Before It Stains Read online

  OTHER R.E. BRADSHAW TITLES:

  OUT ON THE SOUND

  (Adventures of Decky and Charlie, # 1)

  SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS

  THE GIRL BACK HOME

  WAKING UP GRAY

  RAINEY BELL THRILLERS:

  RAINEY DAYS

  RAINEY NIGHTS

  Before It Stains

  R. E. Bradshaw

  © 2011 by R. E. Bradshaw. All rights reserved.

  R. E. Bradshaw Books/DEC2011

  http://www.rebradshawbooks.com

  Rebecca Elizabeth Bradshaw on Facebook

  Twitter: @rebradshawbooks

  Rebecca Elizabeth Bradshaw on Facebook

  Twitter @rebradshawbooks

  For information contact: [email protected]

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and publisher.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters, and events portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual persons living or dead or events are entirely unintentional.

  Acknowledgments

  There are always people to thank when a book is ready to publish. I am very appreciative of the many who helped me get through this one.

  To the readers, thank you for your constant support and pushing me to write more. I hope I can keep you entertained for years to come.

  To the beta readers, thank you for your insights and encouragement. It really does make a difference to have you there to bounce ideas with.

  To my editor, once again, thanks for keeping me focused.

  To my friends who let me ask questions about their relationships and shared their heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, I am forever in your debt. Thank you for trusting me with your most private emotions.

  To my family, Deb and Jon, the years we’ve spent together have meant so much. You make writing about true love and family commitment easy. Through laughter and tears we made it work and I will always be grateful to have both of you in my life.

  I am truly blessed and thankful to have all of you on this ride with me.

  REB

  About the book…

  Falling in love is easy. Staying in love is work.

  Stephanie Austin has it all - a loving wife of 17 years, a handsome teenage son, a comfortable home in the suburbs, professional success, and a bright future. At forty, Stephanie’s life is all she’d ever dreamed of, but like the old blues song says, “What a difference a day makes.”

  Betrayal by the woman she loves, thought she knew, and always trusted, cuts deep. Forgiveness is a simple word, but is it possible?

  This is a story about love and family, with all the joys and pains of a lifetime commitment. When Stephanie's perfect world starts spiraling out of control, the fate of her family rests in her hands. With the help of her mother, friends, an old flame, and a healthy dose of humor, Stephanie must decide if she can put aside the hurt and figure out how to clean up the mess, before it stains their lives forever.

  From the Author…

  I am often asked to write stories about women in long-term relationships, a story that does not involve new love, but an established committed romance. I thought about it for a long time. In any good story there is a complication, something standing between the protagonist and a happy ending. I wasn’t interested in a story of illness or death. So what could complicate an otherwise happy union? Ah, a betrayal of trust would definitely muddy the water.

  Cheating is a hot button issue. There isn’t much gray area in most people’s minds. Not too many people would take the time to figure out what went wrong. It’s hit the door and don’t look back. I was one of those people, but then I wrote this novel. I began to question that stance as the words formed on the page. Would the circumstances of the broken vows make any difference? What if there was a child involved? Does that slow a person down long enough to reflect on the real issues, not just the pain and pride? When faced with dissolving a family unit, would it then be a harder decision to make?

  A family court judge told me that sex outside of marriage is rarely about love, but a symptom of a deeper problem within the marriage. I believe that. I also believe that a marriage can survive, if both people involved are truly committed to making it work. Think about it. With all the adultery going on, some couples must repair the damage and move on. How do they do it? How do they clean up the mess, before it stains everyone involved forever?

  Sometimes it takes more strength to stay and work it out, than to walk out the door. That’s what this novel is about. If it has a message it is two-fold; communication is the key to a good marriage and never take your happy life for granted. Writing this novel reminded me to notice the little things and count my blessings.

  REB

  Before It Stains

  Forgiveness is the answer to the child’s dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again. ~

  Dag Hammarskjold

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Stand still. I need to fix your tie.”

  “Mom, stop fussing over me. I’m fine.”

  Stephanie Austin fingered one of the blond curls framing her son’s face. “Have I told you how much I love you, today?”

  “Yes, about a dozen times. Is she ever coming out of there? I need to go.”

  “She’s on the phone with her agent. You have plenty of time. Do you want a snack before we leave?”

  “No, I just want to get out of here before you make me change my shirt again.”

  Stephanie chuckled at the six-foot-two man-child she now had to look up to. “This is your first formal dance. I want you to look nice in your pictures. What color did you say Jordan’s dress was?”

  “It’s blue,” the fifteen-year-old answered.

  “What color blue?”

  “Come on, Mom. It’s blue. I’m not changing again. Could you please tell Mo it’s time to leave? Jordan will be pissed, if I’m late.”

  “Give her a few minutes. If she’s not out by then, I’ll knock on the door, and ‘pissed’ is inappropriate language in front of your mother. Try angry, or upset next time.”

