Nothing but Trouble

by Beverly Barton

  Did he love her? He didn’t know. He wasn’t even sure he was capable of love, the kind of love a woman like Tallie needed and deserved. He had spent most of his life centered on what he thought was expected of him, trying to decide on what was the best course of action to take in order to achieve his goals.

  He supposed he’d been considering political office for years, the need as deeply entrenched in him as his desire for Tallie. Was it possible for him to have both? Could he continue his affair with Tallie and accept his party’s nomination for governor?

  Tallie moaned in her sleep, cuddling against him, her small hand instinctively reaching out for him. He laid his hand over hers where it rested on his stomach.

  An affair? With this woman? Tallie was the marrying kind, the white-picket-fence-and-babies kind. Maybe he should marry her. He knew he’d never find another woman he wanted more, but could she adapt to his life-style? Should he expect her to change her whole life to suit him?

  Tallie opened her eyes to find Peyton looking down at her, a warm smile on his face. Lifting herself, she slipped her arms around him, her mouth seeking his. She kissed him with sweet, morning-after happiness. He returned the kiss.

  “No regrets?” he asked.

  “No regrets. Not ever. Last night—” She blushed. She shook her head, swinging her short, black curls “—and this morning were perfect. More perfect than I’d ever dreamed making love could be.”

  “I’ve been thinking.”

  “A dangerous enterprise for a lawyer.” Giggling, she dotted light, damp kisses across his shoulder.

  “Behave yourself, sugar. We need to talk. Serious talk.” He lifted her away from him, placing several inches between their bodies.

  What was he going to tell her? That it had been great, but it was over, that he had his future to consider and she just didn’t fit in? “Uh-oh. Maybe I should ask if you have any regrets?”

  “My only regret is that we waited so long to make love.”

  When she reached for him, he grabbed her hands. “Serious talk first.”

  Laying her hands in her lap, she nodded agreement. “I’m listening.”

  “We’ve already agreed that you and I are the mismatch of the century, so there’s no need to rehash all our differences.”

  “Agreed. I think we have more in common than either of us ever realized.” Tallie grinned.

  “Don’t change the subject.” He smiled back at her. “The facts are that I’m a wealthy lawyer who is making plans to run for governor. That’s who I am, Tallie.”

  “I would never ask you to give up your dream.” A spiral of fear curled inside her stomach.

  “You see, sugar, the problem is that I’m a selfish bastard. I always have been.” When he heard her gasp and knew she was going to protest, he held up his hand, motioning for her to stay quiet. “I don’t want to give up my plans for a political career, but I don’t want to give you up, either.”

  “Oh.” She understood his predicament only too well. She and politics would mix like oil and water.

  “I’m not making any promises or offering you anything, but I think we owe it to ourselves to give our relationship a chance, to see if we can make it work.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “I want us to start dating, to go out and be seen together as a couple.” He searched her face for some clue as to how she felt about what he’d just said. Her face was a complete blank. “I’ll make an announcement to the effect that you and I are... dating.”

  “It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to say that we’re lovers. People might get the wrong idea.”

  “Tallie, I know how you feel about pretending, about presenting—”

  “About lying.”

  “Okay, about lying. Look, sugar, I’m not asking you to change the person you are to make things easier for me. This trial period isn’t going to work unless you and I both just be ourselves, but I am willing to compromise on a few issues if you are.”

  “Trial period?” Tallie pulled the sheet up to cover her naked breasts.

  Peyton jerked the sheet back down. “Don’t get all huffy and defensive. This is a trial period for me just as much as for you. It’s a trial period for our relationship, to see if it’s possible for us to have a future together.”

  “I see.” She wasn’t sure she liked the idea. After all, she was in love. She didn’t need a trial period. But Peyton did. He had a great deal more to lose than she did; all she had to lose was her heart.

  “We’ll start this Friday night. I’ve got to attend a little get-together given by one of the party’s biggest supporters. I want you to go with me.”

  “What? I can’t. I don’t know anything about—”

  The phone rang. Tallie jumped out of bed, picked up Peyton’s silk shirt from the floor, slipped into it and raced out of the bedroom and down the hall.

  Peyton got up, pulled on his slacks and walked down the hall to find Tallie in the living room.

  “It’s Spence.” She handed Peyton the telephone.

  “What’s up?” Peyton asked. “How did you know where to find me?”

  “You haven’t seen the morning paper, have you?” Spence asked.

  “No, why?”

  “If you had, you wouldn’t ask how I knew where you were.”

  “Tell it to me gently.” Peyton sat down on the sofa.

  Tallie sat down beside him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Go outside and get your morning paper,” Peyton told her.

  “Why?” she asked as she stood up, then walked to the front door.

  “Tallie’s going to get the paper. We’ll see soon enough, so go ahead and tell me.” Peyton leaned back into the sofa, crossing one leg over the other at his knee.

  “Someone took it upon themselves to share your and Tallie’s little adventure in Kingsley Woods yesterday with a reporter from the Marshallton News. You’re not front page, but you’re page one in regional news.”

