“Oh, yes, I do. But I can’t. That would be a sign of weakness.”
“Oh, for—”
“Mom, she has to do it her way.” Nicole laid a hand on Rhonda’s. “Tough, isn’t it?” She looked from her mom to Katie Sara.
“Yes.” Both women spoke.
“But, not every relationship turns out like this,” Katie Sara said. “I screwed this up, Nicole. This one’s my fault. It’s not the same as in your mom and dad’s situation. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.” She flashed a dimpled, eleven-year-old grin. “There are still some good guys out there.”
“Yes.”
“I really thought Mr. Broderick was one of them,” she said.
“I think he is.” Katie Sara accordioned her straw wrapper. “But I hurt him, and wounded animals turn mean. He’ll find someone who will heal him.”
When the waitress set her hot roast beef sandwich in front of her, she could have thrown up. Instead, she gamely picked at it, sliding it around her plate and pretending to eat.
It shouldn’t have been able to get worse, but it did.
“Oh, no.”
Gina strolled through the door, wearing skin-tight red shorts and a cut-down-to-her-navel Lycra top. Stopping for a moment to get her bearings, she spotted Reiner, then Katie Sara. With a toss of her blond hair and a smug smile for Katie Sara, she made a beeline to Reiner’s table.
Squeezing into the booth, she dropped a cherry-red kiss on his lips. “Hi, sugar.”
Felicity started gagging. She coughed, choked, then gagged some more.
Mary moved to help her, but Reiner laid a hand on her arm to stop her. He glared at his niece. “Cut it out, Felicity.”
“What?” She coughed again. “I swallowed an ice cube, and it got stuck! You want me to just die quietly, Romeo?”
His mouth opened, but he said nothing. Mary and Rocco watched interestedly.
“Busy tonight, big guy?” Gina purred.
He unwound her arm from around his neck. “Actually, honey, I am. Workin’ on a deadline. A project I’ve got goin’.” Not a total lie, he thought. That manuscript was due in his agent’s hands.
She tossed him a pretty little pout. “Call me?”
“Sure thing, sugar.” He gave her a peck on the cheek, dismissing her.
Even Gina got the message.
After she’d wiggled her way across the room, Felicity said, “There may be hope for you yet.”
“Har, har.”
Katie Sara sipped her soda and came to the conclusion that a person might really be able to die of a broken heart.
“He sent her away,” Nicole said. “That’s a good sign.”
“It’s not like he invited her to sit down in the first place. We all know Gina invites herself,” Rhonda said.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Katie Sara played with her food some more.
Rhonda, finished, laid down her fork and pushed her plate away. “Well, this was certainly a great idea, wasn’t it?”
“Rhonda—”
“I’m sorry, Katie Sara.”
“You had no idea he’d show up here tonight.”
“We have to walk past their table.”
“I know. I’ve been wondering if I could sew two tablecloths together, drape them over me, and creep out unseen.”
Krista giggled. “That’s silly.”
“Yeah, I know.” She reached over and tickled the little girl. “Here goes.” She stood, picked up the check, dropped the tip, and walked to death row.
Mary and Rocco both smiled and spoke.
Rhonda and Katie Sara smiled back, answering them.
Cool as a cucumber, Reiner said, “Hello, Rhonda. Girls.” He looked right through Katie Sara.
“Hi, Ms. McMichaels,” Felicity chirped in an in-your-face to Reiner.
“Hi, Felicity.” Check in hand, she moved to the cash register.
“Forget what I said before,” Felicity said to Reiner. “You’re hopeless. And you were mean.” She punched his shoulder.
“She was mean.”
“Not on purpose. She did what her mother told her to do. She was only four years older than me!”
Reiner went pale. He looked at her. My God! The little imp was right. Katie Sara had practically been a child herself. Red hot, but very, very young! Not the Katie Sara that stood talking with the cashier.
“You keep wearin’ those baggy pants,” he told Felicity.
