Even Love

By Cher Lane

For Mackenzie Barton Taylor, known to the world simply as Kiz, modeling is beginning to lose its luster. She keeps thinking about her home in Texas, the baby she left behind, the man she loved and married. No other man has ever touched her heart the way he did. It is time to go back. Therefore, when her model agency opens a branch in Dallas, Texas, she jumps at the opportunity to run it.

But can a girl who abandoned all for a star-studded career in the big city go home to the small town she was raised in and reclaim the man she loves and the baby she abandoned, now fully grown? Can she convince them that she is sorry, that she’ll give up her life as a supermodel to be with them? As her husband has divorce papers prepared, Mackenzie fights to save what was once hers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cher Lane
• Release date: Nov 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370434206

Cher Lane

Cher Lane lives in Texas with her husband, four cats and a dog. She has a three sons and one daughter, two step daughters, 15 grandchildren, and five step grandchildren. When she's not writing, she enjoys working out, going for walks, swimming, sewing and cooking.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

I hate this stinky room. I hate this disgusting food. And I hate this ugly green hospital gown with no back in it, Mackenzie Barton Taylor whined, a disgusted look on her perfect, young face.

Margaret Barton pulled her gaze away from the small bundle in her arms long enough to sympathize with her spoiled daughter. Don’t worry, honey, I’ll get you out of here soon. In the meantime, eat your lunch. You need the strength. Margaret eyed the food on her daughter’s tray and caught herself just in time from wrinkling her nose. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was. Mashed green beans and shredded turkey it looked like. Double yuck!

I can’t eat that, Mackenzie pouted. Have you seen my body? My god, Mama, I’m fat! What am I going to do? The agency will never want me now, she wailed, lying her head back on the pillow, she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping her figure would magically morph into her ‘before baby’ silhouette.

You can and you will, her mother said firmly. I ordered a special, low fat diet for you. Within six weeks you’ll have your old figure back. The baby cooed in Margaret’s arms. Yes, that’s right, she cooed back.

Mackenzie rolled her eyes at her mother’s obvious admiration for the infant. The baby was her infant, her daughter. A momentary feeling of jealousy struck her to the core. She doesn’t know what you’re saying, she scoffed.

Yes her does, Margaret insisted, making kissy noises with her mouth as she gazed adoringly at the baby. Her first grandchild. Oh, my, that made her a grandma now. Not that she looked it. Margaret took impeccable care of her own self and had taught her daughter to do the same, just as she’d teach this little one in her arms. The Barton women were beautiful. Not that the Barton men noticed, so the women had to keep telling themselves. You’re beautiful, yes you are, she crooned to the infant.

Mama, let me hold my baby, Mackenzie demanded. That got her mother’s attention. She smirked in satisfaction at Margaret’s expression of disbelief.

I thought we agreed that it’d be best if you didn’t, honey, Margaret protested.

Why? Because I might change my mind and decide to stay? Mackenzie asked belligerently. Don’t worry, Mama, that won’t happen. I’m not going to be one of those young yay-hoo mother’s, pushing the stroller down the street and eating an ice cream cone, butt cheeks hanging out of too short short-shorts. Yes, I’ve seen ‘um, she assured her mother, at her shocked expression. "You try to keep me away from that side of town, but I’ve driven through it. Me and Katina did one day. We wondered what happened to the girls who got pregnant and dropped out of school. Slumville, that’s where they go.

Katina and I, Margaret corrected. Well, good, then you understand why Josh must never know about this baby, she declared triumphantly. He might insist on keeping you here. The boy can’t support himself, let alone you and a child. You’d be just like those yay-hoo girls.

No, I wouldn’t, Mackenzie protested. You and Daddy would take care of us. Wouldn’t you? She loved taunting her mother and making her re-avow her maternal love.

Mackenzie, her mother said in a threatening tone. Behave.

Ow! Mama, Mackenzie complained, trying to shift to a more comfortable position in the bed. Why did you let this happen to me? Huh?

Don’t put the blame on me, missy. I’m not the one who went sneaking out her window at night to go fuck that no good Josh Taylor, Margaret admonished.

Mama, how can you say that word? Mackenzie asked, astonished. You’d wash my mouth out with soap if I said it.

Yes I would, Margaret agreed, so don’t even think about repeating it.

Don’t worry, Mama, it’ll be a long time before I can fuck anybody again, she groaned, turning over on her side. I’m not even sure I’ll want to, after going through this.

Mackenzie, Margaret warned, giving her daughter the evil eye.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Mama. Now go ahead, wash my mouth out with soap. It’ll take my mind off the pain in my ass, Mackenzie taunted.

Mackenzie Page Barton, Margaret threatened, just wait until I tell your Father.

