His amused expression made her smile. “Did it take nine months to cook?” he asked.
“Every minute of it and more.”
He pulled into their driveway. “We’re home,” he announced.
She glanced at him in surprise. “What?”
He waved toward the big house. “I guess that sounded funny,” he said, getting out of the car, “but it’s true.”
She met him outside. “A temporary home,” she clarified.
“Details, details…”
He opened her apartment door and stepped into the vestibule. “I had a great time tonight, Kat, and it had nothing to do with Quinn and company.”
“I did, too. Despite Quinn and company.” She looked into his face and saw the smoky heat in his eyes. “How did you know the title of my book?” she whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it.”
“Your website,” he replied, his voice husky. “A copy of it is in my e-reader now.”
“Really?”
“Really. I like mysteries, Katarina…”
He leaned toward her, and his lips captured hers in a deliberate, slow, thoughtful kiss. The hunger in her response surprised her, and his kiss immediately turned more demanding. She parted her lips and tasted his wine-sweetened tongue. Nice, perfect. She tilted her head back farther and felt his arm go around her.
“I knew it would be like this,” he whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe. “I couldn’t take my eyes from you all night.”
“I noticed,” she whispered. “Which is why I kept turning pink.”
“Not the wine then?” he teased.
“No, not the wine.” It was Brandon. His humor, talent, friendliness, and most of all, his generous heart. She cupped his cheek, needing to touch. To extend the connection for a moment. He stood quietly at first, then gently took her hand and kissed her palm, causing a shiver to race through her.
She hadn’t been looking for a relationship at all when she came to Pilgrim Cove. She hadn’t been looking for one in Boston, either. When the right man came along…she’d know it. At least, she’d thought so. Just like Nonna had known when she met Kathy’s granddad.
She took a step back, and he released her at once. “I think we’re being called.” She pointed to their respective doors, where they could hear the dogs barking. “See you in a few.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
♥ ♥ ♥
Saturday night had changed everything. In the three days since their dinner at the Lobster Pot, Brandon seemed to be perched in the back of Kathy’s mind, or on her shoulder. Or on her kitchen chair eating lunch! Although she’d been as busy as always with her work, her thoughts constantly returned to him.
She finished packing her overnight bag for her Christmas visit home and gathered Sheba’s paraphernalia. Her homemade Christmas cookies came next. She put aside a handful for Brandon and wrapped the rest in layers of aluminum foil.
“I’ll be right back for you, Sheba. Gotta start loading the car, and then we’ll say goodbye to Brandon and Rocky.”
She received a lick and a whine in response. Kathy kneeled in front of the dog and hugged her. “You are the best. I’ll miss you when Nonna comes back.”
A knock was followed by a “Hello in there.”
She unlocked the door for Brandon, who took a look at her activities and frowned. “Why don’t I just drive you into Boston?”
“Is the weather forecast bad?” asked Kathy. “I really haven’t been listening.”
“Not too bad, but…you’ve got the dog, and a lot on your mind…”
“And you think I’m a lousy driver,” joked Kathy.
“Never said that. Our trip down here took twice as long as it should have and the conditions were really bad. But I don’t mind being Uber man again.”
She gave him a hug. “Thanks, Bran, but I’ve got this.” She couldn’t contemplate him meeting her three brothers right now, not to mention her folks. Much too soon.
He stared at her for a long minute. “You have nothing to prove to me, but I’ll expect a phone call as soon as you arrive.” He began pacing the room. “Too bad my folks are coming here, and you have to go there.” He took her in his arms. “If you run into any kind of road trouble, you call me.”
She nestled closer. “Aye, aye, captain.”
“Smart aleck.” He leaned over, and when his mouth touched hers, she didn’t want to leave at all.
