Kate's Vow (Vows)

by Sherryl Woods

  After she’d gone, he’d looked over that damnable list she’d given him. Couched in legalese, it ordered him to adhere to a militaristic schedule of meetings with his son. He hadn’t a doubt in the world that she intended to see that the timetable was enforced.

  Dorothy poked her head into his office for their end-of-the-day consultation on the status of all his projects. “You’re looking even grumpier than usual,” she observed cheerfully as she came in and closed the door. “What’s the problem?”

  “Kate Newton is the problem,” he complained without thinking.

  “Who’s Kate Newton?” Her eyes lit with sudden awareness. “I don’t suppose she’s that beauty who stormed in here on Friday night?”

  He’d done it now. She’d pester him until she knew every last detail. “The same,” he admitted, hoping that would be enough to satisfy her curiosity.

  “You never did say what she wanted.”

  “No,” he said pointedly. “I didn’t.”

  Dorothy scowled at him. “I can’t help if you clam up. Now who is she?”

  “My son’s lawyer.”

  Her eyes widened. “Uh-oh,” she said, settling into a chair and putting aside the clipboard with its timetable for the various stages of the Future Rock set designs. “Let’s hear it.”

  “Shouldn’t we be going over that schedule?”

  “In a minute. Now, talk.”

  David sighed and handed her the latest handwritten document with its list of demands for parental attention. Dorothy read it and nodded approvingly.

  “So, what’s the big deal?” she asked.

  “The woman is trying to legislate my life.”

  “I’ve been trying to do that for years. You don’t let me get under your skin. What’s different about this woman? The fact that she’s young and gorgeous and single, if the lack of a wedding ring is any indication?”

  He regarded her in amazement. “You noticed whether or not she was wearing a ring?”

  “I’m always on the lookout for single women for you. My goal in life is to see you happily involved again,” she said complacently.

  Those words, coming from a woman with Dorothy’s determination, sent a shudder of dread through him. He decided she needed to understand that Kate Newton was not the woman for him.

  “Did you even read that thing?” he demanded. “If I’m not careful, she’ll be telling me which jobs to take.”

  “Maybe that would keep you from taking on too damn many,” Dorothy shot right back. “Somebody has to slow you down. I’m certainly not getting through to you. And that agent of yours would have you working twenty-four hours a day just so his piece of the action would climb.”

  “Dammit, don’t you see? She’s trying to separate Davey and me.”

  “From the looks of this, I’d say the opposite is true,” she countered in that logical, reasonable tone that made him want to chew nails. “David, all she’s asking is that you spend more time with your son. What’s so terrible about that? You and Davey used to spend all your spare time together. It’s no wonder he’s feeling neglected.”

  David sighed and rubbed his temples. His head was pounding. “I know,” he admitted.

  Dorothy regarded him curiously. “Are you sure there’s not something more to your reaction? Are you feeling the slightest bit disloyal to Alicia because you’re attracted to this woman?”

  Leave it to Dorothy to nail it, he thought ruefully as he recalled the regrettably powerful and very masculine response he’d had to Kate Newton the night before. For one brief instant there, he’d actually found himself flirting with her. And enjoying it!

  Almost the instant her car had pulled out of his driveway and he’d turned toward the house, he’d been weighed down by guilt. He’d vowed on the spot to call this morning and cancel the dinner invitation. He’d worked himself into a state over the paper Dorothy held, using indignation over that as an excuse for bowing out.

  She regarded him sympathetically. “You’re a widower. You have been for six months now. Being attracted to a woman is not a sin,” Dorothy told him gently, obviously operating on the assumption that she’d guessed the truth. “Come on, boss. Alicia wouldn’t want you to stop living. You know that. She’d want you to grab whatever happiness you can find.”

  Happiness in the form of Kate Newton, an attorney with ice in her veins? He struggled just a little with the concept. And yet, she definitely represented living. Everything about her suggested that she was vibrant and exciting and passionate, even if a little too driven and rigid for his taste. For a time she might make him feel alive. She might chase away the memories of death and mortality. But then what?

