Love's Deception (20 page)

Tromping through the house, Cat picked up after Danny and his friend Cole. She was tending Cole for the night, since his parents were at the hospital having their third baby. The two boys had worked their way from one room to the next like a tornado touching down. She shifted the light sabers into her left hand when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Never knowing when Ty would call, she’d grown accustomed to keeping her cell with her at all times.

When she answered, Ty said, “Hey, Cat, what are you up to tonight?”

“Picking up light sabers. Danny has a friend spending the night. I think they played with every toy in the house. And now they’re all on the floor.”

“Sounds like a winner for a Saturday night.”

“Oh yeah. This is the party house.”

“I’ll bet it’s more of a party than what I’ve got going on.”

“And what’s that?”

“Nothing. I’m all by myself with no one to keep me company but the ESPN announcers on TV.”

Cat dumped the light sabers into the toy chest and sat in front of a thousand Lego pieces. “Oh, poor Ty,” she said in mock sympathy. “All that peace and quiet. All that free time and clean floor space. I feel so sorry for you.”

“You can laugh all you want, but bachelorhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Since I don’t have bachelorhood experience to draw on, I guess you’d better tell me about your day.”

“I got a Church calling. I’m the assistant varsity coach for the fourteen- to sixteen-year-old Scouts.”

“Ty, that’s great. What a perfect calling for you. You’ll be awesome with the boys.”

“I hope so. Tell me about your week.”

Cat laughed as she scooped another handful of Legos into the Rubbermaid container. “You already know all about my week. I’ve only talked to you for two hours every night.”

“Tell me again, or tell me about next week. I like hearing you talk.”

“My mother’s still riding every Wednesday. We’ve had some good talks. I’ll miss it when she can’t go anymore. Honestly, I think I look forward to it as much as she does.”

“I’m glad you have that time with her. You should savor it.”

“I know. I have no idea how long we’ll have. They say it can go really fast. Or she could hang on for months.”

“All you can do is make the most of each day you have.”

“You’re right.”

“So, tell me what you have planned for next week?”

Cat let out a sigh at the thought of the first thing on her to-do list for Monday. “I’m going to start looking for a job.”

“What? Why do you want to do that right now? What about your mom . . . and Danny?”

“I’ve got bills to pay. It’s no big deal. I’m hoping to get something part-time while Danny’s at school. My mom usually naps around lunchtime anyway.”

“What kind of bills?”

“Just the regular stuff.”

“Like what? What’s the next bill you’ve got to pay?”

“Property taxes this week and then it’s my fourth-quarter estimated tax payment. Right now I don’t have enough for both of them, not to mention Christmas is coming. I lost a couple of my boarders in September, so I’m not making as much, either. With the stores hiring for the Christmas season, it should be easy to get a job.”

“I can help you. You don’t need to get a job.”

“I’m not taking your money, Ty,” she said firmly. She carried the box into Danny’s room, where both boys were asleep.

“Then let me calculate your estimated tax requirements. If your income is lower, you may not owe as much as you think. Can you fax me copies of your last year’s tax return and your income and expenses to date for this year? Tomorrow I’ll let you know what you owe. If your income is lower, you may have already paid enough. It won’t take me long, I promise.”

Cat walked into her bedroom. “All right. I can do that.”

“Good,” Ty said. “That makes me feel better already. Don’t forget, I’ll be there for Thanksgiving.”

She chuckled. “How could I forget? You remind me every night.”

Twenty
-
Three

Two weeks later, Cat’s phone vibrated on the counter as she finished straightening her hair. She grabbed the phone and answered the call.

“Cat, I’m here,” Ty said.

“Where?”

“The Portland airport. My sister’s picking me up. I should be at your house in a couple of hours. I can’t wait to see you.”

Cat smiled. “And I can’t wait to see you.”

“Tell Danny to get those shoulder pads warmed up, ’cause I’ll be ready to take him on when I get there.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him,” she replied with a chuckle.

“I talked to my mom last night. She made it clear I wouldn’t be allowed in the house for Thanksgiving dinner if I didn’t bring you, Danny, and your mom with me. What do you think? Can you fit in a dinner at my parents’ place tomorrow at one?”

“Sure, that sounds like fun. What should we bring?”

“I have no idea. You probably don’t need to bring a thing.”

“Well, I’ll bring something—a pie or a JELL-O salad.”

“How about pumpkin pie? I love it, but I’m the only one in my family who does. My mom usually makes apple or banana cream.”

“That settles it,” Cat said. “I’ll make you a pumpkin pie. I’ve eaten it every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. There’s no reason to stop now.”

“Thanks, Cat. I’ll see you when I get there.”

