Harlequin Kimani Romance September 2014 Bundle: Seduced by the Heir\Secret Silver Nights\Someone Like You\Indulge Me Tonight (42 page)

Teddy hesitated for a long moment. She knew she had to answer. Adam had answered her questions. And she was the one who opened this dialogue. It was only fair that she tell him the truth.

“We called him Chad, but his name was Charles Davis. We were high school sweethearts.” She stopped, gazing at Adam, remaining quiet for a few moments. “We'd known each other since the cradle. In grammar school, when boys and girls discover we aren't the sorrowful creatures we each thought the other was, Chad and I were a couple.”

Teddy smiled, remembering the good times they had.

“What happened?” Adam asked quietly.

“We stayed together all through high school. He was my date to the junior and senior proms.”

“Then college came,” Adam added.

Teddy nodded. Her smile was gone and the heartache she'd felt all those years ago rushed back. Not as sharp. Not as raw. But still present. Teddy guessed that until someone replaced those feelings in her, she would have this spot that wasn't filled.

“He went to Northeastern. I went to Stanford.”

“Let me guess. He found someone else in college.”

She shook her head. “Not in college. He did a summer internship for an international bank. He was extremely excited that he was going to spend the summer in Switzerland. That's where he met her.”

“How long did it take to get over him?”

Teddy lowered her chin and looked up at him. “Is that the question you really want to ask?”

“Perception kicking in again,” he admitted. “Have you ever gotten over him?”

“I think so.”

“But...” he prompted.

“Diana wouldn't agree with me.” Before he could ask what that meant, Teddy explained. “Diana thinks I don't date seriously because I never got over Chad.”

Adam leaned in close and his voice was conspiratorially low when he spoke. “Since we're baring our hearts here, in your heart of hearts, is that the truth?”

Teddy didn't have to think about it, but she took a moment to let the question gain weight. “At first I did. After a couple of years, I discovered it was up to me to decide if I was going to let my life be determined by that one incident or if I was going to pick up the pieces and build on my abilities.”

“Since college you haven't been in a serious relationship?”

“Like I said, I just haven't found the right guy.” She smiled and sipped her coffee again. “And that's why my mother is on the husband-hunting warpath.” Teddy laughed hoping to lighten the mood. “Was Veronica the catalyst for your mom?”

Adam shook his head. “My mom has been on the marriage path since I was old enough to date. We have a family joke, that we can see the wheels in her head turning every time one of us goes on a second date.”

“I guess she's not one of those mothers keeping her sons tied to her apron strings.”

Adam shook his head. “She's the kind running with scissors. Secretly, I believe she's always wanted a daughter.”

Teddy wondered what his mother had thought of his ex-wife, Chelsea, and Veronica. Had she embraced them, thinking they would be her daughter-in-law? Had she dreamed that one of them would be the daughter she wanted?

Teddy wondered where she would fit in the mix. Could she fulfill those requirements? Would any woman do, or did his mother have specific requirements that she wanted in her son's wife?

“What's she going to think of me?”

Adam reached over and took Teddy's hand. “She'll be more than thrilled.”

Chapter 4

C
ocking her head to the side, Teddy listened. She heard the slamming of car doors. Her parents had arrived. Her mother was already rushing to the door when Teddy opened it. Grabbing Teddy and folding her into a bear hug that could break a normal person's back, her mother was genuinely happy to see her. Released, Teddy hugged her dad—not quite as exuberantly as her mother's hug. Still she was happy to see her parents.

Out of the blue, her mom called on Monday to say they were coming up midweek. Teddy had to work doubly hard to get everything in order for the weekend wedding she had on her calendar and take a day off to spend with her parents.

“This is a surprise. Did you just decide to drop by for a visit?” Teddy asked. “Not that I'm not glad to see you.” When her mom called, she didn't give any other information except they were coming up for two days and that she had to rush and finish packing.

“I'm giving a lecture,” her dad said. “Apparently the main speaker for Princeton's journalism symposium is ill. They asked me to fill in.”

“I'm impressed,” Teddy said with a smile and a hug.

As the owner/editor of a small town newspaper, Kevin Granville found wide distribution due to his various editorials. This wasn't the first time he'd been asked by universities to speak, but it was the first time he'd be going to Princeton University. And it gave Teddy the opportunity to see her parents other than over holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Come on in. I've made lunch,” Teddy told them. “I'll help you with your luggage.”

“No luggage,” her mom said. “The university put us up in a hotel. We've already dropped our bags.”

They entered the house and Teddy went straight to the kitchen.

“I'm not going to eat much,” her mom said. “We have plans for dinner. We're going to Smithville.”

This was the first time Teddy had heard anything about this. Of course, the university could be taking them out to dinner, but Smithville had to be a hundred miles south of the university town.

