Love's Deception (10 page)

She set her purse on the counter. “Sure. I guess I won’t need this.” For so long, responsibility for everything had fallen solely on her, yet she had never realized the weight of it until today, when Ty shared it—until she noticed an invisible load being lifted from her shoulders.

The missionaries approached Ty after sacrament meeting and insisted he attend Gospel Essentials class. At first he was reluctant, but with a little encouragement from Cat, he went with the elders. At the end of the three-hour block, she found him on the stage, deep in conversation with the missionaries.

Ty shook their hands in farewell before wrapping his arm around Cat. When they were out of earshot, he said, “They asked if they could come over for another lesson on Tuesday. I told them it was fine. I hope that’s okay with you.”

She smiled up at him. “The missionaries are welcome anytime.”

“Did I tell you I’ve been reading your book?”

“The Book of Mormon?”

“It’s good. Like you suggested, I ask myself, if a prophet of God wrote this, how would I treat the information? And you’re right. When I read it like that—really trying to understand what happened and believe in it—it’s amazing, Catherine.”

She thrilled at the light in his eyes as he spoke. She’d given away a couple of copies of the Book of Mormon before, but never had anyone actually read it. “That’s really good,” she said to Ty. “I’m so happy you’re reading it. When I pray to understand what I read and put in the effort like you’re doing, the scriptures come alive for me, almost like watching a movie in my mind.”

Ty shook his head in amazement. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be doing
this
with my Sundays, but today I’m glad I am.”

Twelve

Tuesday brought the missionaries to Cat’s house. She kept Danny occupied with puzzles when he got bored with listening. The elders  committed Ty to start praying. Cat and Danny had prayed over their meals with him, and Danny regularly said his nighttime prayers kneeling at the side of his bed next to Ty. But she’d never heard Ty pray. Like his mother had said, in many ways, he was a very private person. Although generous with his affections and time, he wasn’t one to freely share his thoughts or feelings.

That evening, when Ty tucked Danny into bed, Cat heard a fragment of conversation that stopped her in her tracks. “Danny, the missionaries told me I’m supposed to pray every morning and night,” Ty said.

“Yeah, and you gotta pray before you eat, too,” the boy replied.

“I want to do that, but I’m not sure I know how. How did you learn to pray?”

“It’s easy. You just gotta know how to talk. If you can talk, you can pray. But if you don’t wanna talk, my mom says you can pray silently. But I don’t do that, ’cause then I can’t hear my prayers. And if it’s easier for me when I talk out loud, then maybe it’s easier for Heavenly Father to hear, too.”

“So how do you know what to say?”

“You say, ‘Heavenly Father,’ and then you just say stuff. When you’re done, you say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.’”

“Like what kind of stuff?”

“Whatever you want. My mom says to say what I’m thankful for. But I pray not to have bad dreams. I pray for Grandma to get better. And I ask for what I want, like a scooter.”

“Hmm. Okay, I’ll try that,” Ty muttered.

Cat retreated down the stairs, contemplating what she’d heard. The frequency of Ty’s visits had increased. Her mom hadn’t complained lately, so it had been easy for Cat to keep the break-up plan on hold. She waited to eat dinner with him each evening, and when he left, he said the same thing. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow night?” And Cat always smiled and agreed.

So it was no surprise, when she woke Ty from the power nap he took after putting Danny to bed, that he kissed her good night and said, “So, Catherine, I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

She opened her mouth to say yes, then remembered and let out a sigh. “There’s a Relief Society dinner tomorrow, and my mom wants to go so I need to take her. I won’t be here. I’m sorry.”

Ty looked disappointed. “What about Danny?”

“He’ll go with Mom and me. There’s a nursery for the kids whose fathers can’t watch them.”

Ty smiled hopefully. “What if I watch him? What time do you leave?”

“I should leave at six, but that’s earlier than you usually get here. Are you sure you can do this?”

“I’m sure. I’ll be here.”

As promised, Ty showed up before six. He and Danny seemed awfully excited about their boys’ night. Before Cat walked out the door, Ty said, “I need to get my hair cut. Do you care if I take Danny?”

