Come Home To Love (Harlequin Signature Select)

by Joan Hohl

  His eyes had narrowed as she spoke, but his voice was still a soft drawl. "I'm having the Lear pick them up at nine-thirty tomorrow morning. Jack will be waiting at this end. What I don't understand is why you didn't."

  Katherine stared at him in confusion before asking, "Why I didn't do what? Have the Lear pick them up? Matt, you've just returned with it."

  "All you had to do was lift the phone and talk to my secretary," Matt explained patiently. "You know there are three other planes."

  "But they are business planes," she objected.

  "They are my planes."

  It wasn't so much his words as the hard arrogance of his tone that shook her. Her own voice not quite steady she explained, "I wouldn't have dreamed of asking for the use of one of the planes. I don't consider I have the right to do so."

  Quietly, slowly, the words evenly measured, he replied. 'The day I married you I gave you that right. I think, Katherine, you choose not to use it."

  Uncertain, more confused than ever, Katherine searched his face, his eyes. What was he accusing her of? Or trying to tell her? She found no answers with her search for his face was now expressionless, his eyes cool. Then even eye contact was broken as he straightened suddenly, stretched one long arm past her and touched the button marked "Garage."

  Tom's birthday present was the first thing she saw when she stepped from the elevator. The flame-colored sports car seemed to shout youth and fun and boisterous spirit. It seemed to draw her like a magnet and she walked up to it slowly, smiling gently at a grinning Jack, standing to one side, but watching closely, like a new father. Silently she stood in front of it studying first the wing-spread eagle, painted in gleaming black and gold, on the hood then the enormous gold bow above the windshield with an outsize card attached that read: From Mother and Matt.

  She heard Matt and Jack discussing the merits of the car vaguely as she walked around it, and admitted to herself it was a beautiful piece of machinery. She stopped when she reached the door on the driver's side, opened it and leaned in to touch the supple black leather of the upholstery, the soft pile of the carpet in the all black interior. She felt Matt move to stand beside her as she straightened and closed the door, heard his quiet voice ask, "Do you think he'll like it?"

  "Like it?" Katherine gasped. "He'll go out of his mind. But, Matt, I don't think—"

  "Good, keep it that way. Let me do the thinking," he cut in sharply. "Now let's go have dinner." And taking her elbow he turned her around and half walked, half dragged her toward the Lincoln.

  "But, Matt, you don't understand!" she murmured, not wanting to make a scene in front of Jack.

  "I understand one helluva lot more than you think," Matt ground out. He jerked open the car door, then added, "Stop arguing, Katherine, and get in the car"

  They drove in silence for close to half an hour until Matt, in a tone of suppressed fury, asked, "Are you going to sulk all through dinner?"

  The words stung like salt on an exposed nerve. In a voice gone cold and flat Katherine replied, "I'm not sulking and I'm no longer hungry. I'd just as soon go back."

  "Tough," he said curtly. "I am hungry and we're having dinner, together. And you'll eat or I'll force-feed you. So put a smile on that lovely face of yours and make up your mind to enjoy it."

  His voice dripped acid and Katherine turned amazed eyes to him. She had seen many sides of him; from cold and emotionless, to urbane and charming, to the passionate lover of fiery expertise. But never had she seen this tough, deliberately cruel side. A small shiver snaked down her back and she decided that being Matt's enemy would not be a pleasant experience.

  other than the anger and contrition that were at war within her. And now, with Matt's last scathing remark, anger was getting the upper hand.

  He had said little during the meal, but the few remarks he had directed at her were heavily laced with sarcasm and now, as she glanced up at his dark saturnine face, she felt her anger flare into fury.

  He finished his coffee then casually flipped his napkin onto the table. Cool eyes raked her face, paused a moment on her hand clenching the stem of her glass.

  "If you're quite ready, we'll go."

  Her own napkin flew onto the table and using every ounce of willpower she possessed she kept from flinging her glass at his mocking face His tone and manner implied he had been waiting patiently for her to finish, when in truth he had dawdled a good twenty-five minutes over his coffee.

