Reclaiming Katie

by Gardner, M. L.

  "Wow," she whispered at her reflection. A slow smile crept across her face. "Looks like you've still got it after all, Miss Katie."

  Tom didn't open the car door for her or even speak to her in the car. They pulled up to Sarah's house and she went inside alone. Giving hasty hugs and instructions for the baby, she grinned as Sarah gushed over her appearance and then rushed back to the car.

  The Johnson's log cabin mansion sat atop a foothill, looking down its nose at all the common houses below. The outside was lit warmly, a deep contrast to the cold people who lived inside.

  They walked in to music and laughter and Katie immediately had the feeling to run. If it weren't for seeing Will, she would have.

  Her mother in law, in all her gaudy costume jewelry and heavy make-up, waved and flashed a bright smile.

  "Tom, darling, how are you." Everyone turned to look and Katie squirmed under their stares. She nodded as she approached. "Katie."

  "Hello."

  "Oh, you didn't bring the baby!" She put on a false air of disappointment. "I was hoping to see him, is he walking yet?"

  "He's four months old," Katie said flatly.

  "Right, right. Well, do give him kisses for Grandma, would you? Tom, come with me, there are a few people you should say hello to."

  He left with his mother, not giving as much as a look back at Katie. She stood awkward and uncomfortable at the edge of the giant living room. It was bustling with overdressed arrogant people; the very worst Cedar Hollow had to offer. They glanced at her and she gave a tight smile as each of them did. Obvious in their whispering after their glances, she began to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. Tom's mother dragged him along, flitting and flirting with everyone as she went and then deposited him in front of a young woman. Barely legal, by the looks of her and disgustingly enamored with Tom.

  Katie ground her teeth. How dare her mother in law do this right in front of her! Tom began an animated conversation and his mother slinked off, shooting a look over her shoulder at Katie. She started scanning the room for the balcony exit.

  "Can I offer you a drink?"

  She jumped, and then smiled. Will stood over her with a tray of champagne glasses. Handing her one, she gave him a good look over.

  "You clean up well." She grinned. He wore a black suit that fit his shoulders well. His broad smile showed dazzling white teeth that she hadn't noticed before. It seemed like every time she saw him she spotted another appealing detail. His eyes were humbled by the compliment.

  "And you look even more beautiful than usual."

  She blushed and looked over the crowd again. "Do you know how long it's been since someone's called me beautiful?"

  Looking at her for a long moment, he opened his mouth and closed it quickly again.

  "When you said you'd be working here tonight, I didn't realize you'd be working inside."

  He shrugged. "I was outside earlier, getting the grounds cleaned up and I was supposed to be parking cars, but the catering service showed up one man short, so I was volun-told I'd be serving drinks. I had just enough time to go home and change."

  "Ah. I see."

  "I'm glad I did, though."

  "And why is that?"

  "Because I'd look terribly underdressed standing next to you if I were still in my jeans and work flannel." She dropped her eyes modestly, but could still feel his stare.

  "You there! Can we get a drink please?" One old puffed up penguin called out to Will, snapping his fingers.

  He turned and smiled at Katie. "I'll talk to you later."

  With bright eyes she watched him go but feeling someone else's upon her, turned her head to see Tom glaring at her.

  She took her drink and made her way through the crowd to the balcony and sucked in a deep breath. It was fully dark now, the full moon hung low in the sky. The night air still held the heat of the day; one of those rare nights were it was exactly the perfect temperature. She turned from the scenery and leaned back on the marble rail of the balcony. She looked over it in disgust. Her mother in law's vision of a Roman balcony hanging off the side of an oversized log cabin was hideous. She managed to hide for almost an hour, enjoying the cool breeze and night sky.

  Another couple wandered out, holding hands and talking quietly. Katie didn't recognize them and after nodding politely, looked away. She downed the rest of her drink, hoping the night would go quickly. Tom appeared in the doorway, expressionless. Katie met his eyes head on.

  "My father wants to see you." He turned away and she followed, wondering if Tom had told him about the divorce. Suddenly she was scared, alone in hostile territory. Her posture was rigid as she approached and he turned around with a superficial smile.

  "Katie, how nice to see you again."

  Not wanting to lie that it was also good to see him, she simply answered, "I hope you're having a pleasant birthday."

  "Not bad, not bad at all." He looked around as if he were surveying the party.

  "How's the baby?"

  "He's fine." She doubted he even remembered his name.

  She caught Tom's swaying out of the corner of her eye. He'd already had quite a bit to drink, by the looks of him.

  "How's the hot water heater?" Suddenly she thought of Will and prayed he couldn't read her mind.

  "Excuse me?"

  "The hot water heater I had fixed. How's it working?"

  "It's fine. Why?"

  "Well, I just hadn't heard from you or Tom is all."

  She looked at him, clearly not following.

  "What I mean to say is, I hadn't gotten a thank you from either of you."

  Katie's face burned red with embarrassment. "Well, thank you, Mr. Johnson, for helping us get it fixed."

  "You're welcome, Katie." He poked Tom in the chest a couple of times. "I know it wasn't so much in her upbringing, but you ought to try to teach that wife of yours some manners." He winked at her as if it were some funny joke and turned to leave.

