Temptation's Kiss (11 page)

He'd seen so many marriages between actors fail. There were a few that survived until the couples had been parted in death. Foremost in his mind were Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis and Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. All were actors. All remained devoted to one another for more than fifty years. Could he and Patrice have a marriage that stood the test of time?

Patrice was smiling strangely at him. He smiled warmly. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

They walked down the steps of the stage, allowing an actress to take it. T.K. took Patrice's hand. “Can we get out of here?”

Patrice was agreeable. She hadn't fully recovered
from lying in the snow during their last scene together and wanted nothing more than a long soak in a deep tub of hot water. Before coming here, they had checked into T.K.'s suite. That's where they'd left Sam, who was probably bored by now. “Yeah, let's go,” she said.

They went back to the table where Lara and Ted were sitting. Patrice collected her shoulder bag and they said their farewells. Some of the people in this room they might never work with again; however, many of them they would see again during the course of their careers. Hollywood, while seemingly big to outsiders, was really made up of a rather small community of like-minded individuals.

Holding hands, they left the dining room.

Alone with Patrice in the corridor, T.K. paused to grasp her face between his hands and kiss her lips. Lifting his mouth from hers, he said, “What do you think of marriage?”

Patrice's eyes widened. T.K. smiled. He hoped he hadn't panicked the poor girl.

“I'm not asking you. I only wanted to know your opinion on the whole institution. Are you for it or against it?”

He took her hand again and they continued walking toward the lobby, which was pretty deserted at this time of night, ten-thirty. They would have to cross it to get to his suite.

“I would definitely prefer marriage over single parenthood,” Patrice said. “Not so much because I care
what society thinks of me but rather what my parents think of me. They've had a long, happy marriage.”

“So have mine,” T.K. said contemplatively. Earlier he had held two Hollywood marriages in high esteem, forgetting about his own parents'. Patrice helped him to keep his feet on the ground. That's another reason he admired her. She was down-to-earth and valued family, plus she had high ideals. She wasn't afraid to say her parents' opinion of her mattered.

“So you believe that two people can remain devoted to one another for the rest of their lives?”

Patrice gave him a puzzled look. “Of course I do. What are you getting at, Trevor?”

He loved it when she called him Trevor.

“I'm wondering how long I should wait before asking you to marry me,” he told her, making her stop in her tracks. He went on, not noticing that she was stunned. He stopped walking too, though, and peered into her eyes. “I love you, and to be honest, I don't think I've ever been in love before. I was always bent on watching out for T. K. McKenna's interests. I realize now that's the reason I was convinced that Edina wasn't with me out of love. She gave me no outward evidence of her infidelity until the end, yet I was still sure that she couldn't love me. She might have loved T. K. McKenna but not me.”

Her mind reeling from his admission of love, Patrice nonetheless had to ask, “Why do you keep referring to yourself in that way?”

“Because T. K. McKenna is not me. I'm Trevor. T.K.
is a Hollywood fabrication. With you, I feel like I can be Trevor, and you wouldn't miss T.K. at all. You tend to reject me when I'm being T.K. You turned down my gifts. I'm incapable of impressing you with being one of the biggest box-office draws in the world because you don't care about that. All you care about is whether or not I'm a good actor—and that I'm a good person.”

“That's the only thing that lasts in this business,” Patrice agreed. “You may not always be on top, but you can still turn in fine performances. It's so sad when aging actors keep trying to be the action hero because that's all they know. You're more than that. You're a fine actor.”

He laughed. “I thank you for that, but you know my opinion of acting. It's just a job. However, for you, I will expand my repertoire to more character roles and stop trying to save the world in every one of my films. Now, can we get back on the subject of marriage? Is it too soon to ask you, or should we wait a few months? Are you a traditionalist? Should I meet your parents before thinking of asking you?”

They'd arrived at his suite. He unlocked the door and allowed her to precede him inside. Sam came running to greet them.

Patrice knelt and rubbed his shaggy head. She was avoiding answering T.K.'s questions because she was trembling inside with excitement. She loved him. But marriage was a huge step. He had been a bachelor for a relatively long time. Did he really know what marriage entailed? The compromises one had to make? Not that
she was an authority, but she did know that marrying someone was not like living with them. Marriage required faith in the relationship—faith in the person you married. It meant that no matter what that you would stand by them. She didn't want to get married and get divorced a year later. When she married, she wanted it to last.

