“Sure.”
Ford really wasn’t too interested in going to the yearly event, but he knew it was a good idea. It was a great place to catch up with people while also schmoozing some others.
“When is it?” Ford asked, opening the calendar on his phone.
“I think the second week in December.”
“That Saturday?”
“Probably.”
Ford put it into his calendar so he wouldn’t forget it, but made a mental note to head up to the front to double-check the date.
“Guess that means I need to get a date,” Ford said, sighing. The thought of asking someone to go with him didn’t appeal at all.
“Yeah, probably a good idea.”
“Who will you take?” Ford asked, looking at David expectantly.
“I don’t know. I’ve taken Denise, Kat’s friend a few times when I didn’t have anyone else.”
“Why don’t you take Kat?”
David shrugged and his eyes flashed before his expression cleared. “Not really ever thought about it. She’s usually so busy this time of year with the fair that I just don’t think about it.”
Ford tilted his head and considered his next words carefully. “Would you be okay with me asking Kat to go with me?”
David looked at him and said nothing. Until he’d said the words out loud, Ford didn’t realize how much he wanted Kat to go with him to the event. He liked her and he had a feeling they’d have a good time. But she was David’s sister and he might not be okay with something like that.
“You like my sister, don’t you?”
Ford shifted in his seat and snagged another slice of pizza. “Yeah, I mean she’s nice. She’s been great to me since I’ve gotten here, just like you.”
“Don’t bullshit me, dude,” David said, sighing. “I don’t care if you do. I just need to know if you do and if you’re serious about it.”
Ford’s brows rose. “Is this where you ask me my intentions?”
David rolled his eyes. “No, not really. It’s just…”
David trailed off and his eyes took on a faraway look. Ford wondered what it was he was thinking about. David shook his head and sighed. “It’s just that Kat hasn’t dated a ton because of work. If you like her, that’s cool. Just don’t…use her or hurt her or anything.”
Ford’s brows rose. “Use her? What do you think I am?”
“I don’t know, that’s the point.”
David stood and wiped his hands on his jeans before grabbing the pizza box and closing it. He turned toward the door and started to leave Ford’s office. He sighed, his hand on the door handle. He looked over his shoulder at Ford and said, “I don’t think you’re a bad guy. I think you’d be good for her, but I don’t know that she’ll see it that way.”
With those parting words, he left Ford’s office, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Ford would be good for her, but she wouldn’t see it that way? That was a little ominous, and it piqued Ford’s curiosity. He’d already figured out that something must have happened in Kat’s past to make her so skittish around him. And he’d heard a few hints around town about her. But no one had said a word about what made her that way.
She didn’t seem like there was something that was looming over her head that made her unable to date or anything like that, but what did he know?
Not much, that was obvious.
But he still wanted to ask her to go with him. There wasn’t anyone else that he could think to ask to go with him that wouldn’t annoy him all night. He’d left behind most of the people he knew and hung out with when he moved to Haven Falls.
He’d yet to really find another group of friends outside of David, his family, and Denise. Even then, he thought their tenuous friendship was born more out of proximity than any sort of actual friendship. Hopefully that would change as time wore on, but he couldn’t force it right then.
He finished his last bite of pizza and stood, walking into the little bathroom attached to his office to wash and dry his hands.
He checked the time and saw that there was plenty of time left before the clinic reopened. He wanted to check the date for that event before he worked up the nerve to ask Kat to go with him.
He left his office and made his way to the front. Neither receptionist was up there, which suited him just fine.
He saw the mail sitting in a pile to the left of the computer and snagged it. He quickly found the one David was referring to. He skimmed the invitation, noting the price for seats and the pertinent information for the event itself.
It was the second Saturday in December in Chapel Hill at one of the large hotels in the downtown area. That was close enough that he probably wouldn’t need to worry about a hotel room for the night.
If Kat agreed to go with him, he’d ask her if she wanted to stay and book them two rooms. He didn’t want to assume anything at this point. If he went alone, he’d definitely get a room, so he didn’t have to worry about making the drive back late at night.
He set the mail back down before making his way back to his office.
He sat back in his chair and stared at his desk phone, wondering if he should call Kat now and ask or wait until he saw her again. The only issue with waiting to see her again was that he wasn’t sure when that would be. Sure, she’d prepared him some food and dropped it off the other day, but she had said nothing else about doing it again or having him over for dinner again. He didn’t want to assume that it was forthcoming either.
Decision made, he woke his computer up and searched for Alpha Dog’s phone number. Before he could talk himself out of it, he punched it into his desk phone and jiggled his leg as the phone rang.
He didn’t think anyone was in the office as it continued to ring, but someone picked up as it was about to click over to their answering machine. “Alpha Dog Kennels and Training. This is Kat speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hey, Kat. It’s Ford.”