Over a lunch of cold salads and broiled salmon, Teddy's dad outlined his lecture. Teddy asked a lot of questions. She could tell her mother was antsy to discuss Adam, and while Teddy's interest in her father's program wasn't that strong, holding her mom's crusade at bay was both humorous and tiring.

“Teddy, not to change the conversation, but where is the painting you brought for me?” Her mother finally managed to wedge into the discussion.

“It's in the dining room.” She turned to her dad. “You'll have to carry it out. It's a little larger than Mom led me to believe.”

“You had Adam there to help you,” Gemma Granville said. “I didn't think you'd have a problem.”

There it was, Teddy thought. She'd gotten Adam's name into the conversation. This was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. And there'd be no stopping her probe for details.

“Thanks to you and his mother.” Teddy glanced at her mom, giving her that stop-interfering look. But Gemma just smiled.

To her husband, she said, “Kevin, would you get it and put it in the car?”

The look her father gave her mother was one Teddy had seen many times. He knew she was on a crusade and whatever his efforts, she wouldn't be derailed.

“It's between the columns,” Teddy directed.

Alone with her mom, Teddy took her favorite mug from the cabinet and one for her mom. She filled them with coffee and returned to the table.

“I was surprised Adam wasn't with you,” her mother said as she sipped the hot liquid.

“It's his parents' anniversary and he's having a dinner for them.”

“Oh, he didn't invite you?”

“Mom,” she warned. “We're not joined at the hip.”

“Not yet,” her mother whispered. Teddy didn't think she was supposed to hear that. At least she gave her mom the benefit of the doubt.

“I do like him,” Teddy said, sipping from the mug and beginning her subterfuge.

Her mom smiled. “Do you think he might be The One?”

The hopeful lift to her voice made Teddy feel guilty. She hated deception, but she'd agreed to this fake proposal so she had to go through with it.

“I'm not sure,” she said. “But we're going to keep seeing each other. Wherever it goes, it goes.”

“That's a start.”

She patted her daughter's hand the same way she had when Teddy was a gawky teenager in need of her motherly advice.

“Mom, don't get your hopes up. This may not work out. We've met a couple of times.”

“But you agreed to another date,” her mother stated.

Teddy nodded. “We liked each other enough to try it.”

“Good.” Her mother clasped her hands together.

“Stop,” Teddy said. “You'll get excited about this and it could be over in a matter of weeks.” Teddy knew it would be over in a short time period. She and Adam had already set their expiration date.

“Oh, don't be so negative,” her mother said. “He could be the best thing that happened to you. Give it some time.” After another sip of her coffee, she said, “Speaking of dinner, you're invited so I hope you have something dressy to wear. I mean, something special.”

They hadn't been discussing dinner, but it was a safer subject than Adam, so Teddy let the change happen. Of course she had a nice dress. Her mother knew Teddy had a closet full of clothes for every occasion. Yet she felt Teddy needed to make an impression on someone who would be attending the dinner, someone who could probably help her father. She wondered what her mother was wearing. “The university must be going all out for Dad.”

“Oh, they are.”

Teddy found out why she needed the
special
dress several hours later when her father pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant too many miles from home for Teddy not to be suspicious.

“This is a really long way from Princeton,” Teddy commented as they exited the car.

“I hear the food is good,” her mom said. “Have you been here before?”

“I've done a couple of weddings here. And the food
is
really good.”

“It's beautiful.” Her mom took a moment to look at the small village. Every shop was completely outlined in tiny white lights. Teddy knew the area was lighted this way year-round.

“If you ever do your own wedding, you can probably use this as a place for a reception.”

Her mother's message wasn't lost on Teddy. She ignored it and looked at the building. The place was huge and it had a large parking lot. When you lived in Princeton, you understood the need for adequate parking since it was at a premium in the college town.

Inside the place was warm and inviting. She didn't hear her father give his name, but they bypassed all the people in the waiting area and followed the receptionist to an adjacent room.

All Teddy's training and experience at remaining calm and keeping her emotions in check deserted her when she entered the private party room. She gasped. Adam sat at a U-shaped table with people who were obviously his parents. She assumed the others were his brothers and their dates. He'd told her neither of his siblings were married.

Adam stood up slowly and stared at her. “Wow,” he said, taking a long moment to look her up and down. Teddy felt a blush cover her, but couldn't deny that she liked the way he made her feel. Now she understood why her mother insisted on checking to see what she was wearing. The black knee-length sequined dress lay haphazardly on her closet floor where it had fallen when her mother rejected it for the scarlet strapless chiffon she now wore.

Disengaging himself from the group, Adam came to stand in front of their three-person party. He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I don't know what's going on,” he whispered. Then in a louder voice, he said, “Let me take your coat,” as if he'd been expecting her. She handed him the drape she had over her arm and he placed it on an unoccupied chair at an empty table. Apparently, the assembled party of guests were the only occupants of the room.

