Jeff came to a halt. “I’m not trying to hurt Chelsea.”
“You don’t have to try. I appreciate your acceptance of Joey and me, but Chelsea must be first. I know that.”
“Just trust me, Becca. We’ll work things out.”
Again he took her hand and pulled her after him. They caught up with the other three in line for the ride that crossed over the park.
“Did you get all the ice cream out?” Chelsea asked with a smile.
“I tried. Joey wasn’t very careful,” Rebecca said, frowning at her son.
“I didn’t mean to drip any, Mommy. Is it all right, Daddy?”
“Of course it is, Joey. Don’t worry about it.”
“You’re letting him off too easy,” Rebecca said with a warning in her voice.
“Get in, Mom, before we have to throw you overboard for ruining our fun,” Jeff teased.
“No!” Joey called out in alarm. “We wouldn’t hurt Mommy.”
Jeff hugged his little boy. “I was just teasing your mommy, Joey. I would never hurt her. I promise.”
Joey relaxed slightly, but he took his mother’s hand and sat beside her. Rebecca’s heart swelled with love at her son’s protectiveness.
Jeff settled in beside them and put his arm on the backs of their seats. Chelsea and Bill settled on the other side. Again, Rebecca felt she should change places with Chelsea, but the car lifted off on the cable that stretched across the park.
Chapter Ten
As the car was coming in for a landing, Jeff pointed out his favorite ride to Joey. “See, over there, that’s the mine train ride. Do you want to try it?”
“Yeah!” Joey said enthusiastically, trying to stand so he could see the ride better. Rebecca reminded her son to remain seated until they’d landed. Right now, Jeff was like the Pied Piper where Joey was concerned.
They all walked over to the entrance of the roller coaster ride. Joey had to measure himself against the sign and he just barely reached the height required. That was only because he was big for his age.
“Hurray—I can ride it, Mommy.”
“Yes, you can, but I’m not going to ride it. Why don’t you ride with Daddy and Chelsea?”
Jeff frowned. “These cars are kind of small. I’m not sure three of us will fit in. Besides, who would Bill ride with? I think it will work better if we split up in twos, if you’re sure you don’t want to ride?”
“I’m sure,” Rebecca told him. “I’ll sit on this bench and watch you ride. Keep hold of Joey.”
“I will.”
She backed away when it looked like Jeff intended to kiss her goodbye. A quick look showed her Chelsea had gone on ahead with Bill, but Rebecca wasn’t taking any chances, even though her heart craved his kiss.
She sat down on the bench in the sunshine, enjoying a few minutes of rest alone. Then she caught sight of the train on which Joey and Jeff and Bill and Chelsea were going to ride. Bill settled in beside Chelsea and immediately put his arm around her, pulling her close. They were behind Jeff and Joey. Joey was busily telling his father something when the train took off, throwing him back against Jeff.
Rebecca caught glimpses of them then. She saw them as they climbed up high, going through an old mine cabin before they took the long plunge down into the water through a dark tunnel. Then the ride was over and everyone was getting out.
Some awkwardness between Bill and Chelsea caught Rebecca’s eye, and she wondered what had happened. Chelsea’s cheeks were flushed and she kept some distance between herself and Bill. Rebecca looked at Jeff to see if he noticed, but he was listening to his son rave about the ride.
When they reached Rebecca’s side, Joey was begging to go on the ride again, but Bill and Chelsea were silent. Rebecca decided she needed to provide some assistance. “I’m really hungry. Don’t you think we should take time for lunch?” She added a firm stare at Jeff.
“Oops, I guess you’re right.” When Joey complained, he added, “We don’t want you getting sick again, young man, so we’d best mind your mommy.”
They found a place that sold hamburgers. The women, along with Joey, picked out a picnic table and sat down to wait for Bill and Jeff to bring their food.
After a moment, Rebecca said, “Didn’t you like that ride, Chelsea?”
Chelsea jumped several inches and looked away from Rebecca. “It was fun, but I’m glad you suggested lunch. I was getting tired.”
