“Ruined your business?” Luke frowned. “All I did was ask for a sandwich.” Dark brows gathered over confused blue eyes. “Who was that guy, anyway?”
“Not that it’s any of your concern, Mr. Kane, but that was the president of the bank. And because of you, I probably won’t get an extension on my loan!” Kati knew full well that it really wasn’t Lucas Kane’s fault. But he was just the closest, most convenient person to vent her anger and frustration on. Without that extension on her loan, she knew she was probably going to lose her business. The thought filled her with anger.
“Is that all? Why didn’t you say so?” Luke slid from the booth and started toward the front door. “I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, no, you won’t,” Kati called after him. “If you show your face in my diner again, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing,” she threatened, slamming the door shut firmly behind him.
“Kati?” Bessie called hesitantly.
“What!”
“No need to get huffy with me,” Bessie scolded. “I just wanted to know if I should check the custard?”
Rubbing her temples, Kati sighed heavily. No sense taking out her frustrations on Bessie. “I’m sorry,” she said, dragging up a smile. “Yes, would you please go check the custard?”
A moment later Bessie was back, muttering under her breath. “I checked it.”
One auburn brow rose. “And?”
“It’s burnt,” Bessie confirmed, bobbing her head. “I told you we had to get that oven fixed.”
“Damnation!” Kati muttered, storming through to the kitchen. She flipped off the gas, grabbed a mitt, pulled the charred mess out of the oven and dumped it into the garbage.
“Bessie!”
The woman puffed into the kitchen, clutching her chest. “Now what!”
“Do you still have your shotgun?”
Bessie frowned. “Why you asking?”
“If that man Kane shows his face in my diner again, I want you to shoot him. Understand?”
Bessie looked at her skeptically. “You’re the boss. What did that fellow want anyway?”
“A sandwich,” Kati growled, snatching ingredients out of the refrigerator to make another batch of egg custard before Mr. Billings came back.
Bessie scratched her gray head. “All that Kane fellow wanted was a sandwich, but if he comes back, you want me to shoot him?”
Ignoring the look on Bessie’s face, Kati slammed a bowl on the counter. “You got it.”
“I see.” Bessie stuffed her hands into the pockets of her apron and rocked back and forth on her heels. “Now I know you don’t like being told what to do, Kati Rose, but don’t you think business might slack off a bit if word gets out you’re shooting the customers?”
Kati’s head snapped up and she pursed her lips together. “Bessie,” she said slowly, “don’t you have the evening set-ups to do?”
“I’m on my way.” Whistling softly, Bessie swung out of the kitchen.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Kati took her frustration out on the hapless custard, whipping it furiously with a wooden spoon. The minute Bessie told her that someone was asking about Patrick she should have known it would be trouble. Any friend of her brother’s usually was. She didn’t mind Patrick up and leaving her to run the diner all alone. She’d been expecting it. In a way, it was her own fault. Five years older than he, she’d raised him after their parents’ death, using the little bit of money that was willed to them to buy the diner.
She’d tried to make up for their parents’ death by giving Patrick everything he wanted, giving in to his every whim. As a result, Patrick had grown up totally irresponsible and very self-centered. She had no one to blame but herself. Out of love, she had created a totally selfish individual. She’d been kind and patient with her brother in the past, but enough was enough! Patrick was twenty-two now, and it was time he stood on his own two feet. That was why he left in the first place. He found the small town of Libertyville, Missouri, boring, and owning a diner unexciting. He set off to seek his fortune, leaving her to run the diner. In some ways it had been easier for her after Patrick left. Oh, she missed him terribly, but at least she didn’t have to worry about looking after him anymore, or bailing him out of trouble. Until his friends started showing up. She had spoiled her brother; she wasn’t about to start extending the courtesy to his friends.
A rapid knock sounded at the back door just as she slipped the new batch of custard into the oven.
“Come on in, Mr. Billings,” she called, pushing her hair off her face. “The custard’s not quite ready yet, but I’ll pour you some fresh coffee while you wait.”
