Troubled Hearts

by Jolie Cain

  * * * *

  A few days later, Katherine sat at her desk starring out the window, completely oblivious to the crowds of people passing on the busy street below. Instead her mind raced with the phone call she had just received. Harper still wasn’t taking their breakup well. She’d gone by his condo when he was at work the day after their fight. Bill had let her in to get a few of her things that she’d left there. When Harper found out, he’d gone ballistic. Poor Bill had lost his job, and Harper’s phone calls and emails to her had gotten uglier and uglier. She just couldn’t take any more of the ranting and raving. This last call was the worst. In fact, it had frightened her a little bit with his thinly veiled threats and accusations. From now on she would let her voice mail pick up any calls from him. Shaking her head in puzzlement at the oddities of the human psyche, she pushed their argument from her mind and reached for a patient file when her receptionist buzzed through.

  “Yes, Mary?”

  “Sorry to bother you again, Dr. Montgomery. But you have another call. It’s your sister.”

  Katherine was surprised to hear that Abby was calling her at the office. She hadn’t heard from her younger sibling in a while, and she had never called her at work. Katherine was a bit concerned that something bad might have happened. “Thanks, Mary. I’ll take it. And Mary?”

  “Yes, doctor?”

  “Don’t put through any more calls from Mr. Hunt. Okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Katherine smiled at the satisfied note in Mary’s voice as she reached for the phone and punched in the correct line. The woman had never taken to Harper in the few months they had been dating. Well, looked like she had been right.

  “Abby? It’s me. Is everything okay?”

  A warm laugh sounded in her ear. “Everything is fine, sis. Better than fine, in fact. How about you? What’s going on with the most beautiful, intelligent, wonderful psychologist in Jackson, Mississippi?”

  Katherine smiled. “Nothing much here to speak of. So, what’s up? I know something is from the sound of your voice.”

  “Hmm. I never could pull anything over on you, could I? Oh, well. I hope you’re sitting down ’cause it’s a shocker. Brace yourself. I’m—I can’t believe I am actually about to say these words—I’m getting married.”

  Katherine gasped. “Excuse me? What? Could you please repeat that? I thought I heard you say … the M word.” To say Katherine was shocked was putting it mildly.

  “Yes, I said it, all right. Tying the knot. Getting a ball and chain. Taking the plunge—married.” Her voice bubbled over the line.

  “Married. I can’t believe it. To whom? Are you sure this isn’t some kind of a joke?”

  Abby laughed again. “No joke. He’s an old friend of Beau’s. His name is Jackson Cole, and I’m madly in love with him.”

  Luckily, Abby proceeded to dominate the conversation because Katherine was speechless. Abby’s voice was a low drone in her ear until she mentioned that she had recently been attacked. Katherine felt her heart almost leap out of her chest in terror.

  But Abby reassured her that she was fine. “It’s over, thank goodness. The woman who did it is locked up now where she can’t hurt herself or anyone else. She’s really sick, sis. The kind of sick you’re used to dealing with. I actually felt a little sorry for her when it was all over. Jack and this PI friend of his saved me. I was scared to death while it happened, but now it seems terribly exciting.”

  That was typical Abby. “Well, thank God you’re all right. Now, tell me again about your fiancé. I still can’t believe it.” The next several minutes were filled with Abby’s enthusiastic description of the man she was going to marry. Katherine sat in bemused silence listening to her.

  Abby had never seemed that interested in men or marriage, at least as far as Katherine had been aware. And now this…

  “And Katherine. The real reason I’m calling is … well, we’re getting married next month in Gulf Shores, and I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  “Me? I mean … Abby … are … are you sure? What about Tara? Or Bethany?” Katherine was shocked, even more so by this request than by the news that Abby was getting married.

  “I’m sure, sis. There’s no one I’d rather have standing next to me when I say ‘I do.’” As if she sensed her sister’s reluctance, Abby pressed on. “It’s going to be a very small, intimate ceremony on the beach. Only close friends and family.” Abby obviously knew the trepidation Katherine felt about returning to Gulf Shores and was attempting to reassure her that she would not be running into any of Raymond’s old crowd. “Please, Katherine. I really want you there.”