Taylor, Mama. You forgot Taylor. I’m Mackenzie Page Barton Taylor now and I’m not afraid of Daddy. He’s not around enough for you to tell him anything, she scoffed. Now hand me my baby.

Dr. Thomas Barton peered over the top of his spectacles at his wife and daughter. He used to think Margaret was the most beautiful woman in the world. That was before she turned into a bitter, spiteful, nagging old hag. Not that she wasn’t still beautiful mind you; it was just hard to focus on that once she opened her mouth. Once opened, it never seemed to close.

Thomas, help with your granddaughter, Margaret ordered as the baby wailed loudly from the other room. You’ve been gone all day and she’s crying because she missed you.

Like hell. Thomas looked down at his pager, praying it would go off and rescue him from his dysfunctional family. She’s hungry, he retorted. Why don’t you just feed her some cereal and she’ll sleep for hours.

You’re the doctor, Margaret answered with a roll of her eyes. That’s why they line up in your office every day and call at all hours. Who wants to go to the store for baby cereal? She looked from Thomas to Mackenzie. Father and daughter were vigorously attacking their plates. I wasn’t asking for volunteers.

I’ll go when I finish eating, Mackenzie agreed at last. It would give her an excuse to get out of the house, away from that wailing bundle of joy. At least she wouldn’t have to tolerate this scene much longer.

Not until you change your daughter’s diaper, Thomas warned her, looking up from cutting his steak.

What? Mackenzie asked, her mouth dropping open. Since when do I change diapers?

Since now young lady, being as how you’re the mother of that child, Thomas declared fiercely. By the way, has either of you thought to contact the father, presuming of course, that our lovely daughter knows who the father is?

That’s a horrible thing to say Daddy, Mackenzie shrieked. Of course I know who the Daddy is.

Then where is he? her father asked. He should be here so I can knock his scull in.

Daddy! I certainly won’t tell you who he is now, Mackenzie said scornfully.

He’s just joking with you, honey, Margaret assured her. His job is to save lives, not kill. She gave her husband a fierce look of reprimand.

Thomas shook his head in resignation and got up from the table to go retrieve his squalling granddaughter from her crib. She stopped crying the instant she saw him and smiled. The smile stole Thomas’s heart away. Those two in there were a lost cause, but hell, this granddaughter, she was something else. In that moment he vowed, that no matter what he had to do, little Ashley would not grow up to be like her grandmamma and mother.

I’m just saying that you should call and let him know, that’s all, Katina Brown declared, shaking her dishwater blonde hair out of her eyes. She squinted against the sun as she drove south to Austin, where Mackenzie would board a plane to New York City.

Mackenzie shook her dark mane back and forth vehemently. No way. I told him I was pregnant nine months ago. What did he do? Suggested we elope as soon I turned eighteen, and then disappeared as soon as the deed was done. So here I am, married to him. So what? Do we live together? No. Does he call me? No. Has he even told his family? No.

How do you know he hasn’t told his family? Katina asked softly.

If he had, they would have been all over me, wanting to know when the baby was due. After all, she’s his folk’s grandchild too.

That’s exactly the point I was trying to make, Katina said triumphantly. Don’t you think you owe it to them to let them know their granddaughter was born?

I don’t owe anyone anything, Mackenzie grumbled. I’m the one who carried her for nine months. If that wasn’t punishment enough, I had to give birth to her. That’s it for me. No more sex, ever.

Katina shook her head in disbelief. There’s always birth control, she reminded her friend.

Didn’t work the first time and probably won’t work the second time, Mackenzie declared belligerently.

Well, hell, Mackenzie, what kind did you use? The old rubbers tend to get holes in them. You should know that after Sandra Star’s experience. Sandra was a year younger and had been captain of the Drill Team. The whole school knew how she’d gotten knocked up by Billy Heaton, captain of the football team. She’d been kicked off the Drill Team and generally ostracized by the other students. The word was, she and Billy had been using condoms. Apparently, one had burst on her or had had a hole in it.

What was I supposed to do? Break into Daddy’s office and steal some birth control pills? You should hear how he talks about the mothers who bring their teenage daughters into his office to have them put on the pill.

Maybe he’ll take a different view on that, now that his own daughter came up pregnant, Katina suggested.

Mackenzie lapsed into silence, watching the countryside pass by. Scrub brush and oak trees. Cows and horses. She loved and hated Texas all at the same time. Mama hated Lampasas, the small, hill country town where Mackenzie had been born and raised. Mama always told her stories about the city and life there. She felt a thrill of exhilaration pass through her being. Soon, she would be boarding an airplane and flying off to the second largest city in the world.

Stop! Mackenzie cried out suddenly.

Stop? Katina repeated, looking alarmed. Have you changed your mind, or what? She pulled to the shoulder and screeched the small Volkswagen to a stop.

