How was she going to
keep her secret? It had been with her like a living thing for twenty-one years.
I’m glad Secrets is
included in the Turquoise Morning Press Sweet But Sexy boxed
set along with stories from other fine TMP authors. The book was special to me,
because as I wrote it, I reflected on my teen and young adult relationship with
my mother. We were friends at her passing, but not without changes on both our
parts.
A “sweet” romance, Secrets
is a book my mother would have liked. In fact, she told all her blue-haired lady
friends that the “editor” wrote the love scene in my first romance. And it was
really tame!
Seneca Park
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
“Kelly, will you
marry me?”
Heat swept Kelly Baron’s face, and it had nothing to do with
the warm June day. Choking back dismay, she stared at the kneeling man at her
feet. “For goodness sakes, Thomas, stand up.”
Thomas struggled to his feet and sat down beside her on the
park bench. His normally flushed face was peppered with sweat, and he had an
expectant look in his eyes. “I’m serious,” he said, fumbling in his pocket and
withdrawing a small, black velvet box. “Dead serious.” He lifted the lid.
Secured inside the box was a spectacular princess-cut
diamond solitaire set in a white gold, cathedral setting. Kelly was somewhat of
an expert about diamond engagement rings because of her daughter’s recent wedding,
but she never expected Thomas Dunlap to offer her one, let alone one that
looked to be the size of a carat.
Kelly focused on the beautiful ring, avoiding the
conflicting emotions whirling in her head and the warning bells ringing in her
ears.
Her usually reticent suitor became assertive and removed the
ring from its box. “Here. Try it on.”
Before Kelly could demur, Thomas grabbed her left hand and
slipped the ring on the third finger.
“It’s too big,” were the only words she could force from her
dry lips.
“That’s no problem,” Thomas said, bending over her hand. She
could see the thinning spot of hair at the top of his head. He slid the ring up
and down on her finger, and then raised his eyes. “We can get it sized to fit.
What do you think?”
“It’s lovely.”
“No, about marrying me.”
That again. Panic set in. It’s not that Kelly didn’t like
Thomas. They had been dating since his divorce. He was an elementary school
principal in Jefferson County, and she taught fifth grade in a local Catholic
school. They liked to walk for exercise, go to Broadway Series plays, and eat
Italian. They had a lot in common. But she had never, ever considered marrying
anybody, not even when she’d been pregnant with C.B. and needed to get married
in the worst way.
“I’m not sure it’s the right time,” Kelly mumbled, looking
at the way a thin strand of salt and pepper hair fell across his forehead.
….
Time for a forced smile. Did she want to spend the rest of
her life with Thomas Dunlap? Become Mrs. Thomas Dunlap? No. For one thing, if
she ever married, she would keep her maiden name. She would never succumb to an
out-of-date tradition. And besides, she was too self-reliant, too used to doing
what she pleased with only her daughter and her aunt to put her life in the
hands of another.
But Aunt Bess was dead and C.B. was married. Thomas was
right. She was free.
“This is such a surprise. Will you let me think about it?”
She hated the timid note that crept into her voice. Slowly, Kelly disengaged
her hands and withdrew the sparkling ring from her finger. It was too much
bling. It was too much pressure. She handed it back to him. “You know I don’t
do change well.”
Thomas slid the ring back into its protective velvet box. He
had the look of a man receiving a death sentence. I hate to hurt his feelings. She hadn’t quite told him “no,” but
she hadn’t said “yes.” If the
situation were reversed, she’d feel like shit.
“You have a habit of avoiding things,” he said with a sharp
shake of his finger, reprimanding her as if she was a six-year-old caught
hitting another child on the playground. “It’s a character flaw you need to
work on.”
Kelly shifted on the park bench. Thomas was always too
blunt. That was his character flaw.
She pressed her right hand hard against the bench and fought down her
annoyance.
Yet could Thomas be right?
Twenty-one years ago she had avoided telling C.B.’s father
she was pregnant, but that was because his mother had found out they were
secretly dating and warned her away from him. She made it perfectly clear her
son had a future that didn’t include a small town girl from the wrong side of
the tracks. It was evident she went behind her son’s back because he never said
anything about his mother’s interference. Probably her husband didn’t even know
about her scare tactics.
But his mother was right. When they talked about life after
high school, he made it clear he didn’t intend to end up in a small town like
his father. He intended to go places, be important. Kelly was never part of
that future he painted for himself.
When she found out she was pregnant, Kelly couldn’t tell
him. He didn’t love her. He would reject her and their child.
And so once Kelly started keeping the secret, she had never
revealed the truth to anyone, especially not her own father, who had threatened
to beat it out of her and confront the boy and his parents. It was just as easy
to avoid telling her mother, who could be bullied by her husband, and later
C.B., who accepted life without a father. Leaving her hometown and moving to
Louisville put distance between her and the problem.
Thomas cleared his throat. “I won’t wait forever,” he told
her.
“Of course not.” Kelly shook off the memories and touched
his sleeve. How did she soften her response? “I just need time to process this.
Please?”
He kissed her then—a typical Thomas kiss with lips pressed
firmly shut and eyes closed. Kelly responded, as always, timidly, tepidly—trying
to deny the longing in her heart for the love of her life—someone who cherished
her, didn’t want to change her and loved her just the way she was.
Someone she was too afraid to find.
Thanks for hosting me! This boxed set has been fun, hasn't it?
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