  Clenching her fists at her sides she bit her lip to keep from rattling off a string of insults and disrupting the whole party. Oh, how she wished she could.

  Instead, she glared at Tom, who seemed amused by the whole conversation as he sipped his drink. She returned to the solitude of the balcony, grabbing another glass of champagne on her way.

  She found a spot where she could watch the going's on of the party through the window. She spotted Will and her face lit up with a smile as he moved gracefully through the crowd, unaffected by the air of thick snobbery. It was enough to make her choke, yet he seemed oblivious to it all. She moved to the double doors. She wanted him to notice her even if only for a moment.

  His smile and slightly narrowed eyes went unnoticed by the rest of the party. A few minutes later, just as she had hoped, he made his way out to join her.

  As he walked toward her, she could see something in his eyes. Something intense and very real. She wasn't just imagining the attraction between them. She couldn't be.

  "What are you doing hiding out here all alone?"

  "You've been around those people all night. Wouldn't you hide, too, if you could?"

  "Well, that's different. I'm getting paid to put up with them. It's much more annoying when you’re related, I'm sure."

  "I don't know how you stand it." She leaned over the rail and looked down on the manicured lawn below. It would be a perfect night for a long walk under the stars.

  "I think your husband is looking for you."

  Oh, yeah. Wanting a divorce and actually being divorced are two different things. She crossed the moonlight walk with Will off her list. For now.

  "Katie." Tom walked out and gave Will a harsh glance. "Dinner time," he barked and turned away. She sighed, tossing a weak smile at Will, and followed Tom with heavy steps.

  There was assigned seating and Katie was, of course, placed next to Tom at his parents table. She wasn't sure she could choke down the food. The catering staff rushed about like swarming bees, serving food, refilling water and mixed drinks. A
t the table, everything was still. Tom leaned sloppily on the table and stared at his glass. His parents were watching them, she was sure of it. Looking up she met their predatory eyes.

  "It's a nice party."

  Her mother in law's stone face broke into a smile. "Thank you. And that is a lovely dress."

  "Thank you."

  "A little expensive for you, don't you think?" Adrienne smirked.

  Katie looked down, face reddened with anger and embarrassment and wasn't sure what to say.

  "You have to budget more carefully, dear. It isn't prudent, or responsible to ask for money to fix your household and then go buy an expensive dress."

  "It's second hand, actually." Katie regretted it the second she said the words. They wouldn't praise her for being thrifty; it was just another reason to ridicule her.

  Adrienne's eyebrows went up with amusement. "Well, it's lovely, regardless."

  She could hear the muted talking at the table behind them. Lovely this, lovely that. Everything was lovely. Katie despised fake people and keeping her facial expression in check took physical effort.

  "Tom tells me you're tilling up some acreage to plant."

  "We are."

  His father laughed. "Tom made it sound like a venture you were taking on by yourself. You didn't even consult him about it."

  "I did consult him. I'm overseeing it, is all. It will benefit all of us."

  Looking at Tom with an amused smile, he waited for a response that didn't come.

  "We didn't raise Tom to be a farmer, dear. We raised him to be a business man." Adrienne sipped her wine.

  "It will be interesting to see if you turn a profit."

  Katie looked at her father in law and spoke the only language he knew.

  "It will be profitable. I expect a one hundred percent return on my investment. More the next year."

  Even Tom looked up at this and his father nodded in modest appreciation. "Well, good luck with that, dear."

  Katie looked down at the food placed in front of her. It smelled wonderful, but she had no appetite. The others ate like ravenous wolves and as she watched them, she wondered where were the hoity toity manners now, as they dug into their prime rib and ate with their mouths open.

  She pretended, taking small bites of green beans. The whole time her eyes traced the room for Will. Just seeing him seemed to lift her spirits. He was busy seeing to some fussy guests across the room, but stole glances at her, too. She excused herself to the restroom and rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress inconspicuously.

  Will watched her while refilling a glass of wine.

  Chapter 12

  She let out a hard breath inside the restroom and her shoulders slumped. Just another couple of hours, Katie girl. You can do it. She hated Tom, hated his parents and hated their haughty friends. She'd rather be one of the staff than be forced to sit with those people. Thinking of Will, a shy smile broke through the misery. Feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time, she nearly giggled. Stealing glances, hoping for a moment to talk, dying to get away from any authority, like when she was a teenager trying to meet with a boy her parents didn't like. Her smile fell.

  Like with Tom. What a thrill it had been to sneak out of her window and meet him down the road, hop in his truck and speed off into the night. She stared at the door and a cold shiver went down her spine. Is that what this is? Just the excitement of something she couldn't have? She was insistent and defiant before, and look where that got her.

  No. This was different. Will was different.

  Her reflection mocked her. He's never said or done a single thing to make you think he's interested.

  He wouldn't. He's a decent man and decent men don't make advances on married women.

  Maybe it's just the chase for him, too. It’s fun to flirt with something you can't have. After all, who would want a divorced woman with a baby?

