Rebecca's Little Secret (16 page)

“Hey, no hugging other men,” Bill said, teasing.

Chelsea smiled sweetly. “No rules for me, Mr. Wallace.” Then she said, “Thank you, Jeff. And I wish you all the happiness in the world.”

“I wish you the same, Chelsea. And you’ve picked a very good man.”

“I know,” Chelsea agreed, her gaze returning to Bill’s face.

Jeff shook Bill’s hand and left the room. He found the Wexhams standing in the doorway across the hall.

“Is everything all right?” Mr. Wexham asked.

“Well, Chelsea and I have dissolved our engagement,” Jeff said, “but I think Bill is going to take my place.”

“Oh, thank heavens,” Mrs. Wexham gushed. “Oh, not that I wouldn’t have been perfectly happy if she’d married you, Jeff. You know that.”

“I know. But Bill is better suited to her, and I need to keep my family together.” He waved at them and hurried out the door. He hoped he wasn’t too late. If Rebecca ran away and he couldn’t find her, he would never forgive her.

Betty answered the door.

“Is Rebecca here?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. She’s upstairs. If you’ll wait in the library, I’ll go tell her you’re here.”

“Is Will in the library?”

“Yes, sir. And shall I set another plate for dinner?”

“Would you mind, Betty?”

“No, of course not.”

“Thanks, Betty.”

He’d thought about telling Betty he would go tell Rebecca he was there. He didn’t want to give her a chance to run away. But he figured she’d planned to leave in the morning. He remembered how stubborn she’d been about Saturday.

Will was the only one in the library when he got there. “Will, I just invited myself to dinner.”

“Good for you. Betty gets depressed if she doesn’t have a full house.”

“Who’s missing besides Rachel?”

“Vanessa went out with some friends. So it was just going to be four of us for dinner. Rebecca, Joey, me and Vivian.”

“You know for sure Rebecca intended to be here for dinner?”

Will’s gaze fixed on Jeff’s face. “What do you mean?”

“I heard a rumor that she was planning on leaving.”

“Rebecca? And Joey?”

“Yeah. I think she thought it would be the best thing for my engagement.”

“And would it?”

“Yeah, if I wanted the engagement to last.”

“But you don’t?”

“Not once I knew Rebecca was still single, and I found out about Joey.”

“Then why—”

Jeff heard footsteps in the hall and put a finger to his lips. Rebecca entered the library.

“Hello, Jeff. I didn’t expect you this evening.”

“Well, I was suddenly free and knew Betty wouldn’t let me starve. Besides, I didn’t get to see much of Joey this week.”

“He’s with Peter out in the garage. I’ll go get him.”

“That’s not necessary. He’ll be in for dinner. Why don’t you sit down and visit a little?”

“Okay.”

“What did you do with your afternoon off?” Jeff asked.

“Vanessa and I had lunch together. It was fun. We’ve never really done that before, just the two of us.”

Will spoke up. “I think Rachel’s leaving this morning was a little hard on all the ladies.”

“Why? You know she’ll be coming back,” Jeff said.

“You never know the twists and turns life will take.” Rebecca looked away from Jeff.

“That’s true. Where’s Vivian?” Jeff asked.

“She’s resting upstairs,” Will said. “I’d better go see if she’s up, though, since Betty will be serving dinner soon.”

After Will had left the room, Jeff poked and prodded Rebecca’s temper. “Is everything all right, Rebecca?”

“Of course.”

“Have you visited with Chelsea recently?”

“You know I just saw her. You specifically asked me to call her and I told you that I went over there.”

“Oh, yes. She had a cold, you said. That’s the excuse her mother used when she wouldn’t call her to the phone.”

Rebecca looked at him sharply. “Are you saying her mother was lying?”

Before Jeff answered, Will and Vivian came into the room. They were immediately followed by Betty with a tray of hors d’oeuvres. Then Joey came in because Betty had told him his dad was there.

“Daddy! I haven’t seen you since yesterday,” he announced as he flung himself into his father’s embrace.

Jeff hugged his son tightly to him. “I know, Joey. I missed you a lot.”

“Me, too.”

“Joey, do you need to go wash up for dinner?” Rebecca asked.

