by SUE FINEMAN
He poured them both a glass of champagne, but he made no toast, no mention of love. Days ago, Jenny told him she was falling in love with him, and he thought he might love her back. Now he felt stupid for believing her lies.
She was the one who should feel stupid. She wanted to be rich, and with her looks, she could find some rich guy to take care of her. But she came after a carpenter.
They danced to soft music and she snuggled in close while the cameraman watched. Jenny looked right and felt right in his arms. If he’d found out in the beginning, if she’d told him the truth instead of lying, he might have picked her and lost Catherine.
Catherine was the one worth keeping.
She was worth all the others put together.
<>
At breakfast the next morning, Morgan told them to prepare for the final segment. “At ten this morning, Tony will send one of you home.”
“I thought we had another day,” said Jenny.
“The production crew has another job, so it was moved up.”
Catherine knew that wasn’t true. Tony didn’t want to wait another day, and neither did Henry. Every day cost the company money, so the sooner they wrapped this up, the better.
Jenny shared long looks with Tony, and Catherine couldn’t look at them. She picked at her food and then excused herself to go upstairs and find something special to wear. Tony would be wearing his suit instead of a tux, so she didn’t want anything too dressy.
Catherine knew she’d win today, but it would be a bittersweet victory. Finding out about Jenny’s lies had thrown Tony. He might have played around with a lot of women in his life, but he was an honest man. No matter how good she looked, Tony would never stay with a woman who lied to him.
One of the maids stayed with Jessie while Jenny and Catherine went down to the library. They sat in the wingback chairs in the library and stared at the pictures on the wall. All thirteen were lit up, but as the camera panned them, the lights went out one by one, until only the two in the middle remained.
Morgan said, “One of you will be going home today. Say your goodbyes now. You won’t be seeing each other again.”
The two women embraced. Catherine said, “Jenny, I wish you the best.”
“I wish you the best, too, Catherine.”
Catherine went into the formal living room to wait while Jenny stayed in the library.
Catherine just wanted to get it over with.
Chapter Eighteen
Tony stood in the middle of the rose garden with Riley by his side. The sun shone brightly that morning, the scent of roses filled the air, and the sound of the gently pounding surf echoed the pounding of his heart. Today the show ended. He had to pick one woman, and he had to do it in front of the cameras.
He’d made his choice, and he knew in his heart he’d made the right one.
They shot the session with Jenny first. She walked out in a pale blue mini-dress, showing off her long, graceful legs. He’d spent his entire adult life dreaming about this woman, searching for this woman, and now that he’d found her, he knew they could never make it work. The packaging was as fine as could be, and he loved her little girl, but Jenny wasn’t the right woman for him.
“Tony,” she said in a breathless voice.
“Jenny, you look beautiful today.”
Her face glowed. She thought he’d picked her. He felt a keen sense of disappointment in her, yet he felt sick to have to do this with everyone watching.
“I’ve always dreamed of spending my life with a beautiful blonde like you.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I thought when I found the image of the perfect woman, the woman I’d always dreamed about, everything would fall into place. We’d fall in love and live happily ever after.” He gazed into her eyes and felt nothing. “But images are sometimes deceiving, and life doesn’t always play out like a dream.”
Her smile disappeared. She finally understood what he was trying to say. He didn’t choose her.
“No,” she whispered.
“You’re looking for a better life. I understand, but I can’t provide that for you, Jenny. I want a woman to build a life with, one who respects me enough to be honest with me. One who loves me unconditionally, the way I love her.”
“But I love you, and I know you don’t love Catherine.”
“Yes, I do love her. It took me a few weeks to realize it, because I was so caught up in finding the image of the perfect woman. No one is perfect, but when you’re in love—really in love—there are more important things than image.” This show had taught him that lesson. He could have chosen a gorgeous woman, but he fell in love with a cute little redhead, someone he knew he could love forever.
Tears streamed down Jenny’s cheeks. “But you love me and Jessie. She—”
“I’m crazy about Jessie, and I’d love to have a little girl like her someday, but this is not about her. It’s about me loving another woman.”
“Please don’t do this to us, Tony. I know we can make it work. Give me a chance.”
“I did.” He’d given her the benefit of the doubt, he’d given her openings to tell him about Jessie’s father and her other child, and she’d lied to him. He hated lies and deception of any kind, and this woman had lied about everything.
He hugged her. “Goodbye, Jenny.”
She walked away sobbing, and he pictured Jessie’s trusting little face when she’d asked him if he was going to be her new daddy. But the kid already had a daddy, and Tony didn’t love Jessie’s mommy. Just days ago, he thought he might love her, but what he loved was the picture of the beautiful blonde wife and kids of his own. She’d brought her little girl along and used her at every opportunity to soften him up, so she could snag what she thought was a rich man. What she’d almost snagged was a hard-working carpenter and construction supervisor.
What he thought was love was a physical attraction to the mother and an emotional attachment to the kid. Finding out Jenny had lied to him about her life and deceived him into thinking she loved him made him feel like a fool. She didn’t love him, and he didn’t love her.
