Kate swallowed her anger. She wouldn’t let him provoke her. This wasn’t about her. Or him. This was about Maya. “Actually, I have several employees who claim I’m the best boss they’ve ever had. I guess that proves people can change. But the real question is have you?”
“I still love you, if that’s what you mean.”
Kate closed her eyes. Typical Ian. “That’s a lie, of course. You never loved me. You loved the connections I brought you. The patsies.”
“Katie, honey, you don’t—”
She stopped him. “I do mean that, Ian.” She could play the mind-reader card, too. “I’m here because you said you wanted to talk about Maya. So talk.”
“She hates me, doesn’t she?”
“You’re a stranger, Ian. You can’t expect her to welcome you with open arms just because you show up with candy.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?”
Go away and leave us alone. “Be patient,” she said instead. “She’s a kind and loving child. She’ll warm up to you in time.”
He sat up a little straighter. His hair had been buzz-cut in jail and was slowly coming back in—she could see silver where before there had only been black. But his black eyes still flashed with well-remembered arrogance. “I heard you’re seeing that guy who used to be your lawyer. The young one. He’s just moved here, right? Probably thinking about settling down, having a family.”
Rob? He asked her here to talk about Rob?
“That would be Rob’s business. Not yours.”
“But, Katie, a man has a right to know who his competition is, doesn’t he?”
She walked to where he was sitting and leaned over just close enough to make sure he could see her eyes. “Rob Brighten has no competition.”
Then she left.
“‘ROB HAS NO COMPETITION’? You just said that to make a point, right?” Liz asked.
The two sisters were sitting in their mother’s backyard. Maya was playing at Gemilla’s. Kate had no idea where Yetta was. Instead of rushing home from Ian’s, she’d dawdled at the market to avoid bumping into Rob again. Liz had shown up a few minutes later. And while she and Kate weren’t particularly close, Kate had needed to talk to someone.
“Of course,” Kate said, fighting the urge to pace from one end of the yard to the other. She wished Grace was here. “I wanted to punish him. I wanted him to think I had this fabulous life with a handsome young lover. When did I turn into such a shrew?”
Her sister chuckled dryly. “I’m sure we could pinpoint the exact moment if we tried.”
Kate stuck out her tongue, but she knew her sister was trying for humor—the way Grace would have. “But since that would probably just add to your depression,” Liz quickly added, “Let’s move forward instead.”
“What if I can’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Maya’s a mess, too. She’s very sensitive to what’s happening around her, especially when it involves me. I know that her bad attitude lately is partly my fault. I’m angry at Ian and frustrated at work. Even with Jo helping, I still have too much to do.”
“Because Grace is gone.”
Liz poured them each some iced tea from a pitcher. The bowl of browning apple slices was left over from swim class, Kate assumed. She wished now that she’d stayed. She loved watching Rob interact with the fathers and the other children. He was even making progress where Maya was concerned, although he probably didn’t think so.
Maya had placed the green glass frog on her bedside table and always told it good-night, right after her fish.
“You and Grace are partners, right? When one partner leaves the business, isn’t it common for that partner to sell her share?” Liz asked.
Kate took a drink. Honey and mint tea. “Ummm. This is good. Where’d you get it? I wouldn’t mind serving it at Romantique.”
“I made it. Three mints and a couple of other herbs. Don’t change the subject.”
Kate leaned forward and plopped her chin on her palm. “I can’t afford to buy Grace’s share. She’s invested way more tha—”
“I meant to another buyer. Someone who loves the business as much as you do. Someone like…Jo.”
“Jo?” She sat up straight. “Do you really think she’d be interested? Grace put a lot of seed money into the place. What makes you think Jo could afford to buy Grace’s half?”
Liz had that cat-ate-the-mouse look on her face. Of all Kate’s sisters, Liz was the most observant. She watched and listened when everyone else was shouting. She saw things others missed. “Jo and Mom got together for lunch last Monday. I happened to pass by here. They were discussing the idea. Jo said she was afraid to suggest it because you might think she was trying to horn in on your success. And she knows how close you are to Grace.”
Kate was touched, deeply. “I love that woman. Do you think Grace would go for it? Romantique is as much her baby as mine.”
“I know that. But Mom thinks our little sister is going to be thinking about living, breathing babies pretty soon.” She paused a second then added, “I’ve heard Grace say how guilty she feels about not being here to help more. Why not ask her?”
Kate thought a moment. The idea not only sounded good, it felt right. She stood up. “I think I will. Right this minute.” She started to walk away, but paused and added, “Thanks, sis.”
“KATE. MOM. What are you two doing here?”
Rob had been at his desk all morning going over employee evaluations that the personnel manager had forwarded from home office. One of his two lowest-producing attorneys needed to be let go. April, the woman who’d mishandled Kate’s case, and Kwen, who had finally stopped bringing his children to work, had been singled out because of low numbers. According to the memo Rob had received, both lacked the drive the senior partners felt was a requirement.
Rob disagreed. He felt the two were excellent litigators whose work had suffered lately from outside stresses in their lives. Kwen’s shaky marriage and concern for his children and April’s mother’s situation were human, real-life problems. Firing either of these people wasn’t going to be easy.
