Fringe Benefits

by Sandy James

  Nate came outside to stand next to her and took her hand. “Everything okay?”

  Dani grasped his hand and squeezed, hoping he’d realize she couldn’t answer him yet. “I’ll call Jules and let her know I’ll be there as fast as I can drive. I can get Emma and take her to your place—if that’s okay? Figured it would be easier if she had her own stuff.”

  “That would be great,” Robert said, his voice full of relief. “You’ve got the garage door code, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “I want to stay here with Beth.”

  “I understand. I’ll text as soon as I have a rental car for Nate.”

  “He won’t come home with you?” Robert asked.

  “Not really sure,” she replied. “I haven’t asked him yet, but he might want to stay with his family.”

  “Well, drive carefully. I need to get back to Beth.”

  Nate jumped as soon as she pulled the phone away from her ear. “What’s wrong?”

  “Beth’s in the hospital.”

  “What happened?”

  “The stomach thing was a lot worse than she thought,” Dani replied. “They need me to come back and take care of Emma.” Instead of putting him on the spot, she asked, “Think you can get a rental car for the ride home?” She pulled up Google on her phone. “Maybe you can go with me now since we passed the Indy airport on the drive in. Then you could get a rental—”

  “Put that phone away,” he insisted. “We’ll go to Mom’s house and grab our stuff, then get right on the road.” He checked his watch. “We should be there before midnight.”

  “You don’t have to leave, Nate. I’ll pay for the rental.”

  “Don’t be silly.” He held the door open. “I know you’re worried about Beth, and I can give you some help with Emma.” He took her hand and led her back to the table. “Mom, Mark, I’m really sorry, but we have to cut our visit short.”

  Dani couldn’t stop a smug smile at the notion he’d deliberately excluded Kat from his apology.

  “What happened?” Jackie’s gaze kept shifting between her son and Dani, who tried hard not to see accusation in her eyes.

  “My best friend’s in the hospital.” Dani took her jacket from the back of her chair and then plucked the black folder, hoping that it still held the check. “Please let me pick up the tab for tonight.”

  “Too late,” Mark replied as she opened the folder. “Took care of it while you were outside.”

  The final receipt showed his credit card payment. He’d left a generous tip, so she couldn’t even offer to pitch in for that. “Thank you.” She set the folder back down. Figuring she needed to give Nate one more chance to change his mind, she took his hand. “I know you were looking forward to visiting your family. I can help you get a rental car before I drive back to Cloverleaf. It’s not a problem. The airport’s on the way home anyway, and—”

  “Nope. We’re both going.” Turning to his mom, he said, “I’m sorry. I really am, but Beth and Robert are my friends, too. Dani’s going to stay with their daughter, Emma. She’s barely a toddler and Dani will need my help.”

  Jackie didn’t even try to hide her disappointment. “Maybe you can come back in a day or two?”

  “Maybe,” Nate replied before looking to Dani.

  If Beth was in the hospital, she was in bad shape. The woman avoided doctors as though going to their office was a sure way to turn a simple problem into a life-or-death situation. Allowing herself to be admitted meant it would take days for her to recover, and Dani planned to be there for her, Robert, and Emma.

  But she sure didn’t want Jackie blaming her for Nate leaving. “I really think you should stay. I doubt I’ll be able to come back, but there’s no reason for you to go.”

  Jackie opened her mouth, but Mark’s hand quickly covered it. “We understand.” He frowned at his wife until she sighed against his palm. “You two need to be there for your friends. I hope Beth gets well soon.”

  Kat stood. “Nate, may I speak to you in private for a moment?”

  The look he gave her was the same one he offered students when he was about to send them to the office.

  Dani intervened. “Go on.” She nudged his ribs. Not only was she dying of curiosity for Kat to finally show her cards, but she also didn’t want to come across as the jealous girlfriend.

  Hesitating, he stared down at Dani.

