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Now was an entirely different story. She needed to hear something nice, something to put her at ease, something to let her know she hadn’t made a total emotional blunder last night. He walked past the bed, gathering her clothes, which were scattered all around the room, even her bra was hanging from the nightstand. She grabbed it before he could see it, burying it under the covers with her. God! Couldn’t he stand the mess for even a few minutes? It was dawn, for heaven’s sake.

  “What the hell are these?”

  Kelly peeked out from the bed where she was pretending to doze. Luke was holding up her shoes.

  “What?” she asked, mystified by his tone.

  “In fact, what the hell are these clothes?”

  He frowned while turning the pile of clothes around to peruse. It was evident he disapproved of what she’d worn last night. Had his wife never taught him a few manners? Like telling a woman after sleeping with her that he didn’t like her outfit, might sound a bit insensitive?

  “My clothes,” she said, sitting up.

  “Why did you come over here last night?” His gaze was back on her, his eyes puzzled.

  “I was going to see if you wanted to have dinner, that’s all. It’s not like I planned all this.”

  “What the hell were you wearing black slacks and a white blouse for? With flats?”

  Luke Tyler as the fashion police?

  “You didn’t seem to mind what I wore last night.”

  “I don’t care what you wear, that’s the point.”

  “You’ve lost me.”

  He tossed the clothes aside, then glanced at her. He came over and sat on the bed, taking her hand, which made her feel totally off center. First he insults her, now he wanted…what?

  “You don’t wear slacks, ever. You don’t wear dark, conservative clothes. You had that outfit on because of me, didn’t you? I mean flat shoes? I’ve never seen you wear flat shoes, even in the hospital after you were beaten up by Cassie’s ex, you still had on heels.”

  She jerked her hand from his. How did he notice so much?

  “Don’t do that,” he said when she didn’t answer him.

  “Do what?”

  “Don’t compromise yourself for some guy. Any guy. You sell yourself short. So I don’t like you being taller than me, what the hell does that have to do with what you wear?”

  “But if we were going out, it seemed like it’d be better for you not to hate my height.”

  “It’s pretty much impossible to hate anything about how you look. You could wear a gunnysack and still be the most stunning woman in any room. So what if I don’t like it that you’re taller than me? My problem, not yours.”

  “What are you doing? Giving me dating advice?”

  “I don’t want to see you compromise any part of yourself because you’re unsure of how others will react. And for the record, I was not criticizing you the other night. I happened to notice what your style is like. It wasn’t like I was trying to change it. Or you.”

  “Even the heels?”

  “Especially the heels. Do you know what they do for your legs?”

  She laughed out loud. First he was criticizing her, and then he turned it into one of the nicest compliments any man had ever given her.

  He brushed her hair back. “So what do you think?”

  “Think?”

  “Last night? Us? Are you okay with what happened?”

  “More than okay. You?”

  “Me? You’re kidding, right? You’re incredible and whatever asshole gave you the idea that you’re not, I’d love to shoot for you. Are you sorry?”

  “Sorry? No. There hasn’t ever been anyone I could trust to do this with.”

  “This, meaning to see if you like sex?”

  She slid down so she wasn’t looking him in the eye.

  “Yes, I guess if you must be so out there with it. Yes, to see if I liked sex. I couldn’t bear someone telling the media about me, either way. You’re the first man I’ve trusted to just be with me.”

  “I’m glad you did,” he said, smiling at her. “And you can trust me. I was afraid you’d regret this after the way I behaved last night. I didn’t know if you felt pressured.”

  “No. I didn’t feel pressured. I felt needed. You needed me, didn’t you? To see what sex with someone else besides Shelly was like?”

  “Three years I’ve gone without sleeping with someone else. And yeah, it was only you that I could imagine sleeping with, without wishing you were…”

  “Shelly? You really didn’t wish I was her last night?”

  “No, not even for a second. She wasn’t here. That was probably the reason I’ve never slept with anyone else. I couldn’t picture her not being in my head. But she wasn’t, it was all you. Like I said, you’re one hell of a woman.”