♥ ♥ ♥
Even Rocky missed her. Or it might have been Sheba he missed. Not only was walking the beach lonely, but the Captain’s Quarters wasn’t the same with an empty apartment upstairs. Brandon missed the sound of life that had come to him through the walls or doors. True to her word, Kat had called when she’d reached Boston, and Brandon had exhaled a breath of relief he hadn’t know he’d been holding. She also promised to call when she left town the day after Christmas. He had to be content with that, but a phone call wasn’t the same as her real presence.
His folks had arrived the night before, and they’d all gone to church together, including his aunt and uncle. He’d earned an atta boy for that. He’d thought going would be a good distraction, but it turned out to be more than that as people he’d already met greeted him like a long-lost friend after the service. His parents were impressed—and happy.
“You are looking good, sounding good, and the spring is back in your step,” said his dad. “Must be some magic in the air.”
“Ha! More like the magic at Sea View House,” said his aunt.
“And that’s my cue to get on home. See you tomorrow.” He’d waved and got into his car.
Now, he and Rocky jogged back to the house on Christmas morning with nothing on the agenda until dinner at his relatives’ later that day. He went inside and, by force of habit, went to his computer, checking up on a new project he’d started designing the day before. Ten minutes later, he gave up. Couldn’t concentrate, which was unusual. He stood, stretched, and spotted his e-reader at the other end of the table. Perfect! Reading Kat’s book would be as close to being with her as possible until she returned the next day.
♥ ♥ ♥
“Next year, paper plates!” Kathy joked to her mom as she loaded the last glass into the dishwasher.
“We say that every year, but it doesn’t happen,” replied Marie, drying her hands with a dish towel. “A holiday table should be special.”
Kathy’s cell phone interrupted. She glanced at the readout, happy to see the caller’s name. “Gotta take this one, Mom,” she said and scampered to a quiet place near the top of the stairs leading to the second floor of the colonial-style house.
“Hey, Brandon—”
“Dana Moretti, I presume?
Her professor detective. “You read it?” Her heart started thumping so hard she thought it would explode from her chest. Keep cool, keep cool. “Do you like mysteries?”
“Definitely. Both real and fictional. Nice job, Katarina Russo-Dana Moretti. You kept me guessing almost to the end.”
“That’s just what I wanted to hear! Thank you. And you were very perceptive about my alter ego.” She trusted him now, trusted him enough to share a creative secret. “Dana is me on another road, a road I really wanted but didn’t quite have the chops for.”
“Detective?”
“Nope. Mathematics professor.”
She heard a long, low whistle come through the phone. “I wouldn’t have guessed. You seem very happy with what you’re doing now.”
“The forsaken college career is old news. And you’re right. I’m very happy with my life now.”
“Well, we can’t have that, Katarina. So here comes a curve ball.”
She knew that writers needed a thick skin to take criticism, and braced herself. “I’m listening.”
“Your story is much better than the cover suggests, and frankly, your website stinks. You’d better work on that so readers will want to visit you online.”
He made a good point, one that had been niggling a
t her for a while. But she had no time to fix it; design was not really in her wheelhouse. “You know what they say about being a jack of all trades and a master of none?”
“I’ve heard that more than once in my life.”
“That would be me if I tried to learn another skill set.” However, she knew someone who already had all those skills. She took a deep breath, crossed her fingers, and hoped he’d go along with her new idea. “So I’m going to offer you the deal of a lifetime.” She heard him chuckle at the other end.
“This should be interesting. I’m listening.”
“I will cook dinner for you every night we’re at Sea View House in exchange for a website redesign”—she might as well go for broke here—”and a book cover for the second release, the one I’m working on now, A Calculated Incident.”
Brandon didn’t answer right away, and she gripped the phone tightly. The man probably had no time, either, with all the due dates for his own work facing him.
“No fair,” he said. “You told me you couldn’t cook, so I might be on the losing end of this deal. Let’s see…how did the cookies go over with your folks? Anyone on the floor in a stupor?”
All that stress for nothing. “Stop it! I’m not that bad.” She peered under the banister. “I’m looking for the plate now…and guess what? It’s almost empty.”
