by Lee McKenzie
“I know you have a bunch of questions about Luke.” They would no doubt have some questionable suggestions, too. “But first I have something to show you. Yesterday morning, before I met my new clients, I spent some time at the office searching the listings, and I think I found a house.”
“Claire! You’ve been holding out on us!”
“Let’s see it!”
She brought it up on the screen. “Here it is.” She gazed at the listing, even more certain than the last time she looked at it, that this was it. This was home. She held her breath as she angled the screen so her friends could see it.
Kristi’s eyes lit up. “Oh, sweetie. It’s adorable. It even has a white picket fence, and I love the bay window. Is that the living room?”
“It must be, at least I hope it is. I’ve always wanted a living room with a bay window. It’ll be perfect for a Christmas tree. And the house is bigger than it looks from the street. There are three bedrooms, plus it has an eat-in kitchen as well as a formal dining room.”
“Have you looked at it already?”
“Not yet. I was hoping the two of you would look at it with me.”
Kristi clapped her hands excitedly.
Claire turned to Sam, who had yet to say anything. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect for you. I was planning to build you a white picket fence for a housewarming present. Now I’ll have to come up with something else.”
“That’s so sweet. I have to confess that I did a drive-by on my way home yesterday and the fence looks as though it could use some work and a fresh coat of paint.”
“Consider it done. Does it have a second story or is this upper window in the attic?”
“The listing says it’s one floor with a crawlspace, so I guess it must be an attic.”
“I’ll take a stepladder when we go to see it. I’d like to take a look up there. The roof appears to be in good shape, but we still want to be sure the attic’s dry and insulated.”
“And I’ll take lots of interior photos so we can work on the design.”
“If I decide to put in an offer.” Was this crazy? Was she crazy? She hated change. She never did anything without making a list, setting up a spreadsheet, looking at all the angles, weighing all the pros and cons.
And look at you now.
In fewer than forty-eight hours she had decided to go ahead with the divorce and sell the condo. She had rushed into an affair with a man who was, by his own admission, not relationship material. At least, not as far as she was concerned. He didn’t want a family, not ever, and she wanted one more than anything. She’d had sex without taking the proper precautions and there was a chance she could be pregnant. Now she was seriously thinking about putting an offer on a house she hadn’t even seen, and she was already daydreaming about turning one of the bedrooms into a nursery.
“Oh, no,” Kristi said. “No, no, no, no. Don’t start, don’t you dare.”
“What?”
“You’re having second thoughts.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” Sam leaned across the table and grabbed her hand. “You’ve got your I’m-having-serious-second-thoughts face on, and it isn’t pretty.”
Kristi took her other hand and squeezed. “Sam’s right. You have to do this for yourself, hon. Dive in headfirst without thinking about it.”
She’d already done more than her share of leaping without looking this weekend, but they were right. This was something she had to do for herself. Not because Donald was demanding she do it, and definitely not because she secretly hoped there could be a future in this thing, whatever it was, with Luke.
“I know, and I will. I probably should have done this a long time ago.”
“You needed to do it when you were ready,” Sam said.
“And now that you are,” Kristi said, “we’re with you, every step of the way.”
“Thanks, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She was the steady one, the one with both feet firmly planted, the giver of advice. Being on the receiving end was new, and she had a feeling she’d better get used to it.
“Soo,” Kristi said. “You and Luke. I can’t believe you never told us about him.”
“Or how, after someone like him, you somehow ended up with Donald.”
“Sam!” Kristi’s admonishment was quick, and unconvincing.
“I’m sorry. I never liked him, and there’s no sense pretending I did.”
“It’s okay, Sam. I don’t like him anymore, either. But Luke and I were never...you know. We were just friends.”
“Right. Just friends.” Kristi laughed. “In case you’re wondering,” she said, winking at Sam, “that’s what we called it when we were in college.”
“I see. I went to trade school. We didn’t have any fancy euphemisms for hooking up.”
“No, we really were just friends, and we did not hook up. Believe it or not, we used to study together.”
“Seriously? If I’d had a study partner like him, I never would have been able to concentrate. I would have flunked out for sure.”
Claire had been too much of a Goody Two-shoes to let anything like that happen, but she had surreptitiously studied Luke over the top of a textbook on plenty of occasions, and yes, she’d been distracted more than once.
“We don’t really care about the past anyway,” Sam said. “Not when the present is so much more...” She paused and feigned a dreamy-eyed pose.
“Yummy,” Kristi said, filling in the blank. “Where did you run in to him?”
“Just down the street, in front of the next building. He was—” Best not to mention the window-washing thing, she decided. “I’m not sure what he was doing. Some sort of police work, I guess.”
“Oooh, was he in uniform?” Kristi’s expression matched Sam’s.
“No. He’s a detective, undercover and all that, so he doesn’t seem to wear one.”
“And then he got under your covers,” Sam said, waggling her eyebrows.
“Seriously?” Claire asked. “You couldn’t let that one go this time?”
“Not a chance, not even a slim one.” Sam, pencil tucked behind one ear, sipped some water from her bottle.