  “I am?” She raised her eyebrows. Did he mean that?

  “You are.”

  “Now what?”

  He grinned and her insides liquefied. She was in trouble.

  “I promised my mom I’d pick up Tim. Why don’t you come?”

  Kelly bolted up. “Oh no, your mother.”

  “My mom? What about her?”

  “She came by here yesterday while I was finishing up and saw me leaving your bedroom. She assumed I’d slept here, that we were sleeping together, and she wasn’t real thrilled by that knowledge.”

  “My mom, huh? Well, I guess you proved her right.”

  “That’s it? I can’t face her.”

  “Why? What’s she going to say? I’m a little old for her to be worrying about whom I sleep with, don’t you think?”

  “You didn’t see her reaction to me. Let’s just say she seemed to think you’d brought home the wrong girl.”

  “Are you sure you read her right? She isn’t usually judgmental.”

  “Oh, I’m sure.”

  “Out of curiosity, why didn’t you correct her assumption?”

  “Because she seemed so horrified by it, she deserved to keep thinking it.”

  “And my guess is she wasn’t totally pleased to see me moved in. She likes to be involved. She’s been doing that, too, to her heart’s content with me the last few years. I’m sure discovering that she was behind on my life was unpleasant for her. Anyway, you certainly don’t have to hide out here while I’m going to pick up your own nephew. You have more right than any of us to go get him. We have a few hours, take your time. I didn’t sleep, so I figured why not get up?”

  He rose as he spoke and left the room before she could ask him why he hadn’t slept. Regrets over her? Pain over Shelly? What exactly haunted Luke Tyler at night?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nancy Tyler opened the door to their knock, her smile of pleasure dying when she spotted Kelly behind Luke. Kelly glanced at Luke, but he was already headed into the living room of the split-level and didn’t seem to notice his mother’s look of disdain.

  Kelly was completely out of body to be following Luke into his parents’ house to pick up their nephew. Liam, Luke’s father, was smiling at Luke, but his grin dimmed when she made eye contact with him. Although Liam didn’t give her the glacial stare that Nancy did, he was noticeably displeased to see her. Tim came out of the kitchen and bounded over to Kelly with an exclamation of excitement, along with a litany of everything he’d been doing. He couldn’t decide which grandparents were the most fun, and he wanted to spend the night again as soon as possible. If Tim thought anything was strange about Luke and Kelly being together when they usually weren’t, he didn’t let on.

  “You’re welcome to stay for breakfast. I assumed you’d want, too. But if you need to go—”

  “Sure, we’ll stay.”

  Kelly nearly groaned at Luke for being so dense. His mother never trailed her sentences off. Nancy didn’t want Kelly there, and Kelly didn’t want to be there, so why was Luke prolonging everyone’s torture? Did he really not see and feel the tension that his parents made no attempt to conceal? Tim, of course, was thrilled and ran around in circles and then
off to play. How could Luke not have imparted to Kelly that a meal was being included in picking up Tim? Wouldn’t a warning have been nice? Why would he do this to her? It wasn’t like they were boyfriend and girlfriend. She was his one-night stand. Why would he bring her home to his parents? Especially when she’d just told Luke this morning his mother hated her?

  What was she supposed to do? Should she offer to help out Nancy? Or should she sit down and stay out of the way? There was no doubt Nancy could handle any domestic situation with the ease of a professional event organizer. Kelly chose to sit down and try to blend in with the couch. Unfortunately, that left her with Liam, who wouldn’t so much as look at her, much less attempt polite conversation.

  When they were alone, she was going to give Luke a talking to that would confirm every opinion he used to hold about her. And he’d deserved it. The stupid idiot.

  ****

  “So what’s your problem?”

  Luke followed his mother into the kitchen as she busily scooped steaming food onto plates.

  “Problem? What do you mean, honey?”

