Kathleen Brooks - Secrets Collide

“Let me make sure I got this.” Taylor took a breath and looked up at the sky. “You’re a spy. You’ve been pretending with your family and now because you aren’t pretending with me, they’re kinda mad at you. And your girlfriend, whom you just figured out you’re in love with, thinks we’re having an affair.”

“Yep. That about wraps it up.”

“Well, that’s easy. Just go talk to them while Gemma sleeps it off. If they’re as great as you’ve said, they’ll understand and help you with this transition. Sometimes just talking helps. Or so says my therapist of ten years.” Taylor gave him a nudge and Cy realized she was right.

He’d wanted to be like his brothers. Wanted to prove he was tough enough to handle undercover work and just bounce right back to who he was before, but that person didn’t exist anymore. A new Cy Davies did; he just needed to discover him. The door to the café opened and Trey Everett walked out. He saw the open curiosity on Taylor’s face and grinned. Maybe he wasn’t the only one discovering who they were. “Trey,” Cy called out.

“Yes, sir?” Trey stopped and politely took off his Vanderbilt football cap.

“Trey Everett, meet Taylor Jefferies. Taylor, this is Trey.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” they both said at the same time and then blushed.

“Trey, would you mind doing me a favor?”

“Of course, sir. What is it?”

“I need some time to talk with my family. Could you spare an hour or so and show Taylor around Keeneston?”

“I’d be happy to. I can drop Miss Jefferies off at the bed-and-breakfast before practice.”

“Practice?” Taylor asked as she stood up.

“Yes, I play football. I’m working out this summer with some coaches. I just transferred to Vanderbilt.”

“Vanderbilt? I’m starting my freshman year there. It’s so wonderful to meet someone who’s going to the same college. And you’re already a sophomore? What is college like? Tell me all about it.” Taylor hit him with rapid-fire questions as the two started walking down the street. Well, at least he did something right today.

Cy hugged his mother as his father stood proudly by. Paige even managed to give him a little smile. He had sat the family down, all except Cade, and told them the trouble he was having adapting. He felt stuck between L.A.'s Cy Davidson and Keeneston's Cy Davies. Surprisingly, he was the last to know. Everyone had already figured it out. It was why his brothers were taking him around the farm and showing him what they had done. Not as an example of what he missed, but to remind him of what he was returning to.

“We love you and we’re very proud of you,” his mother said sweetly before letting him go.

“I don’t know if it helps, but I had trouble readjusting to civilian life, too. Why don’t you come with Bill and me on some visits to the hospital? He’s a great therapy dog. I think you’ll like it.”

“Thanks, Miles. That means a lot. Let me know next time you go and I’ll tag along.” Cy’s attention was drawn to the door as Cade came hurrying in.

“You have a cell phone for a reason,” Cade yelled impatiently. “I found something. Hey, where’s Gemma?”

“At Miss Lily’s. I’m surprised Annie didn’t call you since she almost shot me earlier,” Cy informed him. When Cade grimaced at his own cell phone, Cy just smirked.

“I’ll ignore that. What did you do?”

“She may have misinterpreted a zealous hug from a friend,” Cy hedged.

“From Taylor Jefferies to be specific.” Paige smiled as she happily filled in the blanks.

“I can’t wait to hear the details, but now’s the time for you to kiss and make up. I found a thread, but now I need to figure out how to pull on it. It’s a company name. Happens to be the same company name that rented the house Mr. Goatee Man was staying at.”

“That’s fantastic. What’s the problem?” Cy asked as he stopped to kiss his mother and sister goodbye.

“It’s a legal game of hide and seek. There’re so many shell corporations and different names of officers that I’m having trouble finding a real lead,” Cade told him.

“What about asking Henry and Neely Grace if they can help. As much as you get distracted by the shiny suits, Henry’s pretty smart. And from what I’ve heard about Neely Grace, she puts him to shame.”

“Good idea. I’ll talk to them while you’re begging Gemma to believe you,” Cade chuckled.

* * *

He paced the large office at his newest home in Kentucky. He had homes all over the world, but never one in such a small, out-of-the-way place like this. The quiet was getting to him. He heard things at night, things that he knew weren’t real. Even though his team surrounded him, he felt more and more isolated. There was no one he could trust anymore.

“Sir. There’s been activity on that account you wanted me to watch.”

He nodded and the guard hurried from the room. Taking a breath, he made his way to the massive desk and turned on his computer. He pulled up his account and searched out Sarah Flannery’s page. A picture was front and center that caused him to throw his glass of whiskey into the fireplace. In the middle of his screen sat a picture of his beautiful daughter with that son-of-a-bitch spy and no-good journalist determined to bring him down.

“Sergei!” he roared as he slammed his fist on his desk. He was going to take care of this himself.

* * *

Gemma opened her eyes to a room of women. The smell of coffee whiffed through the air along with a huge tray of brownies. And then she remembered what happened. Taylor Jefferies leaping into Cy’s open arms.

“Oh no,” Gemma groaned and rolled back into her pillow.

“Here, dear. Have some coffee. It’ll help clear your head. Cyland is downstairs and needs to talk to you,” Miss Lily told her.

“I don’t want to see him.”

“You really should. We might have misjudged the situation,” Katelyn told her.

“Yeah. It turns out that Taylor really is just a friend. Trust me, I would've shot him if it were otherwise,” Annie said reassuringly while patting her sidearm.

“Thanks. That’s very nice of you.” Gemma attempted to laugh but it hurt her head to do so.

“And I should tell you that little Miss Jefferies is staying in the room on the third floor,” Miss Lily said hesitantly.

“No,” Gemma squeaked as she hid her head in the pillow. “I made such a fool of myself.”

“There, there. She’s actually quite sweet. Poor dear, she’s never been a teenager before. She acts as if she’s already forty years old instead of eighteen,” Miss Lily clucked as she shook her head.

“Thank you all for your help. Now if only I could get over the embarrassment of it all, I could leave this house again.” Gemma sat up and took a sip of the strong coffee.

“Oh, we’ve all been there. It’s nothing compared to that time I walked through school with my skirt tucked into my drawers,” Miss Lily shrugged. “It happens.”

Katelyn and Annie shook their heads as they grinned at Miss Lily. “It does happen. Especially when the Rose sisters’ special iced tea is involved. We’ll meet you downstairs.” Katelyn smiled in a way that had Gemma thinking there was a story to be told there.

Gemma took another drink of coffee as the room cleared and finally stood up to take a quick shower. The hot water felt good as she began to wake up. Unfortunately, now the only thing she felt was foolishness for getting so upset over someone she didn’t even have a well-defined relationship with. They were sleeping together and sometimes he called her his girlfriend. But she knew the real reason she was so upset. She loved the man.

Not the incredibly hot Hollywood stunt hero and international spy, but the kind, caring gentleman he was when they were alone together. The one who loved his family and wanted to take care of her. The one who told her corny jokes and helped Miss Lily carry in the groceries. The one who snuggled with her tiny fur ball of a dog and then took him to playdates with his brothers’ dogs. That’s the man she loved.