  Even though her first instinct had been to refuse, she knew that she couldn’t let Abby down. “Then I’d be thrilled, Abby, really thrilled to be your maid of honor.”

  “Fantastic!” Katherine could hear the happiness in Abby’s voice. “Beau’s going to be Jack’s best man. This is going to be perfect. Just perfect.” Katherine mumbled what must have sounded like an agreement to Abby because she continued gushing some more about Jack and the wedding. Then Abby brought the conversation to a close. “Look, sis. I know that you’re busy at work, and I won’t take up any more of your time. Why don’t I call you later? We can talk some more about the wedding plans. Maybe you can come down for a couple weeks before the wedding and help me with all the preparations.”

  “Okay.” Katherine agreed, needing some time to control the thoughts buzzing through her head. “And, Abby. Congratulations. I don’t think I said it before, but if anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Katherine. Talk to you later. Bye.”

  “Good-bye.” They hung up the phone.

  A warm feeling filled her as she thought of her sister’s request. Abby’s maid of honor. Katherine’s eyes dampened with the tangle of emotions she was experiencing. She and Abby had been so close when they were growing up; in fact, Katherine had been more like a mother to Abby than their own mother had ever been, at least until Abby was thirteen. But after Katherine had divorced Raymond and moved to Mississippi, she and Abby had not seen much of each other. Katherine had never returned to Gulf Shores, couldn’t stand the thought of facing all the gossip and former “friends” after her marriage had ended so disastrously. And Beau… She shook her head. She tried not to think of Beau at all anymore, although there had been weeks, hell, months, when she couldn’t think of anything else.

  The buzzer on her desk sounded, jolting her from her reminiscences, and she reached down to press the button. “Yes, Mary?”

  “Your three o’clock appointment’s here, Dr. Montgomery.” Mary’s steady voice sounded over the intercom.

  “Thanks, Mary. You can show Mr. Maxwell in. Just give me a few moments.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As Katherine reached for her new patient’s file, she thought about all she had managed to accomplish over the years since she had left Gulf Shores. She had finally come to grips with who she was and what she wanted for herself and her life. Yes, it was time to go back to Gulf Shores and set some old ghosts to rest.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock and the office door opening, and she looked up to see Mary escorting in a rather diffident-looking young man. As Katherine stood, she brushed aside her introspection and walked around her desk to introduce herself to her newest patient.

  Chapter Two

  Beau propped his feet on the rail of his boat and leaned back, staring up at the stars blazing overhead. He tipped his cold beer back and swallowed the icy beverage, and then looked over at his friend. Jack Cole sat sprawled on the padded cushion, a cold beer in one hand and a smile on his face. It was good to see the old Jack back again after too many years of his self-imposed isolation. He smiled as he thought back to the day Jack and Abby had told him of their engagement. It had been wonderful to see two people he cared deeply about so obviously happy and in love. And he liked to think that he had played a role in their getting t
ogether since he had been the one to send Abby to Jack’s cabin to work on her latest book.

  Once they had met one another, it hadn’t taken long for them to fall in love. Beau would never admit it, but he had hoped they would hit it off. He smiled to himself at how well his secret plan had worked out. He wondered what Abby and Jack would say if they knew he had been playing matchmaker when he had pointed Abby in Jack’s direction? A small smile crept over his mouth. “So, how are the wedding plans going?” Beau asked, and a grimace crossed his friend’s face.

  “Don’t even ask. I thought since we were getting married so quickly that the wedding would be small and simple. But, I swear to you, Beau, even small weddings are pretty damn complicated.”

  Beau laughed in sympathy. “Abby got the bit between her teeth?”

  Shaking his head in amusement, Jack responded. “If I hear one more word about dresses, flower arrangements, or hors d’oeuvres, I just might punch somebody. I’m staying safely out of the way. The women can handle everything; in fact, they love that shit. I told Abby to just tell me when to show up and what to wear.”