“Where do you think this is going?” Kristi asked. “Or is it too soon to tell?”
Definitely not too soon to know it was going nowhere. Luke had made it clear that he wasn’t relationship material and he really wasn’t daddy material. He had been completely up-front about it, and for her, for now, that was okay.
“Not too soon at all. He’s not a family man, and right now I’m not looking for one. I’m still trying to undo one mistake and I’m not about to make another. Luke is fun to be with—”
“I’ll bet he is.” Sam grinned, and there went those eyebrows again.
Kristi put an arm around Claire’s shoulders, gave them an affectionate squeeze. “If anyone deserves to have some fun, it’s you. What about Donald? How’s he taking this?”
Claire shrugged. “I’m sure he doesn’t care, but he is getting on my case about the divorce, and about selling the condo, and about getting his hands on the book his grandmother gave me.”
“I can understand why he’d want to get his money out of the condo. I’m not saying that justifies him harassing you,” Kristi was quick to add. “Just that I get it. What I don’t get is why he’d want an old children’s book. That seems totally out of character.”
Claire had thought so, too. “I agree, or at least I did until I went online and did a little research. I took the book to the office yesterday, in case Donald decides to come here to look for it.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “I never thought of that. You need to change the locks.”
“I did.” She just didn’t want to explain what had prompted that. “Anyway, I did a quick search for the book his grandmother gave me. It’s an old edition of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and it turns out to be worth a lot of money.”
“A kid’s
book?” Sam asked.
“How much is a lot?” Kristi asked.
“Thousands of dollars.”
“Wow!”
“Really?”
“I was surprised, too, but that explains why Donald wants it.”
“I thought he was loaded,” Sam said.
Claire shrugged. “He earns a good salary but he likes to spend money as much as he likes to make it, and if his investments aren’t doing well, he could be having some cash-flow problems.”
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to know you’ve changed the lock,” Kristi said. “We’ve both been worried about you. It was a good idea to have Sam at your open house yesterday, too, and I want you to promise to keep us in the loop. If he’s harassing you or, God forbid, worse, you need to tell us.”
“And tell Luke,” Sam added. “Donald hasn’t got the balls to mess with him.”
She was so right, Claire thought. Recalling the look on Donald’s face after his unexpected appearance on Friday night, and Luke’s very unexpected reaction, still made her want to giggle.
Sam checked her watch and jumped up. “I have to get going. The nanny is off today and AJ’s holding down the fort.”
Kristi did the same. “Me, too. Nate took the girls to the mall, and in exchange I told him I’d walk the dogs when I get home. You’ll let us know when you’d like to look at the house?”
“Of course.”
“And you’ll call if Donald gives you any more grief?”
“I’ll call, I promise.”
Before they left, she hugged them both and again congratulated Sam on the baby news. She felt guilty for not being completely open and honest with them about Donald’s recent antics, but nothing would be gained by it and they would worry unnecessarily.
She closed the door, locked it and leaned against it. Donald was Donald. He could be a jerk, but he wasn’t dangerous. Was he?
* * *
LUKE DROPPED HIS DUFFEL bag to the floor outside Claire’s door, leaned the case containing the telescope against the wall and studied the Home Sweet Home wreath that made, now that he thought about it, an odd statement about the reality on the other side of the door. More like wishful thinking on Claire’s part. He wanted to see her, had looked forward to this moment since he’d left for his meeting late that morning, but he couldn’t bring himself to slide the key into the lock. He hated to deceive her, not tell her that he had more than one reason for wanting to be with her.
Given his track record with women, that realization caught him off guard. Had he ever been completely open with a woman? Or been willing to acknowledge the true depth of his feelings? No. But then he’d never felt like this before, and he didn’t know why. Could be that in the past the booze had taken the edge off his conscience. Or it could have something to do with the woman waiting for him on the other side of this door. Easier to believe this was about being sober than it was to sort out his feelings for Claire. Whatever it was, he couldn’t stand here all night, holding on to a piece of brass he was reluctant to use.
“What do you think, Rex? Ready to go inside?”
The dog had been waiting patiently next to the duffel bag since Luke had given him the command to sit. He remained sitting, although his tail wagged in response to the question.
“You might not be so chipper after you meet Chloe.”
Rex cocked his head to one side.
“Did I forget to mention her?”
The dog’s head tipped to the other side.
“Sorry, buddy.” He stuck the key in the lock and turned it. “You’ll figure out a way to get along with her. Besides, we can’t stand out here all night.”
The scent of something cooking greeted him as he opened the door. Garlic, oregano...pasta sauce would be his guess. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. And then Claire joined him in the foyer and suddenly he was a different kind of hungry.
Without hesitation she glided up to him, slid an arm around his waist, tipped her head back for a kiss. Her lips were soft and inviting, the kiss full of promise. Too bad his hands were already full, or he’d be tempted to explore the shapely curves of the black dress that was primly covered by a red-and-white checked apron.
“Something smells good. Besides you, that is.”
“Lasagna.”