  She glared at the mirror.

  Then explain his eyes. Explain how he looks at me. There is something there.

  Maybe you are so lonely, and you want out so badly, you're imagining something is there.

  Her heart stopped with the possibility.

  Someone knocked on the bathroom door. "Just a minute," she called. Giving the mirror one more harsh glance, she straightened her dress and opened the door with a painted smile.

  She was looking down at her hand, twirling the wedding band that felt like an anchor. Should she just take it off now? she wondered. What did it matter anymore? She didn't see Will coming around the corner and slammed right into him.

  "Oh!" She grabbed his shirt to keep from falling. With one hand on her waist and one on her arm, he smiled down at her.

  "Are you okay?"

  Staring at the center of his chest, she swallowed hard before looking up. "I'm fine. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

  "No, my fault. I was in a hurry. They want to do the cake soon and I was looking for the baker."

  "Ah." She hardly heard what he said. All her concentration was on his hand, still on her waist; her heart pounded in her ears.

  "If you have a minute later, I thought I might talk to you about the land you’re working on. I had some ideas. Unless you don't want to mix business with pleasure."

  She glanced past him toward the party. "This is hardly pleasurable. I'd love to hear your ideas."

  His hand slowly slid from her waist and let go of her arm. "I'll catch up with you later, then." His breath was warm and sweet; his lips so inviting, she simply stared and he had to step away first.

  She felt dizzy walking back to the table. She could still smell his cologne and sat down, trying to hide her dream like state. It came crashing down with her mother in law's harsh stare.

  "So that's your secret."

  Katie looked up quickly.

  "All this time I wondered how you stayed so thin and now I know." She stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag.

  After a long blank stare, Katie looked away. She wouldn't even try to deny it. No matter what she said, this woman would come back with a stinging insult. So, fine. Let her think she just puked up the four green beans she'd eaten. She sipped on her newly filled glass of wine. After a few sips, she tilted the glass up and drained it. Getting slightly drunk might help her get through this party and pass the time until she could talk to Will.

  The room burst into applause and Katie turned to see a plump little baker wheeling in a massive cake. The thing looked like a five alarm fire, lit up as it was with so many candles.

  Her father in law pretended to be embarrassed and blushed as they wheeled the cake next to him. Everyone else rose from their seats and gathered around, singing ‘Happy Birthday’. Then they broke into a rousing round of ‘For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.’ Katie grabbed the wine bottle from a passing server and filled her own glass. He needed three tries to blow out all the flames to another round of applause.

  The baker smiled, blushed and bowed, backing the cake away to be cut into pieces.

  Adrienne smiled and patted his shoulder, beaming at all of her rich friends. She was so proud of her little money maker. Katie stared at the bottom of another glass of wine.

  After cake was passed and the chatter and clinking of silverware returned to a steady hum, Tom suddenly stood up. Swaying hard and blinking slowly, he raised his glass and hit it with his fork several times.

  Katie closed her eyes in dread. He was drunk and he would make an ass of himself, she was sure.

  "I'd like to make a toast. To my father. And my boss." Everyone laughed quietly. "Here's to a happy birthday and many more healthy, productive and profitable ones to come." He began to sit down to polite applause, but then stood again. "One more thing. There's another cause to celebrate tonight." His parents stared at him with patient smiles. "My beautiful wife, Katie here has just told me she wants a divorce. And I have decided to oblige her." He twirled around, scanning the guests and pointing to one of them. "Harold, you're a divorce attorney, right? I might need to talk w
ith you before the night is over." Nervous and uncomfortable laughter spotted here and there. Katie stared at her plate, mortified.

  Tom raised his glass with a drunken smirk to the guests and sat back down. Both parents were glaring at Katie with the intensity of wolves. His father leaned forward.

  "Don't expect me to pay for this." He hissed. Katie looked up at him and caught sight of Will over his shoulder. He stood stock still, staring at her. His face was unreadable. They locked eyes for a long moment before his dropped and he disappeared around the corner.

  "Can I talk to you, Son?" His father threw down his napkin and shoved his chair back. Tom followed with the grin of a little boy who was in trouble.

  Katie, left with no other option as Adrienne stared at her with a clenched jaw, stood and excused herself. "I'll just go wait in the car," she said quietly.

  Tom Sr. slammed the door to his study and spun around to face Tom.

  "Dammit, what the hell is this all about?"

  Tom shrugged. "She wants a divorce."

  "You just couldn't hold it together, could you, Tom. You couldn't be a little more subtle and just keep things happy on the home front."

  "You don't like her, Dad. You never have. Why the hell do you want me to stay married to her."

  "Because there has never been a divorce in the history of the Johnson family. It simply isn't done."

  "Well." He flashed a drunken smirk. "There’s a first time for everything."

  His father clenched his fist, wanting very badly to punch him. "You know what I think? I think you drove her to it. You knew that I'd cut you out of the inheritance if you left the bed you made. You couldn't just marry Chloe like we wanted you to. Do you realize that our two families would be partnered and we'd dominate car sales for the entire county?” He growled loudly in frustration. "Why the hell did I make that clause in my will?"