“Me too, I guess. But he said when my phone went to voice mail, he knew it was off and I was probably asleep. So at least he wasn’t worried.”
“Be glad for that. Jimmy would’ve had the SWAT team knocking down my door.”
Kathy laughed because that sounded like exactly what Jimmy would do. Their number was called and Moira grabbed their food. When she returned to the table, they spread everything out and dug in.
“So what’s really the problem?” Moira asked.
“Ultimately, I don’t trust him.”
“Understandable.”
“Yeah. And he totally owns that, which makes it worse. He’s trying. He really is. I just don’t know what to do. He gave me his freaking key to go to his apartment without him. That’s total trust. He had nothing to hide.”
“That’s good. That’s what you need from him, right? Complete transparency?”
“In a way, yeah. But I don’t want to be the kind of woman who’s always checking up on him and verifying things just to make sure he can be trusted. I can’t live like that. I need to be able to trust.”
“It’s not like you’re asking too much. What does he say?”
“That he’ll do whatever I need to gain my trust.”
Moira put her burger down. “What does that mean?”
Kathy rested her head on her hand. “I don’t even know.”
“Maybe you’re saying you’re giving him another chance, but you’re not.”
“Huh?”
“What did he say about the last time you guys were together? Why did he cheat?”
Kathy’s stomach tumbled again. This wasn’t a good conversation to have with Moira. Moira was there after Kathy had caught him last time. Or thought she’d caught him. “We’re not even sure he did cheat,” Kathy said quietly.
“We’re not? Since when?”
“Since Kevin and I talked about it.”
“Oh, this’ll be good. That man can talk his way out of anything. No wonder you’re so twisted up about whether you can trust him.” Moira leaned closer, her ample chest pushing forward. “Maybe you just can’t.”
Kathy leaned back in her seat. “See? That’s a problem.” She pointed at Moira. “You can’t be objective when it comes to Kevin.”
“I don’t need to be objective. I need to be in your corner. Which I am. Always.”
“When I saw him with that woman five years ago . . . I didn’t confront him. I turned tail and left. I came to you and being the best friend that you are, you bashed and berated him.”
“One of my favorite pastimes,” Moira said with a smile.
“But an objective friend might’ve questioned what I saw and if I’d asked him about it. If I had, I would’ve found out that he hadn’t slept with her.”
“What?” Moira’s voice was loud enough that other people turned.
Kathy hung her head.
Moira clamped her mouth shut for a minute, sucked in a breath through her nose, and then asked, “Do you believe him?”
Kathy nodded. “I know you think he’s lying to get me to trust him, but it’s what he said after that made me believe him.”
She explained the rest of the conversation, including Kevin’s admission that there might’ve been other drunken hookups. “He thought we were casual. I didn’t. Both of us felt that it wasn’t casual, though. He just wasn’t ready.”
“Stupid O’Malley.”
Kathy looked at her friend for further explanation.
“The whole lot of them are emotionally stunted. God forbid they just admit how they feel.”
Kathy laughed and it was more at herself than at what Moira had said. Kathy herself was every bit as emotionally stunted.
Moira reached out and covered Kathy’s hand with hers. “You need to decide what matters. What might’ve happened five years ago or what you might have today. If you can’t really give him a chance, let him go.”
Kathy nodded. She knew Moira was right. She wanted to give Kevin—to give them—a chance. She thought she was ready. The real question was whether she believed he was ready this time.
“I mean, you could make him suffer some first. I’d be on board for that.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Moira winked.
Chapter Fifteen
Kathy felt good about where her life was. Better than she’d felt in a long time. Kevin had been true to his word. He called when he said he would, and if she said she didn’t have time to talk or couldn’t meet him, he left her alone. Mostly. He whined a little. Maybe tried to get her to change her mind, but no real pressure.
They’d gone to some big society function two nights ago, and as much as she’d wanted to go home with him, she’d been exhausted and needed to leave early to get some rest. Now she was getting ready for a charity benefit on the beach. She could think of worse ways to spend an evening.
And Anna was opening the shop in the morning, so she could spend the night at Kevin’s apartment without having to rush out or crash early. She smoothed a hand over the sundress she wore and debated whether to put her hair up.
Kevin loved her hair down, but the late August heat made her curls go wild. She decided on a compromise and gathered the sides and clipped them at the top of her head. She just finished swiping on mascara when her bell rang.
When she opened the door, Kevin was pacing in the hall, talking on his phone. She had no idea what he was talking about or to whom, but he was irritated. It showed in every line of his body, but his voice remained calm and deceptively seductive. The man was like a chameleon.
As he turned and saw her, she saw another shade to him. His body still carried the stress, his voice the calm, but now his eyes reflected desire. She briefly wondered what a stranger would see looking at him. He blinked and shook his head, returning his focus to the phone.
“No. That’s not acceptable. I don’t care that you can’t make it. Someone from your company should be there, especially to deal with the issues that arise. That’s part of your job.” He ran a hand through his hair, making a mess of what had been neatly combed.
