He nodded and walked out of the bakery.
Maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t taken him up to her apartment.
* * *
“Here’s your herbal tea, Mama.” Katie handed her mother a mug and took a seat beside her on the living room sofa in the home Katie and her sister had grown up in on Blue Jay Avenue. The neighborhood was close-knit, just on the outskirts of Boone Springs, about a ten-minute drive from the bakery. She’d come here as soon as she’d unpacked her bags.
“Thanks, honey. I love the pomegranate and blackberry mix.” Her mother blew on the steam and then sipped delicately. “Mmm. Tastes so good going down.”
“It is good,” she said, concerned over her mother’s health.
Diana Rodgers had tired eyes that told of sacrifice and lack of energy. Her body was a bit broken from ill health. At the age of fifty-eight, she’d suffered a minor heart attack that had taken her away from the teaching job she’d loved. Taking an early retirement had never been in her plans. She’d been a single mother most of her life, working hard at the grammar school with special needs kids. But the job was stressful, and Diana often took her work home with her, a habit her cardiologist couldn’t condone.
“So why aren’t you joining me in a cup?”
“I will a little later. Right now, I just want to hear how you’re feeling.”
“You’ve only been gone three days, hon. I appreciate you coming over as soon as you got home, but I’m the same as I was before you left.” Her mom waved her hand. “Enough about me, how was your trip?”
“It was...nice.” Katie had trouble mustering up any enthusiasm. Oh, and one little detail I forgot to mention... I married Lucas Boone. “Drea and Mason enjoyed it very much. I think everyone did.”
Her mother moved around in her seat a bit and her mouth twisted as it did every time the Boone name was mentioned. “Too bad Drea had to fall in love with him.”
“Mom, Mason’s a nice guy.”
“He’s rich and feels entitled, just like all the Boones.”
She meant Luke.
That sick feeling in Katie’s stomach acted up again. “Drea’s happy and that’s all that matters.”
Her mother sipped her tea. “So, what did all you gals do at the bachelorette party?”
Katie shrugged. “The usual things. We saw the sights, ate like there was no tomorrow, had a spa day, went to a concert, and then on the last night the entire group got together for a party at a nightclub.”
There. She’d given a short, encapsulated version of her long weekend. Enough said.
“You had to deal with Luke?”
Before she could answer, Shelly walked into the house, dropping her shoulder bag on the edge of the sofa. “What about loser Luke?”
Katie’s heart started pounding. Shelly was still bitter. “Hi, sis. What are you doing here?”
“Checking in with Mom, just like you.” Her sister, dressed in nurse’s white, walked over to give her mother a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Mom. How are you today?”
“Feeling pretty good. Your sister made me some tea. Would you like a cup, sweetheart?”
“Thanks, but I’m fine. Just thought I’d stop by here first, before heading home and changing clothes. Dr. Moore asked me and a few colleagues to attend his seminar tonight. I have to leave soon. So, what about Luke?”
“Nothing,” Katie said.
“Your sister had to plan Drea’s bachelorette party with him.”
“We didn’t plan the bachelorette party together. He was in charge of entertaining the groomsmen. All we did was coordinate the party at the end of the weekend together.”
“Ugh,” Shelly said. “Poor you.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“I feel sorry for any woman who gets involved with him,” Shelly said flatly. “I should’ve known better.”
“He wasn’t ready for marriage,” Katie said. God, they’d had this conversation for years. It was truly beginning to grate on her nerves. Shelly never was one for letting go. She’d never forgiven their dad for divorcing their mother. She’d never accepted their father’s new wife. Clearly, a broken engagement, even if it was three days before the ceremony, was much better than a divorce later on.
“Why are you defending him?” Shelly asked.
“Maybe I just want you to move on with your life, Shel. Maybe I’m not defending him so much as I’m looking out for you.”
Shelly sighed. “Okay, got it. Easier said than done.”
