The service was at her grandmother’s church in Mamaroneck, and she’d ridden with her parents in the procession to the cemetery. She’d noticed Kyle as soon as he’d entered the church, but he’d just given her a fingertip wave and stayed at the back. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him wear a suit before, and the dark navy suited him well. He looked like the successful entrepreneur he was, instead of the beach boy he’d been. That made her smile a little in recollection of his comment about getting older.
They went back to the church afterward, where the ladies of the congregation had put out trays of sandwiches and sweets, with hot coffee and tea. Lauren had been surrounded by friends and family, all expressing their regrets. She knew she’d have to wait to talk to Kyle, but that was something to look forward to.
She felt a man’s hand land on the back of her waist, got a whiff of familiar cologne, and turned to him with a smile. “Hi.” Her heart took off at a gallop, proof that being with Kyle never got old.
His gaze was searching. “How are you doing?”
“Okay. It’s easier here. When I get home tonight, it’ll be tougher.”
“If you want some company, just say the word.”
“Yes, please,” Lauren said without thinking and saw his pleasure in his eyes. She brushed his lapel with her fingertips, needing to touch him. “You clean up well.”
“You knew that from the wedding.”
“Other than the tux, I’ve never seen you in a suit. It works for you.”
“The tie, though.” He made a face, almost certainly just to make her smile, and looked so boyish that she did. “It’s torture. I don’t know how Ty does it every day.”
“You get used to it,” that man said, appearing on Lauren’s other side. Amy was with him, her hand in his, and it looked for once like Ty was relying on support from someone else. They exchanged a quick glance and Amy excused herself, moving to the buffet. Ty gave Kyle a look, as if to dismiss him, but Lauren claimed Kyle’s hand to keep him from following Amy.
Ty lifted one brow, just a little, then cleared his throat. “Do you know about Grandma Trixie’s will?” he asked her, as if Kyle wasn’t there.
“Only that she has one, and that you’re her executor.”
“That’s what I thought.” Ty accepted a coffee from Amy. “The lawyer will summon us for a reading next week, but I thought you might want to know now that she left you the house.”
Lauren blinked. “The house? Her house? That she and Grandpa built?”
Ty nodded. “The house.”
“But that’s not fair. What about everybody else?”
“People aren’t obligated to divide their possessions equally, Lauren. Grandma Trixie could do whatever she wanted with her things. We spent a lot of time talking about it, so it wasn’t an impulse.” When Lauren might have protested again, Ty raised a hand. “There are other bequests, Lauren. No one is left out.”
“Like what?”
“Katelyn gets her jewelry. Paige gets the dining room suite.”
“She always loved that Danish teak.”
Ty nodded. “Exactly. Stephanie gets Grandpa’s book collection. Maxine gets Grandma Trixie’s wedding china and silver. There are some bequests for Teresa’s kids, too.”
“But none of that is as valuable as the house.”
“And no one had as close of a relationship with our grandmother as you.”
“What about you?”
“I’m appointed trustee of her investments and will get an annual fee to manage those funds. Grandma Trixie wanted to ensure that her daughters had financial security, so it’s to be used for their needs, if their own funds ever fall short. When they pass, whatever is left will be divided between the surviving grandchildren.”
Lauren nodded. “How like Trixie to take care of everyone.”
Ty looked down into his coffee for a moment then impaled her with a look. “I don’t think anyone will contest the will, given that there’s something for everyone, unless you decide to sell the house.”
“I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”
“I’m not suggesting you can’t sell it ever, but if you kept it for a few years, this would go more smoothly.”
“I have no intention of selling it.”
Ty was sober. “Can you afford to keep it? There’s no mortgage, but there are property taxes and it could use some maintenance.”
Lauren thought of that woman who had stopped by the salon the previous summer, Ashley Golden. She hoped her card was still in the drawer by the cash because she had a feeling her fresh start was going to become even bigger. She could invest more time in those makeovers if she didn’t have the salon, and could just rent a chair at another shop. Maybe one in Mamaroneck. “I think so. I have an idea. Let me see if I can make it work.”
Ty nodded. “Good.”
Then she thought of something else. “Would you be offended if I gave up the apartment in the city? You did help me get it, after all.”
Ty shook his head. “No, it’s just an apartment.” His eyes glinted. “But make sure you get that deposit back.”
“For you?”
“No, it’s yours. Use it to fix up something at the house.”
“Thank you,” Lauren said, feeling anticipation rise within her.
“When’s your flight?” Ty said to Kyle then, who cleared his throat as if he’d been caught out. Lauren turned to find him looking grimly at Ty.
“Thanks for giving me the chance to share the news myself,” he said.
“I figured you would have already done so,” Ty said, but he held Kyle’s gaze for a long moment.
“Tomorrow,” Kyle admitted. Ty wished him a good flight, then turned away.
“What was that about?” Lauren asked.
“Probably that old promise to stay away from his sisters,” Kyle said.
“No. What did he mean about the flight?”
“F5 is looking to expand into new markets.”
