“You’d be a father, Luke. That changes everything.”
Luke moved into the right lane and started to take the exit.
I stopped him. “No, Luke. I asked you to take me home.”
“That’s where I’m going,” he said.
“No, not to your home. I want to go to my home.”
This time when Luke looked at me, his eyes were full of unguarded hurt. I was certain that mine were as well. Neither of us said another word. When he pulled up out front, I hurried to open the door.
“Can I call you?” he said quickly.
“Please don’t.” I slammed the door shut. As I was unlocking the door to my condo building, I glanced over my shoulder. Luke was still there. He hadn’t left me. With a very great effort, I turned my back on him and went inside.
CHAPTER TEN
There are a lot of reasons you shouldn’t date your boss, but most of those reasons only matter once the fling is over. The number one reason being, you can’t escape them. I should’ve known that Rachel’s New Year’s Eve party wouldn’t be a good idea, but I went anyway. At first, everything was fine. I was still reeling from the news about Luke having a child, but I was determined not to sit around feeling sorry for myself. We had only been together a few days and I wasn’t going to waste any time pretending it had been anything more than that.
“That guy over there hasn’t stopped staring at you,” Rachel friend, Tori, yelled in my ear.
“Who is he?” I could barely make out the back of his head over the crowd.
“No idea. I can’t really see him, but he’s been looking over here all night.” Tori refilled my champagne glass. “It’s almost midnight and I think he wants to be your New Year’s kiss.”
I had drunk just enough champagne to think that would be a good idea, so I began pushing my way through the crowd. Just as I made it to the other side of the room, everyone began the countdown at 30 seconds. At 25 seconds, my eyes found the guy Tori had pointed out.
“Shit,” I said, looking directly into Luke Donovan’s stunning eyes.
The crowd was still chanting, and Luke’s eyes drew me forward. I was still mad and I wanted to yell at him, but something stronger was guiding me. I missed him.
“Luke,” I said.
He grabbed me by the arm and yanked me through the crowd. We were down to ten seconds. He opened the first door we came across and pulled me inside. Rachel’s bedroom was empty and even with the door closed behind us, we could still hear the countdown. Luke leaned over me and I pushed up on my tiptoes. Our lips met just as the crowd reached the number one and I rang in the New Year with Luke’s tongue in my mouth. This was not how things were supposed to go.
“Stop.” I pushed him away. “What am I doing?”
“Kasey, please. Don’t go.” Luke tried to hold on to me but I squirmed away. I stepped back into the crowded hallway and shoved my way to the front door. I dug through a stack of coats until I found mine and then I ran outside. The ground was covered in a mix of snow and ice so I had to slow down or risk falling.
“Kasey!” Luke had better balance than me and it didn’t take him long to catch up. “Just give me two minutes, please.”
“What? What are you going to say that will make this okay?” I turned to him and crossed my arms over my chest.
“The kid isn’t mine,” he blurted it out through chattering teeth. Unlike me, he hadn’t bothered to grab his coat. “I told her I’d give her child support if she would agree to a paternity test. When she realized that the results would ruin her plan, she told me the truth. She got pregnant a week after I moved out. There’s no way the kid is mine. She was just after my money, and under some delusion that I might take her back if we had a kid together.”
“Luke-”
He stopped me. “Kasey, I was never going to take her back. Even if it had been true. I would’ve done anything and everything for the kid, but I was never getting back together with Lauren. She’s a miserable human being, and even if she wasn’t, it was never going to happen.”
“Why not?” I bit at my lip to keep it from trembling.
“Because she’s not you.” Luke held his hands helplessly away from his sides. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you. Not now, not ever.”
I was shaking now, and not from the cold. “I have to go,” I whispered. “I can’t do this.”
“Why not?” Luke followed me down the sidewalk and I furiously tried to hail a cab. It was a nearly impossible feat on New Year’s Eve.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” I yelled at him. “It was just supposed to be that one night. And then it was just supposed to be some random fun. You weren’t supposed to develop feelings for me and I certainly wasn’t supposed to fall for you.”
I saw a thrill of delight in his eyes. “I knew it.”
“Stop. Just stop.” A miracle happened when a cab saw my hand waving in distress. I tore open the door and dove inside.
“Don’t do this, Kasey.” Luke leaned in the open cab window.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I have to go.” I pushed the button to roll up the window. Luke backed away slowly, his halting breaths sending bursts of clouded air into the night sky.
The next morning I woke up to a long, thoughtful email from Luke. He was second-guessing everything that had happened between us in the last few weeks. My rejection had stung and he was going to give me some space to decide what I really wanted. Luke made it clear that he wasn’t interested in drama or playing games. He also wasn’t going to keep begging me to give him a chance. He was going to Montana for a ski trip with his family and would be gone for a week. He didn’t say what would happen when he got back.
I should have been relieved. It was exactly what I had told him I wanted. So why did I feel so devastated?
My oldest friend, Jen, had invited me to her house for brunch and it only took five minutes before I broke down and told her the whole story.
“I don’t get it,” she admitted as she slid a plate of crepes in front of me. “He sounds like the perfect guy. Why did you shut him out?”