“Yes. After this, I think the guys can try to win a stuffed toy for Joey while we watch. Then maybe I’ll ride the merry-go-round with Joey. You three can go ride bumper cars. Then maybe Joey will be ready for some more rides without getting sick.”
“That’s a good plan. And I get my own bumper car.”
“Well, of course.” She saw the men coming and made another decision. “Joey, do you want to eat with Jeff and Chelsea?”
Joey immediately moved to Chelsea’s side of the table, which of course meant Jeff would sit down there. Bill was left with no choice but to sit with Rebecca.
Jeff gave her a strange look as he sat down by Joey. He handed her her food while Bill handed Chelsea hers. Then Jeff set out Joey’s hamburger and fries. “Hungry, Joey?”
“Yeah, I’m starved,” the little boy said. “After we eat, me and Mommy are going to ride the merry-go-round while you and Bill and Chelsea ride the bumper cars.”
“Is that so?” Jeff asked, turning to stare at Rebecca. “How does Mommy know I don’t want to ride the merry-go-round, too?”
“Just a guess,” Rebecca said with a smile, flashing a look at Chelsea. Then she stared at Jeff. “I figured you and Chelsea might like to do something together.”
“I trust Bill to take Chelsea to the bumper cars if she wants. She understands that today is for Joey.”
“She’s a little too understanding if you ask me,” Rebecca said under her breath. She was trying to warn Jeff, but he seemed oblivious to what was going on.
After they’d eaten, they strolled over to the game area. Jeff tried to win Joey a huge stuffed bear. Instead, he only won a hand-sized bear.
“This size is better, Daddy,” Joey assured his father. “I wouldn’t have room for such a big bear to sleep with me.”
Jeff picked up his son and gave him a big hug. At the stall two games down, Bill won a big doll in a satin dress. Chelsea had picked her out and it was obvious it was her prize. Rebecca nudged Jeff in the ribs, but he seemed to ignore the significance of their behavior.
“Let’s go to the merry-go-round,” Jeff said with enthusiasm.
“Okay!” Joey agreed. “I want to ride a big white horse.”
“Good, we’ll find one for you.” Taking Joey by the hand, Jeff headed down the midway, leaving the others to follow.
“I don’t know which one’s having more fun, Jeff or Joey,” Bill said with a laugh.
“I know,” Rebecca agreed. “Sorry, Chelsea, that he’s so fixated on Joey.”
“It’s all right, Rebecca. Bill’s taking good care of me. You’re the one left out of things.”
Once they reached the merry-go-round, Chelsea and Bill continued on to the bumper cars, leaving Rebecca to join Jeff and Joey just as the ride stopped and there was a wild scramble for the new riders to find their favorite mounts.
Joey found his white steed with flowers on his reins. The horse went up and down and had stopped at its highest spot. “Help me, Daddy. He’s too tall.”
“He’ll come down, son. You have to hold on tight, okay?”
Next to his horse was one that didn’t move. Jeff surprised Rebecca by taking her by the waist and placing her on its back.
“Jeff, I don’t need to ride a horse.”
“There’s no reason for you to stand the entire ride. I’ll stand between the two of you and keep you safe.”
“I think you should be more concerned with keeping Chelsea safe,” she warned.
“From what?”
“You mean from whom.”
“I do?”
“Jeff, you can’t be that blind. Can’t you tell that Bill has feelings for Chelsea?” she demanded as the music started up and the horses began to move.
Joey called, “Daddy!” as his horse swooped down close to the floor and then rose up high again.
“I’ve got you, son. You’re okay.”
“But Chelsea—” Rebecca began again.
With one hand on Joey’s back, Jeff put his other hand around Rebecca’s waist and leaned forward and snatched a kiss. Then he whispered, “Chelsea is flirting with Bill, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Rebecca stared at Jeff in surprise. He turned to Joey and teased him about his riding skills. What was Jeff doing? Did he want Chelsea to fall for Bill? And would she be wrong to read into that the hope that he wanted to marry her?
Rebecca shook her head no. She couldn’t play a game that dangerous. Jeff had already broken her heart once. She couldn’t give him another chance when she had no idea of his intentions.
