Family Ties (Hidden Secrets) (7 page)

“
They have excellent food, but offer entertainment as well.”

I went on to tell him how it was kind of like an open
mic bar, but with class.  You had to be pre-approved to perform.  It was an old Castle like building on the outskirts of town.  People would wait for hours to get in and reservations were usually months out.

When we pulled up to the restaurant, valet gave us a ticket and pulled away.  Tobey put his hand at the small of my back and led me inside.  The feel of his hand there had me faltering in my steps.  He smiled down at me like he knew my reaction.  The hostess greeted us warmly before recognition struck her and she started falling over herself. She
didn’t bother asking my name.  She just looked at the book, grabbed two menus and walked us to our table.  Veronica was our waitress’s name.  She was probably early twenties and was annoying.  She clung to our table, leaving us not a single moment of peace.

When she finally walked away with our orders, I turned to Tobey.  “I don
’t know if she was more obsessed with me or you tonight.” I laughed.

He chuckled. “I have a feeling there won
’t be much conversation for us tonight,” he whispered fake pouting.

Not long later the waitress came
back, it quickly became obvious who she was clinging to more, Tobey.  He did look good though. He wore a simple white button down dress shirt with black jeans.  It was simple, but damn did it make him look sexy as hell with his dark hair, bringing out his gorgeous blues. My eyes were drawn to his mouth as he talked to the waitress.  Those ‘kiss me’ lips, which I tasted so thoroughly only hours earlier, beckoned me to claim them. They taunted me with the softness, calling me with the reminder of their taste and feel on mine. A shiver ran through my body.

When the waitress was pulled away, I smiled at Tobey still unable to pry my eyes from his lips.  In my heart, I prayed that he was different and it was my moment to finally find some happiness.  Although at the same time my head was screaming that I don
’t deserve happiness.  Just as Tobey leaned in to whisper something in my ear, a camera flashed. Whatever Tobey was going to say died with that flash and he sat back in his chair.  Just as he sat back, the waitress returned to our table.  He smiled and began talking to her.  Suddenly I felt like I was interfering on their date.

Finally the waitress left us alone for a few minutes only to arrive with our food shortly after.  My stomach was in knots and suddenly my salad appetizer
wasn’t appetizing anymore.  I just pushed my food around my plate and said nothing.  Though I noticed that Tobey made no effort to talk to me either.  What the hell had happened?  Only a bit ago we were all over each other and now he seemed like he didn’t even want to look at me.

When I tried to make conversation, he gave curt answers not trying at all to continue a conversation with me.  He had finished his appetizer and the waitress came over to clear his plate.  He smiled at her.  My heart was slowly being chipped away and there was no stopping it.  The waitress brought the entrée out and again was kind enough to leave us alone while we ate.  Only this time he seemed like he wanted to talk.

We talked about everything and anything that came to our heads.  I started to relax and felt more like I was on a date rather than sitting on the sidelines watching him have a date with someone else. The performers tonight were something else. It was entertaining and we both critiqued those that performed. Surprisingly, our opinions were pretty similar.  He had great taste in music, not fond of television or movies, and rarely read a magazine or newspaper beyond the weather.  He did have a few books he liked to read when he wasn’t working.

He told me about working on his ranch and how he had always wanted to run the ranch one day.  It was all he ever thought about.

“I stayed with my grandpa constantly until my parents took over.  I didn’t want to be anywhere other than at the ranch.  It was so bad, or at least my parents thought, that they homeschooled me so I could stay there as much as possible.  I had to go to school every Friday, but that was fine because when I was at that age Friday was really the only day where I was okay to be away from the ranch.” He shrugs. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” He starts laughing suddenly. 

“
What?  What’s so funny?” I questioned, smiling.

“
When my father took over the ranch after my grandpa retired, we all lived in the big house. Anyway, any time my father would say something about his ranch, I’d jump in yelling that it was my ranch and it was on loan to him.  My grandpa would laugh so hard every time and my dad even cracked a smile.”

My smile grew as he revealed to me some memories.  It was like a window
into who Tobey really was. He seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders and loved his family.  That made me happy because I was a family person as well. 