  David sighed. “I know that’s what Alicia would want,” he said, agreeing bleakly with his assistant. “But sometimes living is just too damned painful.”

  The conversation with Dorothy had accomplished one thing, though. David decided against canceling the dinner with Kate and Davey. It would have been the cowardly way out and probably would have added ammunition she could use later, if she pursued this damnable divorce.

  With his stomach tied in knots, he approached the informal restaurant she’d chosen in Century City. He blamed the upset on trepidation. The truth of the matter was, though, that it was probably anticipation that had him nervously pacing the outdoor mall as he watched for Kate and Davey to arrive. She had insisted on picking up his son, almost as if she feared he might exclude the boy at the last minute. The realization that she obviously felt she needed protection from him cheered him slightly. It evened the playing field a bit.

  When he spotted the pair at last, his heart seemed to climb into his throat. Still the consummate professional, she was wearing a bright red suit accessorized with a twist of chunky, expensive gold at the neckline. Her hair had been pulled back into what had probably started as a neat style. Now stray wisps had tugged free to create wayward curls.

  And, though she looked as if she were dressed to step into a courtroom or the pages of a career woman’s magazine, the expression on her face as she listened to Davey was what stunned him. She looked genuinely entranced, that generous mouth of hers curved into a smile, her eyes bright with amusement. Whatever his son was saying obviously delighted her. When she laughed, the pure, musical sound carried to him, and he regretted more than he could say that he hadn’t been in on the joke.

  He walked slowly toward them, feeling like an outsider. When she glanced up and saw him, the sparks in her eyes didn’t die as he’d anticipated. Instead, her smile broadened to include him, a touch of sunshine that warmed him.

  Basking in that smile could be dangerous, he thought for a fleeting instant, and then he simply responded to its sheer magic. Cares slid away and for this moment, his family was whole again, untouched by sorrow, united by love and laughter. He was a man used to living in a world that made fantasy seem like reality. He realized with a start that he wanted this particular illusion to last more than he’d wanted anything in a very long time.

  “Hey, Dad, did you know that Kate has a house at the beach?” Davey said excitedly. “She said we could use it sometime. Wouldn’t that be great?”

  David met her gaze and wondered at the generosity. “It would be great,” he agreed. “But I’m sure Ms. Newton likes to get away herself on the weekends.”

  “We could all go together,” Davey said eagerly. He glanced at Kate. “Is there enough room?”

  “Sure,” she said.

  Despite the quick response, David caught the sudden uneasiness in her eyes. He doubted if her impulsive offer had taken into account this possible turn of events. Lazy days, sun-kissed sand, sparkling blue Pacific…and the two of them. It was the most seductive arrangement he could imagine. If dinner had made her nervous, he could just imagine her reaction to this proposal.

  He couldn’t resist giving her a long, level, considering look that left no doubts about the provocative direction in which his imagination had roamed. The color that crept into her cheeks almost matched her
suit.

  “I’m starved,” she said in a breathless rush. “Shall we go inside? I made the reservation for seven.”

  Over their meal, it was Davey’s chatter that filled the silences. David hadn’t felt quite so tongue-tied in years. As for Kate, he had the feeling she had deliberately withdrawn in an effort to encourage conversation between father and son. Either that or she was still in shock over his deliberately flirtatious glance earlier. He was a little shaken by it himself.

  “Shouldn’t we discuss this proposal you two have made?” he asked finally, drawing the paper from his pocket.

  Davey glanced nervously toward Kate. “It was just some ideas,” he mumbled.

  “Breakfast every morning?” David read. “I thought you liked sleeping in, during the summer.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Why don’t we agree that we’ll have breakfast together on the weekends, at least until school starts? Then we’ll aim for every day.”

  Davey’s expression brightened. “You promise?”

  “I’ll put it in writing,” David agreed with a pointed look at Kate. “Now, about bedtime. I think I can arrange my schedule to be home on time most nights. I’ll even try to make it for dinner.”

