Authors: Donna Marie Rogers
“Cheer up, big brother. If she doesn’t come to her senses, it’s her loss. I mean, I’m sorry, but she’d be crazy to let you go. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the best sister in the world.”
She flashed him a grin, the same grin that had managed to coax him out of many a bad mood. Unfortunately, the grin didn’t do much good against a broken heart.
He heard a car pull into his driveway and spun around. Hope filled his chest, and he stepped over to the side window to glance outside. His heart dropped when he saw a black stretch limo parked behind his Jeep. He set his wineglass on the counter and met Lindy’s questioning look. “Mom and Dad are here.”
“No way.” Lindy rushed to his side and looked for herself. “I can’t believe it. After all these months, they finally decide to find you?”
Matt picked up his wineglass and drained it. “My guess would be they’re here for you. Probably afraid I’ll brainwash you into staying.”
She let out a delicate snort. “As if.”
Matt took a deep breath and swiped his fingers through his hair before following Lindy outside to greet their parents. The driver got out and opened the door. First his mother stepped out of the vehicle, looking as lovely as ever—a slightly older version of Lindy. She glanced at the house, an oddly wistful note in her eyes, before settling her gaze on Matt. He hadn’t seen his mother’s beautiful face, hadn’t heard her voice in months, and all he wanted to do was throw himself at her and beg her forgiveness. He’d caused both his parents a whole lot of grief and didn’t know if either would ever be able to forgive him. Yet here they were.
“Matt, don’t just stand there, come help your father out of the car.”
He gave a curt nod and strode forward. It took every bit of his self-control to keep his emotions at bay. Up until he’d been accused of murder, they’d been as close as a family could be.
His father had already started to get out of the limo. “Good God, woman, I’m not some ancient invalid. I can still climb out of a car under my own steam.”
“I know that, Jacob, but you’re exhausted,” Evelyn Spalding gently scolded. “Humor me, will you? Matt, please help your father into the…house.”
Matt hid a grin. His house was about the size of their pool cabana back in L.A.
Before he’d even taken one step, his mother ran forward and wrapped her arms around him. Matt squeezed her so tight he lifted her off the ground. Tears stung his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant to stay away so long, but when you wouldn’t speak to me I—”
“Shush. The only people who owe apologies here are your father and I.” She stepped back and smiled up at him, a smile he’d missed so much over the months. “Now help your father out of the car before he has another attack.”
“Dammit, Evelyn, I’m...fine,” Jacob Sr. huffed as he climbed out of the limo. “Just not as young as I used to be. Well, boy, you going to come give me a hug, or do I need to chase you down for one? And I could, you know,” he added with a scowl at his wife.
Lindy rushed forward and beat Matt to the punch, throwing her arms around their father’s neck. “Daddy, you should be in bed! What were you thinking taking such a long trip?”
“Melinda, let go of your father’s neck before he ends up in traction. And it’s not as if we drove here, for goodness sake, we took the jet.”
Matt watched in amazement as the driver pulled his parents’ suitcases from the trunk. “You guys are planning to stay here? In my house?”
“House? That’s a generous overstatement,” his father teased, eyeing the cottage with a doubtful squint.
Matt ignored the crack and gave him a hug. “I’m very grateful you’re all right.”
“I know.” They shared thumps on the back. “So, you got a beer for your old man?”
“Don’t even try it,” his mother warned. She grabbed her toiletry bag and followed Lindy into the house.
Matt gave an apologetic shrug. “She’s probably right, Dad. No sense chancing your health this soon.”
Jacob Sr. scowled. He grabbed two suitcases, no doubt just to prove he could. “How is a man supposed to talk business with his son if he can’t even have a drink?”
“Sorry,” Matt said, “but you’ll have to settle for apple juice or bottled water.” After a moment, his father’s words sunk in. “Did you say business?”
Jacob Sr. smiled from ear to ear. “Yep. Bought a new one about a month ago. In fact, we can go take a walk through later. It’s right here on the outskirts of Redemption.”