During the past few weeks, she’d talked to Ty every evening. Sometimes they lingered in conversation for hours, finally going to bed well after midnight. He called during the day, too. If he drove to a client’s office, he’d call her from the road. After the considerable amount of time they’d spent on the phone, it seemed as if every subject had come up at least once. She gradually reconciled the farmer she thought she knew with the man he really was. And it made sense. He’d always had a knack for numbers and a desire to work with people, not plants.

As promised, he calculated her taxes, lowering her estimated payment by over five hundred dollars. She still didn’t see how she would make ends meet and had spent the last week applying for jobs at retail stores. She had interviewed with two store managers and now waited to hear from them.

Ty must have hurried because he arrived in less than two hours. He knocked once and opened the door. “Cat, Danny, I’m here!” Danny raced ahead of her to the door in his football uniform and launched himself into Ty’s outstretched arms. “Hey, little buddy, how are you?”

“Good,” he said, starting to giggle as Ty worked his fingers under one shoulder pad to tickle his armpit.

Ty lowered Danny to the floor, keeping his eyes on Cat. “Go get your football while I say hi to your mom. Then we’ll play catch.”

She smiled as she watched her son dash up the stairs.

Ty pulled her into his arms and lifted her off her feet. “I missed you bad,” he whispered, burying his face in her hair.

With a sigh, Cat wished she could stop the sands of time and freeze this moment. “I missed you too.”

He lowered her to her feet and kissed her until Danny tapped on his leg. “Come on, Ty. I got the football. Let’s go.”

Ty threaded his fingers through Cat’s and ruffled Danny’s hair with the other hand. “Patience, little man. We can’t neglect the ladies.”

It was Thanksgiving, and Cat had a lot to be thankful for. She and Danny were healthy, and her mother’s decline hadn’t been as quick as the doctors indicated it might be. And Cat had Ty, who would arrive any moment to take them to his parents’ house for dinner.

She checked the mirror again, repositioning a wayward strand of hair. Never having met any of his family other than his mother, she was nervous. She turned off the light and went to brush Danny’s hair. “Will you be reverent when we go to Ty’s house, please?”

“Is it like church?”

“No, it’s not, but I want you to be respectful. I don’t want you to be wild. Okay?”

Danny shrugged his shoulders. “Okay.”

Cat wondered if that was an “Okay, I understand,” or an “Okay, I’ll say okay so I don’t have to hear a lecture.”

“Just be nice to the other kids and mind your manners. We want Ty’s family to like us.”

At the last minute, Sally decided to stay home. She claimed to be tired, but Cat suspected her mother’s excuse was a way to get her and Danny alone with Ty.

Ty’s family warmly welcomed Cat. Danny played with the cousins while Ty’s sisters bombarded her with questions. Nonstop chatter filled the kitchen, and the men cheered the football game in the family room. Cat never imagined so many people could fit inside that farmhouse. She thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Being an only child, she’d rarely experienced big family dinners. Growing up, her parents took her to Idaho once a year to see her cousins and grandparents.

When it was time to leave, Ty’s mom wrapped her arms around Cat and said, “We’re so glad you could come, dear. Tell your mom we missed her.”

“I will. Thank you, Mrs. Bradford.”

Amy, one of Ty’s sisters, offered Cat a plate of food wrapped in tinfoil and hugged her. “Here’s something for your mom. It’s so nice to meet you. Good luck keeping that brother of mine in line. He can be a handful.”

Cat laughed while she took the plate and stacked it on the empty pie tin. “Yeah, tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes then flashed a smile at Ty, who stood next to his dad, holding Danny’s hand.

Ty held the door for Cat, who waved a final farewell to his family. “Thank you again for dinner. It was wonderful.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you, Cat, for bringing the pie,” his mom called after them.

Cat and Ty and Danny stepped off the porch into a heavy rain. The dark of night hovered on the eastern horizon, and thick clouds muted the setting sun. Yet in her heart, spring bloomed vibrant and full of new life as Ty took her hand and they dashed through the downpour to the truck.

He entertained Danny while she fed the horses, and when nine o’clock rolled around, Danny begged Ty to tuck him in and tell him stories. Cat helped her mom into bed. Her mother’s cheerful and optimistic outlook was fading, and she frequently carried the weight of despair on her shoulders. Sometimes she stooped when she walked, as if to bury the pain deeper in her abdomen and hide it from others. Cat knew her mother worried about her, and about Danny. Sally feared she’d be a burden. She pestered Cat about the finances, not wanting to leave her with a bunch of medical bills.

Cat filled the water bottle and set it by her mom’s bed. “Anything else, Mom?”

Her eyes drooped shut for a moment. “No. Thank you, honey. Did you have a nice time at Ty’s?”

“Yes, it was wonderful. His family is great. And Danny loved it. A couple of Ty’s nephews are his age. He had a blast.”

Her mom let out a soft chuckle and closed her eyes. “That’s nice. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“I should let you get some sleep. I love you.”

“Love you too, honey.”