  Colt mocked her, using perfect pronunciation with a bit of British accent thrown in, “My girlfriend may be annoyed if I am not punctual.”

  Stephanie playfully tussled his hair. “You are annoying.”

  She stepped back and took in the lanky, blue-eyed teenager. Colton Hunt Austin, shortened to Colt, was growing up. He was no longer the boy who crawled into her lap, just to get a hug. He was on the cusp of becoming the man he would be and she wasn’t the most important woman in his life anymore. It was at once a moment of joy and sadness. Stephanie couldn’t help it when she grabbed him, pulling him into a bear hug.

  “Mom, I’m just going to a dance. I’m not getting married.”

  Stephanie clung to him. “I know, honey. I just want to hold you one more minute, before you’re no longer my baby boy.”


  Colt smiled down at his mother and hugged her tighter. “I’ll always be your baby. I’m the only one you have.”

  Stephanie released her hold on him and gestured toward the office door. “Go on, knock on the door. She may have lost track of time.”

  Colt hesitated. “Are you sure? She’s been so uptight. I don’t want to make her mad.”

  “She’s got a lot on her mind, right now. You know how important this is to her, to us.”

  “Yeah, but she’s been a real bitch, lately.”

  The smile left Stephanie’s face. “Colt, watch your language. I will not allow you to speak of Mo that way. Got it?”

  Colt ducked his head and pawed at the floor with the toe of his shiny, new, size thirteen, shoe. He was growing so fast, new shoes and clothes were a common occurrence.

  Colt answered, “I’m sorry, but you heard how she went off on me for leaving my bike in front of the house.”

  “That’s because that’s an extremely expensive bike you just ‘had to have’ and then you leave it where it could be stolen.”

  “I’m never going to stand a chance against you two, am I? You always take up for each other.”

  “Honey, we love you and want you to show some respect for the privileges you have. That’s not taking up for each other. That’s working together as a team.”

  Colt grinned. “Yeah, your team against me. I guess it’s okay, since most of my friends wish you were their parents.”

  “So, count your blessings and go knock on the door. Be polite and ask her if she’s ready to go.”

  Before Colt could move, the door to the study opened. Dr. Maureen Hunt, or “Mo” as she was affectionately known, stepped into the den. At five-feet-seven inches tall, she was thin, but tautly muscled, in contrast to Stephanie’s more softly curved five-eight. Mo’s coloring differed with the rest of her blond, blue-eyed family. Her black hair, cut in the latest short bob, accentuated her exquisite hazel eyes. They met when they were both twenty-three and even after seventeen years, Stephanie’s heart skipped a beat every time Mo walked into the room.

  Mo took in the dapper young man in front of her. “You clean up real good,” she said, in an exaggerated drawl.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” Colt said, obviously relieved his MoMo was in a good mood. He called her that from the time he could talk. He dropped the second Mo when he entered middle school. It was a mutual decision between the two of them.

  Stephanie smiled at her family. “See, you’ve taught him well, Mo. He already knows how to schmooze a woman.”

  Dressed in black slacks, white shirt, black silk vest, and thin black tie, Mo was dazzling. The androgynous outfit balanced well with her feminine features. Her eyes sparkled. Worry lines, recently deeply creased, softened on her brow. Mo looked over at Stephanie, smiling broadly.

  “Your mom looks pretty good, too, don’t you think?”

  Colt turned back to Stephanie. She was wearing her favorite red dress and heels, her special occasion ensemble. It was going to be an extraordinary, event-filled evening for them all. Stephanie had taken care to make herself as attractive as possible. The twinkle in her family’s eyes told her she had done well.

  “Mo, you better hang on to her tonight. One of those Hollywood types might think she’s too pretty to leave in Durham.”

  Mo put her hand on Colt’s shoulder, admiring Stephanie, and said, “Believe me, Pony Boy -” her nickname for Colt, “- I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  Stephanie blushed under the attention. “Oh hush, you two.” She reached for her digital camera on the coffee table. “Stand there and let me take your picture.”

  Colt looped his long arm over Mo’s shoulders. Mo smiled up at him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Stephanie snapped the picture of her happy family. She loved them both more than life itself. Colt stepped over and took the camera from her hand.

  “Now, let me take a picture of you guys.”

  Mo moved in and took the camera from Colt. “Let’s do a family shot, okay? I’ll set this on the bookshelf.”

  Mo fiddled with the camera and then ran back to take her place in the picture. She stood in front of Stephanie, who wrapped her arms around Mo’s waist. Colt stood behind Stephanie, a hand resting on her elbow. Colt was becoming a man, Mo’s dreams were coming true, and Stephanie had the life she always wanted. They smiled at exactly the right moment and the image of the perfect family was frozen in time. Stephanie would add this photo to all the others in the house, proof of their happy lives together.

