by Laina Turner
“You did a great job.” He nodded appreciatively.
“Thank you. My goal these days is to not buy much of anything new, because if you look hard enough, you can find everything you want used but still in good condition, and at a much better price. Though I did think it was important to get a new mattress.”
Zach started laughing. “I think that expense is justified.”
At some point, while he was talking, Zach’s hand had inched toward hers until they were sitting on the couch with their hands clasped.
He said something amusing and Kate laughed, leaning closer to him as she did.
Zach’s eyes lit up and he grinned. “Has anyone ever told you that you have an amazing laugh?”
Kate bit her lower lip shyly. “Um, I think you may have mentioned it before.”
Zach’s lips grazed hers and she closed her eyes, anticipating him deepening their first kiss, but they were jarred out of the moment by the oven buzzer going off.
Kate jumped up, her heart pounding, and she didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. She liked Zach, a lot, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for anything more than friendship just yet. If she could only convince her skin, which was still tingling from the anticipation, that maybe a kiss was a bad idea, perhaps her emotions would be more in line with her brain.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, then scurried into the kitchen, opening the oven and checking on the lasagna, which was done. She pulled it out and set it on a cooling rack, then turned to see Zach standing across from her.
“Want me to set the table?” he asked, and it was as if that moment between them had never happened. Did he regret that it almost had, Kate wondered. She didn’t know what to think, but as they sat down and dug into the piping-hot lasagna, the kiss-that-wasn’t was pushed from her mind. They ate and chatted amicably. Zach gave her the scoop on some of the townspeople and she told him how she’d met Claire. She wanted to bring up his reaction to seeing the picture from the beach, but she didn’t want to take the chance of ruining their pleasant evening. If he wasn’t going to address the issue, neither would she.
“You must be very proud of your kids,” Zach said, nodding to the framed portraits she had of each of them.
“I am. It’s amazing to watch your kids grow at any age, but I have to say, watching them develop into fully functioning adults has been one of my favorite stages. Though I’m not sure college students count as fully functioning adults.”
“All I remember about my college days is a lot of parties. Not sure my dad was all that proud,” he chuckled.
“You graduated from law school. That’s no easy feat.”
“Well, I come from a long line of lawyers, so graduating law school is a basic expectation, not something that’s celebrated.”
“Have you ever been married? Kids?” Kate asked, wanting to know more about him.
Zach hesitated and she saw a fleeting glimpse of emotion behind his eyes, though she wasn’t sure what it was. “Nope. I’ve never been that lucky,” he responded, and she sensed a little sadness.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I came close once, but it just didn’t work out.” His demeanor didn’t really invite more questions, so she changed the subject to something more neutral, not wanting to pry. “I do need to tell you something, though.”
“Oh?”
“The other day at the diner, I know I was short with you.”
“I should have never taken your picture without your permission. I’m sorry, I was just caught up in the moment,” she interrupted.
“No, no, you’re fine. It wasn’t you, it’s me. My mom was a photographer. I mean not professionally, but it was a passion. I haven’t had anyone take a picture of me like that since I was a boy. One that was so, I don’t know, raw. It just caught me off guard.”
Kate grabbed his hand and squeezed it, happy he’d shared that with her. “I appreciate you sharing that with me. Your mom sounds like she was a great woman.”
“She was.”
The rest of the evening flew by. Once they’d finished dinner, Kate made a pot of coffee and dished up servings of tiramisu, which she brought to the living room.
“I could have helped you bring that in. You don’t need to wait on me.”
“Nah, gives me an excuse to use my fancy tray that I bought for a dollar.”
“The meal was fantastic, but I’m a little concerned,” Zach said.
Kate looked at him, tilting her head because he seemed so serious, and she started to get worried. Maybe, she pondered, he was regretful about that almost-kiss and was going to tell her that they needed to make sure nothing of the sort ever happened again. The thought of him saying that made her lose her appetite for dessert. Kate realized how much she’d wanted him to kiss her. She forced herself to keep her face neutral as she waited for him to tell her what his concern was.
He patted his belly jokingly. “How are you ever going to top this meal?”
Kate burst out laughing and rolled her eyes, glad that he couldn’t tell what had been running through her mind and feeling silly that she’d been so worried. “You had me worried for a second. Lasagna is my best dish, but I think I can figure something else out for next time.” She sincerely hoped there would be a next time.
“Whew, that’s good to hear. I’m going to hold you to that.”
Kate flushed with excitement at the prospect of another evening with Zach. “Would you like more coffee?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t mind another cup, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Nope, I made a full pot.” Kate put their empty cups and the dessert plates, which were free of any sign of ever having tiramisu on them, back on the tray and took it into the kitchen. She placed the dishes in the sink and refilled their coffee cups, then returned to the living room. She set the cups on the table before sitting on the couch a bit closer to Zach than before.
He leaned over her to grab his coffee, and she could feel his warm thigh press into hers. As he righted himself, their thighs remained touching, and Kate found herself hoping that he might kiss her again, though that didn’t seem to be in the cards.
