Remember Love

by Jessica Nelson

  "I know a bit more about religion than you think, young man." Marta sniffed.

  "And what else have you gleaned from your studies of Christianity?" he asked, amused.

  "I don’t want to see you fail in being a great man. There’s too many weak-willed silly nilly Christians out there. If you’re going to embrace a faith, then do it."

  "I don’t fail, Marta."

  Her eyebrow cocked. "You’re human, mister."

  "And why don’t you embrace some kind of faith?"

  "I’ve never met someone who could show me a faith worth having. Except you, of course." Her forehead wrinkled.

  "Of course." He shuffled the papers on his desk, suddenly aware that his Christianity hadn’t made a huge impact on his secretary. He steepled his fingers. "I’ll think about a vacation."

  Marta’s wrinkled frown transformed into a beaming smile. "Good. Here’s the report on that motor company. Your lunch will be up in ten minutes."

  "What’s on the menu today?"

  "Chicken Gorgonzola." With a self-satisfied smirk, Marta bustled out of the office. She was a woman who loved to be in control. The door clicked behind her, and the no-nonsense tap of her heels quickly faded from his hearing.

  His gaze roamed around the office. He’d had it for over five years now, and it was almost as sparse as the day he’d leased it.

  A few awards hung on the wall, certificates of achievements, a graduation plaque. One large Monet reprint hung behind his desk. Marta’s taste, not his. A lone leather couch sat in a corner, the chocolate colored surface still gleaming with the finish of something brand new.

  Sometimes he wondered if his soul was as stark as his office and condo. After years of battling overwhelming emptiness, he’d given his life to Christ. Surrendered the old way of living, the love of money and pleasure, to embrace something new, something priceless. And he’d been happy. What had happened to change that? Too much work, maybe. Or his plans to return to Manatee Bay and all they entailed. Finding out about Joey had stripped the peace from his soul.

  Alec pushed away the uncharacteristic introspection and sorted through the papers on his desk. A headline caught his eye. He pulled out a computer print-out hiding beneath a stack of contracts. The date of the high school reunion was scrawled across the top. It must be from when he’d called Marta that night in his car and asked her to search for information on Joey.

  He frowned at the words on the paper. This couldn’t be right. His stomach lurched and his head began to throb. He’d trusted Katrina to tell him everything about Joey, but one headline said more than she’d ever told him. He balled the article in his hand and heaved it to the floor.

  Then he swiveled in his chair and stared sightlessly out the window.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Humming, Katrina fumbled with the keys for her store. Although only a few days had passed since her trip to New York, she still didn’t regret her decision to keep Kat’s Korner. Hopefully, Alec would agree to tearing up the contract, even if it was unprofessional. She’d make sure he got his money back.

  He hadn’t called since she left New York. When he’d said he wanted to marry her, she’d told herself he was crazy. But getting home and not hearing from him had been hurtful. A small part of her must have hoped it was true. Must’ve been caught up in the glamour of his courtship. He’d spent a lot of time with her in New York.

  Made her feel wanted, appreciated.

  Loved.

  She’d said no to marriage only because she still wasn’t sure she could trust him to not pay her back somehow for all her mistakes. Even though it had only been days, not hearing from him strengthened that fear.

  Whatever. She didn’t know if he was playing a game or not, but in the meantime, Kat’s Korner would prosper. She didn’t want it any other way. Of course, she needed to earn a profit but she thought she might have that figured out.

  She found the key she was looking for and stepped up to the door. Even at seven in the morning, with the quiet street behind her and a day’s work ahead of her, Katrina’s pulse skipped with anticipation.

  She pushed her key into the lock and stopped humming when the door swung open. Had she forgotten to lock up last night? She shrugged. It wouldn’t be the first time, unfortunately. Moving into the store, she set her purse down, shut the door behind her, and groped for the light.

  Nothing happened.

  She groaned. Perfect. The wires had shorted again. Now she’d have to walk in the dark to flip the breaker in the office.