That seemed strange to her. Ty’s hair was already short. Not as short as it had been when she first met him, but still short. “No, I don’t care. But you don’t look like you need a haircut.”

Ty shrugged his shoulders. “I like to keep it short.” He picked up her purse and keys. “Here you go, beautiful. You and your mom have a good time and we’ll see you when you get home.”

Cat smiled at him and took her purse. “Thanks.” She turned to Danny, bending down to his level. She hoped he wouldn’t make Ty regret this. “Danny, I want you to be a good helper for Ty, okay? Will you listen and do what he asks?”

“Yeah.” Danny nodded emphatically.

Cat stepped through the door. “Okay, see you boys later.”

At the church, she entered the friendly buzz of conversation in the cultural hall. She had to admit it was nice not worrying about Danny. He hated coming to these things. Nursery, according to him, was for babies, and he insisted he wasn’t one.

Clarka’s vivacious voice caught her attention. “Cat!” Her friend waved to her and smiled. “Come here.”

Cat left the conversation between her mother and the older ladies. She weaved through the crowd to Clarka’s side and returned the offered hug. “Hi, Clarka. How’s your summer going?”

“It’s great. I head back to Utah next week for my little sister’s wedding. Ugh . . . I wish it was me. But oh well, my day will come, right?”

Cat smiled. “Yes, your day will come.”

Clarka’s face broke into a mischievous grin and she leaned forward to whisper, “So, how’s that farmer hottie of yours?”

An uninvited image of Ty leaning over her after he’d tackled her onto the grass flashed before Cat’s eyes. “He’s good. He’s watching Danny tonight.”

“He’s hot, and he babysits for you? Girlfriend, you gotta get that boy to put a ring on your finger.”

Cat looked around. “Shh! Clarka, I’ve only known him for a month and a half. It’s too early to be talking like that.”

Her friend wouldn’t be swayed. “But you’ve thought about it, right? Admit it, Cat. I can see it in your eyes. Wouldn’t you say yes if he asked you?”

Cat couldn’t suppress the blush creeping up her cheeks. “I’ll admit I’ve thought about it. But I won’t say yes unless Ty joins the Church.”

“Have you told him that? Is that why he’s been coming to the meetings?”

“No, of course not. He’s coming here all on his own.”

“That’s even better,” Clarka gushed. “At least you don’t have to worry about him only converting so he can marry you.”

“I hope you’re right, but he’s smart, so I’m sure he has figured out I won’t marry a nonmember. Plus, my mother would have my head if I married him. She’s hoping he’s nothing more than a summer fling and that Allen and I get back together.”

“Allen’s a great guy, but you look so happy with Ty.”

Cat smiled despite herself. “He does make me happy, but I’m not sure marrying him is the right answer.”

“You need to do what’s best for you,” Clarka said. “Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.” The Relief Society president picked up the microphone to announce the opening prayer. Clarka leaned closer and whispered, “For the record, Ty has my vote.”

“Thanks, you’re the best,” Cat whispered, then went to sit by her mother. She pulled out the only empty chair at the table—right next to Allen’s mom, Judy. Cat’s heart skipped a beat.

Plates of food were served, and right after Cat swallowed her first bite, Judy turned to her and said, “So, I saw you and your friend in sacrament meeting last week.”

Cat forced a smile. “He’s investigating the Church.” It was no secret that Cat’s mother and Judy had plotted ways for Cat and Allen to fall in love. They had dreamed of that match for years.

Judy leaned closer and smiled as if about to share a secret. “Allen led me to believe he was the rough-and-tough type, but that’s not what I saw. Maybe he’s just jealous.”

Cat felt a pang of guilt. For years Allen had been one of her best friends, yet she’d hardly given him a second thought since breaking up with him. “How is he? I haven’t talked to him in a while.”

“He’s the same as always. He works too much. Between work and his Church calling he hardly has a moment for himself. I wish he could slow down and enjoy life a little more. He’ll never meet someone, at the rate he’s going.”