Slipping down from her horse before Jeff could help her, she hurried out the gate ahead of him and Joey. Chelsea and Bill were waiting for them.
“Let’s go up in the parachute ride next,” Chelsea suggested.
Rebecca looked at her wide-eyed. “You want to go on that ride?”
“Oh, yes, it’s lots of fun. And the view of the park is wonderful.”
“Um, I think I’ll just watch. I have a fear of heights.”
“I want to ride it,” Joey protested.
“Sorry, son,” Jeff said. “I agree with your mommy on this one.”
“We’ll take him,” Bill said at once. “It’s not dangerous.”
“Are you sure, Bill?” Rebecca asked. “I’m not sure how he’ll react.”
“We’ll hold him in between us, Rebecca,” Chelsea promised. “We’ll bring him back safely.”
After a quick look at Jeff’s face, Rebecca nodded. “I suppose you can, just this once. But you do whatever they tell you to do, okay?”
“He will,” Bill assured her. He took Joey’s hand and Chelsea took his other hand and the three of them got in line for the ride.
“Come on, Becca, let’s sit over here in the sunshine and watch them.” He grabbed her hand to lead her in the direction he wanted to go.
She yanked her hand back. “Jeff, what are you doing? Chelsea might see you.”
Jeff grinned at her. “Chelsea wasn’t watching.”
The fact that he had checked to determine if Chelsea was watching before he took her hand sent cold chills down Rebecca’s spine. Was Jeff setting her up to be his mistress after he married Chelsea? It was a possibility, even though she found it hard to believe about Jeff.
But how well did she know him? She’d known him five years ago, but a lot had changed in five years. They sat down on the bench and he put his arm around her. She leaned forward so he couldn’t actually touch her.
“Can you see them?” she asked, straining to find the other couple and her son.
“Yes, they’ll be put in the next parachute. That red one. Can you see them?”
“Yes, I see them now. Oh, I hope Joey doesn’t get scared and freak them out. I should never have agreed to let him go.”
“It’s too late now,” Jeff said in cheerful tones.
She felt like smacking him. How could he be so careless about their son’s safety? Maybe he was just pretending to care about her and Joey? Could that be it? She was feeling so confused about everything.
“Are we going to be invited to Joey’s party?”
Rebecca turned to stare at him. “What?”
“Are Bill, Chelsea and I going to be invited to Joey’s birthday party? Or do we need to throw him our own party?”
“No. Please—there’s only going to be one party. Of course you’ll be invited if you want to come. But it might be right after preschool, like at one o’clock.”
“Chelsea is free then and Bill and I can clear our schedules for a couple of hours. That will be fine.”
“But Bill might not—”
He didn’t let her finish. “Yes, he does.”
“Does what?” she snapped, tired of his high-handedness.
“Want to come.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he asked me what he should buy Joey for a present.”
“Oh.”
“Look. They’re down. Joey’s all safe and sound.”
Rebecca couldn’t believe she hadn’t worried herself sick over Joey riding so high into the sky. The little boy saw them sitting on the bench and broke away from Bill and Chelsea, racing toward them.
He jumped into his mother’s open arms, trying to tell her how amazing the ride was even as she checked him for broken bones.
Jeff stood and shook Bill’s hand. “Good thing you brought him back safely, or I’d have to harm you.”
Chelsea laughed. “Bill held on to him tightly. He said you’d kill him if he didn’t.”
Joey nodded. “Uncle Bill kept me safe, Mommy, I promise.”
“I appreciate it, Bill,” Rebecca said quietly, giving Joey one more hug.
“Well, now what?” Bill asked.
“The log ride! The log ride!” Joey said, jumping up and down.
“I did promise we’d do it a second time,” Jeff reminded the others.
“I didn’t promise,” Rebecca said. “If you go again, I’ll watch. I don’t want to get wet again. It’s cooling off. Being wet might not feel so good this time.”
“I’ll go again,” Chelsea said. “It’s one of my favorites. Rebecca, will you hold my doll for me? I don’t want her to get wet.”
“Of course I will. I can hold your bear, too, Joey, if you want.”