“How come he can have fresh coffee but I can’t?” asked a surprisingly familiar voice, and Kati sucked in her breath.
“You!” She whirled to face him. “What are you doing here? Get out right now!” Kati advanced toward him, brandishing the wooden spoon in his direction.
“Now hold on a minute, I’ve got something for you.” Luke waved a piece of paper under her nose, and Kati swiped it in half with the spoon.
“Out!” she bellowed. “You’ve been here less than an hour and have caused me nothing but trouble.”
Leaning close, he flashed her a dazzling smile. “Honey,” he whispered huskily, causing her pulse to jump like a frog in flight, “even I need more than an hour to get into trouble.”
“Bessie!” Kati backed him up against the refrigerator. “Get me your gun!”
Bessie skidded into the kitchen, took one look at Luke and shook her head. “Son,” she sighed, “if I were you, I’d make a run for it.”
“Here.” Luke thrust his half of the paper at Bessie. “Read this.”
Her eyes scanned the paper. “Lordy, Kati, it’s some kind of receipt. Looks like it’s from Everett.”
“What? Let me see that!” Kati snatched the paper from Bessie’s hand, her mind not believing what her eyes were reading. Lucas Kane had paid her past due mortgage payments. “All right, Kane, what’s your gimmick?” she demanded.
“It’s no gimmick. I was simply protecting my investment.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest as Kati’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean, protecting your investment?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Shorten it!” she demanded, shaking the spoon at him again.
“Your brother Patrick and I went into a business deal together and—”
“Lordy!” Bessie sighed loudly and shook her head. “And I thought you looked like a smart one.” Her mouth snapped closed as Kati and Luke turned to stare at her.
“Go on,” Kati urged.
“It’s very simple.” Luke shrugged and flashed her a smile. “Your brother put up his half of this diner as collateral.”
Kati blinked rapidly. “What are you saying?”
“What I’m saying,” Luke said softly, reaching out to pluck the spoon from her grasp, “is that I’m your new partner!”
Chapter Two
Kati’s mouth fell open, and for the first time in her life she was speechless. She stared at Luke as if he had just grown another head. Forcing her lungs to work, Kati inhaled deeply, stiffened her spine and thrust her shoulders back.
“Like hell you are!” she roared, causing Luke to burst into laughter, which only infuriated her further.
“You’re Patrick’s sister, all right!” He fished in his pocket and waved a piece of paper at her. “Here it is in black-and-white.”
Glaring up at him, Kati ripped the paper from his hand and studied it carefully. There was no denying the signature was Patrick’s. And from the jumbled legal document, she had a sinking feeling the paper was as real as the man standing before her. She raised her startled green eyes to his.
“I don’t believe it,” she whispered, shock causing her words to come out in short, jerky gasps. Patrick had done some dastardly deeds, but this was unconscionable. She lowered her eyes to the paper in front of her again, and the words began to blur as Kati�
�s legs turned to rubber.
“It’s not possible,” she whispered, tightening her fingers on the paper until it was crumpled into a tiny ball. “It’s just not possible.”
“Lordy,” Bessie whimpered. “I better go get the spirits.”
Luke caught Kati around the waist and lowered her gently into a nearby chair. She was trembling and her enormous green eyes were shadowed in fear. Something sudden and unexpected tugged at his heart, and he cursed Patrick Ryan under his breath.
“Here.” Bessie rushed back in and thrust a bottle of amber-colored liquid at Luke. “Give her a good snort of this.”
Taking the bottle, Luke poured a little of the liquid into a cup and handed it to Kati. For a moment she simply stared at it. His hand was large and callused, with long, thick fingers. A nice hand, she thought dully, before her senses righted.
“I don’t want that,” she stammered, pushing the cup away and trying to take a deep breath.
“Drink it!” Luke ordered, pressing the glass into her shaking hands.
Irritated, but too stunned to resist, Kati give him a black look before taking the cup. She stared at the dark liquid, her thoughts tangled. How could Patrick do this to her? she wondered as she raised the glass to her lips and took a large gulp.