Chapter Nine
“Son, I thought you’d be happy. You can stay here in Wisconsin with your lady friend, run the new plant. A win-win situation, as they say.”
Matt stared at his father, wishing like hell things had turned out differently with Carrie. But opening up the old repackaging plant was a great idea. Matt had heard how bad the economy was in Redemption those first few years after the original plant closed. He loved the thought of bringing so many new job opportunities to the area. Too bad he wouldn’t be here to see it.
“My lady friend doesn’t want anything to do with me.” Matt passed his father a plate with a turkey sandwich on rye and some carrot sticks. The old man stared at the food as if it would jump off the plate and bite him. “It’s good for you,” Matt assured him, biting back a grin.
With a sigh of resignation, Jacob Sr. set the plate down and picked up his sandwich. “Might as well be dead if I have to eat this garbage for the rest of my life.” He let out a heavy sigh. “So what happened with this Carrie girl?”
“If you know her name, you must know what happened. Now eat your sandwich.”
His father cocked a brow. “You’re not too old for me to put across my knee. Don’t test me, boy.” He took a big bite of his sandwich. After swallowing he pressed, “So you’re just going to give up? Let her get away?”
Matt picked up his wineglass and drained it. “Don’t see how I’ve got much of a choice. She found out who I am in the worst possible way. Probably thinks I’m some murdering playboy who got off because I’m rich.”
“When the hell did you lose your backbone?”
Matt frowned. “Why do you even care? I figured you’d give me some lecture about how she’s beneath me, just out for my money, blah-blah-blah.”
Jacob Sr. set his sandwich down. “Those first few days after my heart attack I had a lot of time to think, and your mother and I had some long talks in the hospital. Son, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for the way we’ve treated you. I should’ve been more supportive during that whole actress fiasco instead of worrying about the effect it would have on the company. I also knew you weren’t ready to take over the company, but I was being selfish. I wanted to spend the rest of my years golfing, traveling the world with your mother—”
“And who could blame you?” Matt interjected. “Dad, you had every right to want to retire. You’ve dedicated your life to SI, missing birthdays and anniversaries—”
“That’s exactly why I shouldn’t have been so eager to push it on you. I hate that I missed so much. I’d give anything to be able to turn back time and attend even one of your little league games.”
His father’s expression was so solemn Matt didn’t know what to say. He’d never seen the old man like this, never knew he felt this way. “Mom was there.”
“I should’ve been there, too. Sitting right beside her, cheering you on.”
Matt gave a reluctant nod. “I wish you had been, but I understood. And that was a long time ago, Dad. Don’t start punishing yourself now.”
The old man picked his sandwich up and considered it. “I just want you to make better choices, son. Learn from my mistakes.”
His father looked up just as Matt felt a delicate pair of hands settle on his shoulders.
“And mine,” his mother said. “You’re my son, and I allowed you to feel guilty for things that had nothing to do with you—like your father’s health. I was being selfish. After all those years of eighty hour work weeks, I think I was looking forward to his retirement more than he was.”
“Not possible, darlin’,” Jacob Sr. teased with a wink.
“So when you informed us you’d changed your mind about taking over,” his mother continued, “and planned to go into seclusion for a while...well, we reacted badly, like big babies instead of concerned parents.”
Matt turned and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.
“Well, you’re about to get your wish, as belated as it is. I’m ready to take over the company.”
* * *
Lauren poured Carrie a glass of iced tea and then sat down across from her. Almost immediately, Carrie had regretted her harsh words to Matt. It was just...he’d sworn so many times that she could trust him, and after finally opening herself up—both emotionally and physically—BAM! Turns out he’s been lying to everyone since the moment he arrived in town.
But once she’d had some time to cool down and think with her head instead of her heart, she wondered if maybe she’d overreacted. And if she were being honest, the surge of jealousy that tightened her chest after learning Matt had actually dated Amanda Ames may have clouded her ability to think rationally. Heck, why would he want some small-town nobody like her when he could have practically any woman in the world? Out in Hollywood, big boobs—albeit fake—were a dime a dozen.
