Caitlin's Choice (23 page)

Caitlin glanced at the discard pile, which consisted of exactly two T-shirts. “No, I don’t mind. But would you let me keep that teal one until after the bridal shower?”

“Oh, sure. But try not to spill anything on it today,” Sissy joked. At least Caitlin hoped she was joking. Sissy took the clothes to her room to hang them up.

Mary shook her head. “I swear, if she didn’t look so much like the rest of you, I would sue the hospital for a mix-up. But you have to forgive her. She was mighty embarrassed when her younger sister got married before her.”

Maggie shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t help it. Erik wanted to get married right away.”

“You might even thank Andrew for that,” Caitlin quipped.

Maggie threw a pillow at her sister. “Give him a break, Caitlin. How much longer do you intend to punish him before you forgive him?”

“Why would you want to punish him?” Mary asked. “He’s such a charming young man.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. Just what she needed. Encouragement from the Andrew Sinclair fan club. She remembered their early morning lovemaking and blushed. If that was punishment, he would be impossible forever.

“Look at her red cheeks, Mama. I think she’s in love with him but won’t admit it,” Maggie taunted. “Come on Jell-O Legs, admit it.”

Caitlin grunted. “Never. I have to keep him on his toes. I told him not to stand in front of Daddy today while they’re hunting, just in case.”

“You didn’t,” Mary cried out, mortified. “What will he think?”

“He laughed at me. He always laughs at me. He’s a stubborn mule and he makes me crazy.” And she loved every blessed minute of it.

Mary bowed her head thoughtfully. “Yep, she loves him all right.”

“Are we here to work or to discuss my love life?”

Caitlin tried to ignore the knowing grins from her mother and sister and get back to the task of setting up for the shower. The sooner this day was over with, the better.

* * * *

An eerie wind whistled through the trees. Sunset framed the mountain in vibrant shades of purple and red. Caitlin could see the house in the distance as she perched herself up in her favorite tree.

The shower had been a great success. Some of the women had stopped to talk to her, claiming they’d always known she was innocent. Damned hypocrites, all of them, her father had said. He was right. Still, she had enjoyed seeing them swallow a large helping of humble pie.

Her mother and sisters were off on a late afternoon trip to the mall, but Caitlin had declined. She wanted solitude and a chance to figure out the puzzle that had become her life.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke her short-lived peace.

Sean leaned against the tree. “I know you’re up there.”

She dropped herself to the ground. “Am I so predictable?”

“You were never predictable.”

No, she had to agree, she had never been much of a conformist. If she had been, perhaps her life might have turned out differently. For sure, she would have steered clear of Simon Reed. Her life had been lonely, but it must have been worse for her family.

“How come you never married, Sean?”

“With what money? I barely make enough at the warehouse to live at home.”

She kicked at a small stone. “Maybe you should try New York. Union workers make good money there.”

“I’ve heard. Andrew and Erik said I could work for them if I wanted.”

She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Are you thinking about it?”

“Would you be mad if I said yes?”

“What a ridiculous question.”

Sorrow marred his handsome features. “I didn’t talk to you for ten years. I wasn’t sure if you understood why we did it.  I know Maggie never did.”

Caitlin touched his arm. “I think she does now. You see things differently when you have a child of your own.”

“I guess so,” he said grudgingly. “Is that why you didn’t want Andrew to know about what happened? Did you think you were protecting your child?”

“Maggie has a motor mouth,” she said with a laugh.

Sean put his arm across her shoulder and walked her toward the house. “Actually, Andrew was the one who told me. He’d never do anything to hurt you or Tyler.”

“Oh, yeah? Did he mention that he tried to sue me for custody?”

“Yep. He also said he was only trying to get your attention.”

She laughed. “Well, he got my attention, all right.”

Sean tugged on the ponytail hanging down her back. “It’s your own fault. You can be downright rigid when you want to be.”

“I am extremely flexible.” She raised her chin defiantly.

“So is iron, but only after you get it hot enough.”

“Andrew does have a knack for getting me hot,” she agreed and regretted the words the second they were out of her mouth.

“I’d say that’s obvious.”

“Sean!” She raised her hand to playfully smack him. He grabbed her wrist in mid swing and twisted her arm behind her back.

“You’re in love with the guy. Admit it.”

She squirmed and twisted and laughed. “Never.” When they were younger, she’d had no trouble beating the tar out of her brother. He was now much bigger and stronger than she was, and her efforts to escape were futile.

“You know it’s true. We don’t lie to each other.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t true. I said I’d never admit it.”

“Are you afraid?” he taunted.

“I’m afraid that if you don’t let me go, I will physically assault you.”

“You and what army?” He chuckled and tightened his grip.

After ten years of living in New York, she had learned a thing or two about self-defense. She would have preferred her spiked heels, but her sneaker still landed on his foot with enough force to make Sean loosen his grip. Once free, she darted back to the house and was inside the door before he caught up to her.

She flopped down on the sofa next to her father. With her hands folded in her lap, she looked the picture of innocence. She shot Sean a triumphant grin.

“What was that about?” Andrew asked.

William put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder and grinned. “I’d say Caitlin just learned she can’t beat up her brother anymore.”

Andrew’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “You’re lucky she doesn’t have her heels on.”

