This is your Uncle Nathan, Tommy.”
Nathan walked and held out his hand. “Half-brother. Good to meet you.” Kate held out her hand and Nathan shook it firmly.
“Good to meet you, too,” she said.
She looked thinner than in the photograph. Nathan felt her grip tighten twice on his hand before she released him. There were raw marks on her wrist and dark smudges extending down from her knuckles. His gaze rose to hers.
“Eczema,” Jack said. “Flares up in cold weather.”
“You might not be living in the right place.” Nathan nodded toward the winter wonderland outside the window.
“We’re a bit worried Tommy might get it too, aren’t we, Kate?” Jack put his arm around her waist.
“I hope not,” Kate said.
Nathan dropped down to Tommy’s height. “Hi.”
“I’m Tommy Thompson. I’m three years old,” he said, holding onto Kate’s leg.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Tommy Thompson.” Nathan held out his hand and the child shook it.
“He’s cute.” Nathan stood again.
“Yeah,” Jack said. “Very cute. Takes after me.” He kissed Kate on the cheek.
“So how long have you been married?”
“Not long.” Jack squeezed Kate’s shoulder.
Kate let out a strange sounding cough. Nathan glanced at her. She looked white.
“I’ve got a scooter,” Tommy said. “Daddy bought it for me.”
“What color is it?” Nathan asked.
“I’ll show you.” He raced off to get it.
“Could I make you a drink? Hot chocolate or coffee?” Kate asked.
“Coffee would be great, thanks.”
Tommy came zooming out of the bedroom, circled the kitchen table and made for the other room. “I can go really fast, watch.”
“Be careful of the fire,” Kate said. “Remember what we told you.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want a hot chocolate with marshmallows?” she asked.
“In a minute, Mommy. I have to win this race.” Nathan drew Jack to one side. “Yours?”
Jack smiled.
“Do you take milk and sugar?” Kate asked.
“Neither, thanks,” Nathan answered and then lowered his voice again. “Yours or just hers?”
“Our own flesh and blood. Ask Kate if you don’t believe me.” She brought the drinks to the table and the three of them sat down. Jack dragged Kate and her chair across the floor, bringing her closer, then slung his arm across her shoulders. Nathan didn’t miss the wince. Something was wrong.
“Sweetheart, Nathan wants to know how we met.” Jack rubbed her back.
“Hoopers,” Kate blurted.
“What’s that?” Nathan asked, though he knew the place.
“It’s a residential center for emotionally disturbed teens,” Jack said. “I admit it. I was a fucked up kid. Kate, too. That’s why we’re perfect together.” Tommy scooted to a halt by the table and Jack picked him up, setting him on his lap. “Love at first sight, wasn’t it Kate?” She nodded. “An instant reaction to one another.” Jack launched a pretend cuff to her chin. “Real instant. Problem was, she was sweet sixteen, and told me she was seventeen. I should have known she’d lie. You didn’t go to Hoopers unless you’re bad. Kate was pregnant when she left but didn’t tell anyone. By the time it became obvious, it was too late to do anything about it, so I guess we should have called you Lucky.” Jack ruffled Tommy’s hair.
Nathan watched the child reach for Kate’s arm and Jack pull him back.
“Second degree felony, Jack. You could have gone to prison—two to twenty.” Nathan wanted the words back as soon as he’d said them. If they were married, what right did he have to make comments like that?
“Guess I’m lucky as well.” Jack smirked.
Nathan kept his eyes on Kate.
“I’ve got a sister,” Tommy said. “Her name’s Kirin.”
“No, you don’t, Tommy. Not yet. We’re working on it, aren’t we, Kate?” Jack slid his fingers into her hair and pulled her head toward him for a kiss on her forehead.
“Can I make a snowman?” Tommy wriggled down from Jack’s lap.
“Later.”
“No, now. You promised.”
“Later,” Jack snapped.
Tommy stomped off to his room, muttering to himself.
“How did you two get together again?” Nathan asked.