“The background noise is very reassuring.”
“They’re still alive, but if I stay on the phone any longer, they’re going to start asking questions I don’t want to answer. So, do we have a deal?”
“I’m still thinking about it. I figure if you cooked every night, we’d be eating cereal by Saturday. So here’s my counteroffer: you get weekends off. We’ll figure something out.”
Her entire body collapsed like broken rubber bands. “Thanks, Brandon. I really appreciate it. I do know how important a good website is.”
“My pleasure. One day, you’ll pay it forward to someone else.”
Interesting idea. “Like you’re doing now?”
“Exactly.” He paused. “So you really owe me nothing. No strings, Katarina. No strings attached.”
“Cooking for you will be my pleasure—I think. See you tomorrow.”
♥ ♥ ♥
She looked through the stiles of the staircase, her eyes resting on her dad, mom, each of her brothers, one sister-in-law, and a couple of aunts and uncles and cousins. A typical Russo full house. Actually, it had been a nice day, full of love and noise, of course, plus lots of attention for Sheba, who stayed close to Kathy when she realized Nonna wasn’t there. Kathy rubbed behind the dog’s ears now. “I’d never leave you behind, girl. Never.”
She ran down the stairs and started for her mom.
“So who were you on the phone with for so long?” asked Joey, her oldest brother. Instantly, all eyes focused on her.
Anger flared inside her. Gesturing around the room with her arm, she said, “And this is why I’m happy in my rental at the beach. No one bothers me there! My work’s getting done, I have Sheba for company, and there are lots of nice people.”
“I didn’t worry about that,” said her dad. “Not after talking to the Quinn guy.”
She felt her jaw drop. “You what?” she asked, her voice rising.
“You think I’m going to let my only daughter go someplace I don’t know about? No matter what Nonna says.”
Her throat tightened. Her breathing became gasps. “And you wonder why I need to get away? Well, listen up, family. I am thirty years old, I have two college degrees, I earn my own living and don’t ask for much, if anything. So stop treating me like I’m five.”
“But you’re alone, Kathy,” said her mom quietly. “We love you very much, and we worry.”
The stuffing fell out of her anger. “I love you all, too, but I’m happy the way I am. Being single is not a crime against humanity. How would you like it if I kept butting into your lives without being asked?” She twirled toward her oldest brother. “You and Jen are married for a year now. How would you like it if I asked you about having a baby? When, Joey? When are you and Jen going to have a baby? Huh?
“Well, it’s not my business, so I wouldn’t ask.”
Her brother was silent but glanced at his wife.
“Well…now that you mention it…” said Jen shyly, caressing an almost-flat stomach.
A euphoric eruption of cheering left Kathy free to cross into the kitchen to search for her mom’s cookbooks. It didn’t take long before she heard footsteps.
“Can I help?” asked Marie, walking toward her daughter. “Kathy, Kathy. Come here.” She wrapped her arms around her grown-up girl. “Go easy on us, honey.”
Her mom was taller, and Kathy leaned in for a moment. “You should have had more daughters, Mom. Then I wouldn’t be in the spotlight so often.”
A slow darkness shadowed her mom’s eyes, an expression Kathy had never seen before, and she shivered.
“We almost did,” Marie whispered. “But…but…I lost her late in pregnancy. It was before you were born.”
A vague memory stirred. Maybe she’d heard something years ago when she was a child herself? Kathy hugged her mother and rocked back and forth with her. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I don’t really know about that. I’m very sorry.”
“We were in a dark place, especially your dad. Thank God we had the two boys by then. A year later, when you arrived, it was like Heaven had blessed us. Daddy came back to life. So, go easy on him. On all of us. I think Joey and Nick have some memories of that time. We don’t talk about it.”
“No kidding,” mumbled Kathy. “You guys sure know how to keep a secret.” She pointed at the living room. “Hard to believe when everyone’s always in each other’s business.”
