by Laina Turner
“Sure, you can,” Claire insisted cheerfully. “If it weren’t for what he’s put you through, you wouldn’t have been so distracted that you forgot normal household tasks.”
Kate had to laugh in spite of wanting to cry. “Good point. Though that doesn’t help with the fact that not having car insurance means my license could get suspended and that today’s accident won’t be covered.”
“Zach’s a nice guy. I’m sure he’ll be willing to work something out with you.”
“Are you kidding? He’s an attorney!” Kate put her head in her hands for a minute before looking up to speak again. “And you think he’ll just let it slide?” she continued, her voice rising. “The last thing I need is more lawyers to deal with, especially when I’m in the wrong. The accident was my fault, and I don’t have insurance.”
“You’re making too much of this. I promise. Zach will understand. You’ve had a rough year and forgot to pay a bill. It could happen to anyone. He’s really a nice guy. He won’t make a big deal out of this. Just go tell him what happened.”
“He’s a really nice guy. Yeah. That’s what people said about Todd, too, and he had everyone fooled,” Kate replied bitterly.
“Kate, honey, you can’t judge all men, or all lawyers for that matter, based on your experience with Todd.”
“I don’t. I liked the lawyer who defended Todd just fine. He also seemed like a nice guy, but then he defends criminals for a living, so how upstanding and trustworthy can he be?” She heard her own words and didn’t like them. “Okay, so maybe I am being a tad judgmental,” she admitted on a sigh.
“What happened to everyone having a right to a defense, or whatever that saying is?” Claire chided gently.
“I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer, thank goodness.” Kate knew that she was being unreasonably bitter, but she couldn’t help it. This was the latest in a long string of crappy events that had happened to her, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. “I know, I know. I have an attitude problem.”
“Just call him tomorrow and explain. I’m sure you can work something out.”
“Yes, you’ve mentioned that a few times now, Claire. I’m beginning to think you have a hidden agenda,” Kate responded dryly.
She was getting the feeling that maybe her friend wanted to play matchmaker, but Kate was determined to shut it down. No matter how nice Zach was, and he probably was very nice, she didn’t care to get involved with any man ever again, especially not one who was a lawyer.
7
“I can’t believe you did this to your car.” Jet let out a low whistle as he walked around Zach’s Alfa Romeo, looking at the crumpled passenger side.
“I didn’t do anything. It was that woman,” Zach insisted while thinking about how, despite the fact that his beloved car now was marred, he still wanted to see that woman again.
He’d stopped by Jet’s garage after work to show him the damage so that he could order the parts needed to fix it. Zach assumed the car would need a new door, and it was unlikely one could be found sitting in a warehouse. Since it was a classic, foreign car, he didn’t know how long it might take to find one—if one could be found at all.
“So, the woman who hit you…” Jet inquired, raising his eyebrows. Zach could almost see the wheels of Jet’s brain turning.
“No, don’t even go there.”
“What? You’ve been single awhile.”
“For good reason. You know, it’s so annoying how some people don’t pay attention, and then accidents like this happen,” Zach declared, trying to change the subject so that his best friend wouldn’t grill him about whether or not he had found Kate attractive.
“Is she a tourist?” Jet asked, and Zach sighed because Jet was clearly not going to be deterred. From the look on Jet’s face, Zach could tell that Jet was thoroughly enjoying giving him a hard time.
“Yes and no. She’s a friend of Claire’s, visiting from out of town. I’m not sure if that completely qualifies her as a tourist, but she’s definitely not a local.”
“If she’s a friend of Claire’s, you’ll probably be running into her again at some point.”
“Let’s hope not. She’s already run into me enough. Pun intended. So, about the car. What are the odds of finding a door?”
Jet shrugged. “You know as well as I do that we just need to put out feelers to the normal groups and wait to see what might pop up. Something will be out there. It’s just a matter of finding it.”
Zach wasn’t surprised by Jet’s assessment, but was disappointed all the same. He loved that car. It had been his most prized possession since he’d been a teenager. His grandfather had given it to him when Zach’s mother died, having seen it as an outlet for his grandson’s grief. It had worked to help Zach stay engaged during that difficult time. The car was the one thing that had never let him down over the years.
Jet patted him on the shoulder. “Want a beer?”
“Sure.”
Jet walked over to the far wall of the garage where he had a small refrigerator, in which he kept soda and beer for the occasional after-work drink. He grabbed two bottles and popped the tops, handing one to Zach, who took a pull and closed his eyes in satisfaction.
“Thanks. That hit the spot. It’s been one of those days.”
“That woman is really getting to you, huh?”
“No!” Zach scowled. “I’m annoyed about the car, but it is what it is, and insurance should cover the cost.”
“So, how are things with your dad these days?”
“I avoided a run-in, thanks to Rhoda, who canceled our meeting today the accident happened. But it’s inevitable that we’re going to be arguing about something soon. We’ve been butting heads on so many subjects recently. I really thought when he decided to make a bid for a judgeship, he’d back off and quit micromanaging how I handle my cases. You’d think the fact that I’ve been a lawyer for over twenty years would make him realize that I know what I’m doing, at least a little.”
