Accidental Secrets: A totally gripping, steamy, sexy contemporary romance (Accidental Love Book 3)

by Dana Mason

  “I can’t believe this… I don’t know what to say.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “She completely ruined your day and how absurd of her to tell Raegan that!”

  I put my arm around her and lead her toward the kitchen. “Yes, she screwed up the day, but she’s shown her true colors. She’s given us a gift. Now we know what we’re dealing with, we just need to learn why.”

  She points outside. “And we have to explain it to your family.”

  “Yes, we do.” I let out a long breath. “Let’s get that out of the way before Raegan joins us. Maybe that will keep her from feeling embarrassed.”

  Rachel follows me out and we spend a few minutes explaining what happened… but we leave out the information about her being raped. That’s none of their business and not something I want to force her to talk about again. No matter how we tell the story, her mother looks bad.

  I get a little excited when they all agree to meet in the lobby of the hotel in the morning. My parents are already staying there so it works out anyway.

  We’re all going to confront her together. I cannot wait.

  Just as we get our plan in place, Raegan walks out onto the patio in her swimsuit. She stands next to her mom and she seems to be avoiding my eyes. I understand why, but it still bums me out. I’ll give her a little time, then I’ll talk to her about it again.

  “Raegan, this is my mom and dad… your grandma and grandpa.” Then I say, “Mom, Dad, meet your granddaughter.”

  Expecting my mom to cry, I’m not surprised to see she’s already wiping the tears from her face as she embraces Raegan, who’s pretty stiff for a moment but then relaxes into the hug. My mom squeezes her then leans back to get a good look at her. “You look so much like your dad,” she says.

  “She looks like Olivia,” Dad says, and that makes Raegan glance at Olivia, who’s getting out of the pool.

  Mom releases her and then my dad approaches and says, “Can I give you a hug too?”

  Raegan gives him a hesitant smile and nods. My big burly dad wraps his arms around her and holds her for a solid minute. Raegan hugs him back and her arms barely reach all the way around him, but at least she doesn’t seem uncomfortable with him.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Raegan.”

  “You too,” Raegan says with a hesitant smile.

  “Me too!” Olivia says, wrapping her arms around Raegan. “Can you swim with me now?”

  This breaks up some of the tension and makes all the adults laugh. Raegan lifts a shoulder and says, “Sure.”

  Thankfully, the rest of the night goes off without a hitch. My parents stay until well after ten, and when they all leave, Olivia is yawning like crazy. Once they’re gone, I help Rachel clean up the kitchen while Raegan puts everything away on the patio.

  When she comes inside she’s quiet and I’m sure she’s still feeling bad about earlier. She helps put the dishes away and then she retreats to her room to get out of her swimsuit. Rachel opens a bottle of wine and I’m not sure that’s going to be enough to medicate us both after today. When I make the joke to her, she says, “I still have the bourbon, if we need it.”

  “Yeah, but I have to drive home.”

  “Do you have to drive home?” Raegan asks as she walks back into the kitchen. “Maybe you should stay?”

  I nod at that and consider it. “Raegan, if I stay, I’m sleeping in your mom’s room and you’re gonna have to be okay with that.”

  Her mouth quirks into a grin. “That’s okay.”

  “Is it?” Rachel asks. “We didn’t want to rush it, for your sake.”

  She nods vigorously. “It makes me happy. I want you to be happy, too, Mom.”

  Rachel smiles. It’s a cautious smile, but obviously genuine. “Your dad makes me happy, Raegan.” Then her expression turns sad and she says, “I owe you an apology. You were absolutely right, if I had talked to you, been honest, you would have known Grandma was lying to you. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want you to know how awful she really is. That’s my fault.”

  “Mom, I’m sorry about… what happened to you.” Raegan’s face reddens and tears form in her eyes. I can see she’s fighting to get the next few words out. “I’m so sorry if I forced you to remember something horrible.”

