Secret Sundays

by Judith Keim

  “I’ll take Vanna upstairs to put her to bed and be back down in a few minutes,” she said, relieved to have a reason to escape the dangerous conversation.

  When Carol Ann returned to the living room, Ed was standing by the window looking out at the neighborhood.

  She went over to him. “Nice, huh?”

  He nodded. “Very nice.” He turned to her. “You too. Very nice.” He stared into her eyes with such intensity her heart began to pound in her ears so loudly she was sure Ed could hear it.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I have a confession to make.”

  “Oh?” Carol Ann managed to get out, though her throat had gone dry.

  “My date didn’t cancel on me. I canceled on her. I wanted to see you, Carol Ann. You see, we’ve become such good ... friends.”

  Carol Ann’s pulse sprinted with happiness. She leaned into his embrace, and when he tilted her face up to his, she was ready.

  The feel of his soft lips on hers, the way she felt in his arms, the smell of his citrusy aftershave made her head spin. She kissed him back with everything she’d been holding inside.

  His body reacted, and when she thought to pull away, he tugged her closer. She laid her head on his solid chest, heard the pounding of his heart and knew she wasn’t dreaming his response to her.

  His hand cupped her cheek tenderly. “I think I’ve loved you for a long time, Carol Ann. And getting to know you better, I’ve never been so sure of anything in all my life.”

  She gazed up at him, wanting to believe him. But she’d been fooled before. “Are you sure you’re not just lonely tonight?”

  He smiled down at her with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes. In that moment, he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. “I’ll always be lonely if I can’t convince you to be more than friends with me.”

  She pulled away and frowned at him, confused. “Wait a minute! Are you talking about friends with benefits?”

  A look of shock appeared on his face. “What? No, whatever friends with benefits means to you. I want to see if we can take our relationship and let it grow into something permanent. I have a nice life with all the material things anyone could want, but without you to share those things, they don’t mean much at all.”

  Carol Ann couldn’t stop the tears that slid out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She’d never felt so wonderful, so awful, in her entire life.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I guess I have that effect on women,” he teased, wiping away her tears with his fingertips.

  Carol Ann shook her head. “You don’t understand. I’m having a baby.”

  He stepped away and stared at her in horror. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean ... Uh, who is the lucky guy?”

  “That’s just it; I don’t even know his name.” Sobs racked Carol Ann’s body, making further speech impossible.

  Ed reached over to a nearby table and grabbed a wad of tissues. “Here.”

  She took them and tried to pull herself together. Humiliation made her want to sink through the floor. All her life she’d waited for some man to declare his love for her and now that it had finally happened, the situation was a total mess. She cried even harder.

  Ed took her elbow. “Look, Carol Ann, let’s go sit down. You can tell me all about it there.”

  As if she’d lost her eyesight, not her dignity, Carol Ann allowed him to lead her to the couch.

  “There,” he said, taking a seat beside her. “Want to talk to me about it?” The concern in his voice touched her heart. He was a good, kind, generous man. She didn’t deserve him.

  “Well?”

  Carol Ann started talking, and once she began, she couldn’t stop. The story of her first cruise and how she’d hoped she’d meet some wonderful man ended with the realization that she’d been robbed and duped. Once again.

  She dabbed at her eyes. “My mother threw me out of the house because I’m pregnant. Thank God! Having my independence is a blessing I could never repay her for.”

  Ed sat back and studied her for a moment. “So far I haven’t heard anything that makes you a terrible person. But, for now, let’s take it one day at a time.” His smile was a little sad. “We’ll keep our Secret Sundays and take it from there.”

  Carol Ann gave him a weak smile. “Okay.” She could feel her eyes well again with tears and forced them back.

  But Ed understood her distress.

  “Come here,” he said.

