Zoe seemed to consider the proposition before nodding her approval.
“Cool, because I’m new in town. I can use all the friends I can get.” She stood, looking Aidan in the eye.
“I’ll be your friend.” There was no hesitation in the child’s voice.
Now Karise did smile. “Thank you.”
“Daddy got you a present.”
“Another one? You’re going to spoil me.” She couldn’t help being curious about what was in the bag Aidan held out to her. She peeked inside and laughed, producing a straw cowgirl hat with a leather band and a turquoise accent. “I totally needed one of these.”
“We stopped at the store to get Zoe’s, and it occurred to me that you were probably equally deprived.” He took the hat out of her hands and placed it on her head. “Much better.”
“I mean, it’s not as amazing as Zoe’s hat, but it is pretty wonderful.” Karise tugged lightly on the brim. “What do you think, Zoe?”
“It’s okay.” The girl was honest if nothing else.
“I think it’s adorable.” There was a husky undertone to Aidan’s voice that sent shivers skittering down Karise’s spine.
“Do you want to go check out the petting zoo with me?” She found herself extending a hand toward the girl, if for no other reason than to escape the father.
“She might not want to leave my side,” Aidan warned.
“Sure.” Zoe let go of his leg to grab hold of Karise’s fingers. The pair sauntered off together without hesitation.
“That’s a terrifying sight,” he called out to their retreating backs.
Karise glanced back at him and waggled her eyebrows. Let him worry. It’ll be good for him. Gavin’s laughter followed them, and Karise knew he was enjoying the situation as immensely as she was.
The smell of the animals grew thicker the closer they got to the petting zoo. It wasn’t bad, just distinct. The larger pens housed a calf, donkeys, pigs, goats, and even an alpaca. Smaller cages held rabbits, turtles, and guinea pigs.
“You have to help me here. I don’t know what to do,” Karise admitted.
“What?” Zoe looked at her like she was insane.
“I’ve never been to a petting zoo before. I’ve never even had a pet of my own.”
“Nu-uh.”
“For real.” Karise had never been opposed to animals; she’d just never had time for them.
“Not even a puppy?”
“Nope. I mean, we had chickens when I was a little girl, but they weren’t really pets.”
“Wow.” Zoe shook her head in disbelief. “I have lots of pets and I have chickens.”
“You do? How many pets do you have?” Karise tried to picture Aidan taking care of chickens.
“32.”
Karise gave her a look that said she didn’t believe the little girl’s claims, but she didn’t dispute them. Instead she reached out to pat a nearby goat on the head.
“Not like that.” Zoe rolled her eyes before demonstrating. “Like this.”
“They like getting their neck scratched, huh?”
“And behind their ears.”
Karise imitated the girl’s movement, discovering that Zoe was right. The goat definitely had a sweet spot. It even rewarded her with a little goaty smile.
Zoe nodded approvingly. “Good job.”
Karise laughed when the animal tried to get its lips around the end of her sleeve. She studied the cute little creature with its brown and black splotches on a blanket of white. “Their eyes are weird.”
Aidan knelt down beside Karise. “That’s what I thought at first, but you get used to it.”
“Oh, you have a lot of experience with goats, do you?”
“I told you we have lots of pets,” Zoe reminded her.
“You’re a goat farmer?” Karise choked on the question.
“I prefer to think of it as a producer of specialty cheeses, but yes, goats are a part of it.”
Karise stood up abruptly, turning her back to the fence and folding her arms across her chest. “You told me you were an artist.”
“I was just messing with you,” he admitted with a sheepish grin, rising to lean against the fence next to her.
“You brat.”
Zoe looked from one adult to the other, soaking up every word they said.
“I was an art major in school. I had a little bit of a career in it, before…” He cast a glance down at Zoe. “I still design our labels, if that counts for anything.”
Karise didn’t know if she was perturbed or amused. With a slight shake of her head she looked down at Zoe and summed it up with one word: “Men.”
“Men.” Zoe nodded in full agreement.
“Are you going to be a bad influence on my daughter?” Aidan looked mildly concerned.
Karise put on her most angelic expression. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
That seemed like as good of a place as any to leave things, so she bid the pair farewell and went to see if there was anything she could do to help Kate. She stayed busy after that, running any errands that were needed and when none were, she chatted with the stream of people Kate or Gavin brought her way for introductions.
Many of the faces blended together, however hard Karise worked to keep them all straight. The pair that stood out easily was Kate’s father and stepmother. Jack was a handsome man, one who’d obviously been young when he’d become a father. Physically, the only thing they shared was the same unusual shade of moss green eyes. It was their mannerisms that gave away the connection between them. Tara looked to be about Kate’s age. She was a beautiful woman with blond hair, brown eyes, and an enchanting smile. Karise liked Tara almost as quickly as she had Kate and Gavin, even if she was yet another in a long line of artists that fate seemed to be throwing her way.
Jack, on the other hand, seemed wary of Karise. She told herself she was probably just imagining it, until an offhand remark in the buffet line furthered her impression. Karise was so focused on finally getting to eat some of the barbeque that had been tantalizing her for ages that she almost missed it when he engaged her in conversation.