“Huh?”
“Just do it. And maybe a veil or somethin’. Stay away from boys!”
Felicity snorted. “Right! Like they’re knocking down my door.”
Just then, a young boy with an acne-problem, spiked hair, and dressed in torn jeans, walked by their table.
“Hey, Felicity.”
She blushed. All over. Reiner felt the heat radiate from her.
“Hi, Skeet.” She smiled. Sweetly.
“Arghh.” Reiner thumped his forehead with his fist.
Mary and Rocco laughed.
“Just wait.” He nodded toward Anna. “Your turn’s comin’.”
He had the satisfaction of hearing Rocco groan.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Hey, Felicity, phone’s for you! Hurry up. It’s an overseas call. Think it’s your mom.”
“Comin’!” She scurried from her bedroom, carrying Shiner, sans cage.
“Don’t put him—”
Too late. She plopped him onto the couch beside her. Reiner hightailed it to the far side of the room, but it still wasn’t far enough away.
“Mom!”
He headed into the kitchen to give her some privacy, and for his first morning coffee. Reaching into the cupboard for a mug, he fumbled it at her high-pitched scream.
Oh, Christ! Nathan! Had something happened to his brother?
His feet barely touched the floor. Not even the rat stopped him.
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s coming home! Mom’s had a change of orders! She’ll be home in two weeks!”
He scooped up his niece, happy tears and all, and danced around the living room, phone to his ear. “Alicia, we sure will be glad to have you home. I don’t know how I’ll give this girl of yours back to you, though. I’m goin’ to miss the hell out of her.”
Kissing Felicity, he realized the truth of those words. He handed the phone back to her and left her to finish the conversation.
Alicia was coming home. His sister-in-law would be safe, and Felicia would have her mom back. Best news he’d heard in a long time. Prayer answered.
And he’d have an empty nest. What would he do without this nuisance of a niece terrorizing him? She’d turned his life into one hell of an adventure.
Propped against the kitchen counter, he sipped his coffee and took stock of his situation. He was losing Felicity. And he’d already lost Katie Sara. Well, shoot. He’d given her up voluntarily.
His niece sat in there on the phone, ecstatic that her mama was coming home. Missing her daddy something fierce.
At seventeen, Katie Sara had lost her daddy for all practical purposes. And, when it came right down to it, her home, along with most of her friends. A lot of them turned their backs on her once Ralph McMichaels went to prison.
Then she got pregnant, and what did the mighty football hero do? Tell her a friend was in the same situation and had screwed up his entire life by agreeing to marry the girl. True, he hadn’t known, but what did he expect her to do after that?
Listen to her mama like any scared young girl.
That wise old sage, Felicity, had hit the nail on the head again. What a sad state of affairs when a thirteen-year-old who kissed rats knew more about life and love than a grown man, but there you go.
He had been mean. He’d judged Katie Sara unfairly, using today’s circumstances. Not according to who and where they were then.
The old “walk a mile in my shoes”.
Felicity was still on the phone. He
ducked into his bedroom and rummaged through his drawers till he found the small box. The thing had seen better days. Still…
“Reiner?”
“Yeah, baby doll.”
“Isn’t this just the coolest?”
“Yes, it is. I think this calls for a celebration.”
“Boy, does it ever. Can I tell Auntie Belham?”
“Yes, ma’am. First, though. What do you think of this?” He held out the box and opened the lid.
She squinted at it. “I don’t know. Kind of—”
“Small?”
Slowly, she said, “Yeah.”
“I bought it twelve years ago.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
“For her?”
He nodded.
“And you’ve kept it all this time?”
He nodded again.
“You gonna tell her that?”
He hesitated.
“You should.”
“That’ll make a difference?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Okay.”
“Then she’s gonna love it!”
“Whew! You’re a tough critic!”
“You gonna do it now?”
He tipped his head. “Lady Luck seems to be ridin’ with the Brodericks this mornin’.”