  She nudged him again, a little harder. “Go on. The faster you talk to her, the faster we can get going.”

  “Well, since you’re finally agreeing that I’m going, too, I’ll give in. This time.” Motioning to Kat, he led her toward the entrance, probably to go outside where it was quiet for their little chat.

  * * *

  Nate would rather have been doing anything else in the world than talking to Kat. A flu shot. A punch to the face. An IRS audit. All would’ve been preferable. But then again, it was time to get her to stop her attacks on his girlfriend.

  Damn, he was proud of Dani. She’d stood her ground, no matter how snarky Kat got. At least Mark had called his daughter out for being so rude, but had Dani not been asked to come back to Cloverleaf, that disrespect would no doubt have continued. Then Nate would’ve had to intervene as well. And he wouldn’t have been half as nice as Mark had been.

  “What do you want, Kat?” Nate asked as soon as they were away from the people waiting at the entrance. He made no effort to hide his annoyance with her. If she was going to be impolite, two could play at that game.

  Clasping her hands in front of her, she let her head hang. “I’m sorry about today. I’m ashamed of myself.”

  Having been burned by her false apologies on far too many occasions, he wasn’t about to let her off the hook. “For what?”

  “For being such a bitch to Dani.”

  “Got that right.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “You know, I just don’t understand your motivation. We broke up a long time ago. Who I date isn’t your concern.”

  Her head snapped up. “But that’s what I want to talk to you about.”

  “What?”

  Taking a step closer, she put her hand on his arm. “I made a big mistake. I realize that now.” She shrugged. “Shit, I’ve made a lot of big mistakes. Losing you was the worst, though.”

  While his ego loved that she’d finally appreciated exactly what she’d thrown away by leaving him, her words didn’t move him—at least not much. There would always be a part of him that loved Kat. But he wasn’t in love with her anymore.

  No, he was in love with Dani.

  Admitting it to himself was easy. The feeling had been blooming inside him almost from the moment he met her. So different from the instant love he’d had for Kat. The way he’d chased her around seemed so damned juvenile now. To compare that feeling to the affection he held for Dani was just… wrong.

  Everything about the two women was different, so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise that his love for each of them was different as well. Kat—dark, petite, and so open about everything she thought and felt. His desire for her had been like a bottle rocket. Hot, bright, and every bit as fast dying as it had been in developing. Dani—light, tall, and secretive about what was in her heart and in her mind. She was passion and goodness and everything he wanted for his future and for the future mother of his children.

  Nate suddenly wanted to find Dani and tell her that he loved her. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d have to find the balls to say it first. Knowing her as well as he did—and loving her as much as he did—he knew she’d never admit that she loved him.

  If she did…

  Oh, she did—but did she realize it yet? And if she knew, would she ever admit it?

  Kat rubbed his arm, and the hurt was there for him to see in her eyes and hear in her voice. “Nate, can’t you stay? Please? I want some time with you. I want us to see if there’s still something between us, something worth saving. Stay with me. Let Dani go take care of her friend and give me a chance to explain ever
ything.”

  The best thing to do would be to pretend she hadn’t ever said the words, but it was more difficult than he thought it should be. To discuss the past with her would be akin to telling her there was a sliver of hope. He’d learned the hard way that she had a habit of hearing things she wanted to hear instead of what was actually said. “I need to head home with Dani.”

  “Please, Nate.” Her brown eyes searched his, and he recognized that look—the one that she’d used on him so often to try to sway him. “I need you to forgive me. Please.”

  “I forgave you a long time ago, Kat.”

  “Then stay. Please. Let me have the time I need to explain.”

  “Sorry, Kat. I need to be with Dani.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “After all we’ve meant to each other? After all we’ve been through? You won’t even give me a chance to explain?”

  “There’s nothing to explain. We’re history, have been for a long time. Dani’s my life now. I love her.”

  He hadn’t known Dani was there until he heard her gasp. He whirled to find her standing by his mom and Mark, her expression one of stark surprise.

