DREAMING OF YOU GO PL

by Barbara Freethy

She nodded, then turned as a rush of cold air hit her. Coming through the front door was Vanessa, followed by a silver-haired gentleman and a very thin, older brunette, who was probably Vanessa's mother. "Look who's here," she muttered.

  "Barrett, it's good to see you," Vanessa's father said, striding forward.

  Barrett let go of her hand to shake hands with his former father-in-law. "Doug, Mary," he added, nodding to Vanessa's mother. "Vanessa." He then reached for her hand once more. "This is Kate Marlow."

  As he made the introductions, she smiled at everyone, noting a hint of pain in Vanessa's gaze.

  "How's business, Barrett?" Doug asked.

  "It's very good."

  "No shortage of couples breaking up, huh?" Doug continued.

  "Not so far, no."

  "And what do you do, Miss Marlow?" Vanessa asked.

  "I'm a wedding planner."

  Vanessa raised one of her finely penciled eyebrows. "You plan weddings and Barrett negotiates divorces? That's odd."

  She shrugged. "It has been interesting sharing office space. Our clientele is at opposite ends of the happiness spectrum."

  "And your opinions about marriage and weddings must also be in opposition," Vanessa said, her gaze flitting from Barrett to her. "Barrett blamed our wedding for everything that went wrong in our marriage. Did he tell you that?"

  "He mentioned it. I know he's not a fan of weddings," she murmured.

  "He doesn't ever want to get married again," Vanessa continued. "Isn't that true, Barrett? Isn't that what you told me?"

  Barrett drew in a breath. "I don't think we need to get into old history."

  "Vanessa, Doug, Mary," Pamela exclaimed, coming over to greet her friends.

  Kate was actually relieved by his mother's interruption.

  Barrett took advantage of her appearance to pull her away from the group. "Let's get out of here."

  "Really? Are you sure? Your mom will be disappointed if you leave." As much as she was happy to go, she didn't want to become a wedge between Barrett and his mother.

  "I'm positive. I'm not going to put up with anyone disrespecting you, not even if it's my mother."

  She was more than a little touched by his words, although she couldn't help pointing something out. "You don't really respect what I do, either."

  "I respect you." He looked deep into her eyes. "And I like you, Kate."

  "I like you, too," she murmured, feeling the unmistakable heat running between them.

  "Then let's get out of here." He started to turn, then paused. "Unless you want to wait for the Hunts to arrive, so you can schmooze with them?"

  "No. I turned in my proposal this morning, so whatever they decide is up to them."

  "Then let's get out of here."

  They grabbed her bag and wrap out of a guest room and slipped out of the house.

  "So, what's your favorite place to eat?" he asked, as they walked to the car.

  She thought for a moment. "There's a place near the Sausalito Harbor that serves tapas and really good wine."

  "You're on," he said, flashing her a smile. "That sounds a lot better than this."

  She thought so, too.

  * * *

  Barrett had made the right decision. Getting Kate out of his mother's house had been a far better idea than ever getting her into it.

  At a table by the café window overlooking the harbor lights, they shared small plates of honey-rubbed ribs, roasted carrots, patatas bravas, sesame seed crusted salmon and a kale salad with cranberries, coconut and pumpkin seeds. In the warm, cozy restaurant with good food and good wine, he felt infinitely more relaxed.

  The conversation flowed easily, and Kate's blue eyes sparkled as she regaled him with crazy wedding stories.

  "I know I'm just making you hate my business even more," she said, as she sipped the last of her wine.

  "Actually, I'm just amazed at how many different ways people want to say I Do. The horses on the beach at sunset were clearly fraught with problems from the onset."

  "I know, and I tried to talk them out of it. I said there might be fog or the horses could spook, or, you know, go to the bathroom at an inappropriate time, and they said they were confident it would all go well."

  "But it didn't. Everything you just said went wrong."