“Go for it.”
“You’ll be okay here for a bit?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some calls to make.” Felicity’s face glowed.
He patted her cheek. “Hopefully, we’re goin’ to have lots of celebratin’ to do.”
Her expression turned serious. “Don’t mess this up, Uncle Reiner. She’s the one.”
“I know.” He swiped his hands over his jeans. “I’m nervous as a June bug in a chicken yard.”
She grimaced. “After the way you treated her at dinner last night, you should be.”
“There you go. Boostin’ my confidence.”
“Hey, just callin’ it like I see it.” Then she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a good luck kiss.
****
Rhonda, about to cross the street to the post office, heard the Harley’s familiar rumble. Reiner stopped for her, a goofy smile on his face, a bouquet of red roses tucked between a couple open buttons of his denim shirt.
She grinned. Now if that didn’t make a picture. It had to be the most mouthwatering sight she’d ever seen.
“Those had better be for my best friend.”
He slid his sunglasses down his nose. “If she’ll have them…and the jackass who goes with them.” His face went solemn. “You think I stand a chance? I’ve been a grade-A jerk.”
She patted his cheek. “Reiner, I’ve seen your other side. So has Katie Sara. You’re a wonderful man. The two of you need to stop working against each other and this relationship. You’re both acting like it’s a tug-of-war. Start pullin’ together. You’ve both been hurt. Mistakes have been made. That’s the past.”
“Yeah,” he said. “And I’m lookin’ to the future—one with Katie Sara and me together.”
“Good for you.”
He leaned over, careful not to crush his flowers, and kissed her, then roared off toward Wedgewood Way.
Glad she’d worn sandals, Rhonda crossed both her fingers and toes!
When Katie Sara answered the door, Reiner swore he’d never seen anything more beautiful. In another of her gauzy tops, this one aqua-colored, she looked like an angel. Khaki shorts, bare feet, hair up in some loose coil, green eyes mystified. Gorgeous.
“Reiner?”
He worked the bouquet loose and handed them to her. “Peace offering?”
Wary, she opened her screen-door and accepted them.
“Can I come in?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Oh, boy, this might be tougher than he’d expected. If he couldn’t even get through the front door—
“What do you want?”
“We need to talk. Let me in. Please.”
She bit her lip, but said nothing.
“Katie Sara?”
Silently, she stepped aside. For an instant, his temper flared at her indifference, then he tamped it down, reminding himself he hadn’t even spoken to her the night before. Tit for tat.
Taking the flowers, he said, “How ’bout I put those in water for you?”
He left her in the hall, mouth open, and strode back to the kitchen. Scavenging a vase, he filled it with water, then plunked the roses in it and set the whole thing on the counter. He turned to find her watching him.
“Ice tea?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Think I’ll have some, if you don’t mind.” His mouth had gone Sahara-dry. He hadn’t been half this nervous in his last Super Bowl. But then, he hadn’t had nearly as much riding on it.
Moving to the fridge, he found the pitcher she always kept there and poured himself a glass. He took a big swig, then refilled his glass.
Still, she said nothing.
He planted his hands on the counter. “Damn, Katie Sara. I’m not sure how or where to start here. There’s so much I want to say. So much air needs clearin’.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not goin’ to make this easy, are you?”
“I don’t have a clue why you’re here.” The carefully schooled expression fell away, replaced by soul-deep sorrow. “I think we’ve already said everything we have to say to each other.”
“Uh-uh. That was the stupid me talkin’ before.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’ve been worried about you. Let’s start with your daddy’s letter.”
Her chin trembled, and she tipped her head to stare up at the ceiling, steadying herself.
Desperate to wrap his arms around her, he kept his distance. “Whatever was in there, it was your daddy’s business. It doesn’t affect you.”
“Oh, but it does.” She started talking, and the words spilled from her. When she finished, she said, “You’re the only one I’ve shared this with. No one else knows.”