I want a milkshake and there’s a Dairy Queen just ahead, Mackenzie explained.

You want a milkshake? Are you crazy? Models don’t drink milkshakes, Katina admonished.

I’m not a model yet and I want a milkshake, Mackenzie said firmly.

You won’t ever be a model if you drink milkshakes all the time and get fat, Katina admonished.

That’s why I want one, you moron. It’s probably the last Dairy Queen Milkshake I’ll have for the rest of my life, because I’m going to New York City to become a big time model. She let out a whoop of triumph.

Katina rolled her eyes in disgust. All right, Miss Big Time Model, let’s get you a Dairy Queen Milkshake. She put the little car into gear and rolled down the shoulder to the entrance to Dairy Queen.

That’s right, you heard me, she roared into the speaker. I want the largest chocolate milkshake you make.

You have to drink one too, Mackenzie said quickly.

Katina crooked her neck back so she could she see Mackenzie. At the look on her face, she called into the speaker, Make that two. Guess I have to get fat with you, huh?

We’re not getting fat, Mackenzie said firmly. Just don’t eat anything for the rest of the day.

I see, Katina answered, nodding her head up and down. I’m glad you told me that, because I was going to go home tonight and enjoy a big juicy hamburger. Guess I’ll have to tell Mama to wrap mine up and save it for tomorrow.

Guess you will, Mackenzie replied, unperturbed.

The sun beat down hot on Josh Taylor’s brow, causing sweat to pore down his forehead, running into his eyes. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, pushed his baseball cap back up on his head, and prepared to swing the bat with all his might. Smack! The ball went flying, straight up in the air. Damn!

Taylor, that’s not the way to hit a homer, the coach’s voice admonished. Come on, now, focus.

One more time, Josh thought to himself. He had to get it right this time. The ball connected hard with his bat, and this time it was gone. Josh skidded into home plate just a moment before the ball went flying by, into the catcher’s waiting hands. Homerun!

That’s the way, Taylor, his coach praised. Keep it up and you’ll be this year’s star player.

Josh grinned, slapping himself on the back. He was going to be a star! It was something he just knew. All his life he had known it. Now he was certain of it. His son would be proud of him.

His son. That made him think of Mackenzie, his young wife, back home waiting for him. He had four more weeks of training and he’d be headed home. The baby should be due soon, by his count. When she’d told him she was pregnant, he’d immediately taken her to the Justice of the Peace to get married. He hadn’t even thought to ask questions, like how far along she was. The Taylors were honorable. They did the right thing. Marrying Mackenzie after he had knocked her up was the right thing to do.

Josh felt a growing excitement at the thought of his son watching him play baseball, seeing him win! Yes! He was going to be a star, all right. Making it to the minor leagues had been a major victory. Now he was earning a regular paycheck so he could take care of Mackenzie and his son. Once training was over, he was headed home to collect them and they’d start house hunting.

* * *

Falerina Brigette Dutetre sighed and leaned back in her large, comfortable chair. Pictures of supermodels adorned her walls. All young men and women she had personally recruited and promoted to stardom. She needed a new star. It had been awhile since she had discovered anyone. At least ten new hopefuls presented themselves in her office every day, but not one had had star potential in a long time.

Falerina, the sharp voice of her receptionist came over the intercom, interrupting her reverie.

Yes? she asked, thoroughly bored. There was probably a new hopeful waiting in the lobby. She felt like telling her receptionist to tell whomever that she was busy. More than likely it was just another fat chick, hoping to make it big as a model. How they got the nerve, she couldn’t fathom. A model had to be thin, thin, thin. Ten pounds could be gotten off quickly with a strict diet, but fifty or sixty was another matter.

A Miss Mackenzie Taylor is here to see you, the receptionist announced. She says she sent pictures and you requested for her to come see you.

That’s missus, she heard a soft voice correct, complete with a southern drawl.

Oh, lord, now what? The girl sounded like she came straight from the hills of Tennessee. Her husband was probably hoping she would make it big as a model and support him. This girl, she’s married? "Falerina asked into the intercom.

Sort of, I mean I was, the young voice replied, leaning over and shouting into the intercom.

Falerina held her ears, grimacing. Okay, well, I suppose you’ve come a long way to see me. Send her in, Roxanne. She braced herself for what was about to walk through her door. She would try to be gracious and not hurt her feelings too badly. A mental image of a chubby, bleached blonde, overly bronzed body with hideous blue eye shadow, came to mind.

The door opened and Roxanne held it for the girl to walk in. After a few minutes, Falerina raised her head from the papers she was pretending to study on her desk. Her mouth fell open in surprise and she did a double take. The old excitement of discovering new talent coursed through her veins. She quickly quelled it, displaying a professional demeanor to