Love's Deception (4 page)

“I think Danny would be mad at me if I said no, but you should know I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”

Ty’s smile lit the gloomy house like a ray of sunshine piercing a dark storm cloud. “Neither am I, so no pressure. It will just be a couple of friends hanging out. When you were in the restroom at Red Robin, I told him I’d teach him to throw a football. I was hoping to keep my promise.”

Cat caught her lower lip between her teeth. She never played catch with her son. It simply hadn’t crossed her mind. What else was he missing out on by not having a father?

Ty interrupted her musing. “But only if that’s okay with you.”

Relieved he had agreed to the boundaries for their next date, she smiled. “Of course. I’d like that and so would Danny.”

Her cell phone rang in her pocket, halting the conversation. “Hello,” she answered.

“Hey, Cat, this is Allen. I’m almost to your place. I want to drop something by. Are you and your mom home?”

She glanced at Ty and turned away. “Yeah, I’m home, but can it wait until tomorrow?”

“I have fresh flowers for your mother. I heard the news—I’m so sorry. My mom told me about the test results. I know you’re probably worn out after the week you’ve had, so I won’t stay long.”

There would be no changing his mind when he was almost here. Plus, the company and the flowers would cheer her mom, who loved Allen. They had known him since he and Cat were in the sixth grade, when his family moved into the ward. Their families had been friends all these years. He graduated from BYU and took a job in Dallas, Texas, and he had never married. Six months ago, his dad had passed away. After that Allen decided to move back to Oregon to be closer to his mom. He now worked for a computer company in the neighboring city of Beaverton.

“Okay, sure, Allen. I’ll see you in a minute.” Cat ended the call and turned around.

Ty’s penetrating eyes seemed to search for something in her face. “Who was that?”

“A friend. We grew up together. His mother is Judy, my mom’s best friend.”

“I see. So is he the boyfriend kind of friend? Or the married, has-kids-the-same-age-as-Danny kind of friend?”

My, you’re a bold one.
“He’s not married and he doesn’t have kids, but I don’t know that I consider him a serious boyfriend.” Cat almost rolled her eyes at her lame answer.

“But you have dated?” Ty said it so calmly that it only made her more aware of her frayed nerves. She told herself to stop chewing on her bottom lip. Of all things, she couldn’t believe she was talking about this on a first date.
Of course. Allen’s a returned missionary and goes to church every week. He asked me out. So why wouldn’t I date him?
“We’ve dated,” she replied finally. Since she didn’t want a relationship with Ty, it probably didn’t matter what she said about Allen.

Ty nodded. “But I take it he’d like to be your steady boyfriend, right?” Headlights flashed across the window. “I guess that’s my cue to leave.”

Cat was surprised by the sudden sadness she felt at realizing he would walk out her door. “I’m sorry.”

Ty shook his head. “Don’t be. I should be going to bed now anyway. The alarm’s going off at four thirty tomorrow morning.”

“Ouch, that sounds awful.”

The bell rang and Ty, who was the closest, opened the door. Cat didn’t miss the brief exchange of glances as the two men sized each other up. Undoubtedly Ty would come out on top. He had Allen beat in both height and weight. And while Allen was nice to look at, she imagined Ty could melt any girl down to her toes simply by smiling at her. “You must be Allen. I’m Ty Bradford.” They shook hands and Ty stepped back, motioning for Allen to enter. “Come on in. I was just leaving.” Ty locked eyes with Cat and quirked up one side of his mouth. “Good night, Catherine. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Utterly flustered at the way her full name rolled off his tongue, she mumbled goodbye as Ty closed the door behind him.

Five

Looking perplexed, Allen stood holding a vase of pink lilies and white roses. He pointed at the door. “Who was that?”

“That’s Ty,” Cat answered.

“I know his name, but who is he?”

Cat wasn’t sure she even knew the answer to that question. Who was Ty, really? The majority of their evening together had been spent talking about her and Danny. She knew a little about Ty’s parents and his three older sisters. He’d spoken about his nephews and the three-year-old niece he obviously adored. As for his past, he had mentioned his high school days, but not much else. “Ty’s a farmer,” Cat said finally. “We got our alfalfa from him.”

“It didn’t look like y’all were hauling hay,” Allen replied with a concerned expression.

Her heart pounded in her chest. “It was nothing—he helped unload and stack our hay on Tuesday, so this was just a thank-you dinner with Danny.” Cat hooked her arm through Allen’s and pulled him to the stairs. “Those flowers are beautiful and they smell great, too. I just got home, so come up with me to check on Mom. She’ll be happy to see you, and the flowers are bound to cheer her up.”

Allen visibly relaxed at Cat’s touch. “How is she feeling after her chemo?”

