“We need to tell Alex to stop bringing these home from the bakery,” Cara said, shrugging into her sweater coat.
“I know. I texted her this morning, after I inhaled one with my coffee,” Kate said with a laugh. The girls came out from the kitchen. Kate and Cara quickly helped them into their coats.
“Yeah, especially after Alex and I were the ones who had to scarf down those platters of food when you disappeared on us. Between the bar food and these croissants I’m not going to be able to button my jeans. And then you go off on these secret early morning runs, it’s not fair,” she whispered.
“Right. Sorry about that,” Kate said. She’d already endured the inquisition after she had run out of the pub.
Cara straightened herself up, picking up her bag while the girls discussed whether or not they could bring umbrellas to school. “Uh-huh. Any more news on Mr. Art Exhibit?”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Why on earth would I hear from him? I insulted him, his profession, and his friends. I also never gave him my number, so that’s the end of him,” she said with a shrug. She hadn’t had time to tell her sisters about running into him on the pier. That was not an early-morning-school-rush conversation. She also hadn’t mentioned to either of them who she thought had walked into the bar. They would have freaked out if she said she’d seen Derek. She’d been able to use Matt’s job as an excuse for her disappearance.
“Well, we’ll try again this Friday. Maybe he’ll go back there looking for you.”
“No thanks, I don’t want to keep reappearing there like some desperate woman hoping to catch a glimpse of the guy who has probably forgotten about me already, but you two go ahead.”
“If I weren’t already late for work, I’d sit here and tell you what a moron you are.” Her hand was on the doorknob.
“Go,” Kate said, picking up her own bag and settlng it on her shoulder.
“To be continued,” Cara said before turning to the girls. “Have a great day, loves! I’ll pick you up after school.” She gave them all a quick hug.
“Bye,” the girls yelled as Cara yanked open the front door and ran down the porch steps.
“We’re all ready?” Kate asked them, surveying the three girls to make sure they were properly dressed for the cool fall weather. Everyone nodded. She held open the door, Cassandra and Beth bounding through, and then waited for Janie to make her way. They helped Janie down the wooden front steps and into the car.
Ten minutes later, Kate pulled into the school parking lot.
“Auntie Kate, why don’t you ever drop us off at the kissy ride?” Cassandra asked as Kate turned off the engine.
Kate smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “I like walking you girls into the playground and then waving as your teachers come out to get you. At the Kiss ‘N Ride, I have to drive away and I can’t see you go in.” She unbuckled her seat belt and made her way to open the girls’ doors. She wasn’t about to admit to a six-year-old that she was a total, anal-retentive control freak who needed to see that Janie made it into class okay. She was probably one of the only parents that didn’t appreciate being able to use the child drop-off zone outside the school and not having to park and get out of the car.
Minutes later, she followed the three of them to the playground, marvelling at how well Janie kept up with her more agile, quicker sisters. Kate pulled the edges of her light trench coat closer as the damp, October wind whipped around her. There were still a few minutes until the school bell rang, and a handful of parents were scattered around the playground. Without intending to, Kate picked up on the conversation two women in front of them were having.
“I don’t want to sound nasty or anything, but why is that little girl in the class, anyway?”
Kate’s stomach turned a few times as she overheard the woman’s comment. They had to be talking about Janie. She knew this would happen. Cara and Alex had said she was paranoid for thinking this, but she’d been right. She should walk away and not listen to this conversation, but there was a perverse need to know exactly how people saw her daughter. She justified it by thinking that it would arm her, that she’d know how to deal with whatever they had coming.
“I was thinking the exact same thing,” the other woman was saying. “The other day I heard they had to stop the activity they were doing in gym class to accommodate her. And of course I don’t want to sound harsh,” the other woman said, lowering her voice and huddling closer to her friend, “but there are special schools for people like them.”
“I don’t see why our kids have to be held back because of one child.”
The loud ringing of the school bell drowned their voices out. Tears swam in Kate’s eyes and she had to blink rapidly to clear them in order to see the girls. She spotted them, walking toward the doors, their arms linked, Janie in the middle. The girls waved, bright, cheery grins lighting their faces before walking in single file through the doors. The wind had picked up and large raindrops were beginning to tumble from the dreary autumn sky.
Kate glanced over at the two women who were waving to their children. She should walk up to them and tell them exactly what she thought of them and their selfish, ignorant attitudes. She should tell them how special Janie was. And then she thought of Derek, of his words, his eyes, his anger and, for a second, she could swear she felt the stifling bond of duct tape over her mouth.
Kate stood there while plump raindrops splattered onto the ground and the women walked away, her opportunity leaving, just as it had so many times in the past. How many times had she stood on the sidelines, chewing the inside of her cheek, wringing her hands, trying to find the courage within? How many times had she screamed, only to never hear her voice? She closed her eyes, begging her mind for a release from the images. She opened her eyes again, the playground empty.
…
Matt Lane sat in the front seat of his Range Rover, frowning as his best friend and business partner’s voice echoed through the speaker. “Sorry, man, nothing. No leads on who this Kate woman is.”
Matt let out a low curse. “Fine. We’ll drop it. Forget it.”