  Although Nate hadn’t meant to tell her like this, he was relieved the cat was out of the proverbial bag. “Hi, sweetheart. Guess you heard everything we were saying, right?”

  “Just the last bit,” Mark replied. “Let me see if I can recall it word for word… ‘Dani’s my life now. I love her.’ Pretty close?”

  Jackie looked every bit as surprised as Dani, and for once, she held her tongue.

  “Damn near perfect,” Nate said with a grin.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nate looked up when he heard his bedroom door latch click. Kat leaned back against the closed door, her face, for once, unreadable.

  He rolled up his extra pair of jeans and shoved them into his duffel. “What do you want, Kat?”

  “I just wanted a minute alone with you so we could talk.”

  “About what?”

  “Us.”

  A heavy sigh slipped from his lips. From the moment she’d told him she wanted him back, he’d known they’d have to hash things out if only to make sure she understood that anything between them was in the past. “There isn’t an ‘us,’ Kat.”

  “There could be—if you wanted to give it another try.”

  Zipping up his bag, Nate shook his head. Then he turned to face her. “I don’t. I’m with Dani now.”

  Kat pushed away from the door and took a few steps closer. “I’ve missed you, Nate.” Another step. Then another, until she was close enough to touch him if she chose to. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Kat…”

  The familiar scent of her perfume wafted toward him, and a moment of melancholy over what might have been stunned him. A long time ago, he’d believed this beautiful woman had represented his future. They’d be married and share a child—then later, more children. They’d be a family.

  His most painful childhood memory was of hearing his father tell him that he was leaving his mother and that he was marrying a woman only a few years older than his own sons. Nate had fantasized that he could create a perfect family of his own, one where he’d be the perfect husband and father—one where he wouldn’t abandon his wife and kids like David Ryan had.

  But that dream had slowly died when Kat had changed so drastically after the miscarriage.

  Her arms went around his waist. “Kiss me.”

  “Kat…”

  “One kiss. Just one. Then I’ll know if you don’t love me anymore.”

  Maybe a kiss would bring an end to all this nonsense. “Fine. See for yourself…”

  “Oh, I will.” On tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his.

  For that moment, he remembered her as she was. Young. Beautiful. He’d been head over heels for her. Kissing her seemed… familiar. Comforting.

  Then the moment ended, and he stepped back. Even though now she was so much more like the Kat he’d fallen in love with, and he’d always have feelings for her, he’d left her in his past.

  His plans for Dani were so very different. They were real. They weren’t some young guy’s way to soothe the pain of losing his father to a new family.

  “I knew it,” Kat declared, a note of triumph in her voice. “I knew you still wanted me.”

  He shook his head. “Not at all, Kat.”

  Turning on her heel, a wicked smile on her face, she left the room.

  “Good riddance,” he mumbled to himself.

  * * *

  Dani finished packing the few things she’d pulled out of her bag since she’d arrived. Just as she was zipping it up, the sound of the bedroom door closing drew her attention.

  Kat leaned back against the closed door. Instead of the stereotypical spurned ex-fiancée frown, she had unshed tears in her eyes. “I just had a long talk with Nate.”

  Since Dani had wondered why he wasn’t tossing stuff back into his own duffel, she shouldn’t have been surprised that Kat had cornered him. Nate was a great guy. She wouldn’t give him up without a fight. Kat was only doing the same thing—holding on to the man she loved. The difference was that Dani hadn’t stolen him away; their relationship had been over for a long time.

  “This won’t work, you know,” Kat said.

  “And what exactly do you think won’t work?” Dani asked, playing coy in hopes of sparking the woman’s obvious hot temper. If Kat got angry, she wouldn’t guard her words, which might give Dani something that would help in the fight to keep Nate. Women played dirty, especially when battling over a guy. The more ammunition, the better her chances of winning.

  The brunette pushed herself away from the door. “Can we stop playing games?”

