by Brenda Novak
KATIE SAT IN HER TRUCK long after Booker disappeared into the house. She’d been on the verge of telling him that she’d finally realized the difference between the crush she’d had on Mike Hill and falling in love—that Booker had been the one to show her what falling in love was all about. Only she had to explain her feelings over the past two years and she didn’t know exactly where to start. He hadn’t given her enough time to get her thoughts sorted out.
Inside the house, she saw Booker, then Delbert, walk past the window as they talked. Booker was obviously reassuring Delbert, calming him down. Katie knew Delbert was going to be okay when he appeared again. He was smiling and moving toward the stairs, probably on his way to bed.
The kitchen light went off. Booker didn’t even glance out to see if she was gone. Then the porch light went dark, too. He was turning his back on her, sending her the signal to go home. But she wasn’t ready to leave. She kept remembering the night Booker came to her door to ask her to marry him—and wondered if she had the courage to take the same risk.
Her heart began to pound as she unbuckled Troy and got out. She thought Booker might snub her on principle. Simply for revenge. She deserved it after what she’d done to him. But deep down, she didn’t believe he was that petty. And she owed him the truth, even if he no longer returned her feelings.
“Here we go,” she murmured to Troy as she carried him up to the door. Her stomach muscles tensed as she knocked. After having lived in Booker’s house, she felt she should be able to walk right in, as if she belonged here, and hated feeling as though she was now being shut out.
She heard someone approach.
“Please let it be Booker,” she whispered to herself. If Delbert answered the door, chances were he’d hang around to see her and the baby, and then she didn’t know what she’d state as her purpose for knocking in the middle of the night. She certainly didn’t want an audience when she told Booker how she felt about him.
Fortunately, when the door swung open, the full moon behind her lit the face of the man she wanted to see. Barefoot and bare-chested, Booker looked so good he made her mouth go dry.
He didn’t turn on a light, and she was glad. The darkness seemed to lend her some security. “You left before I could finish,” she said.
“In case you didn’t notice, that was intentional.”
She hoisted Troy higher. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
He took the baby from her and set him inside the house, out of the wind, but he didn’t invite her in. “Why would I want to stick around to hear you tell me you’re in love with another man, Katie? You’ve wanted Mike since you were little. I’ve heard it all before.”
“That’s just it,” she said. “Mike and I are only friends. I’m not in love with him.”
Distrust lingered on Booker’s face, but he was watching her closely. “Since when?”
“Since I fell in love with…since I fell in love with—”
“Who?” he prompted.
Cursing herself for being such a coward, she swallowed hard and forced the word out. “You.”
Gently pulling her inside, he closed the door. Katie could hear the clock ticking over the stove and smell the familiar scent of Booker’s kitchen, and felt as though she’d just come home. The next few seconds would tell whether or not that was really the case….
“Katie, nothing’s changed,” he said softly. “I have a record. Your parents hate me. I’m still the same man you walked away from two years ago.”
“I know that.”
“And?”
“Leaving you was a mistake, Booker.”
He ran a finger down her cheek, moving lower to brush lightly over her bottom lip, and she wished he’d kiss her or…or something.
“Well?” she said, her arms aching to hold him.
His dark eyes lifted to hers.
“This is the part where you respond,” she told him. “Preferably with something similar to what you said two years ago.”
He leaned close, pressing his lips to her neck. Katie felt an answering flutter in her belly and knew she had come home—to Booker.
“Refresh my memory,” he murmured, his breath warm on her skin as his mouth moved up to her ear.
She let her hands skim over his bare chest and muscular arms and finally settle securely around his neck so she could pull him fully against her. “You said, ‘Marry me, Kate. I know I can make you happy.”’
“I did?” He kissed the corners of her mouth before kissing her more deeply.
“I think you were right. You can make me happy. I’m starting to get happy already,” she said. “Let’s go upstairs.”
He chuckled, then sobered when he looked down at Troy. “Isn’t it too soon?”
“Doctor said to wait a month.”
“How long’s it been?”
“A month.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s been twenty-eight days since Troy was born, but I’ve never been very good at math.”
He gave her a sexy grin. “Me, neither.”
Lifting Troy by the handle of his infant seat, he slung an arm around her shoulders and led her to the stairs. “Let’s see if we can make you downright ecstatic.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU wouldn’t make love to me,” Katie complained almost as soon as she opened her eyes the following morning.
Booker yawned and drew her closer. “I guess I’m better at math than I thought.”
“You’re overprotective, you know that?”
He scowled and rubbed the stubble on his chin lightly against her shoulder. “Come on, you’ll ruin my reputation.”
Katie rolled her eyes and rose up on her elbows. “You’re such a big softie. I can’t believe you have anybody fooled with that big, bad biker stuff.”
“And I can’t believe you’re complaining about last night,” he said. “We did almost everything I could think of. I should get extra points for creativity.”
Katie couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “It was good,” she admitted. “Very good.”
“It must’ve been. You were screaming so loud I thought you’d wake Delbert.”
She gave him a playful kick. “I wasn’t screaming.”