They may not have shared another almost-kiss, but they didn’t want for things to talk about. Kate thoroughly enjoyed their conversation. It felt so easy to talk to Zach, and she learned that they actually had a lot in common. They enjoyed a lot of the same music, foods, and both enjoyed traveling when they could.
A little over an hour later, as Zach went to leave, he gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. After he was gone, Kate realized she had been hoping for a real kiss, like the one that had nearly happened before dinner.
She shut the door and leaned on it, her body alive with the adrenaline from having enjoyed his company and only a twinge of disappointment from not getting an actual kiss.
There was always tomorrow, she thought to herself.
24
Zach stopped by Jet’s garage after work the next day to see if he’d had any success in locating a door for his Alfa Romeo. When he walked into the garage, Jet was working on another car, bent over its open hood and clueless to Zach’s approach thanks to the earbuds in his ears. He tapped his fist lightly on the top of the car to get Jet’s attention.
“I was wondering when you’d come in to harass me about your car,” Jet said as he stood up, removing the earbuds and wiping his hands on a rag that sat on the hood before motioning to Zach to follow him into his office.
“I wanted to be patient, but that’s a virtue I don’t have,” Zach laughed, and accepted the drink that Jet handed him. They both took a seat, and Zach waited for Jet to start talking. He hoped that there had been some progress, since as a general rule, he was pretty consumed with his car. Though he’d recently found himself thinking a lot more about Kate than his ride.
“I sent out a bunch of feelers and I have what might be a good lead on the door. It’s in California, no great surprise, and with the time difference, we haven’t been able t
o connect yet, but I’m going to try again today.”
“I appreciate it, man, and to be honest, I’m surprised you found one this quickly.”
“Don’t get too excited yet,” Jet cautioned. “You know as well as I do that these leads don’t always pan out. Some people just don’t understand what they have, and model years aren’t always interchangeable, so it might not even be the right year or in the right condition.”
Zach shook his head. “I know. I’m not that worried about it. Either it’s the right one or it’s not, and if it’s not, we’ll just have to wait.”
Kind of like with Kate, he realized. He would have to be patient and see how the situation progressed at a pace they could both handle.
Jet cocked his head and looked at Zach. “And you just said that patience wasn’t one of your virtues, which I happen to know to be true, especially when we’re talking about your car. So, what gives?”
Zach stared at his friend, someone who had known him for over thirty years, and wondered if he should share that he’d met a woman who he found completely captivating. Before he was able to get a word out, though, Jet continued talking.
“I heard that the woman who ran into you is now working at your office. How did that happen?”
Zach smiled slowly and shrugged. “It just happened.” He should have known that the gossip circle in Moonshire would have made their rounds already, though Jet wasn’t usually along their route.
“Just happened? Somehow, I don’t see Rhoda just letting something like that happen, which means you had a hand in it. So, spill.”
“I found out she didn’t have insurance, so I offered her a job in exchange for not turning her in.”
A look of surprise came over Jet’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You lied to the poor woman? You made her think you would turn her in to the authorities? You’d never do that!”
“I wouldn’t call it lying, exactly, and of course I wouldn’t have actually done it.” Really, it had been a little white lie, but he’d justified it by telling himself that he was helping her to make some money, which he knew she needed. Part of him felt like a knight in shining armor, while another part of him felt guilty for deceiving her.
“Zach, a lie is a lie, and nothing good is going to come out of it. Why would you do that? If you wanted to spend time with her, then you should have just asked her out like a normal person,” Jet chastised him.
“She’s been through a lot. I didn’t think she would say yes if I asked. I thought this way I could help her without her considering it charity.”
“Think about what you just said! She’s been through a lot, yet you think it’s a helpful idea to lie to her and make her feel trapped. You realize that your logic is completely twisted.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I realize it was probably a stupid idea. I’m committed now.”
“And who is she, anyway, that she makes you want to go to such lengths to help her?”
“She’s Todd Hamilton’s ex-wife.” The look on Jet’s face told Zach that he had no idea who that was. “You really should stay more up-to-date on current events,” Zach ridiculed. “Todd Hamilton was a lawyer, and investor, who basically pulled a Bernie Madoff and his pyramid collapsed, taking many clients and their money down with him. He was just sentenced to thirty years in prison, so I assume that’s why she’s here. To get away from all that mess.”
Jet gave a low whistle. “Okay, I can see why you want to help her out, but I’m telling you, lying was not the way to go about it.”
“Since when did you become an expert in relationships?” Zach retorted a little testily.
“So, now you’re calling it a relationship?” Jet prodded, and Zach immediately regretted using that word. “Mr. I’m-committed-to-being-a-confirmed-bachelor?”
“Oh, shut up and find me a door,” Zach replied good-naturedly, then he stood up to leave.
“Will do, but take my advice and come clean with Kate sooner rather than later, or this could totally backfire on you. If you like this girl, you don’t want her hating you for tricking her. By the way, does your dad know?”