  “Kelly. I gather you’re a bit put out by the turn of events between us?”

  Nancy set the spoon down with unintended force, making the gravy splatter off the ladle and onto her top, but she was too irate to notice. “What did she tell you?”

  “She told me nothing. Kelly is nothing like she portrays. Just as I’m sure Cassie has told you.”

  Nancy turned and grabbed the coffee pot, pouring it with purpose. “Yes, Cassie has tried to tell me that. But come on, Kelly Reeves? I thought you saw through her. You aren’t like every other man who turns into a Neanderthal at seeing her. You are better than that.”

  “What you saw the other day was her finishing decorating my condo so I could tolerate moving into it. And I’m not a Neanderthal who only wants her because of what she looks like.”

  “I don’t want to know this. Why would you bring her home? How am I supposed to feel? I know you’re a grown man with needs, but have some discretion!”

  “You’re kidding me, right? First of all, this isn’t my home. I’m a grown man, and Tim is her nephew for God’s sake. And you ask me how I can bring her along to pick him up? My needs aren’t what’s upsetting you.”

  “It’s just that Kelly is nothing like Shelly.”

  “I know. That’s kind of the point.”

  Nancy set the coffee pot down as tears filled her eyes. “I want you to move on. I do. I start every day worrying about you, and wondering what I can do for you. But there’s nothing I can do. But seeing you with Kelly, it’s just so wrong.”

  “I know you loved Shelly, too, but that’s not Kelly’s fault.”

  Nancy nodded. “I did. I truly loved her. She became like my own daughter.”

  “Like Cassie is now.”

  “Yes, like Cassie is now. But Kelly? She’s nothing like Cassie.”

  Luke smiled. “No, she isn’t. But she’s whom I’ve chosen to move on with.”

  “Are you serious about her?”

  “Serious about not hurting her. And not wanting you to hurt her either.”

  “But why her?”

  “Why Kelly? I don’t know. Why did I love Shelly? I don’t know, things just feel right or they don’t.”

  “Well, of course you loved Shelly. She was wonderful, nurturing, and intelligent. She had substance, and she loved you unconditionally.”

  “She was also a know-it-all, snored so badly I couldn’t sleep unless I went to bed first, and it drove her nuts that it didn’t bother me that she made more money than I did. Did you know that? That she was far more ambitious than I was? And that my lack of materialism drove her nuts?”

  “Why are you saying all this about her? This isn’t like you. It’s Shelly you’re talking about, your beloved Shelly, why are you talking like this?”

  “My point is, Shelly was a real person, and we had a totally imperfect relationship. And for every wonderful thing about both of us, there were also faults. Just as there are with Kelly.”

  “How can you compare them?”

  “I’m not. You are. I’m not marrying Kelly. So what’s your problem with her and me spending time together?”

  “It’s not the time with another woman that bothers me. It’s who it is. Think of your reputation. You’re a teacher in this town, you need to set a good example.”

  “You loved Cassie when Cassie was the one who was all the things you’re implying Kelly is. Explain that to me?”

  “Cassie couldn’t help it. There were a lot of bad circumstances in her life.”

  “The same circumstances Kelly came from.”

  “Cassie has nothing to do with this.”

  “Then what does?”

  “Kelly takes naked pictures. Tell me why that’s okay?”

  “That was a decade ago, and so what?”

  “I just didn’t picture my son dating a…”

  “Don’t. Don’t be like that. She’s not a prostitute or porn star. She took some racy pictures in another life to get ahead. Why are you being like this? You’re never so narrow-minded and judgmental, you usually trust John’s and my judgment. Like you did with Cassie. Why not this time?”

  “Because Cassie never hung on our wall for your father to admire,” Nancy blurted out as she threw down the dish towel she’d been holding. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and her eyes grew big. Just as Liam and Kelly walked into the kitchen, no doubt wondering what was taking Nancy so long to serve breakfast.

