“Soon. Give her time.” Kara removed her cell phone and walked to the French doors leading to the pool. Renee picked up after two rings. “Did you get my message?”
“Just did. Why do I have to take care of your ADHD cat?”
Kara laughed, adjusted one of the cushioned deck lounges and lay down. “I’m going to Idaho to authenticate a client’s collection. I’ll be gone for about two weeks.”
“Idaho? Don’t they have skinheads out there?”
Kara rolled her eyes. “Maybe. But I’m sure they aren’t lying in wait for us. Can you take care of Tessie for me or what?”
“Us?”
She grimaced and called herself every name in the book. She hadn’t meant to let that slip out. “Baron and I will be working on this one.”
There was silence on the line.
“Uh-mm, Renee? Are you still there?”
“Yeah. Okay. You and Mr. Hunky-dory. I’ll gladly watch the cat. Just have fun…a butt-load of fun.”
Kara chuckled. “I owe you.”
“Yes, you do. What are you doing tonight?”
She’d left Renee a message this morning about watching Tessie, but had intentionally omitted mentioning her impromptu morning trip to San Diego. “I, uh, I’m out of town right now. San Diego, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Oh? Are your parents okay?”
“Yeah. I spoke with them over the weekend.”
There was silence, and then, “Please do not tell me you’re at your sister’s. Again. What did she do this time? Refused to pay a hair stylist because of a bad perm? Mouthed off to a cop? I thought you made sure she had a lawyer on speed dial for such minor infractions.”
“She’s expecting, Renee.”
“Whoa. That’s wonderful news. When did you find out?”
“Over the weekend.”
“Ohmigod,” Renee squealed. “You’re going to be an aunt.”
“I know. Isn’t it exciting?” Briana’s voice floated through the window and Kara looked toward the house. Briana was seated on a stool while Mrs. Marten prepared for her a plate. “I thought I’d stop by and see how she’s doing.”
“You suck at lying. What really happened?”
“Can’t go into that right now. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Fine. Tell her congrats from me. The girl might be crazy, but a baby is a reason to celebrate.”
Kara hung up the phone but when she went inside, Briana ignored her. Not in the least bothered, Kara went to get her overnight bag from where Baron had placed it by the front door. The housekeeper was picking up Jim’s clothes from the upstairs rail.
“Mrs. Marten?” Kara called out to get her attention. She added when the woman looked at her, “Did Briana mention that Jim’s mother is coming?”
“Mr. Jim told me before he left this morning. He said she’ll call me before she boards the plane.”
“Has she called?”
“No, but I’ve already prepared the yellow bedroom for her.”
“Good. I’ll take the one beside hers for tonight.” She picked up her overnight bag, went into the spare bedroom, and kicked off her shoes. Going over her conversation with Briana, she slipped into a pair of Capri pants and a T-shirt, added sandals, and left the room. Briana was still eating and flipping through a fashion magazine.
Kara raided the bookshelf in the downstairs living room and curled up on a leather lounge with a romance book. For a moment she glanced around and smiled. The room with its soaring ceiling, high windows, and ultra modern décor had always been her favorite, from the way the light gray epoxy floor and white rug offset the black furniture and display cabinets to the colorful and distinctive Blenko Glass decanters strategically placed around the room. Even the large wedding portrait of Briana and Jim above the brick fireplace complemented the room.
Through a glass door, Kara had a clear view of the foyer and the stairs. She knew when Briana left the kitchen and went upstairs. Mrs. Marten didn’t come downstairs for several hours and it was to respond to the gate intercom. A flash of joy followed when she saw a blue Camry on security panel by the door.
Penelope “Penny” Michaels had arrived.
Kara got up and headed outside to meet her mother, but inside she had a sinking feeling of impending doom. Briana didn’t get her penchant for melodrama from their father. Their mother was and had always been the el supremo of drama-dom.
***
Baron checked his voicemail before he boarded the plane. There was a message from his secretary to call the office. He used the airplane phone after they took off.
