Marry Me, Kate

by Judy Christenberry

  “Kate, I run a multimillion-dollar business. How can you be busier than me?”

  Kate chuckled. “Perhaps you’re a better executive than me. After all, you’ve had all that experience.”

  “Nine o’clock and not a minute later!” he snapped and hung up the phone.

  Will knew he’d sounded testy on the phone. So he brought a dozen roses along when he arrived that night. He could apologize for testiness. It would be harder to apologize for...admit, even...the hunger to see Kate.

  After all, they were talking about a business agreement.

  He stepped into the diner and met Madge’s stare. She nodded her head toward the kitchen.

  Through the swinging doors, he discovered Kate stirring something on the stove, a large apron covering most of her.

  “It’s nine o’clock,” he said as a greeting.

  “I won’t be but a minute. A customer wanted a special order—a California omelet. It won’t take long.”

  Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the stove and she didn’t even look his way. Grabbing a plate from the stack on the shelf above her, she slipped the egg dish onto it, added a piece of parsley and a slice of orange and put it on the window shelf where Madge could get it.

  Then she whipped off her apron and turned to face him. “I’m ready. Almost on time.” She added a big smile that made him want to hold her.

  He gave in to his wants and pulled her to him, his lips covering hers before she could protest. It was their first kiss. He hadn’t planned for such a romantic moment to take place in the old kitchen, but then he hadn’t really planned for a romantic moment.

  Her lips were soft, inviting, luring him deeper and deeper, making him forget his surroundings. Her body pressed against his brought thoughts of bed, bare skin, blazing, all-consuming sex.

  It was Kate who ended their embrace. She pushed her way out of his arms, her eyes wide, her lips trembling. “We—we need to go, don’t we?”

  His mind was so befuddled, he could scarcely think. Go where? To bed? He took a step toward her and she held out a hand to keep him away.

  “Oh. Yeah, to the restaurant,” he agreed, trying to pull himself together. A kiss had never disturbed him as much as that one had.

  Without a word, Kate pushed through the swinging door to the main part of the diner, where they were surrounded by people. Or at least two or three people.

  “We’re going, Madge.”

  She was almost out the door before Will remembered the roses he’d laid on the cabinet when he’d taken Kate in his arms. “Madge, could you put the roses in a vase? Thanks.”

  Kate stepped outside and then looked at him. “You brought roses?”

  “Yeah. I forgot them because—I forgot them.” He opened the car door for her. A good thing he’d caught himself. It wouldn’t do to let the woman know how much power she had over him with one kiss.

  After joining her in the car, he explained their destination. “I thought we’d go to the Plaza again, but this time I’ve picked a quiet restaurant.”

  “All right.”

  He wanted to be able to have conversation this evening, to find out what was occupying her time. But they’d gotten off on the wrong foot. For a conversation, that is. But he wouldn’t mind repeating that kiss. In fact, if he didn’t stop thinking about holding her again, he wouldn’t be able to get out of the car without embarrassing himself.

  Once they were in the restaurant and seated at a table, he relaxed. Until he noticed a puzzled expression on Kate’s face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I thought the purpose of our going out was to be seen,” she said, leaning toward him.

  He fought to bring his gaze to her face, instead of the suddenly plunging neckline of her blouse as she bent down. “Uh, yeah, it is.”

  She looked around the restaurant and back at him. “The lighting is rather dim, and the restaurant is quiet. Do you think anyone will see us?”

  Raising an eyebrow, he watched her carefully. “A lot of important people dine here. I’m sure we’ll be seen.”

  No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Charles and Tori passed by their table.

  It was Tori who saw them and asked if they could join their friends. It was Kate who immediately agreed. The two men exchanged rueful looks.

  Charles slapped Will on the back and leaned down to whisper, “We’re going to have to coordinate our movements better if we’re ever going to get our ladies alone.”

