“If she’s that good at it, how did McKinley become such an accomplished liar?”
“Well, the boys would eventually come clean because they felt guilty for betraying my parents trust and then lying about it. But McKinley…” she shook her head. “I overheard her bragging to her friends about how easy it was to fool our parents. McKinley thought of it as a game. She said it was a challenge; the bigger the whopper she told, the greater her sense of victory when she got away with it.”
“She must have gotten tripped up by her lies at least some of the time, didn’t she?”
“Sure, but it never seemed to bother her. I don’t think she ever felt sorry for anything she did. The only thing that upset her about getting caught was that she hadn’t been clever enough to pull the wool over their eyes.”
“And she learned from her mistakes,” Will said.
“Yes, but it all seemed so harmless back then. When McKinley would tell me how she sneaked out of the house to go to a party or meet up with some boy, she laughed and made it sound like an adventure. I actually admired her for being brave enough to go after what she wanted and wished I could be more like her.”
“Thank God you’re not anything like your sister,” Will said with a grunt of disgust. “She was wild and reckless in high school and had a knack for conning other kids into taking the fall for her if she got caught. She uses people, Serena, and right now she’s trying to use your parents to break us up.”
Tears pooled in Serena’s eyes. “That’s what I’m afraid of, Will. Who knows what she’s told them or how much of it they believe? She’s already painted a jaded picture of you, and I hate it that McKinley has put us in such a defensive position…”
“Us?” A wide grin spread across Will’s face. “Are you going to defend my honor, my little Warrior Princess?”
“Damn right I am,” she said so passionately, Will couldn’t help but laugh.
He dragged her into his arms, his laughter dying when Serena tilted her head back, her expressive face displaying her emotions in a way words never could. Will’s eyes skimmed over her delicate features, too overwhelmed by the depth of his love for this woman to do anything at that moment but drink in her beauty. A soft blush wormed its way into her cheeks as her lips parted in anticipation of his kiss.
Will lowered his head, allowing his mouth to hover over hers for a few seconds while he savored the warmth of her ragged breath before kissing her. His own lungs labored for air when her hands crept over his shoulders and curled around his neck. How had he lived before? How could he ever have considered the encounters he’d had with other women even remotely satisfying? There was no comparison. None.
With sudden clarity, Will understood why he’d never given his heart to any woman before now. It wasn’t his to give because Serena had claimed it years ago. He’d fallen for a shy, unobtrusive teenager with skinny legs and eyes that were too big for her face. Her smile had captivated him, her soft-spoken manner roping him in and binding Will to her so tightly he was incapable of loving anyone else. Time and distance were impotent against the connection they shared, merely delaying the inevitable. Circumstance may have separated them, but their destinies were intertwined, uniting heart and soul with a love that grew stronger with each passing day.
“Better?” he asked, feathering kisses down the side of her neck.
“Mmmm, much.”
“Good.” Will backed away from the counter, taking Serena with him. “Now you can go take that long soak in the tub while I finish the salad.” She opened her mouth to protest and was instantly silenced with a kiss. “Not another word,” he warned.
“You fight dirty,” Serena managed to get out before he kissed her again. “This isn’t much of a punishment,” she murmured.
“True, but now that I know you can’t lie to your Mom, how will you explain why dinner is late?” Will laughed at the horrified look on her face. “It’s called tough love,” he said as he steered her towards the doorway. “Trust me, you’ll thank me for it later.”
Serena offered no more resistance, though he could hear her muttering under her breath as she headed down the hall. Rufus plodded along behind her, pausing at the bedroom door to look back at Will, then disappeared through the doorway. The image of Serena lowering her delectable body into the tub made Will’s pulse race. He stood there for several minutes battling the temptation to join her but a quick glance at his watch told him time was running short as it was.
With a regretful sigh, he returned to the kitchen and proceeded to take his frustration out on the helpless vegetables.
Chapter 14
Serena let out a blissful sigh and sank down even further into the scented water. She’d been out of sorts from the moment she woke up that morning and had remained off kilter ever since. She hated to admit Will was right but relaxing in the tub had gone a long way in soothing the tension in her muscles, and in her mind as well.
A soft smile curved her lips. Will had been very persuasive, ignoring her annoyance to coax her out of the dark mood that had persisted despite her efforts to shake it off. His kisses touched off every pleasure point in her body and if they’d had the time to spare, she would have put up more of a fuss and let him persuade her awhile longer.
