He pulled her closer and she put her head on his chest. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t know what will happen. I just know I like you, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you when we were apart. I want to spend more time with you while I’m here. Do we have to define what this is right now?”
His argument made sense. Why was she trying to force him into a relationship? They could take things slow. “No. You’re right,” she said, trying to keep her voice from betraying her emotions. “We can just spend time together.”
She said the words, but they weren’t true. She didn’t want to spend any more time with him. Not when there was no promise between them. Nothing but a few days of fun. She could already feel her heartbreaking, knowing he was going to be leaving again.
But part of her wanted to bury those thoughts and let things between them grow. Maybe he would start to feel the same way she did. Maybe he would fall in love with her.
The thought was both funny and sobering. Was she in love with Damian? Even as the question floated around in her head, she knew the answer. She did love Damian. She loved him with all her heart and soul. And that’s what scared her the most about the thought of him leaving.
Damian seemed oblivious to the war going on in her heart. He lifted her chin and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow around six then.”
She nodded, unable to say anything.
“Good night.” He slipped his gloves on and left.
Kat stood in the living room staring at the door for probably longer than was sane. She finally got a grip and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she set aside her worries and just enjoy spending time with Damian? He was here with her. He was kissing her. Even though he didn’t want to say it, they were in a relationship.
Her phone rang and her heart sank. Damian was calling Amelia. He’d left her only moments before. He’d kissed her. She’d thought they were growing closer, and yet, here he was calling another woman. Anger flashed through her, and she almost chucked her phone at the wall, but she decided on a whim to answer it to see what he wanted.
“Hello?” Her fingers shook as she waited for him to reply.
“Hey, Amelia. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“No, this is fine.”
“Good. I need to talk to you.”
She tried not to crush her phone as she held it to her head. “What about?”
“I wanted you to know I’m developing feelings for a woman.”
All her anger melted away and she blinked back emotion. “You are?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, and it’s only fair that I tell you. I think it’s best if I stop calling you.”
Kat’s heart hammered in her chest. He likes her enough to stop communicating with Amelia. Even though he didn’t want to call it a relationship, he obviously thinks there’s something between them. She let out a breath. “I understand.”
“I hope you don’t feel like I’ve lead you on. I’ve enjoyed talking with you, but I feel I would be wrong in continuing something with you while I’m starting to feel something for another woman.”
His words about melted her heart. “Yes. Right. I agree. You should pursue the other woman.” She cringed. That was a stupid thing to say. She needed to get off the phone with him before she totally blew her cover. “Well, I’d better let you go.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Bye.” She clicked to hang up, her heart in her throat. She bit back a smile. Maybe he wasn’t planning on a short fling. Maybe things could actually progress between them.
Kat brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, but once her head hit her pillow she couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of Damian ran through her mind. His smell. His kiss. And for the first time, she allowed herself to imagine what life might be like if they were together.
Chapter 24
Damian’s nerves skittered through him as he knocked on Lydia’s front door. A man answered. His round baby-like face and wide smile told him this was his brother, Wes.
“Come in,” he said, ushering Damian into the house. He pumped Damian’s hand a few times. “I’m so happy to meet you.”
Surprised, Damian’s eyebrows rose. “Do you know who I am?”
Wes nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”
Lydia came into the entryway, her arms tightly folded. “Damian,” she said, acknowledging him, her voice cold. “You may go with Wes to the family room.”
Wes took Damian’s hand and tugged on it. “Come. I have trains.”
Damian followed Wes into the back of the house to a room that was mostly dark wood paneling. The floor was covered in plywood, and a maze of train tracks took up most of the space. Tiny trees and little buildings were set up as well. Wes sat cross-legged at the control station and looked up at Damian expectantly. Damian stepped over the corner of the plywood and sat beside him. “Did you put this whole thing together?”
Wes nodded. “Yes. I like trains. Do you?”
“I do. You’ve done an excellent job.”
Wes flipped a switch and the engine came to life. Little puffs of smoke came out of the top as the train started to move. Wes showed him how to work the controls and they watched the train for a few minutes.
Damian was impressed. He knew from his research that people with Down syndrome have varying degrees of limitations, but speaking with Wes, he realized his brother was quite capable of a lot of things.
“Do you have a job?” Damian asked.
Wes shook his head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Mom says no.”
Damian sat back. “If you could have any job, what kind of job would you want?”
Wes’s eyes lit up. “Work on trains.”
“I think you’d be very good at that.”
“Or work with dogs. I like them. Mom says no dogs.”
Damian saw the longing in Wes’s eyes. “Dogs are cool.”
Wes picked up his hand. “I like you.”
His heart warmed at Wes’s words. They spent the afternoon adding in a miniature garage to the train village, complete with tiny cars being worked on. After Lydia served them lunch, Damian took Wes over to the humane society so he could pet the dogs. They let them take one for a walk.
