Photographing Kate

by Laina Turner

  Kate wasn’t exactly sure what Rhoda meant by that, but she thought she detected a little innuendo in her tone and wondered if Rhoda knew something that she didn’t.

  “He’s happy with my work, then?” Kate asked.

  “Honey, the quality of your work doesn’t matter to Zach. Now, before you take that the wrong way, your work is impeccable, and Zach knows it, but that’s not what he likes about you. I’ve known him his entire life, and I’ve never seen the boy so smitten.”

  Kate felt heat creep up her neck as she blushed. She wasn’t sure what to say to that, but didn’t have to come up with an answer, as Rhoda started talking again.

  “He likes you in a way that I haven’t seen him like anyone in a very long time.”

  “He does?” Kate questioned.

  Rhoda nodded. “He does. He’s a good man. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not perfect by any means, and I’m sure you’ll find that out soon, but he’s got a good heart.”

  Kate wanted to ask Rhoda what she meant about her finding out that Zach wasn’t perfect, but they were interrupted by the phone. Kate knew that no one was perfect, but she thought that Rhoda had made it sound like there was something specific that she would soon discover about Zach.

  There I go again, down the negative spiral of doom, she admonished herself internally.

  “I hear the phone ringing,” Rhoda interrupted. “I’ll talk to Zach and make it official, but I’m excited to have you on permanently.” She rushed back down the hall to the front desk, and Kate could hear Rhoda answering the call.

  Kate turned her focus to her list, not wanting to give it anything but her full attention. She didn’t want Rhoda to regret that she’d just asked her to stay on.

  The hours passed quickly, and at noon, Kate packed up her things and headed out. She passed Zach’s office, hoping to say goodbye, but his door was closed because he was on a call.

  Rhoda was at her desk with her normal lunch in front of her, a chicken salad sandwich. Since she was also on the phone, she and Kate waved to each other as Kate walked out the door. She made her way down the stairs and outside, enjoying the first blast of sun on her face.

  The only thing that would make a permanent job at the law office better, she thought, was if it were on the beach. And then she laughed. You couldn’t have everything.

  Kate decided to treat herself to lunch at May’s Cafe, to tell her friend the good news and to celebrate.

  26

  Kate had just left for the day. Zach heard her say bye to Rhoda, but he kept his door shut so that she wouldn’t come in to see him. He wasn’t trying to avoid her, exactly, but he was having conflicting emotions. He liked her a lot, but he also felt guilty about his deceit.

  Rhoda, however, had no qualms about barging in when his door was closed. She sat herself down and he could tell that she had something on her mind.

  “Out with it, Rhoda,” he said, leaning back in his chair and thinking that he might be in for a talking to, as she used to put it when he was younger.

  “When are you going to tell Kate that you like her and stop this ruse of telling her she’s working off her debt and helping an old lady out?” She shot him a nasty look on the last few words, and he winced.

  “Did she tell you that’s why she’s working here?”

  “Of course not. She’s far too sweet and polite for that, but I’m not stupid, or senile. I assumed you used my age as something else to hold over her head. Don’t forget, I know how you operate.”

  “She’s doing a great job, though, don’t you think? I thought maybe we could keep her on.”

  “She’s doing a fabulous job, and I already asked her to stay on permanently and she agreed, but don’t try and change the subject. If you want her to stay, you need to come clean and you need to tell your father. You’ve been lucky these last few weeks that he hasn’t stopped in and found her here, but that won’t last forever. Not to mention, when she finds out you manipulated her, and she will eventually find out, who knows if she’ll even speak to you, much less want to work with you.”

  Zach knew that Rhoda was right, just like Jet had been right, but he didn’t know how to get out of the web he’d spun without losing Kate. The more he thought about ways to tell her, the more he grew fearful of her never speaking to him again.

  “Have you told her about Sharon?”

  “No! Why would I? That’s ancient history,” Zach practically yelled, and the disapproving look in Rhoda’s eyes made him feel guilty. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

  “You wouldn’t be mad if you saw what I saw, and what everyone in town who knew Sharon will see.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t play dumb, Zach. Kate and Sharon look enough alike to be sisters.”

  Zach shifted uncomfortably. That was the thing he’d first noticed about her. She had an uncanny resemblance to his ex-fiancé. But aside from the physical similarity, they couldn’t have been more different, and after his initial shock had worn off, he’d appreciated how different they were.

  “Have you ever thought about why you’re being deceitful?”

  “I think deceitful is a little harsh,” Zach replied, not answering her question.

  “Call it what you may, but you need to understand what’s making you act this way when it’s so obvious that you like her. In fact, I’ve never seen you so interested in anyone since Sharon.”

  Zach sat there for a minute, thinking. Rhoda was right. He hadn’t been as interested in any woman as he was in Kate since Sharon—which was why all of his relationships had been short-lived. From the moment he’d spotted Kate, he’d felt something that made him want more than just a casual fling. It terrified him. The last time he’d given his heart to someone, she’d broken it into a million pieces, and he hadn’t thought he’d ever recover.

