Kelsey slowly realized that at least a third of the people in the bar were watching Lorelei. Four held up camera phones and took her picture. Kelsey wasn’t surprised. Beauty always drew attention. A wave of misgiving washed through her, though, as she looked around the bar. In more than a few of the female faces she saw jealousy, spite and resentment. A couple of men looked Lorelei up and down with open lust that wasn’t pretty. Another man followed her to the jukebox, stood beside her and gazed, his face only a foot from hers.
‘Miss March?’ Janet had arrived with two fresh mint juleps. ‘Are you all right? You look worried.’
Kelsey pulled herself back to Janet’s questioning gaze. ‘I’m fine. Could you bring some more crackers?’
Suddenly the drums, congas, shakers and marimba of Toto’s song ‘Africa’ soared through the bar. Some people began swaying to the beat and smiled at Lorelei as she walked unsteadily back to the booth.
‘Whew, I think these mint juleps are getting to me,’ Lorelei said as she thumped down on the padded booth seat. ‘It feels good to unwind.’
‘Did that guy beside you at the jukebox say anything to you?’
‘What guy?’
‘The one who stood right beside you staring for all he was worth.’
‘Oh, sometimes men do that, sometimes women do. I didn’t notice him,’ Lori said absently. ‘I love this song.’
‘Getting yourself into the mood for the African shoot?’
Lorelei took a hearty swallow of her fresh mint julep and beamed with slightly bleary eyes. ‘I’m so excited! I know it’ll be hard – the heat and the insects and four kinds of cobras!’
‘Are you a little bit scared?’
‘Well, normally I would be, but now I can hardly think about all that stuff.’
Janet arrived with more crackers and cheese on a tray and, just as she was setting down the crackers, Lori swept her arms through the air and burst out, ‘I’m in love with the photographer Cole Harrington!’ One of her hands hit the basket of crackers and Janet spilled about a third of them on the table.
‘I’m so sorry!’ Janet cried, although the fault was Lori’s. Lori seemed unaware as she rushed on. ‘Cole’s father was Grant Harrington, the famous wildlife photographer. You must have heard of him.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Kelsey said distractedly as she helped Janet catch runaway crackers.
Lorelei looked at Janet. ‘I want another julep. I don’t care if I gain five pounds tonight!’
Janet smiled. ‘I’ll bring fresh crackers. I’m glad you’re having a good time.’
‘I’m having a helluva good time!’ Lori retrieved two crackers from the basket, emptied her julep cup, stuffed the crackers in her mouth and looked at Kelsey. ‘Anyway, Cole’s a genius,’ she sputtered. ‘He was a prodigy. He started in the business when he was sixteen and had a great career as a fashion photographer by the time he was twenty-two. No help from his father, Grant, who had five – maybe six – children but only gave his last name to Cole. He also gave him Grant as a middle name. Grant was terrible when it came to women, but he was brilliant and really respected. He was interviewed on public broadcasting a bunch of times and they made a documentary about his work. Last year Cole decided to do exotic animal life photography like his father, but he’s agreed to do one final fashion layout – my Vogue shoot!’
Still astonished by her sister’s gleeful announcement of love, Kelsey asked vaguely, ‘Well, who could pass up Lorelei March and Vogue?’
Lorelei waved her hand again and went on, her speech loud and fast. ‘You’re prejudiced. There are so many girls prettier than I am. Bigger names. Anyway, Cole signed on for the shoot before he knew it would feature me. It was just luck on my part. We met and I couldn’t believe how nice he was – oh, nice is such a blah word for him. He’s intelligent and captivating and not the least bit pretentious, and he’s just so nice! And unbelievably handsome. I don’t have a picture of him – he hates having his picture taken even though he’s a photographer! Isn’t that funny? He has dark blonde hair and some people say his eyes are almost the same shade of blue as mine. He’s a couple of inches taller than me. And he has the cutest little scar on his jaw. He fell off his tricycle when he was small. He’s thirty-six. He’s so smart and talented and fabulous!’
‘I’m glad you’ve met such a great guy.’ Lorelei’s noisy enthusiasm made Kelsey slightly dizzy. ‘Does Cole feel the same way about you?’
