Between the Sheets

By Sally Fraley Robinson

Suzanne has always intrigued Ryan. Following their class reunion—and despite Ryan being married—the two embark on an affair that is kept secret for eight years. Over the course of this time, Ryan can never get enough of Suzanne. Clandestine rendezvous occur as often as possible, always in beautiful hideaways where they can avoid running into anyone they know.

Alaina and Brynn are also ex-classmates of Ryan and Suzanne. Alaina has always been inquisitive and, some would say, even nosey. She suspects something between Ryan and Suzanne. How far would she and Brynn go to reveal a secret? Ted has been Suzanne’s friend since college, and he enters the mix wondering if nice guys really do finish last. Finally, Maggie, Ryan’s wife and the mother of his only child, is unaware of her husband’s relationship with Suzanne … or is she?

In this messy situation, the mix of two men and four women equals deception—but who is deceiving whom? With deception naturally come lying, so who is the best lair? It’s hard to say in this group of “frenemies” who walk down a path of betrayal and destruction

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665712262

Sally Fraley Robinson

Sally Fraley Robinson is a native West Virginian but currently calls central Kentucky home. She holds a bachelor’s in history from Berea College and a master’s from Eastern Kentucky. Now retired, Robinson taught grades five through twelve and served as an instructor in the Department of Education at Berea College. She is also the author of Belle’s Special Assignment.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Sally Fraley Robinson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-1225-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-1226-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021918966

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/11/2021

Dedicated

to

cheaters and liars

everywhere

CONTENTS

Part One

Chapter 1     The Beginning

Chapter 2     Cincinnati, Ohio

Chapter 3     Indianapolis, Indiana

Chapter 4     Louisville, Kentucky

Chapter 5     Nashville, Tennessee

Chapter 6     Charlotte, North Carolina

Chapter 7     Red River Gorge, Eastern Kentucky

Chapter 8     Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin

Chapter 9     Huntington, West Virginia: The Conversation

Chapter 10   Maysville, Kentucky

Chapter 11   Kingsport, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina

Chapter 12   Charlotte, North Carolina: Strike One

Chapter 13   Charlotte, North Carolina: Strike Two

Chapter 14   Charlotte, North Carolina: New Opportunities

Part Two

Chapter 15   Charlotte, North Carolina

Chapter 16   Paris, France

Chapter 17   Huntington, West Virginia

Chapter 18   Lexington, Kentucky

Chapter 19   Charlotte, North Carolina

Part One

CHAPTER 1

The Beginning

His dark chocolate-brown eyes peered upward as he boarded the school bus. Black hair and freckles galore made him the cutest boy she had ever seen. For some unknown reason, the shy emerald-eyed little girl looked up just as he passed her seat. Their eyes met, and neither would ever be the same.

As luck had it, they were both bright youngsters. They had come to junior high from different elementary schools. Both were placed in the accelerated classes, which gave them the time and opportunity to get to know each other. Thus, their journey began.

The sailing was never easy for Suzanne and Ryan. There were many could-have, should-have moments that many young people faced. They never quite made the connection, although they both wanted to. Both had huge responsibilities at home and fathers so rigid they made beams of steel look like pretzels.

They did, however, have a lovely bus ride home together each day.

Suzanne?

Yes?

Do you understand our algebra assignment?

Yes. Do you need some help?

I do.

She leaned across the bus seat to explain the assignment, and their hands brushed against each other. Ryan pulled away quickly, blushing.

That was their last interaction until their senior year. Ryan was courageous when he blurted out, Suzanne, would you go to the prom with me?

Yes! I would love to, she responded without hesitation.

He’d asked her! Not in a million years would she have believed it. Suzanne went home a happy girl that day. A happy girl indeed.

The next week, on a bus ride home, Ryan leaned forward and asked Suzanne an unexpected question. Suzanne, do you think we should go out? Maybe see a movie? Prom is a big deal, and I think this might make prom more comfortable for both of us.

Yes, I think that is a great idea.