  “Zach, Kate isn’t Sharon. Most women you’ve dated would never have hurt you like she did.”

  “How do I tell Kate that I manipulated her and not have her hate me?”

  “You need to start by coming clean and being honest, then asking her for forgiveness.”

  That was easier said than done, but Zach knew deep down that he didn’t have a choice.

  27

  Kate walked with an extra spring in her step as she headed to the diner.

  She was excited about being able to stay on at the law office on a more permanent basis, as it took some of the pressure off of her financially. If she got up the nerve to pursue photography as a business, she would need to invest money in equipment before making any from its use, so she’d need the income the law firm would provide.

  She pushed the door open to May’s Cafe and waved at Claire, who was busy serving a table of customers, so Kate went ahead and seated herself at an empty booth. It was a couple minutes later before Claire made her way over, followed by a tall, attractive redheaded woman.

  “Hi, Kate. This is a nice surprise. I didn’t know you were going to come in for lunch today.”

  “I didn’t plan to, but I guess I’m kind of celebrating. And what better way to celebrate than with your good food?”

  “What are we celebrating?” Claire asked, with a twinkle in her eye.

  “It looks like I’m going to stay on at the law office for a while longer.”

  Claire raised her eyebrows and Kate knew what she was thinking. When this all started, she’d been angry about working there, and now she had done a 180. But hey, a girl could change her mind, Kate insisted to herself.

  “I think that’s fantastic,” Claire said. “Kate, I want you to meet Bethany. She owns that cute antique store on the corner.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bethany.”

  “Likewise.”

  “If you don’t mind company for your celebratory lunch, then maybe Bethany could join you and you two could get to know each other,” Claire suggested.

  “Of course. I’d love the company. It’s no fun celebrating alone,” Kate said invitingly.

  “Are you s
ure? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Absolutely. I’m all about meeting new people these days.”

  Bethany slid into the seat opposite Kate, and Claire told them that she’d be back with their drinks and to take their order.

  “Claire has told me a little bit about why you came to Moonshire. How are you liking it so far?” Bethany asked boldly.

  “I really like it here. I’ve never lived in a small town like this before, and to be honest, before I came here, I thought I would miss having anything one might ever want within fifteen minutes of my house, but I don’t. It’s so refreshing here, and I can’t tell you exactly why, but there’s just something about this place.”

  “I agree with that. I’ve lived here all my life, except when I went away to college, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to live.”

  “Here you go, ladies, two iced teas. Do you know what you want to eat?” Claire asked.

  “My usual,” Kate said, and Bethany started laughing. Kate looked at her strangely, not understanding what was so funny.

  “I want my usual, too. I guess we’re all creatures of habit.”

  “All right, then, two BLTs with avocado and French fries, coming right up.”

  “See, another point for small-town living. There is no place I would go to in New York where I could say ‘my usual’ and they would know what I meant. And trust me, there were plenty of places I went to way more often than I should have.”

  “Yup, a close-knit community is much more prevalent in a small town. However, they can also be stifling, because there are no secrets. It’s like with anything, you have to take the good with the bad.”

  “Very true.”

  “Do you plan on staying long-term?”

  “I think so. I currently have a six-month lease on a place. I didn’t want to do a year in case things didn’t work out, but so far, everything is moving in the right direction. I’ve got a beautiful home I’m renting, I’ve got a part-time job at the law office, and I’ve met some great people. So, it seems like everything is pointing in the direction of staying.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right, I heard you were working for Zach and his father.”

  “I am. It’s the first time I’ve ever worked in an office, and I’m really enjoying it.”

  “What did you do before coming here?”

  Kate gave a stilted laugh. “I worked in the role of trusting housewife. That’s how I ended up here.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bethany said. “Though not too sorry, if it brought you here.”

  “It’s okay. Like I said, my new life is off to a good start.”

  “How is it working for Zach?”

  “It’s fine. I actually work more for Rhoda than Zach, but he’s really sweet.”

  “A lot of the ladies say that about him at first,” Bethany said with a slight grin.

  Kate frowned, not sure what Bethany was getting at, and not sure that she liked the sound of whatever she meant. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t speak out of turn. Zach is a sweet guy, as long as you’re not romantically interested in him. But since you work with him, you’re not going to be dating him, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Here you go, ladies,” Claire said as she set down their plates. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  The food looked and smelled amazing, but Kate had lost her appetite, as well as her desire to celebrate. Her mind kept trying to process what Bethany might have meant by her remarks. Was Zach not a good guy like Kate thought he was?

  “So, is Zach a player?” Kate asked, even though she really didn’t want to know the answer if it was yes.

  “I wouldn’t really call him that. He’s just more of a serial dater; an anti-commitment kind of guy. But who can blame him? Sharon did a number on him, and even after all these years, he’s never seemed to get over it. He’s never had a serious relationship with anyone since.”

  “Sharon?”