She closed her eyes, letting the warm water lull her into a sleepy daze. Was it silly to get so worked up over this dinner with her parents? God, she hoped so. If only she could be as confident as Will that everything would be fine, but he didn’t know her mother like she did. Leslie Cross was more aggressive than a she bear protecting her cubs when it came to her children, and even worse when it involved Serena. It never really bothered her before. After all, a mother should protect her children. Except she was shielding Serena from the wrong person.
How different her life would have been if only she hadn’t gone to the party that night. She doubted Will would have asked her out when she was only fifteen, but maybe when she turned sixteen? Yes, she decided, playing out the rest of her fantasy. They would have dated until she was out of high school and gotten engaged her first year of college. By now they would have had a baby; a beautiful dark haired boy who looked just like his father.
Serena choked back the lump of emotion welling up in her throat. Nothing would make her happier than to be Will’s wife and bear his children, but a dull ache settled in her chest at the thought she would never be able to see their little faces, their happy smiles, the color of their eyes. How could she take proper care of them, keep them from getting hurt, if she couldn’t see what they were up to? She had a terrifying vision of their toddler tumbling down the stairs because she hadn’t been able to see him heading for danger. How could she live with herself if their child got hurt because of her inability to watch over him? How could Will live with her if something like that happened?
A heavy sadness crept over Serena as her dreams of a normal life with Will disappeared in a wisp of smoke. She needed someone to talk to about it, someone besides Will because she knew he would try to brush her worries aside. Rose was the only one who would listen and tell her out right if her fears were valid. Serena thought about it for a few minutes, imagining her aunt’s response.
You are just borrowing trouble, Rose would chastise. Hell, why worry about McKinley sabotaging your relationship with Will when you’re doing such a fine job of it yourself?
Serena sat up and pulled the plug, noticing with a worried frown how tepid the water had grown. How long had she been daydreaming in the tub when she should have been getting dressed and helping Will finish preparing dinner? Why hadn’t he come to tell her to hurry up?
And why are you trying to pretend that your make believe conversation with Rose doesn’t have a ring of truth to it?
Grabbing a towel, she quickly dried off then hung it back on the rack and made for the walk-in closet. She wanted to look nice for her parents and Will, opting for a light cotton sundress in lieu of the jeans and casual tops she usually wore. She chose a dress her mother had bought the sum
mer before because she said it was a perfect shade of blue and matched Serena’s eyes. Skimming her fingertips over the shoe rack, she found the soft leather sandals that complimented pretty much anything she wore and carried her selections back to the bedroom and tossed them on the bed.
Serena dressed quickly and had just finished brushing her hair when there was a light tap on her door. “I know, I know,” she said when the door squeaked open, “but you can’t blame me for not helping with dinner when you’re the one who coerced me into taking a long soak.” She dropped her brush on the bathroom counter and entered the bedroom. “And don’t go thinking that kissing me senseless is going to work every time either.” Her footsteps faltered when there was no reply. Had she only imagined the door opening? “Will?”
Serena groaned inwardly when a familiar female voice answered from the direction of the doorway. “Sorry. I guess I should have said something as soon as I came in the room.”
“Mom,” Serena swallowed her embarrassment and smiled, “I…uh…didn’t know it was so late. How long have you been here?”
“Long enough,” her mother closed the door and crossed the room. “I want to talk to you before we join the men.”
The bottom dropped out of Serena’s stomach. “Mom, please. You haven’t even given Will a chance.”
“Haven’t I? We showed up early because I thought you might want my help making dinner. Turns out Will was flying solo in the kitchen because he’d sent you off to settle a case of jittery nerves. After kissing you senseless, so it seems.”
Heat fused in her cheeks. “I…I know it looks bad, but I can explain.”
“You don’t need to explain anything, Serena.”
“But I…”
“Just listen to what I have to say first, then you can talk, okay?”
“Okay,” Serena agreed, her heart sinking even further.
“Don’t look so worried, honey. I promise this is not a lecture. Your father and I got here about an hour ago…”
“An hour? Why didn’t you come and get me?”
“Because Will insisted you needed the time alone.”
“Mom, I’m sorry. I’m sure he thought he was doing the right thing.”
Leslie surprised her by saying, “But he was doing the right thing. Listen, honey, your Dad told me everything that was said last weekend, and even though I trust his judgment, I had to see for myself. I didn’t like the idea of Will living here even though I knew he was a good kid back in high school. But people change, and he isn’t a boy anymore. I was afraid he would try to…pressure you into something you weren’t ready for. So when McKinley told us he came on to her and she thought he might do the same to you…”
“Will isn’t like that,” Serena snapped. “And if you must know, he never even kissed me until I asked him to. He loves me, Mom, and he would never do the awful things McKinley accused him of.”
