He pressed his lips together to hold back a wince. He knew what she’d picked up at the hotel that morning—the pictures she’d taken during the holidays. Pictures of Fallon and her family.
“Want to see?” she asked.
He nodded, because it was the answer she wanted to hear. Fallon was her friend and someone she missed. Talking about her made things easier for Anna Jane. He would pay whatever price necessary to make up for bringing more tragedy to the child’s life.
She pulled out the pictures. The first one showed Kayla and Elissa laughing together. There were shots of the sisters with their husbands, of Fallon with her sisters, of Anna Jane with each of the women. Everyone was smiling and laughing. Without wanting to, he remembered that morning, and his own lips turned up briefly. It had been the best Christmas ever.
Anna Jane went through them slowly, showing each to him, telling him what she liked and didn’t like. He absorbed the images and felt the hole inside him grow wider and deeper. At one time he’d thought he would be doing Fallon a favor by “allowing” her to spend time with him and Anna Jane. In the end, she’d been the one doing them a favor. She’d opened her heart and given all that she had.
Anna Jane flipped to another picture. His body froze. He and Fallon sat together on the sofa. He was listening to someone offscreen, but she was staring at him. The love on her face was so powerful, even he recognized it.
“Mommy used to look at Daddy like that,” Anna Jane said softly.
“I know,” he replied, his throat tight.
“Fallon loves you, Uncle Jarrett. Did that make you mad?”
“No.” Far from it. He’d been honored by her love.
Then why the hell did you send her away? The voice screamed inside his head. He had no answer.
“When I talked to Fallon about loving Nana B. more than Mommy she told me it was okay to love more than one person. She said it’s never wrong to love someone. And it’s never wrong to miss them, either.”
Anna Jane put the pictures on the desk and looked at him. “I’m scared, Uncle Jarrett. I’m scared ‘cause Fallon went away. I don’t want you to go away, too.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “Leona is packing so you and I can go to New York together. You’re going to go to school during the day and come home to me at night. I’ll always be there. I promise.”
Her gaze never left his. He hadn’t convinced her. “I love you, Anna Jane. You’re a wonderful girl and I’m lucky to have you in my life.”
“But what if you don’t want me anymore? You thought Fallon was wonderful, and she’s gone.”
“I was a fool.”
He spoke without thinking, then realized it was true.
She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I was afraid. I was afraid to love her the way your mother loved your father, or the way Charlotte loved me.”
“Who’s Charlotte?”
“No one you know. I can’t explain it, except that when you’re grown up, it can be easy not to love people.”
“Then they don’t love you back.”
The simple truth of a child. “I know.”
“But Fallon loves you back. You shouldn’t have let her go.”
He’d been afraid. It all came down to trusting himself enough to let himself risk it all.
He’d been so quick to accuse her, because people wanting something was all he understood. But Fallon wasn’t like that. She gave, expecting nothing in return. All she’d needed was for him to accept her gift and love her back. Was he so much of a shell he couldn’t even offer her that?
“What have I done?” he asked.
“You were very wrong,” Anna Jane told him. “Now you’re going to have to win her back. It’s not that hard. Princes have to win back their princesses all the time. You have to tell her you love her and then ask her to marry you.” She lowered her voice confidentially. “Ladies like the marriage part very much.”
He hugged her tight. “When did you get to be so smart?”
“I’ve always been smart.” She fumbled with her necklace. “I want to give you the mermaid. For luck.”
He kissed her cheek. “How about I take you with me and you can give me luck in person?”
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Uncle Jarrett, I love you the best of everyone.”
* * *
It was the last formal night of the cruise. Fallon smiled and made polite conversation at the dinner table. She was sure her fellow passengers were sick and tired of her long face and would be happy to see the last of her. She tried to pretend to be happy, but she’d never been much good at lying.
Without meaning to, she reached up and fingered the gold mermaid enhancer resting on her pearls. The lady next to her leaned close.
“I’ve been admiring your necklace all night. It’s very beautiful.”
“Thank you. It was a Christmas gift.”
The woman smiled. “Obviously from an admirer.”
Fallon forced herself to nod pleasantly. “Yes. He was very thoughtful.” Right up to the time he ripped her heart out and danced on it.
She tried to work up a little righteous indignation, but all she could do was wonder where he was right now. What was he doing? Was he thinking of her? How was Anna Jane?
The waiter moved in her direction. She picked up her menu and tried to focus on the words. She wasn’t hungry. She didn’t think she could choke her way through another meal. Maybe she should just return to her cabin and stop trying to fake it. Maybe a night of good old-fashioned tears would help her start healing.
She closed the menu. “I’m not very hungry.”
“Good, because I’m not ready to take your order. I have a gift.” He motioned to his left and one of the other waiters brought her a large glass bottle.
Fallon stared unbelievingly. The elegant container was a series of bubbles sitting on top of each other, larger at the base, smaller at the top. She recognized the bottle.
Afraid to look around and find out she was completely wrong, she took the bottle and uncorked it. There was a note inside.