“Carrie, for what it’s worth, I honestly believe that man adores you. It’s written all over his face every time he looks at you.”
“Then why the lies? Why couldn’t he have just told me the truth?”
“Maybe because it’s not easy to admit to the woman you care about that you were accused of murdering another.”
Carrie took a thoughtful sip of her iced tea. “Love.”
“Huh?”
“He told me he loves me. Today, after basically threatening me, he tells me he loves me. Pissed me off something fierce.”
Lauren let out a soft chuckle. “Only you would be pissed off over a declaration of love.”
Carrie smiled reluctantly. “You did hear the ‘threatening me’ part, right?”
“Did you threaten him first?”
Lauren knew her so well. “Maybe. I was mad as hell, Laur. But after thinking about it, I just can’t figure out any other reason for him to say those words unless...unless he meant them.” New hope filled her chest to near bursting. Matt was gorgeous, smart, sexy, rich, and he wanted
her
.
“Carrie,” Lauren reached across the table and covered her hand. “Of course he meant it. Caleb knows Matt better than anyone in town and he thinks the world of him. And I trust Caleb’s instincts.”
“So, what do I do?”
“I think a more important question is, do you love him?”
So much so it hurt. “Yes.”
Lauren smiled and winked at her. “Then you wait until he’s worked up enough nerve to face you again, and magnanimously forgive him. And while we wait,” she added, grinning, “I tried a new pie recipe today—Orange Creamsicle.”
Carrie laughed softly. “Sounds like heaven.”
* * *
By Friday, the work on the coffee shop was complete. The new tables, chairs, and booths had been delivered and installed, the drive-thru window was ready to open. Yet Carrie still hadn’t heard from Matt. The contractor assured her everything had been paid in full, but that’s all he would say.
Carrie decided to take a drive past Matt’s house, and her heart dropped into her stomach with a splash. A For Sale sign was staked in the front yard. She stopped in the middle of the street and gazed at it in disbelief, praying her eyes were playing tricks on her. Realizing her sight was just fine, Carrie squealed her tires in her haste to get away, not caring if she left a block full of people gawking in her wake.
She drove home and parked in her garage, unable to move, unable to breathe. He’d left her. He’d told her he loved her, then left without so much as a “See ya later, it’s been fun.” The ache in her chest grew until she thought she would suffocate. Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed them tight, too angry to let them fall. He’d said he loved her, and she’d believed him. Like a damn idiot, she’d believed a rich and powerful man like Jacob Spalding had fallen in love with her. God, what a joke.
Of course, the humiliation she’d felt after seeing her face plastered on every rag mag at the checkout line with captions that read “Jacob Spalding Jr. found in the ‘bosom’ of small town America” and the like had been bad enough, but at least she’d been able to console herself with the knowledge that Matt loved her—despite the fact he still hadn’t called or stopped by. It was simply par for the course when you dated someone from that world.
Now, just thinking about the stories that were sure to follow once Matt was back in circulation was enough to tempt her into packing her bags and moving to Siberia. One thing was for damn sure, though. It would be a cold day in hell before she let another man into her life—or into her heart.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and climbed out of the car. She’d fix herself a sandwich, curl up on the couch, and finish the book she hadn’t been able to concentrate on for days. With any luck at all, she wouldn’t have to cry herself into an exhausted sleep again tonight.
Armed with a chicken salad sandwich and a can of Pringles, Carrie headed into the living. A movement outside caught her eye and she hurried over to peer out the window. Her plate slipped from her grasp and clattered to the counter. Sitting on the hammock was Matt. He had a bottle of water in one hand and a manila envelope in the other. Carrie hated the anticipation that quickened her pulse. Matt was here...but why? Then it dawned on her. To sell her back his half of the shop. She took a deep breath, gathered her anger around her like a coat of armor, and walked out the patio door.
“Geez, woman, did you take the scenic route home? I’ve been waiting over an hour—”
“What the hell are you doing here?” The words came out in breathless wonder; she wished she could grab them back and try it again with more outrage.