  She tiptoed gingerly across the floor because a new shipment of books had arrived yesterday and she’d stacked the boxes haphazardly across the room. Leather and ink, mixed with the smell of cardboard, wafted beneath her nose. Temptation lured her to stop and just breathe.

  This was her life. Books. Quietude. Not New York and not a man she’d wronged, not a relationship she could never trust.

  She scooted forward but halfway to the hall her shin rammed against a sharp edge. She stumbled forward, stepping on something that twisted her ankle and made her lose her balance. She crashed down on her shoulder.

  Waves of pain rocked through her. She sucked in a deep breath. Great, just great. Exhaling a long, frustrated breath, she didn't try to stand, just waited for the nausea to pass. When she reached for her purse and didn't find it, she groaned. It must have went flying somewhere into the dark. She ogled the office door which hid the breakers, barely visible within the shadows of the hall.

  And that was when she realized something was terribly wrong.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Instead of being stacked in towers, books lay across the floor in jumbled disarray.

  And her computer. Lying near the counter, a crushed mass of plastic and wires.

  Ruined.

  Gritting her teeth against the tears burning her eyes, she forced herself to a crawling position and picked her way to the office. Her purse was nowhere in sight. The office door hung open and she maneuvered in. She swiped her hand across the top of her desk.

  Empty.

  She felt around until she found the phone on the floor, propped against the mutilated desktop computer and all of her paper files. She picked up the receiver and a relieved shudder quivered through her when the dial tone blared.

  A rare warmth crept into her chest and as she dialed 911, she bowed her head. Lately, it seemed like God really might be watching out for her. Like He did care, as she’d once believed.

  *****

  "Katrina, I came as soon as I heard." Joe rushed to the back of the ambulance and enveloped her in a hug, narrowly missing the medic bent at her feet and bandaging her right ankle.

  Katrina returned the hug, inhaling his familiar scent, realizing suddenly how thankful she was for him. She patted his back and pulled out of his embrace. "I’m fine. I only twisted it."

  "Grant said someone trashed your store." Lines creased his forehead and the morning sun streaked through his fair hair.

  "Someone did." She glanced woefully at the front door. Two officers were on the scene, checking for fingerprints and other evidence.

  "No sign the locks were tampered with." Grant strolled over and handed her the keys to the store. "Whoever did this may’ve had a key of their own. Any ideas who might have a grudge against you?"

  She stared down at the keys in her hand. Alec came to mind right away, and she hated that. She wanted to trust him but guilt kept getting in the way. She searched around for another candidate. Sharon had always kept a Kat’s Korner key on her keychain, right next to the van keys. "Steve Littleman could’ve taken a store key off Sharon’s keychain."

  "Don’t we have a warrant for his arrest?" Grant pulled a pen from the pocket of his uniform and wrote something in his small notepad.

  "I think so. Do you really think he’d mess up my store?"

  "I’m not paid to have opinions, Ms. Ross. I follow facts." Grant glanced over at Joe, nodded, then turned and walked away.

  Joe met Katrina’s eyes an
d offered her a small smile. Grant’s curt tone came as no surprise and they both knew why. Alec had been Grant’s friend and in his opinion, Katrina had broken Alec’s heart when she left him at the altar. If he knew about Joey, he’d dislike her even more.

  "Grant won’t forgive me." She winced when the medic tightened her bandages. A flash of pain twisted through her ankle.

  Joe’s hand settled on her shoulder. "God forgave you for much more than hurting a man, Katrina. Don’t forget that."

  "I know." She gave him a weak smile, knowing it would hurt Joe if he realized how brittle her faith had become.

  The medic stood and winked at her. "You’re all set. Keep off it for a few days and you should be fine." She gave Katrina some crutches and then disappeared around the ambulance.

  "Okay, Pastor, think you can give me a lift home?"

  "Actually, I have a counseling appointment in ten minutes. I called Rachel to come get you. We'll bring your car over later."

  Katrina wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like you have everything worked out." At Joe's surprised look, she hastened to add, "Thank you. I appreciate it." She hesitated. "Before Rachel gets here, can I ask you a question?"

  "Sure."

