by Eugene, Lisa
I could see her anger in the deliberate squareness of her naked shoulders and it pained me. I didn’t want to hurt her.
“Are you saying he wanted to marry me for my money? That he never loved me? That that’s all I was to him?”
Shit… She was pissed, and by the fumes steaming off her, I couldn’t help but wonder if the thought had crossed her own mind at some point.
“The Wilkinson name is very prestigious. Josh’s father is worth millions!”
“Yes, but Josh is cut off from his family’s fortune.”
“I know he and his father don’t get along. That’s why he left and went out on his own, but he’s not cut off. He’s never lacked for money.”
I pushed my fingers through my hair again, agitated. “Look, I know Matt Wilkinson pretty well. He asked me to give Josh a job to help him out, to keep him out of trouble. Josh did not choose to leave the family business. He was asked to.”
Her face suffused with color and she bit down on her lip. I could see the disjointed thoughts fracture in her brain, and knew she was trying to piece them together, but I couldn’t tell if she believed anything I said. Believing me would force her to examine everything she’d ever believed about Josh and their relationship, everything she’d put faith in. It might even cause her to question herself.
I sighed again. Fuck! We’d been having a wonderful time together. The last person I wanted to talk about was Josh Wilkinson!
She turned to me, confusion coloring her eyes a dark blue. “I would have known if he knew about us. He would have done something, said something, maybe—”
“He did, Kay,” I said steadily. “Your earring. I think he planted it to scare you, to let you know that your secret was out. I think it was also to keep you quiet. He knew I had an alibi for that night and he knew who it was. I’m sure he never thought you’d come forward.”
She covered her face with her palms, blowing out a long breath. “You seem to have this all figured out.” There was disbelief weaved in her words. “You think he committed that other murder too?”
“He might have,” I replied firmly. “That might have also been to scare you, I don’t know.”
“This is crazy!”
“Yes, it is! I’ve been fucking living it!”
As soon as the angry words erupted, I regretted unleashing them on her. I circled her shoulders and pulled her into me.
“Kay, I don’t want to talk about this now. I don’t want to talk about Josh. I don’t want him between us. I’m sorry we’re both wrapped up in this mess.”
Her features softened and she cradled my cheeks between her palms, her gaze scattering over my face.
“It’s over between Josh and me. You have nothing to worry about. I’m where I want to be.”
She smiled in a way that made the breath stall in my lungs, but I couldn’t help the slight doubt that plagued me.
“I want to be right here with you, and I want to help you figure out what’s going on.”
The determination in her eyes revved up my heart rate and I tried hard to bury my doubt and believe what she had with Josh was over. “I appreciate that, Kay, but I’ve hired an investigator and Jack is working on getting the charges dropped. You’ve already done more than enough.”
She nodded and leaned in, brushing her lips against mine. I captured her bottom lip and sucked, loving the silky plumpness. She moaned and turned to face me fully, pushing the sheet down and straddling my thighs. Her arms snaked around my shoulders and I loved the press of her naked, supple breasts against my chest.
Cupping her buttocks, I smiled and pulled her in tight. Seemed her limbs were fully functional again. I’d have to take care of that. We still had a few hours till morning. I delved my tongue into her mouth, plumbing the luscious depths. I loved the way she tasted, loved the feel of her tongue against mine. Damn, she was sexy!
A distant ringing broke through our sensual haze and Katie pulled back, frowning.
“I think that’s my phone.”
“It’s two in the morning.” I copied her frown, but she was already off my lap and pulling my shirt around her shoulders. I scooted to the edge of the bed as she rushed toward the door and followed the ring chiming from the living room.
Who the hell would be calling her at this hour?
By the time I’d pulled on my jeans and joined her in the living room, she’d already found her phone and was listening intently to whoever was on the other end. She looked up when she saw me.
“Hold on one second, Cindy.” Katie took the phone from her ear and shot me an apologetic look. “One of the girls from work is having a problem. I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and kissed her forehead, somehow feeling relieved. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Her lips pulled up at the corners and she put the phone back to her ear. Settling on my couch, she folded her naked legs beneath her, already enrapt in the call. I watched her brows pleat with worry and knew this was going to take a while. Leaving for a minute, I returned with a blanket and draped it over her shoulders, then I kissed her forehead again and left, giving her privacy.
It was an hour before Katie returned to the bedroom, and from her expression, I knew it had been a difficult conversation.
“Sorry,” she said, slipping into bed beside him. “Cindy was very upset.”
I unbuttoned my shirt and slid it from her shoulders. “Anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?”
She sighed, leashing her hair in a loose knot. “Cindy hasn’t seen her family for some time. She surprised them for the holiday, and it wasn’t the home-coming she’d hoped for.”
“I’m sorry,” I said genuinely. I knew the holiday season was eagerly anticipated by most people, but it could also be a tough time of year for many. Katie had hinted that spending time with her own family could sometimes be stressful, and truthfully, the holidays was not my favorite time either. I did like spending time with my family, but this time of year always reminded me of my loss.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Sure.” I turned and snuggled behind her back, throwing a leg over her. I loved wrapping her up with my body. It felt like she was mine.