A date and the prom? It was more than she had ever hoped would happen. She was a happy girl. She cleared the date with her dad, but she was still not sure what Ryan’s meaning was. Looking back later, Suzanne saw this as a pattern pervasive during their relationship.

Ryan picked her up on Friday night on time. Looking back later, she realized it was the only time he ever was on time.

You look very nice! he said.

Thank you! You look very handsome.

They went to the drive-in movie theater and watched Herbie the Love Bug and had a wonderful time. Ryan had been right. After their date, they were much more relaxed when they attended the prom the following weekend.

Suzanne, let’s get this party started! Ryan said.

They danced every dance and had a wonderful time. At the end of the evening, he drove her home, kissed her chastely on the cheek, and then left.

Suzanne was happy about the prom but confused about the relationship. Were they dating? Were they a couple? What were they? Those questions would be revisited.

That fall, Ryan enrolled in the local university, while Suzanne attended a small private liberal arts college in a neighboring state. Ryan did not even come to tell her goodbye.

Suzanne made friends quickly. Her course load was heavy, and she had a labor assignment as well. She wondered if Ryan ever thought of her. She was beginning to think not, and then he called her dorm one night, but she was at the library. Without cell phones or internet at the time, she did not have any way to call him back. She did not hear from him again until a year later. She was surprised when he showed up at her home during Thanksgiving break.

Carson, is Suzanne home? Ryan asked.

Yes, she is, her younger brother said.

Would you mind telling her I am here and would like to talk to her?

Sure. Give me just a minute.

Suzanne came out the door just a moment later. Her hair was longer and prettier than ever, he thought. She noticed he was on the hood of his car—he always had a car.

Hey, Suzanne. How are you?

I am good. You?

No complaints. I was hoping that you would be home and that we might do something over the break.

At that moment, a tall, handsome young man joined them. Extending his hand, he said, Hi. I am Sean, Suzanne’s fiancé.

Ryan made a hasty departure, and she did not see him again until forty years later, at their high school reunion, where he learned she would be in Cincinnati the following month, as would he.

CHAPTER 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

Ryan sensed her before he saw her—the smell of her perfume, the quick clip of her heels on the marble hotel floor, the softness of her voice as she checked in. He was sitting at the hotel bar. He turned to confirm his thoughts. Yes, it was Suzanne. Damn! She looked good. No matter how many times he saw her, there was something about her that made him realize she was beyond beautiful. He did not realize he was grinning like the Cheshire Cat when she turned and headed directly toward him.

Once again, their eyes locked, and this time, neither looked away.

Hey! What’s a nice girl like you doing in a bar like this? Ryan asked.

I am hoping to meet a nice man, Suzanne said, flashing him a knowing smile.

Let me buy you a drink?

Of course. I would like that.

Wonderful. I would like to catch up. See what you have been doing.

Ryan quickly steered her to a back table, where they talked for hours.

Suzanne said, I never knew what happened to you after college graduation. Where did you go? What did you do?

I was recruited by a large financial group in the Midwest. How about you?

She laughed her perfect laugh, which sounded like tinkling bells, and said, Do you remember that horrid little house where I lived? she asked, and he nodded, his face suddenly looking serious. I developed a love of beautiful things, especially homes. I began working in a local real-estate office, and in just a few years, I owned one of the largest agencies in the Southeast. I promised myself I would never be ashamed of where I lived. I have kept that promise.

He remembered that little house, how hard she had worked to keep it clean, and how hard she worked at everything. He wondered how he had ever let such a treasure slip through his fingers. He wondered if she would be receptive to spending time with him while they were in town for conferences.

Suzanne, he said cautiously, would you be interested in spending some time together while we are here this week? I think I owe you an apology, and I really would love to hear more about what you have done.

Yes, you do owe me an apology, and if it is sincere enough, why not? With a dazzling smile, she stood to leave.

Ryan stood immediately and asked, May I walk you to your room?

Of course.

