“I know that, Pete, and I’m grateful. Cala talks to him, and she should, because he’s her father. Emily and Ellie are polite, but they don’t seem to like him much. Children instinctively know who they can run up to and hug. The dogs leave Logan alone, too.”
“Guess what, Kristine. The animals hate him. Kids and animals are astute judges of character.”
“I know that, Pete. Just let things take their natural course.”
“Fine, I’ll do that. I want to make sure you aren’t blinded by what you see on the surface. You already screwed things up with Woodie.” Pete’s voice was so sour-sounding that Kristine wanted to swat him.
“I resent that, Pete.”
“Too bad. When something is true, it’s true.”
“Is Woodie seeing someone, Pete?”
“How would I know something like that?”
“Forget I mentioned it. If he is, I don’t blame him. So, what would you like for lunch, tuna salad or egg salad?”
“Surprise me,” Pete said, heading for the barn.
Kristine stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the back porch. She looked up to see Logan sitting on the folding chair with Gracie and Slick in his lap. He was tickling their ears. “Get down!” Kristine shouted. When the dogs stayed where they were, she raised her voice a second time. Slick leaped to the ground. Gracie stayed on Logan’s lap.
“Why didn’t we ever get a dog?”
“Because you hated animals,” Kristine snapped as she snatched Gracie from Logan’s lap. She swatted the little dog on her rear end. “When I call you, you come,” she said, wagging her finger under the little dog’s nose.
“What do you want for lunch, egg salad or tuna?”
“Egg salad will be fine.”
“We’re having tuna,” Kristine said as she opened the screen door.
“Tuna’s fine, too. Do you want me to do anything? I cleaned up the kitchen earlier. You are a messy cook, Kristine.”
“What time is your appointment today?”
“Two o’clock. I’ll be home by five. In case you’re interested, the doctors say I’m doing better than expected. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll die right on schedule, and you can marry Aaron Dunwoodie. That certainly is a strange relationship. Do you ever see him? I’m beginning to think that confession you made to me on Christmas Day was all a figment of your imagination. You just said it to get a rise out of me, and I fell for it.”
“Think what you want, Logan. My relationship with Woodie is none of your damn business. If you want to talk about infidelities, why don’t we discuss some of yours. I know you carried on affairs while we were married. Don’t bother to deny it, Logan. I might have cared then, but I don’t care now.”
“Yes you do. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. You remember all the good times we had. We loved each other. I’ll never believe you stopped loving me.”
“In your dreams, Logan. This is not something I care to discuss. Not now, not ever. I’m warning you now, when you move into the storage room, that’s where you will stay. You do not step foot on the second floor.”
“You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?” Logan teased.
“No, I’m not afraid of you.”
“Then you’re afraid of yourself.”
Kristine wondered if it was true. “Make yourself useful, Logan,” she said too quickly. “Chop the onions and celery for the tuna. I have to go down to the barn for something.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me to make the sandwiches, Kristine? I don’t mind. If I can make things easier for you, I’ll feel like I’m earning my keep.”
Kristine washed her hands. When she turned away from the sink she stepped right into Logan’s arms. She gasped as his lips clamped down on hers. She struggled briefly and then gave in to the moment—the moment she’d dreamed about for so many years. The moment when Logan returned, to sweep her into his arms and promise undying love. It was a sweet, gentle kiss that spoke of things to come.
At that precise second, she wanted those other things yet to come.
The sound of steps on the back porch brought her back to reality. Logan released her, a little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve wanted to do that since the night I came home. Do you know what I want to do to you right now?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Kristine saw Pete take the steps off the porch two at a time. Her stomach immediately tied itself into a big, hard knot.
“Don’t do that again, Logan.”
“I’m sorry. I liked it. You responded. To me that means you liked it, too. It seemed natural. I always used to kiss you when you were standing by the sink. Don’t you remember? One time we went for it right there with the kids out on the back porch playing Monopoly. Do you remember that?”
“No,” Kristine croaked.
“Liar,” Logan said in the same light, teasing voice.
Flustered, Kristine opened the door for the dogs. She followed them to the barn, dreading the look she would see on Pete’s face. She wondered if Pete would tell Cala what he’d seen. If he did, Cala would then call Mike, who would in turn call Tyler. And all through no fault of mine, she thought. Of course it was your fault, Kristine. You even liked it there for a minute, and you wanted more. Admit it, a voice inside her head argued with her.
“Woodie is the better kisser. I love Woodie. God, how I love Woodie,” she muttered.
If you loved him, you wouldn’t be standing here trying to figure out what you’re going to say to Pete. He’s never going to believe you weren’t a willing partner in that kiss, the voice continued to argue.
What I do or don’t do in my personal life is none of Pete’s business. It’s not my children’s business, either.
That sounds like a pretty lame excuse to me, the voice grumbled.
“Stuff it,” Kristine mumbled as she made her way to the small office where Pete was poring over AKC records. He looked up, a scowl on his face. Kristine reacted.