“The whole thing with the kid just got me thinking,” I said, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth.
“But it wasn’t even his.” Jen had always been the more practical one in our friendship. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
As if I didn’t already feel bad enough, now my best friend also thought I was being irrational. “It isn’t really about him. It’s about me and my messed up view of life.”
“Not life,” Jen correct me. “Love. I think the real reason you pushed him away is because you realized that you are falling in love with him.”
I sighed, unable to tell her that she was wrong. “I think you’re too smart for your own good.”
“Clearly.” She brushed a strand of red hair from her eyes. “What I want to know is, what are you going to do to make this right?”
“I have no idea.” The only thing I did know was that I had been an idiot. “If you were me, what would you do?”
“Fix it,” she said without hesitating. “This isn’t a difficult problem. He’s giving you space because you insisted on it. You’re the one that needs to fix it.”
She was right, of course. But I wasn’t sure the solution was that simple.
By the time I got home, I had begun to formulate a plan. It was crazy, and there was a chance it could make things worse, but I had to try. I wasn’t going to give Luke up without a fight
Jen answered on the first ring when I called.
“So?” she asked without saying hello.
“I’m going to fix it,” I said, pulling my suitcase from my closet. “I’m going to Montana.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Business or pleasure?”
The question caught me by surprise. “I’m sorry?”
The old woman standing next to me at baggage claim repeated her question. “Are you here on business, or for fun?”
“Oh. For fun, I hope.” My actual purpose
for visiting Montana didn’t really fit either category.
“Visiting someone?” When she smiled at me, she reminded me of my grandmother.
“I’m here to see my boyfriend.” That, too, was not the truth. But it was the safest descriptor I could think of for Luke.
I spotted my suitcase and prepared to snatch it from the conveyor belt. Due to my extreme dislike of snow and cold weather, I had packed almost my entire wardrobe. My suitcase was heavy and it took a fierce tug to pull it down.
“How nice. A romantic weekend in the mountains?” She eyed my suitcase. “You sure packed a lot of clothes for a romantic weekend.”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry?”
“No need to be shy. I was young once, too.” Apparently, I was talking to Blanche from the Golden Girls. “My Harold and I used to have some fun weekends ourselves.”
“That’s nice.” My voice came out in a squeak. “Is Harold your husband?”
“We were together fifty years before he died.” She nodded at me wisely. “Do you know what my biggest regret is?”
“No clue.” I hoped it wasn’t going to be a revelation that would make my ears bleed.
“That we didn’t enjoy each other enough. We did in the beginning, but then we had four kids and everything changed. Our lives became so serious.” I reached down to help her with her much lighter bag. “This boyfriend of yours that you are here to see?”
“Yeah?”
“Enjoy him. Have fun. Life is so short.” When she looked at me, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Trust me. I’ve lost my great love, but it’s not too late for you.”
Blanche had given me a lot to think about. I was glad that my trip up the mountain in the ski resort shuttle took almost an hour. I needed to get my thoughts together before I saw Luke. Was he my great love? I had no idea. But I did know I wasn’t ready to let him go yet.
“Where are you staying?” the shuttle driver asked as we closed in on our destination.
“Um, Mountain Home 10?” It had taken some serious sleuthing for me to track down the address.
“Wow. You must be somebody important if you are staying in 10.” He let out a low whistle. “Do you know Mr. Donovan?”
“You could say that.” I wondered if I really did know Luke. So much about him was still a mystery to me.
Our van climbed higher into the mountains. When we pulled off the main road, the driver stopped in front of an iron gate and reached through the window to punch in a code. The gate slid open and we continued forward. After about 100 yards, I could finally see Luke’s mountain home.
It was buried in the trees, but I could just make out all three stories. It had a winding deck on all three levels, and a slanted roof that was pure glass. The shuttle pulled to a stop. “This is it.”
“Indeed.” I took a deep breath before opening the car door. Despite the hour-long car ride and three-hour plane trip, I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to say to Luke.
“Do you want some help with your bag?” He gestured to the steep stairs leading up to the house.
“No thanks. I’ve got it from here.”
I took my time dragging my luggage up the stairs, partly because my bag was heavy and the climb was steep, but also because I was stalling. Even with my slow progress, I was still standing at the front door in less than two minutes.
Very slowly, I raised my hand to knock, but the door flew open before I could make contact.
“I thought that was you.”
Luke’s sister, Alexis, stared at me with wide eyes. I returned her dubious stare, realizing for the very first time that I might actually be interrupting something important. Somehow I had managed to forget that he had said it was a family trip.
“Hey, Alexis.” I smiled meekly.
She tilted her head to the left and looked me up and down. “Luke never mentioned that you were joining us.”
“It’s kind of a surprise,” I said.
She nodded, but still looked suspicious. “Okay. Come in.”
I carried my bag inside and dropped it to the floor with a loud thunk. The entryway to Luke’s mountain home was larger than my entire apartment.
“Luke isn’t here,” Alexis said. “He’s been out skiing all day.”
“Oh. That’s okay.” I glanced around, looking for some inspiration as to what my next move should be.
