“Because I’m plain coffee and we both know it.” In a spontaneous move, she grabbed her car keys. “I’ve got something I’ve got to do. I’ll see you later.”
“But—”
Kat didn’t wait for Hilary to finish. She grabbed her coat and left. She had to go see Lydia. The sooner she could find out answers, the sooner he’d leave and she could get on with life.
She knew Lydia lived outside of town, but she wasn’t sure which house, so she pulled out her phone and looked up the address before she started her car. Soon she was on the highway. As her GPS led her to a small, white farmhouse she crossed her fingers. It was a big risk, but if things went down the way she suspected, she’d be out of a job soon anyway.
The tires of her car crunched on the snow packed on the gravel driveway. She slowed and stopped in front of the house. The front walkway was neatly shoveled, a vinyl snowman on the front door. A festive wreath hung on the siding.
Kat shook off her nerves and walked to the front door. She pressed the bell before she could change her mind and leave. A moment passed before the door opened.
A man stood behind the screen door, and Kat knew immediately who it was. His jet-black hair and dark eyes looked just like Damian. But that’s where the similarities stopped. His almond eyes, flat bridge, and small stature told her why Lydia was asking about a children’s movie. He had Down syndrome.
She cleared her throat. She had to follow through with this. “Is Lydia home?”
He nodded, a smile stretched across his face. He turned and yelled, “Mom!”
Lydia came to the door. Her face paled when she saw Kat. She turned to her son. “Wes, go finish with your project.”
Wes nodded and disappeared into the house.
Lydia stared at Kat. “Katherine, what are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.” Kat stuffed her hands in her pockets and crossed her fingers.
“There’s nothing to be said.”
Surprise, surprise. Lydia didn’t want to talk. But this wasn’t going to go away. Kat took in a breath. “Well, you can talk to me, or I can tell Damian what I suspect, which might not be accurate.”
“You’re not going to tell him anything.”
“Yes, I am. But what I say depends on you.”
Lydia clenched her jaw a few times, then she nodded and opened the screen door. “All right. Come in.”
Lydia led her into a small living room. She motioned to a chair. “Sit.”
Kat did as she was told.
Lydia sat on the love seat and rubbed her temples. “What do you want to know.”
“Is that Damian’s half-brother?”
She paused, then said, “Yes.”
“You had an affair with Damian’s father.”
Even though it wasn’t a question, Lydia answered anyway. “Yes.”
“And Damian has no idea.”
Lydia blew out a breath. She looked tired. When did she get all those wrinkles on her face? She looked ten years older. “Right,” she admitted. “Lawrence didn’t want Damian to know.”
“How did you meet Damian’s father?”
Lydia’s gaze snapped up to meet hers. “We met in Green Bay. He was there on business, and I was living there at the time. You have to understand, Lawrence had separated from his wife. He thought their marriage was over. It wasn’t until after we were involved that his wife wanted to reconcile. But by then I was pregnant.”
“How old was Damian?”
“He was just a little boy. Two, maybe three years old. Too young to know what was going on with his parents.”
“So, Lawrence bought the newspaper to give you a source of income.”
Lydia nodded. “It was my idea. Lawrence wanted to make things work between us, but I knew he needed to go back to New York. I was feeling guilty for what we’d done. I didn’t want to break up his marriage. I found the newspaper for sale, and moved here so I could run it.”
“And hide your son.” The words tasted sour on Kat’s tongue.
“It wasn’t like that.” Lydia’s lips pinched together, showing her displeasure. “Wes required more resources than I had, so I hired people to work with him. He needed special care, and he could get it here at home, in an environment he was familiar with.”
Kat wasn’t about to argue with her, even though she’d never seen a single photo of Lydia’s son. Nothing on her desk at work. No mention of him, ever. She swallowed. “What are you going to tell Damian?”
Lydia’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing. He doesn’t need to know.”
“He has a brother. That’s going to mean something to him.”
“He will not react well to finding out. Our only chance of keeping this newspaper alive is if you make him like Pleasant Hollow and the people here. How did things go yesterday?” Lydia was back to being the boss, her critical gaze on Kat.
Kat thought about the day with Damian. The kiss. Her cheeks heated. “Things went well.”
Lydia studied her. Kat grew warm under the scrutiny. Then a slow smile formed on Lydia’s face. “You like him.”
Perfect. Just what she needed. Lydia concocting something up between them. “He’s arrogant.”
“Don’t try to deny it. I see it on your face. What happened between you two?”
“Nothing.” The word was out before she could think.
“Then why are you blushing?”
Dang. She was a much better liar through email. No one could see her face then. “Okay, maybe something small is going on but I really don’t think he cares that much about me.”
“We need him to. Where is he now?”
“At the hotel.”
Lydia frowned. “Then take him out tonight.”
Her gut twisted. “What exactly are you asking me to do?”
“Nothing. Just spend some time with him. Make sure he likes you.” Lydia stood and Kat knew the talk was over. She walked to the front door.
“Are you sure keeping his brother from Damian is a good idea?” Kat blurted out.
