by Jenna Jacob
“Mitchell, what a surprise.” Kaitlin smiled primly.
“I assure you, beautiful, the surprise is all mine,” he replied with a slight bow. “And a very pleasant one, indeed. You look simply…”
He stunned her by finishing his sentence with a low growl. She couldn’t have missed the suggestive flicker in his blue eyes if she’d been blind. Kaitlin wanted to wretch.
Sky cleared his throat, straightened in his seat. His chest and shoulders expanded. He looked intimidating. “Is there something we can help you with, Walker?” he asked, pinning Mitchell with a feral glare.
Kaitlin bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Evidently the jealousy bug had bitten Sky, too. Grace breezed in with their drinks. She took one look at Mitchell and recoiled, almost dropping her serving tray. The expression on her face turned stony, and Kaitlin didn’t miss the way Grace’s hands trembled as she set the beverages on the table. Without a word or a smile, she turned and scurried away.
Until now, Kaitlin had forgotten about the bad blood between Grace and Mitchell. It surprised Kaitlin that the two hadn’t mended their rift after all these years. Even though Grace’s older brother, Eli, had taken Mitchell to task—with his fist—for the sexual rumors…or, rather, lies Mitchell had spread about her back in high school, Kaitlin wanted to rail on the little weasel. Instead, she bit her tongue. She’d made a promise to Grace long ago that she wouldn’t rip Mitchell apart. Though she didn’t want to, Kaitlin intended to keep that promise.
“You can’t, Whitefeather. I was talking to the lady. As I remember, you got left behind when she finally wised up and left town,” Mitchell replied, pinning Sky with a pointed sneer before turning his attention back to Kaitlin and pasting on a smarmy smile.
She knew Mitchell’s gloating had lit a fuse—a very short one—inside Sky. Kaitlin could feel the anger rolling across the table in thick, palpable waves. The flicker of hate in Sky’s eyes told her he was about to erupt. In an effort to avoid a testosterone-induced brawl inside the café, Kaitlin pinned Mitchell with an icy smile.
“Our personal business is exactly that, Mitchell…personal,” Kaitlin reprimanded, using her clinical corporate voice.
“Well, I’ll just have to take you out soon…see if I can convince you to share some of your personal secrets with me.” Mitchell winked as he reached down and caressed her hand.
An icy chill slid down her spine. Fast as lightning, Sky slapped a fist around Mitchell’s wrist as Kaitlin jerked her hand back.
“Easy there, injun. No need to go on the warpath.” Mitchell’s laugh was laced with contempt.
“Touch her again and I’ll break your arm,” Sky promised.
“Pardon us, Mitchell, but…we’re ready to order now. Oh, Grace,” Gran called out, clearly dismissing their unwanted visitor.
“How rude of me, Miss Gran. My apologies to you,” Mitchell issued with a brittle smile. “I hope you ladies enjoy your meal.” He turned and started to walk away, then stopped and smiled at Kaitlin. “I’ll be stopping by to see you real soon.”
She could feel Sky’s angry glare. Turning, she saw him staring at her. Kaitlin had always been able to read his features—and vice versa, though he was better at it than she—but his stony, walled-off expression revealed nothing. It made her nervous.
“I’ve never liked that boy,” Gran exclaimed, pursing her lips. “Something about him isn’t quite right.”
“That whole family’s never been quite right,” Kaitlin agreed.
Sky remained silent but found an easy smile for Grace when she appeared once again to take their lunch order. Kaitlin felt the knife of jealousy slide in deeper. Even after their food arrived, Kaitlin’s appetite was nil. She picked at the mashed potatoes and swirled her spoon through the thick brown gravy. Even her favorite entrée couldn’t take away the anxiety prickling in uneven waves within.
The door to the diner swung open; the tiny bell rang out. Brooke and Nina stepped inside. Sky’s face lit up like the sun as his daughter rushed toward him, wobbling beneath the weight of a bulky pink backpack cradled in her little arms. There was no denying it. Nina had Sky wrapped around his little finger. Kaitlin couldn’t blame him. Nina was beautiful. She had a wide, sparkling, contagious smile. With her high ancestral cheekbones, tawny-colored skin, and dark, chocolate eyes, she was a natural charmer. Sky was in for lots of sleepless nights when she got older.