The passengers at her table noticed what was happening and looked at her.
“What is it?” the woman next to her asked.
“I’m not sure.” Her fingers were shaking so hard, it was difficult to unfold the paper. Finally she got it open and began to read.
My name is Jarrett Wilkenson and I’m thirty-two years old. I live in a big house on an island. If you find this note, I hope you’ll forgive me for being a fool. I love you and need you in my life. Please be my friend, my lover, my wife. Please tell me it’s not too late.
Fallon looked up and saw Jarrett standing a few feet away. He was male elegance at its finest in his black tux and starched white shirt. Anna Jane stood next to him. Her emerald green dress emphasized her dark hair and eyes. The girl was grinning madly and waving, but it was the painful longing in Jarrett’s expression that caught Fallon’s attention.
He moved toward her and dropped to one knee. “I’m so sorry,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “I was afraid of loving you because I thought love meant pain. But pain is being away from you. You are the best part of me. You bring color to my life. I can’t imagine a world without you.” His dark eyes gleamed with the fires of love. “I have nothing to offer. You already have a family and money.”
She smiled. “I think your fortune is a little bigger.”
“That’s not enough,” he said. “Tell me you’ll forgive me. Please give me another chance. I’ll do anything, say anything. Marry me.”
She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I love you, Jarrett. I understand about being afraid and alone. I don’t care about the rest of it.”
“So you’ll marry me?”
She nodded. “Yes. I want to be with you always. I want to raise Anna Jane as our own and maybe have a couple of kids to keep her company.”
He squeezed her tighter. �
��Thank you. I swear you won’t regret it.”
She straightened and he kissed her. As her eyes drifted closed she noticed that Anna Jane had moved closer and was taking their picture with a disposable camera. Around them came the whirring sound that warned her she and Jarrett were about to become featured players in several home videos.
“This kiss is going to make us famous,” she murmured.
“I don’t do anything by halves.”
His lips touched hers again and she knew he was right. When Jarrett made up his mind, there was no stopping him. She would have a lifetime of loving with this man. They would conquer the demons from the past and find perfect happiness—together.
Epilogue
Seven years later
The director was a tall, thin man who kept talking about wanting to get at the “essence” of the original show.
“It’s been twenty years,” Kayla said from her seat. “That’s some pretty old essence.”
Elissa bit back a giggle. Trying not to break into laughter herself, Fallon glared at her sister. “You’re being impossible.”
Mrs. Beecham, a little grayer, a little more frail, beamed at them. “I’m so impressed with you three. You’ve turned out to be spectacular adults. You’re successful and have wonderful families.”
“We owe that all to you,” Kayla told the woman. They sat in a half circle in front of several television cameras in a Los Angeles studio. “I still remember you telling us love was like a tornado and we weren’t to settle for anything else.”
Mrs. Beecham frowned. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Elissa looked at her. “You always said that. To make sure we really care about the man, we should feel a storm of passion. Like a tornado.”
Mrs. Beecham chuckled. “Nonsense. And you girls listened to me?”
“Of course,” Fallon said. “It’s turned out great.”
“Ladies?” the director called. “Let’s try this again. From the top, please.”
“Quiet!” a voice ordered loudly.
Fallon waited until the marker had snapped, then she looked directly at the camera in front of her and smiled. “Good evening, and welcome to the twentieth anniversary of ‘The Sally McGuire Show.’ Don’t try adjusting your set. You’re not really seeing—” she glanced at her sisters for a second “—triple. There were three of us playing that wonderful character we remember so well.”
Elissa picked up the dialogue and explained who they were and how they’d come to be on the show. Kayla continued with a brief recap of where each of them were now.
“Fallon and I each have twin boys,” Kayla said, “while Elissa has triplet girls.”
Fallon turned to her left. Just off the set, their families waited. Fathers held babies, while Anna Jane took care of the older children. Her own five-year-old twins were more than a handful, and next to Jarrett and Anna Jane, they were the greatest source of joy in her life. She knew her sisters felt the same way about their children.
Maybe Mrs. Beecham hadn’t realized what she’d been saying when she’d talked about love being a tornado, but the advice had been sound. Each of the sisters had found happiness through a marriage that was a living testament to their heartfelt belief that love was the greatest blessing of all.
* * * * *
Turn the page for a special sneak peak at Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold romance, When We Met.
CHAPTER ONE
“WE BOTH KNOW where this is going.”
Taryn Crawford glanced up at the man standing by her table and ignored the rush of anticipation when she saw who he was. He was tall, with broad shoulders and gray eyes. But the most compelling feature—the one she would guess people pretended didn’t exist—was the scar on his neck. As if someone had once tried to slit his throat. Taryn idly wondered what had happened to the person who failed.
She supposed there were plenty of women who would be intimidated by the man in front of her. The sheer volume of muscles he had might make someone apprehensive. Not her, of course. When in doubt she put on a power suit and killer heels. If those failed her, she would simply work harder than anyone else. Whatever it took to win. Sure, there was a price, but she was okay with that.