As if reading my previous thoughts, she asked, “How do you spend the holidays?”
I smiled, thinking about my boisterous family. “Today Livy and I will go to my oldest brother and his wife’s home for dinner in Jersey, then tomorrow dinner is at my parents in Queens.”
“Does your entire family go? I remember you saying you have six brothers.”
“Oh, yeah…and it’s absolute mayhem.”
“If they’re anything like you, then I can imagine,” she teased.
I chuckled, my thoughts on previous holidays. “When we get together, it’s a good time. Wanna come?”
As soon as the invitation slipped out, I regretted it. It wasn’t that I wouldn't enjoy spending more time with her, I just didn’t want Katie to think I was moving too fast. Plus there was a warning voice in my head telling me it would be prudent to slow down. Inviting a woman home for holiday dinner was a big deal—in my book, anyway. I hadn’t introduced a woman to my family since Roslyn, and they would be all over her like ants on a cookie crumb. I was very close to my brothers and parents, and their well intentioned, yet nosy, interrogations would no doubt drive Katie irrefutably bonkers.
She just got out of a tough relationship, and probably needed time to sort things out in her head. Although she wanted to get to know me, she most likely needed space.
It wasn’t until I felt the slow beats of my heart that I realized I was holding my breath, waiting to see how she’d respond.
“They sound like fun, and thanks for the invite, but I can’t.”
At least she sounded disappointed.
“I go to my grandmother’s tonight. Tomorrow, the girls from the foundation and I volunteer at a soup kitchen in Chelsea, and then I go to my parents for dinner.”
Dread se
emed to burden her words as she finished the sentence. Sensing her change in mood, I made a decision.
“Close your eyes.”
“What?” she laughed, wary.
“Go on, close them.”
She complied but only after sending me a warning glance. I grinned and reached into the top drawer of my night table.
“No peeking, or you’ll get in trouble.”
She laughed again, but her eyes were still closed when I turned back to her.
“Okay, open them.”
The surprise on her face when she saw the medium-sized red box with a white silk bow was priceless, and my heart tripped in my chest. On a whim I’d purchased the gifts while out shopping with Livy. I’d intended on leaving the box with her doorman, then after Saturday’s fiasco, had been undecided whether I’d give her the gifts at all. I smiled, thinking fate had decided for me.
“Open it.”
“You got me a present?” she asked, her lips tilting in a sappy smile that made me chuckle.
“Well, you got me a shirt.”
She sat up and started opening the box, then peeked at me from under her long pale lashes, chagrinned. “Because I kinda mauled yours.”
Her words made my smile widen and I watched her beautiful face morph to bewildered shock when she lifted the lid. I was biting my cheeks now, trying not to laugh out loud. Her big blue eyes rounded.
“A sewing kit?” An indignant pout pushed up her lips, but laughter swirled in her eyes. She started playfully punching my chest, and I grabbed a pillow to defend myself. Her laughter escaped in bursts as I twisted and parried away, laughing myself.
“It’s a great gift!” I chuckled. “It even comes with buttons!”
“Funny.”
“Look underneath,” I said, peeking out from the pillow.
Definitely not trusting me now, she gingerly picked up the kit and looked deeper into the box.
I watched her cheeks fill with a smile as she lifted the delicate gold key chain.
“This is lovely!” She held it up and dangled it from her fingers, and the light in the room bounced off of the shiny metal, making it glow. “It has my initials!”
She beamed and flung her arms around my shoulder, tackling me to the bed. “Thank you.”
“I know you said you’re looking for your own apartment. I figured you could use it.”
“That’s so thoughtful.” Her lips split into a wide smile and she planted tiny kisses all over my face, springing more chuckles from my lungs. “I’m sorry I beat you up.”
“It’s okay.” I grinned. “I think you’re not seeing the bright side of having a sewing kit, though.”
Her forehead wrinkled skeptically, and I kissed the bridge of her nose.
“You can rip my shirts off anytime you want.”
***********************
Katie
“You are a complete embarrassment to this family, Katherine Regina!”
I pulled up short when my mother’s voice hissed low behind me. It echoed in angry waves across the large music parlor. I braced a hand on the shiny black Steinway and squeezed my eyes shut, reluctant to turn around and face the woman who’d just pursued me into the room. I’d come home for Christmas despite knowing it was going to be difficult. It was Christmas, after all, and how could I not? This was my family. My mother was still livid about the cancellation of the wedding. Last night at Grand’s home, I had been given a reprieve. There had been so many people in attendance that Diana hadn’t been able to release her beautifully wrapped anger. True to form, she’d mingled and socialized with the cultured grace of a true Vandercamp, smiling as if she hadn’t a care in the world. But I knew that underneath the refined sophistication was a woman waiting for the right opportunity to explode. And this was unfortunately the moment—right before we were to be called into the dining hall for Christmas dinner.