He stood up as the two women walked in. “You’re both smiling. That’s good. Isn’t it?”
“I’m buying Grace’s half of the business,” his mother said. She sat down in one of the two chairs opposite his desk. She seemed a bit breathless—from excitement?
He looked at Kate as she explained. “I talked to Grace last Saturday. I gave her the weekend to think about it and come up with a price if she wanted to go through with it. She and Jo discussed numbers this morning. We’re ready to make it legal.”
“Really? Grace agreed to sell her share of Romantique?” From the little he knew of Kate’s younger sister, this idea seemed rather unexpected.
“Her life is in Detroit now, not Las Vegas.”
“And she also agreed that Kate had a right to ask for a totally committed working partner,” his mother added.
“Nikolai said it was Grace’s call, but given the fact she has a wedding to plan and a house to decorate, she decided she could use the time and money to settle into her new life.”
Kate had heard the news that morning with a mixture of relief and regret. She missed her sister desperately and wasn’t sure she could make a go of this on her own—even with Jo’s full support. But both sisters knew the present situation wasn’t fair to either of them.
She watched as Rob and his mother discussed the details of the sale. On one hand, Kate felt a giddy kind of lightness—as if the thumb that had been pressing down on her was suddenly removed. On the other, her emotions hovered on the verge of tears. So many changes…
As if sensing her turmoil, Rob looked up and smiled. “I think this is going to be a fabulous move for both of you. Do you know what you should do now?”
She shook her head.
“Celebrate. How ’bout I take you two lovely ladies to lunch? Romantique is closed on Mondays, so you don’t have any excuse not to go.”
“I’d love to, son, but you’ve been such a nag about seeing the doctor for this stupid cough, I set up an appointment for today.”
Rob sat back in surprise. “You’re kidding. I thought I was going to have to hog-tie you to get you into the clinic.”
Jo crinkled her nose. “So I hate doctors. I’m not alone, you know. But Yetta gave me the name of the lady doctor she sees. So I agreed to give her a try.”
“That’s great, Mom. I’m really glad,” he said. Then he looked at Kate. “So, are you free for lunch?”
Surprisingly, she was free for the rest of the day. The three- and four-year-old students at the Dancing Hippo were on a field trip, and Yetta had offered to take Maya, Gemilla and another friend out to dinner for Gemilla’s birthday. Afterward, the girls would enjoy a marathon movie night and sleep in Maya’s room. Kate hadn’t been invited, but that was okay. Maya had been particularly clingy lately and this seemed like a positive change.
“I have a better idea,” Jo said. She produced her saddlebag-shaped purse and started digging in it. “I’ve got just the thing. And it’s free.”
Rob grinned. His mother loved a bargain. And she looked better than she had in days. Weeks. Maybe she had been suffering from a lingering cold. Or maybe being part owner of a restaurant was just the shot in the arm she needed to feel good about her life.
As they waited for Jo to find whatever it was she was looking for, Rob glanced at Kate. Gorgeous. And surprisingly relaxed.
“Here it is. An overnight spa escape for two. To Mesquite.”
He shook his head. “Mesquite? Where’s that?”
“About an hour east of here,” Kate said. Her smile looked indulgent, not put off.
Jo handed her the trifold flyer. “I bid on this at some fund-raiser they were having at my apartment complex. It has to be used this month. You could both benefit from a massage and a nice dinner, right? You take it.”
Kate passed him the brochure without comment. Rob studied the glossy photos. Green golf courses. Purplish mountains in the background. Aqua blue swimming pools surrounded by palms. The spa package included two massages, and the choice of either a mud bath or a pedicure. Plus, dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and a night in one of the luxurious suites. “It looks great, Mom, but you should use it.”
“He’s right, Jo. You could head over there after your appointment. I’d be happy to cover lunch tomorrow.”
Jo shook her head and stood up. “I’m a partner now. I don’t plan on starting out by going on vacation. Nope. If you don’t use it, that means I wasted my hard-earned money on nothing. Shame. Shame. Now, I have to run to make my appointment. Call me from Mesquite and tell me how the food is.” And she left.
Kate sat back in her chair looking slightly stunned. “Wow. I had no idea. She’s even pushier than my mother when it comes to matchmaking.”
She sounded amused, which gave Rob hope. Now was a horrible time to leave the office. But he would. For a chance to be with Kate. Plus, it would give him time to mull over his personnel dilemma.
“You aren’t by any chance interested in taking her up on the offer, are you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Are you?”
He straightened the papers in the file and locked them in his desk, then stood up. “Yes.”
She looked around. “Can you do that? Just walk away?”
No. There would be all kinds of hell to pay, but…“I’m pretty sure I feel a cold coming on.” He pretended to cough. “Mom gave it to me.” He faked a sneeze. “Wouldn’t want to give it to my colleagues or clients, right?”
He walked around the desk and held out his hand. “They say prevention is the best medicine, so let’s go get healthy.”
Kate hesitated just a second, then she laughed and stood up. “A massage sounds like heaven. But the mud bath? I don’t know about that.”
“And I’m sure the restaurant won’t be as good as Romantique,” he said, his heart starting to race.