  Will nodded as he stood and moved around the table to join Kate. At least he’d get to sit closer to her. But that was small compensation for losing their privacy.

  Several hours later, he escorted Kate back to the car. Maybe their being joined by Charles and Tori wasn’t such a bad thing after all. It took his mind off the desire that filled him whenever he looked at Kate.

  Until now, of course. Once he joined her in the car, he leaned over and brushed her lips with his, taking her by surprise.

  “Why did you do that? Was someone watching?” she asked as she pressed against the back of her seat.

  “Uh, yeah, someone was watching.” He repeated his action. When she turned her head away, he added, “It would look better if you’d cooperate a little.”

  She hesitated, then slid her arms up his chest to link behind his neck. With a sweetness that almost destroyed what little control he had, she turned her lips to his. He met her more than halfway, drawing her against him, his lips molding hers.

  Sometime later, she pushed against his shoulder and twisted her lips from his. “Will, we can’t—that’s enough. Half of Kansas City must’ve seen us by now.”

  “Uh, right. I’ll—I’ll start the car.”

  He put the car in motion, working hard to concentrate on the traffic rather than the woman beside him.

  Hungry to touch her again, he considered vanous options to extend the evening. “Uh, want to visit with Duke?”

  Her eyes rounded in surprise. “At this hour? Won’t he be asleep?”

  “He’d probably wake up for you.” He let his gaze stray from the road to focus on her slightly swollen lips.

  “I think it’s too late. I have to be up early in the morning.” She didn’t look at him.

  With a sigh, he gave up. When he parked at the diner, however, he hurried to her side of the car.

  “You didn’t need to get out, Will. I could—”

  She never got to finish her sentence because Will’s lips had returned to hers, with a hunger borne of their earlier tasting. To his pleasure, she didn’t resist, or pretend disinterest. Her arms slid around his neck and she opened to him at once. As if she wanted him, too.

  Until one of the patrons leaving The Lucky Charm Diner called out to them. Kate ripped herself from his embrace and raced into the diner.

  Kate slammed pots and pans with abandon the next morning. She needed to release her frustration...and fear. William Hardison was proving to be a problem. A sexy, confusing problem.

  She wanted to concentrate on the diner, its operation, its improvement, its future. Her future counted on it. And that of Maggie and Susan and her family. But instead, her thoughts continued to turn to Will and those moments in his arms.

  “Damn!” she cried as she burned her finger on a hot pan. That was careless, and all Will’s fault, she insisted to herself as she ran cold water over her burn.

  Paula’s head appeared in the opening. “You okay in there?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She dished up the omelet she’d been preparing.

  “How about—oops! You’ve got company again.”

  She could tell by Paula’s tone of voice that she wasn’t going to like the identity of her visitor. Her mind immediately flashed a picture of Will.

  “Hello?” a soprano voice called out, immediately identifying the caller.

  “It’s that society lady, the one with the spaghetti stains,” Paula added, which left no doubt.

  With a sigh, Kate pushed back stray curls, wiped her hand
s on the apron and pushed open the swinging door to the diner. “Hello, Mrs. Hardison.”

  The woman nodded but showed no warmth.

  Kate waited, saying nothing else.

  “I assume you are still engaged to my son?”

  “I assume so, unless you’ve heard something since last night,” Kate replied, a small smile on her hps. After all, her recent parting with Will hadn’t indicated an end to their agreement.

  Mrs. Hardison didn’t smile back. “Then we need to agree on a date for the engagement party.”

  Kate thought her knees were going to fold. Taking a deep breath, she stared at the woman. “An engagement party?”

  “Yes. We should have it soon since William indicated he didn’t want a long engagement.”

  “But I thought you—”

  “Don’t misunderstand me, young lady. I’m as opposed to this marriage as I ever was, but I know what is due for my son’s engagement. Now, how do you feel about two weeks from tomorrow?”

  Kate’s head spun and she looked for an escape. “I think you’d best discuss this idea with Will.”