  She wet her lips, heart thumping erratically, and dropped her voice to a whisper. "If you had a child with someone and she never told you about the baby, would you be able to forgive her?"

  Joe jerked back. "You never told Alec?"

  The shocked look on his face shamed her. She hung her head. "No."

  "How could you do that to him?"

  Nausea passed through her, cramping her stomach and drying her mouth. "You wouldn’t be able to forgive that."

  His eyes flickered and for the briefest moment, she saw something wild in his gaze. The next moment he was good old Joe. Peaceful and practical. "Anything can be forgiven. You especially know this."

  Nodding, she fiddled with a loose string on her t-shirt. She did know that, and the knowledge fanned her hope for reconciliation with Alec.

  Joe lay his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Rachel should be here any minute."

  She gave him a feeble smile.

  "I’ll wait with you," he said, moving his hand away.

  The road wasn’t too crowded this morning. She watched for Rachel. As she did, an image of Alec popped into her head. She missed him, wished he could be the one to come get her. And it annoyed her because it was like ten years ago all over again. She’d tried his office a few times but the secretary always answered and said he was busy. She’d left a message or two on his cell, but stopped herself from leaving anymore. She didn’t want to look desperate.

  Rachel’s Navigator swung into the parking lot. She slid out of the car, flipping her hair over her shoulder and adjusting her sunglasses. Katrina eyed her. She looked like Maggie ten years ago, the town bombshell.

  The comparison reminded Katrina that she owed herself the truth. She glanced at Joe. "Does Maggie still work at Harry’s?"

  "Maggie? I don’t know." His brow wrinkled.

  "You know, maybe they weren’t kissing at the wedding."

  "We saw them." Joe seemed to take the subject change in stride. His blue eyes held hers intently. "I know Alec was your first love and that you never quite got over him. But she was definitely kissing him."

  Katrina shrugged. "Maybe she kissed him but he didn’t kiss her back." Maybe she was grasping at straws, but Alec had been so offended by the assumption that he’d cheated.

  Joe let out a heavy sigh. "Did you ever ask Maggie what happened?"

  She flinched. "After the way I treated her in high school?" In fact, she hadn’t seen Maggie since the day of the wedding. They lived in separate worlds.

  "Rachel’s here," Joe said. "You should ask her about it."

  "I think I’ll do something better than that." Her chin thrust out, even though her hands grew clammy. "I’ll go to the source."

  *****

  "This isn’t a good idea." Rachel stood by the passenger door, arms crossed.

  "You’ll be fine. C’mon, help me out." Katrina held out her hand.

  "Why didn’t you do this years ago?"

  "I don’t know. I guess I kept my head in the sand, too afraid to know the truth."

  "Oh, fine. I don’t know why you want to chase more heartbreak. Maggie’s not going to be kind to you." Rachel helped her out of the car, then handed her the crutches. "You snubbed her too much, just because she dated Alec first."

  Katrina groaned. "High school drama. It’s been years. I hope she’ll talk to me."

  "My sister barely talks to me," Rachel pointed out. "We only see each other on holidays."

  They went up the sidewalk. The autumn morning was quickly sliding towards noon and a brisk wind had come up to swirl around them. Heavy clouds moved in lazy patterns over the blue sky. The scent of coming rain clung to the moist air. They should hurry.

  Katrina stepped from the sidewalk into the bar. The distinct smell of liquor greeted her, mingling with cigarette smoke, which hung like a thick curtain in the room. Her eyes stung as she panned the area in search of Maggie.

  "Make this quick. I can’t breathe." Rachel nudged her.

  "Where is she?"

  "You don’t have to do this." Rachel’s voice came from close behind. "We know what happened."

  "I guess I just need to hear it from her." It was time to pull her head out of the sand. Either Alec had kissed Maggie back, or he hadn’t. No matter which way she looked at it, the truth would hurt.

  "Hey, sis."

  They turned to find Maggie standing in front of them, as leggy as Rachel, snapping gum and wearing clothes made for someone smaller and younger.