Lorelei’s smile faded as she seemed to retreat behind her eyes. ‘Sure.’ She looked relieved when Janet returned with a fresh basket of crackers and two juleps. ‘Thanks, Janet! Everything is so good.’
Janet beamed. ‘It’s a special occasion.’
‘How long have you been dating Cole?’ Kelsey asked as Janet turned away.
‘Dating?’ Lorelei took a sip of her drink. ‘Well, we’re not really dating. You see … he’s … well … married.’
‘You’re having an affair?’ Kelsey blurted.
‘No! Well, not really.’
‘You either are or aren’t.’
‘Mostly we just go places and … talk.’
‘Talk? Does his wife know about all this talking?’
‘Don’t look at me that way. What he has with her is legal. What we have is …’ Lori’s eyes were too bright with alcohol and her voice rose. ‘Magic!’
‘Please lower your voice, Lori. People are looking.’
‘People are always looking! I don’t care!’
Kelsey’s mood plunged as she looked at her boisterous, beaming sister. ‘You’ve had too much bourbon and not enough food. That’s my fault. Why don’t we leave—’
‘I don’t want to leave! I’m having a wunnerful time!’
Kelsey was stunned. She’d never seen this loud, glassy-eyed Lorelei before. ‘I don’t want to hurt your feelings,’ Kelsey said carefully, ‘but you sound like a twelve-year-old with a crush. You’re too smart to have an affair with a married man.’
Immediately she knew she’d made a mistake. Lorelei’s expression went from disappointed to insulted. She said coldly, ‘He’s getting a divorce.’
‘When?’
‘Soon. People have told me Cole and his wife aren’t happy together but she likes being married to him because he’s handsome and talented and a celebrity. She’s older than him and she has a lot of money. She’s spoiled and mean, and she’s making things hard for Cole.’
‘Do they have children?’
‘No.’
‘Then she can’t be holding custody over his head,’ Kelsey said. ‘What does her money have to do with anything?’
Besides him not wanting to give up a rich wife, Kelsey thought.
‘She can interfere with his career. That’s what people have told me. They say she doesn’t want him to be a wildlife photographer – she wants him to stay in fashion photography. And someone told me that at a party she was drunk and they got into an argument, and she said if he tries to divorce her she’ll cause trouble.’
Kelsey knew asking a barrage of questions would make her sister mad, but she couldn’t help herself. ‘You keep telling me what other people say. What does Cole say?’
‘Not much. He’s a gentleman. But I saw them at a charity event a month ago. Her professional name is just Delphina. No last name.’ Lori made a face. ‘She’s forty-three and there’s something wrong with her complexion – that’s why she doesn’t model anymore – but she still looks good. She kept sending Cole for glasses of champagne like he was a waiter. Then she stood beside him, smirking. I’m surprised she could even manage a smirk with all the Botox in her face. She glanced at me a couple of times and saw me staring at Cole, and started clutching his arm like she was shouting at me “He’s mine!”’
‘God, Lori, does she know about you and Cole?’
‘Oh, chill out, Kelsey. He didn’t talk to me that night – he barely looked at me. He knows how to be careful.’
‘Because he’s had so much experience with other women?�
�
Lori looked at her angrily. Kelsey knew her sister was on the verge of shutting down the subject of Cole Harrington, but she felt she had to know more about this man her sister thought she loved.
Kelsey changed her tone. ‘OK, I’m sorry. Tell me about him.’
‘Well, his parents traveled a lot when he was a kid but they split up. Cole doesn’t talk about his mother, but I know a long time ago she was a news photographer. Her sister was a fashion photographer. His aunt got Cole into fashion. Delphina was a model. They got married here.’
‘Here?’
Lori nodded.
‘You mean in Louisville?’
‘Yeah. Can you believe it? Her family’s from here. They own Arienne.’
‘Arienne? The big bourbon distillery?’
‘Yeah. That’s where Delphina gets all her money.’
‘Ah. Her money.’
‘Cole didn’t marry her for money!’ Lori took a deep breath and Kelsey knew she was gathering herself for a fight. ‘I’m sorry I told you about him. I thought you’d be happy for me.’