“His room is that way, above the garage. Did you want some help with your bag?” Alexis was a tiny girl and probably weighed less than my suitcase, but I appreciated the offer.
“Thanks, but I can handle it.” It took some time to carry it up the stairs, but it was worth the effort. Luke’s room was amazing. The room was sparsely decorated, dominated mostly by the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. A sleek fireplace along one wall promised cozy, romantic nights. But the real gem was the slanted glass skylight that revealed an amazing view down the mountain. It felt like I could see the entire state of Montana from his room.
One of Luke’s shirts was folded on the bed and I picked it up, holding it to my face so that I could breathe in Luke’s scent. The bed looked so soft and welcoming that I felt like jumping into the middle of it for a long nap. But I knew that even if it was the most comfortable bed in the world, I wouldn’t be able to get any sleep with all the thoughts twirling in my brain.
“You can tell me in a minute, Alexis. I’ll be right back. I just want to change out of these clothes.” Luke’s voice rang out from downstairs. I could hear his footsteps pounding on the stairs.
“But Luke-” Alexis tried ineffectively to get Luke’s attention, most likely to warn him about my surprise appearance. He was a man on a mission though, and he ignored her plea.
His footsteps slowed as he neared the landing. I stood frozen at the foot of the bed as I waited for him to round the corner. He did so in a hurry, his head down. As if he sensed my presence, his head whipped up and he stopped in mid-stride.
“Kasey.” My name passed smoothly over his lips.
“Hey.” All that time thinking about what I would say when I saw him and the best I could come up with was hey.
“Why are you here?” It wasn’t the response I had been hoping for, but I wasn’t entirely surprised.
Luke’s eyes were cold and distant. His dark hair was damp and curling at the ends. I was overcome by the desire to run my fingers through it. With the way Luke was glaring at me, I didn’t dare.
“We need to talk about what happened.” I understood why Luke was mad. “I want you to know why I pushed you away that night.”
“This couldn’t wait until next week?” he asked in an unreadable tone.
I worried that I had made a huge mistake coming to Montana. “No. I couldn’t wait.”
Luke made it easier when he said, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you for a minute. I’m so glad you are here.”
“You didn’t even let me apologize.” It wasn’t much of a protest. I was already walking toward him.
“I would say you being here is apology enough.” Luke’s playful smile appeared. Now I knew I was a goner. “Though a kiss wouldn’t hurt…”
“You’re not as charming as you think, Luke Donovan,” I said. But he was exactly as charming as he thought. Maybe even more charming.
Luke reached out and hooked a finger through my belt loop, pulling me to him. “You were wrong. You overreacted. You panicked. But then you realized how sad your life would be without me in it. I’m sure you can find some way to convince me to forgive you.”
“Oh trust me, I have some ideas.” Then I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him so passionately that we both tumbled backward onto the bed. Luke’s hands slipped inside my sweater, and then he was pulling it over my head. As his lips moved over my collarbone, I sensed that we were no longer alone.
“My goodness!”
Luke shot up, holding me to him to prevent me from falling off the bed. “Mother,” he said, more annoyed than embarrassed.
“I d
idn’t know you had company,” she said.
I hugged my arms over my chest and died a little inside.
“You remember Kasey?” Luke kept his arms around me and I burrowed closer to his chest, turning only my head to acknowledge Virginia.
“Hello,” I said.
She looked down her pointy nose at me, both literally and figuratively. This time I didn’t really blame her. “Kasey. It’s nice to see you again.” She frowned harder. “I just came to let you know that Lola is here.”
“Can you give us a minute, Mother? We’ll join you shortly.”
“Do what you need to do. Preferably, put on some clothes.” She actually smirked. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
Once Virginia was gone, I let out a horrified groan. Luke just laughed. “Virginia is really going to hate you now.”
“Not. Helping.” I smacked him on the chest, then regretted it because my hormones were still running wild. “I’m mortified.”
“You shouldn’t be.” Luke kissed my bare shoulder, then traced kisses up my neck and over my jaw. When his lips reached my mouth, he planted a sweet kiss and said, “You are the best thing in my life. I don’t care what my mother thinks about us.”
“Who’s Lola?” I climbed off Luke and reached for my discarded sweater.
Luke stretched lazily. “My sister.”
I turned to him in confusion. “I thought your sister’s name was Alexis?”
“That’s my younger sister. Lola is my older sister.” Luke smiled fondly. “She’s the crazy one, but in a good way.”
“Good crazy?” I wondered if he also thought his mother was a good kind of crazy. “Any other siblings I should know about?”
Luke ignored me and pulled some clean clothes out of his closet. I took a seat on the bed as I watched him strip down to his boxer briefs. I had to remind myself that this was a non-erotic strip down. “You’ll like Lo. She has no problem calling my parents out on their bullshit. She kind of reminds me of you, actually.”
“Your crazy sister reminds you of me?” There had to be a compliment buried in that insult. “Thanks, Luke.”
“Good crazy, remember?” He pulled on a faded pair of jeans and an old University of Chicago t-shirt. He flashed me his dazzling smile and a sly wink. “God knows you drive me crazy.”
About that Night Page 8