“Homemade?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She pulled him in for one more kiss. “It’s one of my favorite things.”
“Mine, too.”
“Do you need a hand with—” She stepped back and her eyes lit up. “Rex! I was hoping you’d bring him. What a handsome boy you are.” She petted the top of Rex’s head, and he opened his mouth and started to pant.
“I bought dog biscuits for him. Is it okay to give him one now?”
“Sure.”
“I was hoping you’d say yes.” She pulled a treat from her apron pocket.
“Sit,” Luke said.
Knowing what was in store, Rex readily complied.
“Good dog.” Claire offered the biscuit and Rex gingerly took it. “He’s a beautiful dog, Luke. I’m glad you brought him with you. Do you need a hand with the rest of your things?”
“Thanks, I can manage.” He set his duffel bag on the foyer floor and reached back into the hallway for the telescope.
“That’s everything?” Claire asked.
“This is it. For now. I can always run back to my place if I need anything.”
“What about Rex’s food?”
He toed the duffel. “It’s in here.”
“And the box?”
“Oh, ah, that’s a telescope. I hope you don’t mind. Since you have such a great view, I thought I’d set up it over there.” He indicated the long stretch of windows in the living room. “Check out the harbor, that kind of thing.”
Claire smiled. “Good idea. Donald used to keep binoculars in there, but a telescope sounds even better. For now, why don’t you put the dog food in the kitchen and take your things down to the bedroom while I finish dinner?”
“Sure thing.”
It was all very domestic, and yet it no longer felt right. Jason Wong had emphasized the importance of not letting Claire in on Luke’s reason for being here. And much as he tried to tell himself that he was there for her, to make sure Donald didn’t give her any more grief, there was no denying that his primary reason for moving in was to follow through with this investigation. To do that, he had to deceive her. There was no getting around it, and there was no denying it.
The cat was curled up asleep on the end of the bed. She got up, stretched, yawned and blinked at him when he came into the room, and responded favorably when he scratched the back of her neck.
“You might not like me so much when you see who I’ve brought with me.”
He left the cat licking her paws and grooming her ears and went to join Claire and Rex in the kitchen. The dog sat on the floor next to her, hoping for another treat.
“Rex. Over here.” Luke pointed to a floor mat.
The dog slunk over and sprawled on it.
“Good boy. Stay.”
Claire was standing at the island, tossing a salad. “He sure is well-behaved.”
“He was well-trained when I got him. The trick is to not let up with it. He knows the limits, and he lives for the rewards.”
“Like dog biscuits?”
“Mostly it’s going for a run every day, fetching his rope toy, hanging out at the dog park.”
“Nice life, Rex,” Claire said with a smile. “It’s a little cooler tonight so I thought we’d eat inside. Is that okay with you?”
“Sounds good. I’ll set up my telescope, unless you’d like help with dinner?”
“Go ahead. I have everything under control.”
The setup for the telescope/webcam was every bit as easy as the techies had assured him it would be. And for several minutes, since Claire was watching from the kitchen, he made a pretext of actually looking at a couple of boats anchored out in the sound. He would have to remember to do tha
t from time to time so she didn’t get suspicious.
Finally he settled on a stool across the counter from her, which was really where he wanted to be.
“I have sparkling water if you’d like some.”
“Sure.”
“Ice?” she asked. “Lime?”
“Both, thanks.”
From a black lacquered tray at the end of the island, she scooped cubes from a silver ice bucket into tall glasses, filled them and slid a slice of lime onto the rim of each glass.
She passed one across to him and started on a salad dressing, measuring olive oil, balsamic and herbs into a bowl, whisking them together.
“I figured you didn’t like to cook.” He added the lime to the water in his glass and took a long drink.
“Seriously? What made you think that?”
“There wasn’t much in your fridge that first morning.”
She set the salad dressing aside and reached for her glass. “The only thing I like more than cooking is eating. I’ve been trying to diet, so having a lot of food around is way too tempting.”
Again, he wanted to say she didn’t need to worry about her weight, and once more decided against it. “I know all about temptation,” he said instead.
“I know you do.”
He liked that when the subject of alcohol came up, she didn’t pussyfoot around.
“For me it’s dessert, especially anything chocolate. The darker and richer, the better. Although...” She hesitated, as though not sure she wanted to expand on that. “I’ve also been known to sit and watch a movie and polish off an entire bag of cookies.”
Somehow that didn’t sound as bad as an evening spent with a bottle of whiskey, even though she seemed to think it did. “Everything in moderation is never as easy as it sounds.”
“Tell me about it. Anyway, I do love to cook, and it was fun to shop this afternoon after Sam and Kristi left, knowing there’d be someone here to cook for.”
“You went out after your meeting this afternoon?” He wanted it to sound like a casual question, but the police report Kate had given him earlier was still burning a hole in his back pocket.
The look she gave him was easily just as scorching. “Yes, I did. I can’t hide, always have someone here with me, never go out on my own. Yes, Donald’s making a nuisance of himself, and yes, I wish he would stop, but he won’t hurt me.”