  So Kat’s thoughts ran along a similar vein. “I hadn’t realized that was what we were doing…”

  Kat’s snort was in sharp contrast to her beautiful face. “You and I both know damn well that’s exactly what we’re doing—playing a game.”

  “And Nate’s the prize?”

  All of Kat’s cockiness vanished. “Nate’s not some prize. He’s my whole life. I need him. I want to make a family with him.”

  While she didn’t want to be snarky in the face of what seemed to be Kat’s real pain, Dani couldn’t help but state the obvious. “You left him. If he’s your whole life, why would you do something like that?”

  “Because I was young and stupid.”

  “And you suddenly realized that the moment Nate said he loved me?”

  Kat shook her head. “I’ve known since I came home from Europe. I just haven’t had the chance to talk to him until now.”

  “So he doesn’t have a phone or e-mail? Face it, people aren’t so hard to get in touch with nowadays.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Kat said, “You don’t have to be a bitch about this.”

  “You’re trying to steal my guy.” Dani kept her voice low and controlled, hiding the emotions tumbling through her. “Damn right I’m going to be a bitch about it.”

  They stood there in stilted silence until Dani couldn’t take another moment. “Kat, I have no idea what you want me to say. If you think I’m just going to walk away—”

  “No, I know you wouldn’t do that. Nate’s too great a guy to give up that easily.” Kat gave a delicate sniff as though fighting tears.

  A knock on the closed door made Kat jump.

  “Dani?” Jackie called through the door. “Anything I can do to help you get ready?”

  “This isn’t over,” Kat hissed before jerking open the door. She tossed Jackie a fake smile and disappeared down the hallway.

  Jackie’s brows gathered as she watched her stepdaughter walk away. Then she let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. “I saw her come up here, and I figured you might want someone to bail you out.”

  “I can hold my own.”

  Jackie smiled. “I kinda thought you could.”

  When she didn’t move out of the doorway, Dani assumed it was time for the second family confrontatio
n about Nate’s announcement that he lived with her. “Did you want to talk to me?”

  “I shouldn’t,” Jackie admitted. “If I were smart, I’d just walk away and mind my own business.” Her eyes met Dani’s. “Evidently I’m not very smart, because I really want to talk to you.”

  This conversation had to rank among the most uncomfortable of Dani’s life. “Well, since I need to be getting back to Cloverleaf to help my friend, let’s talk.”

  Strolling to the bed, Jackie sat and then patted the space beside her. “Come. Sit.”

  If this woman was going to be a part of her life, Dani needed to get along with her. For Nate’s sake. It wasn’t as if anything Jackie could say would be as bad as the challenge Kat had tossed at her feet.

  Dani sat next to Jackie. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Kat.”

  Having figured Jackie was here to caution about moving in too quickly, the topic stopped Dani cold. “What?”

  “I want to talk about Kat,” Jackie replied. “I wasn’t exactly eavesdropping… but I heard quite a bit of what she said to you.”

  Trying to give Jackie the benefit of the doubt, Dani had to admit if she’d been close enough to hear the kind of exchange that had happened between her and Kat, she’d also have stayed to hear as much as she could. “So what exactly did you want to say?”

  “Kat’s a little spoiled.” Jackie leaned close enough to bump her shoulder against Dani’s in a friendly way. “Please don’t tell my husband I said that. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good dad. It’s just that his first wife died when the girls were adolescents. He always gave Kat and Carly just about anything they wanted—Kat more so than Carly. Probably because Kat looks so damned much like her mother.”

  Unsure as to what to say, all Dani did was nod. Being spoiled might be part of the reason Kat was adamant that she’d get Nate back.

  “What’s flying through your head?” Jackie asked. “I mean, Kat threw the gauntlet at your feet and all…”

  “I know.”

  “What you probably need to know is that Nate won’t go back to her.”

  Dani let her eyes find Jackie’s. “You’re sure of that?”