Cat pulled the chain to turn off the lamp and left the room. She heard Danny and Ty whispering when she walked past Danny’s room, and a smile crossed her face. She flipped on the lights in the kitchen. What a disaster. There hadn’t been time to clean up this morning after she baked the pie, and to top it off, Danny had spilled cereal on the floor during his bedtime snack. Cat had worried after seeing Ty’s immaculate apartment, but thankfully he didn’t seem bothered by the state of chaos in her house.

She busied herself with the cleaning and lost track of time. It was so nice having Ty keeping Danny occupied.
I could get used to this,
she thought as she walked into Danny’s room. She stifled a yawn as she sank into the rocking chair next to her son’s bed. Ty and Danny looked so peaceful in sleep. Danny slept on Ty’s arm while their bedtime story lay open on his chest. Cat closed her eyes for a moment, reluctant to wake Ty and say goodbye.

A small hand landed squarely across the bridge of Ty’s nose. He shot to his feet, sending Danny rolling off his arm and across the sheets. “Shoot.” Ty leaned over the bed, but Cat’s son turned onto his side and continued sleeping. Ty pulled the blanket over Danny’s shoulders and ruffled his blond hair. “Sorry, little buddy.”

Ty spun around at a sound behind him. Cat sat in the rocker, her head leaning to the side in sleep.
What time is it? Why didn’t she wake me up?
He dug his phone from his pocket and turned it on. “Hmm,” he muttered in surprise. His phone read 2:41 am.
She must have been awfully tired to fall asleep in the chair.
He should get her into bed. And then, as tempting as it was to crash on her couch and be here when she and Danny woke up, he should get home. Undoubtedly his parents had noticed he didn’t come back.

Ty opened his mouth to whisper Cat’s name, but a glint of the silver CTR ring on her right hand stopped him.
I wonder . . .
he thought, reaching forward. He slowly lifted her hand and grinned as his fingertips brushed across the calluses on her palms. Carefully, he wiggled the ring off her finger. She stirred once but didn’t open her eyes. Ty stepped away victorious and left the room. As he walked downstairs, he slid the ring over the first joint on his ring finger. He found a pen and marked the spot where the ring fit.

He crept back into Danny’s room and returned the ring. Still holding her hand, Ty whispered, “Catherine, let’s get you into bed. It’s late.”

Light from the hall streamed into the room. She lifted her head, but the dreamy look in her eyes let him know she was only half awake. “Oh . . . did I fall asleep?”

“Yes. Why didn’t you wake me when you came in?”

Cat leaned her head to the other side of the rocker and closed her eyes. “I felt safe. I didn’t want you to leave. You always leave when I wake you up.”

He smiled, thinking she wouldn’t remember this conversation. She was almost talking in her sleep. “I wish I didn’t have to leave either,” Ty said, then scooped her into his arms and carried her into the next room. “Catherine, you could change that, you know, if you married me.”

“Maybe I will,” she murmured.

Ty laid her on her bed and pulled the comforter over her. He leaned his face close to hers and kissed her brow. “So you’ll be my wife?”

She rolled onto her side and mumbled, “I love you, Ty.”

He pulled the blanket over her shoulder. “Good night, sweetheart.”

He left her room and made sure all the doors were locked before he went outside. A sliver of moonlight pierced the clouds, and he enjoyed the reprieve from the rain. He backed out of her driveway, the rumble of his truck interrupting the still of the night.

Several minutes later he tiptoed through his parents’ house, not wanting to wake them. In his bedroom, he kicked off his shoes and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts. He dropped to his knees and prayed before climbing into bed.

Ty woke up the next morning to the rattle of pans in the kitchen. He had something to do before he went to Cat’s this morning. Once he’d showered and shaved, he pocketed his phone and the keys. His dad looked up from his newspaper when Ty walked into the kitchen. “You were out late,” his dad said.

“Yeah,” Ty replied.

“Honey, can I fry you an egg?” his mother asked.

“Sure. Thanks, Mom.”

He sat down by his dad and picked up the business section. His dad stared at him, and finally Ty glanced up.

“I like the girl you brought to the house yesterday,” his dad said.

Ty smiled. “That’s good. I do too.”

His dad lifted a spoonful of oatmeal to his mouth and chewed. “Are you going to do anything about it?”

Ty chuckled and turned his eyes back to the paper. “I’m working on that, Dad. I’ll let you know when I get it figured out.”

Ty’s mom set a plate in front of him. “Well, I hope whatever you’re doing happens sooner rather than later. And it better involve a wedding.”

Smiling, Ty took the glass from her and filled it with orange juice from the pitcher. “Thanks for the suggestion, Mom. I hadn’t thought of that.” He picked up the fork and slammed down his breakfast. “I’ll see you later tonight,” he told his parents after he cleared his dishes. “Don’t wait up for me.”

A minute later, Ty sat in his dad’s black Dodge and typed a text message.