She managed the last with enough dry humor to make Patricia smile, despite her tears.
They stayed for lunch. A simple affair of ham sandwiches and fresh coleslaw. Eve asked for the recipe, which seemed to please Patricia. As they were finishing their dessert, Eve asked the one question that she hadn’t been certain she was brave enough to ask. “Who’s my father?”
Patricia looked away, but Eve had no trouble reading the look of shame on her face. She shook her head slowly, tears streaming down her withered cheeks. “I never knew for sure. Too many parties. Young soldiers. All handsome. Fun.” She wept softly.
The reality of the admission was both better and worse than Eve had imagined. Better because she wouldn’t have to go through this ordeal a second time; worse because she would never know the man, his family or his history.
Reaching out, she touched her mother’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I have a wonderful father. I was just curious.”
Matt fetched a glass of water for Patricia. His kindness made Eve’s heart swell. He’d been right. She’d put this off too long.
As they rose to leave, Patricia touched Eve’s hand. “I made mistakes. Lots of ’em,” she said, pointing to the hole in her throat. “You, I got right.”
Eve’s eyes filled with tears. She put her arms around her mother’s frail shoulders and hugged her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I’ve always loved you, Even Mine. Always.”
Before leaving, Eve took her half sister Jill’s phone number and address. Their brother lived in Tennessee. Patricia called him “a loner.” Perhaps one day Eve would cross those hurdles as well.
Neither Eve nor Matt spoke until they were back on the highway. “You know, we’re not that far from Mexico,” he said, obviously striving for humor. “Shall we swim for it?”
His jest had just the opposite effect. Eve suddenly burst into tears. “Oh, honey,” he cried, turning into a used car lot. “I’m sorry. What did I say?”
Blubbering through her tears, she tried to make sense of the tumult inside. “I…I…was going to tell you to take me home,” she said between sobs. “But I suddenly realized, I don’t know where that is.”
Matt patted her back. “Oh, sweetheart.”
“Matt, I mean it. I don’t have a job. I haven’t been unemployed since I was sixteen.”
He interrupted her. “All that will sort itself out, Eve. You don’t have to decide anything right this minute. Well, maybe one thing.”
“What?”
“Will you marry me?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MATT HADN’T INTENDED to blurt out his proposal quite so unromantically, but somehow the words just popped out of his mouth. Eve’s look of disbelief almost made him take them back until he saw the smile that followed. A brilliant, joyful smile.
“Do you mean that?” she asked. “Truly? You love me enough to marry me?”
A knock on the window made them both jump. Matt hit the button in the door panel to lower the window. A swarthy young man in shirtsleeves and a tie squatted beside the car.
“Hi, folks. I’d guess this is a rental and you’re in the market for a car. You’ve come to the right place. My name is Josh.” He put out his hand, which Matt felt compelled to shake. Before Matt could explain about their presence, the fellow leaned inward to do the same with Eve.
Matt sensed the instant Josh recognized her.
“Oh, my Lord,” he exclaimed, still holding on to her hand. “You’re Eve Masterson.”
Matt’s stomach rolled. How had he forgotten this small annoying detail? Eve was now and probably always would be a celebrity.
Eve disentangled her fingers from Josh’s grip with a small wiggle of her wrist. She smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Josh, and we’re sorry to have interrupted your business, but we’re lost. Could you direct us to the highway?”
The ploy worked. Josh nearly killed himself trying to give the most succinct directions. Matt had to bite down on a smile. Now, this was a fan he could like. They left a few minutes later with a free map and Josh’s business card.
A few miles down the road, Eve asked softly, “Do you want to take back your question? Obviously, I have baggage that will follow me—follow us—wherever we are.”
Matt sighed. “Let’s find a park. Somewhere we can talk.”
He blessed small towns everywhere when they discovered a tiny, mostly empty park a few miles down the road. They got out of the car and walked to a wooden bench beneath a huge tree Matt couldn’t identify. Its peeling bark littered the grass beneath it; gray moss hung from its branches like an old man’s beard.