  No one said a word. What was there to say to that? Okay, he could almost understand his mother’s problem with Kelly. He hadn’t intended for their conversation to go anywhere near this level of embarrassment. He assumed his mother was put out because Kelly wasn’t Shelly, not because his father had admired Kelly’s naked pictures.

  Kelly turned and left without a word. Liam turned so pink, he looked like an ad for blush. And his mother was so horrified, she was for once, speechless.

  “Well, I could have done without that,” Luke finally said.

  “Nancy, how could you? We agreed never to let that out.”

  “I assume you took the pictures down?” Luke cocked an eyebrow at his dad.

  “Of course, we took them down, the very day we met Kelly and figured out our connection to her,” Nancy snapped at Luke.

  The pictures had been out in Liam’s shop where he puttered around with woodworking, and like every other respectable male, had a wall with pretty girls he found attractive. John and Luke used to sneak in there as boys to peek at them. Of course their dad knew, but he pretended he didn’t. That wall was, in fact, both boys’ introduction to the female body.

  But now some things were made clear. Like why normally well-mannered and polite Liam wouldn’t even look Kelly in the eye or utter a word to her. And why his usually diplomatic and fair-minded mother seemed so irrationally resentful of Kelly.

  Both of his parents were picturing her naked and were so embarrassed by it, they seemed to blame Kelly.

  This was going to happen. Kelly was who she was. A very well-known model whose body was places Luke preferred it wasn’t. Like the internet, calendars, magazines, and adorning too many guys’ walls to count. Including his dad’s! This aspect wasn’t something he considered when he got involved with Kelly. But too late, he was involved. And she certainly shouldn’t pay the price for that.

  “Well, I doubt Kelly will be joining us for breakfast now, so I might as well go find her. I’ll see you later.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say? See you later? Doesn’t this upset you? Your father has seen your girlfriend naked. It’s sick and wrong.”

  “Nancy!” Liam’s face turned an even brighter shade of red.

  “What do you want me to do? There’s nothing I can do to change it. It explains a lot about both of your attitudes toward her, so at least, I know why. Besides, she’s not my girlfriend in that sense of the word. And by the way, there is nothing sick and wrong
with Kelly. You’d both do well to remember that the next time you see her, because no matter if I’m involved with her or not, you will be seeing her.”

  ****

  Luke turned and left his parents’ kitchen. He found Tim waiting for him outside to play catch and Kelly sitting in his truck. He had the keys in his pocket, otherwise, he had a feeling Kelly would have left long ago.

  “Hey Tim, why don’t you go say ‘bye’ to Grandma and Grandpa, okay?”

  “What about breakfast?”

  “Let’s go out instead.”

  Luke went to the passenger side and opened the door.

  “How many times have you told me those are just pictures and they mean nothing? That you’re not embarrassed by them?”

  Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. “That was before there was anyone to look at them. They certainly didn’t do anything for Cassie, and there was never anyone else in my life whom they could embarrass.”

  “Well, by branching out and talking to more than your sister, you’re going to run into this. You can’t react like this each and every time. You’re the one who told me you weren’t embarrassed, so why start now?”

  “Your father though?”

  “Okay, it’s going to take some getting used to. But by his reaction, I’d say you’re going to have to be the mature one about this. Neither of you did anything wrong, and obviously it won’t be happening again. So now you know what their problem is, and it isn’t you, it’s their own shame. They’ll get over it, especially if you make them.”

  “Doesn’t this bother you?”

  “We’ve established I was wrong about everything concerning you. I was a jerk, and you were kind enough to forgive me.”

  “Forgive you?”

  “Yeah. You forgave me, so you’re going to have find it in you to forgive my parents.”

  “It’s not about that. How can I ever be in the same room with them?”

  “The only difference is now you know; they’ve known the whole time. We’re going to have to be grownups about this.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He leaned into the truck and touched her face so she’d have to look up at him. He brushed his lips over hers in a lingering kiss.

  “I’m not. And I don’t want you to be either. For anything. For us. For your past. For pictures that have nothing to do with anything.”