“You still haven’t told me why this woman is such a big deal anyway. She was a woman at a bar. Find another one this weekend. I had no idea you were having so much trouble finding a woman.”
“I’m not. There was something about her.” He let out a rough sigh, remembering exactly who was on the other end of the line. He should end this discussion with Liam before it got extra irritating, but after he’d run into Kate purely by coincidence, he knew he wanted more. He wanted to find her. She was the best thing he’d ever seen at five a.m., and there was something about a woman who looked like she wanted to kick his ass, yet was vulnerable at the same time, that enticed him. “Nothing you’d understand. Never mind. Let’s just pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Your call, but listen, if you need some pointers on how to do a bar pickup—”
“This conversation is over. You are the last person I’d take advice from.”
“Hey, just trying to help you out, buddy.”
“Great. Thanks,” he said flatly. Liam was about the only person in the world besides his mother and sister he trusted, except when it came to women. The guy knew nothing of value. “Bye, Liam,” Matt said and ended the call before his friend could say another thing. He leaned back against the leather headrest and watched the rain trickle down his front windshield. He had no idea why Kate was still on his mind. They’d shared a few brief words, a few moments…before she looked as though he was some kind of psychopath and ran away. Twice.
But he’d thought about her. A lot. He remembered the silky feel of her thick hair as his hands caressed the side of her neck. He remembered the sweet, fragrant scent of her skin and he’d memorized every sweet inch of her body when he’d held her in his arms. The women he met were forgettable, pleasant distractions. Kate had been so much beyond pleasant, and not for one second had he thought of her as a distraction.
He glanced at the c
lock on his dashboard. Time to get going. The campus was almost deserted as he ran across the parking lot. This was his little sister’s last year of high school. Next September she’d be going off to college and he didn’t know how the hell he was going to let her go. He’d have to just keep tabs on her. Because of their age difference, at times he felt more like her father than her brother. Knowing she was going off to school soon almost made him wish he’d finished his degree, but he’d had bills to pay, his mother and sister to look after. Regrets weren’t something he indulged in too often. He’d made a name for himself, and built a business from the ground up. And now he and Liam owned one of the largest and most reputable private investigation firms in the country.
Matt took the shallow stone steps two at a time and swung open the large door. He looked around, shaking some of the water off his head. He signed in at the office and made his way down the quiet hallway. He stopped outside room 109 where Sabrina had told him to wait for her. He glanced down at his watch—right on time—and then back through the small window in the door.
The half dozen or so rows were empty, as were the seats. A bunch of students were all grouped together around a desk. The bell rang and, after a few seconds, some started filing out, holding papers in their hands. He could make out the back of the head of what was probably their teacher. He scanned the small crowd for his sister. Seconds later, he spotted her and she waved to him. He smiled, leaning against the wall as he waited for her to get her paper back. He was so proud of her. Fourteen years younger than him, she was responsible and hardworking.
Students left, one by one, until it was just his sister and her teacher left. His jaw dropped open and he stood straight as the woman turned, her profile fully visible—perfect nose, fair, smooth skin, full pink lips, long, shiny hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore dark skinny jeans that were tucked into a pair of kick-ass boots and a fitted, curve-hugging navy sweater that reaffirmed yet another reason why he’d been so attracted to her.
It was Kate.
Chapter Three
“Matt,” his sister called out. He smiled at her, forcing a calm expression onto his face. He looked to Kate, her face going white and then red as he walked forward.
“Ms. Abbott, this is my brother, Matt,” Sabrina said, oblivious to the sudden tension that filled the room.
Matt smiled. He tried not to examine why he felt like a child at Christmas, but man, was he happy that he’d found her. “Nice to see you again, Ms. Abbott.”
“You’re kidding,” Kate whispered.
He shook his head, smiling. “No joke. And for the record, I had no idea.”
“No idea about what? You know each other?” Sabrina asked, wildly looking back and forth between them. Matt cringed at his sister’s theatrical display.
He didn’t take his eyes off Kate. “We do.”
“I sincerely hope this won’t negatively affect my grades,” his sister said, leaning close to Kate.
Kate smiled. Matt could tell it was a forced smile, a forced attempt at being casual, when she was obviously shaken. “I’ll try and not hold it against you,” she said, attempting humor as she shuffled papers on her desk.
“Oh, no. Matt, why didn’t you tell me,” Sabrina said, making another failed attempt at a whisper.
He shrugged. “I had no idea.”
“It’s fine, Sabrina. Really, I was only teasing. You have nothing to worry about. Your brother and I barely know each other,” she said, looking straight at his sister and avoiding eye contact with him.
“Oh, thank goodness. I know Matt has quite the reputation as a ladies’ man.”
“No, I don’t have any reputation,” he said. He caught Kate’s gaze then, one of her brows arched, her lips pursing slightly. He knew she was thinking about the blond at the bar.
“Sure you don’t,” Sabrina said, nudging him in the ribs. “Actually, this is perfect timing. Matt, Ms. Abbott was telling us about her fundraiser, the Still Harbor Home for Mothers and Daughters. They need a big sponsor. And it’s such a good cause, one I know you’ll back. Your company could be—”
Kate touched his sister’s arm. “Sabrina, that is so sweet of you, but—”
“What kind of home?” Matt asked.