She rose and faced T.K. Looking into his eyes, his expression expectant, she said, “Sometimes I forget how decisive you can be. When you want something, you go after it with no notion whatsoever that you might fail in the pursuit.” She smiled. “That's admirable. Really, it is. But know this—when I get married I want it to last. Don't ever propose to me if you're not prepared to love me for the rest of your life. That's a deal breaker. And to answer your other question, yes, I'd like you to meet my parents before you decide if I'm the woman for you. My family comes with me—just like your family comes with you. I'm not saying that I wouldn't marry you if they didn't like you. Then I would have to tell them I don't need their approval to marry the man I love.”

T.K. grinned, and then he kissed her long and hard. She made him believe that love could last forever. He raised his head. “Then take me home to meet your parents.”

P
atrice and T.K. got back to Los Angeles on December 20. They had driven T.K.'s SUV, taking turns at the wheel with stops for meals and to walk Sam. Once in L.A. they spent a couple days at Patrice's place and then decided if T.K. wanted to meet her parents, then there was no time like the present. They left Sam with T.K.'s parents and hit the road. Christmas in Albuquerque, because of its huge Hispanic population, is celebrated with relish. Everywhere luminarias—flaming candles set in paper sacks with their bottoms filled with sand for stability—line streets, staircases of homes and businesses and doorways.

Patrice loved the way they looked all around the city. She and T.K. had helped place the illuminated bags along the walk leading to the Sutton ranch house, a sprawling
one-story structure. The house, architecturally Spanish in style, sat in the middle of a thousand acres that had been owned by the Suttons for generations.

Today, December 24, was the second day since their arrival, and she thought T.K. was enjoying his visit so far. Right now, he was out herding the cattle to the south pasture with her father; her brothers, Luke and Patrick; and a couple of ranch hands.

Patrice was standing at the big picture window in the kitchen, peering outside hoping to see T.K. riding up soon with the rest of the men to stable their horses and come inside for Christmas Eve dinner, which she and her mother; her sister, Keira; and her sister-in-law, Nina, had been preparing all day.

Cady Sutton came to stand beside her. “Worried about him?” she asked, showing dimples in both cheeks. She, like the rest of the women, was dressed casually in slacks, a shirt and comfortable shoes. Traditionally they dressed for Christmas dinner but not for the meal the night before. After the meal, they would pile into cars and go to their church for the Christmas Eve service. The dress there was also casual because a lot of the families who attended were of modest means, and the clergy preferred a good turnout rather than a fashionable congregation.

At their church, the Christmas Eve service was all about the children. The congregation's children put on a play, and mothers and fathers inevitably tried to capture it on film. It was Patrice's favorite part of the holidays.
She remembered portraying Mary when she was seven. She considered it her first starring role.

“No, I'm not worried about him,” she answered softly. “He's a good rider. I just hope they don't try to test him or something.”

“You know your father,” said her mother with a short laugh.

Yes, Patrice knew her father. He was a shameless practical joker, and he was probably pulling a prank on her unsuspecting sweetie right now. Her brothers would be happy to join in the fun.

 

T.K. could have sworn that Mr. Sutton was taking them in circles, and they had passed this way before. But he rode beside Patrice's father without protesting. They were supposed to meet up with the other four men and head back to the ranch. He and Mr. Sutton had herded the cattle from the south end while the other four men had taken the north end, and now the cattle was grazing on the sparse grass that grew in the south field. He had been amazed at the size of the herd, more than seven hundred head. He'd never seen that many cows in one place before.

He supposed it was obvious to these Southwestern men that he was a city boy. He didn't let that bother him, though. Like most new skills, he was excited about learning how to herd cattle the right way.

Suddenly Patrick Sutton pulled on his horse's reins
and stopped the animal. He listened intently. “What's that?” He nervously peered behind them.

It was dusk, and although T.K. had twenty-twenty vision, it was difficult to clearly see anything in the distance because of snow flurries.

Then he heard something moving in the brush not twenty feet away from them. His mount whinnied and took a few steps backward as if it were afraid of whatever was in the brush. “Be perfectly still,” Patrick Sutton warned him. “I believe we've got a mountain lion on our trail.”

