Love's Deception (13 page)

An hour later, the managing partner stuck his head through Ty’s office doorway. “Welcome back, Bradford. What’s the status with you? Are you leaving us?”

Ty looked up from sorting his pile of mail. Ray Hansen had hired him ten years ago. Through the years, he’d mentored Ty and primed him for the partnership. Ty had called him three weeks ago requesting a transfer to the company’s Portland office. More than once, Ray had told Ty he thought of him more like a son than an employee. Ty had been to his house for dinner on several occasions and was frequently invited to the country club to golf with the partners. For days, Ty had stressed over making the call, worrying Ray would shut him down, force him to go to another firm if he wanted to work in Portland. But Ray had been supportive—not happy, by any means, but supportive. He personally called the Portland office’s managing partner and arranged the interview, even putting in a good word for Ty.

Ty had gotten his hair cut the night he’d tended Danny because he wanted to make a good first impression at his interview the next day. And after Cat told him she loved him, he wanted that job even more than he had wanted his first one.

After diving into his pool of memories, Ty resurfaced and answered his boss. “I don’t know, Ray. The job’s mine once there’s an opening. Right now they don’t have the work to support another manager. But . . .” He shook his head. “My reason for transferring doesn’t look like it’s going to pan out. If you’ll keep me, I think I’ll be staying.”

Ray laughed. “Of course we’ll keep you. I cried myself to sleep the night you told me you wanted a transfer.”

Ty smiled. “No, you didn’t.”

Ray grinned  back at him. “All right, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I would have been disappointed to lose you.”

“As bad as I wanted it to work out in Oregon, I would have been sad to leave here.”

Ray’s secretary stopped to tell him he had a call. “Good luck with Hopewell on Monday,” he said before turning to follow her.

“Thanks, Ray.”

Hours later, Ty closed the file for the Hopewell audit, satisfied he was prepared for Monday. He called the number for the cab company and went outside.

Sixteen

Ty glanced at his watch. Ashley would wonder why he was late, but he didn’t mind putting off the encounter. He still hadn’t decided what he would say to her. She was fun. And she was pretty, in a stereotypical way. With her suntanned skin, bleached blond hair, and blue eyes, she fit the image of a California girl to a T. But compared to Cat, she seemed shallow.

Three couples were sharing the beach house for the weekend. Two of his surfing buddies, Mark and Jason, would be there. Mark had married Becca last fall, and Jason’s girlfriend Megan was Ashley’s best friend. Ty had met Ashley at Mark’s wedding, and since then, the six friends had rented the beach house several times. The girls would shop, and the guys would enjoy some of the best surfing California had to offer.

Ty called Cat’s cell phone from the cab. It rang several times before kicking him into her voicemail. A discouraged sigh escaped his lips at the sound of her voice. “Catherine, this is Ty. I hope you’re having a nice vacation. I miss you. Call me . . . please. I need to talk to you. Bye.”

After paying the cab driver, Ty unlocked his door and stepped into his apartment. He had lived here since the complex was built three years ago. The location had sold him—the place was an equal distance between the office and the beach. And now he was trying to convince himself he was glad to be home

He tossed his keys on the black granite countertop and peered into his fish tank. “How are you, Nemo?” he asked the orange-and-black clownfish. He had added Nemo to his exotic fish collection before his sister Amy brought her kids to stay with him while they visited Disneyland. Amy’s youngest son’s favorite movie at the time was
Finding
Nemo
. Ty’s other nephews and his niece got a kick out of it too. Over the years, Nemo worked his way into Ty’s heart and was now his favorite fish. He had Ashley to thank for feeding the fish the past two months. At least for the fish’s sake, maybe it was better he hadn’t broken up with her while he was in Oregon.

Ty dumped everything from his bag onto his bed and repacked it for the beach. He stuffed in swim trunks, T-shirts, and sunscreen. Still uncertain whether he’d spend the weekend or not, he added his toiletries. He pulled the strap over his shoulder and tucked his surfboard under his arm.

Putting the top down on his black Mustang, Ty realized he looked forward to the drive. Time alone to think. The wind rushing by. A reliable engine that started the first time he turned the key and that idled on its own. He’d missed his car. Too bad he hadn’t had this car in Oregon. It would’ve been nice to take Cat on a date in it.