Surprisingly, they arrived at her room to discover his room was adjacent. After a quick good-night at her door, she was gone. Ryan was dumbfounded.

Ryan was unable to sleep, knowing she was next door. It was driving him wild. He always got everything he wanted. Now he wanted Suzanne.

Early the next morning, he called her to see if she would be agreeable to joining him for breakfast before she left. She was amenable.

Breakfast went by far too quickly for Ryan, and soon it was time for her to leave.

Suzanne, I would really like to stay in touch, he said, handing her his business card with his contact information.

I would like that. She handed him a business card and gave him a lovely smile and a light kiss on the lips he did not expect. You never know, Ryan. We may cross paths more often than you think. She was off.

He decided he would see her again. She decided she would have him. Neither knew what the other had decided or the pain it would cause.

CHAPTER 3

Indianapolis, Indiana

Suzanne was the first to reach out. She sent a brief text to Ryan’s phone: I will be in Indianapolis on June 10–12. Interested?

He responded immediately. Yes!

Suzanne wrote, I will be in touch with details.

His heart stopped. He had no reason to be in Indianapolis on those dates, but he would. He just needed to figure out one thing: how he would tell her about his wife, Maggie, the mother of his child. That would not go over well, he feared. It could even be, as they said in the world of finance, a deal breaker.

The day finally arrived, and there she was. He had offered to pick her up at the airport, but she’d declined. He had forgotten how fiercely independent she was. She was wearing a red suit, and she was breathtaking. Did she know that red was his favorite color? His heart and mind were racing.

She would be finished with her seminar by four o’clock, and their plans would begin. Never had he planned for a weekend so carefully. He was waiting for her when she exited the conference room. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back. He had to have her—had to.

I have a surprise for you, he said, looking at her possessively. He took her arm and led her out to the street. Waiting for them was a white open-air carriage with a horse and driver.

Ryan! she screamed in delight.

Come. I have our evening planned. I think you will be pleased. He helped her into the carriage, where he had placed a single long-stemmed red rose on the seat. Her smile was worth all the planning he had done. Yes, he thought to himself, I will have her. He would have her that night.

The coachman drove them to the park Ryan had located earlier that day. He remembered her love of water. He was leaving no detail to chance. A picnic dinner had been packed by the hotel staff. He’d included a bottle of his favorite wine, a merlot with a nice plum-and-berry flavor he thought she would like. He had chosen a grassy spot overlooking a small lake. Yes, he thought, he had really outdone himself. He had never planned anything so carefully, not even for Maggie, his wife of forty-plus years. He should have felt guilty in acknowledging that fact, but he did not. Not the least bit.

Ryan had set the stage for the evening: a large, thick blanket; food; and a playlist of romantic songs. It was time for the seduction to begin. The conversation was quick-witted, with numerous sexual innuendos. This was going to be far easier than he’d thought. He accidentally brushed her hand when he reached for the cheese.

Excuse me! I am so sorry, he said.

Why? she asked. Aren’t you planning to have sex with me later tonight?

He was shocked by her directness and started sputtering. Ah, um, well, I—

Ryan, you goose! You had no reason to be here this weekend. You do not have a meeting. You came for me, to be with me. To be honest, I have always wondered what it would be like to sleep with you. You know what they say about still waters running deep. She laughed.

I can answer that question for you, but you have to understand that I cannot make you any promises. I am married.

She looked at him with such intensity he thought he would die. He was shocked when he heard her speak.

Ryan, I don’t want to keep you. I just want to fuck you. She laughed.

His heart stopped. How could this be? To make love to Suzanne was his fantasy. To have her and claim her as his own. Had he heard her correctly? Had she just said that?

Suzanne, are you sure about this?

Yes, I am, she said with a smile.

Then let’s go back to the room.

He called the coachman, and they headed back to the hotel. They reached his room first and tumbled into its entry hall. He pushed her onto the bed and began kissing her face, neck, and lips. She managed to skillfully return his movements. She kissed his cheeks