14. Everyone Has Secrets

14

EVERYONE HAS SECRETS

“ L et me help you make dinner,” Kelly said once they were both cleaned up and dressed again.

Her body never felt this relaxed and yet tender at the same time.

She hadn’t felt sore when they were having sex, but it was all coming in now.

He was a big dude, but she knew she’d be fine the next time. Had to be the fact it was so long since she’d had sex. And she did give him the green light to be a bit rough.

It felt to her that he was holding back and she didn’t want him to when he hadn’t held back on anything else yet.

“I said I’d cook,” he said.

“Why can’t we do it together?” she asked. “You know, like teamwork in the bedroom and get it in the kitchen.”

“Burgers aren’t that hard of work,” he said. He had the ground beef opened and was forming patties after he’d seasoned the meat.

“No,” she said. “What are we having with it? I can take care of that.”

“I thought we could have fries,” he said. “They just go in the air fryer.”

“I love you’ve got an air fryer. I couldn’t live without mine.”

“I’ve got a four-year-old that loves chicken tenders, fries, mozzarella sticks, and any other frozen thing. It’s fast and easy. My mother got it for me and I don’t think I could live without it.”

“That’s funny. My mother gave me mine for Christmas one year too. I cook everything in it. Most of my meats too.”

“I don’t do that,” he said.

She shrugged. “Sometimes things are a bit dry, but I figure it out. And since it’s just me, you’re right, it’s easy and cleans up quickly too.”

She opened his freezer and saw a ton of the frozen things a child would eat, but since she’d seen a lot of fruit and vegetables in the fridge, she was positive that Ty had a well-balanced meal plan.

It seemed to her that Michael balanced everything well in his life other than personal things.

But he was trying with her and they’d get there as long as they both put the effort in.

She dumped the fries in, turned it on and then opened some cabinets until she found the plates and set the table.

“I want you to know that I don’t have a problem talking about Ty. I don’t want you to think I cut you off earlier because I don’t want to talk about him.”

“I don’t think that,” she said. “There is a time and place. I tend to ask a lot of questions and you can tell me to stop at any point. It’s funny that I ask so much when I don’t like people asking me things. Or rather don’t tell people that much.”

“I get it,” he said. “This is different. It’s just we don’t have a lot of time today and I didn’t want to waste it talking about something we could do on the phone or over text.”

Which told her he wouldn’t keep secrets or have things be off limits.

“Works for me,” she said. She looked at the clock on his microwave and saw it was a little after five. She figured she’d leave by six thirty, so he had time to do what he needed to before he picked up his son.

“We’ve got time,” he said. Must be he caught her eyes on the clock. “I’ll leave about twenty of.”

“While we are cooking, maybe we should talk about a few things,” she said.

“Sure,” he said. “What’s up?”

“This thing we’ve got going. I should have said before that I’m exclusive.”

“Doesn’t need to be said to me,” he said. “I can’t balance one woman, let alone two.”

He was smiling when he said it so she was going to take it as a joke rather than be hurt over it. “Good. The other thing, are we telling anyone? I mean we know a lot of the same people. Do we want coworkers to know?”

“I’m not one for volunteering much about my personal life,” he said. “Did you want to tell coworkers?”

“No,” she said. “That is where I was going. I should tell you that I’ve asked Jolene to set me up in the past. She comes in and is always talking to me when she visits. But she’s never hinted that she had anyone for me. Has she said anything to you?”

“She’s always fishing, but I never bite,” he said. “And if you are worried she is trying to set us up, I don’t think so. I’m not going to say she hasn’t said your name in passing in the past several years, but it’s not anything like a red flag waving at a bull in an arena.”

“The same,” she said. “Your name has come up but nothing more than several other people in passing and nothing that would lead me to believe she was planning something out.”

Kelly wasn’t sure how she felt about that but told herself to let it go.

It was better if she found something on her own anyway.

“You don’t want her to know we are dating? Right?” he asked.

“Not right now. It’s early yet.”

“That means you can’t let Cade know,” he said. “He’s not good with secrets.”

She laughed. “No, he’s not. But he’s always the last to know or figure things out and I think he’s a little busy getting ready for Jordan’s birth, so no worries there.”

“Ella is pretty smart,” he said.

“She is. She’ll be the one I have to watch out for, but I’ll be fine. Even if she found out somehow, she wouldn’t say a word to her mother.”

Ella loved to keep her mother guessing. It seemed all the siblings did now.

“Alex wouldn’t say anything if she found out. I guess I need to know if you want this to be a secret for that reason or something else?”

It was the way he was looking at her. Uncertainty and she didn’t want him to have any doubts about them.