“Daddy!” Nina exclaimed and clambered into the booth with him.
“Hey, muffin. Did you and Gramma have fun at the library?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Nina nodded, then pointed at Kaitlin. “Who’s she?”
“This is my old friend, Katie. She and Daddy grew up together. She is Gran’s granddaughter, like you are to Gramma Brooke. Nina, this is Katie. Katie, my daughter, Nina.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Kaitlin smiled. For some strange reason, she felt nervous. She wanted the little girl to like her but didn’t know why.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Miss Katie.” Nina flashed a darling little smile before turning back to Sky, filled with excitement once more. “Do you wanna see all the stories I got at the lieberry?”
“You bet I do.” Sky grinned as he moved his plate and helped lift the heavy bag to the table.
“Oh, Katie. I can’t believe you’re here.” Brooke smiled, turning Kaitlin’s attention away from Sky and Nina. His mother’s dark eyes twinkled with joy. “Look at you. You’re as beautiful as ever…but you’re awfully thin.”
“So I’ve heard.” Kaitlin issued a furtive glance between Gran and Sky.
“Oops, sorry.” Brooke chuckled.
Kaitlin couldn’t help but smile. She’d dreaded coming back to Connor the first time for fear Brooke would hate her for skipping out on Sky. But the woman harbored no ill feelings. She showered Kaitlin in the same unconditional love she always had. It touched her deeply… It still did.
“Are you behaving yourself?” Brooke asked Sky with a quizzical arch of her brow.
Kaitlin chuckled at his shocked expression. “Well, he hasn’t threatened to tar and feather me yet,” she teased.
“Yet,” Sky echoed.
“If you even think about it, I’ll make you cut me a switch,” Brooke warned. “You might be big, but I’m still your momma.”
“Why would you tar and feather Miss Katie, Daddy?” Nina asked, her tiny features wrinkling in confusion.
“We’re just teasing, muffin. I’d never do such a thing to a pretty girl like Katie.”
Nina grinned and studied Kaitlin intently. “She is pretty, Daddy. Oh…look,” Nina cried as she unzipped the backpack to pull out several picture books. “I got Goodnight Moon,” she preened.
“Again?” Sky asked in feigned exasperation.
“You know it’s my favor’t story of all the time.”
“You didn’t eat much lunch, Katie-Girl,” Gran tsked.
Kaitlin had hoped no one had noticed. “Don’t worry. Your home cooking will fatten me up in no time.”
“The question is, will you actually eat anything Gran makes? You didn’t put enough in your stomach to keep a bird alive.” Sky nodded at her nearly full plate.
Kaitlin wanted to snap at him, but with Nina sitting there, she worried the little girl might think her a shrew. She slid her plate in front of him. “Here, help yourself.”
He grabbed his fork and dug in. “Sky!” Brooke admonished. “Don’t you dare. That’s Katie’s food.”
“She said she was done,” he said with an overly dramatic innocent shrug. Nina giggled.
“It’s fine,” Kaitlin replied with a wave of her hand. “Gran and I need to run by the bank, anyway. You don’t mind giving the bottomless pit a ride home do you?”
“Cute,” Sky mumbled with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. “The body is a machine. You have to fill it with fuel.”
“Yes, and filling your machine costs a fortune in groceries,” Brooke teased. “Don’t worry, Katie. I’ll take him home once his t
ank is full. Besides, I promised Nina an ice cream cone.”
Gran opened her pocketbook and laid a couple twenties on the table.
“Thanks for lunch, Gran,” Sky replied before sending Kaitlin a wink.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She hated how effortlessly he stirred a storm of excitement inside her. He warmed the empty recesses of her soul, there was no denying, but they still had no future. If she allowed herself to get tangled up in Sky again, it would only make leaving that much harder. She’d been there, done that…had a wardrobe of T-shirts, stained in tears and regret.
As Gran rose from the table, Joe Brock smiled and tipped his hat to her once more. She stopped for a brief second, seemingly flustered, then issued a sharp nod before turning toward the door. Kaitlin smiled at Joe and followed.