“Yes. It’s for the best.” Lydia practically shoved Kat out onto the porch. “I know you’ll do what’s best for everyone. You know we need this. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Kat said as the door shut in her face. She shrunk into her coat and walked to her car, a bad feeling spreading in her chest. This wasn’t a good idea. She couldn’t go running back to Damian now, not after the awkwardness of this afternoon.
And how was she supposed to keep such a big secret from Damian? She didn’t feel right about it. He should know about his blood relative.
She cranked the ignition and backed out of the driveway. But Lydia was right, if Damian found out, it would solve the mystery and he would close the newspaper for sure. No matter what she did, she’d be in trouble. She was so dead.
Chapter 16
Damian’s phone chimed as he stepped out into the hallway with his ice bucket. He looked at the screen. What was his CFO doing calling him on a Sunday evening? He quickly answered. “Chuck, what’s up?”
“Sorry to bother you. I just got wind of something, so I thought I’d call and let you know.”
“What is it?”
“Consolidated Tech is making a play for IMB. I’ve been trying to handle things, but it looks like IMB is going to make their decision soon, and I’m not sure we are in the lead.”
Damian gripped the phone tight. “Are you kidding me? We need IMB.”
“I know. Things spiraled out of control on Friday. I should have called sooner. I need you here, to run the negotiations.”
Damian held in a swear word. He shouldn’t have left town. He knew things weren’t in the bag with IMB. “How long can you hold things off? I can’t leave right away.”
“I might be able to stretch things out a day. Can you make it back by Tuesday?”
“I’ll see what I can do. Thanks, Chuck.”
“No problem.”
Damian hung up and stuck the ice bucket in the machine. He h
ad to finish up his business here, and quickly. If they lost the IMB deal, they’d lose out on potentially millions of dollars. He couldn’t waste any more time on this stupid newspaper.
Maybe if he confronted Lydia, he’d get the answers he needed. He’d go into her office first thing in the morning and make her talk. And if she didn’t know anything, he’d pull the plug and go back to New York.
He walked back to his room and set down the bucket of ice. His thoughts wandered back to Kat. Why had he been so flirty with her earlier? He’d messed things up big time. Yes, she was original. And beautiful. And he couldn’t stop thinking about her. But that’s where it had to end. Amelia was in New York. Amelia was in his social class. He liked her. She was who he should be thinking about.
He picked up his phone and dialed Amelia’s number. She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Amelia. I’m glad you picked up. Is this a bad time, or can you talk?”
“I can talk.”
“Good.” Damian took off his shoes and sat down on his bed. “I’m having a dilemma and I thought talking it out would help.”
“Go ahead.”
“Something’s come up at work and I have to go back to New York. But I haven’t gotten the information I need from here yet. I want to know why this small-town newspaper was on the books, but it’s not worth the risk of losing the business deal in New York.”
“Maybe you should go back to New York and leave the newspaper on your books for a while. It’s not hurting anything, is it?”
“No, but I want to resolve this while I’m here. It would just be easier.” Damian stretched out on the bed.
Amelia sat silent for a moment. “Maybe it’s best if you don’t resolve it,” she said, her voice low.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. I’m just being selfish I guess. You should do what you feel is right.”
Selfish? What was she talking about? “I’m not sure what’s right. I don’t have all the information I need to make an informed decision.”
Amelia let out a breath. “Have you gotten to know the people who work at the newspaper?”
“Only one. But she’s just the secretary.”
“Ouch, Damian. You sound like such a snob right now.”
Damian pulled the phone away from his ear to look at it. He’d called Amelia, right? “I’m not a snob. I’m a realist. The secretary is a nice woman, but that’s not any reason to keep a struggling business on the books.”
“Well then shut the place down and go back to New York.”
The phone silenced and Damian looked at the screen again. Amelia had hung up. What was that all about? He was so confused. Amelia sounded upset about it, but she had no skin in the game. Unless, since she was from a small town, she didn’t like the idea of him shutting down a small-town business.
Maybe that was it. He made himself look like a jerk to her. Nice one. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was not good at this relationship thing. Maybe he should accept the fact that he was going to be single the rest of his life.
He picked up his phone and called the local Pizza Hut. It wasn’t Hilary’s cooking, but he’d messed things up with Kat as well, and he probably wouldn’t be invited back over to her place again.
He rattled off what he wanted, then hung up and sat down on the bed, his shoulders hunched. For some reason, he felt defeated. Nothing had worked the way he’d planned, and now he had to leave with things unresolved.
***
Kat paced her bedroom floor. How could she have done that? She let her emotions dictate her actions, and that never worked out well for her. Now Damian would for sure guess who Amelia really was, and she’d lose her inside edge. Not that there was much edge anymore. It was clear what he was going to do. He’d close the newspaper down tomorrow, whether he found out the truth or not.
She was going to be out of a job either way.
Her sister came in the room. “What is wrong? You’re stomping around making the walls shake.”
Kat flopped down onto her bed. “I screwed everything up.”
“How so?” Hilary sat beside her.
“I yelled at Damian on the phone. I think I blew my cover.”
“Wait, your Amelia cover?”
“Yeah. Stupid.”