“Not good. She threw up all afternoon. But you know my mother. She’ll be at church on Sunday, even if she is sicker than a dog.”

Allen smiled. “Yes, I know her. She’s one determined woman.”

Later that night Allen pulled Cat into his arms and dropped a kiss on her lips. “I’ve got that training meeting in San Jose for the next two weeks. But the Sunday I get back, there’s a regional fireside with our Area Authority. Do you want to go with me?”

Cat pushed away the unbidden thought of Ty. He would probably never call, especially after Allen’s untimely appearance. “Sure,” she said. “I’d love to go.”

Thinking about the events of the past few days, Cat rearranged the plates in the dishwasher, trying to fit in the last pan. Ty had surprised her by calling the day after they went out to dinner. And already he had visited four times this week. He made good on his promise to Danny. He brought him a miniature football—perfect for his small hands. Danny could now catch the ball, and he even knew how to run a basic play. After he went to sleep, Ty and Cat usually talked for a while. Since Ty got up early every morning, he never stayed late. Twice, they had chatted with her mother. Sally had welcomed Ty at first, but this morning when she heard he was stopping by, she had frowned and muttered a complaint about him always coming over.

Tonight the house was quiet. Ty had taken Danny up to bed over a half an hour ago. Cat closed the dishwasher and pressed the start button, then climbed the stairs to her son’s room. Thanks to the Buzz Lightyear night-light, she could see Ty lying asleep on the edge of the bed. Danny had curled up next to him, his head on Ty’s shoulder. Cat inched across the room. Standing over them, she noticed a picture frame resting on Ty’s chest. In the dim light, she recognized the frame she had used for a photo of Eric in his army fatigues in Baghdad. It was the last picture of himself he’d sent her. Not wanting Danny to grow up feeling fatherless, she had given it to him. But why was Ty holding it? Had he asked Danny about his father? Or perhaps Danny had pulled out the picture to show to Ty. The little boy was proud of his dad, even if he had never known him.

Seeing Danny and Ty sleeping side by side, Cat noticed they looked alike. If someone didn’t know better, they would assume Ty was her son’s father.
What am I doing?
She’d let this man whittle his way into Danny’s heart when she hardly knew him.

In all the time they’d spent together, she and Ty had never had what she would consider a serious conversation. He was fun, pleasant to be with, and always willing to help. For Cat, it had quickly become comfortable having him around to play with Danny in the evenings. Ty was always a gentleman. Like he had promised, he and Cat were friends, and there had been minimal physical contact between them. Not so for Danny, though. He and Ty wrestled. Ty gave piggyback rides. They tackled each other on the grass playing football. And Danny never failed to hug Ty good night before following his mother upstairs for bed. But tonight, Danny had insisted Ty tuck him in.

Cat felt a pang of regret as Danny ran upstairs with Ty, content to leave her behind. She shook her head at her own foolish thoughts. She should be grateful for the break. How often had she wished there was someone to share the parenting load with? Allen was willing to help, but Danny had always preferred his mom—until Ty showed up.

Nervous to wake Ty, Cat stretched out her hand and touched his shoulder, lightly at first. But he still slept. She squeezed more firmly and rubbed his arm. “Ty,” she whispered, trying not to notice the firm muscle beneath her fingertips.

Suddenly, his hand circled her wrist, pulling her closer and trapping her hand against his chest. “Did I fall asleep?” he mumbled.

Her heart thundered. Surely he felt her pulse racing along her wrist. Breathless, she said, “Yes . . . I’m beginning to wonder who was putting whom to sleep up here.”

Ty swung his legs off the bed and sat up, letting his fingers slide down her hand. He yawned and rubbed his knuckles over his eyes. “How long was I asleep?”

“Not long—thirty minutes at the most.”

He stood and placed the picture on the dresser. When they got downstairs, Cat asked, “Did Danny tell you about his father?”

“A little. Do I look like him?”

The question caught her off guard. She’d never thought of Ty like that before. She met his gaze, searching her memory and making the comparison. “Somewhat, but you’re taller . . . a little broader through the shoulders. Your hair is slightly darker. And your eyes are bluer than his were.” She shook her head, trying to remember the details. It was like trying to recall a picture in a book after someone slammed the cover closed the second you caught a glimpse of it. “But it’s been so long . . . It’s difficult to remember.”

“How long?”

“Seven years. I was pregnant with Danny when Eric died.”

“How long were you married before that?”

“Six years.”

“You must’ve really loved him, to marry someone in the military.”

Cat shook her head and let out a breath. “I didn’t know he’d joined the military when I married him. I found out on the honeymoon.”

“Why would he keep something like that from you?”