  "I will never do horses again," she said with a laugh. "I'm not big on boat weddings, either. Someone always gets seasick, sometimes me."

  He smiled at her self-deprecating humor. He liked how real Kate was. There was absolutely no pretense about her. She was who she was, and she was proud of it. She genuinely liked herself, and that was rare in most people he knew.

  "Can I just say again how sorry I am that I introduced you to my mother?" he asked.

  "I'm sure we just caught her off guard. When she saw me, she realized that there was going to be awkwardness with Vanessa, and she didn't know what to do about it."

  "That's no excuse. I'm going to talk to her about it tomorrow."

  "You don't need to do that, Barrett."

  "I do need to do that," he reiterated. "My mother needs to understand that she has nothing to say about my life, and she needs to treat anyone I bring over to her house with respect. Otherwise, I won't be coming over."

  "I just don't want to come between you."

  "Trust me, this conversation is long overdue."

  "I'm sure she wants the best for you."

  "What she thinks is the best. She's always been controlling, but I have to admit she shocked me tonight. She's never been that overtly obnoxious. It was embarrassing."

  "Well, you can't pick your family. God knows my mother is no prize. She's not snobby, but she's flaky and unreliable. She likes to chase whatever shiny new penny catches her eye. And she doesn't think much about the consequences of any of her actions. She's a very selfish person, although she would never describe herself that way. She thinks she's amazing and other people just don't understand her creative mind."

  "Other people like your grandparents?" he asked.

  "They are definitely at the top of the list. The three of them don't get along, and my mother has never expressed any thanks to her parents for raising me."

  "Lance mentioned he wasn't sure if he should call your mother when Bess got hurt. He was rattled about it. But in the end, I think he decided not to."

  "Which was the best decision. Although, she might not have come even if she knew."

  He heard the bitter pain in her voice and had a feeling Kate had been hurt a lot by her mother. He hated that his mother had done the same thing to her. She didn't deserve to be hurt by anyone, much less two women who weren't even in her league.

  "Did your grandmother come home today?" he asked, wanting to ease the tension on Kate's face.

  She nodded. "Yes. She's doing really well. She really does bounce back fast from any adversity."

  "That's great."

  "I'm very relieved. It could have been so much worse. I'm trying to convince them not to get a new car, since their old one is out of commission, but I'm not sure I'll succeed. I know they don't drive the freeways anymore, and this accident wasn't their fault, but I still worry."

  "It's hard to give up the freedom that driving brings," he said.

  "I know, which is why I haven't pushed. They're both in good mental shape. I just don't know how good their reflexes are. Anyway, I'll go see them sometime this week and talk about it with them." She set her empty wineglass down. "What do you have going on the next few days?"

  "I have a mediation that will probably take most of tomorrow and then some meetings later in the week. What about you?"

  "I have a busy schedule, too. A lot of brides start shopping now for summer and fall weddings. I have a couple of bands to listen to, some venues to visit, florists to talk to, wedding dress designers to interview, and of course cakes to taste—my favorite part of the job."

  He was amazed at all the different details she had to deal with. "You must have built a good network of vendors by now."<
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  "I have, and most of the time I use them, but sometimes brides want something different or someone of their own choosing. I'm sure if I get Candice's wedding, I'll be using her mother's vendors. And that's fine. I can work with anyone." She paused. "But what I'm most excited about this week is Friday night's bridal shower for Jessica and Maggie. It's a couples' shower, so more of a party than a traditional shower. It has been awhile since we've all gotten together."

  There was affection in her voice and a wistfulness in her gaze. He suspected Kate was a very loyal person. Once you were her friend, you were a friend for life. "That sounds like fun. I didn't know there were couple showers."

  "It's all the rage. Just like the couple favors."

  "Right. I forgot about those. Do you have weddings next weekend, too?"

  "No, but I am working a bridal fair on Saturday."

  He shook his head in bemusement. "You weren't kidding when you said your schedule was packed. And I have to say it sounds like more fun than mine."

