn’t get the joke, but seeing it would remind him not to try to be other than he was.

  Mandy walked at his side chatting about school and soccer practice. He liked the sound of her voice and her stories. He liked how she looked up at him and simply assumed he would keep her safe. She accepted him with the tacit trust of a child raised in a house full of love and security. So where was the girl’s father?

  Thinking of Sam Proctor sent a shiver of guilt slipping down his spine. As they crossed the street and he saw a restaurant up ahead, he had the urge to step inside and use the phone to call Kyle at the station. It would be easy enough to tell his brother to back off. Why did it matter who Sam Proctor was? But he passed the restaurant without making the call.

  They reached the post office. There was a short line. Mandy stood patiently, humming softly under her breath. He glanced down at her pretty face and beautiful blue eyes. Eyes she had to have inherited from her father. He smiled at her. She grinned in return and reached for his hand. The trusting gesture twisted his heart. A stab of loneliness caught him off balance. It was going to be hell when Elizabeth and Mandy moved into their own place.

  When it was their turn, he approached the counter and collected Elizabeth’s mail. She was having her forwarded correspondence held until she had her own place. He resisted the temptation to flip through the stack of envelopes. Checking on Sam Proctor was one thing, reading her mail quite another.

  “Ready to go home?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I had the best time, Travis. I like doing things with you. My old friends did stuff with their daddies but mine was always busy. I like soccer, too.”

  The slightly confused speech gave him the in he’d been hoping for. As they approached the car, he dug in his front jeans pocket for his keys.

  “You haven’t seen your daddy in a long time, have you?”

  Mandy shook her head. “Mommy said he had to go away. My daddy left because he’s big.”

  She’d said that once before. What the hell did it mean?

  “Big?”

  She nodded. “I heard her say that once. Mommy was on the phone. I was supposed to be in bed, but I got up for a drink of water. Mommy said Daddy was big. Then she started to cry.” Mandy’s mouth twisted into a frown. “I got scared and went back to my room. Mommy and Daddy fought sometimes. I could hear them.” She handed him the bag then climbed into the front seat of his Bronco. As he bent over to fasten her seat belt, she glanced up at him. “It made Mommy sad when he went away. It made me sad, too.”

  He could see that sadness in her eyes and felt like the lowest kind of scum for questioning her. To distract her, he bent over and tickled her.

  “Sad? No one is allowed to be sad in my car.”

  She twisted away and giggled. “Is it a magic car, like the magic hugs?”

  “Absolutely.” He handed her the mail and closed her door.

  After tossing the packages on the back seat, he climbed in and started the truck. Mandy’s good humor had been restored and she chatted happily. His mind reeled with curiosity.

  My daddy left because he’s big. Elizabeth Abbott, who are you? He signaled to turn out of the post office parking lot. Frustration welled up inside of him. He drew in a deep breath. He wasn’t going to get answers anytime soon. Kyle might come up with something, or he might not. Until then, he would just have to let it go. He liked Elizabeth and found it hard to believe she was involved with anything shady. His gut trusted her, and he trusted his gut.

  “Look at the pretty dog,” Mandy said, pointing at a teenage boy walking a collie.

  Travis stopped at a red light and turned to look. Mandy raised her hands to wave at the dog. The mail on her lap slipped off on the floor. He glanced at the light to make sure it was still red, then bent over and picked up the envelopes. He told himself not to, but he couldn’t help glancing at the address. It was a suburb of Los Angeles. He looked up a line, to the addressee. His teeth clenched together. He flipped through the rest of the envelopes. Almost all of them were addressed to the same person: Elizabeth Proctor.

  She’d lied.

  * * *

  Elizabeth wiped the kitchen counter. Again. It had been clean the last four times she’d wiped it. She was wasting time, trying to avoid the inevitable.

  Travis had put up a good front through the late afternoon and even into dinner. But she knew there was something wrong. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in the way he hesi
tated before answering her questions. He’d held himself apart from her ever since he and Mandy had come home.

  She looked around the clean kitchen, liking the way the cream-and-blue tiles complemented the bleached oak cabinets. It wasn’t a traditional kitchen, but it suited her, and the house. She would miss it when she left.