“
Earth to Mary,” Tobey said, breaking into my thoughts.

“
I’m sorry,” I said embarrassed.

“
What made you realize you wanted to be a singer?” He asked, smiling softly.

I shrugged.  Many have asked this question and I had a perfectly organized pre-written answer to this for everyone that a
sked.  That was the answer I gave him.  The problem was unlike the brainless reporters that asked, Tobey didn’t buy the answer.

“
Okay, so now I know what your PR rep thinks made you run into singing.  Can I have why
you
wanted to sing?”

Just in that question he seemed to have broken a layer away from me.  He was truly asking about me.  He
didn’t want to know the manufactured me, he wanted to know
me
. Smiling brightly at him, I told him the truth.

“
I was good at it or at least that was what I was told then.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love singing. I love writing songs and performing.  It's just lately... I don't know, it just doesn't seem to have the same fulfillment it once carried; like there is something missing now.” I sighed.

Tobey looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, “Have you thought about stepping back for a minute?  Take a little break to figure out what it is that
you
feel is missing in your life right now.”

I nodded my head, pushing my plate away without even touching a bite.  “Yes, I have.  It is just so hard to get away with a career as demanding as mine.”

He reached for my hand and held it tenderly in his.  “Haven’t you ever heard the saying,
absence makes the heart grow fonder
?  You taking a step back will have people wanting you even more than before.”

It was like he knew what I was thinking.  I had actually said those exact words to Kyle when he talked about booking another tour in the next couple months.  Kyle was after the big bucks.  As if he
hasn’t made enough working for me already, but he seemed to want more and more.  It was never enough.  Mentally, I shook my head to get Kyle off my mind.  For one night at least, I was going to just be Mary Williams.  I deserved it after all.  Excusing myself, I headed to the restroom to freshen up.

As I walked back to
Tobey, I noticed our waitress was back at the table.  She was standing very close to Tobey’s side.  Their backs were to me, so I couldn’t see what they were talking about.  Tobey looked up and smiled at her and she ran her hand down his arm, taking his hand that rested on the table.  A surge of jealousy ran through me fierce and suddenly I wanted to walk over there and knock her the fuck out.  Then it dawned on me, he wasn’t pulling his hand away either.

What the hell?

To my horror, she leans down and whispers in his ear and there was no mistaking the tongue that darted out and lined his ear. A camera flash went off as she did and anger surged through me, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the other feelings I had. In my head, I already knew that was going to be in the paper tomorrow. I wanted to run out of the restaurant, but my things were still on the table.  This wasn’t the first time that this has happened.  I came up with a nickname for the likes of these women; celebuckers, celebrity suckers.  They watch out for celebrity women with good looking men and then the game begins.  They work the men until they ‘steal’ the date from the celebrity woman.  I guess you could say it was like an equivalent to the guys’ notches on their belts theory in a way.

No, I
wasn’t going to show my hurt.  It amazingly did hurt.  Which was a whole new terror in itself.  Nevertheless, I was going to walk up to the table and pay the bill and leave. So I made my way over confident and smiled at the few people that said hello and shook my hand. When I reached the table, she pulled back and began to leave but I stopped her.

“
Here. Tell Gregory that is his tip and thanks are in this as well,” I said as I handed her the cash.

Without another word, I grabbed my things from the table and started to leave the restaurant.  It
wasn’t until I was outside that I realized he had driven us here. 
Oh well, it’s not like I didn’t know my way around here.
Slipping off my shoes, I began to walk the long walk back to my parents’ house.  My mind wandered back to the restaurant and what I did.  It was the biggest insult for a man, I learned, to not only pay for a meal but to do it in cash.

At this point, I just
didn’t care anymore.  I’m used to being alone.  Unfortunately, my logic didn’t work this time.  There was something about Tobey that made this hurt and against my will tears began to form in my eyes.  They may have formed, but I will
not
let them fall.

Soon I heard a vehicle approaching and I prepared for the conversation that was just about to take place.  Praying to God that he gives me the strength to tell this man to leave me the hell alone and move on with my life.