  The woman’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you would be thrilled with the idea. After all, I’m sure you’re marrying him so you can be a part of society here in Kansas City.”

  Kate felt her back stiffen and made an effort to relax. Gently she said, “Mrs. Hardison, I want to cater for society, not be a member of it.”

  “Cater? You mean cook? You want to cook? My dear, you can’t cook for society once you marry William. You will be one of the leaders!”

  Kate shook her head, a smile on her lips. The woman certainly had shifted directions. “Really, I don’t—”

  “Now,” Mrs. Hardison began, as if Kate hadn’t spoken. “We must make plans. You’ll need to find an appropriate gown, of course. But with me to guide you, I’m sure we can find one in the next two weeks. You can give me a list of any guests you want to invite.” She paused, then added, “I don’t want to offend you, my dear, but please be selective about whom you include.”

  Kate’s mind was on another track. She didn’t have time to be offended. Was this the perfect opportunity? And could she pull it off without the proper equipment and staff?

  “I’ll agree to the party if you let me cater it.” She held her breath, waiting for the woman’s reaction.

  “Don’t be absurd! We’re talking a guest list of at least two hundred people.”

  Kate rattled off her credentials, more comprehensively than she’d given Will. Enjoying the astonishment Mrs. Hardison expressed, she clasped her hands in front of her and waited.

  Though it was clear from her glare that Mrs. Hardison was unhappy with Kate’s request, she nodded. “Very well. I’ll accept your offer, but don’t think to charge me outrageous prices. I certainly won’t pay more than fifty dollars a person ”

  Kate blinked. “Are you serving a meal?”

  “Of course not. Hors d’oeuvres. You do know how to make them, don’t you?”

  At fifty dollars a person, Kate figured she could make all the hors d’oeuvres out of caviar, if she wanted. Someone had been soaking Mrs. Hardison big time. “Yes, I do, and the bill won’t be that much.”

  “I don’t want anything skimpy.”

  Kate might accept criticism of her appearance, but not her cooking skills. She immediately suggested a comprehensive menu that left her future mother-in-law slack-jawed.

  Chapter Seven

  Kate had assumed convincing Mrs. Hardison of her abilities would be the hard part. She quickly discovered differently when Will took them to lunch that afternoon.

  “Absolutely not!” Will stared at the two women facing him, wondering if they’d taken leave of their senses.

  “I don’t see why you would object, if your mother doesn’t. I promise I’m capable of making excellent hors d’oeuvres,” Kate returned, her hackles visibly rising.

  “It’s not a question of your competence, Kate. Though I think you are overestimating your ability without the proper equipment. It won’t be installed by then, will it?”

  He could tell he’d scored a point as her determined glare weakened.

  “No, probably not. But it’s such an excellent opportunity to show my abilities to the upper crust in Kansas City.”

  “You’ll have plenty of time for that. But I don’t want you working during our engagement party. Besides, we’re not going to wait two weeks.”

  “We’re not?” Miriam Hardison screeched, sitting up straighter. “But we certainly can’t have it any sooner. I want—”

  “It doesn’t matter what you want, Mother. We’ll have it at my house next Friday, a week from tomorrow, and the wedding four weeks later.” He figured that would be enough time to pull something together. And then, after the wedding, he would have peace.

  At least, that’s what he thought until he looked at Kate. Peace from his mother, but would he have any peace from the hunger that filled him every time he saw Kate?

  Miriam’s lips moved, but no sound came out. Kate picked up the glass of water the waiter had left in front of her and handed it to Will’s mother.

  “Drink, please, Mrs. Hardison.”

  After several sips of water, his mother set the glass down and patted Kate’s arm. “Thank you, dear. I only wish my son were as thoughtful. William, you can’t possibly mean what you’ve just said. We cannot organize a wedding in four weeks.”

  “Sure we can.”