  Rachel reaches out and takes her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t share it with you. It’s hard to talk about that, it hurts to remember, but thanks to you and Mike, it’s getting easier.”

  “You have to remember to use your voice, Mom. You always tell me that, I wish you would remember it too.”

  “I will. I promise to be better, and set a better example for you.”

  “You do set a good example though, Mom. You’re a good mom and a really good person. I always ask myself, what would Mom do in this situation?” She lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t always do the same thing, but at least I consider it.”

  I push out a loud laugh when I hear this and it makes me realize that this kid might actually have some of my DNA. We obviously have the same smart mouth. After a drink and a long talk with the girls, I make arrangements with Gavin for him to open the gym tomorrow so I can take the time off to confront Rachel’s mom at brunch.

  Then I head to bed, with my woman… where I should be. As I’m curling into bed with her, I realize that, even with all that went wrong today, it’s still one of the best days of my life.

  Forty-Five

  Rachel

  We’re waiting for her in the lobby with a plan. Once we see her walking toward the entrance, Raegan is going to send a text to Mike and he’s going to come into the lobby with his family in tow. I’m struggling with the idea of putting my mom on the spot like this, but I’m also reveling in the fact that she has to answer for what she’s done. I’m anxious yet so determined. It’s the ultimate betrayal. How dare she do this after I warned her not to interfere? How dare she tell me that sob story about her old boyfriend? How stupid of me to fall for it!

  Not any longer.

  I’m done with her. She’ll never see us again. I will never forgive her for what she did to Raegan. To make her believe she was conceived from rape. How could she?

  “That’s her car, Rae. Give it another minute then send the text. We want her inside before Mike comes in.” When I see my mother climb the front steps, I say, “Okay, send it now.”

  A moment later, she’s entering and I sense a slight hesitation, as if she knows she’s walking into a trap, but her stride continues as she approaches us. My heart starts racing and I realize she can probably tell by the look on my face that something’s not right. I fight to act normal… but I know I suck at it. I’m a bad liar, and I hate putting people on the spot. But as soon as she starts talking, I realize I might enjoy this.

  “Honestly, Rachel, why are we meeting in the lobby instead of the restaurant? I thought we had a table reserved.”

  “We wanted to talk with you about something before we sit down to eat, Mother.”

  “Why can’t we talk while we’re sitting? I don’t understand…”—her eyes go wide—“What’s this?” And I know Mike’s just walked up behind me. I sense his presence as soon as he’s near, but when I see her face, I know for sure he’s there.

  “You remember Michael Murphy, don’t you, Mother?” I twist to see him and then wrap my arm through his when he steps closer. At this point my mother looks annoyed, but then I see the change. I watch as her color fades and her eyes enlarge and I’m a little fearful she might faint.

  “Oh, my God. Barbara, is that you? Barbara Crawford?” Sharon says.

  Mike and I glance at each other, confused, then we turn to face Mike’s mom and dad.

  Edward and Sharon turn toward each other and when their eyes meet, it’s as if a silent understanding passes between them and the fog clears. Edward shakes his head. “I can’t believe this.” Then his voice booms when he says, “Barbara, you are Rachel’s mother?”

  “Wait, you two know each other?” Mik
e says, and I’m glad he’s still got enough sense to ask questions because I’m dumbfounded. “That’s impossible.”

  “Barbara and I were college roommates our freshman year at U of O,” Sharon says.

  This fact makes me gasp—and it hits me like a ton of bricks. My arm, linked with Mike’s, instantly locks in reaction and it takes a few seconds for me to catch my breath. When I can finally talk, my voice is loud, and accusing. “You are joking?” My eyes fix on her face and now my heart is pounding so hard I feel like it might jump right out of my chest. “Mom! Please tell me she’s mistaken.”

  My mother glances at me then back to Sharon and Edward. “It’s Barbara Crawford Williams now, not that it matters.”