“Mary? Mary! Why’d you leave?” He shouted from his truck.

Just as he finished asking my phone rang, I almost dropped my phone I was so thankful for the
distraction.  It was Nate.  I looked up at the sky.
Are you punishing me?
I answered the call only because I didn’t want to talk to the guy that still crept next to me in his truck.

“
Hey, what’s up?” I greeted him friendly, after all we are friends.

“
Where are you?” He asked almost panicked.

“
I’m walking home right now why?”

“
Mare, where are you?” I could hear vehicles honking.  “Kyle is looking for you and he seems angry.  I don’t feel like you’re safe right now.” He said in a rush.

I stopped walking when he said that. “I
’m just down the road from
Fortress
…”

“
I see you,” he said, cutting me off.

I hear a vehicle stop behind me and slowly turned to see Nate get out of his car.  What I was feeling right now was terror.  Not fear, but complete and utter terror.  I forgot that Tobey was in the truck next to me, forgot about having been on a date with him. 
The minute I saw Nate, I ran to him and into his arms.  He held me tightly with his face in my hair as he asked if I was okay.  All I could do was nod my answer.

Nate
walked me to his car and helped me in and once he climbed in we were off to my parents.  When we pulled up to the house, my brother Jackson was on the porch pacing back and forth.  I jumped out of the car and ran directly to him and he wrapped me in his arms and took me inside.

Chapter
Six

Tobey

So I had a plan when I drove over to pick up Mary.  I made a plan of action and I would execute it tonight. While I sat in my hotel, I went over the plan several times in my head to make sure I had it down to a science.  I didn’t like the way I was starting to feel when I was around her and after that kiss, those kisses, I can’t trust myself to stay here much longer.  After talking to Scott on the phone and finding out that I did lose my show horse, my mind was set.  It was time to wreck and run.

Not
knowing where I was going tonight was the only wrench in the plan.  However, I dressed as dressy as I would get and then grabbed a single rose from the arrangement in the hall as I left the hotel. The whole drive to Mary’s I kept going over the plan.  Basically, I was going to embarrass the shit out of her tonight and just get the fuck out of there.  I was thinking that knocking food on her, getting into a fight, something.  Any of those would do quite honestly.  Then I could storm out of the restaurant be done with it all and finally get back to my life on my ranch. If she felt half of what I did when we kissed, then I knew it would break her.

Pulling
up in front of her house, I grabbed the stupid flower and headed to the door.  After having the stare down with her brother, I was prepared to have an interrogation for it.  When she called me her boyfriend part of me about puked and another part came alive.  It was the part that came alive that made the part that wanted to puke long to beat the shit out of it. A relationship with Mary, even though I had a feeling it would be explosive, would not be happening.  I had an agenda to stick to.

All
my thoughts left when she opened the door.  She looked unbelievably sexy.  She was wearing some kind of skirt that was long enough to be classy, but short enough to taunt me with her perfect legs. A shirt tight enough to showcase every single one of her curves and show just the right amount of cleavage that made me want to throw my face in the between them and stay until the cows came home.

When
we arrived at the restaurant, things didn’t improve. My thoughts were still on Mary and how much I wanted to take off every bit of clothing and ravage her until I got her out of my system.  This was pissing me off.  I had a plan to stick to.  As the night started going, it was proving to be harder than I thought.  There was an annoying ass waitress that wouldn’t leave us the hell alone and then when I leaned in to tell Mary how much I wanted her, a fucking picture is taken. It pissed me off and I closed down.  I was grateful for the distraction though. The anger really sealed in the fact that I had a plan to stick to.  When the waitress came back over, I talked to her hoping maybe she’d just go away.  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the look on Mary’s face and a new plan began to form in my head.

Barely
talking to her was beginning to bother me, so when our entrée was brought to the table I made conversation.  I had to, it was driving me nuts not hearing her voice or seeing her smile.  Soon she was smiling and her tense posture relaxed.  To my upset, I began to enjoy myself again. We really had a lot in common, but a lot different as well to keep things interesting.  It wasn’t until she left for the bathroom that I realized I had just got caught up in her charm again. Shaking my head, I looked up to see our waitress approaching again.