“So you said.”
“I’m the research team for California. Should it be Los Angeles, San Francisco, or somewhere else entirely? That’s the question.” He spoke lightly, but he was watching her with care.
Lauren tried to hide her disappointment. “So, you’re leaving?”
Kyle nodded. “I was supposed to go earlier this week, but I stayed so I could be here.”
Her throat was tight. “How long will you be gone?”
“At least a month. Maybe longer.”
Lauren understood. She felt momentarily lost. Her grandmother had died. She was going to sell her shop and give up her apartment to move to a new town. And Kyle was leaving, too. She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to count on him.
“You can call me whenever you want, Lor,” Kyle murmured.
She smiled, knowing that this was an opportunity and that she should embrace it. “But you won’t be able to do much about it when you’re several thousand miles away.”
“I won’t be far away for long. It’s just a research trip. I’ll keep calling you so we can talk.”
“I’d like that.”
He glanced at the thinning crowd. “Do you want to stay? Or will you grab something more substantial for dinner with me?”
“That’d be nice.” On impulse, Lauren leaned closer to Kyle. “Come home with me tonight. Let’s get take-out.”
His smile was immediate. “There’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
“Here’s another that I hope you won’t. I could use a dose of right-now.”
“Really?” His eyes sparkled with pleasure and Lauren found her own anticipation rising.
“And maybe some of that confidence you exude all the time. I’m out of practice with new adventures.”
“But it’s like riding a bike,” he murmured. “Trust me.”
Lauren was surprised to realize how much she did.
“I’ve got an idea,” Kyle said after they left the church and were walking back to the train station. “Why don’t I move into your apartme
nt?”
Lauren turned to look at him in surprise, but he appeared to be serious. “What about your place?”
“It’s like a hotel. You were right that I could leave in five minutes. Your place is a home. I like that better.”
Lauren didn’t know what to say to that.
“Plus it would be easier for you. You wouldn’t have to rush to decide what to take and what to leave. Just take what you want to Grandma Trixie’s house and leave the rest.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“All I’m going to move are my chef’s knives, two club chairs and my clothes.”
“Not the rowing machine?”
“It’s optional. There are better ones at F5.”
“You really can pack in five minutes.”
“I really can. What do you say? I’ll pay you the deposit now, you can move when you want and drop the keys at F5 when you’re done. I’ll be gone at least a month, probably longer.”
“You’re making this really easy.”
“No, no, it’s all about me,” he said with a grin. She didn’t believe him for a minute. “I’ve always wanted to live in a building with a doorman, and a view of the park.”
“It’s only a view of the park if you lean against one side of the window and peer between the other buildings.”
“Details, details.” Kyle swung open the door to the train station and grinned at her. “How about it?”
“Sounds good,” she said, pausing in the doorway to give him a kiss. She felt optimistic again and confident in a way that only Kyle fed within her. It was a gift he had and one she could appreciate even when they were friends.
With benefits or not.
And that was incredibly seductive.
Maybe she should ask him out after Christmas. The possibility made Lauren smile.
Fifteen
If Kyle needed any more convincing that he’d decided upon the right plan, he would have gotten it with his annual call from his dad.
He came back to New York from California on the nineteenth of December, knowing he had some arrangements to make. He also had to make a report to his partners at the Wednesday board meeting, and he wanted to do it in person. He was aching to share his plan with Lauren, but was determined to wait until her birthday.
Even if it killed him.
He’d called her every few days, keeping up their rhythm of conversation, needing to hear her voice at regular intervals. Her shop was sold. The move had been flawless. She was doing makeovers two days a week and working part-time at a salon in Mamaroneck. It seemed that word had gotten out that she’d done Trixie’s hair and her grandmother’s friends had been filling her appointment book.
Her old apartment had merged into a welcome mix of Lauren and himself. It would have been more of a home if Lauren had still been living there, but Kyle’s plan was coming together for that. She’d left a set of dishes and a couch he liked, but her brass bed was gone. His clothes were in the closet and his club chairs in the living room. She’d taken all the books and book boxes and there was enough space for his rowing machine. His bike was leaning against the bedroom wall and he’d had the arts and crafts bed moved after all. It filled the bedroom but he did like it.
He left room in the closet for Lauren to move back some clothes.
Kyle was nervous and filled with anticipation, not quite as confident of his own success as he would have liked. That was new.
It gave his quest even more spice, and proved to him that nothing with Lauren was ever going to be dull or routine.
On his return, Kyle immediately appealed to Mr. Bernard for assistance on one outstanding challenge and liked the gleam that lit the older man’s eye. If anyone in this city could solve this, it would be Mr. Bernard.
And he’d do it for Lauren.
Kyle was thinking so much about his own plan that he’d forgotten about his dad’s ritual.
His phone rang when he was heading down to F5 on Wednesday afternoon. He answered without looking then winced at the sound of his father’s voice.
“How’s the chip off the old block?” his dad demanded. “Still showing the others how it’s done?”
“Working a lot, Dad. You?”