“He’ll meet somebody, Judy. And when he does, he’ll make her very happy.”

Judy smiled and patted her hand. “Although I wish you were that girl, I want what’s best for you.”

Cat breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

After the dinner, she and her mother chatted with the other women for a while. On the drive home, Cat glanced over and said, “You seem to feel better tonight.”

Her mom smiled. “Yes. It was a good day for me, wasn’t it?”

Cat turned into the driveway, the truck’s headlights panning the front yard. The house looked as dark as if the power had gone out. She grabbed her keys out of the ignition and pulled her purse strap over her shoulder. “I hope Danny behaved.”

Her mother stepped out of the truck. “Well, at least we know he didn’t keep Ty from being productive.”

Cat’s fingers paused on her door handle.“What do you mean?”

“Smell that? The lawn. Your boyfriend’s been busy.”

Cat got out of the vehicle. Moonlight illuminated the short blades of grass, and she breathed in the fresh scent. “Wow.”

She and her mom entered the quiet house. If Ty’s truck hadn’t been sitting in the driveway, she would’ve thought he and Danny weren’t home yet. Cat flipped on the hall light and went to her son’s room. She smiled at the tender sight of both of them sleeping soundly, Danny’s head resting on Ty’s arm. A storybook lay open on Ty’s chest.

“Isn’t that cute?” her mother whispered from behind her. Surprised at the comment, Cat nodded her agreement as her mother headed for her own bedroom.

Cat tiptoed over and touched Danny’s head. His hair was cut short, like the man he idolized. She turned her attention to Ty. What a good man he was. He spoiled her and Danny. The thought of Ty trying to wake her like Sleeping Beauty brought a smile to her face. With uncharacteristic spontaneity, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Instantly, his hand closed around the back of her neck, holding her there to prolong the kiss. When she wriggled out of his grasp, he chuckled.

“Ty! Were you even asleep?”

“I was—until I heard you come in the front door. Then I pretended.”

“You scoundrel. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

He rolled off the bed and stood in front of her. “Kiss me again.”

She backed away coyly. “Okay, but only one. It’s late and I know you’ve got to be up early tomorrow.”

Ty lunged forward and got both hands around her waist. “Take a deep breath. A scoundrel like me will probably make it a long kiss.”

She giggled as he pulled her closer. “Thank you.” She ran her fingertips over his cropped hair.

He appeared completely absorbed with staring into her face. “For what?”

“For tending Danny. For mowing my lawn. For getting Danny’s hair cut. I’d say you went above and beyond the call of duty. You’ve spoiled me. No other babysitter will ever measure up to you.”

Ty didn’t say a thing. He simply tipped his head forward and kissed her. When he pulled away, she breathlessly whispered the first thought that came to mind. “I love you.”

He smiled back. “I love you too, Catherine.”

After he left, she climbed into her bed and stared into the darkness. She couldn’t believe she had told Ty she loved him. It was an accident—completely unintentional and unplanned. But once the words were out, she knew they were true. And she couldn’t remember ever feeling happier.

Thirteen

Sunday morning, Cat woke to an unsettling feeling that something was wrong. She sat on the edge of her bed, listening. Like the weak cry of a kitten, her mother’s voice drifted down the hall. “Cat, wake up. I need you.”

She bolted into her mother’s room. The bed was empty. “Mom?”

Cat could barely hear the whimpered response, “I’m in here.”

She hurried into the bathroom. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of her mom sitting on the floor, slumped awkwardly against the toilet. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“I don’t know. I was.” As if too weak to hold back the tears, her mom released them in a great sob. “I can’t get up.”

Cat dropped to her knees, then pulled her mother into her arms and cried with her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you sooner.”

After a minute, her mom sniffled and wiped her eyes. “That’s okay, honey. Help me back to bed. I think I need to eat something. I’m dizzy and weak. I’d better not go to church today.”

Cat climbed to her feet. “I’ll stay home with you then.”

“But you need to go with Ty. I want you to go. I’ll be fine.”

Cat wrapped her arms around her mom and helped her to her feet. “I can’t leave you alone when you feel like this. It isn’t safe.”