Lorelei looked at Kelsey with blazing, determined eyes. Suddenly, Kelsey remembered Lorelei as a child. Their parents had been married for four years when fertility specialists told their mother her chances of getting pregnant were slim to none. Within a year, the Marches adopted Kelsey when she was three months old. Six years later, Sofie March defied the doctors and gave birth to Lorelei.
Kelsey had been delighted to have a little sister. Like her parents, she doted on Lorelei, who most of the time was angelic. Occasionally, though, Lorelei had turned obstinate to the point of bull-headed. When she was five, their father had brought them a kitten, hoping to teach the girls how to take care of something totally dependent on them. He’d said they’d have to decide on a name. Kelsey had dutifully made a list of names and read them aloud. Lorelei, holding the kitten and standing with her legs planted firmly apart, had announced, ‘Her name is Taffy.’
‘Daddy said we have to agree,’ Kelsey had pointed out. Lorelei had sent her a burning glare. ‘Her name is Taffy. I’m her mother and I get to pick her name. It’s Taffy.’
Right now, Lorelei was giving her the same burning glare as she had the day she’d clutched the cat. Kelsey could see that Lorelei had decided Cole Harrington was in love with her and would leave his wife and marry her. Soon. Lorelei had not been a patient child. Lorelei was not a patient woman.
Lori had been an adored, pampered and overindulged miracle child, Kelsey thought without resentment. If a child other than Lori had been treated as she had, she would probably be unbearable. Her goodness, generosity and artlessness, though, outweighed her occasional flares of spoiled entitlement. But her Achilles heel was her sincerity, which often led her close to gullibility. Kelsey knew Lori was heading for trouble with this man named Cole Harrington.
Instead of lecturing Lorelei and making her angrier, though, Kelsey smiled into her sister’s famous, now slightly bloodshot eyes. ‘I hope everything works out for you, Lori.’
Lorelei smiled with surprised gratitude. ‘Really? That means so much to me, Kelsey. Guess what? Cole’s coming to the Derby this year!’
Kelsey paused. ‘You’ll be seeing each other?’
‘Sure. We haven’t made arrangements yet because he’ll be staying with her family.’
‘I see.’ He had to sneak away from his wife and her family to see Lori, Kelsey thought dismally. ‘Well, maybe I can meet him.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Lori, please don’t be mad. I’m your big sister. I love you. I want what’s best for you and what makes you happy.’ As Lorelei gave her a slow, lopsided smile, Kelsey knew it was time for the evening to end while they were on an upbeat note. ‘Listen, sweetie, I think we’ve done ourselves proud tonight. It’s ten-fifty. Let’s go back to my place and find something good to watch on TV.’
Kelsey motioned for Janet to bring the check and left the money on the tabletop along with a generous tip. Then she and Lorelei started through the now-crowded bar. Three women and two men stopped them, requesting selfies. Lorelei obliged, although she had to hold on to Kelsey for balance. They had almost reached the door when Rick Conway appeared.
‘Are you ladies leaving us so soon?’ he asked.
Kelsey laughed. ‘We’ve been here for nearly three hours. We need to go home.’
‘Then let me call a taxi for you.’
‘Thanks, but we’ll walk. It’s a lovely night and we could use some fresh air.’ She smiled. ‘We had a great time, didn’t we, Lori?’
‘A great time,’ Lorelei repeated like a child. She beamed. ‘Thanks, Rick. And Janet.’ She turned to face the bar, raised her voice and waved. ‘Thanks everybody! Good night! Sleep tight!’
Kelsey blushed as people called out, ‘Good night, Lorelei!’
‘I should walk you home,’ Rick said almost anxiously.
‘Oh, Rick, we’ll be fine,’ Kelsey replied.
‘But it’s late and you’re … well …’
‘Drunk?’ Kelsey was slightly offended. ‘I’m not.’
‘Kelsey, please …’
‘Don’t worry about us.’
Rick’s forehead creased. He looked tense, then turned abruptly and headed back to the bar as Kelsey pulled Lori toward the tavern door.
‘He didn’t want you to go,’ Lorelei hissed outside as if her voice might carry through the heavy wooden door. ‘He really likes you.’
‘He’s always been nice but not pushy,’ Kelsey said, looping her right arm through Lorelei’s left. ‘I don’t know what’s gotten into him tonight.’