“Just passing through, on the way back to Colorado for the holidays.”
“Of course.” Kyle nodded. “How was St. Moritz?” His dad had a regular rotation of ski resorts he visited, though in recent years, he’d been more interested in the parties than the slopes. He was a lucky gambler, frequenting casinos and private poker games, which prompted a perennial joke about his romantic misadventures.
“No, no, I was at Zermatt this month. Great place. Gorgeous women.”
“Of course.”
“I’m going to St. Moritz in the new year, after a stop in Monte Carlo. You should come and visit. You used to be a great skier, just like me.”
“I’m out of practice,” Kyle said, wondering if his dad still approached women by offering skiing lessons. “I haven’t skied in years.”
“Then come out to Beaver Creek for the holidays. We can catch up.” His father cleared his throat. “And you might like Tanya.”
“Tanya?”
His dad lowered his voice. “A tigress at first but less enthusiastic now. I think I tired her out.”
“Maybe you’re not trying hard enough.”
His father laughed at the very suggestion. “I don’t have to try! You might like Tanya. If you did, it could make the transition easier.”
“The transition?” Kyle echoed, pretending he didn’t know what his father meant. He had a feeling that their conversations over the past twenty years could be mixed up and he’d never know the difference. Each call was the same, except for the name of the woman being dumped or courted. He could imagine what Tanya looked like, because they all looked pretty similar, too.
He felt like he was dodging a bullet in choosing not to follow his father’s path.
“You know how it is, Kyle,” his dad continued. “It’s been almost a year. I’m taking her back to Beaver Creek before we break up, then she’ll be able to find someone else for the season. She’ll be fine.”
“And you?”
“I’m ready for a little variety again.”
“Have you talked to Mom?”
“No! Why would I?”
“Olivia had a baby girl.” There was silence and Kyle knew his father didn’t recognize the name. He had no permanent connections to anyone, and it made Kyle impatient. Even though Dave wasn’t his blood brother, his dad could have remembered the name of his former wife’s second child and wife. “Dave’s wife.”
“Oh! Well, Florence will be pleased to be a grandmother again, I guess. It’s none of my business.”
“No, of course not. Who said no man is an island?”
“Well, it wasn’t me!” His dad laughed heartily. “You have time for dinner tonight? I’m at JFK with Tanya.”
“No, I have a meeting.”
“A meeting?” His dad was skeptical. “You mean a date! Is she gorgeous? I’ll bet...”
“No, I have a meeting, Dad. A business meeting.”
“Business? All you do is play around all day at that gym and get laid...”
“No, Dad. I’m a partner in a gym, and that means I do more than play around and get laid.”
“Well, excuse me!”
Kyle knew he was supposed to laugh at his father’s imitation, but he didn’t. It felt old and dated, tired, like his father was stuck in one phase of his life and not moving forward.
By choice.
The cab was approaching F5. “Nice talking to you, Dad. Have a great flight, and give my best to Tanya.” Kyle didn’t wait for a reply but ended the call before the cab pulled to a stop outside the club.
His challenge to replicate on the west coast.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but Kyle was excited by the possibilities.
F5’s lobby was decorated with red bows and candy canes and Sonia was humming along with a Christmas ca
rol. Kyle strode toward the desk, glad to be back at the best club in the world, and was welcomed like a returning hero.
He couldn’t help thinking he’d just had a call from the ghost of Christmas future.
* * *
Tyler wasn’t sure what to make of the new and revised Kyle Stuyvesant.
Things had been odd since the summer. Not only had Lauren told Ty off for meddling in her life, but Kyle had given Ty a piece of his mind, too. In hindsight, Ty couldn’t remember Kyle ever being that annoyed about anything.
Then the pair had left his wedding reception together and it had been tough to have any doubt about their plans for the evening.
He might have thought that was the end of it, if Lauren hadn’t called Kyle when Grandma Trixie died and Kyle hadn’t looked like it would be physically impossible to make him budge without Lauren. And then, Kyle had come to the funeral, against all expectation—and not to be supportive of Ty. No, Kyle had come for Lauren and she’d been glad of his presence. Ty knew his sister well enough to read the signs.
He knew Kyle, though, too, and had been relieved when Kyle volunteered to go to California to do their market research. He’d been surprised by the thoroughness of Kyle’s presentation about the California market at F5’s Wednesday board meeting. His old friend seemed to have new purpose. It was only natural to wonder what it was.
Was it just convenience that had Kyle move into Lauren’s old apartment?
Or something more?
On the Friday night before Christmas, Ty had the chance to find out. Amy was tired and he was restless. They thought she was pregnant, which was a good thing, but Ty was worried about her. She’d fallen sleep in the big bed in the penthouse, but he couldn’t sit still. Not wanting to disturb her, Ty went down to F5 to swim laps.
It was his favorite time at the club, when it was closed and empty, and he could imagine it was his own private gym. The security lights were on, glowing softly, but leaving the corridors and rooms filled with secretive shadows. There was no music and no sounds of anyone else.
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