"And we, well, the historical society likes a unanimous vote. While all of us are quite impressed and feel that these drawings have a great deal of merit and wouldn't change the unique look and feel of Summerville, I'm afraid we have to say, ‘no,’ at this time."
Jared shook his head, puzzled. “But you just said that you all are in agreement that it's good for the town."
"If Kat doesn't agree, then, well ... it's quite out of the question,” Evelyn Rogers piped up.
Jared swiveled his head in Kat's direction. “But you're the president. Presidents don't vote on issues."
Annabelle spoke again. “We're quite an informal group here, Jared. Moreover, we respect Kat's opinion. After all, she's done quite a lot of research on you.” Her sweet smile belied the steel in her voice.
Oh, she did all right, last night proved that!
"For the record,” he spoke slowly in an attempt to keep his voice steady. “I'm also presenting this idea at the next Civic Association Meeting.” He smiled thinly at Kat and held up a hand. “I know, don't tell me, you're co-president of that, too, right?"
Kat smiled back. “No, Mr. Martin, I'm not the co-president."
Yes, there is a God!
"But I do sit on the board and there, the president does not vote, but the board members all do, and unless it's unanimous, you've got a snowball's chance in hell of bringing MegaMart into Summerville."
Kat reached for her bag. She drew out her sunglasses and adjusted them on her nose. Rising, she told him, “Have a good afternoon, Mr. Martin."
He sat there and watched her walk away, the flounce of her body-hugging dress blowing in the breeze as she made her way across the deck and through the door.
Jared wondered if she knew that she'd also taken his dream with her.
No way would he surrender, he thought as he threw his napkin down on the table and rose to his feet. No way!
It was time to bring out the big guns.
* * * *
Later, Jared pulled into the small parking lot of the Pink Lily. He got out of the car, slamming the driver's side door, and strode up the walkway. As he walked, he unbuttoned the top button on his dress shirt and yanked off his tie. The heat intensified the sweet smell of the trumpet lilies lining the walkway. Funny, he thought, that's almost what Kat's perfume had smelled like...
Kat. Damn it, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Anger mushroomed, rising inside him, like a big explosive cloud of energy. It fueled each step he took. He marched up the steps of the wide porch and stepped inside the lobby. Cool air washed over him, but it didn't help to quell his hot need for the she-cat that thwarted his plans. He strode past the front desk, intent on getting to his room and jumping into a refreshing shower. Then he'd relax a little on the terrace and enjoy some of the Pink Lily's amenities, like a glass of that great Pinot Grigio wine Betty had...
What in hell was wrong with him? He had work to do! No more Mr. Nice Guy, no more letting Kat get under his skin. If she wanted to fight him tooth and nail, then he'd do the same.
"Mr. Martin!” he stopped when he heard Betty call his name. “You have a message.” She waved a slip of paper in the air.
He walked over to her and retrieved the message.
"Did you have a pleasant lunch?"
Jared scanned the message. George. He sighed, thinking that maybe it would have been from Kat.
Ridiculous. Why would she contact him? To apologize? Maybe to work things out...
"Was Evelyn at the meeting? Did you see Annabelle?"
His head snapped up. “How did you know I met with them?"
Betty shrugged. “News travels fast."
He groaned inwardly. “I see."
Betty walked around the corner of the front desk. Hesitant at first, she took a few tentative steps until she stood in front of him. Her face seemed pinched and drawn. Oh boy, he thought, she heard what I said about the Pink Lily. Now she probably thinks I want to put her out of business! Seconds went by. When she still didn't speak, he asked, “Is there something you wanted to say to me?"
She swallowed. “I like Kat. I always have. And ... well, like everyone here in Summerville, we go back a long way."
"Right. I know, look what went on during lunch. It..."
Betty held up a hand. “But I have to say, you're right."
"I didn't mean what I ... huh? What did you say?"