  “Every night?” Kate inquired.

  David shook his head. “I have to be realistic. Let’s aim for two nights, plus weekends.” He regarded her evenly. “Do you plan to be around to check up on my follow-through?”

  “It’s my client you have to satisfy, not me. If he tells me you’re living up to the agreement, that will be good enough for me.”

  “Too bad,” he found himself taunting. “I’d try harder if I knew I’d find you all curled up in my chair the way I did last night.”

  She scowled at him. “Keep reading. There are more requests.”

  “Ah, yes, the once-a-month outings.” He glanced at Kate and couldn’t resist another attempt to provoke that embarrassed tint in her cheeks. “Why not start with that visit to the beach?”

  “Yeah!” David chimed in enthusiastically.

  Kate looked stunned.

  David regarded her innocently. “Are you busy this weekend?”

  She swallowed hard. “This weekend…” Her words faltered. Then her chin came up and she shot him a determined smile. “This weekend would be fine.”

  No sooner had she agreed than David wondered if he’d lost his mind. Not three hours earlier he’d sworn to stay as far away from this woman as he possibly could. Now he’d committed himself to spending an entire weekend in her company. It was only minimal consolation that she didn’t look any more thrilled about the prospect than he did. Only Davey looked ecstatic.

  Suddenly David wanted to get out of the dark restaurant and into the twilight and fresh air. “Why don’t we have ice cream for dessert?” he suggested. “We can get cones outside.”

  “All right!” Davey said. “Can I go now?”

  “Sure. Just don’t go anywhere else. Get the cone and sit at one of the tables right there. We’ll be out as soon as I’ve paid the bill.”

  Davey grabbed the money his father held out, then took off.

  “I could go with him,” Kate offered, glancing a little desperately in the direction Davey had gone.

  “No. Actually, I wanted a minute alone with you.”

  Troubled eyes met his. “Oh?”

  “I wanted to apologize. I backed you into a corner.”

  “Yes,” she said bluntly. “You did.” She shook her head. “No. I made the suggestion in the first place. I guess I just thought you and Davey would go there alone.”

  “We could still do that,” he offered reluctantly. “We would have more fun, though, if you were there. At least, I know I would.”

  She studied him intently. Obviously she had caught something in his voice, something he hadn’t intended to convey with the mildly provocative comment.

  “You say that almost as if you’re afraid to be alone with your son,” she said finally. “It’s not the first time I’ve noticed that. Were you always so uncomfortable around Davey?”

  Startled by her insight, David sighed. “No,” he admitted. “We used to do a lot of stuff together. But ever since Alicia died, I don’t know what to say to him.”

  “He’s a person. Talk to him about school. Talk about the weather.”

  “That would be faking it. We both know the one thing we should be talking about is his mother.”

  “Then for God’s sake, talk about his mother,” she said with obvious impatience. “Do you know how desperately he needs to share his heartache with you?”

  Raw anguish ripped through him as he struggled with what should have been a simple request. He deliberately took his time counting out money to pay the bill. Then he cast one quick look into Kate’s eyes and caught the lack of comprehension.

  “I can’t,” he said simply and walked away, leaving her staring after him.

  Chapter Five

  Kate wanted to sit right where she was until hell froze over. She wanted to do almost anything, in fact, except walk out of the restaurant and join Davey and his father. She wasn’t sure she could bear seeing that expression of anguish on David’s face.

  Worse, to her amazement and regret, she realized that for a few brief moments she had allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy that this was her personal life, not her job. Unlike all those business dinners she had four and five nights a week, sitting here with David and his son tonight had given her a small hint of what it might be like to be part of a normal, ordinary family.

  Then Alicia’s name had entered the conversation and reality had intruded with the force of a hurricane-strength wind.

  That’s what happens when you lose your objectivity, she chided herself. She had set herself up like a tenpin in a tournament of bowling champions. There was no way not to get knocked down. The irony, of course, was that it had been a fantasy which might never have crossed her mind a week ago, before a desperate, lonely boy had walked into her office.