Kate chewed her bottom lip for a second and his eyes followed. He’d noticed her lips the other night, sitting so close at the bar. Plump, luscious and, right now, distracting him from the conversation. He’d noticed them again when they met on the pier. She sighed softly. “We’ll be hosting a gala and the proceeds are going to the cause. We’re trying to raise enough money to open a small group home for women and children escaping domestic violence.”
His gaze snapped up to hers. He thought of her escape the other night from the pub, the look on her face when he said he’d been a cop. The bear spray. He’d made his career, his entire living, on examining and reading people, and despite the neutral expression on her face, the emotion that shone in her green eyes confirmed this was a cause close to her heart. And she had no idea how close it was to his as well.
“Why don’t we set up a time and we can discuss what kind of donation you need,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Kate shook her head. “Thank you so much for the offer, but…” She paused, frowning.
He waited, watching her, wondering what she could possibly come up with to refuse a donation. There was no way she was going to turn him down.
“Don’t worry, my brother has loads of money, he can totally help you out with the fundraiser,” Sabrina said, slapping him on the back, completely misinterpreting Kate’s hesitation. “Even though Matt can come across as arrogant and pig-headed, a bit bossy—”
“Thanks, Sab,” he said dryly.
“Wait, wait, I’m getting to the good stuff,” his sister said, smiling up at him before turning back to Kate, “but he’s got a heart of gold. He’s totally covering my university tab and he looks out for me and our mom.”
“Okay, I think we’ve heard enough,” Matt said. Kate’s green eyes had softened and the corners of her mouth hinted at a smile.
“How about a coffee?” Matt asked.
Kate put down her stack of papers with a small sigh. “Coffee and fundraiser talk?”
He smiled. “Dinner and fundraiser talk?”
She opened her mouth. He pushed ahead before she had time to come up with an excuse. “Tomorrow night, at seven?”
She crossed her arms in front of her. “Okay. Seven.”
“Here’s his number,” his little sister said, shoving a piece of paper at Kate. Matt didn’t know whether to thank her or be embarrassed.
“What’s your address?” he asked.
“You don’t have to pick me up,” she said, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about him being sketchy, Ms. Abbott. He’s not. He may look a little rough around the edges. He could use a haircut and a shave.”
“Can you please stop?” Matt said with a choked laugh, swatting Sabrina’s hand away from his hair.
“All right, if Sabrina vouches for you I guess it’ll be fine,” she said, shooting his sister a smile. She wrote her information down on a piece of notepaper and handed it to him. “Here’s my address and number,” she said. Her fingers brushed against his, and that same heat, that same spark from the night at the bar, was there. He tucked the paper in his jeans pocket.
“See you tomorrow,” she said, taking a step back.
“Looking forward to it,” Matt said, ignoring his sister’s squeal.
“Bye, Ms. Abbott!” Sabrina yelled, and tugged him along.
“Bye, Sabrina,” Kate said, sitting down. Matt glanced back at her before following his sister. What freaking good luck.
“You are buying lunch because I just got you a date with the coolest lady I know,” Sabrina said way too loudly.
“I’m buying you lunch because you have no money,” Matt said, holding open the door for his sister. He gave Kate a last look, but she was already concentrating on
the work on her desk. They walked through the crowded corridor, students goofing off and hollering as lunch period began. Matt glared at a young guy who was checking his sister out and was pleased when the kid looked scared.
“Well, well, well, isn’t this an interesting development,” Sabrina said as they walked to one of their favorite lunch places close to the school.
“Yeah, a little unexpected.”
“You’re not getting off that easy. I want full details of how you tried to pick up my teacher.” She pointed to the little café with overflowing hanging baskets, round tables, and chairs on the patio. “Let’s eat inside. It looks like it’s going to start raining again.”
“Fine by me,” Matt said, holding open the door. He needed to mentally prepare himself for the impending ambush. He couldn’t believe he’d found Kate. Sabrina and his mother would say it was fate, but he was more comfortable with luck.
Once settled with menus at a table by a window, he fixated on the lunch items and tried not to make eye contact with his little sister.
“I’m calling the waiter over so we can order and then we can get on with the details of your love life,” Sabrina said, turning in her chair and motioning wildly to the waiter. Matt sighed and tossed his menu onto the table as the server walked over to them.
“I’ll have the grilled veggie wrap with a Greek salad on the side please. And a Diet Coke.” Sabrina handed him her menu. “I bet ten bucks my brother over here will have the club sandwich on rye bread, with fries. And,” she paused for second, “an iced tea.”
Matt shook his head, grinning. “She’s right,” he said, handing over his menu.
The second the waiter left, Sabrina leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “Miss Abbott is the best choice you’ve made since…well, since forever. I want you to know that I fully support you.”
Matt stared at his sister. He needed to shut this down fast. He refused to have discussions about his love life with a seventeen-year-old, regardless of how mature she was. “I’m not entering a political race, you know. We’re just going out for dinner.”
Falling for the P.I. Page 3