He sat on the bench. Because of Jenny, he’d almost lost the woman who really mattered. Riley put his head on Tony’s knee and whined. Tony put his hand on the dog’s head. Riley would miss Jessie, but someday he’d have other kids to play with.
If Catherine would marry him.
“Here comes Cat,” said the director.
Tony stood and the camera guy turned on the camera. This would be the last scene, and if he screwed this up, he’d never forgive himself.
Catherine walked outside in a pale yellow dress with those skinny straps that couldn’t possibly hold anything up. Her curly red hair framed the cute, freckled face he’d grown to love. She smiled, and the world lit up. Jenny and Jessie ceased to exist. Catherine meant everything to him.
He took her hands, which were trembling slightly, and took a deep breath. She had to know by now that he’d picked her, but he had to tell her why. “Catherine, the day the show began, when I saw you standing on that balcony with the others, I knew you were different.”
“Shorter,” she quipped. “Definitely shorter.”
He smiled, knowing she was trying to put him at ease. “Yes, shorter. And then at the costume party, when all the other women came in wearing sexy costumes and you came in dressed as Little Bo Peep, you blew me away.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “Don’t cry on me now, honey,” he said gently.
She blinked back tears and he continued. “I love your sense of humor and your honesty. I know I can trust you to tell me the truth. For years I was looking for what I thought was the perfect blonde, when all the time, I should have been looking for you.”
It might be foolish to put his heart on the line on national television, but he couldn’t stop now. He needed to say it all. “When I’m with you, I feel complete, and when you’re not with me, it feels like I’m missing a part of myself. I love you, Catherine.”
Cather
ine gasped, and he knew she was stunned that he’d say those words in front of the cameras. He didn’t care who was watching or listening. He loved this woman with everything in him, and he wanted her to be a part of his life.
She stepped into his arms and the kiss they shared wasn’t a kiss of passion. It was a kiss of love. They stood in the bright sunshine, holding each other as if they never wanted to let go. The cameras finally turned off, and Tony still couldn’t let go of the woman he loved. She was his life. His future. His everything.
They walked upstairs to Tony’s room, stopping every few steps for a kiss. Tony locked the door, and they spent the next hour in his bed. She didn’t say she loved him, and that concerned him, but she was generous with her body. If that was all she could give him right now, he’d have to accept that as an expression of her love. He knew Catherine well enough to know she wouldn’t be in his bed unless she loved him. Although he’d slept with countless women over the years, she’d been more selective.
And she’d selected him.
<>
Later, while Catherine walked through the house with Henry, Tony called Nick and gave him the good news, the news the family had been waiting for. He’d chosen Catherine.
“Hey, that’s great news, Tony.” He called Cara to the phone.
“I told her I loved her, and she cried, but she didn’t say she loved me back.”
“She will,” said Nick.
Cara said, “Catherine has never been in love before, Tony. She’s probably overwhelmed, like I was when I fell in love with Nick. Talk it out.”
A baby cried in the background, and Cara said, “I need to take care of Max.”
“Okay, go,” said Tony.
Nick said, “Look, Tony, falling in love can be easy and hard at the same time. I went through a tough time when I fell in love with Cara. You and Catherine will work it out.”
They talked for several minutes about the show, and then Nick changed the subject. “What did you think about the property near San Simeon?”
“If I had the money I’d buy it myself, for Catherine.” She dreamed of opening a hotel, and he wanted to give her the dream.
“Oh, yeah? We got a good deal.”
“How good?” asked Tony.
As Nick talked about their investment in that property, Tony tried to think of some way to come up with that much money. He’d recently paid off his mother’s mortgage, so his savings account was down.
“Tell you what,” said Nick. “If you want the property, we’ll sell it to you for a hundred thousand down and you can pay off the balance after you finish the work. If you decide you don’t want it, we’ll reimburse you for what you put into it and sell it to someone else.”
Sure he would. The property would be worth a whole lot more when the work was done.
Tony had about two hundred thousand in savings, money he’d earned by buying and renovating run-down houses. Would a hundred thou cover the renovations on that place? It might cover the materials, but he’d have to do all the work himself. They could always add the cottages and restaurant later.
“It’s a deal.” If Catherine didn’t want to marry him, he’d sell it himself. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d bought a piece of property, renovated it, and turned it into a profit.
A slow smile pulled at his face, and he ended the call. Catherine might be a little confused right now, and she might not have said the words, but he knew she loved him.
Catherine tapped on his open door. “Tony, I hate to leave you now, but I need to go back to the office and help Henry edit the show.”
“I thought you weren’t involved in that, since you’re in the show.”
“With Mitzi gone, he’s short-handed, and I promised to stay until he hires someone else and gets them trained.”
Tony’s heart sank. He’d told her he loved her and now she was all business. Didn’t she know she was ripping his heart out?
“How long until I see you again?”
She hesitated long enough for him to wonder if she intended to see him again. “I don’t know, Tony.”
Didn’t she know what it cost him to admit his love on national television? Didn’t she know how much he wanted and needed her in his life?