I had anticipated this outburst at some point tonight, but what caused my skin to grow damp were Diana’s words. Was she referring to the wedding, or something else? My heart seized with horrible foreboding and small twinges tightened my chest. I slowly lifted my lids and stared out the French colonial windows that gave a spectacular view of the grounds. Our caretaker had done an exceptional job with the manicured gardens and the feng shui placement of stone statuaries. I absorbed the serene vista while my body raged with internal pandemonium. Perhaps I could channel some inner calm from the pastoral scene. Taking a deep breath, I pivoted and faced my mother.
Diana’s face was gaunt with anger.
“I hope you are proud of yourself and the hoops you’ve made us all leap through this past year. I have spent an enormous amount of time indulging you with this wedding, and this is how you repay me?”
Inner peace flew out the French colonial windows. On some level, relief wormed through my muscles, but I was too angry to acknowledge it. Fisting my hands, I scowled at my mother. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Indulging me? Indulging me? I told you repeatedly I didn’t want half that stuff you planned! But you never listened to me! As always, what I say—what I want—doesn’t count!” I hated the way my voice split open with emotion on the last sentence, but a year of banked hostility started to leak out. I could feel my eyes filling with tears, and tried hard not to fall apart.
Diana regarded me for an quiet moment, seeming stunned, and I thought for once I saw empathy in her eyes, thought that my mother was actually trying to understand me.
“You ungrateful little bitch!” Diana bit out. “Do you know how much planning went into this? Who was to attend? Some of the strings I had to pull? I’m thoroughly embarrassed, and have most likely become a laughing stock! ”
I shook my head, awed at my mother’s myopic view of the world. It was clear what her priority was: her reputation.
“Do you not care that I could be making the biggest mistake of my life? That Josh might not be the one for me?”
“You need to get your priorities in order. Josh is a fine man. He loves you! If you weren’t so caught up in the foundation, you’d see that!”
“And if you weren’t so caught up in yourself, you’d see that I haven’t been happy, that Josh and I have had problems! But you really don’t give a shit!” I threw at her. I knew I shouldn’t say such a hateful thing, but now I was beyond angry.
“How dare you?” Blotches of pink soiled Diana’s porcelain skin. “You are a naive, little twit who doesn’t know the first—”
The French doors suddenly pushed open and my father walked in. I turned to his piqued expression.
“What the hell is going on in here? It is Christmas, for God’s sake!”
“Jerome, you stay out of this!”
I was hoping for an ally in my father, but I could already see his courage withering under Diana’s scorching glare. My father’s main concern had always been keeping peace in the house, and for him that meant keeping his wife placated.
“It is time for dinner. Please, let’s just make the best of this evening.”
I stared at my mother’s face, seeing a side of her that she kept veiled from the world. Diana always wore the facade of a gently bred lady with the perfect life, but I could see that deep inside she was unhappy. What warped sense of happiness she had was derived from what people thought of her and this family. It was siphoned from the praise and adulation she received from others, and to feed that desire, everything she did always had to be praise worthy—had to be the biggest, the best, the most lavish. This time it was all at my expense.
Sadness seeded in my heart, a profound sense of loss. This was how I’d grown up. I’d existed in the superficial, never felt grounded, never felt like I received genuine emotion from my family. I’d always felt lost and adrift, hoping to be found, hoping to land and take root in something of substance.
“It is too late!” Diana scoffed at my father’s words. “Christmas has already been ruined, thanks to your daughter!”
With a twirl of chiffon, she sailed fr
om the room.
My father turned to me and sighed heavily. “What did you expect, Katherine? She’s angry and deeply disappointed. She put a lot of work into this wedding. But give her time and she’ll get over it. Now, don’t dally. Dinner is ready .”
My father left and I turned to peer out the window, fighting the urge to pick something up and fling it. My parents had no idea what had transpired between Josh and me on Saturday night, and although I didn't want to get into it with them, they hadn’t asked if I was okay, why I’d left so suddenly, or why the wedding was cancelled again. Because whatever the reason, it would in no way justify the embarrassment my mother had to endure.
My father’s words echoed in my head.
She’s deeply disappointed… Give her time… She’ll get over it…
Right. I gave a mocking shake of my head. Whose wedding was it again?
I swiped at a tear that escaped down my cheek, wondering if coming tonight had been a mistake.
My phone rang and I looked around for my purse. I’d left Cindy a message earlier to see how she was doing and was expecting a call back. Finding it on the couch, I wiped away another tear and sniffled as I answered.
“Merry Christmas, beautiful.”
Luke’s deep voice was a balm to my overwrought emotions. We’d made plans for the weekend, and I hadn’t expected to hear from him until then. I found the tiny gold keychain he’d given me in my purse and held it in the warmth of my palm, cradling it against my heart. His voice blessed me with a smile, but lingering melancholy congested my throat.
“Kay?”
I cleared my throat and infused cheer into my voice.
“Hi, Luke! Merry Christmas.”
“I know you’re probably busy with your family, but I wanted to call and say hello. How did everything go today?”
I could hear the chatter of raised voices and ringing laughter in the background. He must be at his parents’ house with his whole family for Christmas dinner.
“At the soup kitchen? Great. There were a lot of people.”
“Cool. How’s Christmas with the family?”