Secrets, Lies, and Online Dating: Three Generations Learn to Love Again (Women's Fiction)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Oh God, she’d lost control and let her emotions roar out like a lion on steroids. She’d been a horrible parent and done the worst thing she could do. She’d completely lost control.

  The phone went click in her ear and she knew her daughter had hung up on her.

  She took a deep breath and placed her phone back in her purse. When she glanced up, Luke was standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist, wet.

  “Problems?”

  “My daughter has decided to marry a gamer who doesn’t go to class and has convinced Katie to do his schoolwork.”

  “Kids fall in and out of love all the time in college. Don’t push it. They’ll probably be broken up before Christmas.”

  “She’s taking the exact same path I took, except I got pregnant. She swears she’s not pregnant.”

  “Leave it be and let her learn on her own.”

  Marianne stood up, agitated. She had to get home and call Daniel. He had to help her stop their daughter.

  “You’ve got that frightened-doe-in-the-headlights look again,” Luke said calmly.

  “I’ve got to go. Somehow I’ve got to stop this plan of hers to wreak her life.”

  He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Stay and have breakfast with me. We could go to a movie later this afternoon and then cook supper together.”

  It sounded like a nice peaceful afternoon, but she had a paper due on Monday and finals were coming up in the next two weeks.

  She laid her head against his chest. “You are a temptation that is so hard to resist,” she said. “I can’t. I have schoolwork to do and I have to call Katie’s father.”

  “You know, the more you interfere, the more determined she’s going to become. Back off and let this thing play itself out. If he’s as bad as you say he is, he’ll screw up soon enough.”

  He was probably right. But this was her daughter, her beloved Katie, and she had to make her realize the mistake she was making. She didn’t want her daughter to suffer like she had.

  “I can’t take that chance. He’ll ruin her life.”

  “Just like you think you ruined yours,” he said solemnly.

  She gazed into his green eyes and saw the tension there. “Yes. She’s my only daughter and I’m not going to let her make the same mistakes I did. I’ve got to stop her.”

  Luke didn’t say anything else. He kissed the top of Marianne’s head. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  So what did they do now? Were they a couple or had this just been a one-night stand? Suddenly it felt awkward and she didn’t know how to handle this situation. She just wanted to get out of here and deal with her daughter. Later, she’d deal with Luke.

  She picked up her purse. “Thanks for everything last night. I really mean it.”

  He shrugged, a wall clearly being erected between them, but Marianne didn’t have time to fix the situation with Luke. She had to stop her daughter.

  “No problem,” he said, seeing her to the door. “See you around.”

  “Yeah, see you around,” she said, and walked out of the house. For some reason, she felt like she’d done something wrong and she didn’t know what.

  He had to understand her first priority had to be school, and Katie was even trumping that right now.

  She had to find a way to save her daughter from this testosterone-laden gamer.

  A knock on the camper door had Brenda scrambling to answer it. She looked out and saw Paul standing there.

  She opened the door and gave him the look she’d given Marianne whenever she was displeased about something. “You found your way back.”

  He stepped into the camper, kicked the door closed with his foot, and wrapped his arms around Brenda, his mouth coming down hard on hers. He kissed her with enough pent-up passion that she went from being angry to wanting to rip his clothes off in a few seconds flat. Finally she pushed back from him, breathing hard.

  “Damn you, I wanted a good fight.” She placed her mouth over his and kissed him again.

  He pulled away, breathing hard as well, and he held her firmly against his chest. His hands had wound their way to her buttocks and he held her firm against him.

  “Where’s the whip cream?” he asked.

  Startled, she remembered her promise. She’d been so angry, she’d forgotten.

  “Don’t tell me you forgot. The only thing that has kept me going all weekend is imaging your breasts with whip cream on top of them and me licking it off very slowly.”

  She gave a soft laugh. “Honey, if you want to lick my breasts, you don’t need whip cream. They are yours for the licking.”

  “God, that’s what I enjoy about you. You are direct.”

  “And I’ve been sitting here all weekend dreaming up ways to get you in my bed.”

  He was back. She wanted him and she didn’t want to talk. She wanted to show him how she was falling in love with Paul and wanted more out of their friendship. She needed him in her bed.

  “There’s something we need to talk about before we go any further,” Paul said, his tone turning serious.

  Brenda was ready to explode with frustration. “Enough freaking yakking. We’ve been talking on cell phones for days. I’ve been waiting for you for days. I want you in my bed!” she said.

  She stepped out of his arms and began to unbutton her blouse. She slipped the blouse from her arms and let it fall to the floor.

  “Honey, believe me the only place I want to be is in your bed. But—”

  “Talking is way overrated. I want you, now.”

  This was the first man she'd been interested in having sex with since George died. Sure they probably did need to talk, but not now. Not when she'd been waiting for what seemed liked forever for him. Whatever it was, they would deal with it later.