  Tallie came running back into the house, the newspaper in her hands folded back, sections of it hanging loosely from her fingers. “Is Peyton Rand trying to prove to the voters of Tennessee that he’s just an old-fashioned knight in shining armor by his continuous rescues of the young and beautiful Crooked Oak tow-truck driver, Tallulah Bishop? Although Mr. Rand claims that he and Ms. Bishop are only acquaintances—”

  “Enough!” Peyton said, interrupting Tallie’s reading aloud. “Thanks for calling, Spence. We’ll talk later.”

  “What do you think is going to happen if you announce that we’re dating?” Tallie flung the paper to the floor.

  “I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to announce anything.”

  “I suppose it was just wishful thinking on our parts—”

  “There will be reporters at the party Friday, outside waiting for a story and a few invited inside for scoops on the political scene. They’ll see us arrive together and they’re bound to ask questions. We’ll answer their questions. Truthfully.” Peyton grabbed her around the waist, toppling her over onto his lap.

  “Truthfully?” Tallie laid her hand on his chest. “You’re going to tell them that we’re lovers?”

  “We’re going to say that we’re good friends, that we’re dating, that we are seriously involved.”

  “Seriously involved? They’ll take that to mean—”

  “That we’re seriously involved,” he said.

  “Are we—” The sharp ring of the telephone jarred Tallie. “Good grief. What now?”

  “I’ll get it.” Peyton reached out to answer the phone.

  Tallie shook her head. “No, I’ll get it.” When he looked at her with puzzlement in his eyes, she said, “How would you explain to someone what you’re doing at my house so early on Sunday morning?”

  “I’d tell them that I’d been here all night making mad, passionate love to you.”

  Tallie couldn’t keep from smiling. The phone continued ringing. She picked up the receiver. “Hello.”

 
; “This is Lowell Redman, I just wanted to let you know that Lobo Smothers is out on bail. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, but I thought you should know. We’ll keep an eye on him.”

  “Thanks for calling.” She knew that Peyton was watching and listening, that he would want to know who the caller was.

  “I’ve tried to get in touch with Peyton this morning, but I keep getting his answering machine. If you see him, tell him to give me a call.”

  “Yes, well...if I see him, I’ll tell him.”

  Peyton reached around her, placing his hand over the telephone mouthpiece. “Who is it, Tallie? Is it someone looking for me?”

  She tried to pull the receiver away from Peyton, but he grabbed it from her. “Peyton Rand here.”

  “Ah...yeah, Peyt, is that you?” Lowell stammered.

  “What’s up? Is there some problem I should know about?” Peyton watched Tallie place her hands on her hips and glare at him.

  “I just told Tallie that Lobo Smothers is out on bail. What I didn’t tell her was that he was running his mouth off how she and Susan were going to be sorry they’d ever messed with him. I warned him that if he went anywhere near either of them, he’d be back in jail so fast it’d make his head spin.”

  “Damn that man! I’d like to see him behind bars and out of Tallie’s life.” Peyton frowned at Tallie, giving her a warning look.

  “There’s more,” Lowell said. “I just didn’t want to worry Tallie, but you need to know. Cliff Nolan showed up in town last night. He was drunk, wrecked his car and spent the night at the hospital. We can keep him in jail for a few days, but that’s about it.”

  “You’re just full of good news this morning, aren’t you, old buddy?” Peyton didn’t want to think about the threat both of these men posed for Tallie, but he realized that he couldn’t allow her to dismiss the danger, which he knew she’d try to do. “Thanks, Lowell. You do what you can at your end and I’ll take care of things here.”

  Peyton replaced the receiver. “Go pack a bag. You’re coming to Jackson with me.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. You’re staying with me until we can be sure you aren’t in any danger.”

  “Now, you wait just one darn minute.” Tallie walked over to Peyton. Looking up at him, she pointed her finger in his face. “I can’t move in with you. We’re just dating. Remember? I can handle Lobo Smothers if he comes around. It’s warm enough for Solomon to sleep out on the porch like he did last night. He’s a good watchdog.”

  “All right, if you won’t move in with me, I’ll stay here with you.” Peyton grabbed Tallie’s finger, playfully biting the tip.

  “No, you won’t stay here.” She jerked her hand away from him. “We’re just starting our trial period, testing the waters with our relationship and...and with the public—the people who have the power to make or break your political career.”

  “So, if we’re living together, we can speed up the process a little.”

  “Peyt, the one thing you’re going to have to get used to about me is that I have a mind of my own.”

  He guffawed. “You really think I don’t already know that?”

  “I will not allow you to run my life, to make my decisions. No matter how much I love you, I won’t let you tell me what I can and cannot do. Is that understood?” She was in front of him, her finger pointed directly in his face again.

  “Get that damned finger out of my face, or so help me, Tallulah, I’ll bite it off!”

  She dropped her hand, gazing up at him with a mixture of determination and feminine pride glowing in her eyes. “I’ll get Susan to come out and spend a few days with me. Yesterday you saw how well the two of us can handle things.”

  Peyton groaned, knowing full well when he was defeated. “Oh, yeah, you and Susan can conquer the world.”