“September 11 happened while he was serving a mission for the LDS Church in Manhattan. He baptized a man who worked in the World Trade Center, and he knew a New York fireman from a Church ward he served in. To Eric, they were family. One of his mission companions got back the week before the wedding and begged him to enlist. It was a spontaneous decision. Eric decided it would be a good start for us financially, but he never bothered to ask me what I thought. I guess he figured it was his decision to make.”

Ty shook his head. “I’m sorry, Cat. I could never do that. I’m too selfish. If I was engaged to you, they’d have to enforce a mandatory draft to get me to leave.”

She smiled, wondering if he meant anything by what he’d said or if he was just flirting. “Well, at least I got Danny out of the whole deal. He’s always been my ray of sunshine.”

Ty slid his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. “I’m glad you’ve got him. Being alone can be awfully lonely at times.”

Cat laughed, thinking that sounded odd coming from someone who still lived with his parents. “That’s profound.”

Ty smiled. “It’s late. I’d better get going. See you tomorrow.”

Cat dug her extra copy of the Book of Mormon out of the back of the closet. Tonight she’d attempt to give it to Ty. She’d mentioned her religious affiliation in passing, but considering how important her Church membership was, she needed to make things clear to him.

Her mother asked if Ty would be coming by this evening, and Cat responded that she thought he would.

“What about Allen?” her mother said. “It seems like you’re spending a lot of time with Ty these days.”

“Allen and I are still dating, but he’s out of town. Ty and I are just friends. Plus it’s good for Danny to have someone to play catch with. Someone to teach him how to wrestle.”

Cat’s mom had been playing matchmaker between her and Allen for the past four months. In Sally’s opinion he was the picture of perfection in the husband department. “I know Ty is good with Danny,” she went on now, “but you shouldn’t be dating him if he isn’t the kind of person you want to marry. They say you marry those you date.”

Exasperated, Cat exhaled. “I know that, Mom. As I recall, I tried to cancel that first date with him, but you wouldn’t let me.”

“I wanted you to go to dinner once, not make him a regular fixture at our house. He doesn’t share your same beliefs and that bothers me. It should bother you, too.”

“Ty’s a good guy, but don’t worry. We’ll never be anything more than friends. If I do one thing right, it’s going to be raising Danny in the Church.”

Her mom gave her a skeptical smile. “Catherine, like I just said, you marry those you date. Break up with him before it’s too late. I’d hate for you to lose Allen because of this fling with Ty.”

Tapping her fingernails on the cover of the Book of Mormon, Cat watched her mother retreat down the hall and into her room. Perhaps Cat should start working on their differences tonight, or maybe sever ties completely.

Danny now insisted Ty tuck him into bed every time he was at the house, and Ty assured Cat he didn’t mind. He said he could use the power nap. Tonight was no different. She folded clothes and then moved a load from the washer into the dryer. Time to wake up Ty, who’d been asleep for over twenty minutes. She stared at the blue book lying on the coffee table. Like her mother had pointed out, Ty didn’t seem to share her beliefs, so Cat knew she should end their relationship, even though they were just friends. Still, she had grown fond of him. Before they parted ways, she would at least invite him to read the book that provided the basis for her beliefs.

She’d never served a mission and her experience sharing the gospel with nonmembers was meager, if not altogether nonexistent. After taking a deep breath, she trudged up the stairs and into Danny’s room. She smiled at the sight of the man sleeping on the edge of her son’s bed. This was her favorite part of the day. The thought of this ending sent a pang of regret through her heart. Thinking of not seeing him like this again left her with the urge to run her fingertips across the stubble on his cheek. She wondered what it would feel like to touch her lips to his. But that would be crazy, and completely uncalled for when they were just friends and she was dating Allen.

She passed over the prominent jawbone, and the whiskers she imagined would tickle her fingertips, and settled on the safety of his shoulder. Rubbing it tenderly, she whispered, “Hey, wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Is it time?” he mumbled, then slowly rolled out of bed to follow her downstairs.

When they reached the couch, Cat picked up the book. “Ty, you remember I said I was a Mormon, right?”

“I remember,” he said, watching her intently. She imagined the serious tone of her voice had gotten his full attention.

Here goes nothing,
she thought. “We’ve spent so much time together, I hoped maybe . . . I thought that . . . well . . . you might like to know a little about what I believe. So I wanted to give you this book. It’s considered the keystone of the LDS religion, and a prophet of God promised that a man can draw nearer to God by reading this book than any other book. I’ve read the Book of Mormon many times and I know it’s true. It’s the story of an ancient people who came to America before Christ was born. It tells of His visit to the people on this continent. I realize this may sound foolish to you, but I promise if you read it, trying to believe that the words were written by prophets, and if you pray to know for yourself whether it is true or not . . .”