  Stephanie forgot one important thing about photographs. The real story is most often in what is not seen.

  #

  “You call us, if you need anything,” Stephanie said to Colt, adjusting his tie one more time.

  “Leave him alone, Steph. He’s just going to a dance.” Mo waved at Colt. “Have a good time, Pony,” she said, as she sat down behind the steering wheel.

  They were dropping Colt off at his girlfriend’s house, where a group had gathered to ride to the dance in a stretch limo Hummer, provided by Jordan’s extremely rich, but mostly absent father. Stephanie, along with the other mothers, had taken pictures of the group, until it became evident the children were about to revolt. Fathers talked softly, a gentle hand placed on a teenage shoulder. Mothers made final primping preparations to their son or daughter’s attire. Stephanie had to let her young man go.

  A foreboding uneasiness seized her breast. She felt the beginning of the end of life as she had known it. These were the first steps toward her tight knit family divesting itself of the bonds that held them together. She wondered if all the other mothers were experiencing the same sense of loss. Stephanie had been feeling it for months. Colt was no longer dependent on her. Sure, he still wanted her to clean up after him, cook his meals, give him rides to practice, but left on his own he could manage those things. She and Mo had taught him well. Soon, he would be driving and that would be the end of innocence.

  Stephanie was looking forward to having time alone with Mo, once Colt was in college. It was three years down the road - he was about to start his sophomore year - but it loomed large in Stephanie’s future. She warmed when she remembered how she and Mo never slept with clothes on and ran around the house buck-naked the first two years they were together. During those days, sex had been as close as a passing glance. They always enjoyed a healthy sex life, but it was nothing like it had been before their son was born. He seemed to have a sixth sense that they were up to something and interrupted them on many occasions. As much as it pained her to see Colt growing away from them, after years of always putting his needs first, Stephanie was ready to put her relationship with Mo back on the front burner.

  “I love you, honey. Text me when you get back to Trevor’s house tonight. I trust you to make good decisions.”

  Mo leaned over and looked out the open passenger door. “Yeah, peer pressure sucks. Get in the car Steph. You’re torturing the boy.”

  Colt smiled at Mo. “Thanks. I love you guys. Now, go have fun. See you tomorrow.”

  He pecked Stephanie on the cheek and jogged back to Jordan’s side. Stephanie sat down on the passenger seat and closed the door. Mo reached over and patted her leg.

  “Honey, he’s a momma’s boy. He’s never going too far away.”

  While Stephanie searched in her purse for a tissue, before the tears welling in her eyes ruined her makeup, she said, “I don’t know why this is hitting me so hard. I’ve just felt off-balance lately, overly emotional. I feel like the other shoe is about to drop. Maybe my hormones are out of whack.”

  Mo removed her hand and cranked the car, backing out of the driveway. She aimed the car toward downtown Durham, before saying, “I know you’ve been alone a lot lately, with me traveling so much, and Colt off with his friends. I promise, after this next week, I’ll set aside some time for us. Just hang in there.”

  Stephanie placed her hand over Mo’s on the gearshift. “Baby, you’ve been working towar
d this moment all of your life. My spending a few nights alone is worth seeing you sparkle. This is your moment. I’m very proud of you.”

  Mo glanced from the road to Stephanie. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You know that, don’t you?”

  Stephanie leaned over and gave Mo a peck on the cheek. “You’re the one with the talent. I’m the one who’s going to spend all your money when you’re a famous director.”

  Mo laughed. “We’re not there, yet. Michaela did say the prospects were good that we’ll be picked up by a distributor, but I’m not going to breathe until I see somebody’s signature on paper.”

  “I’m glad you found her. I was worried, at first, because she’s so young, but she turned out to be a good agent.”

  “Michaela isn’t that young,” Mo contradicted.

  “Thirty is young. When you said you were getting an agent last spring, I expected a gray-haired woman with a cigarette stub hanging out of her mouth. Not a black-haired bombshell with superior assets.”

  Mo’s tone turned serious. “Sometimes I wonder if her assets are what the studios are attracted to and not my work.”

  “Whatever it takes to get you where you want to be, Mo. Her looks might get you in the door, but your talent will keep you there.”

  “You’ve always believed in me,” Mo said, her voice cracking a little. “I don’t know how to make it up to you.”

  Stephanie ran a fingertip along Mo’s jawline. “Oh, I can think of a few things. Remember we are kid-less until tomorrow evening.”

  Mo grinned over at her. “You want to skip the party?”

  “No, this is your night. People are expecting you. I get to stand by and watch all those women gush over you.”

  Mo’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t bother you, does it? I don’t encourage them.”

  Stephanie replied, sarcastically, “No, honey, it doesn’t bother me. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.”

  Mo shot her a pained look.

  Stephanie grinned. She leaned over and squeezed Mo’s arm. “It’s okay, really. I know you’re coming home with me.”