“You can guess what Nathan does for a living, honey. All these questions.” Nathan didn’t like the look in Jack’s eyes.
“What do you do?” Kate asked.
Nathan saw her hand shake as she picked up her drink.
“I’m a private investigator.”
The liquid sloshed out of her mug.
“He’s paid to spy on people fucking one another behind their partner’s back.” Jack laughed.
“That must be horrible,” Kate said.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Jack sniggered. “Guess it relieves sexual tension when you don’t have a woman of your own. Do you give yourself a hand job while you’re watching them, Nathan?” There was silence until Jack spoke again. “What are you doing here?”
“I had some free time. I wanted to see where my mother died. I thought the place would be empty.”
“You out here yesterday?” Jack asked.
Nathan nodded.
“Kate must have just missed you. She likes to go for walks around the lake.” Tommy came back to the table and started work on his coloring book. Kate pressed it flat for him.
“Are you from San Antonio?” Nathan asked her.
“Yes.” Kate’s focus stayed on the coloring book.
Nathan tried to process what was happening. The woman was too quiet, too pale and Jack hadn’t answered his question about how they’d got back together.
Nathan found it difficult to believe he’d never once seen Jack with Kate in all the time he’d been watching him.
“What made you decide to come out here now?” Jack asked.
“Impulse,” Nathan replied. Until he worked out what was going on, his real business with Jack could wait. “What made you decide to live at Echo Lake?” He addressed Kate, but it was Jack who answered. “Mom loved it here. She used to sit in front of the fire and tell me and Steven she was the happiest and luckiest woman in the whole world.” Jack’s eyes glittered with malice. “You know, Nathan, I can’t figure out why she never told us about you. All those years and she never once mentioned your name.” Jack rocked his coffee cup on the table.
“Mommy’s got Daddy’s name on her back in case she forgets it.” Tommy looked up from his drink, a ring of brown chocolate around his mouth.
Jack burst out laughing. “That’s right. We were screwing around with some of Tommy’s markers yesterday.”
“What else shall I color, Mommy?”
Kate turned over a few pages and pressed the book open at the outline of a tractor. “What about that?”
“How are you going to support yourselves out here?” Nathan asked.
“We have this great plan, don’t we, darlin’? We’re going to start a camp for physically challenged kids. Echo Lake has good fishing and it’s safe for swimming. Kate and I have spent hours working out what we need. We figured seven cabins, one cookhouse and one rec. room, minimum. We’ll need wheelchair accessible paths and there’ll be a trail for blind kids. If we can get the right backing, and Dad’s support, we’ll start building in the spring.” Nathan wanted to laugh, but managed to hold it in.
“What do you think?” Jack asked. “Do you reckon my father will support us?” He took a drink of Kate’s hardly touched coffee. Tommy went back to his scooter.
“It’s a great idea,” Nathan said. “I should imagine he’d be impressed.”
“I haven’t told him yet. I want to surprise him. I’ve asked him to come out for the holiday. He should get to know Tommy. He’s missed too much of his life already.”
Kate sli
d her hand on the table, exposing her bruised skin. Jack pulled her fingers under his.
“How long have you been back together?” Nathan looked at Kate.
Jack spoke. “We started seeing each other again when I came out of Ashlands.
We took it slow at first, only dated once a week. I didn’t want to pressure her into anything. Then there was a fire and Kate’s place was destroyed. You lost everything, didn’t you, darlin’?”
“Everything precious to me.”
If they only saw each other once a week, he could have missed it, but he hadn’t missed the fact that Jack had been out with other women at the same time. The cocktail waitress slept with him just before he left the city.
“Sorry you didn’t get an invite to our wedding, but I assumed you wouldn’t want one. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, Nathan, but you’re better off without Alison. I wasn’t the only one she fucked. She said she wasn’t ready to settle down for a once-a-week shag. Oh, here I am running off at the mouth. Maybe you’re back together. You didn’t take her back, did you?”
“No. I didn’t take her back.” And now the subject had come up, Nathan couldn’t leave it alone. “What happened, Jack? Why’d you do it?” Nathan looked straight at him. He didn’t care that Jack’s new wife was sitting there listening.