Teddy introduced her parents. Behind him Adam's mother and father had risen and now stood in front of her. Adam introduced Merle Sullivan and Dr. Ann Sullivan, and Teddy already suspected her mother knew Adam's mom. Adam's father was the CEO of a midsize insurance company. He was a portly man, over six feet tall with thinning hair that was a mixture of gray and black. Dr. Sullivan was short and petite. Her hair was cut almost to her scalp, making her face strong and prominent. Yet her smile was beautiful and Adam had gotten his eyes from her. Teddy didn't have time to process all the information because the other family members quickly joined the small congregation. Galen and Quinn were Adam's brothers. Both had dates and Teddy wondered if they were also on the receiving end of their mother's quest for married sons.

Adam slipped his arm around her waist and she felt heat flow to her toes. As everyone headed for the table to retake their seats, Adam took her hand. The two lingered behind the others, staying close to the entrance.

“It wasn't my idea. I nearly swallowed my teeth when the three of you walked in,” he said. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “But I can see my mother's hand in this...coincidence.”

“Well, I suppose it's time we went into our act,” she said, her voice low. “Get ready.”

“For what?”

“The
Gemma Granville Marry My Daughter Show
.”

* * *

Adam almost laughed at that. Teddy had no way of knowing that his mother could hold her own when it came to her sons and the marriages that were still to come. Quinn and Galen weren't immune to their mother's machinations, but tonight they weren't on the front line.

Glancing at Quinn, Adam noticed the shadow of a smile on his brother's face. He could almost hear him asking,
Is she the one?
Adam had no answer for that. There was something indefinable about Teddy, but so far the two were only trying to solve the problem between themselves and their overzealous mothers.

“Are you two going to hover over there all night or join the rest of us?” Quinn called from his place across the room.

Adam and Teddy turned to face Quinn and the waiting table. Adam put his hand on her back and urged her toward the U-shaped table that had been laid out festively for an anniversary. Both the chairs and tables had been covered in white. Place settings were laid out for a six-course meal. Adam wasn't sure he'd survive it.

The two took seats. “Sorry for holding things up,” Teddy apologized to Adam's parents.

“Don't worry about it.” His mother brushed her apology aside. She placed a hand on her husband's and continued. “We remember how it was to be newly in love.”

Adam's ears should have slid off his face at the amount of heat that flashed within him so fast the entire room had to see it. Glancing at Teddy, he was surprised to see her smiling.

“You think this is funny?” he whispered.

“Hilarious.” Then she gave her attention to his parents. “Adam didn't tell me how long you've been married.”

“Tonight we celebrate thirty-eight years,” his father responded for the first time since their introduction. He smiled, one Adam had seen many times and knew was genuine.

“Happy years.” Quinn raised his glass and toasted them.

“Can you imagine being married that long, Teddy?” her mother asked.

“Mother, I can't imagine being married for one year, let alone several decades. But...” She paused and took Adam's hand. Hers was warm and calm, while his, despite the heat generating in his body, was ice-cold. He wondered where she was going with this. “...maybe one day we'll all meet again for an anniversary and I'll answer that question.”

Adam thought his mother was going to beam out of her chair. The smile on her face rivaled the size of her dinner plate. Quinn looked stunned. His brother Galen's mouth dropped open and Teddy's mother's face mirrored that of her coconspirator.

“Wait a minute,” Galen said. “Are you telling me, you two are serious?” He pointed from one to the other with the index fingers of both hands.

Adam cleared his throat. “Well, we haven't known each other that long, but...” he stopped for effect and the need to swallow the lump of lies he was about to tell “...things are progressing.”

“Progressing?” Galen repeated.

Teddy nodded. “I hope you have no objections.” She gazed directly at Galen, then turned to his parents.

Adam's mom spread her hands. “We're thrilled.” Then a moment later, she continued, “Of course, we want you two to be sure.”

Adam watched the bobbing heads. He knew the two mothers in this room had already decided that they were more than sure.

* * *

Teddy held her sides, hesitating on the steps to her porch, as she laughed for the hundredth time during their ninety-minute drive back to Princeton. She and Adam had reviewed the evening's events since leaving the restaurant and climbing into his car. Adam drove and Teddy was glad she didn't have to negotiate the dark roads as tears sometimes trickled down her cheeks over some comment or action one or both of their mothers had made.

She opened the door to her house and both entered the dimly lit foyer.

“If you don't stop,” she informed Adam, “I'm going to have to go to the hospital so they can stitch up my sides.” She took short breaths, trying to control the pain in her sides, but she started to laugh again. Hiccupping, she stopped.

“I apologize for my parents,” she told him after a moment.

“It was just as much my mother's fault as yours.”

“They ambushed us.”

“But we were ready. I'm sure both of them went home as happy souls.”

He smiled at Teddy and it was almost her undoing. Every time she saw him, her heart fluttered and her stomach felt as if butterflies were playing inside her.