  Forcing herself to put her own bruised feelings aside, she left the restaurant and went in search of her client…and his father. She found them sitting at a table in front of the ice-cream counter. The last rays of sunlight filtered through an evening haze. A breeze had kicked up, chasing away the last of the day’s dry heat. Davey’s expression was glum. His father’s, if anything, was even more morose, an echo of her own feelings.

  It had certainly turned into a swell evening, Kate thought miserably. She forced a smile. “Where’s my ice cream?” she demanded, feigning a fierce scowl. She glanced at David. “You don’t have any, either. Did Davey eat all they had?”

  The weak joke didn’t even earn a halfhearted smile.

  “I was waiting for you,” David said. The response was politely innocuous, but there was a questioning look in his eyes as if he wasn’t sure what to make of her teasing or the strained note behind it. “Name your flavor.”

  “Heath bar,” she said at once. “How about you? I’ll get it.” She wanted another minute to gather the composure that seemed to slip a notch every time she looked into David Winthrop’s eyes. To her relief, he didn’t argue with her.

  “Cherry Garcia.”

  “Cone or dish?”

  “Cone,” he said.

  When she came back to the table with the two ice-cream cones, Davey and his father were engaged in a tense discussion that broke off the minute she arrived. She handed David his cone and sat down, concentrating on the rapidly melting ice cream. She tried to catch all the drips before they slid down the cone toward her already sticky fingers. It was hopeless. She glanced over and saw that David was having the same problem. As he caught a drip with the tip of his tongue, he gazed into her eyes and smiled. Kate’s heart thumped unsteadily at the innocently provocative gesture. She had to force herself to look away.

  It was several minutes before she realized that Davey hadn’t said a word since she’d joined them. She glanced at him. His arms were folded across his middle and, if an
ything, his expression had turned mutinous.

  “What’s the deal, kiddo?” Kate inquired, wondering what on earth they’d fought about.

  He glanced at his father with a belligerent look, then said, “Dad says it was rude that we invited ourselves to your house. He doesn’t think we should go.”

  Relief and dismay shot through Kate in equal measure. Then she caught the unhappiness in Davey’s eyes and forced herself to put her own conflicting emotions aside and focus on his feelings. He’d already suffered more than enough disappointments in his young life. No matter how trapped she’d felt earlier, she wouldn’t add one more by reneging on the invitation. She looked directly at David.

  “I want you to come,” she said.

  His expression told her nothing, but he nodded finally as if he, too, was aware that his son needed the promise of this weekend to be kept. “If you insist,” he responded, his tone as cool and unemotional as her own.

  Kate stood up, anxious to escape the escalating tension that seemed to be choking off her ability to breathe. “I really need to get some work done tonight, if you two will excuse me.” She met David’s gaze. “I’ll call you about this weekend.”

  When she looked back as she turned the corner, father and son were sitting silently exactly where she’d left them. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she could throw the two of them together all she wanted, but getting them to have a real relationship again just might be beyond her control. There weren’t many things in her life about which that could be said. She discovered she didn’t like it.

  * * *

  The phone was ringing when Kate walked into her apartment. She debated letting the service pick it up, then decided that would only delay the inevitable. Whoever it was, she would wind up having to call them back.

  She grabbed for the phone on its third ring. “Yes, hello.”

  “Kate, it’s Ellen,” her sister said unnecessarily. “Are you okay? You sound out of breath.”

  “I just ran in the door,” she said, wishing she had let the phone go on ringing after all.

  Ever since she had learned the whole story behind Ellen’s conception, Kate had felt awkward around her older sister. Half-sister, she corrected. Now their mother was married to the love of her life, Ellen’s natural father, Brandon Halloran. Ellen, after her initial shock and anger over years of lies and deception, seemed to have adjusted beautifully to having a new father. In fact, she was all caught up in the drama and romance of their mother’s separation from Brandon and his intensive search to find her again. Despite everyone’s best efforts, however, Kate couldn’t help feeling like a resentful outsider.