“That was me?” He looked boyishly handsome with his mussed hair and sleepy smile.
She laughed. “Just tell me you were saving the best for last.”
When she snuggled closer, she could tell his body was ready to take her up on her offer, but she knew he wouldn’t act on it until he was sure he wouldn’t hurt her.
“Ask me that in a week or so.”
“A week sounds like forever.”
“Is it long enough to plan a wedding?”
Katie propped her chin on his chest. “I don’t see why not. We don’t have to invite very many people. My parents won’t even come.”
“Does that bother you?”
She drew light circles on his shoulder. “I wish there could be peace between us, but I’m not going to let that stop me from being with you.”
“Do you want me to talk to them, try to work things out?”
“I’ll do that.” She found his hand and entwined their fingers. “Are you sure you can forgive me for the past, Booker?”
“I say we start with a clean slate.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Which means—”
Troy wailed then, and Booker rolled away to look over the edge of the bed. “I think our baby’s hungry,” he said, scooping him out of his infant seat and settling him between them.
Our baby…Katie kissed Troy’s soft cheek and laughed when he immediately began to root for her breast. “Which means what?” she said, returning to their earlier conversation.
“Which means you forget about Ashleigh. And you believe me when I say I didn’t sleep with her.”
Katie stared at the man she loved. “You went home with her.”
“But we didn’t do anything.”
Could th
at be true?
Even if it wasn’t, they’d both made mistakes. If he could forgive and forget, she could, too.
“I wouldn’t have gone home with her if we’d been together. You know that, don’t you?” Booker said. “I would never cheat on you, Katie.”
She admired the clean lines of his face, the wide brow, the high cheekbones. “I know that,” she said, happier than she could ever remember being.
Troy’s squirming grew frantic, and he began to cry in earnest.
“I think someone’s growing impatient.” Booker shifted to allow her more room to maneuver.
“He needs to be changed.”
“Did you bring diapers?”
“I brought a diaper bag, but it’s in the truck.”
“I’ll get it while you feed him.”
“Booker?” Delbert called. Judging by the closeness of his voice, he was standing directly outside their door.
Booker had just gotten out of bed and was pulling on his pants. “What?”
“Is Katie in there with you?” He sounded confused.
Booker raised his brows at Katie, as though requesting her permission to tell Delbert what he must already know. She nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “Why?”
“I want to hold the baby again.”
“The baby’s eating right now,” Booker told him. “You can hold him when we come down for breakfast, okay?”
Delbert agreed, but Katie didn’t hear him move away.
“I think he’s still out there,” she whispered.
“Is there something else?” Booker asked.
“Yes…”
“What?”
A long pause, then, “Someone called for you last night.”
Yawning, Booker yanked a T-shirt over his head. “Who?”
“Um…can you come here?”
“Why?”
“I want to whisper it.”
Katie felt her eyebrows gather and glanced at Booker questioningly. “That means it was a woman.”
“Just say it out loud,” Booker said, sitting on the edge of the bed while pulling on his boots.
“Her name was Chevy,” Delbert said. “Chevy, like the car. She has a car name. Isn’t that funny, Booker? She wants to come over. She wants to see you.”
Katie struggled to sit up while keeping Troy at her breast, but Booker pressed her gently back against the pillows. “Relax,” he murmured, and leaned across Troy to kiss the top of her head.
“Go ahead and call her back,” he told Delbert.
“Me?” Delbert said.
“Yeah. Why not?” Booker got up without bothering to lace his boots, and put on a ball cap.
“What do you want me to say, huh, Booker?” Delbert asked. “What should I say?”
Booker’s eyes rested on Katie, and she watched him slowly grin. “Tell her I’m getting married.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
REBECCA STOOD IN THE feminine hygiene aisle at Finley’s Grocery, staring at the pregnancy tests. She bought one almost every month—had tried every brand—but it was getting harder and harder to go through the checkout line and face the sympathy in Marge Finley’s eyes.
She took a test off the shelf, a brand she hadn’t tried in a long time, wondering if she’d have better luck trying it again. Then with a sigh, she put the box back. She’d wasted enough time and money—and hope—on pregnancy tests. Josh was tired of the whole thing. He’d given her one more month to realize her dream, and now that month was over. She’d taken her fertility shots until the very end, but she knew she didn’t need to buy a pregnancy test. She couldn’t be pregnant; she’d just started her period.
Slowly she meandered around to the next aisle, inexorably drawn to the baby supplies: bottles, rattles, diapers, rubber-tipped spoons, powder and diaper ointment. She’d pored over every item in this aisle so many times she could have quoted the prices. She’d even bought a few things—and hidden them in the attic so Josh wouldn’t see them and become forlorn that he couldn’t give her what she wanted so badly.
Running a finger over the picture of a baby on a box of Oragel, she felt the familiar yearning and closed her eyes. She needed to accept that she and Josh would never have children of their own—accept it and forgive herself. Almost everyone she met suggested she adopt. But she was too angry and bitter to consider that an option yet. She’d imagined holding Josh’s child in her arms too many times, could already picture what his child would look like….