“Okay.”
They walked back across the park to the log ride. Rebecca found a bench in the sunshine and settled in with Joey’s bear and Chelsea’s doll. She didn’t bother to point out to Jeff that he was again leaving his fiancée to his best friend’s attentions. He apparently felt that was a good idea.
As the sun was setting, they headed to their car and drove back toward Dallas. Halfway back, Jeff stopped at a popular restaurant. “How about here for supper?”
“Surely you’ve spent enough on us today,” Rebecca protested.
“Just what I like, a cheap date,” Jeff said with a chuckle.
That remark caused Jeff and Bill to talk about the expensive ladies they’d dated. Neither Chelsea nor Rebecca seemed to be enjoying that conversational gambit, so they soon changed the topic.
After they started back toward home, Joey snuggled up against his mother and went to sleep. Since it was almost eight o’clock, his bedtime, she wasn’t surprised. He was exhausted, of course, from their energetic day, but he had a smile on his face. She had no doubt that he’d enjoyed every minute of it.
For some reason, Jeff dropped Bill and Chelsea off at Bill’s house. He’d promised to run Chelsea home so Jeff and Rebecca could get Joey to bed right away.
“Do you think that was wise?” she couldn’t help asking in the darkened car as he drove to Vivian and Will’s house.
“What?”
“Providing Bill with the opportunity to be alone with Chelsea?”
He grinned at her in the rearview mirror and said nothing. When they reached home, he parked the car and then came around to lift Joey out of the car and carry him inside. But he waited for Rebecca to get out of the car, too, before he started for the house.
Once they got Joey upstairs, Jeff helped undress him. Rebecca got a washcloth and cleaned Joey’s face of the remnants of all he’d eaten that day.
“Think he’ll be all right without a bath?”
“Yes, I think so. He can take one in the morning.”
After Joey was tucked in, Rebecca walked Jeff back down the stairs. He stopped in the library for a moment to talk to Vivian and Will. Rebecca asked about Vanessa and learned that she’d had a date tonight with Jeremy, whom Will and Vivian had met for the first time.
“Did he seem nice?
” Rebecca asked.
“I thought so,” Vivian said, “but Will put the fear of God in him, so I’m not sure what he thought.”
“Will?” Rebecca asked.
“He seemed nice enough. I just wanted him to know that Vanessa was owed a certain behavior.”
Vivian and Rebecca laughed.
“Poor kid,” Jeff said. “I know exactly how he felt. But if I ever have any girls, I’ll do exactly the same thing.”
“If you have daughters with Chelsea, they are certain to be beautiful.”
“I don’t think daughters with Rebecca would be too ugly, either,” Jeff said with a wry smile. Then, before anyone could comment on his remark, he bid them good-night. Rebecca walked him to the door, thanking him for Joey’s day.
He leaned over and kissed her again. Then he shook his head and said, “I’d better get out of here. Temptation is too great.”
Rebecca leaned her head against the door after she shut it. He was right. Temptation was great. How she longed for him to wrap his arms around her and give her one of those, deep soul-searching kisses they used to share. But it wouldn’t be right. He was engaged to Chelsea, and she had no intention of playing the role of mistress, not even for Jeff.
With a quiet sigh, she went upstairs to bed.
JUST AS BETTY HAD SAID, Joey’s birthday party was organized and invitations went out on Monday to his classmates, despite the short amount of time for the parents to respond. Joey was so excited about the idea he could scarcely stand it. It was his only topic of conversation. He asked questions about every detail and he speculated on what he would receive for gifts.
Rebecca, afraid he was thinking too much about himself, had him help her pick out prize gifts for the winners of the games. He enjoyed that immensely until his mother told him he couldn’t win any prizes. As host, that would be rude. It took a while to get that idea across.
When she finally pointed out that all his friends would be bringing presents for him, he agreed to share. They even picked out small toys to go in a favor bag for each child to take home with him. Vivian had assured her that was standard these days. Vivian had offered to foot the bill for the party, but Rebecca told her she had some money saved from her job.
Rebecca's Little Secret: Children Of Texas Page 11