“Look, Pete, it isn’t what you think. I don’t owe you any explanations. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”
“That’s fine with me. Don’t fix any lunch for me. I lost my appetite.”
“Isn’t that kind of childish?”
“Is that what you think?”
“I told you, it isn’t . . . wasn’t what you think. I’m in love with Woodie. I will go to my grave loving that man.”
“It might be nice if you told him so.”
“He knows it, Pete. I’m doing what I feel is right. Woodie and I differ on what we think is right. If this is going to be a problem between you and me, spit it out now.”
“Your life is your life, Kristine. I’m still not hungry.”
“Fine,” Kristine snapped as she gathered up the papers she wanted. “Mrs. Danziger called this morning. She wants a companion for Mitzi. I told her all the pups were promised, but she could have her pick from the first summer litter. I told her you would call her.”
“Kristine, the woman already has four dogs. She’s sixty-six. Are you sure you want to give her another pup?”
“She’s got live-in help around the clock. Those dogs are her greatest enjoyment in life. She called, I promised, and that’s the end of it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Pete said smartly.
“I have to go into town. I’ll be back by three. Do you need anything?”
“No,” Pete said curtly.
“Then I’m going up to the house to eat my lunch.”
Kristine felt Pete’s eyes boring into her back as she walked up the path to the house.
“It’s all ready, hon,” Logan said as he took his place at the table across from Kristine.
Kristine looked down at the plate. The sandwich was toasted to perfection, the carrot curls and thin slices of cucumber looked delicious. The napkins were folded just right, the apple juice properly chilled. “Too bad you never did this when we were married, Logan. If you had, I wouldn’t have had so much stress in my life.”
“Yes.”
“Yes. You mean it? It will be like old times with no strings.”
“Yes, like old times with no strings,” Kristine said.
“I’ll meet you in town at five o’clock.”
“Five o’clock is fine. Where do you want to meet me?”
“At the Golden Dragon.”
“I’m going to leave now. Do you mind clearing up, Logan?”
“Yes, I do mind, but I’ll do it.”
“Never mind, I’ll do it. I suppose it’s fair since you made lunch. You need to leave now so you won’t be late,” Kristine said.
“I’ll make lunch all this week. I’ll clean up, too. You’re a sweetheart, Kris.”
“Just go, Logan.”
Fool, fool, fool, Kristine’s mind shrieked.
When the kitchen was all cleaned up, Kristine poured herself a second cup of coffee. As she sipped at it, she realized she had absolutely nothing to do. If she went down to the barn, she would only be in Pete’s way. Cala would be out soon with the girls. She couldn’t take Cala’s job away from her or the little chores Emily and Ellie loved doing. The house was clean, the laundry all caught up. The paperwork was still in piles in the dining room waiting for Logan’s final input. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right about a lot of things. In just a few days things would be ready to be put into motion. It had been Logan’s idea to form the Summers Kelly Foundation that would disburse the monies to those family members they had documented and had been able to locate. Even Jack Valarian had agreed with Logan, which for some reason excited him, so much so Kristine found herself being jealous when Jack deferred to Logan over her.
She needed to think about that kiss by the kitchen sink. She had felt something, and she would be a liar if she denied it. It was a physical thing, not a head and heart thing like she felt for Woodie, she finally decided.
Kristine checked the kitchen clock. She had three hours to kill until it was time to head to town to meet Logan. If she waited until the last minute, she could go to the drive-through teller at the bank so as not to run into Woodie. If she had time to spare, she could go to the candy shop and get the candies and chicks for Emily’s and Ellie’s Easter baskets.
The long afternoon stretched ahead of her. What should she do? She supposed she could settle down with a good book or do some needlepoint. Neither thought appealed to her, so she headed upstairs to take a bubble bath. If she was going to the bank, she needed to look her best. Just in case. She wondered if she had anything fetching in her closet besides jeans and sweat suits. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought anything new. Years probably. She wanted something bright and colorful, something that said, “Here I am.” The flip side of that particular thought was Logan would think she got dressed up for him. He was so cocky, so arrogant, so ... so Logan.
“Wow!” “ Cala said at four o’clock when Kristine entered the kitchen. ”Do you have a date with Woodie?”
“I wish. I’m going to the bank.”
“Mom, the bank closes at four.”
“The drive-through is open till six.”
“You did your hair, put on makeup, dolled yourself up in a slick-looking linen dress and are wearing high heels and perfume to go to the drive-through teller at the bank!”
“You get money for ice cream, Granny?” Ellie asked.
“You bet,” Kristine said, hugging the little girl.
“You know, I might see . . . Woodie might recognize my car and come out, any number of scenarios could happen.”
“Mom, why don’t you just walk into the bank and ask for him? That’s what I would do,” Cala said.
“I’m not you. Woodie gave me an ultimatum. I can’t seem like . . . this is best.”
“Where’s Dad?”
“He went for his treatment. I’m going to meet him for Chinese and a movie.”
“Oh.”
“Oh. That’s it, oh.”