“Maybe if he wins the election he won’t have time to micromanage?”
“I hope. I honestly don’t see how he has time now. The man doesn’t sleep. You’d think at my age, I wouldn’t still be having the same struggles with my dad that I had as a teen. Here I was thinking he would mellow with age.”
“One would hope, but if you think about it, that parent/child dynamic never stops, regardless of age. Plus, you’ve never really taken a stand against how he treats you,” Jet softly chided..
“I know. I just prefer to keep the peace.” Zach took another long pull from his bottle. “We’re such different people. I try to see his point of view, even when we don’t agree, but he’ll dismiss anything I say, then our discussions turn into World War Three. It’s exhausting.”
“I hear ya. Family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Jet sympathized, then seemed lost in his own thoughts for a moment. Zach understood why the sentiment had made Jet pause. He knew perfectly well the challenges that Jet had been through in his younger years, just as Jet knew about the decades-long, contentious relationship that Zach had with his father. The two men both grew up in Moonshire and had been friends since high school.
“So, what does she look like?”
“Who?”
“Claire’s friend. What’s her name?”
Zach rolled his eyes. Jet never stopped. “Kate.”
“This Kate, is she pretty?”
Zach lifted one shoulder noncommittally. “I guess. If you like that type.”
That type being a beautiful brunette with bright blue eyes and curves in all the right places, who Zach couldn’t stop thinking about. The woman was striking, he couldn’t deny that, nor could he refute the fact that he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. It wasn’t just the fact that she’d hit his car that kept her in his thoughts. It was her. There was something about her that had drawn him in. She had shown a feisty side, but in her face, he could also see hurt. He was a good lawyer, even if his dad didn’t s
eem to think so, because he could read people. She looked like she’d been through the wringer, and it had stirred something inside him.
“Earth to Zach?” Jet said, interrupting his thoughts, which was just as well because he knew he shouldn’t be thinking about Kate. The last thing he needed was a woman in his life.
He’d sworn off serious relationships years earlier and had since managed to casually date, always making sure the women understood that he had no intention of getting married or having kids. When they would inevitably start pushing to get him to change his mind, he would steadfastly hold his ground and the relationship would fizzle out. Even though he was always clear about his intentions, almost every woman he’d dated had felt she might be the one who could change him. He didn’t fault them for it, but he also wasn’t willing to consider more. To Zach, it wasn’t worth the heartache that came with opening yourself up emotionally. He had been down that road once before, and the pain he’d endured had been almost unbearable.
“Sorry, I was distracted.”
“I asked you what type this Kate is.”
“Brunette, blue eyes, drives a Volvo.”
“A Volvo, huh? Yeah, completely wrong type.” Zach knew that Jet was making fun of him, but he wasn’t going to bite.
“There is something very familiar about her, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“She looked familiar. Like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“Then you should call her, find out where she’s from.”
Zach threw away his empty beer and prepared to leave. “Why don’t you worry about calling around to find me a door?” he retorted good-naturedly.
“On it,” Jet said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll be in touch.”
Zach bid his friend goodbye and made his way to his vehicle. As much as he wanted to think only about his car, he was sure that it wasn’t going to be easy to focus on much of anything as long as Kate was in town.
8
When Kate woke up the next morning, Claire was already gone. She’d left Kate a sweet note propped up on the coffeemaker, encouraging her to relax and maybe take a walk on the beach. As Kate made coffee and put a slice of bread in the toaster, she realized that she felt happy, and she couldn’t remember feeling that way in a long time.
She’d often pretended that she was happy, or fooled herself that she was content, but she hadn’t actually been joyful. She hoped that maybe her emotions might finally be turning a corner. Now, she considered, she needed to get her body there as well. She wanted to return to taking yoga classes, which she’d enjoyed regularly back home up until Todd was arrested. She missed the movement and the sense of well-being it brought.
Maybe tomorrow, she thought.
Claire had mentioned to her the previous night that the beach access was about a quarter of a mile down the road. Since the weather was nice, Kate appreciated the suggestion in Claire’s note that she take a walk. She’d brought her camera to Moonshire and she thought that it might be a nice change to bring it along instead of using her phone. She’d loved taking pictures, and her family had joked that they didn’t have any pictures with her in them because she was always the one behind the camera. She hadn’t minded because she loved to capture the joy on other people’s faces. For a time, she had toyed with the idea of taking photography lessons, but then life got in the way and that dream had fallen by the wayside.
Thinking of how long it had been since she’d pursued her hobby, Kate felt motivated to go capture photos of the gorgeous morning. She hurried and finished her coffee, the toast long gone, then went upstairs to grab the camera, putting the strap around her neck before heading out of the house. She walked down the driveway and turned right, walking in the direction that Claire had told her to go. Claire had said that there would be a big sign that read “Beach Access” that she wouldn’t be able to miss.