The drive went by all too quickly. Ty parked in front of the beach  house and went in to change. Expecting Jason and Mark to surf until dark, Ty was relieved to find the house empty. He leaned his board against the wall and entered the room he and Ashley usually shared. Her pink bikini hung from a hook on the wall, and her purple suitcase lay open on the bench beneath it. He put his bag on the bed and changed into his swim trunks, then tucked his board under his arm and jogged toward the surf.

With nearly shoulder-length curly blond hair and elaborately tattooed shoulders, Jason was impossible to miss on the water, and Mark was with him. Ty ploughed into the ocean, letting the waves wash away the stress of the past few days. The three friends rode the waves until the sun set. “When are the girls getting back?” Jason asked as they walked down the beach.

“My wife said they’d be back at eight to pick us up for dinner,”  Mark answered. “We’ve got reservations somewhere.”

Jason nudged Ty with his elbow and winked. “I’ll bet you’re ready to see Ashley after so long.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ty mumbled, thinking it was actually the last thing he wanted to do.

Mark frowned a little. “What’s that supposed to mean? You were gone for two months. You should be celebrating. Why are you so quiet tonight, anyway?”

I’m in love with someone else, but she dumped me.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind with work right now.”

Mark’s wife Becca yelled from the back door of the house. “Hey you guys, are you ready to go eat?”

“You bet we are,” Mark called back, breaking into a jog.

Ty looked up and met Ashley’s smile as she stepped out the door and walked toward him. She wrapped an arm around his wet shoulder and he forced a smile. “Ty, it’s so good to see you.” She held his face and touched her lips to his. In front of their friends, he had no choice but to push the thoughts of Cat from his mind and kiss Ashley back. “It’s good to see you too,” he said, moving out of her arms. “I’m soaked. Let me get changed. I’ll be right back.”

Ty came to a crossroads at the restaurant. He wasn’t one to drink a lot, or with any regularity, but he had never turned down a beer while out with friends. He stood with Jason, Mark, Becca, Ashley, and Megan near the bar, waiting for a table. “What’ll it be Ty? The usual?” Jason asked. He had the bartender’s attention and was putting in drink orders for the group.

A hip-hop song played in the background as Ty’s friends and the bartender watched him. His last drink had been the beer at Moe’s. “Yeah, the usual” was on the tip of Ty’s tongue, but a sick feeling hit his stomach and kept his mouth shut. He thought of Cat. “I’m not sure I want to play house with someone who runs off to the bar,” she’d said. He thought of the missionaries who’d taught him the lesson on the Word of Wisdom last Tuesday.
What is wrong with me? Why am I hesitating to do what I’ve done hundreds of times?
If I ever needed a drink, it’s tonight.
But even as Ty asked himself the questions, the answer dawned on him. Now he knew better.

“Dude, what’re you drinking?” Jason asked again.

“Water,” Ty said.

Jason raised his eyebrows. “Water?” he exclaimed, laughing. “He’ll take a beer, same as me. My treat.”

“No,” Ty interrupted with conviction. “I want water.”

Jason looked at the bartender. “Okay, my buddy’s gone loco. He’s drinking water now.”

After dinner, Ashley snuggled next to Ty on the couch while they watched a movie. He wrapped his arm around her, trying to revive his feelings for her. Cat was a lost cause. She obviously screened her calls, and he was being blocked. She’d made it all too clear she wanted nothing to do with him. He should move on and get back to living his life. Bury Oregon and leave it in the past—that’s what he should do. California was his home now.

The movie ended, and Ashley slid her fingers between his. She led him to their room and closed the door. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The smell of her perfume left him lightheaded. “I hope your dad lives a long, healthy life. I don’t think I could stand having you gone again.”

Ty stood rigidly in place. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the sick feeling in his gut returned with a vengeance. Images of Cat and Danny flashed through his mind. If he held out any hope of getting Cat back, staying here would be suicide.

Ashley’s long, manicured fingernails trailed down his sides and tugged at his shirt. Ty shook his head, slowly at first. “Stop, Ashley . . . I can’t.” He moved her hands away.

“What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer, because he didn’t know exactly what was wrong. He shook his head and took a step back.

She moved forward and pressed her hand to his forehead. “You don’t look like you feel well. You’re not getting ill, are you?”

Ty turned and opened the window, desperate for some fresh air. He took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder. “I’m not sick, but I don’t feel good. I don’t think I should be sleeping with you.”

