by Nadia Lee
If he were a violent man, he might have punched his brother in the face right now. As it was he was pretty tempted. “What were you thinking? Why aren’t you on your way back to college?”
“Told you I wasn’t going.”
“And I told you, you can’t stay here.”
“Fine. I’ll crash with some buddies in town.”
“Nobody’s going to take you in.”
“What?”
“I’m not kidding, Sean. Go back to school. This discussion’s over.”
“You’re being the biggest douche-bag because you like her, but she’s just like all those fancy rich girls. Not worth your time.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Blaine said sarcastically. “Now get outta here. Go back to school or go live under the bridge. I don’t care.”
He went back to the bar and restaurant to find Catherine. She had vanished. He collared a waitress. “Hey, where’s Catherine?”
The woman shrugged. “She had her dinner packed and left a couple of minutes ago.”
Probably hadn’t felt like sticking around after Sean had read her letter. “Thanks.”
He wanted to go after her, but The Line wouldn’t run itself, and the place was packed.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he’d see her and make things right.
Chapter Fifteen
Catherine sat in her car in the parking lot at The Line and took a deep breath. She’d lost her appetite, but it’d seemed like a waste to throw away the salad. Darn it. She should’ve taken the envelope with her. Sean didn’t seem like a dumb kid. He’d probably figured out why Amandine wanted her at the wedding.
If Catherine was lucky, he’d think she was just a gold digger.
She wanted that rather than him knowing the truth, that she was too stupid to do any better than get a rich husband while she was still young and pretty.
Sean came out around the back corner of the building and flipped the bird at the neon sign that blazed The Line. He had to be furious and embarrassed that he’d gotten caught reading something he had no business reading. She would have been.
He pulled out his phone and dialed. He said a few words then cursed loudly. Then he tried again, but what followed was the same. He’d say something, then curse.
What was he trying to do? And why was he staying in Cooter’s Bluff anyway?
She should ignore him. He didn’t even like her. Still… The way he ran his hands over his head and groaned tugged at her. Despite his size, he was still basically a kid.
She lowered the window. “Hey, you all right?”
Once he recognized who it was, he shoved his hands in his pockets and gave her a defiant glare. “Why do you care?”
“For one you’re Blaine’s baby brother.”
“Don’t you wanna kick my ass because I read your letter?” He scowled.
“More like put you over my knee. But that’s not going to make you forget what you read, is it?”
He rocked back and forth, then hopped in the cold. “No.”
“Why don’t we just settle for you losing the attitude.” She leaned away from the window. “Get in. My neck’s hurting from looking up at you.”
He snorted, but got inside the car. His gaze skimmed the dashboard, and he curled his hands like he wasn’t sure if he could stop himself from touching it.
“So what’s going on?” Catherine asked.
“Blaine’s kicking me out. I either gotta go back to school or live under the bridge.”
“Ah. The one near the famous bluff.” She’d driven over it on her way in. “Don’t you have any friends who can help you out?”
“Not after Blaine talked to them.”
“I see.” That sucked, and Sean’s situation reminded her of her own. But he was doing it to himself. “The choice seems rather obvious then.”
“You don’t know shi—anything.”
Her lips twitched as she suppressed a grin. “Becoming homeless is better than going back to school?”
He jutted his chin out. “You’re rich, so you don’t know what it’s like for us normal fo—”
“Okay, I’m sick of this ‘rich’ thing. I’m not rich.”
He gave her a level stare. “Is that why you drive an Aston Martin? ’cuz you’re poor?”
“No, I drive an Aston Martin because my ex-husband paid for it, and I don’t have any other car to drive.” Jacob had given it to her when he’d thought he’d get a baby out of her. “My dad lost all his money in some bad investments when I was in high school. For god’s sake, I married for money, and I’m going to have to marry for money again. You saw that in the letter, didn’t you?”
“I saw. So you like guys with money.” He turned his gaze out the passenger window. “Typical.”
She suppressed a shudder of relief. So he thought her a garden-variety gold digger. Good.
“But why are you hanging around this place if you’re lookin’ to marry for money?” Sean asked. “Nobody here’s rich.”
“I’m just…” She shrugged. “Enjoying my freedom before I have to go home.” Or to be more precise, to where she could find her next husband. She no longer had a home she could go back to. “Are you going to drive back to school?”
“Nope. I got a point to make. Blaine can’t boss me around like I’m some kid.”
“So you’re really going to sleep under the bridge?”
“Sleeping outside don’t bother me.”
She shook her head. It was too cold at night. Besides, if the boy had a problem, he needed to work it out on his own without Blaine pressuring him. “You can come crash at my place.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
He squinted. “You don’t even like me.”
“No. You don’t like me. There’s a difference. I’m not letting a kid freeze to death outside. You’ll have to take the couch if none of the guest bedrooms are in decent shape, but I’m sure it’s preferable to the bridge.”