She gave him a small smile. “You're right. I did have a miserable year last year. And ... that inn ... it will be the draw and ... the vacancies I can fill here from the,” she wrinkled her brow in thought, “what did you call it?"
"The overflow."
"Right, the overflow. I think it's going to be a big help for my place."
"Betty, I want you to know, I have no intention of putting anyone out of business here in Summerville. Including you."
"I know. And, I appreciate that. Believe me. I know what you're trying to do. It's just that sometimes, well, Kat..."
He cocked his head. “What about Kat?"
Betty squared her shoulders. “Look, I shouldn't tell you this, but..."
He leaned down, “What? What shouldn't you tell me?"
"Kat had it pretty rough when she came back to Summerville."
Ah. So, here it was. The pity pitch. They were always revealing, he thought.
"Why'd she have it rough, Betty?"
Betty shifted from one foot to the other. “I-I think I said too much...” She turned and walked away, making herself busy behind the front desk.
Jared walked over. “Come on, Betty. Tell me. I won't say a word."
She shot him a look. “It's just that I've noticed how ... close you two have become lately."
He felt himself blush. He hadn't blushed since he was a boy!
Now, he shifted from one foot to the other. “Yes, well, I can assure you, I wouldn't do anything to hurt Kat."
"You don't strike me as that kind of man. Not like Arthur.” She picked up a stack of papers and shuffled them in her hands.
Jared beetled his brows. “Who's ... Arthur?"
"Kat's ex."
"Ex ... what?"
"Husband. He wasn't so nice."
He filed that bit of information away. Now, they were getting somewhere.
"And then, well, she had lots of family problems."
"Like what?"
Betty restacked the pile of papers, then looked up at him. “I think I've said enough. You'll have to ask Kat if you want to know more. She's a good person. She's got a great heart. And she cares about Summerville...” Again she stopped mid-sentence.
"But you don't necessarily agree with her, do you?"
"Not in this case. I think Kat's maybe a little bogged down with, well, the past."
Bingo. The past. No wonder she didn't like change. She had a bastard of an ex-husband and whatever those family problems were—well, now he was beginning to understand what went on in that lovely head of hers.
He stuck his hand out over the counter. “Thank you, Betty."
She smiled and shook his hand. “You're welcome.” Her face clouded over. “Just ... remember what I said. I love Kat. So does everyone else in Summerville. She's a good person. Don't hurt her."
Whoa. Don't hurt her. Aside from laying his hand on her beautifully rounded fanny, he did not intend to hurt her ... much. His conscience leaped to the forefront of his mind. What in hell was he supposed to do now? He just promised one of Summerville's own that he wouldn't hurt Kat Sullivan, but isn't that what Kat wanted to do to him?
He sighed. “No Betty, I'd never hurt her."
She slanted him a look. “I can see that you're uh ... fond of her."
Right. Like oil loves water and sweet loves sour, he thought. Oh hell, whom was he kidding? He was so attracted to Kat Sullivan that he hurt inside. Who would protect him from getting hurt by her?
"I am fond of her, Betty, bless her stubborn little soul."
He heard Betty's laughter floating behind him on his trek up the stairs.
/> When he got to his room, he looked at the message again and dialed George's number.
George answered on the second ring. “Jared? It's about time!"
He flopped down on the bed. It sank under his weight. “I just got in from a meeting with the Historical Society."
"How'd it go?"
"Not good."
George snorted. “Figures. They're always a bunch of old biddies who..."
Jared cut George off. “What's doing there at corporate?"
"Well ... I've come across some information I think you'd like to know about."
"Like what?” Jared shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Ms. Upstart is involved in some very, shall we say, shady stuff. My source says that she's on the receiving end of some big, cash payments and ... get this, there's quite a few, oh, let's call them ‘ladies of the evening’ coming and going from KISS."
Jared's mind raced. So did his heart. He had seen some hot babes leaving the back door of KISS, but what was this about Kat getting large amounts of money from them?
"She's getting money from those women?"