Kathy locked up and nodded toward the door to let him know they could leave. He continued to firmly let the person on the other end of the line know how displeased he was. It was weird listening to him talk like that.
Outside, she glanced up and down the block for his SUV, but it was nowhere in sight. He tugged her elbow and led her to a car, where a driver got out and opened the door for them. She turned and glanced at Kevin with a raised eyebrow before sliding in. He simply smiled in return.
He disconnected his call, took a seat beside her, and closed the door. Before she had a chance to ask about the call, he gripped his phone tightly in his fist as if he planned to throw it, and he let out a guttural yell. Then he hit the side of his fist against the door.
Kathy’s heart skipped. She sat silently and waited.
Kevin closed his eyes and laid his head on the back of the seat. After a few deep breaths, he opened one eye and said, “Sorry about that. I had to let the frustration out somehow.”
She still sat staring at him, her hands clasped in her lap.
Kevin jolted forward and leaned toward her. She jumped back. He grabbed her hand. “Did I scare you? I didn’t mean to. That . . . That had nothing to do with you.”
“I know.”
She felt ridiculous for being startled.
“I would never, ever, hurt you.”
“I know that too.” She might not be able to control that visceral reaction to any kind of conflict around her, but she believed him.
His hand gently caressed hers. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She forced a smile. “What happened?” She pointed at his phone that was currently lying on the seat between them.
“I’ll get to that. What’s wrong?” he asked again.
“It’s nothing.” She tried to wave it off, but he wouldn’t have it. She took a deep breath. “It’s not a big deal. I told y
ou I don’t deal well with conflict. I’m not afraid of you. I know you were upset about something else. I can’t control that immediate reaction though. I’m okay.” This time the smile she gave him was genuine.
He leaned close and kissed her. His warm lips pressed against hers and when his tongue entered her mouth, it was instant comfort. Judging by the ease in his shoulders, the kiss had the same effect on him. When they separated, she touched his cheek, the stubble growing there rasping her palm.
“I needed that. Should’ve done it back in your apartment.”
“You were a little busy yelling at someone.”
“I didn’t yell.”
She smiled. “You yelled without raising your voice. It was quite effective.”
“He had it coming.”
“Who?”
“Brent. The City Connections guy who is supposed to be working with me. He’s fucking this up. I have no idea how he even got this job, but he has no clue. We’ve been working together. All the time I wanted to spend with you had been spent with him.”
“And?”
“And tonight the asshole isn’t showing up. He’s supposed to be working with businesses to make the city a tourist destination. If events flop, we look bad.”
“But this is an established event. Moira told me all about it. She comes every year.”
“Great. So Mouthy Moira will be there to watch it flop for the first time because Brent doesn’t know how to do his job.”
Kathy reached over and ran a hand down Kevin’s thigh. “You’ll be fine. The event will happen, people will have fun, and no one will remember the little glitches.”
He caught her hand. “Let’s hope they’re just little glitches.” He lifted her hand and kissed the center of her palm. “I’m glad you’re with me.”
“We all need someone to talk us off the ledge now and again.”
“Usually that’s Jimmy, but he wouldn’t get this.” He toyed with her fingers as he spoke. “Who’s your person?”
She didn’t even need to think. “Moira.”
He reached over and brushed her hair off her shoulder, allowing his fingers to linger on her skin where her shoulder met her neck. “I’d like to take on that role.”
“I’m not sure you’re the talking down type.”
“Of course I am.”
“You’re more like the knock down the walls type.”
“For you, I could be both.”
She didn’t believe that for a moment, but she warmed at the idea that he was willing to try to be anything she needed.
The car slowed and the driver looked at them in the rearview mirror. “Would you like me to park, or let you out here?”
“Here is fine,” Kevin answered.
As they stepped from the car, she asked, “You never told me what the deal was with the fancy car and driver. Why didn’t you drive?”
“I don’t get many perks with my new job. This is city business, so the mayor springs for a driver.”
“Check you out. Wait till your brothers hear about this.”
He took her hand and led her to the beachfront building. “They won’t find out anything.”
“Hmm . . . sounds like blackmail information.”
“I’m sure we can work something out to keep this a secret.” He flashed her a smile while opening the door. His dark hair was still mussed from running his fingers through it, giving him a rakish look as he grinned.
Unfortunately, it was the last genuine smile she saw from him all night.
Chapter Sixteen
Kevin had never seriously considered homicide. Tonight changed that. Brent had fucked him over good. The valet service that he supposedly booked flaked, so there was no valet parking. The caterer served excellent food, but complained that she hadn’t gotten accurate numbers, and she was worried about running out of food. Brent was supposed to guide the event and he wasn’t even there.