“
You look bored handsome.” She said getting close to me.

“
Just waiting,” I replied.

“
For me?”

“
No, Mary.”

“
She’s a lucky girl to have someone as sexy as you.”

I
looked up and smiled at her. “I’m just as lucky.”

My
brain is screaming at me. 
What the hell did I just say?
I looked back down at the table and shifted the remainder of my food on the plate. Why the hell would I say that? I planned to ruin her tonight! Not state that I was lucky to have her around!
What the fuck!

While
I was arguing with myself in my head, she ran her hand down my arm and grabbed my hand.  When I looked up at her, it was Mary’s face I saw and it made me smile.  It was when she leaned down next to my ear that I realized it wasn’t Mary.

“
I get off in two hours.  I can rock your world honey,” she whispered as she licked my ear.

A
flash went off and I was pissed for the second time tonight.  Only this time I wasn’t pissed because I got lost in Mary, but because I knew that the papers were going to rip her to shreds.  Just as I was about to set the waitress straight, Mary walked up and the waitress pulled away.

“Here. Tell Gregory that his tip and thanks are in this as well,” she said as she handed her the cash.

My
heart stopped.  She was pissed.  I knew she had every reason to be pissed off at me.  I should be happy about this, but for the life of me…I just wasn’t.  It was getting harder and harder to stay away from her.  Hell, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. I watched as Mary left the restaurant. Gathering myself, I stood and went after her. The time it took for the valet to bring my truck around seemed to drag forever.

Finally,
in my truck, I pulled alongside her trying to talk to her.  She got a call and stopped walking. I could see fear written all over her face and in the way she stood.  Then my heart broke when I watched her run into the detective’s arms.  There was familiarity in the way he held her.  Jealousy hits me strong and hard.  She got in his car and they drove off. I followed and when they arrived at Mary’s I watched her run into another man’s arms. 

What
the fuck!

In
my life, I have felt a lot of things; pain, sorrow, anger…but never jealousy. My mind worked overtime trying to figure out what was going on with her.  She drove me crazy with lust, rocked me to the core with a kiss and then winded me with jealousy.  It was all confusing and conflicting with the reason I met her today.  I laughed out loud.  Not even twenty-four hours in her presence and already I was in jeopardy of messing up my goal here.

I
have lost track of the time and how long I have been sitting out here.  Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say to her if she came out.  Something told me she would.  If I learned anything about her tonight it was she loved being outside.  It was just a long, boring wait and gave me far too much time to over analyze what I was doing with her. As much as my brain is telling me to love what happened and move on, something in me just didn’t feel right leaving it like that.  As I sit outside her parents’ home, I knew I’d say just about anything to get her back to me again.  Do I worry about my mission? Of course, but this seemed so much bigger and different for me.  There was no way to explain and not sound like a pussy so I will just leave it with feeling different.

Just
as I was about to start my truck and leave she walked outside.  I quietly exited my truck and made my way across the street to her.  She sat on the porch swing with her head back and her eyes shut.  When I started to ascend the steps, she lifted her head up fast and opened her eyes staring at me.  She let out a noticeable breath.

“
Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Her face changed suddenly.  “What the hell are you doing here?  Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“
No, actually I don’t.  I’ve been waiting for you to come out so we can talk.”

She
stood up. “Talk about what?  What do you want to talk about?”

“
Well…uh, why you ran off on me for one.  I thought we were having a great night.”

“
Well, you certainly were,” she mumbled.

“
What is that supposed to mean?” I asked getting equally agitated.

She
huffed and walked back to the swing.  The only thing I heard was the swing creaking as she lightly swung back and forth.

“
I saw you with the celebucker.  You don’t need to stand here and explain anything. Please just go.  I’ve had one hell of a night and would love some peace right now,” she said quietly.

“
I don’t know what you think you saw…” I started before she interrupted me.