“A Mr. Tim Bryant wants you to call him back. He said it was urgent,” Gena said without preamble.
Tim was Mrs. VanderMarck’s lawyer.
“Thanks Gena.” He dialed the lawyer’s number. “What’s going on, Tim?”
“Mrs. VanderMarck instructed me to call you. Jake broke into the house in Idaho. I’m here trying to figure out what he wanted and how to keep him from coming within an inch of the property again. Mrs. VanderMarck said you’d want to stay abreast of what’s happening. I hear you’ll be staying here for a couple of weeks.”
“Yeah. Cataloguing her collection.” Baron leaned back against his seat and clenched his teeth. He didn’t need VanderMarck’s son screwing up his plans because of a vendetta. “I’m supposed to fly out on Wednesday. Did he destroy or take anything?”
“I’ve walked through the house with the cops and nothing’s broken. Whether he took anything is another story. Bridget said she sent you an inventory of the collection.”
“It didn’t cover everything. She was supposed to send the rest before I left.”
“Call her and see if she has it. The cops keep asking me if anything was taken.”
“I’ll be there later today.” Baron hung up and resisted the urge to punch something. His plans for the next two weeks would be null and void if that idiot messed with the collection. He and Kara were meant to be together. He would not allow anything to stop that from happening.
The next call was to Gena to book the earliest flight to Spokane, Washington, and rent a plane to Sandpoint. Finally he called his brother. “We’re on our way, should be there in forty minutes.”
“I’m on my way to the airport. My team didn’t cancel the flight, just pushed it for later. You took care of your problem?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t sound too sure.”
Baron smiled. Lex had a knack for reading people, a real pain when someone wanted to keep things private. “That’s not it. It just seems like every time I think I’m where I want to be, something screws it up.”
“Anything I can help with?”
“Nah, I have it covered.”
“Is Kara still with you?”
Baron frowned. “Been checking on me, Luthor?” Jade had once accused Lex of being like Lex Luthor from the Superman series, with his nose into everything and nothing ever escaping him.
Lex laughed at the nickname. “I spoke with the crew before you took off and someone let it slip you had a companion.”
“Someone? Don’t you mean Cousin Teal, super spy slash flight attendant?” Baron raised his voice knowing full well Teal could hear him. “It’s a shame when a man can’t have a few secrets.”
Lex laughed. “Is Kara a secret?”
“Not in the way that laugh of yours implied. But sometimes a man needs some privacy when he’s courting a woman.”
“Courting?”
Baron chuckled. “What else did Teal tell you?”
“Why?”
“So I can decide how long to yell at her.”
Lex laughed, enjoying a joke Baron wasn’t privy to. “Yeah, good luck with that. Did you really push her into the crew’s cabin and order her not to come out unless the plane’s about to crash?”
“Just a sec.” Baron looked toward the cockpit. “Teal?”
Within seconds, their cousin stuck her head out of the crew’s cabin and cocked an eyebrow. “Do I nee
d to parachute out of here?”
“Smart ass. You’re officially kicked off my team at the next family picnic.”
She flashed a grin. “Then we’ll have a gender-based game.”
“Is that supposed to scare me?”
“If Kara’s on our team, you bet. Haven’t you noticed the way my husband tiptoes around me when I’m with the opposing team?” She ducked out of sight.
Yeah, he’d noticed the way all the married men slacked during a game of the sexes. And who said Kara would be at his next family gathering?
Shaking his head, Baron brought the phone back to his ear. “I’ll see you when we land, Lex.”
“You are planning on bringing Kara to the family picnic on Saturday, right?”
Family could be such a curse, but his topped the chart. Baron hadn’t planned on taking Kara to meet his family, not until she had his ring on her finger. He loved his family, but it was big and loud, and would probably scare her off.
“We’ll be out of town, big bro,” Baron said into the phone. “Before you ask anymore questions, mind your own goddamn business.”