  She collapsed in his arms, loving the feel of him, the smell of him, the strength of his embrace. Maybe, she hoped, there was a way to get through this mess. In the meantime, they’d be secret friends.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  TIFFANY

  Tiffany stood beside Kevin, listening to him converse easily with Mason Masterson, a man touted to be the richest businessman in the state of Georgia. With his silver hair and well-defined, handsome, tanned features, he looked like a George Clooney double.

  As she listened to the gentleman talk about a recent cruise in the Greek Isles aboard his private yacht, Tiffany felt as if he was from another world. Her life consisted of taking care of a baby and working hard to do the job her deceased husband had left for her. She couldn’t imagine spending days on a yacht doing nothing. She’d always worked hard, even after being married to Beau.

  “What do you think, Tiffany?” Kevin asked her, pulling her away from her thoughts.

  At her blank look, he continued smoothly, “Do you think we could set up a program for refugees?”

  She smiled, completely in tune with him now. “I’d love to be able to do that. People all over the world are being forced out of their homelands for a variety of reasons. Perhaps we can coordinate something through the United Nations.” She turned to their host. “And if we could cooperate on a project, that would be even better. We’d have more control of it.”

  Mason smiled at her. “I like that idea. We’ll talk later. Enjoy the party while I attend to my other guests.”

  After he left, Kevin turned to her. “I love seeing that fire come to your eyes when you talk about helping others. Beau was right to give you this job.”

  “And you,” she said. “He wanted us to work together.”

  “He wanted us to be together,” Kevin said, correcting her.

  “Oh, but ...” Tiffany began.

  Kevin held up a hand to stop her. “Let’s not talk about it now, but simply enjoy this party.” He gave her an impish grin. “Care for a little champagne?”

  Tiffany pushed away disturbing thoughts of Beau and responded with a smile. “Indeed I do. It’s rare for me to get a night out.”

  “You find a nanny yet?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I have an idea about hiring Grace’s daughter to do some babysitting for me while I work in the office. She could use the money, and I’d be around to make sure she does a good job.”

  Kevin threw an arm around Tiffany’s shoulder. “Always thinking, aren’t you? I love it.” His brown eyes brightened as he gazed down at her.

  A warm glow spread through Tiffany. She couldn’t deny her feelings for him any more than he could hide how he felt about her. The thought made her both happy and frightened.

  They made their way through the well-dressed crowd. Diamonds, rubies, and other jewels flashed on ears, fingers, wrists, and necks. From a small town in Kansas, Tiffany knew, like Dorothy, she wasn’t there anymore.

  As midnight approached, the crowd gathered in front of the small bandstand that had been set up in the estate’s ballroom.

  “Okay, here’s the countdown, people,” said the bandleader.

  In unison, the crowd began to chant, “ten ... nine ... eight ... seven ... six ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one!”

  Kevin’s lips came down on hers, soft and sure.

  Tiffany closed her eyes, reveling in the taste of them. Her head spun. She told herself it was because of the champagne, but she knew that was a lie. The feelings she�
�d always felt for Kevin were met by his obvious attraction to her. She didn’t want this kiss to end. It held the promise of better things to come.

  As the band began playing Auld Lang Syne, people around them began to sing. Kevin broke their kiss and gazed at her as if he was in a daze.

  “My God, Tiffany,” he murmured. “What’s happening to us?”

  She shook her head, unwilling to put into words what they both knew was true. Theirs was so much more than a business relationship. And for her, as much as she’d loved Beau, this kind of incredible yearning to be part of someone else was something she’d never felt. Truth be told, if he’d wanted to carry her off to one of the magnificent bedrooms they’d been shown upstairs, she would’ve gone with him without apologies to anyone.

  Later, when Kevin pulled into her driveway, she was almost sorry she’d asked Carol Ann and not some stranger to babysit.

  “Well, I guess I’d better say goodnight here,” she said to Kevin. “Thanks. It was a great evening. And we have some new projects we can consider.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, we do.” He reached for her, and without any hesitation, she went into his arms. This, she thought, is where I want to be. An image of Muffy and Regard came to her mind, and she pulled away.