Kate strolled leisurely down the road, enjoying the sun on her face and snapping pictures of some beautiful flowers and a gorgeous cardinal that she saw perched on a branch. When she finally made it to the beach access point and turned onto the brick pathway, the trail looked to Kate like a magical hallway of foliage leading out to the stunning expanse of sand and water.
Though Kate had always enjoyed beaches along the ocean, and she considered the Caribbean to be gorgeous, she realized at that moment that the Great Lakes were also something to be admired. She found herself trembling with excitement and picked up her speed, walking briskly so that she could reach the beach faster.
Kate walked up and down the beach, enjoying the view and being outside. She picked up shells and snapped pictures until she finally decided to head home. She couldn’t believe how tired her legs were. She’d exercised more walking on the sand than she had in a very long time.
She was thirsty since her bottle of water had long been finished. As she made her way back to the access point, she spotted a lone figure down the beach. The man was just sitting, leaning back on his elbows with his legs stretched out in front of him. She couldn’t see his face clearly from her vantage point, but his body language suggested that he was pensive, looking out over the water as if searching for an answer to something.
Kate lifted her camera from where it hung around her neck to take a picture of what she assumed was a private moment between a man and his thoughts. She put her eye to the viewfinder and snapped. Almost as if the man could hear the nearly imperceptible click of the shutter, he turned slightly in her direction, far enough so that she could identify him, and she sucked in her breath. She snapped another photograph before lowering her camera, unable to stop herself from wondering what might be weighing on Zach’s mind. Then she turned on her heel and walked away, embarrassed at having interrupted his private moment. Though she realized part of her enjoyed getting to witness it.
Later that evening, Kate decided to surprise her friend by cooking dinner. Claire had texted earlier in the day to ask Kate what sounded good for their meal since it would be just the two of them.
After working at the diner all day, Kate couldn’t imagine that Claire would feel like cooking when she got home. While Kate wasn’t an amazing cook, she did love to grill. Claire’s refrigerator was stocked with chicken and there were loads of fresh vegetables on the counter Claire had just picked up from the Farmer’s Market.
Kate cut up chicken, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms, then put the ingredients on some metal skewers she’d found in order to make kebabs. She was just pulling them off the grill when she heard Claire come through the front door.
“I’m out here,” Kate called out from the deck toward the open patio door.
A few seconds later, Claire joined her. “Something smells really good.”
“Just some kebabs I threw together. I just took them off the grill, so they’re ready to eat if you are.”
“Yes, I’m starving. You want to eat out here? I can run inside and grab plates and forks.”
“That’s a great idea. It’s lovely out here tonight. But you have a seat and put your feet up. You worked all day. I’ll run in and get the plates and stuff.”
Kate headed inside to grab plates and utensils, then put them on a tray that had been leaning against the refrigerator. She added a bottle of wine and two glasses, then carried everything back out to the deck.
“I could get used to this,” Claire hummed, smiling.
“You mean Jim doesn’t do this for you every day?” Kate teased.
“He does cook out, but he does not wait on me hand and foot.”
The women laughed and dug into their food.
“What did you do today?” Claire asked in between mouthfuls.
“I went down to the beach, had a great walk, and took some amazing pictures.”
“You always were a good photographer. Can I see what you took?”
“Sure, let me get my laptop.”
Kate ran back into the house and grabbed her laptop off the living room coffee table, on which she’d left it after tr
ansferring the images from the camera’s memory card before starting dinner. She was excited to finally view the photographs herself.
“Don’t laugh if they’re bad. I haven’t looked at them yet,” she said as she set the laptop down and opened the folder containing the imported pictures.
“Whatever. I’m sure they’re not bad.”
Kate finished her chicken while watching Claire look through her pictures, and for some reason, she felt a little nervous. It was silly. Even if Claire didn’t like the shots, Kate expected that she wouldn’t be harsh about it. Finally, Claire glanced up with a look of astonishment on her face.
“Oh God, are they that bad?” Kate asked, trying not to feel disappointed. She knew that she wasn’t a great photographer, but she’d thought that she was at least a decent one.
Claire shook her head. “Just the opposite. These pictures are amazing. In fact, I want the one of the cardinal as a print. It would look perfect in the living room on one of the floating bookshelves. I’ve been looking for just the right thing to display.”
Kate blushed. “Of course. I’m glad you like them.”
“You have real talent, Kate. I knew you were a good photographer because your family photos always looked professional and amazing.”
Kate didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything as Claire continued to scroll through the pictures.
“You took Zach’s picture?” Claire inquired, sounding surprised.
Kate fidgeted a little. “I didn’t realize it was him at first, and I couldn’t resist the image of him looking out onto the water. I know I shouldn’t have taken his picture without his knowledge, but it’s not like I’m going to post it on social media or anything.”
Claire waved her hand. “I’m just surprised because you didn’t seem like you were a big Zach fan yesterday.”
“Don’t go getting any ideas. Like I said, I had no idea it was him when I took the picture. The framing just really spoke to me. I saw this man who was staring out toward the water, and I just had to have the shot. It was only after I’d taken it that he turned toward me, which was when I realized it was him.”