  "It is fun, not that brides can't be picky and annoying."

  "All clients can be picky and annoying," he returned. "Where's the bridal shower at?"

  "Andrea and Alex's house, which is a mansion with a huge game room that the guys will enjoy, I'm sure."

  "What kind of games?"

  "All the games that Alex's company makes, like Raven, Fire Flight, and Vertigo. He basically has an arcade at his house."

  "I've been playing Vertigo since version one. I can't believe you know the guy who invented it."

  "I'm surprised you like video games. I thought you liked to run and bike."

  "I do, but Matt and I also played a lot of video games when we were kids," he confessed. "I must admit I still occasionally play when I'm killing time on a Sunday."

  She smiled. "As a guilty pleasure, it's not that bad. Whenever we get together at Alex's house, all the guys end up in the arcade at some point."

  "What's Donovan like? Is he a kid at heart?"

  "Definitely. He's a great guy, very down-to-earth. You wouldn't know he's rich. He also does a lot for underprivileged children, so there are often kids around. You'd like him." She paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "You know, you could come with me."

  "To your friends' bridal shower? I doubt they'd like that."

  "They'd like it more than your mother did when I showed up at her birthday party," she said dryly.

  "That was bad," he admitted. "I'd like to avoid a repeat."

  "There wouldn't be a repeat. They would welcome you. You should come, Barrett. Actually, you'd be doing me a favor. As the last single girl standing in the group, it would be nice not to go alone. Unless, of course, you're busy."

  He should say no. Bridal showers weren't his thing, especially for people he'd never met. On the other hand, he liked spending time with Kate, and meeting the maker of Vertigo would be interesting. "If you're sure no one will care…"

  "It will be fine. Like I said, I'm the organizer. While Andrea is hosting, I'm handling the food and drinks and there will be plenty."

  "Then it's a date."

  She licked her lips. "We've made a lot of dates considering we're not dating."

  "I was thinking that, too," he said with a smile. "But as long as we're having fun…"

  "Right. It's just fun. It doesn't mean anything."

  At her words, he wondered if she wanted it to mean something.

  Frowning, he wondered if he wanted it to mean something, too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was a little too quiet in the car, Kate thought, as Barrett drove her home.

  After dinner, they'd taken a walk around the harbor, looking at Sausalito's famous floating homes, that were as rebellious and vibrant as ever. While they'd both agreed they liked the idea of living a free-spirited life on a boat in the harbor, it would probably stress them both out to be in such a small space. And while rocking back and forth might be soothing for a while, it didn't seem like a long-term proposition. They both had too much energy, too much drive.

  They'd also done a little window-shopping. Barrett found her fascination with boots quite amusing, and she'd been surprised at how much time he'd spent looking at houses for sale on the window of a real-estate office. For a man who seemed to have no interest in commitment, he seemed incredibly interested in owning a home one day.

  Barrett had given her his coat as they strolled, since she hadn't really dressed for being outside, and with his hand in hers, she felt warm and toasty despite the cold, clear night.

  She still had the coat on now, even though Barrett had fired up the heater once they'd gotten in the car. But she wasn't ready to give it up just yet.

  In some ways, the coat felt like a metaphor for their relationship—something that she wanted to hold on to, but she knew she couldn't. It was just for now, not forever.

  She didn't know what Barrett was thinking about, but while the conversation had been easy and fun all evening, once they had gotten into the car, it seemed to evaporate.

  She was starting to feel tense, expectant, and unsure. The night had started out as a favor to Barrett, but it had turned into more than that. Since leaving his mom's house, she'd seen yet another side of Barrett, one that felt younger, more relaxed, more fun.

  She could hardly correlate this man with the one who'd been so angry and uptight the first night they'd met. "What changed?" she asked, not realizing she'd spoken aloud until Barrett glanced in her direction.

  "What?" he asked in confusion.