  “His former fiancée. This was many years ago, but I guess sometimes you just can’t get over being hurt. Come to think of it, you actually kind of look like her.”

  Kate froze, a French fry halfway to her mouth. What was Bethany getting at? Zach had an ex-fiancé and they resembled each other? All of a sudden, doubt flooded Kate as she wondered in the back of her mind if he had been thinking of his ex while they’d spent time together. She questioned whether Zach liked her or just liked that she reminded him of Sharon.

  “Are you okay?” Bethany asked.

  “I’m fine,” Kate lied. Even though a moment ago, she had thought her life was finally moving in a positive direction, now she all too clearly remembered why men weren’t to be trusted.

  28

  Zach woke up with a firm resolve to come clean with Kate. He knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. As he sat in his breakfast nook, looking out the window at the water while drinking his coffee, he realized that he needed to face his fear and take the chance that she might be so mad, she’d never talk to him again. What Rhoda said was right—he hadn’t treated Kate any better than Sharon had treated him.

  As he sat there, he couldn’t help but feel the pain of loss as he thought about his relationship with Sharon and how it ended with him coming home to the house they shared and finding her gone with no explanation. He never knew what he’d done to make her leave, which was why he’d vowed to remain a bachelor from then on. She’d simply left, never to speak to him again. Had he not learned from her parents that she was still alive, he might have thought she’d been abducted.

  He didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. Even though it had happened so long ago, some feelings never left. But since meeting Kate and spending time with her, he realized that he didn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life. For over twenty years, he’d prided himself on being a bachelor. He had been satisfied with enjoying women in the moment, always being very clear with anyone who was interested that nothing with him would last long-term.

  His feelings toward Kate, feelings he didn’t think himself capable of anymore, made him wonder what he’d been thinking all those years. Life was too short to be alone, he thought, and what was the worst that could happen? He knew he could get hurt again, but he’d managed to live through it the last time, if only barely, and he would do it again if it came down to it.

  He took the last sip of his coffee and glanced at the clock. He had just enough time to make it to his morning appointment, an estate planning session for one of Joan Bear’s friends. Afterward, he would head to the office and have a conversation with Kate.

  It was almost noon when his meeting finished and Zach headed back to the office, driving a little over the speed limit. His appointment had taken longer than he’d intended, and now he felt he needed to race back to the office before Kate left. Since he’d finally made up his mind to come clean, he didn’t want to put it off any longer.

  He drove into the parking lot and saw that he had a few minutes to spare before she was off for the day. As he pulled into an empty spot and shut his car off, something caught his eye. He noticed a black Bentley one row over, which meant that his dad was somewhere in town, and more than likely signaled that he’d gone to the office.

  Zach knew that his father’s presence was not good and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. The lights of the Bentley came on as it backed out of its space and headed out of the parking lot, which meant that whatever business his dad was conducting had concluded and he was heading home. Zach’s heart pounded. He was terrified of what he was going to find when he got into the office. He was worried about what his dad might have said to Kate when he’d realized she was working there, and he mentally berated himself for allowing his subterfuge to last for so long. He jogged across the parking lot and up the stairs. When Zach walked through the door, he saw Kate.

  29

  Kate was in the office by herself, as Rhoda had left for lunch and Zach was working at home before a client meeting. She was just wrapping
up a few things before heading home herself. She hadn’t seen Zach since she and Rhoda had talked about her staying on permanently. Although Rhoda had said that she would inform Zach, Kate wanted to talk to him about it, too, in order to make sure that he was okay with it. And to be honest, it was a good excuse to talk with him.

  She looked at the calendar that Zach had shared with her and Rhoda and saw that he would be in the office the next day. She made a mental note to have the conversation then.

  She turned off her computer and got her purse out of the bottom drawer of her desk. She was just standing up to leave when she heard the front door open. She walked out to the front in order to help whoever had just come in and saw a gentleman in a three-piece business suit who looked like an older version of Zach. She assumed that he was Zach’s dad. With a wide smile on her face, she quickly closed the gap between them, holding out her hand as she reached him.

  “Hi, I’m Kate. You must be Zach’s father, Phillip. I’ve heard so much about you.” That last bit was a lie, as Zach had said nothing about his father except that he was also a lawyer and was running for Supreme Court Justice. Even Rhoda, who often liked to gossip, had been mum when it came to talking about him, a stark contrast to how much Rhoda had shared stories with Kate about Zach. Kate had heard all about Zach’s dirty childhood secrets, which she’d enjoyed. It was fun to imagine Zach as an unruly teen. The only topic related to Zach that Rhoda didn’t expand upon was his former love life, and initially Kate didn’t know whether that was because there were actually some boundaries to her gossip, or because there was something dramatic enough that she felt she shouldn’t share. After lunch with Bethany, she suspected the latter.

  The old man’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline in surprise and he looked at her like he was examining a bug that had flown in and landed on his kitchen counter. The feeling that his look gave Kate was unsettling, to say the least, but she kept her smile plastered on her face and waited for him to say something.