She clenched her eyes tightly shut as the liquor burned a path down the back of her throat, exploding into a thousand warm fingers in her empty belly.
Gasping for air, Kati tried to breathe but found all she could manage was a raspy wheeze. Luke reached down and whacked her several times on the back.
Maybe she should have shot him when she had the chance, she thought miserably, as he pried the glass loose from her hand.
“Feeling better?” Luke inquired, kneeling down next to her. His blue eyes searched hers and Kati stared at him blankly.
“Better?” she whispered, raising her resentful eyes to his. “Better? You pour liquor down my throat, smack me on the back, threaten to take my diner away and you want to know if I’m feeling better?” She jumped to her feet. “And to make matters worse,” Kati grumbled, fighting back tears, “I don’t even drink!”
She spun away from him, not wanting to let on how upset she really was. The enormity of the situation hit her. Hot salty tears stung her eyes, but she swallowed them back. She’d die before she let Lucas Kane see them. Snatching her apron off the counter, Kati fumbled with the ties, trying to get the blasted thing around her.
“Here, let me.” Luke slid his arms around her waist and adjusted the apron correctly. Swallowing the lump lodged in her throat, Kati took a deep, calming breath.
“Mr. Kane,” she said coldly, not trusting herself to turn and face him. “I’ve got work to do. I’d appreciate it if you’d get out of my way!” Whirling, she began moving around the kitchen, trying to think and to put some distance between her and Luke.
Luke watched her in silence, occasionally moving out of her way when she needed to get into the refrigerator or into a cabinet. He decided to let her have a few minutes to herself. Give her a chance to digest his presence.
His eyes followed her and he resisted a smile. She sure as hell was a surprise. A bit of a spitfire with those fiery emerald eyes and that wild mass of auburn curls. Not much bigger than a nickel, she was about as friendly as a wounded yak. But she sure could hold her own, he thought with sudden admiration.
He was more intrigued by her than he cared to admit. She was so different from the women he knew. Strong, spirited and fiercely independent. If he had to, he’d bet everything he owned she didn’t have a spot of makeup on. Her skin was smooth and soft, just begging to be touched. And that hair of hers, curly as a lamb, and much too silky to come out of any coloring bottle. No flowery perfume for her either, he mused silently. She smelled of warmth and sweetness…and vanilla. A smile broke loose—quite a combination.
Obviously his sudden appearance was a shock to her. Luke glanced around the gleaming kitchen. Not any more of a shock than this place turned out to be. Patrick Ryan had sure sold him a bill of goods. Luke’s smile broadened. He would have been angry if it wasn’t so darn funny. Lucas Kane getting taken by a twenty-two-year-old kid!
“Only restaurant in town,” Patrick had told him. “A virtual gold mine. Jammed every day and worth every penny.” Luke had believed him. Even though Patrick Ryan had been a bit irresponsible in the few short months he had worked for Luke, there was something about the kid that Luke had liked. When Patrick had come to him for a loan, using the diner as collateral, Luke had been hesitant at first. Hell, what did he know about the restaurant business? He was a construction man. The closest he had ever come to a restaurant was as a customer.
Patrick had been persuasive, it was a sure deal. Guaranteed. Luke had more money than he’d ever need, and the idea of helping the kid out appealed to him. There was something about Patrick that was familiar, but it wasn’t until later that Luke had finally figured it out. Besides, he reasoned, everyone needed a break once in his life. Luke shifted his frame, remembering his first break.
He’d been a wild sixteen-year-old, running from the law and the latest foster home the night he broke into Leonard Kane’s construction trailer. Leonard was a gruff old man, all alone like Luke. After nearly scaring the life out of Luke, Leonard gave him a home and a job, and then eventually his name. Luke never forgot it. The old man had given him the one thing he’d never had—love. Someone to care about, someone to call his own. He finally belonged somewhere. That first break had made a difference in his life.