“I know that now, honey,” Leslie said in a subdued tone, “and I’m sorry for the strain it put on both of you. I have no doubt that his feelings for you are genuine, and I’m happy for you. Will loves you very much.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t have to. I got my first clue when Will invited us into the kitchen so we could talk while he fixed dinner. Of course, when I saw how he’d mutilated the salad, I offered to help.”
For the second time since her mother walked in, Serena’s cheeks flamed with color.
“Actually, I think the hatchet job was my doing.”
“I know,” Leslie laughed. “Will told us that was the reason he banished you from the kitchen. I’m just sorry you were so worried about tonight. He said you had been a little…edgy about all day.”
Serena grinned at her mother’s choice of words. “Is that how Will described my mood earlier?”
“Well…he may have phrased it a little differently. At any rate, he was very straight forward with us. He wasn’t happy that you were caught in the middle and made it very clear he wouldn’t tolerate us upsetting you.”
“He said that?” Serena grimaced.
“Yes, and a lot more too,” Leslie replied, sounding as if she actually admired Will for it.
“He said we could ask him anything we wanted to know about his family, his background, even the balance in his bank account and he would be glad to answer. But, once you joined us, the Q & A session ended.”
“That must have gone over like a ton of bricks,” Serena groaned. “Don’t blame him, Mom. He was just worried about how uptight I was.”
“Serena, you don’t have to defend him. I thought it was sweet that he wanted to keep us from heaping anymore stress on your shoulders. Any man who will take over in the kitchen so you can relax in a nice hot tub is worth keeping. As a matter of fact,” Leslie said with a trace of laughter in her voice, “he reminds a bit of your Dad.”
“He does?”
“Uh huh,” Leslie looped her arm around Serena’s waist and propelled her towards the door. “Tony uses the same power of persuasion your Will does. Honestly, how can you say no to the man you love when he is kissing you senseless?”
***
Two weeks later, the roles were reversed when she and Will were invited to dinner at her parents’ house. Serena was ecstatic that both her mother and father had warmed up to Will and accepted he was an important part of her life now. And she was thrilled when they were greeted at the door by Anthony and Sawyer, despite the fact they spent the entire hour before dinner reliving every football game they’d played in high school.
Part of her wanted to stay and listen because she liked hearing their light hearted laughter and the constant banter about who was the better player. But she also felt Will needed this time with his old friends for some guy talk without having to worry about including her in the conversation. Feigning boredom, Serena excused herself and wandered off to the kitchen where her mother was busy icing a cake.
“I should have done this last night,” Leslie bereted herself. “You’d think by now I would know not to invite the boys unless I intend to bake a cake for dessert.”
Serena smiled. Her brother’s were cake fiends. “Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting?”
“You can smell that over the roast and garlic mashed potatoes?”
“No, I just know Anthony and Sawyer.” Serena felt her way along the edge of the table and pulled out a chair. “You probably had something entirely different planned and they conned you into making a cake instead.”
“You’re right, but they don’t make it home as often as they used to and I’m not above bribing them with cake if that’s what it takes.”
Serena sat down, making a clicking noise with her tongue. “You’re such a marshmallow, Mom.”
“Ha! You’re going to be ten times worse when you have kids.”
“If I have children,” Serena muttered despondently, the internal debate picking up where it left off when she’d last pushed it from her mind.
Misconstruing the sudden downward shift in her daughter’s mood, Leslie stopped what she was doing and went to Serena. “There is no reason you can’t have children,” Leslie said as she sat down next to Serena. “You told me yourself the doctor said the scar tissue would make it more difficult but not impossible to conceive.”
“It’s not that I can’t have children, it…it’s just that…” she shook her head, making several attempts to swallow the painful lump in her throat before she managed to croak out the rest. “I don’t think I want to have them.”
“What?” Leslie’s tone was incredulous. “You love children and would be a wonderful mother. How can you say you don’t want a child of your own?”
Serena clasped her hands together and drew in a steadying breath. She shouldn’t have said anything. If only she had talked to Rose about it instead of burying her doubts so she wouldn’t have to deal with them. Rose was the voice of reason and would have responded in a rational manner, while her mother’s reaction was purely emotional. She could have talked to Rose
without feeling as if she was committing an unpardonable sin by admitting she chose not to have children, whereas the only thing that would come out of a heart to heart with her mother was a healthy dose of guilt and a good cry.
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