"No, Jared. From a man. She's been seen accepting large wads of cash from a man who meets her and those ladies in the back of KISS."
Jared swallowed. Hard.
"Jared?"
"I'm here."
"You could use this. This is what Ms. Upstart's been hiding."
She's a good person. Don't hurt her...
Betty's words echoed through his mind.
"For right now, let's just keep this between you and me, George."
"Jared, look, this is what we need. We can't afford to wait anymore. You're wasting time..."
"I'll decide if I'm wasting time. You ... you just sit on that information. Keep it to yourself. I have my own ideas on how to handle Ms. Upst ... I mean, Kat."
George snorted. “Like kissing her?"
Jared felt his temper soar. “Stop harping on that. It was a kiss at a kid's ball game. Nothing more."
"Right, sure. Whatever you say."
"It is. And I mean it, George. Don't do anything with that information."
"Fine. I won't do ... anything with it. When will you be wrapping this all up then?"
"Soon."
Again George sighed. “What's your definition of soon?"
Jared ignored George's latest comment. “Goodbye, George."
"Jared..."
He ended the call and flipped his cell phone closed.
Flopping back down on the bed, he shut his eyes again and saw Kat in his mind's eye.
In that coral-colored corset. Touching herself. Like she did the previous evening...
He groaned.
Maybe George was right. He was thinking with his dick.
She's a good person. Don't hurt her...
Or maybe, he was thinking with his heart.
* * * *
George O'Reilly sat staring at the phone for a long time. Several minutes went by. George leaned over and pressed the buzzer.
"Rebecca, get in here please."
George's secretary walked in a few seconds later. “What did you need?"
"A flight to Long Island, New York."
She cocked her head in George's direction. “When do you want to leave?"
George smiled thinly. “The sooner the better, honey."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eleven
A few days later, Kat walked up the steps of ‘Noone's Nest,’ balancing two containers of coffee in her hands and her tote bag across one shoulder. She entered Nancy Noone's rare-bird emporium to hear Sammy, the Cockatiel, singing one of Kat's favorite oldies tunes. A grin lit Kat's face as she placed her bag and the coffees on Nancy's counter.
"Hello!” she called out. “I've got your favorite, my friend. French vanilla cappuccino."
Nancy came from the back of the store. “Hi Kat.” Nancy seemed pale. Her fine-boned face appeared pinched and strained. Kat could have sworn there were tear tracks on her friend's face.
Bill. It had to be. Nancy had been looking at Bill's picture again.
Nancy approached the counter and grabbed one of the coffee containers. “Thanks, Kat. I could sure use this."
Kat waited for her to take a few sips. “Want to talk about it?"
Nancy shrugged. She angled her head toward the back of the store. “Come on, let's go into my office."
Kat followed her, the birds in the cages ruffled their bright plumage in greeting as she and Nancy passed by. One of them, an older parrot, looked at her with large, sad eyes. Birds couldn't look sad ... could they? Were the birds at Noone's nest mirroring Nancy's glum demeanor? Or was it a harbinger of some bad thing to come? Kat shook her head to clear it of her crazy thoughts.
"I, uh, wanted to talk to you, Kat."
Oh boy. Not good. Maybe the birds did know something was up.
When they arrived at Nancy's backroom office, she plunked down into a chair. “Have a seat,” she told Kat.
Kat eased into a chair. She and Nancy didn't speak for a few minutes. Kat's legs began to sweat, the backs of them sticking to the leather of the seat. She shifted, welcoming the cool air that drifted underneath her heated thighs.
"I think you should be the first to hear this."
Kat's heart pounded.
Nancy's brown eyes bored into hers. “Jared Martin offered me three hundred thousand dollars for ‘Noone's Nest.’”
Kat's hand shook. She placed her Styrofoam container of coffee on the desk next to her.
"Nancy, you're not going to give in and take it, are you?"
Nancy angled her head. “We've been friends a long time."
Kat nodded, her throat feeling tight. “Since we were in elementary school."
