by Kirk, Cindy
Sensing his eyes on her, she smiled. “Now, what were we talking about?”
“Children,” Ryan said. “I asked—”
“Seriously?” Kate rolled her eyes. “We’re at a fabulous party and you want to talk about kids? Why don’t you dazzle me instead with all the exciting things you’ve been doing since we broke up?”
“As if you care.” Ryan grinned. “You don’t fool me. Not one bit.”
Kate laughed out loud. She couldn’t help it. Ryan had a razor-sharp mind and wit. He’d be a perfect match for Mitzi.
Impulsively she took his arm. “Let’s check out the buffet table.”
“You know, if we walk through the serving line like this—” Ryan glanced at her hand now resting on his forearm “—it’ll be all over Jackson that you and I are back together.”
“Are you worried about Mitzi?”
“No,” he said. “I’m worried about you.”
It was a sweet sentiment. Truth was, Kate was worried about her reputation, too. But acting interested in Ryan was the only way she could figure out how to extricate herself from the SITUATION. “As long as you and I know we’re not involved, what does it matter what a few gossips say? Besides, if anyone asks, we’ll tell them the truth.”
“Which no one will believe.” Ryan’s brows pulled together. “What will Mitzi think?”
“She’ll believe me when I tell her we’re just friends.”
“Are you doing this because you’re afraid to get too close to Joel?” Ryan grimaced as if he couldn’t believe those words had come from his mouth. “God, I hate that psychobabble crap.”
Kate just smiled, not wanting to lie.
“He’s a good man, Kate.” Ryan began walking and she strolled beside him, ignoring the curious looks cast their way. “You better be careful. Whatever game you’re playing may end up backfiring on you.”
“I’m not playing any game.” Kate cast a surreptitious glance in Joel’s direction, but his back was to her.
This time it was Ryan’s turn to laugh. “This ain’t my first rodeo, sugar. I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
Chapter Nine
Ever since she’d moved in, Kate had worked hard to make her townhouse a haven. In the living room, the color scheme promoted a feeling of calm while the soft plush sofa and chair practically begged her to sink into them every evening.
Though the flat-screen television was great for watching movies or binging on a few of her favorite series, it didn’t get much use. At the end of a busy day Kate preferred listening to music instead. Like right now, relaxing piano music filled the room.
Immediately after getting home from the party she and Mitzi had changed into their sleepwear. Kate loved the feel of silk, so she’d pulled on her favorite silky blue pajamas. Mitzi had donned shorts and a graphic tee.
“Now that I’ve had a few minutes to mull over what you explained to me, I want to simply say that you’re crazy.” Mitzi leaned back on Kate’s sofa and slipped one leg under herself.
Dressed in an oversize T-shirt emblazoned with the words Plays Well with Others, and her face free of makeup, Mitzi looked much younger than her thirty-two years.
“Well, I guess I deserved that.” Kate placed a steaming cup of hot cocoa with a big dollop of whipped cream on the coffee table in front of her friend, then dropped down on the other end of the sofa. “I did ask you to be honest.”
Mitzi took a sip of the cocoa and sighed in ecstasy.
“Aren’t you having any?” Mitzi looked up, whipped cream forming a milk mustache above her lips.
“It’s summer,” Kate reminded her, satisfied with her plain glass of cold milk.
“Give me chocolate in any form, anytime of the year.” Mitzi took another big sip, but when she put the cup down and fixed her gaze on Kate, a chill traveled up Kate’s spine. “I’m worried about you.”
“You needn’t be.” Kate forced a bright tone. “I have everything under control.”
Mitzi lifted a skeptical brow. “Really?”
“I was starting to get careless, sloppy even,” Kate admitted, wishing the tightness in her chest would ease up a little. “I let my desire to get close to my…to Chloe cloud my good sense.”
“What’s wrong with wanting to know your own daughter?”
“We’ve been down this road before, Mitzi. Chloe is Joel’s daughter, not mine.” Kate rose and walked to the window, gazing out into the darkness. “I was allowing myself to get too close.”