  "I was just thinking how different you seem tonight versus the man who knocked over my statues and yelled at me two weeks ago."

  "I didn't yell."

  "You were really angry. But now that I know you better, I have to say I don't understand why you got so mad. You seem able to take a joke. What changed?"

  His jaw tightened as he came to a stop at a traffic light. "I was having a bad week when we first met, and I was not in the mood for romantic cupid statues."

  His words made her curious. "What had happened?"

  He hesitated, then said, "The day before I ran into you, my father's fourth wife, Tanya, had asked me to meet with her at a house she and my dad were looking to buy. I didn't know why she wanted my opinion; we're not close. But I agreed to check it out. When I arrived, I found out she was less interested in my real-estate advice and more interested in what my father had been doing while he worked late in his office the night before."

  "That doesn't sound good."

  "It wasn't good. After the water pipe broke in my office, I spent a couple of days in the tower where Fox Management is located. I had been in the office the previous night when my dad told Tanya he had to work late. I had seen him leave five minutes later, and he had not been on his way home."

  "Where did he go?"

  "I have no idea."

  "What did you tell Tanya?"

  "I said I didn't keep track of my father, and she should ask him if she had concerns."

  "How did she take that?"

  "She started crying."

  "Oh, damn."

  He frowned as he gave a nod. "It was not fun. I finally calmed her down, offered her some probably worthless reassurances and took off."

  "Would your father cheat on his wife?"

  He sighed. "I don't know. We don't talk about things like that. In my experience, he usually just gets a divorce when he's done with a relationship. After that conversation, I sped up my timetable to get out of the tower. The next day, I looked at our list of unoccupied spaces and decided the old Victorian on Union Street was perfect. It just needed a little remodeling, but that didn't worry me, because we have crews ready to go. Our company manages a lot of buildings." He paused, as he took a moment to concentrate on the narrowing lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge. Once they were through the toll plaza, he said, "Anyway, you know what happened next. I ran into your cupids, and I wasn't in the mood for your romantic joke."

  "That Cupid shot his arrow at you?"

&nbs
p; "That's the one."

  "I was trying to lighten the mood."

  "I know, and I had no sense of humor that night. Cupid's arrow might bring love but is it ever worth the trouble? The pain? The problems? The inevitable ending?"

  "It's not inevitable. Look at my grandparents."

  "Maybe they're the exception to the rule. Look at your parents—at my parents."

  "We do come from screwed-up families," she admitted.

  "Makes me wonder how we turned out so well," he said lightly.

  She met his smile with one of her own. "Good question."

  He turned at her street and slowed down, searching for a parking spot.

  "You can just drop me off," she said.

  "No, I'll walk you up." He pulled over just down the block from her building.

  She licked her lips, wondering what would happen at her door.

  Should she ask him in? Suggest coffee? But where would that lead? And if it led where she thought, was she ready to go there? They'd been flirting with the line between friends, associates, tenants…should she cross that line, obliterate it altogether?

  Barrett didn't say anything as they made their way into her building and up the stairs to her apartment. He waited while she unlocked the door and pushed it open. She stepped inside and turned on the light. He hovered in the doorway.

  "Everything good?" he asked, his gaze scanning the room.

  She nodded. "Yes."

  "I guess I'll go then."

  "That's probably best," she said. "We both have a lot of work this week. We'll touch base about the shower in a few days."

  "That sounds good. If you change your mind about me coming—"

  "I won't," she said, wishing the shower was tomorrow, because that would give her an excuse to see him again. Next Friday seemed like a long time to wait.

  "Okay."

  He stepped forward, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. Her heart sped up.

  "I'm going to need my coat," he said.

  "Oh, yes, of course," she said.

  "But first…" He stopped her as she started to take off his coat.

  She caught her breath at the purposeful look in his eyes. She felt like she was sixteen again, ridiculously nervous about what would be a simple good night kiss.