“Eh? Doesn’t mean a thing.” She brushed her hands together in a way that finished the conversation. “So, why are you searching in my kitchen?”
Perfect timing for a perfect distraction, actually custom-made for her mother. “Would you like to talk about recipes with me? I need a few.”
“Well, of course, sweetheart. You have some time to cook now? That’s good. Don’t buy instant this and instant that. All garbage. I’ll make you a list.” She opened a drawer and started to search.
“Mom! Just a few easy recipes.”
“Better yet, come shop in my pantry. Then I’ll know you have everything you need.”
Suddenly, Kathy started to laugh. She laughed until her sides hurt. “Oh, Mama. You are so true to yourself.”
Marie glanced at Kathy, then away. “But I’m not Nonna.”
Her quiet words hit Kathy like a thunder clap. Her laughter disappeared. She looked at her mom and saw a trace of uncertainty.
“I know exactly who you are,” she said, stepping closer. “You’re my mom, and I love you very much.”
Marie’s eyes filled and she caressed her daughter’s cheeks. “And I love you…and know you. And what I’m thinking is, if you’re trying to cook, maybe you’re not so alone at that beach…?”
Her Roadside Rescues: Chapter 9
Brandon paced up and down the driveway, Rocky at his side. “She called an hour ago. How long can it take to drive from the rotary to home? I should have followed my instincts and driven her into Beantown and picked her up. C’mon. Let’s get into the car and look for her.”
Just as he turned toward his vehicle, twin beams of light shone at the corner, and he spotted Kathy’s Honda approaching. His body relaxed immediately, and a feeling of well-being filled him. “We’ve got to be thankful, Rocky. It’s not late, but a human Avenger can’t control icy roads.”
She pulled closer toward the house, and he walked to her door. He heard Sheba from the back seat, wanting to escape.
“You want to grab her leash, Bran?” asked Kathy as she got out and stood.
“I’d much rather grab you!” he replied, putting his arms around her and leaning in with a kiss. “I was worried, Kat. You called a while ago.”
“I’m sorry,” she s
aid. “I stopped off at that small grocery market outside of town. I needed a few things. You’ll see when we unload.”
Thirty minutes later, her small pantry was filled to the brim and her countertop hosted the overflow.
Brandon watched in amusement as she shook her head and looked totally bewildered. “How did this happen? We have enough for a siege.”
“I totally agree,” he said. “And what’s that?” He nodded toward an old-fashioned loose-leaf notebook.
“Oh! The recipes. That’s how it happened. But it’s good.” She looked up with dreamy eyes, came closer, and wrapped him in her arms. “I’ve got a lot to share with you later, when we walk on the beach.”
“I’ll be listening.”
“It’s my family,” she said. “They’re not as bad as I thought.”
An unwanted suspicion slipped into his mind. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
“Huh?” To his relief, her confusion seemed genuine.
“Not thinking of cutting your stay here short, are you?”
Her eyes widened in shock. “No! Brandon…?” Her voice was a raspy whisper, her dark eyes shiny and her mouth, pink and waiting—for him.
He tasted her lips, lightly at first, then harder, and rejoiced at her response. “I never thought of it, not once,” she added.
“I missed you, Kathy. I hope you’re not planning on visiting them again for New Year’s next week.”
“Absolutely not. I’m staying right here—with you. Maybe your champagne will arrive by then.”
“I promise you champagne,” he said, “whether it arrives or not. Don’t worry. We’ll start the new year off with bubbles.”
Her radiant smile still had the power to stop his breath. “I hope they’ll be bubbles of happiness.”
He didn’t need champagne in order to feel happy. Being with Kat was enough. So different from other women he’d known. Kat was never boring! Smart, funny, warm…and brave. He’d never forget how she looked while insisting he save Rocky a month ago. He’d wanted a new beginning when he came to Pilgrim Cove, but he’d thought only about his career and digs. A new relationship had never been in the picture.
Cupid to the Rescue: A Tail-Wagging Valentine's Day Anthology Page 34