Lex chuckled.
Once he hung up, Baron tried to imagine Kara among his family. She’d fit right in. Jade and Ashley already knew her quite well since they were all into the art scene. His brothers liked her, Chase a little too much for Baron’s peace of mind. He might have to shield Kara from his Aunt Vivian though. He loved his aunt but she tended to assess a person’s worth based on what their parents did for a living or their ancestry. Kara’s blue-collar parents couldn’t pass her prejudicial scrutiny.
Baron frowned. Kara always brought out his protective instinct. He’d felt it from the first day she started working for him. It had scared the hell out of him, made him erect barriers to keep her at a distance. Because of that he’d wasted five years. The two-week affair he’d proposed would give him the opportunity to show her they were meant to be together. He couldn’t predict where things would end with them, but he’d make sure he didn’t give her a reason to leave him. He’d be happier if her feelings for him were stronger by the end of their stay in Idaho, but plans and Kara just didn’t go well together. He’d go with the flow here, let her lead.
***
Kara waited outside for Penny’s Camry to pull up. Her mother in a nurse’s assistant cranberry top and matching pants stepped out of the car and smiled.
“Kara, what a surprise finding you here.” Penny gave her a hug then glanced toward the house. “Briana didn’t lose—?”
“No, Mom. She’s okay, just resting.”
“Thank goodness. The silly woman who took Jim’s phone call forgot to tell me until thirty minutes ago. I drove like a crazy woman to get here, especially when I tried calling but couldn’t get through. If she’s okay, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see her, Mom. That’s all.”
From Penny’s expression, she wasn’t buying Kara’s explanation.
“Let me go and talk to her.” She entered the house and went upstairs. Kara stayed behind, her tension mounting with each second that passed.
A half-hour went by before Penny came back downstairs, alone. She chose a sofa and patted the area beside her. “Sit by me, dear. Let’s talk,” she said, scowling.
Kara braced herself for the worst.
“I don’t understand why a mother is always the last to hear these things,” Penny started, her tone accusatory. “Briana told me a very disturbing story and I’m very disappointed that you chose not to share it with me when it happened.”
Must be blame-it-on-Kara day. “What is it?”
“Is it true Jim was your boyfriend before he met and fell in love with Briana?”
Kara gawked. Of all the things she’d expected Briana to tell their mother, past transgression wasn’t one of them.
“It’s in the past. I wasn’t in love with Jim and the relationship hadn’t become serious.” Too embarrassed to say they hadn’t had sex, Kara waved at the picture on the display above the fireplace. “They’re perfect for each other.”
“That’s beside the point, Kara. What Briana did was wrong. I know there’s a rule somewhere about not messing with your sister’s boyfriend. What’s worse, she’s never apologized for it. Why didn’t you say something?”
Kara resisted the urge to point out that Penny always sided with Briana but the support now touched Kara. Emotions blocked her throat.
“It doesn’t really matter, Mom.”
Penny shook her head. “It does, especially if you don’t want to stay with her because of what she did.”
The switch from disappointment in Briana for stealing Jim to blaming Kara for refusing to stay with Briana because of that same incident blindsided Kara. For a moment she stared at her mother without hearing the rest of her diatribe. The betrayal cut deep, but it was her fault for expecting Penny to change. Her mother and Briana were too alike to change overnight. She tried not to listen to the rest of the words pouring from Penny’s mouth, but bits and pieces filtered through.
“…you’re older and smarter…Briana’s clueless when it comes to many things…as the oldest, you must look out for your sister…lost two children already…can’t lose another…”
Kara felt the noose tighten around her neck. She’d never break free from Briana. Was she being selfish to want a life outside her controlling mother and manipulative sister?
The events from earlier this morning came back to haunt her. Lex Fitzgerald, the oldest son, had come to Baron’s rescue without question. How was her mother’s demand any different? Briana needed her. Not next week or month, now. She could always push the trip back by a few weeks or…months. Kara gulped, disappointment making it hard to swallow.