Talk about a great way to ruin something good that was just starting.

She moved closer and put her arms around his waist from behind and hugged him. “This isn’t a secret from anyone other than coworkers. I told my parents on Sunday that I’d been on a few dates with you. I hope that was okay.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “I guess that makes me feel a little better. I’m not normally someone who doesn’t trust easily.”

“But you might have wondered if I was trying to be secretive in case there was someone else?”

She hoped he didn’t think that. She wouldn’t have expected it of him. It’s not like she got the impression he was someone who had been burned by a cheating ex. Just one that was irresponsible.

“Not really,” he said. “Everyone has secrets and it’s letting those people in.”

“Got it,” she said.

“What did you tell your parents?” he asked. “How did it come up?”

She laughed. “They asked me to dinner on Sunday. I told my mother I wanted a light meal since I went to the fair on Saturday. My parents know how I am about fair food and they just asked if I went alone or with friends. I told them it was a date.”

“You would actually go to the fair alone?” he asked.

“For the food,” she said. “I’d buy a bunch and leave after. It’d be worth the price of admission for that alone, but I haven’t done it in years.”

Talk about sounding pathetic.

“We all have things we like,” he said. “So your parents know about Ty?”

“They do,” she said, sighing. “And they obviously know about my past. I told them I told you about Brian and the reality show. They were shocked, but it went to show them that I like you and am taking this seriously.”

“As opposed to not taking other dating relationships seriously?” he asked.

She moved back from her hug and he flipped the burgers and she checked on the fries.

This wasn’t going well and she didn’t want their date to end on a negative when everything else had been so positive.

“I take most things seriously when the time is right. I think when I go on a few dates with a guy I try to be open minded and fun. If I see a connection, then I decide if it can go anywhere. We already know there has been a connection with us right away.”

“There has been,” he said. “I’m not trying to grill you or anything. Just trying to find out what is going on.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m not taking offense to it.”

“I think you kind of are,” he said. “Cheese or not?”

“Cheese,” she said. “And the fact you know that about me says a lot too. My parents worried that I was setting myself up for more drama and I pointed out that if my father was in your shoes I would expect him to step up.”

“What did he say?”

“He agreed.”

“I’m sure they commented on Ty being my priority over their daughter and worried about that?”

She laughed. “You’ve been burned by this haven’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say burned,” he said. “Just that it’s not my first rodeo with women let alone if their families know.”

“I understand,” she said. “And what I told my parents was this. I asked my mother if I was first in her life over my father after I was born. The same with my father. That I’m sure I wasn’t. That I was on equal ground for different situations.”

“I bet they didn’t like that being pointed out,” he said, grinning.

“They were stunned by it and agreed with me. They know I’m not an idiot. I know what I’m getting into.”

He turned and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“I don’t feel it in a bad way. This sucks. I’m trying to be transparent and making a mess out of it.”

Which she didn’t normally do.

“You’re not making a mess out of it. I understand what you’re saying. I wish I didn’t, but I do. I wish you didn’t even have to think or feel this way, but I can’t change the fact that I’ve got Ty in my life and I’ve only dated you for a few weeks.”

She wouldn’t be hurt by those words. She couldn’t be. This was what her parents tried to say. They were married first when she was born. There was that understanding to start.

Kelly was coming into Michael’s life after the fact.

“Understood,” she said. “No one is making plans. I told you what I wanted at some point in my future.”

“You did. I’m looking for a relationship too. I like kids. I’m not opposed to having more, but I want them the more traditional way. Can I be honest with you?”

“Of course,” she said.

He laid the cheese on the burgers and put a lid on it while he turned the heat down and she checked on the fries one more time. It seemed he was weighing his words.

After a minute he said, “I don’t like sharing Ty.”

“And you don’t want to ever have to deal with that again with another child?”

“No,” he said. “I think a child should have both parents in their life, but this isn’t how I planned it for my son. I have no idea what the future will hold with Ty and Electra and I’m trying to make it work. She’s made comments in the past about moving.”

“Oh,” she said. “That would be hard.”

“Yes and no. I have custody. She would never fight for it. The fear is her walking out of his life. I don’t want him hurt that way.”

How could anyone not love this guy? Or see how wonderful a man he was?

“He has you,” she said. “He’ll never be hurt as long as there is peppermint spray around.”

He picked her up and spun her for a second. “You’re what I need right now.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“It didn’t scare you?”

“I don’t look like I’m running, do I? Or do I need to find another spray scent if I am scared?”

“I think you’re pretty tough.”

“Tougher than anyone knows,” she said.