Hilary patted Kat’s leg. “So, he knows it was you? How mad was he?”
Kat grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest. “I don’t know for sure that he knows. I just yelled at him then hung up. Maybe he hasn’t figured it out yet.”
“Then don’t get all upset until you know for sure.”
Kat groaned. “Lydia wants me to go out with him again tonight. She wants me to make him like me.”
Hilary raised an eyebrow at her. “Seriously? You don’t know that the guy already has a thing for you?”
Right. Her sister was crazy. “Stop it. He does not.”
Hilary huffed and stood from the bed. “If it’s one thing I know, it’s when a man is interested. And that man has been interested in you from the start. If you don’t see it, you’re just blind because you’re so into him as well. Just be honest with yourself.” She turned and walked out of the room leaving only her perfume.
Kat laid back on the bed and sighed. Why did this have to be so complicated? Hilary was right, if she were honest with herself she had to admit she liked the guy. A little too much, actually.
And he was probably leaving tomorrow. Kat scrambled to stand up. Maybe she should go talk to him. She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring.
She pulled on her coat and yelled to Hilary as she neared the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Go get him,” her sister yelled back.
Yeah. That’s not what she was doing at all. She was just going to talk to him. Maybe spill the beans about his brother. She was going to see him because he deserved to know the truth, not because she had a thing for him.
The drive to the hotel didn’t take long and before she knew it she was at the front desk. Peter Whitmore sat behind the desk. He was a few years older than her, but she’d known him growing up. She slapped the desk and grinned. “Hey, Pete. How’s it going?”
Pete looked up from the book he was reading. “Fine. Quiet as usual.” Then he got a funny look on his face. “You don’t need a room, do you?”
“Nope. I’m looking for my boss. Damian Warren. Can you tell me what room he’s in?”
Pete tugged on his tie. “Well, I’m not supposed to give out that kind of information. I could get into trouble.”
Kat gave him a sweet smile. “I won’t let anyone know.”
The front doors opened and a man in a Pizza Hut shirt walked in. He hurried past. Kat watched him disappear around the corner, then she looked at Pete. “You know, never mind. Maybe I’ll just call him or something.”
She tossed Pete another innocent smile and then walked toward the door. When Pete looked down she turned and followed the pizza guy down the hallway. He stopped at a room and knocked, and Kat flattened herself against a recessed door and peeked around the edge.
It was Damian’s room alright. She could hear his deep voice as he spoke to the pizza guy. The kid waited for his money, then hurried back down the hallway, not paying attention to her.
Her heart pounded as she snuck down the hallway. What was she doing? This was crazy. What was she even going to say to him? She stood at his door for a stupidly long time before getting up the nerve to knock. Panic shot through her. If she ran down the hall, would she make it to the corner before he opened the door?
Too late. The door opened and Damian stood there, staring at her. “Kat? What are you doing here?”
She bit her lip. “I was just wondering the same thing myself.”
Chapter 17
Damian wasn’t sure why Kat was standing at his hotel door, but he stepped back and motioned for her to come in. He swallowed hard as she walked by. What did she do? She looked even hotter somehow, even though she wore the same red sw
eater from earlier.
Kat turned to him, her hands stuffed into her coat pockets. “Look, I don’t know if this was a good idea. I just felt like I should come talk to you.”
Curious, he sat down on the chair. “Okay. Let’s talk.” He pointed to the pizza. “Want a slice?”
Kat gave him a sheepish grin. “Actually, I’m starving.” She slipped off her coat and sat on the end of the bed.
He picked up the box and held it out to her. “Have as much as you’d like.”
She picked up a piece and bit into the end. Cheese strung out until she lifted the piece and bit it again. “Mm, this is good. I love olives and pepperoni.”
“Sorry, there’s not another chair. This hotel room is…” He couldn’t think of a flattering word, so he said, “Small.”
Kat waved away his concern. “I don’t mind.” She took another bite of her pizza.
They were silent for a few minutes as they ate. Damian wondered if Kat was there to talk about the awkwardness between them. What would she say about it? He thought she wanted to ignore it.
When they were done eating, Kat cleared her throat. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it.”
“All right.” He leaned forward.
“Your father did have an affair with Lydia years ago.” She took in a deep breath and exhaled.
The news didn’t surprise him, by the way, his mother had reacted. He was disappointed in his father, especially since keeping the newspaper probably meant he continued to carry a torch for her through all the years, but he couldn’t say he hadn’t been thinking that was it all along. “You found this out, how?”
“I confronted Lydia.”
Damian steepled his fingers and nodded. “I see.”
“And there’s more.” Kat’s gaze dropped. “You have a brother.”
“I thought Lydia’s son was too young to be—”
“No. He’s not.” Kat fiddled with the bedspread. “He’s got Down syndrome. That’s why Lydia was asking about the content of the film.”
Damian let her words sink in. So, it was as he’d suspected. His father had done the cowardly thing, hiding his affair and setting it up so his mistress and child could have an income, but not take away from his billion-dollar corporation. He swiped his hand through his hair. “I should have known. He was a selfish man, down to the day he died.”
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