The familiarity of Patrick Ryan had been bugging him, and it wasn’t until he went through some of Leonard’s old papers that he understood why. Sean Ryan, Patrick’s father, had been a business acquaintance of Leonard’s. And judging from the cancelled loan papers Luke had found, Sean had bailed Leonard out of a jam years ago. Luke realized then and there, no matter what, he owed it to Leonard’s memory, to the goodness of the man who had loved him and treated him like a son, to help Patrick out. Maybe Leonard was gone now, but there was no reason Luke couldn’t pass on the kindness the man had extended to him.
So he had given Patrick money. But Patrick had disappeared, taking Luke’s cash with him. The way Luke figured, sooner or later, no doubt when his money ran out, the kid would have to come back to Libertyville. And Luke would be waiting for him.
Now all he had to do was figure out a way to persuade Kati to let him stay. No easy task, he realized suddenly as she turned to give him a frosty look.
“Are you going to stand there getting in my way all day?” Kati demanded when her patience had run thin.
“No,” Luke said quietly. “I’m just waiting for you to stand still long enough for me to talk to you, Kati.”
The last thing she wanted to do was give him a chance to talk. She wasn’t interested in anything he had to say, unless of course it was good-bye. Ignoring his comment, Kati reached around him to grab a pan, but Luke caught her arm. His fingers were warm, and his touch sent a tingle through her. Kati snatched her arm free. She wasn’t particularly fond of the way her innards reacted to his nearness.
“In case you haven’t noticed, Mr. Kane,” she said his name with as much regret as she could muster, “I have work to do.”
“We,” he corrected, his eyes lit with humor, “have work to do.” Luke reached up and grabbed another apron off the hook and slipped it around his waist. “And since we’re partners, the least you can do is call me Luke.”
Swallowing back the few words she’d really like to call him, Kati glared at him, annoyed at his good humor, and just annoyed in general. What started out as a bad day had suddenly turned worse, all because of this man. And her brother. When she got her hands on Patrick…
“Just tell me what to do, Kati,” he said pleasantly. “I’m sure I can be helpful.”
“Helpful!” Her eyes widened in stunned anger. The nerve of the man! “And what exactly do you know about running a diner, Mr. Kane?”
“Not much,” he admitted, smiling i
nto her resentful green eyes. “But it can’t be that hard. Besides, I’m a quick learner and I’m sure you’ll be able to teach me what I need to know.”
“Teach you!” she sputtered, poking a finger into his chest. “I have neither the time nor the inclination to teach you anything. I have a business to run.”
“We,” he corrected again, unaware of the inner turmoil he was causing her. “We have a business to run.” Luke glanced quickly around the kitchen. “Perhaps I can be useful in other ways?”
“I appreciate your offer of help,” Kati said sarcastically, her aggravation clearly evident. “But the only way you can be useful is to leave. The sooner the better.”
“You want me to leave?” Luke feigned shock, but she didn’t miss the humor dancing in his eyes. Why did she get the feeling he was up to something?
“Yes, the sooner the better.”
“Well, Kati,” Luke said on a long sigh, “I guess I don’t have any other choice.”
Kati’s shoulders slumped in relief, and her sigh echoed around the kitchen. She had no idea it would be so easy to get rid of Lucas Kane. Not that she didn’t feel just a bit sorry for him. But just because he had entered into a business deal with her brother was no reason for her to be saddled with him. She didn’t have the time or the patience to be mopping up after Patrick’s problems anymore. Lucas Kane appeared to be a big boy. If he was foolish enough to go blindly into a business deal with her brother, then he would have to pay the consequences. Teach him the restaurant business, indeed!
“What are you doing?” Kati demanded abruptly as Luke moved around the room picking up her kitchen supplies and tucking them under his arm.
“I’m leaving,” he announced pleasantly, picking up a handful of wooden spoons and tucking them in the back pocket of his jeans. “Now which would you prefer, Kati, the top of the blender? Or the bottom? Personally it doesn’t matter to me. Either is fine.” He tried to hold back a smile at the look on her face.
Kane and Mabel Page 2