“Mom, you’re all grown-up. Whatever you do with your life is your business. Next time don’t try to snow me by saying you got all duded up to go through the drive-through at the bank. Either tell me an outright lie or don’t tell me anything. Come on, girls, let’s go help Daddy.”
Kristine would have cried except she knew her mascara would run.
As she backed her car out of the driveway she could see Cala and her little family staring at the car from the barn door. She almost rolled the window down to shout, “I’m telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?”
When she sailed through the drive-through at the bank, she tried to appear nonchalant as she looked around for Woodie’s truck. It was nowhere in sight. She accepted her deposit ticket and didn’t bother to check it. Instead, she leaned out the window and said, “Has Mr. Dunwoodie left for the day?”
“You just missed him, Ms. Summers. He left about ten minutes ago.”
“Thank you.” So much for getting dressed up and dousing herself with sinful perfume that was now going to be wasted on Logan Kelly.
“So, how’s it going, Steve?” Woodie asked as he slid into a booth at the Golden Dragon.
“Busy as hell. I can’t wait for tax season to be over. I’m going to sleep for a week.”
“It was nice of you to bring my returns out here. I would have come in to pick them up.”
“No problem. I wanted to get away from the office anyway. You know how wild it gets at this time of year. I thought we could eat, have a few drinks, and, if you didn’t mind, I’d bunk with you and head back to town at the crack of dawn.”
“Great idea. I’m loose these days. How about you? Sorry we couldn’t get together over the holidays.”
“This is the first I’ve seen you in, what is it, over four years? Postcards don’t quite cut it. Mailed receipts and IRS forms don’t cut it either, buddy. Weren’t you supposed to get married?”
“Yeah, but it didn’t quite work out. Like I said, I’m loose. How is it you’re still a bachelor?”
“By choice. Always remember that. I did meet someone while we were on safari in Africa. Man, you missed one hell of a trip. It was like being a kid again. We didn’t have to shower, we wore the same clothes, didn’t shave. We had this great tour guide. I’m telling you, Woodie, it was the experience of a lifetime. We even managed to get a little intrigue into the end of the trip. We brought the tour guide home with us. We got her a job, an apartment, and she’s happy. The intrigue concerns her.”
“Her? Is the her the someone you met? Such good English,” Woodie laughed.
“Yeah. I don’t know if anything will come of it or not. At the moment, we’re good friends. You need to take things slow at first. I’m not in a rush. I like being a bachelor, I like not having to share. I have a great life.”
“Kids?”
“I don’t know. I think fifty is a little late to start having kids. When I’m seventy I might regret it, but not now.”
“How old is the lady in question?” Woodie asked.
“I’m not sure. Probably past the childbearing stage. She just came out of a bad relationship so she’s in no hurry to start up something she isn’t ready for. Friendship is great. Sex complicates things. How about you?”
“You’re right about that, Steve. Her ex showed up out of the blue. We were supposed to get married the first of the year, but she put it on hold because he’s dying and . . .”
“Yeah, and what?” Steve asked, biting into a crusty egg roll.
Woodie dunked his egg roll in duck sauce. He watched the sauce drip to his plate before he answered.
“She feels she has to be there for him, to take care of him. I guess I’m stupid because I don’t get it. He dumped her, swindled her and her kids out of all their money, and now he wants everyone to make nice so he can . . . go in peace. I guess I’m just a cold-hearted bastard. It’s not a question of money. Round-the-clock nurses would be no problem. The kicker is, this guy looks as healthy as a horse. I hate to say this aloud for fear God will strike me dead, but the guy . . . I don’t know, I think he’s lying. It’s just a suspicion. I didn’t voice my opinions, either. She’s done this to me twice before. That’s why I took off after I retired. This guy is ruining my life, and hers, too and she doesn’t see it. Why is it women are such suckers where men are concerned?”
“You’re asking the wrong person, Woodie. I guess that’s why I’m still a bachelor. Funny, though, the same thing kind of happened to Danela. The rat took off with all her money, too. D’ya think it’s because I deal in numbers all day long and you dealt with money and investments all your life? Are we obsessed with money?”
“No. We respect what money can and cannot do, and we are responsible people. People depend on you the way they depended on me. We are not in the majority, Steve, we’re in the minority.”
“Are you just going to sit around and . . . and . . . ?”
“You can say it. Am I going to sit around and wait for him to die? No. I’m doing some consulting work for the bank. Hell, I’m turning work away. I fish once in a while. I take people out to dinner. I spend a lot of time reading and watching television. I’ve seen the world, so I have no desire now to do any traveling.”
“What happens when the time . . . when he finally buys it? What will you do if she wants you then? Are we talking true love here?”
“I was. I thought she was, too. She said if she didn’t take care of him she would regret it all her life. Maybe because I don’t have children, don’t understand the bond between people who do have them. Like I said, maybe I’m just stupid. I told her it was him or me, and she picked him. I don’t want to be second-best. Would you?”
Celebration Page 36
