by Natalie Ann
“Really? Because if she thought we were still together, then why haven’t I talked to her once since I left? Why hasn’t she returned one of my calls, texts, or emails? I haven’t heard a word from her. My father told me she’s not said one word about the breakup to him, either. She hasn’t even mentioned my name once to him. He thought she’d gone on an interview a while ago too, and I asked him to look into it.”
“Hmm. Okay, this is all really weird.”
“Why? What now?” He couldn’t imagine why Katherine was hedging.
“She’d told a few staff that you two have been in contact.”
“One-sided contact. Me reaching out to her and nothing else…if she wants to call it that. Maybe she was just trying to save face.” He could see Kendra doing that.
“Could be. Anyway, as for the interview, I don’t know anything about that. She isn’t always at her desk. I don’t know where she goes, but her work is always done…and well, I think everyone is just giving her space too. Even though Kendra isn’t really well liked, she isn’t hated either. And there are plenty that feel bad for what happened.”
He knew that many were going to sympathize with Kendra, which was why he left when he did. Trying to give her time to adjust, trying to give himself time to figure out what to do with his life.
“And now what? What else aren’t you saying?” he asked.
“Now there aren’t too many people who feel sorry for her. Now there are more people wondering how messed up in the head she is.”
“Why in the world would they think that?” Kendra had never shown any signs of people thinking she was crazy.
“You know how it is. Think about it—you called the wedding off, you broke it off with her, and yet she is still coming here every day acting like nothing is going on. My staff, and others, are taking bets on whether she’s going to become stalker girl, or not. Or if she is just hanging on hoping for a reconciliation.”
“I guess we’ll find out today.”
Katherine smiled. “Meeting with legal next, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I’ll give you the details when I’m done.”
Four hours later, Nick was walking back to his office when he saw Kendra sitting on the couch through the glass window. He opened the door. “Kendra. What are you doing in here?”
She got up and walked forward, a big smile on her face, and reached for him, then hugged him tight.
He tried not to freeze, but he couldn’t help it. It made no sense. She hadn’t returned one call to him. They hadn’t talked in over a month and here she was greeting him like a long-lost lover.
Hell, she never greeted him like this when they were together. Maybe Katherine was right.
Tentatively he put his arms around her and hugged her back, then gently stepped away. “Have a seat, Kendra. Let’s talk.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to return. I’ve missed you.” She stopped and looked him over as he walked to sit on the couch and she followed.
He wanted to sit behind his desk but couldn’t be that cold. She’d once meant a great deal to him. But in the last month he started to wonder things about her that he’d never seen before. Things that led him to believe he didn’t really know her much at all.
“If you missed me so much, why haven’t you returned any of my messages?” It was hard to keep the frustration from his voice, but he was trying.
“I wanted to give you time.”
“Time for what?”
“To realize that you just had cold feet. But now that you’re done traveling and trying to find yourself, we can start over.”
Trying to find myself, he thought, fighting back the outrage. He’d never been someone who needed to find himself.
“What? I’ve been working.”
Only his family knew where he’d been this whole time. Once he was done visiting his other branches, he’d kept his location private. He didn’t want anyone to know he was with his grandmother.
Maybe it was pride, but he didn’t want anyone to think he was running and hiding either. He wasn’t. Not really.
She stopped and looked confused. “But you haven’t been at another site for three weeks.”
“Kendra, when have you ever known me to just visit our other branches? I travel all the time for work.”
“I know. I just thought you were taking some time for yourself too. Like I did in Paris. Once I came back, I realized that it was just cold feet—nerves, really. I felt refreshed and ready to start over once I returned, but I wanted to talk to you about it face-to-face. That’s why I didn’t return your calls.”
So she was hoping for a reconciliation after all and it was the last thing he expected. Now it made more sense why she didn’t seem all that upset when he’d called everything off. Maybe she just was in denial and didn’t believe it all.
“You thought wrong, and I’m sorry about that, but I was very clear with you. What part of me stating that I couldn’t love you the way you deserved—the way a husband should love a wife—didn’t you understand?”
“But I’m okay with that. I don’t need a lot of romance. I’m okay with the way things were. I can accept that going forward.”
“I’m not okay with it, and you shouldn’t be either. It’s not natural. It’s not normal. Don’t you think we both deserve more? Don’t you want more?”
Quiet Life
“It’s a little early for a drink, don’t you think?”
Nick turned to see Zach standing in his doorway. “Ever heard of a drink with lunch?” He was never so glad to see his father’s bottle of scotch in his cabinet.
“Sure, and I’ve been known to have one myself, but never you. Bad morning?”
Nick poured a splash, threw it back, coughed and then poured some more. “Come in and shut the door.”
“By the look on your face I’m thinking I might need one too.”
Nick sat behind his desk and put the glass down. “Help yourself.” He waited until Zach was settled, then started. “Kendra just left my office.”