She smiled and took another step closer, resting her hand on his back. “I’ll take my chances. I don’t care if I get sick. It’s been too long.”

Ty ran his fingers through his hair. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t . . .”

Ashley frowned and drew her hand back. “You’ve been acting strange all night.” Realization dawned in her eyes. “Is there someone else? I talked to a girl. She answered your phone. Who is she?”

The hurt look in Ashley’s eyes drove a dagger into his already wounded conscience. He dropped his gaze. “Her name’s Catherine Lewis.”

Ashley turned and looked out the window, framed on either side by fluttering lace curtains. “So you found a new girlfriend and you’re breaking up with me,” she said coldly. “Is that it?”

Ty rubbed his eyes and paced the length of the room. “I don’t know anything anymore. Cat, the girl you talked to, broke up with me after that. She won’t return my calls or anything. So whatever it was, it’s evidently over.”

The silence that followed his confession was agonizing. He’d rather hear Ashley yelling at him than be forced to endure the echo of his foolish words as he waited for her reply.

“I could tell you I’m sorry my call ended your relationship,” she said finally, “but it serves you right for playing both of us. Is that why you didn’t want me to come visit you? After we’ve been together this long, didn’t I deserve the truth?”

“I’m sorry. Of course I should have said something. I don’t know what got into me.”

Ashley sniffled once and wiped her eyes before turning to face him. “I thought you were different, but you’re just like every other guy. After a few weeks alone, you’re crawling into another woman’s bed.”

“Ashley, it wasn’t like that. I—”

She raised her hand, cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear it. Answer one question for me. Do the two of you have plans to see each other again?”

“No.”

The expression on her face softened and she offered half a smile. “Then maybe the past is best left in the past. We had a good thing going. Please promise me it won’t happen again.”

Ty nodded once. It would never happen again. If Cat would take him back, he’d never deceive either one of them again.

“It’s late,” Ashley continued. “Let’s go to bed and we can talk about it more tomorrow. I’ll get ready and be back in a minute.”

Ty watched her disappear into the bathroom. He grabbed his toiletry bag and went to the kitchen sink to brush his teeth. Her willingness to forgive his indiscretion didn’t really surprise him. Their relationship had always been lopsided, with Ashley dropping hints about marriage, while his mind frequently jumped between work and when he could hit the surf.

When he returned to the room, he sat on the chair, reluctant to take his shirt off and get in bed. He dropped his head into his hands. Meeting Cat had changed everything—maybe ruined everything. He couldn’t drink a beer with his buddies. He couldn’t enjoy a night with his girlfriend. But even as the thought presented itself, he knew it wasn’t true. Cat had enlightened him. He’d experienced a different kind of pleasure with her. One that left him feeling content and happy inside. Not dirty, like he did at the thought of drinking, or sleeping with Ashley.

Ashley interrupted his musing when she entered the room in a nightgown. “Baby, come to bed,” she invited, climbing between the sheets. The seductive look she fired across the room let him know that at least for tonight, she’d let bygones be bygones. She pulled the chain to turn off the lamp. A sliver of moonlight severed the dark room.

Ty sat hunched over in the chair. Everything he’d learned at Cat’s church urged him to flee. If he didn’t want to sleep with Ashley, it was sheer stupidity to flirt with temptation. Ultimately, the thought of someday confessing to Cat that he’d been in bed with Ashley tipped the scales. He stood abruptly, pulled out his wallet, and set a stack of bills on the dresser, then slung his bag over his shoulder.

Ashley sat up. “Ty?”

He turned to look at her. “I’m sorry, Ashley, but I’d better leave. I’ve got to sort some things out. I’ll talk to you later. I left the money for our part of the rental.” He pointed to the dresser and left the bedroom.

Three surfboards leaned against the wall. Ty pulled his keys out of his bag and hefted the middle board under one arm. He walked silently through the kitchen toward the front door. “Dude, where you goin’?” Jason called from behind him.

Ty turned his head, careful not to bang the wall with his board. “I can’t stay. It’s complicated.”

“You and Ashley having trouble?”

Ty shook his head. “I’m just not sure it’s the right thing for me anymore.”

“Sleep on the couch. We can talk on the water in the morning.”

But Ty shook his head again. He’d made up his mind. Going home was the only option that offered him an ounce of peace. “I’ll call you next week. Hang ten for me tomorrow,” he said before he walked out the front door.