It finally clicked that his comment about the party had been directed toward her, and he was waiting for a response. “It is a lovely party. Kate has a real talent.”
“That’s right – the two of you met at an event she put together out east, right?”
“In Boston.”
“If it were anyone other than Kate, I’d think it odd.”
Karise waited for him to expound, but he didn’t. “How so?”
“That she brought you back with her despite not really knowing you. And honestly, that you agreed.”
Some of the joy had just been taken out of Karise’s brisket. “In the short time I’ve known Kate, she’s been one of the truest friends I’ve ever had.”
“Ah.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe you’re just kindred spirits.”
“Maybe.” Karise forced herself to smile in return before making a beeline to the farthest corner of the party. All sense of belonging had been stripped away in that short conversation, leaving Karise to feel like a silly fool who had no business being in these people’s home.
Presents were opened. Ponies were ridden. Cake was cut; Jonathan wore as much of it as he consumed and squealed with delight after painting his father’s face with icing. By the time Kate whisked the birthday boy away for his bath and bed, Karise was emotionally exhausted. She was about to slink back to the guest house when Aidan approached, carrying his sleepy daughter.
“I think we’re all partied out.” He planted a kiss on top of Zoe’s head before resting his chin there.
“She has the right idea.”
“You want to snuggle in my arms?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Sleep.”
“You want to sleep in my arms?”
“I want to sleep in my bed.” Karise was battling between amusement and irritation. At least his antics had eased her self-pity.
“I c
ould come back after I tuck Zoe in.” The tone in his voice told her he was teasing.
Karise knew she wasn’t going to win with the particular mood he was in. “Goodnight, Aidan.”
“Hey Karise,” he called softly when she would have walked away. “Thanks for today. Zoe really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it.”
“I meant what I said; I can always use friends.”
“You’re killing me.”
She stood on tiptoe so she could lean over Zoe to brush a kiss on his cheek. “See you around.”
“Killing me,” he reiterated to her retreating back.
CHAPTER SIX
KARISE MIGHT HAVE GONE to sleep that night dreaming of Aidan, but the next day she’d awoken with a renewed determination not to become entangled. To that end, and to prove herself worthy to Jack Cooper, she threw herself into her work. It seemed the surest way to keep her mind off men – both the attractive kind and the butthead kind. Whenever one would creep his way into her thoughts, she would dig a little deeper into the task at hand.
She’d debated leaving for about half a minute before setting the thought aside. Kate was a grown woman and she wanted Karise here. If Jack didn’t, he needed to take that up with his daughter. Still, it bothered Karise to her core that someone who didn’t know her was choosing not to like her. At least she’d earned William’s disdain.
The further she got into the house project, though, the more she began to question the wisdom of her choice. Doodling sketches of houses was entirely different from designing a working home, which was entirely different from designing an office building. The whole process was taking longer than it should have because Karise kept running into roadblocks. Just about the time she’d think she was finished, she’d meet with Kate only to find out the two hadn’t been as in sync as she’d thought.
There was also the consideration that she didn’t have any builder contacts in the area. After running into several dead ends, she circled back and decided to start with the builders she knew out east in hopes that one of them could point her in the right direction.
Adding to the stress was the mountain of zoning laws and codes she had to relearn since moving to a new area and field. Sometimes, at the end of the day, she’d collapse on the couch. Brain-fried, she’d stare at the blank television screen and wonder what she’d gotten herself into.
Pablo worried about her because she didn’t call often enough. Devon worried about her because she sounded frazzled whenever they did manage to get her on the phone. Karise felt like the biggest jerk on the planet for not making more time to talk to Jane, given that the latest adoption update didn’t sound encouraging.
As days wore into weeks, Karise felt herself sinking into a depression. She made herself a promise that if she could just make good on her obligation to finish Kate’s house, she’d retreat to Ecuador to lick her wounds and figure out next steps. Maybe heading up Devon’s expansion department wasn’t the worst idea after all.
Just when she was certain her head would explode, the wheels of the project began to turn – slowly, but they were turning nonetheless. The final model was approved, the builder selected, and suppliers lined up. When a groundbreaking date was set, Kate announced it was time to celebrate. Karise happily agreed to dinner out. She didn’t care where they were going as long as it was away from her cottage. She was in danger of becoming a total recluse otherwise.
When they didn’t head into town but instead found themselves winding down a picturesque driveway lined with fields, Karise sighed ruefully. She’d never been to a goat farm, but she began to wonder if she was about to. Maybe she should have pinned Kate down on where exactly they would be eating dinner. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Aidan’s truck sitting in front of the house. She wasn’t sure if the other cars in the driveway provided relief or made her more nervous.
Curiosity overrode irritation. She soaked in her surroundings, ever amazed by each new layer of his personality as it was revealed. The house was a simple white farmhouse with an oversized covered porch, complete with a hanging swing. Beyond that, there was nothing about the home that stood out particularly. If anything drew attention, it was the big red barn sitting in the background. Two enormous dogs barked from behind a wooden fence: one cream-colored with short hair, another coal-black with enough fur for ten dogs. Neither looked like it was playing, and Karise wondered if the fence was enough to hold them in.