“It’s so nice to have both of my girls here with me today,” her mother said softly.
“I wish I could stay longer,” Shelly said. “But I’m meeting everyone at the hospital in an hour.”
“That’s fine, honey. You go on to the seminar. I’m proud of the way you girls are so conscientious about your work. That means you, too, Katie.”
“I know, Mama.” Her mother had always told her how proud she was of what she’d accomplished at the bakery. Her business was on solid ground now but it hadn’t always been that way. Her mom had faith in her, had always given her support. “I’ll stay and visit with you a bit longer.”
“Wonderful.” Shelly gave her a rare smile.
Her sister had had a rough time facing her friends after the marriage debacle and then to have her “almost” groom leave town for years, leaving her with no hope, no way to reconcile her sadness, no way to rant and rave at him. That was probably the greatest injustice. Shelly had never gotten the closure she’d needed.
After Shelly left, Diana got up to take her teacup to the kitchen. “I made soup, your favorite, chicken and dumplings. Will you stay and have some with me?”
“Sure, that sounds yummy.”
Katie was beat, tired and nervous, but having comfort food and her mother’s company would distract her from the giant mistake she’d made in Las Vegas last night.
* * *
Katie raced down the stairs, stubbing her toe on the last step. “Ow, damn it.” As she entered the bakery, not even the soothing scents of all things sweet helped lighten her mood this morning. She’d overslept by an hour and now she was totally behind schedule. Gosh, she’d had so much on her mind, sleep had eluded her, and when she’d finally fallen asleep, it had been deep and heavy. She’d dreamed that a faceless beast was chasing her and she’d kept running and running until she’d woken up in a sweat.
Was that dream trying to tell her something?
She flipped on the light, tied on her lavender Katie’s Kupcakes and Bakery apron and got to work, gathering up her ingredients, prepping her cupcake tins.
The Monday morning special was always a carrot zucchini cupcake infused with a light apricot filling. She called it her Start Smart Special, a healthier alternative to a sugary treat. It was a fan favorite for those guilty of indulging over the weekend.
Her assistant, Lori, knocked on the back door. Katie opened it to her smiling face.
“Hey, good to see you. How was your trip?” Lori asked, as she walked past her and took off her sweater.
“Uh, it was okay.”
“That so? Just okay?” Lori sounded as if she had her doubts. They’d worked closely together for six years and knew each other pretty well. Now Lori was putting herself through college at night aiming for a degree in business, so the bakery hours were perfect for her. The shop closed at two in the afternoon. “Sounds like it wasn’t fun. Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing. I’m just tired. I overslept.”
“You never oversleep. Maybe you had too much fun in Vegas.” Lori winked. If she only knew. “You’re gonna have to give me deets. I’ve been cramming all weekend, stuck at my place, fantasizing about your fun weekend.”
“There are no details.” Katie shrugged. “We had a good time. Saw a show. Got massages, did some dancing. Usual stuff.”
“You were excited about it when
you left here. I thought for sure you’d have some good Vegas stories to entertain me with this morning.”
Lori put on her apron and they began measuring out ingredients. She started on chocolate ganache cupcakes with marshmallow filling while Katie worked on the special. They had their routine down to a science and being behind schedule meant one or two cupcakes would have to get the boot.
“Sorry, Lori. Nothing much to report,” she fibbed. “How about we eliminate anything pumpkin, since the fall season has been over for a while,” she said, changing the subject.
“Good choice.”
“And if there are any complaints, you know what to do.”
“Always.”
It was her motto to keep the customer happy by giving away a free cupcake or two to ward off hostility. Although that rarely happened with her regular Boone Springs customers. They were like family. She knew most of them by name, as well as where they lived and how many kids they had. She often catered birthday parties and other occasions.
While the cupcakes were baking, she worked on pastries, filling croissants, making cookies and cinnamon rolls. Between the two of them, working nonstop, they’d filled the bakery case shelves by 7:00 a.m. Coffee brewed and her regulars began popping into the shop.