Instead of being afraid, T.K. was thrilled. He got to see a mountain lion in its natural habitat! He wished he had brought his digital camera with him. Wait, he had his phone on him, and it had a built-in camera. He was reaching inside his coat to retrieve his cell phone from his shirt pocket when Luke leaped from the cover of the brush with a growl that could have been that of a mountain lion.

“What the hell!” T.K. cried and almost fell off his horse.

Mr. Sutton laughed so hard
he
nearly fell off
his
horse. For a moment, T.K. looked from father to son, confused. Then he burst out laughing, too.

“What were you digging in your pocket for?” Mr. Sutton asked. “Were you going to call the police?”

“No,” T.K. admitted, “I thought I could get a photo of the mountain lion.”

Patrick Sutton really laughed then. “Son, that may not
be the brightest idea.” He nudged his horse closer so he could fondly pound T.K. on the back. “You're okay!”

Laughing, Luke, Patrick and the ranch hands, Jim and Charlie, came out of hiding then, and they rode companionably back to the ranch. T.K. had enjoyed his time with them.

Once they were back at the ranch, they took their horses to the stable, removed their saddles, rubbed the horses down, gave them fresh grain and water and then went into the ranch house through the kitchen door.

The women welcomed the six men back, wives going to their husbands to help them out of their coats and hanging them up. Patrice helped T.K. out of his coat. She watched him closely, trying to discern if his afternoon with the men had been a positive experience for him. He was looking at her just as intently, with longing. She could feel the sexual tension between them, like the air was charged with electricity. They had not made love since they'd been here. She didn't feel comfortable being intimate in her parents' house. He respected her wishes. But right now, he looked like he could kiss her until she passed out. Her temperature rose just thinking about it.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly.

T.K. bent and inhaled her scent. It turned him on more than he already had been. “God, I miss holding you,” he whispered.

Patrice blushed and said, “Yeah, I know how you feel.” She hung the coat on the rack near the door and walked
back to him. “What happened out there?” she asked, concerned.

“I don't know what you mean,” T.K. said. “We moved the cattle to the south pasture.”

“I know you moved the cattle to the south pasture,” whispered Patrice urgently. “I mean, what did my dad and my brothers do to you? I know them. They did something to test your mettle, as my daddy puts it.”

T.K. laughed shortly. “Darlin', they were on their best behavior.” He wasn't going to tell her about the mountain lion prank. He was in the men's club now, and the best way to get out of it was by shooting off at the mouth about activities done in private. He would take his cue from her father and brothers. If they remained silent, so would he.

Soon they sat down to eat. Keira's husband, Dr. Jorge Lopez, who was a general practitioner at a local hospital, had arrived and was sitting next to his wife at the table. Cady had seated all of the couples side by side except for herself and Patrick. He was at one end of the table, a ranch hand sitting near him and she was at the other end with a ranch hand next to her.

Everyone bowed their heads as Patrick Sr. said the prayer. “Father, we come to you on the eve of what many believe is your son's day of birth. Now, it may be and it may not be, but you have to admit, Lord, our hearts are in the right place. Thanks for your blessings year-round. We try to always remember that material possessions come and go, but love for your family remains constant,
as it should. So thank you for increasing our fold, two babies on the way. That's the best news in a long time. Amen!”

“Amen,” everyone said, and conversation commenced as dishes were passed from person to person until everyone had filled their plates.

Patrice heard pieces of conversation at the large table, Keira asking Jorge if he was still on call or could spend the rest of the evening with her. He unfortunately had to return to the hospital after dinner. “Someone's covering for me until I get back.”

Patrice's heart had gone out to her sister when she saw the disappointment written on her pretty face. Being a doctor's wife wasn't easy.

Beside her Luke was asking T.K. how much of the stunt work he did in his movies. T.K. had laughed. “As few as I can. Generally, though, if you can see my face, it's me.

“If you can't, it's probably a stuntman.”

Luke found this fascinating. “That was really you swinging from one building to another using a piece of the building's awning?”

“Yeah, but I was only about fifteen feet off the ground,” T.K. told him. “There wasn't much danger involved.”

“It looked like you were much higher than that,” Luke said, sounding disappointed.

“That's the magic of movies,” T.K. said. “They make you believe you're seeing what they want you to see.”
T.K. began asking him questions. “Patty tells me you're in college. What're you majoring in?”