“Call me,” Grace hollered out to her.
“I will,” she promised before joining Gran on the sidewalk. “Okay, we’re all alone. What’s going on between you and Joe?”
“I’ll tell you my secrets as soon as you tell me yours,” Gran challenged with a mischievous smile.
Kaitlin tensed and sobered. “I’m not ready yet.”
“Then you better start getting ready, because I don’t like seeing the clouds roll over your face when you think I’m not looking. I know Doug hurt you…or, at the very least, tried. I want to know why.”
Kaitlin didn’t reply; she simply started walking toward the bank. She was running out of ways to avoid her responsibilities. Fixating on Sky was the perfect way to eschew making decisions about Doug and the agency, but Kaitlin couldn’t run away forever.
As they entered the bank, her cell phone rang. Gran darted a worried look as Kaitlin checked the caller ID.
“It’s okay. It’s my lawyer,” she assured her. “But I need to take this. Go ahead and do what needs to be done. I’ll join you when I’m through.”
Kaitlin darted back outside. Taking a seat on the old wooden bench at the corner, she answered the call. As she tipped her head back, the sun felt good and warmed the sudden chill she’d acquired thinking about Doug.
Reed Landes had attained a fair market value for the company. When he quoted the amount to Kaitlin, she nearly choked on her tongue. Even if Doug robbed several banks, she knew he couldn’t raise a fraction of the money necessary to buy her out. The agency that had once been her dream come true now felt like an albatross around her neck.
“That’s an impossible amount for him to raise.” Kaitlin’s stomach tightened.
“I figured as much. But in keeping with the terms of the partnership agreement, you have to at least make him a formal offer to buy. What Doug does or doesn’t do after that is up to him. I’ll draft a proposal and email it to you. Take a look and see if you want to make any changes, and I’ll take it from there. If this isn’t a feasible solution, there are other avenues we can pursue.”
Feasible? Nothing with Doug was feasible. He would be livid once the paperwork reached his lawyer. “Other avenues? You mean selling?”
“That’s one option. The other is to close the company, but I know you…your obligation to your employees makes that our last choice.”
Shutting the doors and terminating the people who had worked so hard for her success wasn’t an option. They counted on her for their livelihood, to ensure that their children had food, clothing, and medical care. Kaitlin felt as if walls were closing in around her, cutting off the air in her lungs, and squeezing the life from her body.
“Start with drawing up the offer. I’m sorry, Reed, but I have to go.”
Kaitlin ended the call as a rush of panic swamped her. The world began spinning as her lungs ceased to work. Gasping for air, she gripped the edge of the bench, seeking to anchor herself to something…anything. Panic continued to mount, and she leapt to her feet as her vision blurred with tears. Pacing back and forth, she struggled to fill her lungs, but it felt as if she were inhaling sand. Her stomach pitched, and a cry of alarm slid from her throat as fringes of darkness threatened to carry her away. Bending at the knees, Kaitlin feared she was about to pass out.
A big, warm hand slid down her back “Easy, Katie. Take slow, deep breaths,” Sky instructed soft and calmly in her ear. “Whatever has you spooked, let it go. Nothing here can hurt you. Focus on breathing. You’re all right. I’ve got you.”
As she did as he instructed, Sky’s reassuring voice and manly scent enveloped her. Her mind slid back to a time long ago when he used to shield her, protect her, like he was now. His rugged body and gentle words were the exact balm she needed, and Kaitlin realized she’d been a fool to ever leave him…leave her rock and heart for some stupid fantasy.
“She’s as white as a ghost,” Brooke whispered in a tone of alarm. “Maybe I should get Dr. Vernon.”
“No,” Kaitlin barked as a new wave of fear crested within. “No doctors.”
“Okay. Shhh,” Sky soothed. “Where’s Gran?”
“Inside the bank,” Kaitlin replied. Panic slathered her words.
“Mom?”
“I’m on it.” Brooke’s voice quivered in concern. “Come on, Nina. You can come with me to get GG Gran.”
“What’s wrong with Miss Katie?” the little girl asked.
“I don’t know, honey. But we need to get Gran,” Brooke insisted.
“Oh, god,” Kaitlin moaned, rising to face Sky. “What’s happening to me?”