Mitzi raised a brow. “To her or to her father?”
Kate flushed. “I shouldn’t have let him kiss me.”
“Why did you?”
Kate gazed down at her hands, embarrassed by the admission she was about to make. Until last night she’d always prided herself on being in control of her emotions. “I like Joel.”
She raised her hand when Mitzi opened her mouth.
“I know I can’t have him, which is a shame because I’m starting to think there could have been something meaningful between us.” Kate gave a humorless laugh. “Just my luck, huh?”
“Perhaps you could be friends.”
Kate shook her head. “It would be too dangerous. Too much of a chance that he’d break my heart—or I’d break his.”
For a second Mitzi looked as if she might argue the point, then she shrugged. “It’s probably a moot point anyway.”
“What do you mean?
“You hurt him tonight, Kate.” Mitzi took another sip of cocoa, her eyes serious. “By hanging out with Ryan, you may have slammed the door shut on having any kind of relationship with Joel.”
* * *
Virginia’s Café in Wilson, Wyoming, was a workingman’s eatery. The seats in the booths were covered in orange vinyl and the cracked linoleum floor had clearly seen better days. Even though it was close to the home he was building in the mountains for Cole and Meg Lassiter, Joel regretted choosing it as a meeting place.
It didn’t seem like the type of restaurant Dr. Kate would frequent and he wanted her to be relaxed when they spoke. But she’d already texted him that she was on her way, so there was no changing the location now.
For a Wednesday at one, the café was surprisingly busy. Thankfully he’d grabbed a booth at the back where it wasn’t so noisy. Although there were any number of things Joel could be doing while he waited, he kept his gaze focused on the door. He didn’t want Kate to come in and not see him.
When ten more minutes passed with no sign of her, he began to worry. Had she changed her mind? Gotten called back to the office for an emergency? Or perhaps simply decided she didn’t want to have lunch with him? He’d picked up his phone to call her when the door opened and she stepped inside. She glanced around the crowded room, oblivious to the admiring looks.
Even though most of diners were dressed in jeans and work shirts, Kate wore a black stretchy top and a black-and-white skirt in a swirly pattern. And, of course, her trademark heels were on her feet. She looked beautiful…and very out of place.
Joel pulled to his feet, wishing he’d thought to bring a change of clothes with him to the job site. The only consolation was that his jeans and T-shirt were clean. He’d spent more time talking with subcontractors than he had working this morning.
Kate had her own second thoughts. When she saw how the other diners were dressed, she wished that just this once she’d opted for more casual attire. But looking good gave her confidence. And today she needed all the confidence she could get.
She wasn’t fully convinced that having lunch with Joel was a smart move. Yet, on Monday when she’d found a vase on her desk with a single red rose and an invitation to lunch, her heart wouldn’t let her say no. Not after such a sweet gesture.
Oh, who was she kidding? She’d missed him. She felt bad about flirting with Ryan at the party last weekend. By coming here she wasn’t saying she wanted to have a relationship with Joel—absolutely not—only that it was important he think well of her.
As she glanced arou
nd the small dining area, the smell of cooking grease assaulted her senses. Rather than being off-putting, it brought back memories of a place her grandmother had taken her as a child, a café that Gram swore served the best fries in the state of Pennsylvania.
“Kate.”
She turned toward the sound and her breath caught in her throat. Even dressed for work and with hair tousled as though he’d just hopped out of bed, Joel looked magnificent.
Danger. Danger. Danger. Red flags popped up one after the other in her head. But it was too late to back out now.
She lifted one hand and wiggled her fingers in welcome and he immediately started weaving between the tables toward her.
Kate met him halfway. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“I wondered if you were going to make it,” he said, moving close. He smelled like soap, sawdust and an indefinable male scent that made her insides quiver.