“Alison asked me to meet her for lunch. We had fun, a bottle of wine and while I drove her home she unzipped me.” Jack licked his lips and Nathan clenched his fists under the table. “She said she’d always wanted to do it in a car, but you never would.”
Nathan fought off the urge to flatten him but a weight had lifted. Jack was lying. He and Alison had made love in her car. Twice.
“She said I made her realize you didn’t do it for her anymore.” It had all been lies and he was wasting his time. Jack was sick. The child came back to the table and began crayoning.
“The stupid bitch thought I’d marry her. I don’t like pushy women. I like them sweet and innocent.” Jack planted a kiss on Kate’s lips. “It’s more exciting fucking Kate. She’s real inventive. I never know what she’s going to do.”
“Watch your language in front of Tommy.” Kate put her finger over Jack’s mouth.
Jack took her wrist and pulled her hand out of sight. Again.
Nathan was tempted to tell Kate Jack had slept with at least seven women while he’d supposedly been getting back with her, but he didn’t. Whatever else was going on here, Kate had married him. She must have seen some redeeming feature in the asshole, though he had no idea what. Although Nathan sensed something wrong, he wouldn’t do anything. They had a child and were trying to make a life for themselves. He was never going to get the truth from Jack about why he’d gone after Alison. Don was probably right—it was simply because he could.
He stood. “You don’t mind if I take a walk down to the lake, do you?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s private property. Get in your car and crawl back under your rock.”
Nathan took a deep breath. The thought of never seeing Jack again lightened his heart. “Thanks for the coffee, Kate.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kate had struggled to make sense of the conversation but now she felt sure Nathan was no friend of Jack’s. Jack had slept with his girlfriend. She touched the outside of her pocket, felt the piece of paper and kept looking at Nathan, trying to make him understand without her having to speak or do anything.
While Jack’s eyes were off her, she pulled the note into her fist.
“Come and say good-bye, Tommy,” Kate said.
The boy left the table and went over to the door. He held out his arms and Nathan reached down, picked him up and hugged him. “Bye, Tommy, look after your Mommy.”
Nathan put him down and turned to Kate. “Bye, Kate. It was nice to meet you.”
Kate held out her hand. “Have a safe journey.” Her heart pounded as Nathan took her hand and palmed the paper without giving a sign. Then Jack held out his hand and Kate’s heart jumped straight into her mouth. Nathan’s fists stayed clenched at his side.
“I don’t think so.” He turned and walked away.
Kate’s stomach looped the loop as she watched Nathan wade through the snow to his car. He was going to help them.
After he drove away, Kate went back into the house and saw the coloring book open on the table. If Jack flipped through it, he’d see she’d torn out a page. She found the elephant Tommy had scribbled over and ripped it out. Then found the tractor and ripped that out, too.
Jack closed the door. “What are you doing?”
“I told Tommy I’d put his pictures on the wall.”
“Good idea.”
“Your picture, too, Mommy,” Tommy said.
Oh God, please, no.
“Did Mommy do a picture?”
Tommy nodded. Kate tried to think but could come up with nothing.
Jack strode to her side. “Where’s yours?”
“In here somewhere.” She flipped through the pages.
Jack snatched the book. “What have you done?”
“Nothing.”
“Where’s the picture, Kate?”
“I threw it out.”
Even as that came out, she knew it wouldn’t work. Jack flipped through the book. “Where’s the page?”
“I don’t know. I told you I threw it out.”
“Did you give him a note?”
Kate looked straight at him. “No.”
Jack’s knife appeared out of nowhere. He sat Tommy on the table and held his wrist. “The truth or he loses a finger. Did you give Nathan a note?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You stupid fucking bitch.” He released Tommy and smacked Kate across the face, sending her reeling. “Out to the car. Now.” He picked up Tommy, grabbed Kate’s arm and dragged her out of the house.
“You’re driving,” Jack snapped. “Catch up with him.” He reached inside the car to flick up the hood. As Kate fastened Tommy in his seat, the hood slammed down.