He mulled that over, then gave her a narrow-eyed look. “You aren’t gonna do anything weird, are you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. I only execute my drug cartel rivals away from the house.” She started driving.
They were halfway back when he asked, “So when are you gonna leave Cooter’s Bluff?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Did you talk to that Ethan guy?”
She nodded once.
“Is he like your husband or something?”
Ethan? That bastard who cared about everyone but her? She burst out laughing. Tears stung her eyes, and she couldn’t help it.
“What did I say?” Sean asked.
“He’s not ‘like my husband or something.’” She sighed. “He’s my brother-in-law.”
“Your husband’s brother?”
“Depending on your definition of ‘husband’.”
“Does he know you’re two-timing his bro with my bro?”
She ground her teeth. “Sean, don’t judge me.”
“You got a wedding ring.”
“To remind myself not to be stupid,” she said. “It’s not the same thing as being married. You’re pretty talkative for a guy.”
“I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.”
“Nobody’s going to…so long as they don’t stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
She parked the car and he followed her into Salazar’s house. After locking the door, she gestured toward the staircase. “Check the guest bedrooms. See if anything’s suitable. If not, you can take any of the couches down here.” Thankfully they were all pretty big. “While you do that, I’m going to eat my salad and go to sleep. Don’t even think about coming into my room unless there’s fire, flood or blood.”
“Fine.” Sean shoved his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. “Thanks,” he bit out.
“So you aren’t a total savage.” She suppressed a smile. “You’re welcome.”
* * *
Rick waved at Blaine. “Hey, for you,” he
said, pointing at the black cordless phone by the bar counter.
“Who is it?”
“Janey.”
Blaine’s eyebrows rose. “And she wants to talk to me?” That was a first.
“Probably wants to have a conversation that doesn’t make her think about sex.”
Blaine took the phone. “Hey, Janey.”
“Hi, Blaine. I hate to bother you, but I think you should know Catherine took Sean to the Blue House. Susie said she saw.”
He frowned. Susie lived near the Blue House. “Is she sure?”
“’Course she’s sure. You know she’s got eyes like a hawk. Plus that pair of binoculars.”
Had Sean begged Catherine for a couch to crash on after he’d realized none of his buddies were going to take him in for the night? But why would she take pity on him after he’d read her letter? “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Well… Never mind. Anyway, now you know he’s safe at least, not wandering around the town at night or anything.”
“Yup, yup. Thanks.” He hung up.
“What’s that about?” Rick asked.
Blaine stood still for a moment, perplexed. “Looks like Sean’s staying with Catherine tonight.”
“Really?”
“Well, I didn’t tell her not to put him up. Didn’t think I’d have to, after he read her letter.”
Rick shook his head. “That woman’s too nice. Ain’t like most of them stuck-up snobs from Greensville.”
“No. But she shouldn’t have taken him in. He needs to go back to school. I don’t want him ending up a hillbilly like the rest of us.”
“Right. You want him to get educated, so he can become a hill-william.”
Blaine looked at his friend. “That’s pretty damn funny.”
“I have my moments. So, you gonna go straighten her out?”
“Yeah, but tomorrow morning. I don’t know her number, and it’s already kinda late. By the time we close and get everything cleaned up…” One of the waitresses had had to leave early because her kid was sick, and he couldn’t leave The Line short-handed. Besides, he had a feeling Catherine would ignore his call even if he’d known her number.
The fact that he didn’t bothered him. First thing he got was usually a woman’s digits. But with Catherine, somehow it hadn’t seemed important. He just preferred talking to her in person. Watching the way the light filled her eyes, the soft movements of her lips…
Blaine wouldn’t let Sean take advantage of her good nature. First thing tomorrow, he was dragging his brother out of her place.
Chapter Sixteen
Catherine got dressed in a simple red long-sleeved blouse and black pencil skirt that ended an inch above her knees plus a pair of black boots that looked fabulous on her. Normally she didn’t bother to get dressed this much in the morning, but she had a guest. She pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail. It seemed like too much work to curl or do anything complicated with it.
Ready to shake Sean awake, she went downstairs then stopped short at the smell of frying meat, eggs and gurgling coffee. For a moment she thought Irene had decided to come by in the morning to check up on her—or more like, to see what was going on between her and Sean, but no, it was the college kid in the kitchen.
Sleeping in his clothes and no shower had made him look rough and used up like a wrinkled tissue. He should go home to get some fresh clothes…assuming Blaine hadn’t torched them to make a point.
“Morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” She gestured at the steaks and eggs. “Wow. Who’s coming for breakfast?”
“Well. This is for me”—he then flicked his wrist toward the smaller of the two sets—“and that’s for you.”
“Thank you, but I don’t eat red meat. Or eggs. But some coffee would be nice. Black, no sugar.”
“Okay.” He poured her some and pushed the mug her way over the counter. “You aren’t gonna eat anything?”
“I’ll get myself something, don’t worry. You go ahead and start.”
He took his plate to the table and started shoveling food into his mouth. “I’ll pay you back,” he said between bites.