Which was why she was able to stare coolly back and ask, “Do we?”
One corner of his mouth curved slightly in a sort of half smile. “Sure, but if you’re more comfortable pretending we don’t, I can make that work, too.”
“A challenge. Intriguing. You don’t expect that to be enough to make me defensive so I start saying more than I had planned, do you?” She made sure she was plenty relaxed in her chair. She would guess the man was paying as much attention to her body language as her words. Maybe more. She hoped he wouldn’t make things easy. She was tired of easy.
“I would hate for you to be disappointed,” she murmured.
The smile turned genuine. “I’d hate that, too.” He pulled out the chair opposite hers. “May I?”
She nodded. He sat.
It was barely after ten on a Tuesday morning. Brew-haha, the local coffee place she’d escaped to for a few minutes of solitude before she returned to the current chaos at her office, was relatively quiet. She’d ordered a latte and had pulled out her tablet to catch up on the latest financial news. Until she’d been interrupted. Nice to know this was going to be a good day.
She studied the man across from her. He was older than the boys, she thought. The three men she worked with—Jack, Sam and Kenny—aka the boys, were all in their early to mid-thirties. Her guest was nearer to forty. Just old enough to have the experience to make things intriguing, she thought.
“We’ve never been introduced,” she said.
“You know who I am.”
A statement, not a question. “Do I?”
One dark eyebrow rosé. “Angel Whittaker. I work at CDS.”
Otherwise known as the bodyguard school, she reminded herself. For a small town, Fool’s Gold had its share of unusual businesses.
“Taryn Crawford.”
She waited, but he didn’t make a move.
“We’re not shaking hands?” she asked, then picked up her latte with both hers. Just to be difficult, because being difficult would make things more fun.
“I figured we’d save the touching for later. I find it’s better when that sort of thing happens in private.”
Taryn had opened Score, her PR firm, eight years ago. She’d had to deal with unwelcome passes, assumptions she was an idiot, being asked who the boss was, pats on her butt and people presuming that if she worked with three ex-football players, she must have gotten her job by sleeping with them. She was used to staying calm, keeping her opinions to herself and gaining victory through the unanticipated side run.
This time Angel had been the one to put the first points on the board. He was good, she thought, intrigued and only slightly miffed.
“Are you coming on to me, Mr. Whittaker? Because it’s still a little early in the morning for that sort of thing.”
“You’ll know when I’m making my move,” he informed her. “Right now I’m simply telling you how things are.”
“Which takes us back to your comment that we both know where this is going. I’ll admit to being confused. Perhaps you have me mixed up with someone else.”
She uncrossed, then recrossed her long legs. She wasn’t trying to be provocative, but if Angel got distracted, it was hardly her fault.
For a second she allowed herself to wonder how she would have been different if she’d been able to grow up in a more traditional home. One with the requisite 2.5 children and somewhat normal parents. She certainly wouldn’t be as driven. Or as tough. Sometimes she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
He leaned toward her. “I hadn’t taken you for the type to play games.”
“We all play games,” she told him.
“Fair enough. Then I’ll be blunt.”
She sipped her coffee, then swallowed. “Please.”
“I saw you last fall.”
“How nice,” she murmured.
When she’d been scouting locations. Moving a company required time and effort. They’d only truly settled in Fool’s Gold a couple of months ago. But she had been in town the previous fall, and yes, she’d seen Angel, as well. Found out who he was and had wondered about…possibilities. Not that she was going to admit that to him.
“I watched you,” he continued.
“Should I be concerned you’re a stalker?”
“Not when you were watching me right back.”
He’d noticed? Damn. She’d tried to be subtle. She thought about lying but decided to simply stay silent. After a second, he continued.
“So we’ve finished sizing each other up,” he said. “Now it’s time to move on to the next phase of the game.”
“There are phases?” Which was an actual question. No point in mentioning the game. She knew what they were doing. Still, it was entertaining to pretend she didn’t.
“Several.”
“Do you provide instructions or a scorecard?”
His cool gray eyes stayed focused on her face. “You don’t play that way.”
“Be careful with your assumptions.”
“I’m not assuming.”
He had an appealing voice. Low with a hint of…Not the Deep South, she thought. But there was a cadence. Virginia? West Virginia?
She put down her mug. “If I buy in to your assertion—which I’m not admitting I do.”
“Of course not.”
She ignored the words and the amusement tugging at his lips. “Where do you see this going?”
He leaned back in his chair. “This is a mating game, Taryn. Or didn’t you know?”
Ah, his first mistake. She kept her eyes locked with his and didn’t let her triumph show. “You want to marry me?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Not that kind of mating.”
“If you’re not precise, it’s difficult to be sure. So you want to sleep with me.”
“Yes, but it’s about more than that.”
She let her gaze drift down his chest, then moved to his arms. Despite the cool late April temperatures, he wore a T-shirt and no jacket. She could see a tattoo of a rosé, along with several scars on his arms. His hands were strong and equally battered.
The Mysterious Stranger (Triple Trouble) Page 21