By nine thirty, there was a lull and Katie flopped into a chair in the small lounge by the back door. Exhaustion set in and it wasn’t just from lack of sleep, but acute mental fatigue over what happened in Vegas this past weekend.
Lori gave her a sympathetic look. “Why don’t you go upstairs for an hour?” she suggested. “Get in a nap. I can handle things until it picks up again.”
“Don’t we have deliveries today?” Sometimes they’d get orders from companies or restaurants or clients celebrating big birthdays.
Lori scanned the list on the bakery wall. “It’s Monday and pretty calm right now.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine in a few minutes. Just need to get a second wind.”
The second wind didn’t come and by closing time, Katie was truly beat. She had one delivery to make, a last-minute order for a private dinner party happening later tonight. They needed a dozen tiramisu and a dozen lemon raspberry cupcakes, and while Lori closed up shop, Katie arranged the cupcakes in a box and taped it shut.
“Let me take those for you,” Lori said. “I can drop them off on my way home. This way you can go upstairs now and relax, put your feet up.”
“I can’t let you do that. You’ve got studying to do.”
“It’ll take me ten minutes, tops. It’s my way of making up for all the days you let me off early when I had to cram for an exam. Say yes.”
“You really are such a good friend. Yes. Thanks.”
Lori smiled. “Welcome.”
After Lori took off with the delivery, Katie climbed the stairs slowly and once inside her apartment, plopped down on her sofa. She turned on the television, struggling to keep her eyes open until she finally lost the battle.
* * *
Normally, Luke spent most of his time in the office in the main house at Rising Springs Ranch. He took a hands-on approach to running things on the property and had a good relationship with Joe Buckley, their ranch foreman. They worked well together and Luke knew Joe wouldn’t let him down.
Today he was at the Boone Springs corporate office, sitting in a room with his name plaque on the desk, staring out the window.
He had Katie on the brain and he’d come into town today, just because he wanted to be close to her. Her bakery was only two blocks away, nestled in between a clothing boutique and a fabric store. Because of the location, the bakery got pretty good foot traffic. Even if it didn’t, Katie would be successful, because her pastries were the best in the county and because Luke had made sure no Boone holdings would ever compete with her.
A little fact he’d kept secret.
While he was serving the country, he’d made his wishes known and his brothers had all been onboard. He’d put the Rodgers family through enough and they’d done what they could to make sure Shelly and her family wouldn’t unintentionally suffer any hardships of their doing.
But for him, it had mostly been about Katie. Wanting to see her succeed, wanting her to have a good life. God, when he’d come back home, he’d wished she had married, or at the very least, been in a serious relationship. Knowing she was still single had made his return torturous, yet he’d managed to keep his distance when he saw her around town or when they volunteered at the horse rescue.
And then Vegas happened.
Frustrated, he forced himself to go over ranching reports he’d pulled up on his computer. He had to get some work done, had to feel productive today, instead of daydreaming about seeing Katie again.
A little after two in the afternoon, his cell phone rang. “Hey, Wes. How’s it going?” Luke usually didn’t hear from the manager of the horse rescue, so he knew this had to be important.
“Hey, Luke. Sorry for the call, but it’s Snow. I’m sorry to say it might be her time. The ole girl isn’t breathing real well. I’ve had Dr. Hernandez out. He gave her some painkillers, but that’s about all he can do for her. Thought you’d like to know.”
Luke’s stomach churned. Snowball was a mustang who’d been severely abused and she’d come to the rescue at the same time he’d returned home. He and Katie both had sort of taken the mare under their wing. They had a soft spot for the old girl. She’d been recovering, but the abuse had taken its toll on her and unfortunately with some of the horses, there wasn’t much else to do but ease their pain.
“Thanks, Wes. Sorry to hear that. I’ll, uh, I’ll come by. I want to see her.”
“Thought you would.”