“And…I’m assuming it didn’t go well.”
“She was waiting for me to return so we could pick up where we left off.”
Zach started to cough. “You shouldn’t have said that until I was done drinking. What’s she on? Did she tell you, because I could use a little bit of it.”
“I don’t know. I was pretty clear with her. She even said she understood everything I said before, but argued that she was okay with that now. That she was okay with all I was able to offer her. Or give her.”
“Why?” Zach asked, looking a little outraged, and Nick started to feel better that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to sell himself short. He was glad Zach was here for him to talk to. “Why would anyone settle for half or even a fraction of what they could have?”
“Beats me.”
“So how did she take it when you told her that wasn’t going to happen? Not to mention I know you met with legal. It was to cover your bases with her and give her a severance package, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was. Katherine told me I was being too generous, but it was the right thing to do. Funny thing is, Kendra didn’t react much differently than when I told her the wedding was off. What’s wrong with me?” Nick asked, picking the scotch up and taking another drink. “I don’t get it. I feel like shit. I felt like shit when I told her it was over, then I relived it again to tell her just now.”
He didn’t want to admit it didn’t hurt nearly as much this time. Maybe because he’d found Mallory and he knew deep down that he’d never felt even a glimmer for Kendra of what he felt for Mallory, yet he and Mallory still had so far to go.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Nick. No one really thought you two would make it to the altar.”
“Seriously? Why am I hearing about this now?”
This was all news to him. No one ever talked about his and Kendra’s relationship, good or bad.
“Do you really think anyone is going to tell you to your face
that they didn’t think you would marry Kendra? Or that you wouldn’t go through with it.”
“I guess not. Tell me why everyone thought that though.”
What didn’t he see? Or what did everyone see that Kendra seemed to never notice?
“You two were never affectionate. No one expected you to be all over each other in the office, but honestly, even when it came out you’d been dating for months, no one had a clue. You two never acted any different around each other than when she started working for you.”
It was true and just went back to Kendra being emotionless at times.
But he knew part of it was on him, too. It was his office and he wanted to stay professional. Deep down though, it was because he just never had any burning desire for her. That was on him, that was his fault and he’d take the blame for it, even if he knew he couldn’t force himself to feel more for her.
Maybe his grandmother was right all along. Kendra was beautiful, there was no doubt, but she just didn’t pull at him like Mallory did. Or even like other women from his past did.
“I explained all of that to her, but she didn’t care.”
“Something has to be wrong with her,” Zach said, laughing. “Very few women could handle being told that twice and not react. I don’t care how controlled they normally are.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to read too much into it. I gave her a big check and told her I would help her find another job.”
“What did she say to it, other than not showing much emotion?”
“Nothing. She thanked me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and wished me well. It was like a normal conversation with her again. It’s not like I wanted her to cry, but am I so awful of a person that I wanted her to have some reaction?”
“Considering you look like shit right now, no, you are within your right to hope she would feel something. Don’t beat yourself up over it.” Zach shook his head and took another sip. “I wonder if she was all excited when you called her to your office thinking of a reconciliation.”
“She was waiting in here when I got back from legal.”
“What?” Zach asked, sitting up straighter. “Did you have your door locked?”
Executive offices were always locked when unoccupied. It was a security precaution.
“She has a key, Zach,” Nick pointed out.
“I know you know we changed your locks when you left. You got in, so your dad gave you the new key. We didn’t give one to Kendra.”
He hadn’t thought about that. “Then maybe I left it unlocked. I’m probably just out of my routine, having been away for so long.”
“I guess,” Zach said. “The quiet life of the lake getting to you. You must like it if you’re going back.”
Zach only found out two days ago where Nick had been staying, and he only told him so Zach knew his flight plans and where he was coming from. “I’m getting a lot done. Why change it now?”
“True. I’m getting close to finding Caleb Ryder, too. I can feel it. Maybe with any luck I’ll have something for you while you’re still there and you can corner him. Get him to come on board with us.”
Nick laughed. He needed it right now. “I’ll leave all the cornering to you. If you get me his location and he’s in my area, I’ll make contact. If I need a smooth talker, you’ll be on the first flight there.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll let you get back to work. Developers tonight at five, right? Team meeting, working late?”
“Yeah. I’ll talk to someone about having dinner brought in. I want to show everyone what I’ve been working on and brainstorm for the next step.”
“Hey, I wasn’t sure we’d see you again before you left tomorrow,” his mother said to him the next night.
He wasn’t sure he’d have the time either but wanted to make it. It had been nice to be back in his house and in his own bed the last two nights.
Not that he’d spent much time there. Wednesday night he didn’t leave his office until almost midnight, after he and the developers started working. Then he went in bright and early this morning and still didn’t leave until after seven.
“I just wanted to stop and say bye. I’m going into the office for a few hours in the morning and then my flight leaves at eleven.”
