Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars #2)(94)

“Because…It felt so good.”

He touched her. “You know, don’t you, that I fell in love with you that night? Or maybe it happened thirty years ago, and I never got over it.”

She pressed her fingertips to his lips. “Don’t say that. It’s not true.”

“I fell in love with you, Suzy, even though I know I can never compete with Hoyt.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with competition. He was my life. We married for always. And when I’m with you, I’m betraying him.”

“That’s crazy. You’re a widow, and in this country women don’t throw themselves on their dead husband’s funeral pyre.”

“He was my life,” she repeated, not knowing how else to express it. “There could never be anybody else.”

“Suzy—”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry, Way. I never meant to hurt you. I—I care too much about you.”

He couldn’t quite conceal his bitterness. “Apparently not enough to throw off your widow’s weeds and start living again.”

She saw the pain she was causing him and felt as if it were piercing her own body. “You saw how Bobby Tom reacted tonight. I wanted to die.”

He looked as if she’d slapped him. “Then there’s nothing more to be said, is there? I won’t cause you shame.”

“Way—”

“Get your things packed. I’ll have a car waiting for you downstairs.” Without giving her a chance to respond, he walked out of the apartment.

She fled to the guest room, where she’d stayed ever since that first night, and threw her clothes into a suitcase. As tears trickled down her cheeks, she told herself her nightmare was over. Eventually she would learn to forgive herself for what had happened and go on with the rest of her life. From now on she’d be safe.

And very much alone.



The fight blew up like a summer storm: quick, unexpected, turbulent. As the two couples flew back to Telarosa from San Antonio, Gracie considered what she should do about Bobby Tom’s rude behavior toward his mother at the restaurant. By the time Natalie and Anton had left and they were finally alone, she had decided to hold her tongue. She knew how much Bobby Tom loved Suzy, and now that he’d had some time to cool off, she was certain he would be ready to make amends.

It didn’t take him long, however, to relieve her of that notion. As he entered the living room, he threw his hat down on the couch.

“Call my mother in the morning and tell her we won’t be coming for dinner on Tuesday night.”

Gracie followed him as he stalked into his office. “She’ll be disappointed. She said she was making a special meal for you.”

“She’s going to have to eat it alone.” He sprawled down behind his desk. Ignoring the ringing of the phone, he picked up the stack of mail Gracie had organized for him, making it clear that he was dismissing her.

“I know you’re upset, but don’t you think you should try to be a little more understanding about this?”

His nostrils flared with outrage. “You didn’t believe that crap of Sawyer’s about how he just happened to run into her at the restaurant, did you?”

“What difference does it make? They’re both adults.”

“What difference does it make?” He jumped up from the desk and whipped around the side to face her. “They’re seeing each other, that’s what!”

The answering machine clicked on and someone named Charlie began leaving a message about a boat he knew Bobby Tom was going to want to buy from him.

“You don’t know that for a fact,” she pointed out. “Instead of flying off the handle like this, why don’t you just talk to her about what happened? If they’re dating, she has her reasons. Talk to her, Bobby Tom. She’s seemed so sad lately. I have a feeling she needs your support right now.”

He jabbed his index finger toward her. “Stop right there! She’ll never get my support on this. Not ever. When she started keeping company with Way Sawyer, she betrayed everybody in this town.”

Gracie couldn’t suppress her indignation. “She’s your mother! She should come ahead of the town in your loyalty.”

“You don’t understand anything.” He began pacing across the carpet. “I can’t believe what a fool I made of myself. I didn’t give those rumors a minute’s thought. It never occurred to me she’d stab everybody in the back like this.”

“Stop talking about Mr. Sawyer as if he’s a serial killer. I happen to think he’s a nice man. He didn’t have to stop that day I was parked on the side of the highway, and I like the way he tried to protect your mother today. He knew how you’d feel about seeing them together, and he did his best to shield her.”

“Are you actually defending him? A man who’s going to single-handedly destroy this town?”

“Maybe if everyone in Telarosa didn’t treat him so badly, he wouldn’t want to leave.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Are you sure it’s Mr. Sawyer who’s bothering you? You were close to your father. Are you certain you wouldn’t feel this way no matter who your mother had begun to see?”