  Life hadn’t treated Maggie too well. Her eyes held the dullness that came with a life lived rough and her hair, the same fire red as Rachel’s, hung limply over her shoulders. Lines creased her eyes and were beginning to show around her mouth. She wasn’t the knock-out she’d been ten years ago. But she was still pretty in a sad way.

  Two years older than me, Katrina thought. Two years but a lifestyle away. And it showed.

  "Whatcha want?" Maggie balanced a tray on her hand and she didn’t meet Katrina’s gaze.

  "When you have a moment, I was hoping you’d talk to me."

  There was the briefest of pauses. It sent her pulse into overdrive.

  "Sure, Katrina," Maggie finally said. "Give me a few minutes. Have a seat at the bar. Wilmer’s there. He’ll talk to you."

  "This is so embarrassing," Rachel muttered as they made their way to the short bar at the back of the room.

  Katrina tried to ignore the paintings of nude women on the wall and settled onto a stool. "Don’t be silly, Rachel. You go into places like this all the time when you have a case."

  "Digging up the past is what’s embarrassing."

  She ignored Rachel in favor of studying the occupants of the bar. There weren’t too many people in at this time of day. Wilmer slumped nearby, cradling a beer with restless fingers. He looked far from talkative, his face rotating away from them even as she studied him.

  "Maggie needs to hurry up or I’m carting you home."

  Sighing, Katrina turned back to Rachel. "Will you stop it? I’m not a child. If you’re really uncomfortable, leave. I’ll get a ride." The look Rachel gave her was dubious and a rising tide of irritation threatened to drown Katrina’s patience. "I’m tired of you and Joe trying to baby-sit me. I should’ve done this a long time ago."

  "Maggie wouldn’t talk to you then."

  Rachel was right. Katrina chewed her lip. She’d been a horrible person, judgmental and insecure.

  "But I will now." Maggie pulled out a stool near her. The gum was gone, replaced by a wilted cigarette that hung precariously out the side of her mouth. "What do you want, Katrina?"

  Katrina took a deep breath. "I need to know if there was anything between you and Alec Munroe at our wedding."

  "You’re here about that?" She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and crushed
it into an ashtray. "Look, I kissed him, nothing more. Definitely not something to get your panties in a wad about."

  Katrina cleared her throat. "Did he kiss you back?"

  Maggie’s eyes narrowed. "What’s it to you?"

  "It had a lot to do with why I left him at the altar."

  "So it’s my fault?"

  "Not at all." She rushed to reassure Maggie as Rachel snorted beside her. "Please, for my peace of mind, I need to know if I was wrong." She searched for some glimmer of understanding in Maggie’s eyes, but they were too dark to read.

  Maggie looked away, and for a moment Katrina thought she wouldn’t answer. Then she turned and her voice was sad when she spoke. "You were wrong. He pushed me away and said you were all he needed."

  Nausea rushed through Katrina. Maggie stood and began to saunter away, hips swinging. Some inner urging compelled Katrina to grab her crutches.

  "Wait. Maggie." She left Rachel sitting on the stool. Kissing a groom was really a low thing to do. And yet, only she could be blamed for her lack of trust. And Maggie needed to know that.

  "Maggie."

  She spun around and Katrina was certain she saw something flicker in Maggie’s eyes before they went flat.

  "It wasn’t your fault I left Alec." Katrina leaned onto her crutches. "But can you forgive me for the way I treated you in school? I’m so sorry."

  Maggie shrugged thin shoulders and put her hands on her hips, just like Rachel would.

  "Who you blame is none of my business. But for the record, you can’t get a better man than Alec Munroe." Her eyes shifted past Katrina and then re-focused on her. "Tell my sis not to be so uptight."

  Then she turned and walked away.

  Rachel drove her home. They listened to music, both lost in their thoughts. Once Rachel was gone, Katrina checked her cell and found the battery had died. Sighing, she stuck the phone on the charger and then reached for the window shades. She flipped them shut, darkening the room. One way to save on electricity until the days cooled.

  Her cell phone beeped. She popped over to where she'd plugged it on the counter. Maybe Alec had finally called. She fumbled with the phone, snapping it open.