“You’re working too hard, Nick. Maybe I’m glad you’re going back to Grandma’s.”
He was thrilled, but didn’t say that. Even though his mother knew how much he loved spending time with his grandmother, she would wonder why he was in such a hurry to get back. “I want to keep the momentum going while I can.”
“Whatever gets you through.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I know how hard yesterday was on you. Your father told me everything last night. Don’t keep beating yourself up, Nick. She wasn’t the one for you. I don’t think anyone thought you and Kendra would last as long as you did. Why she went back to work was beyond me.”
“She hoped for a reconciliation.”
His mother snorted. “I don’t believe it. I don’t care what she told you; I just don’t believe it.”
“Why?” Maybe his mother knew something he didn’t.
“Let’s just say it’s not in her nature, and drop it. I need to run to the store quick, but your dad is upstairs changing. I should be back in less than an hour. Don’t leave until I return.”
“I won’t.”
He watched his mother grab her purse and walk out the door, then turned when his father walked into the room. “Do you have a few minutes to help me with something?” his father asked.
“Sure, what do you need?”
“I’m going to run over to Paul’s before your mother gets back. I thought since you were home you could help me carry over the things he asked us to hold onto in case Mallory ever returned.”
It was the perfect time to talk about Mallory with his father and he wanted to desperately, but he knew he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Why do you need to do it while she’s gone?”
His father hesitated, looked out the window quickly to see the lights on his mother’s car pulling away and then turned back.
“Your mother never liked Paul. She blamed him for the problems Mindy had and her death. She felt Paul didn’t try hard enough to get Mindy help and that he rushed in and took control of everything of Mindy’s and Mallory’s. Everything he could get his hands on. Your mom always felt Paul was greedy and manipulative, so I try not to bring Paul’s name up often.”
“What about you? What do you think of him?”
Nick didn’t care for Paul from the few conversations they’d had, but it was enough that he kept his distance, knowing how overprotective Paul was of Mallory. And manipulative was the right word. He knew that firsthand. He’d always liked Mallory’s father, though.
“I don’t have many thoughts one way or another. Your mother was closer to Mindy. She was upset watching Mindy deteriorate over the years. Then when Mallory disappeared, things got strange for a while.”
“Strange how?”
“I don’t know. Your mother could explain better, but I wouldn’t bring it up. Just that Paul seemed almost more distraught than Mindy. Said that Paul blamed Mallory for Mindy’s addiction and how Mindy turned to the drugs even more after that summer.”
Nick wasn’t sure what to say to that. He knew he was only hearing one side of the story.
“Let’s just go and get what we need to before Mom gets home. I don’t want to get on her bad side before I leave again.”
“Smart boy.”
Insecure
“Come on in. Smells good. What’s on the menu tonight?” Mallory asked Quinn when she opened the door.
Quinn walked forward, holding up the casserole dish. “Enchiladas tonight and red velvet moon pie cookies for dessert.”
“Yum. The salad I put together doesn’t seem worthy. I wish you’d let me do more when we have dinner.”
“You know I’m trying new recipes all the time. You’re my guinea pig
.”
Quinn walked through the formal dining room into the kitchen and set the pan on the counter, then took the container of cookies off the top and put them aside. She’d been over enough times in the last year that she felt almost at home.
“Want to eat in the kitchen or on the deck?”
“I think it might rain. Let’s stay in the kitchen, if you don’t mind.”
“That works,” Quinn said, smiling. “But I want this seat right here. I want to see the water. I only ever get to see it when I’m working, which doesn’t give me much time to admire it.”
“It is nice to look out at this all the time,” Mallory agreed.
She knew Quinn preferred to come here for dinner, even though she always did the cooking. She said her little one-bedroom loft wasn’t very comfortable.
Since Mallory had only seen the outside of it, she couldn’t say for sure, but it wasn’t in the best part of town. “Sorry it took me so long to call and set up a time for drinks. I’ve been swamped with work.”
“Lots of accidents?” Quinn asked as she started to dish up some of the salad that Mallory had placed on the table.
“Accidents? Oh yeah. You know, summer and vacations and all, lots of traveling.” It wasn’t like Mallory to slip and forget she was supposed to be an insurance adjuster. The last few weeks of craziness must be getting to her. “So what’s going on with you and waitressing? Cooking isn’t challenging enough?”
“It’s slowing down now that summer is over. I knew it would and I grabbed the first job available. I’ve been pulling as many double shifts as I could, but they won’t keep me on full time after the summer, so I’m trying to stockpile some money. I really need to find just one job, but it’s not easy to find full time in this industry.”
Mallory remembered the struggles she had in the beginning and having little to no money, but she always had Trixie to fall back on. It seemed Quinn had no one, and she moved around a lot with jobs.
“I’ll let you know if I hear of anything. But then again, we know I don’t leave the house much.”