“About what? That I hired someone to help in the office?”
“Well, that, and who she is. Now don’t get me wrong, I would never hold it against a person that someone they were related to had committed a crime, but you and I both know your dad probably doesn’t feel the same way.”
“He knows she’s in town but not that she’s working at the office. I figured I would cross that bridge when I came to it.” Zach shrugged, hoping to give the impression he wasn’t worried, though in actuality, he definitely was. Jet was right that his dad would throw a fit if he learned about Kate Hamilton working in their office.
Jet shook his head. “You’re playing a dangerous game, my friend.”
“Let me know about the door,” Zach said, without acknowledging Jet’s warnings, because much like with Rhoda, Zach knew that his friend was right.
25
Kate got to the office a few minutes before Rhoda, unlocked the door with the key that Rhoda had given her the previous week, and went to set her personal belongings down before going into the small kitchen area to make some morning coffee. She was three weeks into her four weeks of “servitude,” as she had initially called it, but she had to admit, she liked being employed there. She enjoyed working with both Rhoda and Zach and had quickly gotten into a routine at the office. She felt useful again, and that was an incredible fulfilling feeling.
Kate had made it a point, for the last couple of days, to come in a few minutes before eight specifically to make the coffee, so that it would be one less thing that Rhoda had to do. Kate respected that Rhoda was a force of nature who didn’t stop for a minute, so Kate liked to try to take things off her plate. Based on things that Rhoda had said, she suspected that Rhoda was around seventy years old, but she never would have guessed. Kate thought that Rhoda proved the cliché that age is but a number.
Kate stood in the kitchen and waited for the pot of coffee to brew, inhaling the wonderful aroma. She loved the smell of coffee. Once it was ready, she poured herself a cup, added her cream, then headed to her office to finish working on the list that Rhoda had given her the day before.
She sipped her coffee and reviewed her notes while she waited for her computer to boot up. She’d realized that morning as she was getting ready that she felt excited about coming to work. It was quite the reversal from how she’d felt the morning of her first day working there. Even responsibilities as simple as making coffee and completing mundane research tasks for Rhoda now gave her a sense of purpose.
It wasn’t as if she felt the job was her lifelong calling, but after her kids had grown up and gone their separate ways, the only things that had given her purpose were to look good for Todd and to help him build his business. At the time, she’d taken some pride in her efforts, but if she were being honest with herself, she had never felt totally fulfilled, and had merely done most things in order to be a dutiful wife.
She hadn’t had anything to call her own in a very long time.
“Good morning, Kate,” Rhoda called out from the doorway, and Kate looked up from her notes.
“Good morning. I’m just going over what I need to finish up on this list from yesterday, then I’ll be ready for more,” Kate said, smiling. She really did like Rhoda.
“Oh please, I’m not standing in your doorway to follow up on your to-do list. I just wanted to say thanks for making the coffee.”
“No problem. I figured I drink enough of it, I should start making it.”
“Can I come in?” Rhoda asked.
“Of course. This is more your office than mine.”
Rhoda came in and sat down in the chair across the desk. Kate sensed that she had something on her mind. She wondered if she’d done something wrong, and her mind whirled through all the tasks she’d completed lately, wondering what she could have possibly screwed up.
“Did I do something wrong?” Ka
te started, and Rhoda chuckled and waved her free hand in protest.
“Oh, honey, not at all. In fact, you’ve done an amazing job here. I would never admit this to Zach, but I’ve enjoyed having you here, making my life a little bit easier. Maybe it is time I retire and enjoy the good life. Whatever that is. I find my life as it stands now to be pretty good, and I’m not so greedy as to think that it needs to get even better.”
Kate breathed a sigh of relief and realized that she really needed to get a grip on jumping to conclusions when someone said they wanted to talk with her. There was no reason for her to send her mind spiraling immediately toward the negative all the time, though she knew it was easy to do after everything that had happened.
“Thank you for the compliment. I really enjoy working here, and I’m glad I can be of help.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. How would you feel about working here on a more permanent basis?”
“Really?” Kate smiled. The thought of asking to stay on had crossed her mind a couple of times, but she’d been hesitant to bring it up, partly because she wasn’t sure that Rhoda would want her to stay on — she liked Rhoda too much to push herself on her — and partly because she wasn’t sure what was happening with Zach. They’d enjoyed a couple of lovely times together, and as much as she didn’t want to have feelings for him, she did. She wasn’t sure that asking him to let her stay on after her four weeks were up would be a good idea. She didn’t know if her hesitation was because being around him more in general might be a bad idea.
“Yes. I don’t think I’m ready to fully retire just yet, but maybe if you were to stay on permanently, I could start showing you more of what I do and slowly back my hours down. If you’re willing, of course.”
“I would love to. I’ve thought about asking to stay on. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about it.”
“Well, now you know.”
“Should I talk to Zach?”
“I’ll handle Zach, but rest assured, he will be thrilled to see you stay on.”