She pulled back on his hand before they reached the door. “What about the room? I’m not sure…”
He shrugged, keeping his tone casual. “If we decide to stay over—for whatever reason, we can get another room. Okay?”
Her grin returned. “Okay.”
Chapter Ten
Kate took her time strolling through the lush landscaping of the Casablanca’s pool area. The massive cascading waterfall looked inviting. Maybe she’d go for a swim after her massage.
No. Wait. After my pedicure.
She and Rob had argued the pros and cons of mud bath versus pedicure and he’d almost convinced her to try the former. But when they arrived at the hotel and tried to book their appointments, they were told that only one slot at the mud bath was open. Kate generously took the pedicure option and sent him off with an attendant.
The thought made her smile. She’d already had one of the best days of recent memory. The drive to Mesquite had flown by. She’d learned a lot about Rob—his compassion for the people he was being told to fire, his love of the law and the reason he felt so strongly about teaching kids to swim.
“My best friend in junior high lost a sibling to an accidental drowning. It was one of those moments in your life when you suddenly realize what death means. It was senseless. Excruciating. I signed up for the Red Cross classes and eventually started teaching water safety courses. For Kyle. And his family.”
Kate had been touched. And while she wasn’t ready to admit it to him, that story had been the little nudge that put her over the edge. She was well past like and very close to love.
But she still wasn’t ready to act on her feelings. She’d agreed to check into the single room that went with Jo’s gift certificate because it gave them a place to change clothes and freshen up before dinner. Did that mean she wanted to spend the night with him? No. Well, maybe.
She looked at her watch. Ten minutes until her appointment. Impulsively, she plopped down in a chaise longue and pulled out her phone to call Grace.
“A mud bath?” her sister exclaimed after being told about Kate and Rob’s spur-of-the-moment trip. “Doesn’t that require a person to sit still? In a tub of mud? That doesn’t sound like Rob. And you! A massage and a pedicure? Are you on drugs?”
“Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf. From now on, I’m going to be a calmer, more relaxed Kate.”
After Grace stopped giggling, she said, “Okay. ’Fess up. This radical change of attitude can only mean one thing—you’re in love.”
Kate knew that lying to Grace was usually futile.
“Am I crazy? The timing couldn’t be worse. Ian is making noise about us getting back—”
Grace let out a howl. “No way. Katherine Ann Grant, if you even hint about hooking up with Ian again, I’m getting on the next plane to Vegas to knock some sense into you.”
“Don’t worry,” Kate said firmly. “I only mentioned that because Ian has made it clear he isn’t going away anytime soon. Who wants to start a relationship with that kind of craziness hanging over your head?”
“Remember how Dad used to take us hiking in Red Rocks when we had something big on our minds?” Grace asked.
“The only time Dad and I spent together was at a craps table.”
“Oh. Well, then that’s where you should go. Shoot a little craps tonight and see if Dad shows up. He always had Ian’s number. Maybe he’ll help you get some perspective on what you should do. But if you want my advice, go for it. Rob seems like a great guy.”
“So did Ian when I first married him.”
Grace let out a little gasp. “You realize, don’t you, that this plays right into Mom’s prediction for you?”
Kate stood up. “No. Stop right there. Mom endorsed Ian, remember? She urged me to marry him. That just proves that Mom and I have never been on the same wavelength.”
<
br /> Kate and Grace had had this conversation before. “If a person can predict the future, shouldn’t that person do everything in her power to help the people she loves avoid heartbreak?”
“Oh, sis, that’s not how this fortune-telling thing works. I used to feel the same way. I resented Mom for not giving us any warning about Dad’s stroke, but now that I’ve experienced a bit of…well, second sight, I can understand how Mom might have got it wrong. You should talk to her, Kate. Tell her how you feel.”
Kate quickly ended the conversation, citing her need to make her massage appointment. Her sister was a natural-born peacemaker, and Grace was passionate about their Romani heritage. Kate wasn’t.
Maybe I’m a natural-born skeptic.
As she walked past the inground jetted spa with its very own miniature waterfall, Kate thought about the talk she and her mother had had just before Kate left home for the Culinary Institute of America.
“This is the right choice for me, isn’t it, Mom?” Kate had asked. Her sisters had chosen conventional colleges to attend. Kate had always gotten passing grades in school, but she didn’t love it. What she loved was cooking.
“I’ve already told you your prophecy, dear, but that involves what I guess you’d call the big picture. You’re asking about this specific path you’re taking, right?”
Kate had nodded, a little embarrassed to admit her qualms—especially since she felt ambivalent about her mother’s predictions. One part of her believed that chance and circumstance played a huge part in what choices were available to a person. Another part wanted to believe there was a master plan that mapped out her future. But she’d always been disappointed in her prophecy. It was so…bland.
“You can’t escape your destiny—nor avoid the past, when the two intersect,” her mother had told her. What did that mean to a young woman poised to conquer the culinary world? Destiny and the past? The words were just rhetoric to a girl starting out on her own path.
“I wish I could tell you that going to cooking school will bring you fame, fortune and the man of your dreams, but I can’t,” her mother had said bluntly.
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