It wasn’t Kevin’s job to fix this or to make sure it ran smoothly. He was expected to attend as the mayor’s representative as they tried to convince other businesses and organizations that Chicago was the place to host conferences and conventions. The next move was to bring more TV and movies here to film. But if they couldn’t even pull off an established charity function, who the hell would trust them with anything else?
So to save face, he spent the night running interference and relying on Kathy for ridiculous things like making sure the waitstaff didn’t take a smoke break outside the door where guests would see them. Another time he’d asked her to check with the organization to see if their event organizer needed anything. He simply couldn’t be everywhere at once.
When he wasn’t smiling his way through networking with many of Chicago’s connected and elite, he was plotting his revenge against Brent. The night was wrapping up, and he had no idea where Kathy was. He hadn’t seen her and part of him feared she’d left.
He stood near the door, saying good-bye to guests as they left. He felt foolish for thinking this would’ve been a nice date for him and Kathy. He’d envisioned a walk on the beach, being able to watch the sun set. As he shook hands with another guest, one who appeared adequately impressed with both Kevin’s bogus city hall title and the way the event had been run, Kevin had another business card slipped into his palm. He apologized yet again for Brent’s absence, but promised to get their contact information into the right hands.
Which wouldn’t be Brent’s if he had anything to say about it.
A snort and a laugh drew his attention and when Kevin scanned the room, his gaze landed on Kathy and the snorting came from Moira, who stood beside her. Kathy’s face lit with her laughter and she was beautiful. When her eyes locked on his, he realized without a doubt that he loved her.
The notion was both frightening and amazing. He smiled and abandoned his post at the door. When he reached her, he took her hand and kissed her cheek.
“How’s the new job going?” Moira asked.
“I’m surviving.”
“That doesn’t sound too promising.”
“I can’t control who I work with.”
She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him. “Was that a dig at me?”
“Huh? No. I don’t work with you. Although, since you’re here, I hope I can call on our familial bond to get a good review.”
“I don’t review people like you. I talk about the organizations and charities and the events they produce.”
A sudden idea struck him. Although he’d been making a joke about using his relationship with her, he realized it might be worth it. “You could though.”
“I could what?”
“You could write an article about the mayor’s new initiative and how we’re working with City Connections to improve tourism for the city.”
The look on Moira’s face changed and he recognized it. Her interest was piqued. Jimmy had told him that she’d been working on a number of different projects that went deeper than her usual charity pieces. “Let’s set up a time to talk,” he continued. “I can give you all the information and access you need.”
What reporter didn’t love an exclusive?
Kathy yawned and guilt kicked him again. He held her hand. Moira looked at their joined hands and back at him. There was a warning in her eyes that he didn’t want to think about.
“The two of you always talking business. I’m glad I have a job that ends when I turn the lock on the door,” Kathy said.
“That’s not true. You think about flowers and arrangements and vendors and stuff when you’re not at the shop,” Moira argued.
“But I don’t live my job like you guys do.”
Kevin took a deep breath. She was right. He had been living his job, much like he’d seen his father do his whole life. “I’m done living it. At least for tonight. Are you ready to get out of here?”
“Whenever you are.”
“I’ll call you later,” he said to Moira.
“Be good,” she responded.
“Where’s th
e fun in that?”
“You got me there. I almost couldn’t even say it without laughing. I was channeling Jimmy.”
Kevin smiled and waved and led Kathy toward the door. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”
“Why?”
“I promised you a date and then I didn’t do anything but impose on you. I bet you didn’t even get to enjoy yourself.”
“Well, you’d be wrong. I had a great time. I met a lot of people and hung out with my best friend. So it wasn’t quite a date, but at least the night’s still young.”
“How early do you have to be up tomorrow?” He feared the answer because he really wanted to spend the night with her, making love to her, showing her how much he cared about her.
“I don’t. Anna is opening, so I can go in whenever I want.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all night. How about a walk on the beach?”
“Sure.”
Holding her hand, he led them out the rear of the building, which opened to the lakefront. He paused just outside the door to allow her to kick off her shoes. A breeze picked up, swirling her skirt around her thighs. She slapped a hand on it with a laugh.
“I’ll carry your shoes so you can keep yourself decent.” He slipped the shoes from her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers again.
The cool night air blew across them from the lake. Dark waves rolled on the horizon as they walked through the sand. Kevin looked over the water and had the urge to scream to the world that he loved Kathy.
“This is nice,” Kathy whispered.
Her words crashed against his thoughts like the waves against rocks. “Nice. Not quite what I’d been hoping for in an evening spent with you.”
She pulled him to a stop. “I’m fine, Kevin. Things are hard right now, but we’re handling it. Our midday rendezvous tide me over more than I thought they would. When I said this is nice, I meant it. I’m taking a romantic stroll on the beach with my sexy boyfriend.”
“I want more of this.”
“We’ll get there.”
In a sudden flash, he had a great idea. “Let’s go away for a weekend together. We’ll leave everyone and everything behind. Can Anna cover for a weekend by herself?”
From Your Heart Page 18