“Business administration,” Luke told him. “I'll use what I learn to run the ranch more efficiently.” Luke looked sheepishly at his father who was sitting at the end of the table. “Pops won't admit it, but he's old school and things could run smoother around here.”

His father, who had sharp ears, couldn't let that slide. “This ranch has run efficiently for over a hundred years. There is nothing new under the sun about ranching. It's hard work. You can't calculate hard work on some computer. You have to get out there in the wind and the rain and the snow and do it!”

“Now, Patrick, that isn't what Luke means,” Cady spoke up. Everyone's attention was now on the argument between father and son. “He just thinks that with some financial planning you could get more of a return for all that hard work you do. I don't see anything radical about his thinking. You hate doing the books anyway—always have. I end up doing them, and I'll be happy when someone takes over the job!”

Patrick stared down the table at his wife, sitting at the opposite end. “I didn't know that's how you felt.”

“Well, now you do,” said Cady, sitting up straighter on her chair and giving him a defiant look. “So stop getting on Luke's case every time he mentions running the ranch more efficiently.”

“Yes, Mrs. Sutton,” said Patrick Sr. obediently with a soft look in his eyes.

Patrice noticed everyone had gone back to their individual conversations now that the altercation between her parents had been amicably resolved. Or had it? Patrick Sr. got up out of his chair and strode to the end of the table, pulled Cady to her feet and hugged her. “You're a spirited filly. That's why I love you.” Then he kissed her.

Laughter and applause erupted from those around the table.

And kissed her…

“That's right, Daddy Sutton, lay one on her!” Nina cried.

And kissed her…

“Um, Pops, your food's getting cold,” Luke said nervously.

And kissed her…

“We'd just as well finish dinner,” Patrice said. “This might take a while.”

Finally, Patrick Sr. let his wife up for air. Cady was smiling and starry eyed. “You're a damn good kisser. That's why I married
you.
” She sighed and walked back to her chair at the table. “What is everybody looking at? Yes, mature people still have a passion for one another. Now eat!”

T.K. laughed softly at Patrice's side. “I like your parents.”

“Apparently they still like each
other
pretty well, too,” Patrice said, smiling. She had been warmed by
her parents' display of long-held passion. She reached for T.K.'s hand and he gave it to her. “I'm glad you came.”

He smiled at her. “So am I.” He felt inspired at that moment, inspired by the love in this room and inspired by the woman at his side.

Still holding her hand, he rose, bringing her to a standing position with him. He cleared his throat. “I have something to say,” he announced.

He felt Patrice squeeze his hand. He pulled her close to his side, his arm wrapped around her, and he felt her relax against him. “I know my showing up with Patrice was a surprise. She didn't call ahead to say she was bringing me, and I know some of you have been wondering why she brought me.” He looked at Nina specifically because he had overheard her speculating with Patrick about why Patrice had brought him home for Christmas. She'd said they were probably in love. “You were right, Nina,” he told her now.

Nina grinned and danced excitedly on her chair. “I knew it!”

“You knew what, sweetie?” asked Cady.

Looking into Patrice's upturned face, T.K. said, “She knew that I'm in love with your daughter.”

“Son, anybody looking at you looking at her coulda told you that,” said Patrick Sr.

“I love him, too,” Patrice said softly.

This brought awed silence from her family. They knew Patrice didn't take the love word lightly. This was a momentous occasion.

Cady's eyes filled with tears. She picked up her cloth napkin and dabbed at them. Looking at T.K., she said, “Go on, son.”

Smiling, T.K.'s gaze went from Cady to Patrick Sr. “Mr. and Mrs. Sutton, I asked Patrice to bring me to meet you because I want to ask her to be my wife. This doesn't come as a surprise to Patty because we've already discussed it. What she doesn't know is that I'm going to ask her now, in front of her family.” He reached inside his shirt pocket and produced a beautiful diamond solitaire ring set in platinum.

“When did you…?” Patrice began, wondering when he'd had time to go ring shopping.

Then she remembered that man in the black suit who had shown up at his parents' house with his lawyer. Patrice had thought they were in his dad's study discussing the situation with Aisha, who had been temporarily appeased by a shopping trip for new clothes to fit her postpregnancy body. She had promised to think about her next step until after the New Year. Then they would sit down and figure out what was best for Mira. “Your lawyer brought the jeweler with him,” she said to T.K.