  She walked over to the coffeepot and poured out two cups. Sitting on the shelf above the sink was a stuffed yellow duck. The little creature seemed to smile at her, as much as a duck could smile. The gift had delighted her. Only Travis’s seeming emotional distance distracted her from her pleasure. Something was wrong and she was going to find out what.

  She carried the mugs carefully to the stairs and started to climb. Travis was fitting cabinets in the big bathroom off the master bedroom. Mandy had been in bed for almost an hour. Her morning on the soccer field had worn her out. She had new clothes, thanks to Travis’s patience at shopping, and several new friends. Life was good for the six-year-old.

  Elizabeth walked down the hallway to the last door. Like most of the rooms in the house, the master bedroom was vacant, the walls stripped of wallpaper, the hardwood floor in need of repair. But even empty and abandoned, it was a beautiful room. Bay windows overlooked the back of the property, creating an intimate sitting area. There was a stone fireplace in the corner and a huge bathroom through the doorway at the far end.

  She made her way over the stacks of supplies and tools. She could hear a file rubbing against wood.

  “You ready to take a break?” she called. “Or should I come back later?”

  “I can take a break.”

  “Good.” She entered the bathroom. Molding for the ceiling lay stacked in the center. Travis had told her he planned to do the master bed and bath in a Victorian style. He’d even ordered a claw-footed bathtub. Several cabinets stood around the outside of the room. Pipes stuck out from the wall.

  Travis sat in the middle of the floor, an open cabinet in front of him. He looked up as she entered. Something flickered in his eyes. Not passion, not even interest. It was almost a fleeting hint of sadness, followed by a healthy dose of mistrust. She stopped dead in her tracks.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing.” He blinked and the expression was gone, replaced by one she couldn’t read.

  Her stomach tightened as worry made her gnaw on her lower lip. She handed him a mug of coffee. He took it and nodded his thanks, then sipped the steaming liquid. Silence stretched between them. She didn’t know what to say. Apparently he didn’t, either, because the room stayed quiet.

  She walked over to the rolls of wallpaper and studied the rose-and-ivory pattern. She could feel Travis’s gaze on her back. What had she done?

  “You didn’t have to stay home tonight to keep me company,” she said at last, still staring at the wallpaper.

  “I’ve been neglecting the house.” He picked up his file and went to work on the cabinet.

  She wanted to believe that was all it was, but she couldn’t. The knot in her belly was too big to be ignored.

  “Then tell me what’s wrong. Are you angry with me?”

  The file clinked when he dropped it to the floor. She heard him stand up and move close to her. She drew in a deep breath and turned around.

  He’d set his coffee on the cabinet and stood with his arms folded over his chest. Worn black jeans hugged his strong thighs. His flannel shirt, rolled up to the elbows, had seen better days. The faded, soft fabric clung to him, highlighting his strength. When she gathered enough courage, she raised her head to look at his face. Dark eyes revealed nothing, nor did the straight set of his mouth.

  “I didn’t deliberately look through your mail,” he said.

  The knot in her stomach tightened. When he and Mandy had come back with her mail, she’d had a moment’s unease. What if Travis had noticed who it was addressed to? But Mandy had proudly told her that she’d carried it all by herself. When Travis hadn’t said anything, Elizabeth had assumed he hadn’t looked.

  “Mandy kept it on her lap. When it fell off, I picked it up. It’s all addressed to Elizabeth Proctor. There’s a postcard from your parents, Elizabeth. Your own parents use Sam’s last name. Why did you lie?”

  She expected the shame. When the hot emotion flooded her, she had to fight to keep from ducking her head. She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. Even in the soft light of the bathroom he would be able to see her embarrassment. But she hadn’t expected to feel such sadness and regret. Travis had believed her. Despite the evidence against her, despite his questions, he’d trusted her to be who she said she was. He hadn’t pressed to know her secrets. He’d been there for her, a good friend, and now that was gone.

  “I’m sorry,” she said slowly, gripping her mug tightly. “I didn’t want anyone to know. I couldn’t tell you because I knew what you would think.”

  “What’s the problem?” he asked. His eyebrows drew together. He unfolded his arms and held out his hands, palms up. “It’s no big deal. People get divorced all the time. Hell, I’m divorced. Why would you think anyone would care?”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “What’s not that simple? Did he beat you? Was he into men instead of women? Dammit, Elizabeth, tell me the truth.”