  Biting her lip to keep herself from lashing out at him she got jerkily to her feet then, back rigid, preceded him from the room.

  Silence. It filled the inside of the car, stretching her already taut nerves. In self-protection she withdrew into herself, drawing a curtain of cold composure about her like an invisible shield.

  His words dropped into the silence like a heavy stone. "You're not angry and upset because you didn't get to choose Tom's gift yourself. No, you resent the fact that I paid for that damned car. Also, that I arranged to bring Janice and Carlos to town. You're annoyed anytime I involve myself in any way concerning your precious children. Or should I say Kevin's precious children?"

  She spun her head around to him, her face white with shock, hot denial on her lips. "That's not true. I—"

  "I'm not finished," he snapped savagely. "And it is true. In fact, you even resent any interference from me as far as Jonathon is concerned. I'll go even further and suggest you resent me entirely and would like to forget that I even exist."

  Cold, icy eyes in a face gone hard and unyielding held hers, for although he had started the engine the car sat motionless in the parking lot next to the Inn.

  "The truth hurt, Katherine?"

  The hoarse sound of her own voice shocked her. "It's not the truth."

  "Yes, it is. You want no support from me of any kind, be it physical, moral or financial. You accept it only when I insist, and most times not very gracefully. When we married, I was fully prepared to accept responsibility for Tom. Don't interrupt. He needed the guidance of a man, a father figure, if you will. Believe it or not I enjoy the role, I've become very fond of Tom and I think the feeling is returned. Regardless of what you think, Katherine, it has never been my intention to usurp your place in his affections. I couldn't if I wanted to, he adores you. Now I'm afraid I must make you even more angry than you already are by telling you I've picked up the tab for his birthday dinner."

  Katherine had stared into his eyes the whole time he spoke unable to break their hold. His last words startled her into breaking that hold. Blinking in surprise she exclaimed, "But that's not possible! I've paid a deposit on the bill and expressly asked to have the balance bill sent to me. Besides which, you've only been home a few hours. I haven't even told you where we're having the party. How did you know?"

  "Katherine," he said softly, almost pityingly, "there

  is very little that goes on around me that I don't know. I make it my business to know. Do you think I'd be where I am today if I didn't? Your deposit will be returned to you."

  "I don't want it returned," she cried, "I want—"

  "Katherine, stop it." His sharp words cut across hers, silencing her. "Why is it so important to you who pays the bills?" Not giving her a chance to answer, he continued, "The main thing is Tom will have his party. What I'd like you to answer for me is why the hell I wasn't informed as to where the dinner is being held, or what day, or, for that matter, that you were even planning the thing?" Then his tone softened, but dangerously so. "Not that it surprises me, you understand, considering you didn't even bother to let me know when you went into labor with Jonathon."

  "I didn't know where you were," she flared defensively.

  "Bull." The crude reply was issued from between lips that were pulled back, in anger, against his teeth. "My secretary knows where I am practically every minute of the day. Or is it too much of a bother for you to lift the phone?"

  His voice had turned nasty, the rasp heavy, no longer attractive.

  Katherine sat perfectly
still feeling battered by his lashing voice. She turned her head to stare, unseeing, out the windshield, unable to bear looking at him any longer. His face looked older, almost harshly ugly. She shuddered. She did not know this man. Did not understand him.

  When she turned her head away without speaking, he cursed viciously and with barely controlled violence, set the big car in motion. It seemed to leap forward pressing her against the back of the seat and her breath

  caught in her throat more from his cursing than the sudden movement.

  As soon as he turned the car onto the macadam road his foot pressed down on the gas pedal and the car shot ahead, picking up speed at an alarming rate. Katherine felt real fear crawl through her mid section and, fighting panic, said, "Matt, please slow down." Cold. Contemptuous. The sound of her voice was like a slap on the face. How in the world had she managed that? she thought in amazement, then realized that in trying to control the rising fear inside herself she had reacted like a frightened parent on the arrival of a child hours overdue. Completely opposite to the way she felt. She had no way of knowing that that same opposite effect worked on her appearance. For while the strain was beginning to tie her in knots inside what Matt saw, when he gave her a glance after slowing the car's speed, was a woman apparently cool, composed, seemingly above the normal irritations of the every day.