Nancy looked away then back. “In all that time, we've never disagreed on much, did we?"
Kat gave her a small smile. “Except for when we got into high school. We couldn't agree on which boys were cuter."
Nancy's face lit with a smile, but it soon faded. “Bill was the cutest."
Kat felt a lump in her throat. Her voice grew soft. “I know you still miss him."
"Kat, I can't keep this place anymore.” She swept a hand out in front of her. “I've got three kids, you know that. Michael's going to be thirteen next month, and the other two, well, I need the money, Kat."
Kat felt sick inside. Jared Martin played his trump card—money. She knew he upped the ante and many of Summerville's store owners were thrilled. Kat looked away from Nancy. How could a man be such a passionate lover, a man who could care enough to bring her to the very height of sensual desire and gratification, and be such a bastard in business? She shook her head. The fatal flaw Jared probably banked on. Kat had made the big mistake of mixing business and pleasure. Fool, she thought savagely. Fool! She pressed her fisted hand into her thigh.
"I can't pass on this offer, Kat. I just can't."
Kat stood and paced for a few seconds. She walked back over to Nancy and said, “Didn't you tell me you got some money after Bill died?"
Nancy waved a hand through the air. “Kat, he was a fireman. They didn't give them much money after ... after Nine Eleven."
Kat shuddered. Nancy was right. The government didn't give Nancy and her family a whole hell of a lot of money in the aftermath of September Eleventh. Bill's untimely death at the World Trade Center left a huge hole in Nancy's life...
...and her bank account.
"I need this money, Kat. The boys are getting older, they're going to need so much and ... I'm tired. I can't do the hours here anymore and quite frankly, without Bill, I don't want to."
"But Bill didn't work here with you.” The words spewed forth. Kat wanted to take them back when she saw Nancy's pale face turn white.
Nancy stood on shaky legs. “Yes, I know he didn't work here. This store was supposed to be my dream, my ... well, it was for a while. While Bill was alive. But it's not anymore. I want out."
Kat placed an ar
m around her shoulders. “I'll buy up your loan, Nancy, I'll..."
Nancy pulled away. “Buying up my loan won't solve anything. Jared Martin is offering me three hundred thousand dollars for my store and another fifty thousand for the birds."
Kat got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Can you offer me that much, Kat? Is that what you want to do? Buy up the whole town? Look, I know you don't like change..."
"That's bull. I'm tired of hearing that!” Kat slashed a hand through the air. “It's not that I don't like change, it's..."
"What? Who are you kidding? You don't like change, Kat. You never did. I know you've been through a lot, too, but things do change. People change. The world changes. We have to get on with our lives and try to live without the people we love.” Nancy squared her shoulders. “I have three sons to think about, you don't."
Kat felt as though she'd been slapped. She backed away from Nancy.
"Kat,” Nancy reached for her. “I'm sorry, but..."
Kat held up a hand. “No, don't say anymore.” She grabbed her tote bag from Nancy's desk.
"Kat!"
She hurried out the door of Nancy's office and ran through the store. The birds cawed and squawked in the wake of her hasty departure.
Kat flew down the street and up the steps of KISS. She unlocked the front door with shaky hands and entered the dim coolness of her store.
KISS...
Her haven. It didn't change. It stayed exactly the way she wanted. Here, people came to buy her exquisite creations. They always returned, wanting more.
Not like Bill Noone. He was never coming back.
...and neither were her mother and sister ... or Arthur.
Kat made her way to the back of the store and entered her workroom. She shut the door behind her and made her way over to her design table where she plunked her weary body into a chair.
She was tired ... so tired of fighting Jared Martin.
Kat laid her head down on her folded arms and cried.
She didn't stop until she heard the bell above the door to KISS jangle.
* * * *
Kat lifted her head from her worktable. She rose from her seat and quickly assessed her appearance in the mirror at the far end of the room. Swiping her fingers across her cheeks, she managed to diminish her tear tracks, but the evidence of her crying jag remained.
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