  “You conniving, manipulative bitch!” I hear a collective gasp when I say this. “Please tell me you didn’t do all of this for revenge. Oh my God! Please tell me you didn’t completely screw up my life over an old boyfriend…” I’m equally upset and mad at the same time and this comes through in my thick voice. I’m seriously torn between complete shock and absolute acceptance, because of course she did this. “Please, Mother, please tell me this isn’t what you did.”

  “What are you saying, Rach?” Mike asks, with the most confused expression on his face.

  “She’s saying that her mother and I were a couple in college… then I broke up with her because I fell in love with your mother.” Edward’s deep voice rumbles over the group, but it doesn’t faze my mother at all. She stares at him like she could care less about him or what he’s saying. Her stance is confident and I don’t know how she does it. I’d wilt under the pressure.

  “It’s true, your father and Rachel’s mother are former sweethearts,” Sharon explains, dropping her hand on Mike’s shoulder. “And here I didn’t think she could get any more vindictive. I guess I was wrong… of course, that was nearly thirty-five years ago, but some people are simply that crazy.”

  At this, my mom lifts her chin higher, looking almost proud of what she’s done.

  “So, Barb, all the trouble you caused in college wasn’t enough? You had to take it further. You had to hide our granddaughter from us? Keep my son from knowing his child?” Edward asks.

  “Wait…” Mike says, “You did this to us… you forced Rachel to keep my daughter a secret to get back at my parents for something they did in college? That’s crazy.”

  “Excuse me while I have a private conversation with my daughter,” my mother says, trying to take me aside.

  “Oh, no!” Mike steps between us. “You no longer get the privilege of private conversations with my family. Whatever you need to say can be said to all of us.”

  I nudge him aside to face her. I don’t need him to fight my battles. I refuse to be the meek little girl my mother taught me to be. I’ve found my voice and she’s going to hear me whether she likes it or not. “I couldn’t possibly believe anything you have to say to me. This is completely unforgiveable.”

  “Rachel, we talked about this. You know why I did what I did. I wanted to protect you. That’s all I ever wanted.”

  “Protect her from whom, exactly?” Diana asks.

  I raise my voice over hers, because again, she will hear me even if I have to force her to listen. “What we talked about was how you wouldn’t interfere in my relationship with Mike, or Raegan’s relationship with Mike… and it was a lie. It was all lies. Just like all the lies you told Raegan about her dad being abusive. Now I understand why you’ve always been so against Michael—and it has nothing to do with him or me.” I point my finger at her bony chest and I’m fighting with everything I have to keep my composure. In the back of my mind, I haven’t forgotten that this is my place of business—and that’s probably the only thing helping me keep my cool. “The only protection I’ve ever needed is from you, Mother.”

  “That’s not what this is. If you stop shouting at me… can’t we go to your office and talk about this?”

  “Absolutely not. I will not go anywhere with you. How could you? How could you tell your granddaughter that she was conceived from rape? How could you use my nightmare against me—against Mike—use that to play on Rae’s sympathies, to make her feel guilty for wanting her father? For wanting to see me happy—finally happy.” This last part comes out in a whisper of emotion. I just can’t believe this. I don’t know what to think… I’m not sure how to feel… knowing what she’s put me through—put all of us through for all of these years.

  “You really are exaggerating, Rachel. If you’ll listen to me…”

  Edward steps closer. “It’s not an exaggeration to say you faked a pregnancy to get back at us thirty-five years ago. That you faked a miscarriage. Was that really not enough revenge for you, Barbara?” My mother looks affected by his words and takes a step back. “When will it be enough?” Her eyes are wide as they bounce from one person to another. When they land on Raegan, she says, “Raegan…”

  Diana steps in front of Raegan, as if to shield her from my mother. As she does this, I say, “Do not speak to her. She’s heard enough of your lies.”

  “I think you can go now,” Mike says. “And don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.”