“You’re having a panic attack,” he stated before glancing at her cell phone still lying on the bench. “Did Doug threaten—?”
“No.” She blinked back her tears while her heart jackhammered in her chest. “I was on the phone with my lawyer, and…”
The air in her lungs constricted again. Her fingers tingled as sweat dripped from her face. Kaitlin longed to bury her head in Sky’s chest and drift back to the time when she was strong, capable, and in control of her emotions. A time when she’d felt alive instead of freefalling like a dead leaf tossed in the wind.
“Focus on my words, Katie. Take a deep breath in…and let it out slowly.” Mimicking his directions, Sky inhaled a slow breath and blew it out. Kaitlin began matching his tempo. “That’s it. Good girl. You’re doing fine, just focus on me…my voice.” Sky gently brushed the hair from her face. A smile of understanding and reassurance spread over his lips, but Kaitlin could see the worry stamped in his eyes. “I’ve got you, baby. It’s all going to be fine. You’re safe…surrounded by people who care and love you.”
“Not you,” she moaned. “You couldn’t possibly love or care about me. Not after the way I left you.”
His expression softened. Sky leaned in as if to kiss her, then stopped and lent a soulful look into her eyes. “You’re wrong, Katie. I do care, more than ever. You may have left me, but you’ve always been inside my heart. I’ve never stopped loving you. Never.” He brought her hand to his chest and pressed his own over it.
She closed her eyes and waited for him to kiss her…to bring her back down off this frightening and foreign ledge. She needed his touch to center the swirling chaos within. But when he didn’t kiss her, Kaitlin remembered his rule. He wasn’t going to draw her back. Wasn’t going to bind her in that spine-tingling electricity with him again. Sure, he’d give her reassurance and passion, but Kaitlin needed more. She took comfort in the fact that Sky still loved her, but until she gave him back the pieces of her soul…the ones she’d yanked away, they’d remain at this standstill. She had to find a way to share the fragile parts inside her again…the ones she’d never trusted Doug enough to give.
She continued to draw in deep breaths until she’d conquered the tendrils of panic. Surrounded in Sky’s arms, there was no doubt…there never had been. He would never hurt her, physically, mentally, or emotionally. All she had to do was convince him she believed that.
“Thank you, for helping me through that and for still loving me. I—I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, wearing her heart in her eyes.
“You might start with explaining why
you left the way you did.” A sly smile crawled across his lips. “An apology wouldn’t hurt, either…but only if you mean it.”
She blinked up at him. He could smile at her…smile at the pain she’d put him through…put them both through? She’d turned her back on the best friend and lover, but the gods were giving her another chance to fix it and make it right. Could it really be that easy to wipe away the years of guilt? Could an apology really do that?
“I am sorry,” she choked out on a sob. “I didn’t mean to… I couldn’t find a way to—”
“Katie-girl,” Gran cried as she raced toward Kaitlin and tugged her out of Sky’s arms. “What in God’s name has happened to you?”
“I don’t know. I’m so embarrassed,” Kaitlin mumbled, crushing herself against Gran’s bosom.
“Do I need to take you in to see Doc Vernon?”
“No, Gran. I’m not sick,” Kaitlin explained, trying not to sound ungrateful. “It’s stress. It all finally caught up with me.”
Sky leaned in close to her ear. “We’ll finish our discussion later.”
She nodded, feeling contrite. There was so much she needed to say to him.
“Let’s get you home,” Gran coaxed, patting Kaitlin on the back. “I’ll fix you some soup and tuck you into bed.”
Kaitlin wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Gran’s cure-all was either tea or soup.
“If you’ll give me your keys again, Gran, I’ll bring your car up.”
“Yes. Yes, and then you’ll drive us home,” Gran ordered, handing her keys to Sky. “I’m too shaken to drive.”
With a nod, he took off sprinting down the sidewalk.
“We’ll meet you there,” Brooke added. Her big brown eyes filled with concern as she held Nina on her hip.
“What about the signature cards?” Kaitlin reminded.
“Oh, dear.” Gran turned toward Brooke. “Would you tell Hazel something’s come up and we’ll be back tomorrow…or some other day?”