After they returned to Wes’s house, Damian gave Wes a hug. “Thanks for spending the day with me.”
Wes grinned with his whole face. Damian loved how enthusiastic he was. “Will you come back?”
“Of course. I want to talk to your mom for a minute, though. Is that okay?”
Wes nodded then gave him another hug. He ran into the other room.
Damian turned to Lydia. Apprehension lined her features. Damian wanted to talk about Wes getting a job, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea at the moment. She was quite protective of him. He shifted his weight, appraising her. “You’ve done a good job raising Wes.”
A small smile relaxed her features. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you let me spend time with him.”
She rested her hand on a small decorative table that sat against the wall. “I am fine with you coming for a visit, Mr. Warren.”
The way she said it made Damian take a step back. “I’m not trying to take Wes away from you if that’s what you think.”
Her lips pinched together. “I don’t know what to think. You show up here without any warning. You barge your way into our lives, digging up the past and demanding to see Wes. How am I supposed to know what to think?”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know any of this situation when I arrived.”
Her gaze softened. “I know. None of this is your fault. I guess I’m just overprotective of Wes. He was teased at school, and I eventually had to pull him out and hire tutors. It was torture seeing him treated differently. I never want him to go through that again.”
Damian slowly nodded, choosing his words carefully. “But he’s an adult now. Maybe it
’s time to let him do more things. People with Down syndrome can hold jobs.”
Lydia pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know. I just don’t want him to be crushed when he gets rejected.”
“I think he can handle it.”
She sighed. “You barely know him. What makes you think you can come in and spend one day with him, and know exactly what he needs?”
Damian scratched his chin. “You’re right. I’m probably overstepping. Just think about it, okay? If you decide a part-time job would be all right I can make some phone calls.”
Lydia crossed her arms. “I suppose I can think about it.”
“Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” Damian gave her a parting nod, then left the house. As he pulled on his gloves his heart lightened. He’d enjoyed his time with Wes. His brother was kind-hearted. He was smart, too. He could hold down a job. And it looked like Lydia might come around to the idea after all.
He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He couldn’t wait to tell Kat about how things went. As thoughts of Kat entered his mind, he grew anxious to see her again. Things had progressed between them last night. They were entering new territory and he wasn’t sure what to do about it, he only knew he liked how he felt when they were together.
He felt a little guilty for not embracing what they had as a relationship. He was hesitant to enter into something like that with Kat, for obvious reasons. Besides the fact that they lived a thousand miles apart, their lives were very different. But he couldn’t deny his feelings for her, and he wanted to indulge himself. Maybe, if he flew out every weekend, they could continue to see each other. The thought excited him as he pulled up in front of Kat’s house.
Kat pulled the door open before he had a chance to knock. She smiled and curled her hair behind her ear. “Hey.”
How had he ever thought she was simply pretty? She was stunning. Her blue eyes were like liquid glass. And her sweater hugged her just right. He couldn’t help himself. He snaked his arm around her and pulled her to him. “I’ve missed you.”
She blushed. “Are you ready? I was thinking I could introduce you to the other mom and pop restaurant here in town. The Dragon Palace.”
He really didn’t care about food at the moment, but he nodded anyway. “Sounds good.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. The feathery kiss ignited a fire in his veins. He pulled back. He’d have to be careful or he’d just spend the evening kissing her in the doorway.
Kat grinned at him. “Let’s go.”
The Dragon Palace turned out to be the perfect place for a date. They were seated in the back, in a secluded corner booth. The lighting was dim enough to be romantic. He sat across from her, gazing into her eyes. “I like this.”
She shied away from his probing gaze. “What do you like?”
“Being with you.”
“I like it too.” She gave him a smile, then bit her lower lip.
“What?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t help but wonder where we can go from here. It’s just my personality I guess.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation yesterday. Maybe I was premature not wanting to say we’re in a relationship.”
Kat played with her straw. “So, you now think it’s okay to call this a relationship?”
Damian leaned closer. “Last night I called a woman I met online.”
Kat seemed to freeze. “And?”
“I told her we couldn’t talk anymore. I realized I didn’t want to think about another woman. I like what we have. I don’t want to jeopardize it.”
Kat went back to stirring the ice in her soda. “I’m glad.”
“I was thinking maybe I could fly down here during the weekends. Then I could spend time with my brother, as well as you.”
“I’d like that.”
No one spoke for a few moments. Damian grew tired of the silence. “What are you doing for Christmas?”
“Hilary and I are going over to the center to open presents with Mom. She gets tired quickly, so it will be short, but the center always does some activities for them, so we’ll stay for the Christmas Bingo. She might not be able to do much more than that.”
“You’re good to her.”
“Thanks.” Kat looked down at the table.