“Let’s be honest, Eve. You know I’m not crazy about all the trappings that come with your fame. There’s no denying you have a very recognizable face, but I wouldn’t change a single feature.” He kissed her left eyebrow, then her cheekbone and chin, for emphasis.
“I guess that’s a little problem I’ll have to deal with,” he said, smiling to show how very little it was. “It’s not as if I’m perfect, you know.” He waggled his right leg to make his point.
Eve placed her hand atop his knee. “Battle scars, my love,” she said softly. “You don’t give that wound the honor it deserves.”
Matt closed his eyes against the rush of emotion that came from her look of pride and respect.
She turned slightly and looked toward the distant swing set where a mother pushed her young child. “There’s something I haven’t told you—mainly because I didn’t know how I felt about it. I talked to Marcella yesterday. My old station in Sacramento contacted her about the possibility of my coming back to work for them—in management.”
Matt flinched. He hadn’t seen that coming. Before he could think of a reply, she added, “At first it felt like a step backward, but now I’m wondering if it isn’t the break I need, if I’m serious about changing the way television covers stories.” She frowned. “It won’t be as wide-sweeping as Communitex, but it’s a start.”
“Sacramento,” Matt murmured. Bo needed him in New York.
“Or,” Eve said, putting on a falsely bright smile, “I could go back to the city with you and start job hunting.”
“But you don’t want another on-camera job, and the traveling isn’t good for you. That’s the last place I want you, but I promised Bo I’d give this P.I. business a shot for at least a year.”
Eve closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she said, “I think this is a test, Matt.”
“A test?”
“Pass/fail. Do we pick love over possible job opportunities and family obligations? Or do we go back to business as usual?”
Matt swallowed against the tightness in his throat. He hated tests.
“Fortunately, I’ve always been very good at tests,” she said blithely. “I understand them. Sometimes a tricky question is actually very simple—we just make it harder than it is by overthinking the possibilities.”
He noticed the mischievous twinkle in her eye.
“Shall we cheat? Compare answers?” Her smile made Matt’s heartbeat speed up. “I’ll go first.”
She squared her shoulders and said, “I want to marry you. And if that means I miss some window of opportunity because I’m not at the right place at the right time, then…oh, well. At least I’ll be with the man who found me when everyone else quit looking.”
Matt pulled her close. He kissed her as thoroughly as he dared in public. The only spectators seemed to be an old woman and her dog, but he didn’t want to share this moment with anyone.
“You stole my answer,” he said with mock severity.
She laughed. “How could I? You found me.” She tapped her chest to make the point.
He cupped her cheek. “Only because you slowed down enough for me to catch up. I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you on TV, but I figured every man in America felt the same way so what chance did I have? Now I know they only saw an image. I see you. I love you. And I always will.”
&nbs
p; She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I love you, too. Thank you for finding me,” she cried tearfully.
Blinking against tears of his own, he whispered, “Let’s go home.”
She dropped her arms and sat back. Bottom lip quivering, she said, “We still haven’t figured that out, Matt. Where is home?”
“Right here,” he said, placing her hand over his heart. He did the same to her. This, he suddenly understood with perfect clarity, was the true answer. “Home is two hearts together. Everything else is just real estate. Now, let’s go celebrate. It isn’t every day we pass a test and get engaged.”
He paused. “You are going to marry me, aren’t you?”
Eve’s smile was pure joy. “As Ashley would say, ‘Oh, yeah.”’ Her grin faltered. “Speaking of Ashley, will she be okay with this?”
It was Matt’s turn to tease. “In a way, it was her idea. She said that since her life was already totally screwed up thanks to her mother and Alan, I might as well just marry you and get it over with.”
Eve made a face. “That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”
Matt rose and pulled her up, too. “Don’t worry. I think she’ll appreciate the logic when she realizes that the two most important people in the world to me are both moving to California,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose. “She knows me well enough to figure out I won’t be far behind.”
“What about Bo? Your job?”