  Fully under control now, his calm voice cut into her. "You're unbelievable, you know that, Katherine? Does anything touch you?"

  Touch her! God if he knew. Slowly she closed her eyes against the hot, gritty aching behind her lids. Lashes wet, she directed all her determination into one thought. She would not cry. Could not let this man see her reduced to tears.

  She had turned her head even further away from him. Now, tears under control, she opened her eyes to stare at her shadowy reflection in the side window.

  It was not true. She did not resent him. But how to tell him without giving her true feelings away? She was

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  used to making all the decisions concerning her children. She had had to. She had continued to do so after her marriage, even in respect to Jonathon, simply because he worked so hard, was always so busy, on the go, that she felt she had no right to bother him.

  If there had been any affection in their union she would have gladly transferred the cloak of responsibility from her own to his shoulders. But, the situation being what it was between them, she could not.

  She felt herself in some sort of limbo. She was legally his wife, with all the rights and privileges that went with that title, and yet she felt she could not make use of them. She knew that many women would think she was out of her mind. Matt was a wealthy man, apparently ready to assume all her responsibilities, financially or otherwise, and she could not let him. How could she explain to anyone, least of all Matt, her feeling that the scale was already way out of balance? To allow him to take complete control would put that scale at full tilt. He giving everything, she giving nothing.

  Once again the questions rose to torment her. Why had he asked her to marry him? Why her? More important still, why had she agreed?

  The darkened countryside flashed by the window unseen by the haunted eyes staring through it. In trying to find answers, she was looking inward, not out.

  The car she was riding in was the same make, only newer, as the one he had driven her home from Richard and Anne's party in.

  "Can you be ready to leave after lunch?" he had asked. She had been ready long before lunchtime. She had gone to her room at once, exchanged the slacks she was wear-

  ing for the matching skirt to her suit, packed her case, then wondered what to do with the rest of the morning.

  The sound of delighted laughter drew her to the window facing the paddocks. She stood observing Richard, Anne, Carol and Matt as they talked and laughed with L
isa and Gayle who were patting and caressing two fillies inside the rail. The horses, obviously Matt's Christmas gifts, were sleek and beautiful and even from this distance Katherine could tell the girls were in near delirium over them.

  She sighed softly, wondering what it felt like to be able to afford to give such costly gifts to people you cared for. She had seen Matt's gift to Carol the night before when Carol had seemed to dance into her room, as she was getting ready for bed, proudly displaying her arm. Katherine had gasped at the exquisite diamond encrusted watchband encircling Carol's fragile wrist.

  Now, standing at the windows, Katherine saw a brief rainbow flash as the mid-morning sun struck the watch exposed from Carol's jacket sleeve as she gestured with her hand. Again she wondered about the relationship between Carol and Matt. Although Carol claimed there was nothing beyond a deep friendship, Katherine had some doubt, for Carol had seemed to bloom from the moment Matt arrived, and they had gone off alone together more than once. But, if there was more than friendship between them, why had Carol been so upset over Paul just a month ago? Then with a mental shake, Katherine told herself to mind her own business and turned away from the window.

  As soon as they had finished eating lunch Matt stood up, told Katherine he'd bring the car around to the front of the house and strode from the room. Katherine barely

  had time to thank Richard and Anne for the weekend, say good-bye to Lisa and Gayle and give Carol a quick hug, when he came in the front door, picked up their cases and said, "Are you ready?"

  The car, black and gleaming in the sunlight, appeared to Katherine to be at least a block and a half long, and the words custom made sprang to mind as she slid onto the soft crushed leather of the front seat. She had time for a brief wave, then the car was rolling along the drive and turning onto the road.

  They drove in silence for some minutes, Katherine's thoughts already ahead with Tom, and the sound of his voice, although quiet, startled her.