“Ford?”
“Yeah.”
Silence stretched for a few beats before Kat said, “Why are you calling?”
He heard a creak in the background and wondered if that meant she was relaxing back into a chair.
“I didn’t know how else to get up with you,” he started, nerves starting to seep in as he realized he was about to ask Kat to go somewhere with him on a date.
He paused and cleared his throat. “So I hope it’s okay that I called you here.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. What’s up?”
He felt sweat bead on his forehead and he worried that he wouldn’t be able to get the words out to ask her to go with him. What was his deal? Until he heard her voice, he was fine and cool as a cucumber.
“Ford?” Kat prompted.
“Right. I was wondering if you’d go with me to an event. You know that David and I are a part of the vet association, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, their annual holiday thing is coming up in December and I was calling to see if maybe you’d want to go with me.”
Kat remained silent when he finished talking and he worried that he’d said something wrong. “Kat?” he asked after a few moments of silence.
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, I’m just thinking about what you said. You want me to go with you to this event?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Like…as friends? Or…” She trailed off.
His mouth was suddenly dry as he was faced with the ultimate choice. Should he admit that he wanted it to be a date or should he play it cool and say as friends?
He knew that he shouldn’t jump back into dating with his divorce so fresh, but that didn’t mean shit to him. He liked Kat, and he wanted it to be a date.
“A date.”
“Oh.” Kat coughed, and he held his breath as he waited to see what she would say.
“Okay,” she finally said.
“Okay?” he asked to make sure.
“Yeah, okay.”
Ford blew out a breath. His he
art was thundering in his chest and he felt relieved. “Okay then. It’s the second Saturday of December. It’s in Chapel Hill. Want to meet for lunch one day next week to talk about details?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ve got to go, but get my cell number from David so we can coordinate.”
Before he could say anything else, Kat hung up. He didn’t even care. She’d agreed to go with him and that was all that mattered.
He had a hot date.
Thirteen
Kat
Kat stared at her phone like it was a ticking bomb after she hung it up. What was she thinking, agreeing to go out with Ford to some dinner?
She wasn’t, that’s what. Her stomach rolled as she thought about how easily she’d agreed to spend that evening with him.
She gasped and tried to breathe slowly to calm her stomach down. She felt like she was going to be sick. She hadn’t been on a date in years. She’d been asked out, and she’d definitely been tempted to say yes several times. But she never had. She was too scared what that would mean for her.
Yet, Ford asked, and she didn’t even give herself a chance to think about it. She just agreed.
She didn’t even ask for important details!
She didn’t know if she needed to dress up for this, if she would spend the night up there, or anything.
She dropped her head into her hands and tried to quell the panic she could feel bubbling inside her.
She wracked her brain for what David told her about the events the Vet Association put on each year.
She knew it was a big deal, and it cycled through several big city hotels. She knew that a lot of important people would be there, so it was a major networking opportunity. David talked about how he was able to talk to some of the best veterinarians in the state at this party.
She couldn’t remember if he’d ever told her anything more specific than that. Denise had gone with him though; she could call her and grill her for information about this.
That would also mean coming clean about why she needed to know. Actually, she probably wouldn’t even have to find the words to tell her best friend; Denise would probably figure it out herself.
“Oh my God,” she muttered, pulling on her hair as her mind whirled. “What was I thinking?”
“Talking to yourself again?” Jimmy asked from behind her.
She shrieked and whirled around to face him, heart hammering in her chest. “Dad!”
“Yes, that is one name I answer to.”
She barely suppressed the eye roll threatening to break free. “I didn’t realize you were home,” she said as she turned around and tried not to look so freaked out.
“Just got home a few minutes ago.”
“How are Sam and Bill?” she asked, wiggling the mouse to wake the computer back up. She’d do just about anything to make herself seem busy at this point.
She heard her dad take a few steps, the creaking of the floorboards accompanying him as he moved across the room to the old recliner that was tucked into a corner. Half the time she forgot it was there. It was only when her dad joined her in the office that it got any use.
“They’re good. They were asking about whether you’d be traveling to some things in the coming weeks.”
Kat nodded her head. “I don’t know. You know how this time of year is…” She trailed off and glanced over her shoulder at her dad.
She snapped her head back around quickly when she saw the thoughtful look on his face.
“What’s bothering you, baby girl?”
Kat shrugged and clicked on the email icon. There was sure to be some emails in there she could sift through so she didn’t have to tell her dad what happened. “Nothing.”
Jimmy snorted. “Right. Nothing. You know the last time you told me that?”
Kat’s back went ramrod straight and her breath caught in her throat. She sure did remember the last time she’d said that. “Yes.”
Silence stretched between the two of them and Kat battled with herself on what to do or say. She knew her dad had patience and was likely to keep his ass parked in that chair if he thought she was keeping something from him.