  “I hear you, man. She’s already called me three times to remind me to go and pick up my shirt and pants. You know, at least she’s keeping things pretty casual. A wedding on the beach, us in pants and Hawaiian print shirts. I think it’ll be cool.”

  “Be glad that’s the only thing she’s calling you about. Between her and her friend Bethany, I swear they have hit every bridal shop between here and Tallahassee. Looking for just the perfect dress that looks ‘bridal but casual’,” he quoted with a grin.

  “Well, it’ll be all worth it, man. She’s gonna be a beautiful bride.”

  “That she will, buddy.”

  Beau sobered a bit. “Has she heard anything from her parents?”

  Jack’s face darkened. “Yeah. Apparently they won’t be able to attend the wedding because they’ve already made plans to climb some mountain somewhere. Even though Abby told me what they were like, I guess I really didn’t believe that they wouldn’t show up for their daughter’s wedding.”

  Beau shook his head in disgust. “They’ve always been like that. If any two people in the world should never have had children, it’s Paul and Belinda Montgomery. They’ve never been around for any of the important moments in either of their daughters’ lives. Nothing has ever interfered in their plans.”

  “Unbelievable. But at least her sister Katherine is coming.”

  Beau’s voice sharpened with interest. “She is? I knew that Abby was going to talk to her, but I figured that she would dream up with some excuse not to come.”

  Jack noted the expression on his friend’s face. “Yeah, she agreed to be the maid of honor. She’s supposed to come to town next week to help with preparations. Abby’s really excited.”

  “Reeaally?” Beau drew the word out.

  “Yes, really. Why? Is there something there I should know about? Wasn’t she your stepmother at one time?”

  Beau laughed harshly. “Yes, she was. What a joke that was. My father was such a prick. She caught him with one of his floozies—in the act.”

  “Ouch. That must have been rough.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. I was right there with her when she caught them. She was destroyed. Completely crushed.” He looked Jack directly in the eyes. “And when I followed her home to comfort her, well … let’s just say things got a little bit out of hand.”

  Jack’s brows rose. “How out of hand?” He read the truth in Beau’s face. “You fucked her? Your stepmother? Man, were you out of your mind?” He tried to keep his voice level, but the curiosity and concern was still apparent to Beau.

  “Maybe. Probably. Dammit, I was crazy about her. From the first time I set eyes on her at her wedding to my father, if you can believe that. She was so fucking beautiful and so damn young. Talk about bad timing. Why couldn’t I have met her first? He was such a bastard to her, too. I could hardly stand it. Watching her, wanting her. And every time I saw her, she was more reserved, more defeated.”

  “So what happened, then?”

  He shrugged. “After we slept together, she ran off. Left the next morning and hasn’t been back. I tried to call her, write her, but she wouldn’t talk to me. I haven’t spoken to her since then, but Abby has kept me up to date on what’s going on with her.” He looked frankly at Jack. “I loved her. Still do, I think. The one that got away—it sounds romantic, doesn’t it? But it’s not. It’s hell.” Taking another deep swallow of his beer, he dropped his feet to the deck. “Truth is, I’ve never been able to forget her. She’s one of the main reasons why I’ve never been able to settle down for long with one woman. There was just something about Kat…”

  “You must have been pretty young.” Jack observed.

  “Eighteen when they split. She was twenty-three, and so young and innocent. God, sometimes I could hardly stand it, stand the thought of her with my father. It broke my heart, the way she tried to please that SOB. I just wanted to grab her up and run off with her. To tie her to my bed and show her what it could be like with us.”

  “Why didn’t you?” Jack asked, knowing Beau’s dominant nature, so like his own.

  “Believe me, I tried. She was just so determined to make the marriage work. So blind to what she really needed. And so scared of her feelings.”

  “It’s been a long time. Maybe things will be different now.”