Suddenly she heard Mary Thornton’s voice. Hoping to escape before Mary saw her in the baby aisle, Rebecca immediately headed in the opposite direction. If Josh had ended up with Mary, she would’ve been able to give him children, and Mary wasn’t about to let Rebecca forget that. Whenever they bumped into each other, Mary made a point of asking if Rebecca and Josh were planning to start a family soon, even though she must have heard about the fertility problems they were facing. Rebecca always pretended the question didn’t bother her and responded with “Maybe someday.” But it did bother her. And now she knew “someday” would most likely never come.
As she hurried away, she heard Mary say something that made her pause.
“If Booker’s going to steal a car after all the time he’s been out of jail, he hasn’t learned his lesson.”
“Stealing a car isn’t necessarily the same as robbing someone’s house,” another voice said. Rebecca couldn’t figure out who the second voice belonged to, but it sounded familiar.
“Why not?” Mary went on. “Booker has no scruples. You should’ve seen how he treated me when I went to his garage a few weeks ago.”
“What were you doing at Booker’s garage?”
There was a slight hesitation. “I needed my oil changed.”
“I thought you took your Beemer elsewhere for service.”
“Uh…I usually do but I didn’t have time to make the drive.”
“Right.”
“Why’d you use that tone?”
“Just tell me what your visit to the garage has to do with the robbery.”
“Booker’s the type to get revenge. And he’s the only one in town with a history of violence and stealing.”
Rebecca finally placed the second voice. It was Candace, a friend of Mary’s since high school. The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they passed the aisle where Rebecca was now standing and continued down another aisle without even glancing her way. But Rebecca no longer cared about going unnoticed. She had a thing or two to say to Mary and Candace.
“Mary, the police didn’t find any evidence at his house or his shop that tied him to the robbery,” Candace said as Rebecca began to follow them.
“So? That doesn’t mean anything. I know it wasn’t Slinkerhoff’s nephew.”
“How?”
Rebecca rounded the end of the aisle and was about to call Mary’s name when she heard her say, “Because he was with me that night,” and froze in her tracks.
“What was Joe Slinkerhoff doing at your place?” Candace asked.
Rebecca was wondering the same thing.
“Having dinner and watching a movie.”
What? Rebecca covered her mouth. Mary had pursued Josh, and then Mike, for years, hoping for a wedding proposal. She’d let everyone in town know that she’d settle for nothing but the very best. So why was she spending time with Joe Slinkerhoff? He was nearly ten years her junior, worked at a fast-food burger joint—the only one in town—and still lived at home, for crying out loud.
“Was Nick around?”
“No, he spent spring break with his father.”
“Still,” Candace said, “isn’t Joe a little young for you?”
“He’s only nine years younger. And a girl’s got a right to have a little fun,” Mary responded, giggling. “He treats me like he’s lucky to tie my shoes, and he’s not bad in bed.”
“So you’re giving up on Mike?”
“Of course not. Mike’s not married yet. He might be seeing Katie, but it won’t last
. She’s just the latest novelty.”
“You don’t think he’ll mind that you’ve been sleeping with Joe?”
“He’s not going to know. Anyway, who’s to say he’s not sleeping with Katie?”
Rebecca stepped into view. “I am,” she said. “Mike and Katie are only friends.”
Mary looked up at her and the color fled her face. For a moment she seemed to have trouble finding her voice. “Rebecca, I didn’t see you.”
“I know,” Rebecca said. “But just to set the record straight, Booker did not steal that car they found at his house.”
“That’s not what Orton’s wife is saying,” Candace said.
“Orton’s wife doesn’t know anything. I talked to my father early this morning. The car they found is the car Katie drove here from San Francisco. She gave it to Booker when she couldn’t pay him for repairs.”
Candace looked almost as uncomfortable as Mary. “Oh. I guess Janelle was wrong.”
“You’re damn right she was.”
“We were just going by what we’ve heard,” Mary said.
“Right.” Rebecca turned to go, but Mary caught her arm.
“You’re—” she cleared her throat “—you’re not going to tell Mike about Joe, are you?”
Rebecca hesitated. She’d been about to say, “Of course I am.” But suddenly there seemed so little point. Mary was obviously miserable and grasping at whatever she could find to fulfill her. She deserved sympathy, not derision.
“No,” Rebecca said and even managed to smile before she walked away. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to have a baby. But life wasn’t all bad. Now that she realized how pathetic Mary truly was, Rebecca knew Mike would never fall for her.
KATIE HAD ALMOST DECIDED not to go to work today. Booker had made her a big breakfast and helped Delbert hold the baby while she showered. She’d wanted to spend the rest of the day with him. But she’d promised to work for a few hours in the afternoon and didn’t want to leave Rebecca in the lurch.
After yesterday’s fiasco with the police, Booker said he needed to take care of a few things at the garage, anyway. So they’d come into town together. Only now that Booker was at the garage and Katie was sitting in her own chair at a mostly deserted Hair and Now, she couldn’t help thinking about her parents. How was she going to tell her father that she planned to marry Booker?