“No, Betty washed my face and hands in the kitchen. And she told Peter it was his fault I got dirty,” Joey finished, happy to have it be someone else’s fault.

Rebecca looked at her son sternly. “Despite what Betty said,
you
are responsible for getting yourself dirty.”

Joey sent a pleading look to his father.

“I’m afraid your mother’s right on target this time, son. You have to be responsible for what you do. That’s part of growing up.”

Betty came in and called them to dinner.

Rebecca could hardly eat. All she could think about was her promise to Chelsea. She so wished she could take it back. She didn’t want to leave these people. Her offer had been on impulse, but she’d known at once it was what was necessary. For herself as well as Chelsea.

She loved Jeff so much. If she stayed here, she would be rooting for him to break up with Chelsea, and that would be a terrible thing to do on her part.

“No appetite?” Jeff asked.

She suddenly realized everyone was staring at her. “I—I had a big lunch with Vanessa. We had the biggest hamburgers…so I have to eat less tonight.”

“You sound like Rachel,” Vivian said. “I worry about her. I don’t think she’s eating enough.”

“I know. But it’s going to take time for Rachel to settle in. She’s never known a family like this.” Rebecca thought about the fact that she was going to give it up and dropped her gaze to the table. “You’ll need to give her time.”

Vivian smiled warmly at Rebecca. “With you and
Vanessa to help her, she’ll settle soon enough. Right now she’s worrying about paying off her debts. She told me she was scheduled almost continuously until Christmas. She was so proud.”

“I don’t think modeling is easy work,” Rebecca said.

“Neither is being a mother, but you’ve managed well.”

Jeff was smiling at her and she couldn’t bear to hold his gaze. He wouldn’t be praising her tomorrow. “I try. Sometimes, as a mother, I have to do some unpopular things.” She kept a smile on her face and looked at Vivian, hoping she would understand tomorrow.

This departure was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. Her parting with Jeff five years ago had been involuntary, but this parting was her choice. And it was even more painful.

“Rebecca? Where were you? You seemed to leave us for a minute.” Jeff was staring at her again.

“I was thinking about the past, wondering if I made the right decisions.”

Will leaned toward her. “Better to leave the past alone. It can’t be changed.”

“I know.” She looked down at Joey and noticed he’d finished his dinner and was beginning to droop with exhaustion. “Joey, are you ready to go up to bed?”

“Yes, Mommy. Can Daddy come, too?”

Jeff responded at once. “I want to. But I’ve got a phone call I have to make. Then I’ll be up.”

Rebecca stood, taking Joey’s hand, thinking if Jeff knew this would be his last time for a while, he wouldn’t linger downstairs too long.

A
S SOON AS THE FAMILY HEARD
Rebecca and Joey on the stairway, Jeff leaned forward. “I need to take Rebecca out for coffee to meet Bill and Chelsea. They got engaged this afternoon, and I want them to tell Rebecca. She’ll believe them when she sees their faces. Then I’m going to propose to Rebecca, which, I hope, will stop her from leaving.”

“Leaving?” Vivian questioned, panic rising in her gaze. “Why would she be leaving?”

“It’s a long story, but it was because of my engagement to Chelsea. She feels like I’ve put her and Joey above Chelsea. She’s right, of course, but Chelsea and I were always better friends than we were lovers. When I saw how Chelsea responded to Bill, I knew it wouldn’t be long before they’d be together. But I couldn’t tell Rebecca that.”

“Oh, the poor dear. No wonder she was so distracted. When was she planning to leave?” Vivian asked.

“I believe in the morning.”

Vivian gasped.

Will said, “Will you give us a call before it gets too late if everything works out? Rebecca has her own key and is certainly too old to have a curfew, but I’d rather Vivian know everything is okay so she can get some sleep.”

“Yes, of course. And thank you. I promise I’ll take
care of her.” He stood. “I’ve got to call Bill and arrange to meet for coffee, if you’ll excuse me.”

W
HEN THEY LEFT
J
OEY’S ROOM
, Jeff asked Rebecca to go out with him for coffee.

“Why? Betty’s coffee is as good as any you can buy.”

“Because I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“It’s a surprise. And once you’ve seen my surprise, I’ll bring you back at once, if that’s what you want.”

“I don’t want to be out late.”

“No, of course not.”