“Those sneakers are lethal too,” Sean said, rubbing his sore foot. “You vicious, mule-headed brat.”

Caitlin pursed her lips in a pout. “Are you gonna let him talk to me like that, Daddy?”

“Go ahead. Get Dad on your side. I’ll just have a talk with Andrew and tell him what we were discussing when you attacked me,” Sean threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Caitlin warned.

“What’s my silence worth to you?”

“Whatever she says, I’ll double it if you tell me,” Andrew interjected.

“You can’t buy off family,” Caitlin said.

Sean waved his hand to cut her off. “Wait. I haven’t heard his offer yet.”

Andrew’s laughter was more than she could take. He had made a place for himself with her family and, although she was loathe to admit it, she was jealous.

She got up and went to check on Tyler. He was still sleeping, so she sat down on the bed rather than return to the living room.

She had thought returning home would clear up so many of the questions that had plagued her. If anything, she was only more confused. Why couldn’t she leave well enough alone?  Hoping to distract her suspicions, she reached for the photo album on her mom’s dresser. The pictures of all the birthdays and graduations she had missed left her feeling melancholy.

She turned over the last page and froze. The room felt as cold as death. This very picture of her and Tyler used to be on Andrew’s bedside table.

That was it—the missing piece of the puzzle. Her family wasn’t surprised about Tyler or anything else about her life because they already knew. How had her mother come to have the picture? There was only one explanation. Fragmented pieces of conversations rang in her ears.

He doesn’t look Oriental. How had Kelly known that Tyler was born in Singapore?

That’s Andrew’s coffee. It has no sugar. How could her mother know how Andrew took his coffee unless . . .

My mother must really like you. I’ve never known her to call any man by his given name the first time she meets him. Yesterday wasn’t the first time Mary had met him.

But when? How? He had never been away, except for his business meeting two weeks ago. Two weeks ago the money was transferred to the bank in town.

Andrew knew all along about her past. What an idiot she was! She had never been cleared in the Simon Reed case. He had bought them off. The pain in her heart was beyond tears. She removed the picture from the album and walked back into the living room, completely numb.

* * * *

The moment Andrew saw Caitlin’s pale, expressionless face, his stomach knotted. “What’s the matter?”

“I guess I was wrong, Andrew. You can buy off family.”

“What are you talking about?”

She held the picture out. When he didn’t take it, she flung it at him. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

Andrew wasn’t sure which was colder, her eyes or her heart. He never should have left the picture. He couldn’t lie. She already knew the answer. “Yes.”

“You lousy bastard. You paid that money. It was never settled in court.”

“Caitlin, we’ll have no cussing in this house,” her father said.

“What are you going to do? Kick me out for another ten years? Maybe Andrew will just pay you off again.”

She folded her arms across her chest and glowered contemptuously at Andrew. “Thirty thousand dollars. When you figure out how much time we’ve actually had together, that pretty much makes me the most expensive whore in America. I hope you got your money’s worth.”

She was out the door before anyone could say a word. Her father rose to follow her, but Andrew stopped him.

“No. She didn’t mean what she said to you. I’m the one she’s angry with. I have to talk to her first.”

He walked outside into the cool night air. His proud stance might have been more foolish than he realized. How was he supposed to find her in the pitch dark? This was her home, but he’d be lost in the mountains.

And after he found her, what was he supposed to say? He had only seen that look in her eyes once before, and he swore he would never be the one to put it there again. Hurting Caitlin was the last thing he wanted to do.

Keeping the lights from the house visible at all times, he walked up the mountain. The distance grew, and the light became fainter. The chirping of crickets seemed to mock him. He was about to give up and wait for her to return on her own when he heard leaves crunching under light footsteps.

“Caitlin?”

“Go away.”

He turned in the direction of her voice and took a few more steps before he saw her. “May I explain first?”

“Explain how you paid off a town for your whore? That’s what they’ll all think.” Her voice cracked as she tried to speak through her tears. She ran her sleeve across her face and sniffed.

Nothing caused him more pain than to hear her cry.

He took another step closer. “No one knew about the money except your father, and now Sean.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“No,” he admitted.

“How could you do that? How could you think I was guilty in the first place?” The anguish in her voice ripped through him.

“That thought never crossed my mind.”

“Then why did you pay back the money?”

“Because it was the only way you would be able to return safely.”

A tiny hiccup escaped between her shallow breaths. “What’s it to you if I could return or not?”

“You were unhappy.” There was a long pause.

She turned and met his gaze. “Do you think I’m happy now?”

He placed his hand along her cheek and smiled weakly. “Not at this particular moment, but I’m the one you’re mad at, not your father.”

“You’re wrong.” She pushed his hand away. She wasn’t ready to accept comfort from him. “I’m furious with both of you. I am so humiliated. What gave you the right to interfere?”

“You did.”

“When?”

“When you had Tyler. Didn’t you tell me how important grandparents are? What you and Tyler have with my mother is about as warm as it gets. I can’t do anything about that except to tell you she spends eight months of the year down in Florida. But you have something very precious with your family, and I was in a position to do something about it.”

“So you paid them off? The relationship is only valuable if it’s given freely.”

Andrew growled in frustration. The physical distance between them allowed her to build walls. Ignoring her protests, he pulled her into his arms. Each twist and turn only served to get her pinned tighter in his embrace.