“There was an accident on the highway, where Moose-Wilson Road intersects with 22.” Even though her voice was calm, her heart pounded so hard that it was a wonder he didn’t hear it. “Thankfully no injuries.”
“That’s good.” His fingers warm against her skin, he directed her to a booth at the back of the room.
The waitress, a no-nonsense type in her mid-forties, appeared immediately after they sat down, apparently used to serving men with short lunch hours. Thankfully Kate had been here once before and was familiar with the menu.
Until the waitress returned with their glasses of iced tea, Joel kept the conversation centered around the accident on the highway and when that topic dried up, on the weather.
He took a deep breath. “I appreciate you taking time out to come today.”
“I’ve never been invited out for lunch so nicely before.” Kate took a sip of the fresh-brewed tea. “Thank you for the beautiful rose.”
“You’re welcome.” Joel shifted in his seat. Talk of the rose clearly made him uncomfortable. Obviously he wasn’t a man used to making such gestures, which made receiving the flower even sweeter. “I wanted to apologize in person for last Saturday.”
“I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for.”
“In the swing? When I kissed you?” he added when she continued to stare blankly at him.
“I didn’t think you kissed badly enough to necessitate an apology,” she said, trying not to smile. “Granted you may have been a bit rusty. But what you lacked in technique, you more than made up for in enthusiasm.”
“My technique is just fine—” Joel sputtered, then stopped. She saw the corner of his mouth twitch. “You’re joking.”
“Am I?” Kate gazed at him through lowered lashes.
He chuckled. “Is this your way of telling me no apology is necessary?”
“That’s right.” As far as Kate was concerned, the lighter they kept this, the better. She waved a recently manicured hand in the air. “It was, after all, just a kiss.”
“We went from zero to sixty in a second,” he murmured, his brow furrowed. He looked up and met her gaze. “If Ryan hadn’t shown up, it’s hard to say what would have happened.”
He blushed then. Honest to goodness blushed.
Kate blinked. Surely he didn’t think it would have gone that far. Of course, she grudgingly admitted—but only to herself—that wishing they both wore less clothing had crossed her mind.
“I loved my wife, Kate,” he said while she was still formulating a response. “I don’t know how I let things get so out of hand.”
He looked so miserable that Kate swallowed the flippant reply poised on the tip of her tongue. Impulsively she reached across the table and laced her fingers through his.
She immediately realized her mistake. A bolt of heat traveled up her arm and her entire body began to hum.
“You’re still a man, Joel,” she said softly.
“But I’m not in the market for another wife. Or even a steady girlfriend.” His tortured gaze met hers. “Once you’ve had the best, it’s hard to settle for less.”
His response was so honest and befuddled that she had to believe him. Kate knew she should have been cheering. This was what she’d wanted: an assurance that he didn’t expect more out of her than she was willing to give. Instead, the comment stung. She’d spent her whole life coming in second to her sister, and “settling for less” had a truly unpleasant ring. “You’re in luck, bucko. I’m not in the market for a husband or a steady boyfriend.”
“Because you have Ryan.”
“What?” Then she realized that Joel had obviously bought her act Saturday night hook, line and sinker. For a split second she thought about continuing the charade. But she’d come to realize that wouldn’t be fair to Ryan. Or to Mitzi. “No. I mean, Ryan is a friend. Just like you’re my friend. That’s all. Nothing more.”
Joel rubbed his chin, his gaze thoughtful. “He said you weren’t looking for commitment.”
Kate pulled her brows together. “Who said that?”
“Ryan. After you’d left and gone inside.”
Even though it was true, Kate didn’t appreciate the attorney talking about her. And next time she saw him, she’d tell him just that.
“What happened at the party was simply a mistake.” Joel nodded as if the extra emphasis would make it true.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.” Kate clamped her mouth shut as the waitress appeared and placed a BLT in front of Kate and a hot beef sandwich in front of Joel.
“I don’t follow,” Joel said the second the waitress left. “Are you saying it wasn’t a mistake?”