“I’ll have to tell Vivian and Will.”

“I’ve already done that.”

“Oh.”

“Do you need a jacket?” Jeff asked.

She frowned at him. “No, the air is mild tonight.”

“Then let’s go.”

He took her to the Starbucks near his office. Once there, he bought her a cup of coffee and a pastry.

“I don’t need the pastry.”

“You hardly ate any dinner. I don’t want you passing out on me.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” she said, sounding very grouchy. She had her back to the door, so when Bill and Chelsea came in, she didn’t see them until they reached the table, coffee in hand.

“Oh, hi, what are you two doing here?” she asked, staring at their faces. Happiness was written all over
the two of them, and Bill kept his arm around Chelsea even after they sat down. Rebecca frowned.

Chelsea laid her left hand on the table. “Can you believe Bill already got me a ring? Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Jeff said with a laugh, “That ring must’ve drained one of the oil wells completely.”

“I know. Isn’t it divine?” Chelsea asked Rebecca.

Jeff read the shock on Rebecca’s face. “I hadn’t told her anything. I wanted her to see your happiness for herself. Honey,” he said gently, leaning toward Rebecca, “Bill and Chelsea have been falling in love all along. That’s why I didn’t worry about giving you and Joey all my attention. Today, she finally convinced her parents that he’d be a worthy suitor and broke off her engagement to me.”

“Oh, Rebecca, aren’t you thrilled everything turned out so well? Now you don’t have to leave.” Chelsea gave her a relieved smile. “I would’ve felt so guilty if you’d left for my sake. Now we can really be friends and go shopping together and raise our children together.”

“Children?” Rebecca asked, still in shock.

“Well, Bill wants lots of children, but we’ve come to an agreement on four. We’ll have to get started right away. I don’t want to be forty and pregnant.”

“You’ll be the most gorgeous pregnant woman no matter what your age, sweetheart,” Bill said.

“As will Rebecca,” Jeff said quietly.

“Well, you should know, Jeff. She’s already had your first child,” Chelsea reminded him with a grin.

“And I missed the whole thing, except for the conception.”

Rebecca suddenly stood. “I have to go. I’m very happy for the two of you.” Then she headed for the door.

Jeff hurried after her. “I’m sorry I didn’t explain things before they got here. I thought you were aware of their attraction to each other, too.”

“Please take me back home.”

After they got in the car, Jeff asked, “Rebecca, you won’t still leave in the morning, will you?”

“No.”

“Then can I show you one more thing?”

“What?

“It’s another surprise.”

“I can’t take much more.”

He turned into a nearby street, quiet, with stately trees lining it and even statelier homes. When he parked in front of one of them, Rebecca stared at him.

“I can’t meet anyone tonight. I’m too—I can’t think clearly.”

“There’s no one in the house. My housekeeper only comes during the day.”

“This is your house?” Rebecca asked, her voice rising with signs of hysteria.

He nodded and got out of the car, coming around to open her door. “Come on, honey. I want to show you where I live. It’s not a new house, but I’ve kept it in good condition, and I really like it.”

She followed him up the curving sidewalk to the
front door. He pulled out a key and opened the door. Then he turned and invited her in.

She stepped into the house, immediately loving it. It could use a little more color in its decor, but it had wonderful possibilities.

“It’s lovely, Jeff. Now I really have to go.”

“Not yet, Rebecca.” His voice was firm.

“But you promised—”

“I know I did. But tonight is our first time together when I’m free from any entanglements, and I can do what I’ve wanted to do since that first day I saw you at my office.” He suddenly dropped to one knee and took her hand in his.

She stared at him.

He didn’t waste any time. “Rebecca Barlow, will you marry me? Will you and Joey come live with me and be a family? Nothing in this world would make me happier.”

Instead of a joyful acceptance of his offer, Rebecca burst into tears.

He stood and took her in his arms. “Rebecca, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to be forced into marriage. I promise I won’t leave. I’ll let you see Joey as often as you want. I’ll—”

He kissed her, one of those deep, soulful kisses that always turns a woman inside out.