At Aidan’s appearance, both dogs stopped barking. Their tails began to wag and their tongues lolled, too large for their mouths. The speed of their transformation was impressive. Karise couldn’t totally blame them. Her own tongue was tempted to loll at his appearance, too. The weeks apart hadn’t cooled the burning in her belly whenever he was near. If anything, it flared to life with new intensity now that he was close enough to touch. Maybe it was time to consider a new approach.
She didn’t have time to fully explore that thought because he was greeting her with a warm hug. She hoped he didn’t notice the deep breath she took while briefly in his arms. He smelled as good as she’d remembered.
“I’m glad you’re here, Karise.” He released her, stepping back to flash that engaging grin at her. “I’m curious, though—did you come of your own free will or did Kate trick you?”
Karise smiled at how well he knew his friend. “She only omitted a few things.”
“This is nothing. You should have seen the shenanigans my friends pulled to get me in the same room with Gavin in the beginning.” Kate had no sympathy for Karise.
“Some friends,” Karise retorted.
“I like to think it worked out for her.” Gavin was defensive.
“They’re here tonight, actually.” Kate’s grin was mischievous.
“Yay.” Karise’s voice was flat. The last thing she needed was more women trying to set her up with Aidan. He was hard enough to resist all on his lonesome.
“They were at Jonathan’s party,” Gavin said.
“So was half of Northern California,” Karise reminded him.
“Not half,” Kate pouted.
“Is Zoe here?” Karise asked – partly to change the subject but mostly because she was looking forward to seeing the little pixie.
Aidan’s smile was instant and genuine. “She insisted on hanging around long enough to see you.”
“She’s not staying?” Karise was genuinely disappointed.
“She spends the night with our neighbors every so often.”
“Sounds like you have good neighbors.”
“Elsie and Mark are angels,” he agreed. Any further explanation was cut short by Zoe bursting out the front door.
“Karise!”
Karise knelt down and opened her arms for a hug. “Good to see you, kiddo.”
Gavin shook his head mournfully. “Four years spent spoiling the imp and she ditches us after meeting Karise once.”
“She’s prettier than you, Gavin,” Aidan explained, his eyes never leaving the pair still wrapped in a hug. Zoe’s skinny little arms had a death lock on Karise’s neck.
“Where does that leave me?” Kate wondered aloud.
“Don’t answer that, man,” Gavin warned his friend.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Kate demanded.
“That someone besides me is in trouble? Immensely.”
“I hear you have other friends in there,” Karise told Zoe.
“Yep. And Miss Jessica has a baby in her tummy.”
“Good for her.” Karise wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Do you think you could go introduce me?”
Zoe nodded and let go of her grip on Karise’s neck in exchange for one on her fingers. Determined to carry out her assigned task, Zoe led Karise through the door. The rest of the adults followed along with expressions of amusement on their faces.
The little girl bubbled with enthusiasm as she introduced Karise to the couples waiting inside. Jessica, in addition to having a baby in her tummy, had honey-colored hair cut in the latest style. Her s
mile was warm, and when it was bestowed on Karise, she felt like she’d been wrapped in a welcoming embrace. The young woman sparkled with kindness in a way that assuredly drew people to her. Her husband Ryan’s hand rested lightly on Jessica’s back as he reached his free hand forward to shake Karise’s.
Liz’s smile contained the same warmth, but there was a shyness to it that Karise could relate to. There was also a hint of sass sparkling in the dark-haired beauty’s eyes that made Karise suspect Liz was the one behind Kate’s aforementioned shenanigans. The woman had an effortless beauty that made Karise want to double-check her own reflection. Her husband Derrick greeted Karise before returning his gaze back to Liz. His bemused expression made Karise wonder what the conversation had been before her arrival.
Zoe was thrilled to be the center of the group’s attention. She didn’t bother hiding her dismay when Aidan declared it time for her to go next door.
“I’ll take her,” Kate offered when Aidan went to grab his keys from where they hung by the door.
“Are you sure?” He hesitated.
“Absolutely. I want to ask Elsie if she got my new brochures out anyway.”
Karise’s confusion must have been evident because Gavin leaned over to explain, “Elsie is head of the visitor’s bureau.”
“It’s a perfect job for her, too,” Kate added. “The woman can’t check out at the grocery store without making friends with the cashier.”
Karise nodded. She couldn’t imagine making friends that effortlessly. During her entire tenure in Boston, she hadn’t made one friend. She’d had acquaintances, but no one she thought to follow up with now that she was gone. Certainly, no one had followed up with her since leaving, either.
It occurred to her that if she tucked tail and ran after finishing Kate’s house, she’d want to follow up with these people. She’d still want to hear their stories.
Maybe Karise was imagining it, but she had the distinct impression these women were curious about her. Heaven only knew what Kate had told them about her, though. She answered their questions as they came, returning a litany of her own inquiries. She loved hearing about the magazine they worked for and found particular amusement in the tales that centered on Kate and Gavin’s days at the magazine. It was refreshing to hear about someone giving Kate the same kind of grief she’d been giving Karise.
Waiting for You Page 6