Matt shrugged. “He’s in love. He’ll understand.”
Eve gave him an impish grin. “And if he doesn’t, Claudie and Sara will explain it to him.”
Matt laughed. His poor cousin didn’t stand a chance. Besides, in the long run, he knew Bo wouldn’t mind losing a business partner if it meant gaining a neighbor.
FIVE MONTHS, three weeks and six days later, Eve adjusted the strap of her mint-green sundress, then turned to scrutinize her profile in the mirror. The built-in bra of the simple linen sheath was a bit tighter than she’d have preferred, but at least the lack of a waistband made her recent weight gain less obvious. No one will notice, she decided. Besides, they’ll all be looking at the bride.
She walked to the window of her tenth-floor suite and stared at the startling blue lake surrounded by pine-covered mountains. She’d arrived in Tahoe the day before after charging up the I-80 with a multitude of other Friday-afternoon refugees from Sacramento and the Bay Area. Her new Infiniti had been filled with the last-minute wedding necessities she’d been asked to deliver.
Matt had flown directly to Reno from New York two days earlier to help Bo finalize the on-site logistics. The wedding was scheduled to take place in less than two hours aboard the Woodwind II catamaran. The guest list included Matt’s and Bo’s parents as well as Claudie’s siblings and several residents of One Wish House. The wedding party occupied three adjoining suites, with the other guests scattered about the hotel and nearby casinos.
With all the chaos, Eve felt as though she’d barely had a minute alone with Matt since she arrived. You had enough time to tell him, a little voice said. You made love twice. You ate breakfast together.
True, her conscience argued, but a part of her wanted to hold off breaking the news until after Bo and Claudie said “I do.” Since moving to Sacramento four months earlier, Eve had come to know and like Claudie. In some ways, Claudie was a closer friend than Sara, who’d been totally absorbed in motherhood since the birth of the twins in April.
Sighing, Eve rested her forehead against the glass—the beauty of the panoramic scene lost on her. Even though she and Matt spoke on the phone daily and professed to love each other and planned to marry, the fact remained that Matt hadn’t even set a date to move, let alone put a ring on her finger.
Eve intended to rectify that problem in the following week. Matt had ten days of vacation. He and Eve would spend two additional days alone in Tahoe then drive to Santa Barbara to visit Ashley, who hadn’t been able to attend the wedding because of a dressage competition. Apparently her new horse—Cypher—was a born winner.
When Sonya and Alan moved to Santa Barbara in early February, Ashley had opted to stay with Matt’s parents until school let out. Eve understood how hard it was for Ashley to choose between her parents, and give up her horse, as well. Although Alan had offered to purchase Jester, his owner felt the cross-country trip would have been too hard on the animal and had refused to sell. The new horse seemed to have offset any jealousy Ashley might have had about Kyle Alan Greensburg, her new baby brother.
Eve was anxious to see Ashley, but she was nervous, too. Since their initial meeting in January, Eve and Ashley had seen each other several times, and they’d become e-friends. What if my news jeopardizes our friendship?
Eve would never forget how much Ashley’s kindness had meant to her when Eve talked to her about Patricia. Since then Eve had returned to Florida twice. She’d met both of her half siblings—Jillian, who had three kids and a trucker husband, and Todd, a mechanic with a drinking problem.
When her parents returned from Australia in early March, Eve flew to New York to introduce them to Matt. The weekend had been a huge success despite Matt’s head cold and her father’s sprained knee. The two men had hit it off by comparing infirmities.
Eve had flown to New York on two other occasions. Easter provided a chance to meet Deborah’s family and spend some time with Matt’s parents and Ashley. She returned in May with Bo and Claudie when Matt’s uncle Robert, Bo’s father, was released from the hospital where he’d been recuperating from a head injury. Eve and Claudie had used the time to shop since the men were closeted in Matt’s office, availing themselves of Robert B. Lester’s still-sharp business acumen.