She
moved quickly toward me and poked me in my chest as she hissed, “What I
think
I saw? No, there is no think about it.  It is what I
saw
.  I watched her come on to you all night during dinner.  I leave to go to the restroom and you’re holding hands, smiling and she’s licking your fucking ear.”

She
shoved me real hard in the chest and I stumbled backwards a few steps being caught off guard.  Mary was shocking me all over again.  She appears this weak, docile little thing, but she has a feisty assertive side and it was extremely sexy. But she had this all wrong. I wasn’t the only one who needed to be put in their place.

“
What about you? You leave the restaurant, paying for the bill and then ignore me when I try to talk to you.  As if that wasn’t enough, no, you run to the arms of another man and drive off with him ON OUR DATE!” I said louder than I intended, but I continued. “What are you fucking him and playing with me on the side?  Is that your game?  You play with men to get what you want and then throw them away?”

The
minute I said it, I regretted it.  That’s the things with words; once they were said you couldn’t take them back.  You couldn’t make someone forget they heard them. They were out there and remained there taunting you with the hurt that you know they inflicted.  These words were like an explosion in the dead of night.  Nothing but that could be heard and it jolts you from whatever you are doing.  Before I could say anything, she smacked me across the face.

“
How dare you!” She hissed. “You’re the one in public on a date letting another woman tongue your ear and I’m the bad person for ending the date?  I’m the bad person because my
friend
came to get me because Kyle was looking for me and he wanted to make sure I was safe.  You’re an asshole!” She said shoving me.

We
stared at each other for a moment, both of us breathing heavy.  The pull was there crackling between us ready to explode.  I could feel it in the hair on my arms.  The pull was strong, pulling me toward her.  As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop myself.  I moved quickly to her and grabbed her face crashing my lips down on hers.  She immediately wrapped her arms around my neck kissing me back with the same urgency that I felt.

My
hands dropped down from her face to her ass and I lifted her, wrapping her legs around my waist. We both groaned and I rested her against the house and pressed into her.  Moving my hands up from her hips, I began to tease her nipples through the fabric that separated me from her skin.  She moaned and dropped her head back against the house.

Rocking
my hips against her slowly, I trailed kisses down her neck and back up before moving back to claim her mouth.  She was grinding against me.

Fuck!
This feels so damn good!

“
Why is it that the only times I have met you is when your tongue is shoved down my sister’s throat?”

Mary
and I both jumped a little and froze in the middle of our frantic lust fest we were having.  Pulling away from her mouth, I looked at Mary and she had a horrified look on her face.  It was a look that I decided not to tease her about the truth behind his words.  Instead, I helped her correct herself and lowered her down.

“
Nick, what are you doing here?  It’s late.”

Nick
kept his eyes on me as he answered his sister. “I just got the message about what happened tonight.  I knew you wouldn’t be sleeping so I decided to check on you.  Guess I was right on the not sleeping part. I’m going inside.  See you when you come in.”

With
that, he walks into the house and I hear Mary let out a breath. Pulling her back into my arms, I stare down at her.  Something pulls inside me, changes almost.  I can’t explain it and I’m not sure I want to.  All I know is that no woman has ever affected me the way Mary does.  Was that good or bad? 

BAD!
That voice in the back of my head screams.

Mentally,
I shook myself of all the thoughts of the plans.  Focusing on just Mary is what tonight was supposed to be about. Leaning down, I licked her ear before pulling her earlobe between my teeth.

“
I really wish we didn’t always get interrupted at the good parts,” I whispered.

She
laughed softly and smacked my chest playfully. “Those good parts are waiting Mister.”

I
nodded my head and just held her.  We said our goodnights a few minutes later and I headed back to my hotel room.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

The paper did print the pictures, but thankfully it was ripping me apart and not her.  She seemed just as upset at that though.  It bewildered me why she was so upset or even cared. After that, the week passed rather quickly.  Every day was spent with Mary doing something.  We walked the park, had a picnic, went to the movies, sat in my truck and watched the sunset.  That was a night I will never forget.  A smile began to stretch across my face as the memory of that night played in my head.