The waitress brought them their meals. Kat was silent as they ate. “What are you thinking?” he finally asked.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“Seems like something to me.”
She popped a water chestnut in her mouth. “Ignore my weird mood. We’re on a date. Let’s just enjoy it.”
He pointed to the empty spot beside her. “I’d enjoy it more if I were over there.”
She got a sly grin on her face. “What’s stopping you?”
He slid his plate across the table and slipped over to her side of the booth. “Ah, this is better.” He leaned in closer to her. “This side has a better view.”
“Really?” She slipped her arms around his neck.
“Much better.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, then worked his way down her jaw to her ear. His heart hammered in his chest. Her smell was intoxicating.
Kat let out a little moan. “You’re killing me, you know that.”
He smiled and whispered in her ear. “Good.”
“You’d better stop so we can finish eating.”
He kissed her neck. “Who needs food?”
She pushed him away, laughing. “You’re terrible.”
They finished at the restaurant, then went to Kat’s house for another movie. As Kat scrounged around her DVD collection, Damian opened up her laptop. “Have you gotten any good emails lately?”
She shot him a grin. “Yes. Open the one from Dr. Yong.”
He searched her inbox, then clicked to open.
Dear Miss Philipina,
Here is the photograph you have asked for. I understand why you must authenticate my identity. This photograph will prove to you who I am, and that it is me who ordered the box of Ho Ho’s. It was difficult to balance them as you asked me to do, but I succeeded. When you get this email, you will know that I am speaking truth to you. You may now send the thousand dollars so I will be able to process the inheritance money of seven million US dollars.
Doctor Yong
Attached was a photograph of a man with a box of Ho Ho’s on his head.
Damian couldn’t believe it. “You’re kidding me. He actually did it.”
“Yes, he did. Read the next one in line. It’s even funnier.” She turned back to the cabinet full of movies.
He clicked to go back to her inbox. Another email caught his attention, and a sick feeling entered his gut. What was she doing getting an email from Privileged Singles? It was addressed to Amelia. He stared at it, understanding slowly creeping in. Kat was Amelia. The whole thing had been a lie.
He slowly closed her laptop, his hands shaking. She’d set up a fake profile. Why would she have done that? He tried to remember all the interactions he’d had with Amelia. The things he told her. It had all been Kat, and she’d let him think it was another woman.
She didn’t say anything when he told her about Amelia tonight. She was going to keep lying to him.
The thought made him feel like throwing up. Kat pulled a DVD out of the cabinet and turned to him. “I found it. Elf. It’s the perfect…” Her voice trailed off when she looked at his face. “What’s wrong?”
He stood. “I need to go.”
She turned to him, her arms falling to her sides, the movie in her hand. “Are you okay?”
“No.” He slipped into his coat. “I just found out you’ve been lying to me, Amelia.”
Chapter 25
All the blood drained from Kat’s face as she stared at Damian. He stood there, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Kat’s gaze flickered to her laptop. Her throat tightened. He’d found out, somehow. She’d let him use her laptop, and now she’d ruined everything.
“I can explain,”
she said, her voice small. It sounded pathetic, even to her own ears.
“You don’t need to. I understand.” He tugged on his gloves. “You created a fake profile on Privileged Singles. You targeted me. You lied to me. You pretended to be someone else. You talked to me on the phone as someone else. You made me think you were a totally different person who lived in New York. Have I gotten anything wrong?”
Kat felt like scum. Worse than scum. She felt like the slime that aspired to be scum. Her mouth dried up, and she shook her head because no words would come out.
“Right. I didn’t think so.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait,” she said, the word sticking in her throat.
He faced her, his expression stoic.
She swallowed. What in the world would she say to him that would make this better? That it had been a harmless prank at first? That she never meant to really fall for him? That she’d done it to try to figure out if he was going to close down the newspaper? She tried to say something, but nothing would form on her lips except a lame, “I’m sorry,” which came out so quietly she wasn’t even sure if he heard her.
“Goodbye, Kat.” He left her standing there, holding the stupid DVD case and staring at the door.
She sank down onto the couch beside her closed laptop. Guilt and pain washed over her. He had every right to be angry. He’d talked to Amelia just last night. She should have told him. He was growing serious about their relationship. She should have known keeping up the pretense was a bad idea. She just didn’t know how to tell him. And with him wanting to end contact, she thought it would just resolve itself.
But, of course, he found out and it ruined everything.
Guilt for not wanting to tell him made her feel worse. He was right. She’d lied to him. She blinked as tears filled her eyes. She didn’t blame him for hating her. She would be horribly upset if he had done the same thing to her.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe he’d cool down and she could talk to him tomorrow. She did a stupid thing, but it wasn’t as bad as hiding a secret husband or something. Things could be worse. He’d have to see that, right?
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