  Instead of leaving, my mother stares at me, her back erect and her face pinched into a frown. I have zero sympathy for her and that surprises me, but I’m so incredibly hurt. I gesture toward the door. “Go, Mother. Stay away from me, stay away from Raegan, and stay away from the Murphys.”

  After another long look, she turns and walks away. I don’t move until she’s outside and slowly descending the front steps. Even after all of this, she still carries herself with arrogance… she still doesn’t show an ounce of shame. As soon as she’s gone, I turn to Mike and nearly collapse against him. He wraps an arm around my waist.

  “God dammit, I’m sorry, babe,” he whispers. “I had no idea.”

  Edward steps forward and focuses his intense eyes on me. He looks so much like Mike, like Raegan. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I had no idea she was your mother.”

  “It’s… it’s not your fault. None of this is any of our faults. She’s responsible… entirely.” The sentence comes out breathy and I feel like I might be going into shock or something. My limbs feel heavy and I want to lay down.

  I must look as bad as I feel because Mike’s mom approaches and wraps an arm around me. Very motherly … yet, so unlike my own mother. “Rachel, let Mike take you home. We’ll take Raegan with us for the day and drop her off to you later… I think you guys could use some time alone.”

  I lift my eyes to look at Raegan and she is obviously upset too. I reach out for her and she hugs me so fiercely I know I need to put on a stronger face for her.

  “I’m fine, honey. I can see you’re worried, but I’m fine. I want to go home though. Can you spend the rest of the day with your family? Are you okay with that?”

  She nods into my shoulder and agrees. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you too. Go spend time with them, get to know them. You deserve real grandparents… But, Raegan, I want you to block Grandma’s number on your phone. If she tries to call you, do not talk to her.”

  “I’ll block her. I don’t ever want to see her again.” She lets me go and says, “I can stay with you, if you need me.”

  “No, I’m fine. If you’re okay, I’m okay, but I’ll see you later.” I plant a kiss on the top of her head.

  She nods and joins Diana and Olivia. I say my goodbyes and let Mike lead me out the front entrance and into the bright, sunny morning. I’m relieved. Relieved to be out from under the sympathetic eyes and relieved to be alone with Mike.

  Forty-Six

  Michael

  Rachel doesn’t say a word on the way home. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I know she’s hurt beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know what to say… and probably shouldn’t say anything. It’s important to be there for her so that’s what I’m doing. I park in her driveway and get out, then walk over to her side of the car and open her
door. She slowly gets out, avoiding my eyes. I hope she’s not looking for ways to blame herself for this. It’d be just like her.

  I unlock the front door and open it for her. Rachel walks to her bedroom. I follow her and watch as she removes her shoes, and curls up on the bed. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could possibly worry me more. I already know she struggles with depression. I don’t want her to withdraw from me.

  I lay down next to her and haul her to me. She embraces me and that eases my worry some. “I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”

  “Do you think she ever cared about me?” Her voice is heavy but clear and that surprises me.

  “I think… in her own sick way she probably did think she was protecting you.”

  “How is telling her granddaughter a bunch of lies protecting me?”

  “Okay, no, that was about revenge, not protection. I meant when she found out you were pregnant. But the truth is, her crimes are numerous and we’ll never truly know why she did what she did.”

  “I feel sorry for her.”

  I almost sigh in relief when she says this. Again, I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a reasonable woman trying to understand the motives of her monster of a mother. But here she is, staying strong and making sense.

  “Maybe she knew we’d never believe her,” she reasons. “Maybe she thought once we found out about your parents we’d never believe she had good intentions fourteen years ago when she moved me away.”

  “So, you think lying to Raegan was a last-ditch effort to keep us from finding out?”

  “It was her last-ditch effort to keep us apart… it’s the only thing I can believe. Why else would she make up lies that would be so hurtful? She never counted on Raegan talking to me about it.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry she’s hurt you so much over the years. After your talk with her the other day, she had the rare opportunity to turn the past around—to make things right, and she didn’t take it.”