Let it go, the tiny voice of reason inside her head urged. You’ve made your point. Don’t blow it now.
“I’m a woman. I have needs. You’re a man. You have needs.” Kate managed to keep her tone matter-of-fact, despite hearing her mother’s shriek of disapproval in the back of her head. “Saturday, our needs converged.”
A slight frown slipped over Joel’s face. “Do you endorse casual sex?”
“I’m not endorsing anything.” Kate lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “I’m simply saying there’s no need to apologize for a kiss or something more between two consenting adults.”
Joel forked off a piece of his hot beef sandwich and chewed, appearing to mull over her words. “What happens if our needs converge again?”
Kate wasn’t sure who was more surprised by the question—her or Joel.
“I’m sorry again. I was out of line.” Joel groaned and leaned back against the booth. “We need to talk about something else.”
“Fine with me.” Kate took a bite of her sandwich, noticing Joel had already pushed his plate aside. “What would you like to talk about?”
“Chloe.”
The look on his face told her that something had him concerned. She dropped her sandwich and leaned forward. “Are the kids at day camp still being mean to her?”
“She hasn’t said.” He raked a hand through his hair.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“Savannah’s parents asked if she could come to Montana and spend a couple weeks with them.”
“Does Chloe want to go?”
“Oh, she wants to go.” Joel’s lips twisted. “In fact, if I say no, she’ll be hell to live with.”
Kate searched his eyes. “Why would you say no?”
“These are the kids she goes to school with. Summer day camp is an opportunity for her to learn to get along with them.”
“It takes two to tango,” Kate muttered under her breath.
“Pardon?”
“I understand what you’re saying and I see your point,” Kate said in a normal tone of voice. She had her opinion but she wasn’t sure if this was her business.
“But?”
“I didn’t say ‘but.’”
“Maybe not aloud,” Joel said. “Yet I heard it clear as day. Please, Kate, you’re Chloe’s doctor. I’d appreciate your input.”
If Joel wanted Dr. McNeal’s opinion, she was happy to give it.
&nbs
p; “As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t have an easy time growing up. I was a little older than Chloe when a friend I’d met at band camp asked me to go with her family to their time-share in Florida over Christmas.”
“Christmas?” Joel’s brows furrowed. “Your parents let you go?”
“They said no at first. My grandmother got them to reconsider.” Her parents hadn’t been easy to convince, but her grandmother had held firm. “She alone understood what a miserable time I’d been having at school.”
Kate’s lips lifted in a little smile. “I can’t tell you how nice it was to hang out with a friend my age who liked me. One who thought I was funny and smart, all those things the kids at school couldn’t see. I had a fabulous Christmas. Somehow, having such a great time made returning to school after the holidays easier.”
“You’re saying to let her go.”
“I think you should consider it.”
“You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Chloe is a good kid,” Kate said. “You said yourself that losing her mom and this move has been hard on both of you. We all need to do a better job of embracing pleasure where we can find it.”
Kate settled her gaze on Joel. On his broad shoulders. On his firm, sensual lips. She remembered how his mouth had burned against hers. The electricity that had coursed through her at his touch.
Yes, it was too bad being intimate with him wasn’t a possibility. Because if the way Joel kissed was any indication, making love with the handsome contractor was practically guaranteed to bring a whole boatload of pleasure her way.
Chapter Ten
The following Wednesday Joel left work early to make Chloe’s favorite dinner: macaroni and cheese, peas and carrots and watermelon. He might not be the greatest cook, but this was one meal he could manage.
They talked during dinner, or rather his daughter entertained him by recounting all the adventures she and Savannah had enjoyed in the past. Then she moved on to speculating about the fun she’d be having when she joined her friend in Montana.
After they’d finished eating, instead of helping him clear the table, he sent Chloe upstairs to change her clothes. Once the dishwasher was loaded, they were headed to the rink for a couple of hours of ice skating. Joel wasn’t particularly excited about it, but Chloe had squealed when he told her of the plan.