Their most romantic weekend came in April when Matt flew to Sacramento to attend the christening of Sara and Ren’s twins, Joley and Kara. After the ceremony, they’d driven to the wine country where Matt had to spend half his time comforting Eve, who lamented the fact that her biological clock was gonging loudly.
Eve pressed a hand to her belly. She hadn’t had a chance to see a doctor, but her body—and an at-home pregnancy test—told her the same thing.
A wolf whistle cut into her thoughts. “Zowie! Are you sure you’re not the bride? You’re beautiful enough to be one,” Matt said, entering the room from the adjoining men’s suite.
Dressed in an ivory linen suit with a sage-green silk T-shirt and topsiders, he was so handsome Eve almost forgot to breathe. He strode purposefully across the room and swept her into a passionate kiss. Giggling, Eve threw herself into the spirit of the moment, kissing him with equal abandon.
“Now, that’s more like it,” Matt said with relish. “You were a little subdued last night. I was afraid you were waiting to break the bad news to me until after the wedding.”
“What bad news?” Eve asked, her heart missing a beat.
“That you don’t love me anymore or you found someone else.”
She cupped his handsome jaw with her hand. Now. Tell him now. “Don’t be silly. I could never love anyone as much as I love you. It wouldn’t be fair to our baby.”
His expression didn’t change for a full second, then he tilted his head; his eyebrows drew together. “We have a baby?”
“Not yet. But we will in seven and a half months,” she said, catching her bottom lip in her teeth.
His spontaneous smile brought tears to her eyes. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed, his voice echoing off the walls.
The adjoining door slammed open. “What’s wrong now?” Bo asked, charging in. His suit—white with a black silk T-shirt—was so Miami Vice Eve had to smile, but it fit Bo’s style.
Claudie—a picture-perfect bride in a knee-length gown of champagne-yellow organza and satin—exited from the bathroom, clutching her veil. She and Matt had switched rooms this morning for propriety’s sake. “What’s going on?”
“Anything but the cake,” Bo groaned, pretending to shade his eyes so as not to see his bride-to-be. “Don’t tell me it’s the cake.”
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Matt’s gaze never left Eve’s. She read the question in his eyes and knew he wouldn’t share the news with the others without her permission. His reassuring smile gave her the courage to nod.
“Eve’s pregnant,” Matt said, grinning with such unabashed joy Eve nearly cried.
“Someone’s pregnant?” Sara Bishop asked, entering through the main door. With a child in her arms, she ditched her key and diaper bag on the table then hurried toward the others. A pink receiving blanket draped over one shoulder partly obscured her sleeveless Hawaiian-print dress. She hefted the baby into burping position as she eyed the bride suspiciously. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Not me,” Claudie said huffily. “Eve.”
At that moment, Ren Bishop walked in carrying a matching bundle cradled in his arms. On his heels followed a second bridesmaid in the same island-print sarong—Sherry, Claudie’s seventeen-year-old sister. The willowy blonde was holding three-and-a-half-year-old Brady’s hand.
“What’d I miss? What’s wrong with Eve?” Ren asked.
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” she said. Despite her many years on camera, Eve felt herself blush. “Everything’s great. I’m pregnant.”
Ren exchanged a look with his wife, who was wearing a smug smile. “That’s awesome. Shall I go ask the captain about a double ceremony?”
“Good grief, no,” Eve blurted out. “This is Claudie and Bo’s special day. Besides, we can’t get married without Ashley and my parents.” Not to mention her new family and the many business friends who’d welcomed her back to Sacramento with open arms and given her a chance to fulfill her dreams. Her teen-targeted talk show, called Beyond Beauty, was rated number one in its time slot.
“Yeah,” Matt added. “At least give me a chance to get down on one knee and make it official.”
“No time like the present,” Bo said. He dropped his hand and looked at his soon-to-be-wife. “Public proposals are very popular right now, aren’t they, honey?”
Claudie snickered. “It certainly worked for you. Everyone knows the only reason I said yes was to save your cute little tushie.”
Something About Eve Page 23