She would be better served to just come clean and confide in him. He wouldn’t be upset or anything like that. He’d probably encourage it like Denise had. But there was a part of her that was still scared of her past and how it still impacted her today.
“Kat, I’m waiting.”
She screwed her eyes shut, wishing that she could just wish the entire situation away. Then she wouldn’t have to tell anyone anything or admit anything if asked. But it wasn’t that easy and when she opened her eyes, she was still sitting at her desk in their tiny little office with her dad sitting in the corner waiting for her to tell him what was wrong.
“Ford asked me to go with him to the holiday party that the Vet Association is hosting this year.”
She wanted to look over her shoulder and see what his face looked like, but she wasn’t too sure she could stomach it. What if he was disappointed? Since she returned home, it had been the two of them in the house with David coming by every so often to visit. There had been no one else.
By agreeing to go out with Ford, she’d changed the status quo and maybe that was what scared her more than anything.
“And? What’d you say?”
Kat sighed and finally turned to face her dad. He was looking at her thoughtfully and she couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking.
“I said I’d go.”
Jimmy nodded and tilted his head to the side. “You’re going as friends?”
Kat’s face got hot, and she knew she was blushing as she said, “He said it was a date.”
If her dad was surprised, his face didn’t show it. He continued to stare at her placidly and it was making her uncomfortable.
“How do you feel about that?” Jimmy finally asked.
Kat squirmed and glanced around the room before settling her eyes back on her father. “I’m a little freaked out.”
Silence stretched between them again and she could almost see the gears working overtime in Jimmy’s head. He eventually sighed and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and hanging his head.
It wasn’t a pose she’d seen often with her father. He was the strongest man she’d ever known. But looking at him right then, he looked broken and hurt.
“Daddy?” she asked tentatively, undecided on whether she should get up and go to him or continue sitting in her chair.
After a few more moments, he looked up at her and her eyes widened as she took in the red around his eyes. She’d only seen her dad cry twice: at her momma’s funeral and when he visited Kat in the hospital. Every other time, he’d been stoic and put together. He was the strongest man she knew.
But here he was, sitting with her, his heart on his sleeve. And she knew why. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
He sighed. “Kat. I understand you’re scared. Hell, I’m right there with you. With what that man did to you ten years ago…and what happened after…” His voice cracked toward the end and he trailed off as he coughed and cleared his throat, tearing his gaze from hers to look at the bookcase next to him.
“Anyone can understand why you’re scared,” he said in a low voice a few moments later. “I’m scared too. I don’t know what will happen when you go out with someone and it’ll be a hard day when you finally find someone that’s worthy of your love and acceptance.”
He paused again and sucked in a shuddering breath. Kat stood up abruptly and walked over to him, falling to her knees beside him and wrapping her hands around his shaking ones.
He looked at her and she could see the unshed tears gathered in his eyes and knew that her own were showing the same sadness reflected there.
“But,” he continued in a stronger voice, “I think it’s time you put yourself out there and tried to see who’s out there. Not every man is Scott and I think it’s time for you to reclaim what he took from you.”
&n
bsp; Kat swallowed thickly. She knew her dad was right. It was past time for her to do that.
But there was a part of her that was still that scared twenty-year-old laying on a hospital bed, wailing because of what her boyfriend had done to her when he found out she was pregnant. It was horrific and heralded the worst nine months of her life.
When she’d come home after being released from the hospital, she’d put it behind her. Except, she’d never really let it go. Yes, she’d “moved on” by finding something that gave her joy with the dog training, but had she really healed?
She hadn’t. She’d buried herself in work, only going on the occasional date to keep people off her case.
And she knew it was time to break out of the shell she’d put herself in after Scott cheated on her.
She blew out a shuddering breath. “I agree.”
No other words were said between the two of them and Kat knew that this was the start to her healing.
Fourteen
Kat
Time moved quicker than Kat would have liked and she soon found herself waiting in a hotel room that adjoined Ford’s in Chapel Hill for the holiday dinner.
Ford had confirmed it was formal, which meant she’d had to drive to Concord to find appropriate clothing.
She was nervous. Since Ford asked her to attend with him, she hadn’t seen him very much. He and David had both been working overtime to get as much done before they closed for the holidays.
As she waited for Ford to knock on their joined door, she looked at herself in the mirror one more time.
Denise had pushed her to get a dress that was a little more racy than she’d normally go for. It had cut-outs on the side and dipped dangerously low in the back. Its saving grace was the high neckline at the front. Even though she was showing a lot of skin, she still felt comfortable because of that.
It was an understated sexy, and she hoped that Ford would like it.
A light knock on the door that went into Ford’s room startled her and she looked at the door for several moments, waiting for it to open.
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