  “Maybe.” His thoughts drifted back to the night he had spent with the young Kat. “Maybe not.” He smiled wryly. “But I can’t wait to find out.”

  After Jack left, Beau leaned on the rail of his boat and stared out over the dark water of the marina where his boat was docked. The Gulf was smooth as silk, with only the hypnotic sound of water lapping gently against the side of the boat to disturb the silence. Thoughts of Kat bombarded his mind as he recalled his earlier conversation with Jack. Kat had been so beautiful and so untouchable, until that last day. He had stood by for three years and watched as his father’s systematic criticism and coldness had turned her from the sweet, vital young girl he had first met to the nervous, uncertain woman who had run from his father’s office with defeat written in her eyes. He had never forgiven his father for what he had done to her, hadn’t spoken to him since that day, hadn’t cried a single tear when he had died last year of a heart attack, hadn’t gone to the funeral. Good riddance, as far as Beau was concerned. The bastard had revealed his true colors that day, and Beau wasn’t one to go back for a second round. He had cut his losses and never regretted it for one moment.

  But he did regret how things had ended with Kat. He had backed off then because he knew that she had needed some space and some time, but it had been years. They were all grown up now. And he was not going to back off any more. She’d had plenty of space and plenty of time. Twelve years’ worth. He smiled as he thought of his upcoming meeting with Kat. He knew she would probably try to keep her distance from him because of what had happened between them in the past, but he was determined that wasn’t going to happen. He still had feelings for her. Hell, he probably still loved her as much as he ever had. He just needed to figure out a way for them to spend some time alone together, to explore the possibility of a new relationship with the woman who had once been his stepmother and, oh so briefly, his lover. His lips curved upward as he thought of an idea to ensure that she would not be able to avoid him. Yes, it should work like a charm.

  * * * *

  Katherine sat on the sofa in her living room and opened the photo album she had dug out of the back of her closet. The phone call earlier that day from Abby had sparked a bit of introspection and a need to revisit her past. Paging through the pictures, most of them candid shots of her and Abby as they had grown up, she found herself reminiscing about some of the good times they’d had together. She smiled nostalgically at some of the funny shots of the two of them.

  Katherine sobered up a bit as she turned to the next page in the album. It contained a picture of her w
edding to Raymond. She examined her twenty-year-old features. Eyes wide with happiness and innocence, and a tender smiling mouth. Raymond stood staring directly into the camera, a half-smile of satisfaction kicking up his lips. Why hadn’t she seen the weakness in his chin, the arrogant tilt to his head? Blinded by youthful infatuation, she had overlooked or ignored faults that now seemed so obvious to her.

  And there was Beau standing with them next to his father. Even after so many years, just looking at his photograph was enough to cause her nipples to peak and a feeling of moisture to trickle between her thighs. She reached up to stroke a finger across the pointed nipples and squeezed her legs together as she became more aroused. She remembered the feel of his mouth sucking her breast, his hands plundering her body, his cock thrusting into her. Her eyes darkened with desire before she caught herself. Just then the phone rang, intruding on her thoughts and jolting her out of her fantasy.

  Katherine reached over to pick it up. “Hello?”

  There was a sound of static and then a song began playing. It was an old Police tune called “Every Breath You Take.” Annoyed, Katherine said again, “Hello, is anyone there?” No answer. Finally she shrugged and hung up. Obviously some kind of problem with the connection. Maybe they would call again.

  Replacing the phone, she closed the photo album with a soft slam. Enough visiting the past. She drank the last of her wine and stood, tightening the belt of her Chinese silk robe. After rinsing the glass and setting it on the counter, she walked to her bedroom and loosened the knot around her waist. Dropping the robe to the floor, she drew back the covers on her bed and climbed in, naked and needy. From the bedside drawer she withdrew her silver bullet and relaxed back, turning on the small vibrator and stroking it across her breasts and slowly down her trembling belly to her spread thighs. As the vibrator stimulated her clitoris, she closed her eyes and pictured in her head the man whom she had always desired beyond understanding.