  Tallie slipped her arms around Peyton’s neck. “Susan and I will spend the next five nights over at Sheila’s. I’ll take my shotgun and Solomon.”

  “Three women alone together.”

  “I’ll have a gun. Sheila will have a gun. Solomon can sleep outside. And Mike’s trailer is just down the road.” Standing on tiptoe, Tallie nuzzled his chin with her nose. “Agree to my terms and I’ll go to that stupid political get-together with you Friday night.”

  “That’s blackmail, sugar.”

  “How can you say that? I’m simply making you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  “I’ll accept your offer because I don’t have any other choice.” He pulled her up into his arms, his head lowering, his lips brushing hers, their breaths mingling. “I want you to tell me that you’re aware of how dangerous Lobo Smothers and Cliff Nolan can be.”

  “I’m not stupid, Peyt.” Tallie kissed him. Quick. Hard. Tempting. “I’m not going to take any chances. I promise I’ll stay out of trouble.”

  “I’m driving out here every night to see you. If you won’t let me stay here, I’ll stay over in Marshallton with Spence and Pattie.”

  “After the party next Friday night...if everything works out okay and everybody knows we’re seriously involved, then maybe we could...”

  “Are you saying I can spend the night again?”

  “I’m saying that after your highfalutin political buddies meet me in a social setting and they all know that we’re...dating...well, if after that, you still want me and think we—”

  He didn’t give her a chance to finish before crushing his lips to hers, kissing her with all the passion and tempest raging inside him. He wanted this woman. He wanted her now. Lifting her into his arms, he laid her down on the sofa and began unbuttoning his shirt that she was wearing, pulling it away from her body to reveal the beauty of her naked flesh.

  “Peyton?”

  “If we’re not going to make love for another five days, then let’s not waste the rest of today talking.”

  Tallie unzipped his slacks when he leaned down over her. “You’ve learned fast, haven’t you, Counselor, that actions speak louder than words?”

  * * *

  Thursday afternoon, Tallie waited patiently in the teacher’s lounge at Marshallton Community College. Both Susan and Sheila, with whom she’d spent the last few nights, thought she’d been out of her mind when she’d called Donna Fields and asked for her help.

  “It’s like asking the enemy for advice on how to win a battle,” Sheila had said.

  “Donna Fields is not my enemy,” Tallie had assured her friend. “I don’t want Peyton to be ashamed of me when he takes me to that party Friday night. Donna is the perfect person to give me pointers on how to dress, how to act, what to expect.”

  The past week had been one of the best weeks of Tallie’s life. She was gloriously, insanely in love with Peyton Rand, and she no longer had to pretend she wasn’t. He had called her two or three times every day and taken her out to dinner every night.

  They hadn’t made love again, even though Peyton had been less than understanding about her reasons for wanting to wait. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him as much as he wanted her. It was just that, for her own sake, for the sake of her sanity, she had to make sure that their relationship had a fighting chance. She figured they’d both know where they stood after tomorrow night’s big shindig.

  “Tallie?” Donna Fields stood in the doorway, a warm, friendly smile on her lovely face.

  “I certainly appreciate your doing this for me, Donna. I guess most people wouldn’t understand why I asked you for help, considering the fact that you and Peyt...well, that you two were an item for a while.”

  “Would you care for some tea?” Donna asked as she filled her cup with water from the bottled jug on the counter.

  “No, thanks.”

  Donna placed the cup in the microwave. “Peyt and I were and are good friends, but we were never really an item, except in the newspapers.”

  “Pattie told me the night I met you that you weren’t my competition.”

  “She was right.” Donna removed an Earl Grey tea
bag from a box on a top shelf above the microwave. “I knew before you and I met that Peyton was in love with you.”

  “Oh, but he isn’t...I mean he hasn’t told me that... I’m talking too much.”

  Donna smiled, the expression turning her face from delicate loveliness to absolute beauty. “Give him a little more time, Tallie, and as soon as he figures it out for himself, he’ll tell you he loves you. Peyton is a very smart man, but he doesn’t know the first thing about love.”

  “He grew up in a house without love, in a family with other priorities.”

  “If he’s taking you to Harold and Betty Glover’s party, then Peyton has his priorities straight. Harold is a man with enough money and power to hand Peyton their party’s nomination for governor.”

  When the microwave beeped, Donna removed her cup, dropped in the tea bag and waited for the mixture to brew.

  “So you’re saying that if I screw up, I could lose Peyton the nomination?” Tallie wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all.” Picking up her teacup, Donna motioned toward the small sofa in the corner of the room. “Let’s sit. I have the next hour free.”

  “Peyton and I have agreed to a trial relationship, to see if we can make it work, if there’s a chance we could have a future together.” Tallie sat down beside Donna.

  “I see.” Donna sipped her tea, then placed the cup on the round table to her right. “And this trial period was Peyton’s idea?”

  “In a way, but it was really a mutual decision. If I can make Friday night work, then I’ve got a real chance with Peyton. That’s why I want you to help me.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “I know this may sound crazy, but what do I wear?”

  Donna laughed. “It doesn’t sound crazy at all. It’s a typical feminine question.”

  “Well?”