Her mother’s hand on her arm brought Kara back to the present.
“She needs us, baby.”
Kara wanted to scream. “What about Jim’s mother? She’s on her way already.”
“Nasty woman,” Penny said with distaste. “She and Briana don’t get along. We must convince her to go back and leave your sister in your capable hands.”
Yeah, that’s me, Ms. Capable, always taking care of everyone but myself. Kara watched her mother leave the room and couldn’t come up with a single protest. For a long time she just sat there, staring into space. A tear fell on her arm. She swiped at her cheeks, angry with herself for breaking down just because she had to play second fiddle to her sister once again.
Not this time. Not if she could help it. She needed a plan.
CHAPTER 9
“Ms. Kara?”
Kara looked up. The housekeeper’s sympathetic expression indicated she’d heard the conversation between Kara and her mother. “What is it, Mrs. Marten?”
“Aurelia…Jim’s mother just called. She missed her flight.”
“Please don’t tell me she’s not coming,” Kara said.
“She waited at the airport but the flights were fully booked. She said to tell you she’ll be here Wednesday night.”
Great, just what she needed. Kara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Goodbye to her plans with Baron, goodbye to her deadline on the Hallè painting. In her line of work, one couldn’t promise a client results and not deliver. It was professional suicide. She’d worked so hard to have a reliable check mark next to her name. Just freaking great.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Kara. I know you wanted to go home tomorrow.”
Wednesday night would have marked a new beginning for her, her first night with Baron, one of many to come. She’d imagined the two of them in a quaint, quiet, secluded little cottage, making love on a rug in front of a fireplace, the glow of the fire playing on his sculptured features, but some things were just never meant to be. Once she explained why she couldn’t make the trip, he would understand.
Kara swallowed her disappointment, opened her eyes, and gave the woman a forced smile. “It’s okay, Mrs. Marten. It’s not your fault. I can afford to stay for a few more days.”
The housekeeper
scuttled away. Instead of venting, Kara sat back and took one deep breath then another, but her bubbling frustration got worse. She jumped up and hurried to her assigned bedroom.
She paced, trying to come up with another solution. Clear your head first. She rummaged inside her bag until she found a swimsuit. Changing, she hurried across the foyer, glancing up at the second floor landing for her mother and sister. But the two were probably still closeted in Briana’s bedroom.
“I’m going for a swim,” she told Mrs. Marten as she cut through the kitchen to the French doors leading to the deck. She dropped her robe on a lounge and dove into the pool with a splash.
Lap after lap, Kara attacked the water but she couldn’t get rid of the tension gripping her or out-swim the problem her family had dumped on her lap. She should be used to being left holding the bag by now. Her mother loved to talk the talk but expected Kara to walk the walk. It wasn’t fair.
Kara didn’t know how many miles she swam before she saw her mother watching her from the deck. The answer, so simple and clear, came to her as she pulled herself out of the pool. Kara picked up a robe and slipped it on.
Her mother studied her with an assessing expression. “You’ve lost weight.”
Kara tied the sash of her robe and shrugged. She wasn’t sure whether the comment was a praise or criticism. “I’ve been known to hit the gym now and then.”
Her mother frowned. “No need to be prickly, dear. You look good. Your daddy and I miss having you around, though. Are you sure you don’t want to start your business closer to home?”
Kara released her hair from the ponytail and finger-combed it. “I thought about it but my client base is in L.A. I’m not up to starting all over here.”
Penny dismissed her daughter’s comment with a wave. “I don’t understand this “client base” stuff. You’re good at what you do. Once you work on a piece, word of mouth will bring you more business.”
A compliment from her mother? Wow. When her mother fell silent, Kara realized she expected a response. The fact was Kara had become attached to L.A., the people, and the lifestyle. All her friends were there. Baron too, but he’d soon be out of her life.
Kiss Me Crazy Page 12