When he finally raised his lips from hers, he whispered, “But I want to make more Joeys, or Josettes or whatever the feminine form is. I want to share my life with you until we’re both too old to remember
all the joyous years we’ve had together. I want to be surrounded by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Most of all, I want you, Rebecca, and no one else.” He looked into her eyes. “I can’t tell you I’ve been celibate for five years, but there were only a couple of ladies, and I never repeated it. Because every time, I realized it was nothing like making love to you. I never made love to Chelsea because we were friends, not lovers.”

He kissed her again and her arms went around his neck and she held on for dear life. When he whispered in her ear, “Please say yes,” she barely had the breath to answer, but he heard the definite yes.

“Oh, Becca, I’ve been waiting for this day ever since I saw you in English class back in school. I just never thought it would take so long.”

“Me, neither.”

He kissed her several more times, their bodies heating as they shared themselves. When he buried his face in her hair, she said, “Where’s the bedroom?”

He stiffened. “I should take you home.”

She took a step back. “I’m too forward for you? Have you changed your mind?”

“Never. But I promised myself I wouldn’t make love to you until my wedding ring was on your finger,” he explained.

“Do you think I trust you any less now than I did five years ago when I gave you my virginity? I didn’t do so because I loved sex. I did so because I loved you. And I still do.”

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, you do. And the time will come when you think you got taken, so just remember you said that.”

“That time will never happen.”

“You haven’t seen me in labor yet,” she assured him with a chuckle.

“Oh, how I wish I had. I regret what happened so much.”

“As Will said, the past can’t be changed. The future can. Should I ask again, where’s the bedroom?”

“Are you sure?”

“More sure than anything I’ve done in the past five years.”

He took her hand and started up the stairs. “At least this will be a first for us.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, in a bed. We always made love in the back seat of my car.”

“I know. And it wasn’t as nice as the car you have now, but it was bigger. Our daughters are going to be warned about smooth talkers with a big back seat.”

“Our daughters aren’t going to be allowed out of the house until they’re thirty.”

“Famous last words. You think Joey’s got you wrapped around his little finger? Wait until a little girl with curls and big blue eyes begs for something.”

“I’ll tell her to ask her mother.” He opened the door to a large room. To Rebecca, the most important furniture at that moment was the big king-size bed. She started toward it.

“Wait a minute,” Jeff said.

“You’re having second thoughts?”

“No. I promised Will I’d call and tell them you weren’t leaving before they went to bed.”

“You told them I was leaving?”

“Yeah, I think that came out.” He looked guilty, but he moved to the phone beside the bed and dialed the number. “Will, it’s Jeff. Rebecca isn’t leaving after all. She’s going to marry me.” He paused and then said, “As soon as possible.”

Rebecca had followed him across the room. She lifted the phone from his hand. “Will, I won’t be home until morning. May we join you for breakfast?” After a pause, she said, “Thank you, goodbye.”

“Did you have to tell him that?”

“Did you have to tell him I was leaving?”

“I would’ve told the world if it stopped you from walking out of my life a second time. I barely survived the first time.”

“Me, too,” she whispered, walking into his embrace again. “I have so longed to be one with you. I’m hungry for your arms to hold me.”

“I never want you to be hungry again, my love.”

Their first mating went quickly, wildly, satisfying the aches that had been waiting for five years.

The second time, several hours later, was a savoring, a remembrance of their few times together. Each time Jeff used a condom, though he told Rebecca he intended to work on those brothers and sisters for Joey as soon as they were married.

“How many children do you want?” Rebecca asked as she stroked his chest.

“Four sounds like a good number to me. How many do you want?”

“Well, I suppose we should keep up with the Wallaces, you know. Or we could have five just to be sure they know we’re overachievers.”

“We’re going to get an early start. They’re planning on waiting for June to marry. I have next weekend in mind. How does that sound to you?”

“As long as Rachel is back by then. She and Vanessa and Will and Vivian and Betty and Peter need to be there. And Joey, of course.”

“We’ll need to have Bill and Chelsea there, too, I think. And Harriet, of course. They’re the only family I have.” He kissed her neck.

She brought his mouth to hers, a joining of passion that had driven their lovemaking.

“If we keep doing this, I’m going to have to get dressed and go out.”

Rebecca sat up, clutching the sheet to her bare breasts. “Why? Where would you go?”

“To an all-night store to buy some more condoms. I only have one left and I’m saving it for in the morning.”