  She unbuttoned her pants and let them slide to the floor. She stepped out of them, leaving them behind. She stood before him in her bra and underpants. Nerves made her breathing shallow and ragged. She was going out on a limb and she could feel the wood cracking. If he declined her now, she would never forgive him.

  “I’ll be in the bedroom,” she said, turning to walk away, listening for his footsteps.

  “Damn it, woman, you are the most frustrating, tempting, irrational human being I’ve ever met. How can I say no?” he called after her. “But how can I say yes?”

  For a brief moment, Brenda wondered why he would question himself, but quickly shoved the thought from her mind.

  She wanted Paul. She shed the rest of her clothes, and crawled under the covers, trying not to be nervous as a new bride.

  He came into her bedroom and quickly shed his clothes. Brenda watched him and couldn’t help but think that for sixty years old, he still had a firm body, nice legs, and a trim waist. When he took off his underwear, she all but sighed.

  “Nice equipment,” she commented.

  He grinned at her and crawled under the covers. “You’ve got a nice ass,” he said, reaching under the covers and grabbing her naked butt.

  He kissed her lips, her eyes, her nose, her mouth. “I’ve wanted to be here for so long.”

  “And I’ve wanted you here with me. Now shut up and show me how that equipment of yours still works.”

  He laughed and ran his hand over her body, his touch caressing and tender. “With pleasure.”

  Chapter 15

  For the first time in over a year, Brenda rose early the next morning and cooked her man breakfast. As she fried eggs, Paul came and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing the side of her neck.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  She turned in his arms. For the second time in her life, she was falling in love. After last night, she knew she wanted to give Paul her heart. No, he wasn’t George, but he made her happy, he was good to her and she enjoyed spending time with him. And he rocked her world. “How did you sleep?”

  “Very little. Some woman wouldn’t let me rest. Then I worried the rest of the night,”
he said, rubbing his face with his hand.

  “Why were you worried? Afraid your kids are going to be mad that you had sex?”

  “No, but we have to talk.”

  “Okay, the eggs are just about ready and the bacon is cooked,” she said. “Sit down at the table and it will be ready in a jiffy.”

  “I couldn’t eat a bite right now,” he said. “Not until after we talk.”

  She gazed at him, a sudden spurt of nerves making her shake as she poured his coffee. “Was the sex that bad?”

  “God, no,” he said. “The sex was great.”

  “Then, what is making you so serious this morning?” she asked.

  She watched him, her heart in her throat. Could he be dying? Was that the reason he kept returning to Dallas and he just didn’t want to tell her?

  “Sit down,” he said.

  She took the spatula and piled the scrambled eggs on the platter and placed them on the table. She took a seat.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gazed at her. “Brenda, I care about you. In fact, I’m falling in love with you.”

  Brenda’s heart gave a little lurch of happiness.

  “But you have to know something.” He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. “Please hear me out and don’t hate me.”

  “Okay, now you’re starting to scare me,” she said, a premonition filling her with fear. “If you tell me you’re dying, I’ll kill you myself.”

  He laughed. “No, not me.” He took a deep breath. “There’s no other way to say this. Brenda, I’m married.”

  She stared at him in shock. “What? I thought your wife died.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “Margaret is in a nursing home. She has Alzheimer’s.”

  Brenda couldn’t breathe. Hot fury surged through her at the realization of his deception. She picked up the platter of eggs and hurled them at him.

  “You son of a bitch. You’re married? I thought you said you loved her, that your marriage was great, and yet you’re cheating on her!”

  Paul wiped the eggs from his face and picked them off his shirt. “I guess I deserved that. You have to understand, Margaret hasn’t known me for the last two years. She doesn’t know our children. She can’t take care of herself. She’s afraid of everything. I’m just some nice man who comes to visit. Every time, I have to reintroduce myself. It breaks my heart to see her like that.”

  “Don’t you think she deserves your love to the end? Don’t you think she deserves your faithfulness until she’s gone?”

  “Yes, and I didn’t intend to get involved with you. This is why I’ve had to take off and be gone so long. I will never abandon her, because I do still love her, but she’s already gone. All that’s left is her body. My lovely wife is no longer with me.”

  Brenda shook her head in disbelief. She was the other woman, and she didn’t like the position he’d put her in. Her soul was crushed. The man she’d fallen in love with was married. “You’re cheating on her. You’ve made me the ‘other woman’.”

  “I’m sorry. But I don’t think of you that way. She’s gone,” he said, his voice breaking.

  “‘Til death do we part, you big jerk, or have you forgotten those vows?”

  “No, I haven’t forgotten them. I almost didn’t come back here, because I’ve been so torn,” he said, rubbing his head in his hands. “I tried to tell you last night, but, damn woman, you are such a temptation for me. You are the one bright spot in my life and I can’t resist you.”

  Brenda stood. “Don’t say anymore. I swore that I would never get involved with a married man. And you’re still married. Even though your wife may not be here except in body, you are her husband. She deserves better.”

  Brenda turned away from him. “Get out, Paul. Get out and don’t ever come around again. I am not a home-wrecker. I am not going to be the person who satisfies your loneliness.”