“I’ll let Katie know, too.”
“I just called Katie. She didn’t answer her phone. I left her a message.”
“Okay, well, I’ll try to get word to her somehow. I’ll see you soon, Wes.”
Luke hung up and rubbed at the corners of his eyes. Giving himself a moment to gather his thoughts, he shook his head. As much as he wanted to see Katie again, he didn’t want to give her bad news.
Five minutes later, he was in his car, driving by the bakery. There was a Katie’s Kupcakes Is Klosed sign on the window. Still, he parked the car in a diagonal spot right in front of the bakery and got out. He tried the shop’s door handle. No luck. Then he cupped his hands to ward off the sun’s glare and peered inside the window. Not a soul was around.
A car slowed on the street and a young girl called out, “Can I help you?”
He recognized her as one of Katie’s employees, though he couldn’t recall her name. She’d made a few deliveries to the Boone corporate office. “I’m looking for Katie.”
“Hold on a sec.” The young woman parked her car and walked over to where he stood by the door.
“I’m Lucas Boone.”
She smiled as if to say she knew who he was; the Boones were usually recognized in town. “Hi, Lucas. I’m Lori. Do you need cupcakes or something? The bakery is closed.”
“No, nothing like that. I need to see Katie. It’s important. Has to do with the Red Barrel Horse Rescue.”
“Oh... I see.” The young woman nibbled on her lips.
“She’s not answering her phone.”
“No, she’s probably resting up in her apartment. She was pretty exhausted today.”
“It’s really important. Can you help me?”
She thought it over for a few seconds. “I know your brother is marrying her best friend, Drea. So, I guess it’s all right if I let you in.”
“Thank you.”
Lori put the key into the lock and opened the door. “I only came back because I left my textbook and notes here and I’ve got this big exam tomorrow night.”
Luke nodded and she let him inside the empty bakery.
“I’ll go upstairs and knock on he
r door,” she said. “I’ll let Katie know you’re here.”
And a few minutes later, Luke was face-to-face with a sleep-hazy Katie.
* * *
“W-what are you doing here?” Katie stood at her doorway, a plaid blanket wrapped around her shoulders, staring at Luke. She didn’t think she’d see him again so soon. His head was down, a concerned look on his face. Her heart began to pound hard. “Lori said something about the rescue?”
“I got a call from Wes a little while ago. It’s Snow. She’s in bad shape.”
The air left her lungs and her shoulders slumped. “Oh no. Not our girl.”
“Yep. I’m afraid so.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Thought you’d want to know. Wes tried to call you.”
“I—I was fast asleep. I didn’t hear my phone.”
“I’m on my way out to see her. Maybe for the last time.”
Oh man. All she could think about was the raw deal Snowball had gotten, a life of abuse and pain. Her owner had neglected her and she’d come to the rescue undernourished, scarred and broken. It wasn’t fair. They’d tried their best to save her, and now Katie wasn’t about to let her take her last breaths alone. “I’ve got to see her, too.”
“I’ll take you.”
“No, you go on.” She ran a hand through her hair. She must look a mess. “I need to run a comb through my hair and freshen up.”
“I’ll wait.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Katie, I’m here, my car’s out front and we’re driving to the same place. Let’s not waste any more time when we can spend it with Snow. Just do what you have to do, I’ll be waiting downstairs.”
He was right. Snow was too important to her to quibble with him about driving arrangements. “Okay, fine. Give me a minute.”
Five minutes later, she was dressed in jeans and a red shirt, her hair in a knot at the top of her head. She splashed water on her face and put on lip gloss to keep from biting her lips and then dashed down the stairs and out the door of the bakery.
Luke waited for her out front, leaning against his black SUV, his hands in his pockets, a pensive look on his face. Her stomach was still in a twist about her ultra-secret marriage to her sister’s ex. And now, the sweet mare she’d tended for the past year might be dying.
Vegas Vows, Texas Nights Page 3