‘Maybe he’s just overcome by love.’
Kelsey laughed. ‘Sure.’
‘I wish I hadn’t told you about Cole,’ Lorelei said glumly as they rounded the corner of the bar and began walking down the block. She halted, her face alarmed. ‘Don’t tell Dad about him!’
Suddenly a surprising flutter of uneasiness stirred in Kelsey’s chest. Shaken, she looked behind her but saw no one in the pools of light cast by the streetlights. Still, she tightened her arm around Lorelei’s and started moving forward.
Lorelei tried to shake her loose. ‘You don’t have to hold me up, Kelsey.’
‘You’re veering toward the curb. I don’t want you to trip in those sky-high heels.’
‘You’re mad at me about Cole. You’re dragging me home like I’m a little girl!’
Kelsey didn’t answer. Someone was walking softly behind them. Too close behind them. The air felt charged. And they were all alone on the street, not a person or a car in sight. Something bad is coming closer, Kelsey thought, dread rising in her like cold, foul water. Something bad is closing in …
‘Quit pulling on me!’ Lori went rigid like a furious child on the verge of a tantrum.
‘Excuse me?’ A soft voice – high-pitched but male.
Their arms still entangled, Lorelei spun around with angry force, swinging Kelsey with her. Now Kelsey was nearest the curb. ‘What?’ Lori snapped.
‘Nice night, isn’t it?’ the guy asked pleasantly.
‘Yeah, I guess,’ Lori said.
Kelsey looked at a thin, slouching figure wearing baggy jeans and a dark long-sleeved shirt. In the glow cast by a streetlight, she could see that he had a wrinkled face and a thin layer of top hair lifting in the breeze. His left arm hung limply at his side but his fingers twitched. He smiled, his dark eyes wide and fixed on Lori. ‘I like this weather. I always look forward to spring, don’t you?’
Kelsey suddenly realized this was the man who’d followed Lori to the jukebox and stood staring at her. ‘The weather’s nice but we have to go now,’ she said quickly. ‘Good night.’
His dark gaze slid from Lori to Kelsey. ‘Won’t you wait just a second?’
‘We can’t. Sorry.’
‘Oh … OK.’ The man’s head tilted slightly. Then, almost in slow motion, Kelsey saw his right hand rise. He was holding a gun and as Kelsey watched, frozen in horror, his arm stif
fened then wavered before a shot ripped apart the quiet darkness. Lorelei uttered a short, small animal-like squeak as she clutched her chest. Her feet twisted and her body tilted in front of Kelsey, who grabbed her. Another shot. Lorelei slammed against Kelsey, knocking her down. She hit the concrete hard, pain searing the back of her head, but she still clutched Lorelei. Wrapped in a dizzying haze, Kelsey vaguely heard the piercing crack of another nearby shot before a man shouted and a woman screamed.
Kelsey managed to lift her head and shoulders and looked at Lorelei, who lay across her chest, her eyes wide and surprised. Kelsey spread her arms around her sister, trying to shield her, mumbling encouragements, pleading for her to live, her gaze locked on Lori’s. For a few moments, she was certain Lori looked at her with recognition. Then Lorelei’s breath grew slow and shallow.
Kelsey sobbed as Lori’s lids slowly lowered over her beautiful indigo eyes.
TWO
Kelsey didn’t make a sound. Her world slowed and silenced along with Lorelei’s breath. Finally she felt someone touching her neck, placing a hand under her nose, then yelling at her, ‘Breathe, Kelsey. Breathe!’
She opened her mouth, convulsed slightly and sucked in night air so hard and fast she felt as if her lungs would burst. She let it out, drew another breath and, as she exhaled, looked into a man’s face. Terrified, still holding Lorelei, she tried to sit up until a large hand clamped on her shoulder, holding her down, and she was aware of a voice saying gently, ‘It’s Rick, Kelsey. Rick Conway from the bar. You’re safe but you need to lie still.’
She went rigid with fear and stared up at the black sky as the world whirled. Everything seemed unreal. Was it really Rick Conway talking to her? Or was it the other man? The man with the soft voice and a gun? She didn’t know.
Just a Breath Away Page 3