Sally leaned heavily on her daughter and kept her hand on the wall as she made her way back to bed. “Then call Judy for me. I’ll not have you and Danny missing church on my account.”

“What about Judy missing church?”

The walk across the room left her mother short of breath and nearly wheezing. With a grunt she collapsed onto the bed. “Judy’s different. Just call her.”

Cat knew it was useless to argue. After she picked up the phone and made the call, she told her mom, “Okay, Judy will be here at noon. What should I get you to eat? Toast maybe? Or some oatmeal?”

Her mother lay with her eyes closed, seeming content at knowing her wishes were being followed. “Toast, please, with honey.”

Cat put the finishing touches on her makeup as if on autopilot, unable to stop thinking about her mother. Mom’d had bad days before, but today seemed different. When Cat had pulled her to her feet, her mother felt frail in her arms. She was getting so thin it worried Cat.

The bell rang and Danny rushed to open the door. Judy’s cheerful voice echoed up the stairs. “Hello, Danny. How are you this morning?”

“Good,” he answered. “I’m waiting for Ty to get here so we can go to church.”

“That’s nice. You have fun in Primary today, okay?”

Cat went downstairs and thanked Judy for coming over.

A concerned look clouded the older woman’s face. “How is she, really?”

“She’s extra weak today. Hopefully it’s nothing more than a random rough day. She has a doctor appointment on Wednesday, so if she doesn’t improve by then, we’ll see if there’s anything they can do for her.”

Judy raised the tinfoil-covered loaf in her hand and started toward the stairs. “I brought fresh zucchini bread. Maybe I can get her to eat some.”

“Sounds delicious. I bet she’ll like that.”

The doorbell rang again. Both Judy and Cat glanced at the door as Danny yanked it open. Ty held out his hand and got a high five. “Hey, Danny. How’s my little buddy today?”

“Great,” Danny answered. Cat smiled.

Ty walked through the door and closed it behind him. “Is your mom still getting ready?” he asked Danny.

“No, I’m ready,” Cat said.

Ty looked at where she and Judy stood by the stairs. “Hey, I didn’t see you there.”

When he glanced at Judy, Cat pulled her eyes away from admiring him. “Judy, this is Ty Bradford. Ty, this is my mom’s best friend, Judy Jones.”

He stepped forward and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’ve heard so much about you from Cat’s mother. You certainly are good with Danny.”

“He’s a fun kid. Kind of reminds me of myself when I was little,” Ty answered.

Judy started up the stairs. “I’ll go check on your mother. You two enjoy church.”

“Thanks again, Judy,” Cat called after her.

Ty moved closer and put his hand on her elbow. “Is your mother okay?”

Cat told him what had happened this morning.

His brow furrowed. “Do we need to stay with her?”

Cat mustered a smile. “I already offered to stay home, but she’s adamant we go to church. She ordered me to call Judy. It should be all right. We’ll only be gone a few hours.”

“Does Judy have our cell phone numbers?”

His genuine concern for her mom endeared him to Cat even more. She slipped her arm through his, pulling him away from the stairs. “She’s got mine. It’ll be fine. She’s in good hands.”

Ty followed her through the kitchen. “Should we take my truck, since your mom’s not going?”

Cat paused, then set her keys on the counter. “Sure, I guess we can.”

He buckled Danny’s seat belt while she climbed in and slid to the middle. Ty glanced sideways and grinned at her when he pumped the gas pedal. The old Dodge roared to life. Looking quite pleased with himself, he said, “This is much better.”

“What’s better?”

“Driving my truck is better.”

“Why’s that? This thing roars like an angry lion every time you start it.”

He looked straight ahead, still grinning. “Because I get you in the middle, next to me.”

As usual, after elders quorum Cat found Ty on the stage talking with the missionaries. He wrapped his arm around her on the way out the door. “So, are the missionaries coming over on Tuesday?” she asked.

He smiled at her. “How did you guess?”

“They must have you signed up for their weekly lesson plan.”

“Maybe so.”