Her arms snaked around his waist and she put her head on his chest. “It isn’t that I don’t want to be with you, Tony. I have an obligation to Henry to finish the show, to get it ready to go on the air. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with my father’s problems, I would have kept a closer eye on what Mitzi was doing.” She lifted her head and gazed up at him. “If I’d talked with the girls myself instead of leaving that to Mitzi, I wouldn’t have put Rachel on the show. And I would have had more girls lined up as alternates, so Henry wouldn’t have had to use Fawn. Or me.”
“Henry doesn’t blame you, Catherine.”
“He doesn’t have to. I blame myself, and when Fawn’s case goes to trial, I intend to testify against her.”
“If Fawn has any sense, she’ll plead guilty. The cameras caught what she did to you, and she had stolen property in her purse and her suitcase and in her car. One way or another, whether you testify or not, she’s going to prison.”
Catherine stepped back. “I don’t know about that, Tony. Henry said someone bailed her out, so she’s probably in Mexico by now.”
Tony waved his hand. “To hell with her. Call me as soon as you get things wrapped up in LA, and I’ll meet you in Santa Barbara. We have a lot to talk about, Catherine.”
“Yes, we do.”
Catherine packed her things and Tony carried her bags out to her car. After a tearful goodbye, Catherine rode away with some of the crew. Tony watched until the car disappeared in the distance and then walked back into the house. Alone.
He’d handed her his heart today and she’d already left.
A few hours later, Cara’s pilot flew Tony and Riley to Gig Harbor, where Tony spent the night at Nick’s house. He spent one day with his family, then he packed his pickup and headed south with his dog. He couldn’t wait to get started on the renovations on the plantation.
For Catherine.
For the woman he loved.
When Catherine finished her work on the show, he’d drive her up to San Simeon and show her the gift he’d bought for her. Another woman might want a fancy ring, but Tony knew she’d appreciate this more.
Her first hotel.
<>
Catherine had been on the production crew for other shows, but she’d never seen the crew this happy. One of their own had not only been on the show, she’d ended up one of the stars, the woman the handsome bachelor picked at the end. Now they knew who she was, but the respect they showed her wasn’t because she was a Timmons. She’d earned their respect by coming up with a good show. The premise of the show had worked just like she’d planned. The pacing was excellent, there was plenty of conflict between the girls, the setting couldn’t have been better, and Tony was dynamite, as she knew he would be.
Tony picked her. He said he loved her, but she wasn’t so sure. Who else would he have chosen? Out of the last five girls, one was sick, one was a criminal, one talked too much, and another one lied to him. Who else did that leave? But he didn’t have to say he loved her, especially while the cameras were rolling.
She pictured the hurt in his eyes when she said she had to go back to work. He wanted her to stay with him, but she had a job to do. He had a job, too. They both had responsibilities, and they couldn’t just walk away from them.
After a long drive, Catherine arrived at Father’s house in Santa Barbara. Father looked old and weak, but he was in a rare good mood. The cast had been removed from his leg, and although he no longer needed the wheelchair, he still used a walker. Catherine wanted Fawn to pay for what she’d done to him, but she couldn’t report it to the police. If Father wanted Fawn punished, he’d have to speak with the police himself.
That evening, she drove to her apartment in LA. The sooner she got to work on the show, the sooner she co
uld see Tony again. They needed some time apart, time to think about how they felt about each other. Time to decide if they had a future together. But she ached with missing him.
His life was in Gig Harbor, and she had a job in LA. But she didn’t intend to work for Henry forever. Once she’d edited the show and trained her replacement, she’d say goodbye to Henry and the crew, goodbye to the city. Goodbye to the hateful smog.
Would Tony want her to live with him in Gig Harbor? She loved Santa Barbara, but she didn’t want to live there without Tony. Were there hotels in Gig Harbor? If not, maybe she could build one there.
What would Tony think?
<>
“You sure opening the gate won’t set off some kind of alarm?” Spike asked.
Fawn shook her head. “No. The only alarm is on the main house, and I have the code.”
They waited until two in the morning and then drove up and around the hill, lights off. Fawn pushed the code on the gate and the gate swung open. Spike drove through, and the gate swung closed behind them.
There were no lights on in the house, not even the security lights Walt turned on at the first sign of trouble. That meant nobody knew they were there. “So far, so good.”
Fawn pointed out the narrow drive that snaked up the back of the hill to the smaller house. The house was completely hidden from the road, so nobody would know they were there. Spike pulled up in front of the house and she got out. She found the key hidden under the potted plant beside the door, unlocked the front door, and made her way through the darkened house to the garage. A minute later, she had the garage door open and Spike parked inside.
They were home free. Now they’d wait for their prey. Fawn knew a spot on the property where they could see cars coming up the driveway without the people in the cars seeing them.
Catherine might not come today or tomorrow, but she would come, and when she did, they’d put their plan in action. Walt Timmons would pay for the safe release of his spoiled brat, Fawn would repay Spike for bailing her out of jail, and she’d head for Mexico.
To freedom.