  She’d always known it would come to this. She should have known the secret would get out. What would Travis think of her when he knew? Would he despise her? Call her a fool? She shook her head. He couldn’t say anything worse than what she’d already told herself.

  “None of those things,” she said at last. “Sam Proctor was already married when I met him. I didn’t know, and he didn’t tell me. Sam was a bigamist.”

  Chapter Nine

  If the situation hadn’t been so sad and serious, Elizabeth might have laughed. Travis couldn’t have looked more shocked if she’d stripped off all her clothes and started dancing around naked. The giggle in the back of her throat cracked and threatened to become a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand and turned away.

  “You’re the second wife?” he asked.

  “Y-yes.” She cleared her throat. It didn’t help. Her legs started to tremble. She clutched at a stack of boxes of tiles, but the support wasn’t enough. Shame, bitter regret, pain and confusion flooded her. She didn’t want to lose Travis. Not yet. She needed him to be her friend. Now everything was lost.

  She stopped trying to hold on and sank to her knees. The floor was cold through her jeans, but she didn’t care. She clutched her arms to her chest and fought to stay coherent.

  “I didn’t know,” she said, not turning around to face him. She didn’t want to see the disgust in his eyes. “I swear I didn’t know. I should have, of course. I was stupid. Young, naive. It was my fault for not questioning more. But I was barely out of my teens. Things like that didn’t happen to girls from like me.” She spoke quickly, as if by telling the tale fast he would be more likely to believe her.

  “I met Sam at a lecture, at college. My parents had wanted me to stay home and go to a local junior college, but I wanted to get away. They seemed so old and out of touch with everything. I was working and going to school part-time. There was this lecture. I saw his picture. He was blond and good-looking. When he spoke, it was wonderful. The lecture was on staying motivated to achieve goals. He was very big on staying motivated.” She paused to catch her breath.

  “You don’t have to tell me this,” Travis said quietly. He was still behind her. She didn’t dare turn around; she couldn’t. Maybe if she explained it all correctly, he would understand. Maybe he would know that she’d tried, really tried. She hadn’t meant to make such a big mistake.

  “I sat in the back because I was shy.” She sniffed. “Silly. I didn’t have the courage to ask my questions in front of the group. There were probably two hundred people in the room. But afterward I went up to talk to him. There was a crowd, mostly women. They were older and well dressed. I was just a kid. When he spoke to me, I was enchanted. He looked at me
as if I were something special. Something different. That meant a lot. When he asked me to go for coffee…well, I couldn’t refuse.”

  “Elizabeth, don’t.”

  “I have to. I have to make you understand.”

  “I understand.”

  “No, you don’t.” She looked up at him. Shock still flared in his dark eyes. He sat on the edge of the cabinet staring down at her. His arms were folded over his chest. His body language told her he’d pulled back. The teasing man who opened his home to her was gone, replaced by a judging stranger.

  “I was a late bloomer. I didn’t know how to dress or act around kids my age. My parents didn’t help. The clothes they bought me were inappropriate for school. Too dressed-up and conservative. I’d never had a boyfriend. Sam was ten years older than me, but very hip and sophisticated. I was overwhelmed.” She looked up at him and forced herself to smile. It felt a little shaky. “You know how that is, Travis. You’ve knocked your share of women off their feet.”

  “One or two,” he admitted. “But I’m not judging you.”

  “Yes, you are. Of course you are. Do you think I don’t judge myself? I made it so easy for him.” She closed her eyes remembering how eager she’d been for his kisses, his touch. She’d never been with a man before. Sam was tender, teaching her the ways between a man and a woman. She’d fallen in love in a matter of days.

  “He lived in Seattle but commuted to L.A. on business a lot. I even visited him there, once, at his apartment.” She opened her eyes and stared at her clenched fists. She tried to relax her fingers, but she couldn’t. She was holding on to all of herself to keep from breaking down. It was overwhelming, knowing what Travis thought, what other people would think. Knowing she’d been irresponsible and foolish and gullible. Feeling horribly alone. There was no one to turn to.

  “I know now that apartment must have belonged to a friend. He was already married. He has two children with his real wife. A boy and a girl. When I got pregnant, I just assumed we’d be married. He’d never said anything about a wife. I never thought to ask. He said of course we would. He loved playing the odds. It was all a game to him. His dual life was exactly the kind of challenge he thrived on. I should have known.”