Her mother seemed to be feeling a little better by the time they got home from church, but she was still not back to what Cat would call her normal self.

On Monday, her mom was about the same. Ty walked through their door at the regular time. He knocked, but when no one answered right away he came in, calling, “Cat, I’m here.”

Both Cat and Danny stopped what they were doing to greet him. “Hey, Ty, wanna wrestle?” Danny pulled on his arm.

Ty’s gaze locked on Cat as she walked toward him. “Sure, little man. But let me say hello to your mom first.” He wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled her into a hug. “Hi, beautiful.”

“Hi. How was your day?”

“It was good. How’s your mom?”

“She’s doing better than yesterday.”

“Great. Tonight’s Monday night. What are we going to do about family home evening? They were talking about that in elders quorum on Sunday.”

Completely taken aback, Cat opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. “Well . . . we should be having it,” she finally managed. “I guess I’ve gotten lax lately.”

“I’d like to try, if that’s okay.”

“Great idea. I’ll get a lesson ready.” Cat scrambled to think of what she could prepare.

Hanging on Ty’s arm, Danny said, “Come on, let’s go.”

Ty smiled. “I’ll go show this little guy a thing or two. Call me when you need me.”

He picked up Danny and threw him over his shoulder. As Cat watched them disappear out the back door, an idea came to mind. She searched through her DVDs for her movie about Joseph Smith’s First Vision. She had shown it a couple of years ago in her Sunday School class. It would be easy, and both Danny and Ty would probably like it. She’d never shown it to Danny before, but at almost seven years old, he could certainly understand it now.

Danny sat on Ty’s lap during the video, while Cat interjected comments she hoped would help them both. When the DVD ended, she stood to turn off the player. Ty wore a serious expression, as if deep in thought. The missionaries had talked about the Restoration of the Church on their first visit, but with Danny always keeping her busy, Cat hadn’t followed all their lessons. Hopefully the video hadn’t been too much too soon for Ty.

“Mom, can I pick the song?” Danny asked.

“Sure, what do you want to sing?”

“‘I Am a Child of God.’”

Cat opened the
Children’s Songbook
on her iPad so Ty could see the words. She found the instrumental version of the song and pushed the arrow to play it. “Here it comes.”

Their singing may have been a little off tune, but it was beautiful to Cat. She imagined it being like this every week. The three of them even
looked
like a real family. How would it be to have a husband who called them together for family home evening, for prayers, for scripture reading? Maybe someday.

Danny had offered to say the opening prayer, so Cat assumed she would say the closing prayer. When the song ended, her son folded his arms, still sitting on Ty’s lap. Ty put his arms around Danny and said to Cat, “Maybe I should try to do the prayer.”

She folded her arms and nodded. She didn’t know if he’d ever prayed out loud, and a wave of anxiety washed over her. After a moment of stillness, he began to pray. It was a simple prayer, but heartfelt. He expressed his gratitude for her and Danny and prayed for her mother’s health. He closed the prayer and quickly looked at Cat as if seeking approval.

Blinking away the moisture gathering in her eyes, she smiled at him. “Thank you, Ty. That was beautiful.”

He exhaled loudly. “You’re welcome.”

Before he left that night, he held her close and whispered in her ear, “Is there someone who could watch Danny on Wednesday night? I’d like to take you out to dinner. Someplace nice. Just the two of us. I’ll pay for a babysitter if you want.”

“There’s no need for that. If my mom’s not feeling up to watching him, I have friends in the ward who can take him for a few hours. I’d love to go out to dinner.”

“Good,” Ty said, then kissed her good night.

When the missionaries arrived on Tuesday evening, Ty told them  he’d been praying and reading the Book of Mormon. They discussed the First Vision again, probably because he asked questions about it after seeing the video the night before. After the elders left, Ty put Danny to bed.

Cat woke him at nine thirty and frowned when he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was so tired he didn’t offer to stay and talk that night. “You shouldn’t work so hard,” she said, worried about him getting enough rest.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just busy this week. Dinner tomorrow, right?”

“I’ll be ready when you get here.”