  “What’s up?” he said, giving her a puzzled look.

  “I don’t think we should do this,” Tiffany said. “What would Muffy and Regard say to all this? To us?

  “This isn’t their concern. It’s ours.”

  Tiffany felt sick at having to face Beau’s parents’ anger when they found out.

  Kevin took hold of her hand. “The day will come when you’ll have to be willing to fight them for what you want. Will you be ready?”

  Tiffany closed her eyes and opened them, staring at the man she’d come to depend on completely, the man that drew so many feelings out of her. “I don’t know.” More than that, she didn’t know what she’d do without him in her life.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  SUKIE

  For the first Fat Fridays luncheon of the new year, the group chose to meet at Bea’s. Sukie pulled her car into the parking lot eager to see everyone. New Year’s Eve had been as wonderful as the rest of the holidays, but she was glad to settle down into her usual routines at work, the library, and home.

  Sukie entered the restaurant and paused for a moment to inhale the delicious aromas that met her nose. Southern cooking at its best was such a treat. Even though she’d sworn to lose a couple of pounds, she knew she wouldn’t resist getting Bea’s lunch special—Southern-fried chicken breast and Bea’s famous collard greens. Tomorrow she’d do better.

  Tiffany waved at her from a table in the back room.

  Sukie hurried to join her.

  “Where’s Vanna?” Sukie asked, taking a seat at the table.

  “She’s napping. Kevin is working at the office, and he said he’d watch her for me. But, Sukie, I’m thinking of asking Misty to babysit for me after school. I know she’ll need the money. What do you think?”

  “Let’s see if she’s even going to stay. She’s due to go back on Sunday.”

  Carol Ann arrived with Lynetta. “Hey, y’all. Happy New Year!”

  “Yes, let’s hope this year will be good for all of us, Lord willin’,” said Lynetta. She and Carol Ann had just sat down when Grace arrived with Misty.

  Sukie moved her chair over to make room for them. She smiled at Misty. “I’m so glad you could make it. These Fridays are important to all of us, and having you here with us is a treat.”

  “Well, she won’t be able to make it next Friday,” said Grace.

  The silence at the table was deafening. Sukie stared at Grace. Was Misty leaving town?

  A huge smile spread across Grace’s face. “Misty will be in school here.”

  Carol Ann clapped her hands. “Do you mean ...”

  “Good for you,” said Lynetta, cutting off Carol Ann.

  “I knew you’d make the best choice,” Tiffany cried into the mix.

  Sukie patted Misty on the back. “I’m so, so happy you decided to stay.”

  Grace wrapped an arm around her daughter. “I had to battle with Kate to have Misty stay here. We’ve begun to work out a lot of issues. Right, Misty?”

  Misty nodded. “Yeah. After talking to a couple of kids my age in the support group, I decided to stay with Grace in Williston.”

  Grace pulled out a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her eyes.

  Sukie felt her eyes water and noticed the same reaction of the faces of the other women. “I hope you know how much your mother loves you,” she said to Misty.

  Misty shrugged and turned away from Sukie.

  Yes, Sukie thought sadly, they still had a lot to work out.

  “Okay,” said Grace, “what is everyone ordering?”

  A waitress hurried over to them. “What’ll you have, ladies?”

  They placed their orders and then turned to each other.

  “What did everyone do for New Year’s Eve?” Lynetta said. Her eyes sparkled. “I stayed home, but James called and asked if he could come over. I was so surprised to hear from him I almost didn’t know what to say.”

  “But ...” prompted Tiffany.

  “But, of course, I said yes,” said Lynetta, chuckling happily.

  “So where has he been?” said Carol Ann.

  “He spent most of the holidays visiting his family in California. His oldest brother retired from the navy, and the family had a big celebration for him. Nice, huh?”