Shocked, he stood quietly. “What are you goin’ to do?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My first thought was to call Mother and tell her the whole story. Make her hurt the way I did when they took Danny from me.”
She choked back tears. “That was about the same time I decided to hate Daddy. Then I realized I couldn’t. My daddy’s still my daddy. I love him.” She bit her lip. “He made a mistake. A huge one. But then, so did I.”
Reiner moved then to close the distance between them. He wiped the tears from her face. “Katie Sara, there’s no comparin’ the two.”
She shrugged, sniffled. “Anyway, I finally decided Mother doesn’t need to know anything about Jenna. What good would it do? I was the one with questions. He was right about that. Mother never really seemed bothered by the why. Let her keep her memories of Daddy and their life together. It’s better this way.”
“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “You’re a wise woman to let your father’s secrets stop with you. He trusted you to do the right thing; his trust was well placed.”
“It’s time to put the lies, the hurt to bed.” She turned haunted eyes to his. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Reiner.”
“Can we go out back? Sit down?”
“Sure.”
He followed her out. When he sat on the swing, she moved toward the chair. “No. Come over here by me,” he said.
“I remember that afternoon at the Nut Shop. Our conversation. That night. After you left, I must’ve replayed it a million times tryin’ to figure out what went wrong. We’d had chocolate malts, then went to Rocco’s and listened to music. On the way home, we, ah, stopped over by the creek for a bit, but you had to be home by nine ’cause it was a weeknight.” He stopped. “Got it right so far?”
“Uh-huh.”
“For all I knew, a spaceship had beamed you up. It was as if you’d disappeared from the face of the Earth. I never saw or heard from you again. And your mother—That woman’s got a heart of stone. No amount of beggin’ or pleadin’
did any good. She wouldn’t tell me a thing.”
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, felt the tenseness in her. “Felicity reminded me last night that you were only four years older than she is now. Made me stop and think about the people who were makin’ the decisions. A frightened, seventeen-year-old girl who had an older, wiser mother advisin’ her—and a stupid eighteen-year-old boy who didn’t know what the hell he was talkin’ about.”
He drew a deep breath. “And maybe, as hard as it is now…” His voice cracked. “Maybe then it was the right choice. We weren’t equipped to raise a kid, Ace. Hell, we were kids ourselves. You’re right. I probably would have resented him.”
His eyes burned with unshed tears. “At twenty-eight, I want my son, our son, yes. It ripped my heart out to watch him leave. But as much as I’d like to blame you, I can’t.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
“Reiner—”
“You need to stop beatin’ yourself up over this, sugar. Truth is, you and I, we made one hell of an awesome kid together. Then you gave him life and a wonderful home with parents who love him enough to let him spend that time with us. I’d say you did far more than okay, and that our son is one heck of a lucky kid. He’s growin’ up in a home with parents who chose him. Who have instilled, from the look of things, some mighty good character traits in him. Be proud of him and of yourself. I am. For a seventeen-year-old kid you did really well.”
“Oh, jeez.” She dug for a Kleenex. “I’m going to give Rudolph a run for the reddest nose in town.”
“I forgive you. I forgive me.”
He said it so simply, so quietly she had to believe him.
“Now, Katie Sara, it’s time for you to forgive you.”
“I think I’ve begun to. About the same time I forgave Daddy that morning. But I needed yours.”
He laid his head back against the swing, put an arm around her and drew her close, encouraged when she didn’t resist. He bussed her cheek, then with a growl, kissed her till she had trouble remembering her name.
“I’ll apologize for a lot of things I’ve done, but that kiss isn’t one of them. I’ve missed you.”
Katie Sara drew her feet up onto the swing and curled into Reiner’s side. He draped an arm around her and pulled her closer, remembering Felicity’s warning. Don’t mess this up. She’s the one.
Moonlight, motorcycles and bad boys Page 25