Rebecca's Little Secret

As they came down the stairs, Betty came running down the hall. “Mr. Jacobs! I forgot to tell you to call your office when you got back. Your fiancée was there waiting for you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Jeff. You shouldn’t have gone with us. I didn’t know you had a date with Chelsea.” Rebecca felt terribly guilty.

“Damn! May I use your phone?” he asked Betty.

“Of course you can. And Miz Vivian said to ask you to stay for dinner. It will be ready in five minutes.”

“Let me see how things stand with Chelsea. Then I’ll let you know.”

Rebecca was going to excuse herself, but Jeff caught her hand and stopped her from leaving the library. “Chelsea? I hope Harriet told you about the emergency.” He stood listening for several minutes. Rebecca looked away. “I see. Well, then, I’ll see you Saturday morning. I’ll pick you up at nine, okay?”

After a brief moment, he hung up the phone. “That’s interesting,” he said.

That remark got her attention. “What was interesting?”

“It appears Bill took Chelsea out to dinner and then took her home. Her only complaint is that he refused to kiss her good-night.”

Chapter Four

“Doesn’t that upset you?” Rebecca asked with concern.

“No.” He grinned. “That’s Chelsea trying to pay me back for not keeping our date.”

“Oh.”

“Am I still invited to dinner?” he asked when she said nothing else.

“Oh! Yes, of course. Let’s go find the others.”

Rebecca thought it would be best for her to see Jeff only in the company of others. She was too drawn to him, remembering the past, wanting a future that could never be.

Will stood up as they came into the library, and shook Jeff’s hand. Vivian made him feel welcome.

“How are things going between you and Joey? He’s such a sweet boy!”

“Fine, Vivian. It will just take a little time to make up for four years.” He looked at Rebecca and held up a hand in apology, like tennis players do when the ball hits the net and goes over to the other player’s side, giving his opponent a point.

“Rebecca has done a good job of raising him,” Jeff added.

“Yes, she has. And he’s so smart. Smart children are more difficult to raise. Vanessa could always think of a good excuse to do what she wanted,” Vivian said with a laugh.

“I can imagine,” Jeff agreed as Vanessa protested.

“Dinner’s ready,” Betty announced as she entered the room.

They all went in to dinner. Jeff took the seat beside Rebecca.

She was a nervous wreck, finding it difficult to eat with Jeff sitting beside her, making conversation with Will. It seemed Jeff had a client who could use Will’s services.

When dinner was over, Jeff asked Rebecca if they could check on Joey one more time, to be sure he’d gotten to sleep.

They went up the stairs and opened Joey’s door quietly. The little boy was curled up under the covers, clutching his favorite teddy bear, sound asleep.

“Does he always sleep with his teddy bear?” Jeff asked after they’d closed the door.

“Yes. He sometimes gets scared in the dark. The teddy bear makes him feel better.” She thought maybe he was disappointed that his son wasn’t brave. “When he gets older, he won’t need the teddy bear, I’m sure.”

“It doesn’t matter. I just wish I’d been there those times he got scared.”

She turned her back to him. “It always comes down to my mistake, doesn’t it?”

“I’m sorry. But it hurts that you didn’t think I’d care.”

“Jeff—I was in shock when I first found out. My parents’ reaction made it worse. It seemed like no one cared and it was just me and the baby, on our own. Afterward, after Joey was born, I was afraid to let go, to bring someone else in to our close-knit world. It was wrong, I know, but I told you as soon as I found you.”

“You didn’t exactly look for me.”

“I know. What do you want me to do to make up for my negligence?”

Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss went on and on. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t pull away. She’d been longing for him to touch her for five years.

When he finally released her, she stared at him in shock.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” He backed away from her, his hands in the air in surrender. “You’re just so damned tempting!”

“So this is my fault, too?”

He gave her a rueful grin. “No, honey, it’s my fault because I have no resistance. I never did have when it came to you. That’s why we have a son upstairs.” He took another step back. “I’m going now. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”

He left at once, as if he was afraid someone would chase him away. Rebecca leaned against the closed door, savoring the kiss she’d dreamed of so many times. She smiled—reality was even better.

IT WAS IRONIC, JEFF THOUGHT. Chelsea tried to threaten him with a kiss, and he’d taken that thought and made his own mistake. And it had been a mistake. Now, every time he saw Rebecca, he would remember that kiss and yearn for more.

He finally had to face the fact that his feelings for Chelsea were nothing compared to what he had felt for Rebecca years ago and still felt for her now.

But he had committed himself to Chelsea.

If he were a drinking man, tonight would be the perfect time to drink himself senseless. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. He would have to deal with the situation in another way.

And the first thing he had to do was call Chelsea and apologize.

REBECCA TRIED TO TELL Jeff she and Joey would meet them at the zoo Saturday morning. Jeff wouldn’t agree to that. “No, we’ll pick you up at nine o’clock. Well, actually about ten after. I’m picking Chelsea up at nine.”

“All right. Did she forgive you for last night?”

“Yes, sort of. And I thanked Bill for entertaining her.”

“Did I hear my name mentioned?” Bill Wallace asked as he came to the door of his office.