  “But the church. You won’t be able to find a church available at such short notice. And a caterer. No, dear,” she added as Kate opened her mouth, “don’t offer again. You cannot work at your own wedding.”

  “Quite right, Mother. But we’ll marry in my backyard, at two in the afternoon. If the minister isn’t available, we know several judges who can perform the ceremony. All that’s left is the florist, the caterer and the music.”

  Kate stared at him. “You sound as if you’ve planned a wedding before.”

  “No, but it’s just a matter of organization. You can arrange for—”

  “Me?” Kate demanded. “I’m getting the diner organized, redone. I won’t have time to plan a wedding.”

  “Well, I certainly don’t, with my new acquisition.” He turned to his mother. “Well, Mother, you always wanted me to marry. Are you willing to plan the wedding?”

  Miriam turned to look at each of them, a confused expression on her face. “You intend to marry at once but neither of you wants to plan it? Why don’t you postpone it?”

  He immediately erased the hope in his mother’s gaze “Nope, there will be no postponement.”

  The waiter interrupted their discussion to deliver their order. Will hadn’t intended a long lunch today, but when his mother had called to confirm her plans, he’d immediately decided he needed to sit in on the discussion and had offered lunch.

  When the waiter withdrew, Miriam, after a heavy sigh to show how put-upon she was, agreed to manage the engagement party and the wedding. “Though, of course, you’re expecting me to work miracles.”

  The rest of the meal involved her questioning their wants and tastes. Kate seldom expressed a preference, so Will made most of the decisions.

  After eating, his mother hurried away, filled with numerous chores she had to perform. Kate rose, seemingly eager to return to the diner.

  After they got into his car, he asked, “What will you wear to the engagement party?”

  She seemed surprised by his interest. “My black dress. I told you that’s as dressy as I come.”

  He remembered the black dress. It had made his mouth go dry then, and the memory of it had the same effect. But it wouldn’t do. “You’ll need to buy a long gown.”

  “No,” she said, casually, as if it were a matter of taste.

  “Yes. The engagement party will be formal. Tat’s how Mother operates.”

  He pulled into the diner and parked the car. She opened her door, but turned to face him before getting out. “Remember why you wanted this agree
ment? If I’m dressed inappropriately, everyone will be happy.”

  He frowned. “But you would be unhappy.”

  “What does that matter?”

  “It matters to me. I want you to wear an appropriate gown.”

  “Will, I’m not going to spend several thousand on a dress that I will only wear once when I could put that money to good use here.” After saying her piece, she got out of the car and headed for the diner, as if their discussion was over.

  “Wait!” When she ignored his order, he hurried after her, catching her by the arm at the door. “Kate, you’re not thinking. You can’t—”

  “Yes, I can. In fact, according to our agreement, that’s exactly what I should do.”

  She stared up at him, her hazel eyes snapping with some emotion he couldn’t read, her soft lips pursed in a stubborn line.

  He fought the urge to pull her against him and kiss the stubbornness away. “I don’t want you embarrassed.”

  “I can’t afford it,” she reiterated.

  “I’ll pay for a dress.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, and he couldn’t resist. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her, her mouth already open to him. Kissed her until he forgot where they were, what he was supposed to be doing, or even that their engagement was a pretense.

  He wanted her.

  She pulled back, her hands leaving his shoulders to push against his chest. “No, Will, we mustn’t—you’re doing that too much.”

  “We have to look like this is a real marriage.”

  She blinked several times. “I’m beginning to worry about what happens after the wedding.”

  So was he. “I signed the agreement.”

  She licked her lips and he almost melted at her feet. “So did I, but—but there’s a chemical reaction, or something, when we kiss each other, that makes everything go haywire.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, still holding her. His rioting hormones made any conversation difficult.

  “I—I have to go.”

  “We haven’t decided about the dress,” he reminded her. Anything to keep her with him a little longer.

  “Will, you’re not listening.”