  Sukie nodded with the others. “Cam and I decided to celebrate the evening at home,” she announced. “It was very peaceful, very cozy.” She was not about to tell the women about the two of them squeezing into the Jacuzzi tub together and how they’d made love on the bathroom floor, unable to wait until they reached their bed.

  “I babysat for Tiffany,” said Carol Ann. “You should have seen her. She looked perfectly beautiful.”

  “Tell us all about it,” said Grace, shifting her gaze to Tiffany. “You were going to some fancy party, right?”

  Tiffany nodded. “Kevin arranged it. The mansion was gorgeous, and Mr. Masterson seemed like a nice man. We’re hoping the foundation will be able to do something with refugees in various locations.”

  “Sounds good,” said Sukie, noticing how Tiffany’s cheeks had filled with a soft pink.

  The waitress arrived with a large tray of food, and everyone dug into their meals in companionable silence.

  Sukie took a bite of chicken and glanced at Grace. She’d been so quiet.

  “Is there anything I can do for you while you and Misty get settled?” she asked her.

  Grace set down her fork. “Actually, yes. I don’t get out of work until five o’clock. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get Misty back home. She doesn’t want to take the bus.”

  Tiffany raised her hand. “I have an idea. How about if Misty comes to my house to babysit Vanna.” She smiled at Misty. “That will give you somewhere to go after school and an opportunity to make some money. Once you get to know some of the other kids, you might want to get involved in other activities. Until then, it would be a big help to me. What do you say?”

  Grace turned to Misty. “Would you like that?”

  “Yes,” Misty answered softly.

  A look of relief spread across Grace’s face. “Sounds good, Tiffany. Thanks.”

  Sukie loved how this group supported one another.

  Lynetta checked her watch. “Time to get back to the office. C’mon, Carol Ann.”

  They rose, and Sukie and the others prepared to leave.

  “See you Monday,” Carol Ann said to Grace. “See y’all next Friday for sure.”

  Sukie said goodbye to everyone and headed back to the library. Working as the temporary children’s librarian was a job she loved. Too bad one of the board members didn’t like her. But Edythe Aynsley wasn’t as scary as she’d once been, and bolstered by Cam’s moral support, Sukie had decided to simply enjo
y life as it came—with or without Edythe Aynsley’s approval.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CAROL ANN

  Carol Ann left the luncheon feeling unsettled. Keeping secrets wasn’t her style. She should have told everyone Ed had visited her at Tiffany’s house. Ed had left right after midnight before Tiffany got home, and she’d decided not to say anything. If she had spilled the news to Tiffany or any of her Fat Fridays friends, it would bring out everything else that was going on with her, and she wasn’t ready for that. It was bad enough that she had to pretend at the office that everything was normal between Ed and her.

  “What’re you doing this weekend?” Lynetta asked her from behind the wheel as she drove Carol Ann back to the office.

  Carol Ann forced a smile. “I promised my mother I would take her grocery shopping on Saturday. And the rest of the time I’ll stay busy with other stuff, like putting away my holiday decorations. I love living on my own.”

  Lynetta smiled. “I’m so glad you now have that apartment. You have a talent for making it so nice.”

  “Thanks.” Carol Ann loved her apartment, but sometimes it seemed a lonely place to her. Her thoughts turned to Ed. After a few days of thinking about her situation, would he still want to keep meeting her on Sundays?

  Back in the office, Carol Ann concentrated on her work. She dutifully checked off one item after another on her “to-do” list. As she was closing down her computer, Ed signaled for her to come into his office.

  Worried he might have second thoughts about everything, she reluctantly entered his office and stood in front of his desk.

  He looked up at her and smiled. “We still on for Sunday?”

  Feeling weak with relief, she nodded. “I’ll be at your place at ten.”

  ###

  Sunday morning Carol Ann drove up to the front of Ed’s condo and drew a deep breath. Last night’s sexy dreams of Ed still played games in her mind. She was torn between following through on her commitment to him or roaring away in her car to keep from being hurt.