  Paul sighed heavily and she heard the scrape of the chair. “I never intended to hurt you, Brenda. I promise.”

  “Just get out!” she yelled. “Don’t come around me!”

  She kept her back to him, because she didn’t want him to see the tears that tracked down her cheeks. She didn’t want him to see how much he’d hurt her.

  The door of the camper opened and closed quietly as he left.

  Brenda wasn’t a home-wrecker. She wasn’t. And damn Paul, but she had fallen in love with him. She’d thought he was as good a guy as her George and couldn’t believe her good fortune in finding a second good man.

  She’d thought he was a good man, and he was a cheating, lying bastard.

  Brenda sank down at the kitchen table. Tears spilled from her eyes as she sobbed, her heart breaking. She had to pack the camper and leave today or be tempted to see him again.

  With the cancellation of her class, Katie wanted to surprise Jake on Monday evening. Engaged for nearly forty-eight hours, she wanted to spend time with her soon-to-be husband.

  When she’d told her father, he’d responded by saying, “That’s nice. Does your mother know yet?”

  She didn’t understand his remoteness these days.

  Her mom had been furious, yet her father barely acknowledged her engagement. If she’d told him she passed her chemistry test, he would have been more responsive.

  All in all, it had been an interesting day, with the reactions from their friends and family. Crystal, her roommate, told her she hoped she knew what she was doing, marrying a player like Jake, but Katie knew she was settling him down.

  His grades had improved and he was favored in a game tournament starting on Friday. They had an exciting future ahead of them and she couldn’t wait to see him.

  Normally, he hung out at the student center where the college had a gaming center. She strolled into the building. Passing several students she knew, she waved hello and continued looking for Jake. He wasn’t playing a game and he wasn’t hanging out in the lounge.

  Frank, one of his buddies walked over, “Hey girl, what are you doing here?”

  “Have you seen Jake?”

  The boy shrugged. “I haven’t seen him tonight.”

  He’d told her he was going to hang out here. How could she surprise him if she didn’t know where he was?

  “Thanks, see you later,” she said, and hurried out the building. The only other place she could think he would be was his apartment, but Jake wasn’t one to stay at home.

  She walked the two blocks over to his off-campus apartment. He’d given her a key several weeks ago, so she could do his laundry. She hurried up the steps and stopped outside his door. Sometimes he hung out with his friends here, but the apartment was quiet.

  She opened her purse and found her key. As soon as she turned the doorknob, uneasiness settled over her like a warning siren. The stereo played softly and the lights were dimmed.

  Voices came from the bedroom. She walked slowly to the open door, knowing what she’d find, and had to fight the urge to puke.

  Jake was fucking another girl in the bed they’d shared less than twenty-four hours earlier.

  Katie gasped, her heart lurching into her chest, her stomach rolling with nausea. She hadn’t changed him at all. How stupid could she be to believe that she had?

  She threw her key at him, hitting him on the back. “Damn you!”

  He whirled around, a surprised look on his face. She turned on her heel, needing to get away as quickly as possible.

  “Katie,” he yelled after her. “Stop.”

  She ran out the door, slamming it as she went. Tears sprang to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

  She ran faster. She didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to talk to him. She just wanted to get as far away from the vision of him on top of another girl.

  Near her dorm, she heard footsteps behind her.

  “Katie, stop, I can explain.”

  What the hell could he say?

  “Go away. I don’t want to hear your excu
ses.”

  He grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop.

  She glared at him through her tears.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. I had too many beers and she came on to me. You know you’re the one I want.”

  She pulled away. “Don’t touch me.”

  “We were both drunk,”

  “You seem pretty sober now. Is this what our marriage would be like, both of us sleeping around?”

  “No,” Jake said.

  “We’re engaged not even two days and you’re already cheating?”

  “It was an accident, it will never happen again,” he promised. “Forgive me.”

  She stared at him, her mind reeling with the pain of his betrayal. Where did they go from here?

  “Babe, come home with me.”

  “And crawl in your bed after another woman has been there? I don’t think so.”

  “No, come home and we’ll talk.”

  “Fuck you. I don’t want to talk right now. I’m so angry. Would you want to talk if you’d found me in bed with someone else?”

  “Of course not.” Jake ran his hand through his hair. “Are you calling off the engagement?”

  Katie started to cry, sobs wracking her at the thought of breaking off her engagement to Jake. She loved him. She didn’t want this to be the end of their relationship, but how could they go on?

  Jake wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry, babe. I promise you, it will never happen again. Give me another chance? You are the only woman for me.”

  She let him hold her in his arms as she cried, but she didn’t say anything else. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what she wanted and she just let him hold her.

  After ten minutes of standing out in the cold, she pulled out of his arms. “I have to go in. I’ll talk to you later.”

  He held her hand and gazed at her. “Are you okay? Are we okay?”

  Fresh anger surged through her. “I’ll be okay.”

  She pulled her hand away. “Bye Jake.”