“Quit stalling. Get in the driver’s seat.” He threw her the keys and got in the back.
Kate fastened her belt and set off down the track. The only sign of Nathan was a trail in the snow. She felt blood trickling down her cheek and wiped it with her sleeve.
“You’re not going fast enough,” Jack yelled.
Kate increased her speed.
“Put your fucking foot down or I’ll cut off his ear,” he screamed.
Tommy sobbed. Kate accelerated, terrified they’d skid off the trail and into a tree.
“There’s his car. Flash your lights. Make him stop. When he does, pull up behind him and stay in your seat. I want him to come to us.” He dropped down out of sight. She and Tommy wore seat belts. Jack didn’t.
Kate pressed her foot harder on the gas and the car fishtailed over the track. Once she was sure Nathan had seen them, she twisted the wheel and stamped hard on the brake. The Suburban skidded to the left, bumping over the ground. Kate spun the wheel the other way and the car swung back to the track, heading for Nathan’s vehicle.
Kate clung on to the wheel as the Suburban dropped into a depression and the undercarriage scraped along the ground. A tree loomed in front of them but before they reached it, the car shuddered to a halt. The seat belt saved Kate from hitting the windshield. She turned to check on Tommy. He was crying, but still secure. Jack lay on the floor of the car. Not moving.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kate unfastened her seatbelt and tumbled out of the car into knee deep snow.
She opened the back door, released Tommy and he scrambled into her arms, his face covered with tears. When Kate turned, Nathan was running toward her.
“Kate, watch out!” he shouted.
Something caught her at the back of her knees and she fell forward. Tommy screamed in her ear and hung onto her neck as they sprawled in the snow. Kate turned to see Jack looming over them, a knife in his hand, blood dripping from his nose, his eyes filled with fury.
&n
bsp; “Stay down!” Nathan launched himself at Jack, driving him away from Kate.
Kate scrambled back, dragging Tommy with her and got to her feet. The boy pressed his face into her waist, his hands clutching her pants. “Make them stop,” he sobbed.
Nathan’s hand clamped around Jack’s wrist as they thrashed around, but the knife remained tight in Jack’s grasp.
“Go to Nathan’s car, Tommy,” Kate said. “Get in the back and don’t touch anything.”
The boy clung tighter, tears trickling down his cheeks. Kate peeled his hands away.
“Tommy, do as you’re told. Right now.”
The moment Tommy moved, she leaped on Jack.
“Run, Kate,” Nathan yelled.
She ignored him, and wrapped her body around the arm that didn’t hold the knife so Nathan had a chance to control the hand that did. A moment later the blade fell free, slicing into the snow and disappearing. Nathan swung hard, his fist connecting with Jack’s jaw. As the two traded blows, rolling around, grunting and panting, Kate pawed through the snow, trying to find the knife. She cried out as Jack caught hold of her hair, wrenched her between him and Nathan, and elbowed her in the throat.
Kate collapsed. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She rolled to her back, gasping for air. Jack and Nathan were on their feet, blood dripping from Jack’s nose and Nathan’s mouth. The two stared each other down, clouds of water vapor streaming from their mouths.
“What the fuck…did she write in the note?” Jack gasped.
“Milk…bread…a dozen eggs. If you didn’t need them…you only had to say.” Jack gave a short laugh, wiped his nose with the back of his hand, and glanced at the smear of blood. “Look, Kate and I…are going through a rocky patch. We just need to be…left alone.”
Kate pushed herself upright and forced the word from her frozen lungs. “No.”
“She’s staying with me,” Jack said.
“What do you want, Kate?” Nathan asked, but his attention never moved from Jack.
“To go with you.”
Jack spun away from Nathan, his face a mask of fury and lunged at her. Kate turned to block the blow and he caught her shoulder. She went down like a stone.
Nathan grabbed Jack’s arm and the two men toppled over. Kate lay crying and then rolled away, crawled to where she’d last seen the knife, and dug frantically in the snow.
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