“For what?”
“The couch and breakfast.”
“Don’t worry about it. The food would’ve gone bad anyway.” Irene had thoughtfully restocked the fridge with more things Catherine couldn’t eat. At least there was a small serving of yogurt left. Catherine spooned it at the table, watching Sean eat like he’d been starving for a week in the Gobi desert. The sight reminded her of how her cousin Pete used to eat in his teen years.
“So tell me something. Why are you in Cooter’s Bluff? Aren’t you worried about flunking out of school?” she asked, scraping the bottom of the yogurt container.
“What if I do? It’s stupid anyway.”
“Not what people usually say about college. What are you majoring in? Stupid 101?”
“No.” He scowled at his steak and stabbed it hard with his fork. “Petroleum engineering.”
She arched an eyebrow. A lot of oil engineers lived in Texas, and they made a great living. “You must be pretty smart.”
He shrugged and polished off the last bit of his meat. She set her plate in front of him. He started on it immediately.
“If you can’t cut it, why not change your major?” she asked.
“Who said anything about not being able to cut it? I’m doing great. Besides, changing my major wouldn’t solve the problem.”
She laughed. A smart kid with issues. “So what is this terrible problem?”
“You wouldn’t understand. Anybody who can afford to drive an Aston Martin can’t get it.”
“No, you’re the one who doesn’t get it. There are people who aren’t smart enough to get into college. Some can’t even finish high school.” Thankfully, she had…with a generous helping of sympathy from her teachers because she’d “tried so hard.” Not to mention a lot of guys who had been eager to help with her homework. Sadly the real world didn’t believe in having other people do your assignments, or care about how hard you tried. It only valued the result, and results weren’t something she could produce on her own.
“And there are people who don’t earn enough to get into college. It’s expensive. Get it? It freakin’ costs, and in case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t exactly swimming in money,” he spat out. An amazing feat since it couldn’t have been easy to inhale eggs and spit words at the same time. But then he was a smart kid. An aspiring engineer.
“Get scholarships.”
“Not enough.”
“Financial aid?”
He shook his head. “You don’t get it.”
“I don’t. It’s hard to understand why you won’t finish what you started. You’re what? A sophomore?”
He made a face. “A junior.”
“Okay. So you’re more than halfway through. Soon you’ll be able to graduate and make some decent money. If you stop now, you’re good for…what? Flipping burgers while owing all that money for the first two years of college.”
“Whatever. Better to owe for two years than for four.”
Stretching her legs out, she crossed her ankles and shook her head. He had no idea how lucky he was. She’d kill to be able to go to college. Any college. And have the ability to study something like engineering. Instead she was reduced to using her fading looks to snag herself a rich husband so she could secure her future. How sad was that? But people didn’t want to hire an engineer who got a C- in high school algebra. “You do what you have to do, but don’t think quitting is the answer. Sometimes you have to go through some tough times, kill your pride if necessary. Keep your eye on the prize, you know?” That was how she’d been able to endure her marriage.
“So what’s the prize?”
Financial security. To never be poor and pitiable again. “You tell me. It’s your prize, not mine.”
Sean finished Catherine’s plate and gave her a hard look. “You aren’t like the other girls.”
“You mean Zoe Simpson.”
“Heard about that?”
“Oh, yes. This town’s full of talkative people.” She poured herself more coffee. “That’s why you don’t like me, isn’t it? You think I’m like her.”
“Yeah. But you’re a little bit different.” He mulled it over. “Nicer, I guess. More real, in a strange way.”
She felt her lips twist into a lopsided smile. If he’d only known what a fake, sad little thing she was. “Well, thanks for not thinking the worst of me.”
* * *
Blaine went to the Blue House as soon as he could. He knocked and waited. The morning wind was unusually warm. Spring might come early.
The door opened and Catherine stood there, hipshot and gorgeous in a red top and sexy black skirt. If it had been any other occasion, he might have kissed her, but this wasn’t the time.
Her whiskey eyes warmed at the sight of him. “Good morning, Blaine.”
“Morning. Is Sean here?”
She nodded.
“I want to see him.”
“He’s in the shower,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the door jam. She didn’t make any move to let him in.
“You should’ve let him sleep outside, under the bridge like I told him to.”
“What would that accomplish? He’d likely catch cold…or freeze to death.”
He scoffed. “The boy’s tougher than that.”
“You just want to bully him back to school.”
“Bully? I’m trying to do what’s best for him.”
“And what are you going to do if he decides that’s not what’s best for him?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“Who gets to decide what’s best for him?”
“Me.”
“Blaine, he’s a junior in college. He’s not a kid you can order around anymore. He has his own feelings and priorities.”
“What he’s got is dumb pride. He needs to do what’s right.”
“I think he’ll surprise you. Give him a chance to think things through. If he doesn’t make up his mind in the next forty-eight hours, I’ll ask him to leave myself. Don’t worry.”
Blaine shook his head. “What happens if he drops out?”