Fight For Love (Wild Hearts, Contemporary Romance Book 5)

by Nancy Adams

  The two of them sat there and sipped their coffees for a moment. “What about this?” Kylie asked. “Katie Lou went out with Darren to talk about possibly getting back together. Can you get Rob to call and ask her out to talk about their relationship? I'm pretty sure Katie would go, and if Rob would make it clear that he truly does care about her…”

  Anna shrugged her shoulders. “I can try,” she said. “If I can convince him that he needs to make his position clear, so that she can make the best possible choice, he might go for it. I'll talk to him about it as soon as I get back home.”

  The two of them sat and discussed the idea for a few more minutes, and then say goodbye. Kylie had been serious about looking for a job, so she went to hit a few places in Maxwell that she'd heard might be hiring, while Anna went back home to see her brother.

  Rob was sitting in the same place at the table when she got there, still in his pajamas but with a fresh cup of coffee in front of him. She set her purse on the counter, then took the chair across from him.

  “I've been thinking,” she began. “You know, Katie Lou said she was going out with her ex for dinner, just so they could discuss whether there was any possibility of them getting back together, right? Well, I think you should ask her out, too, so that you can let her know that you really do love her, and that way, she can make her decision without wondering how you feel.”

  Rob slowly raised his eyes from the floor to look at his sister. “If she's thinking about getting back together with him, she probably wouldn't want to go out with me. I mean, just the fact that she's willing to talk to him about it seems to say that we might not have had as much going for us as I thought we did.”

  Anna shook her head. “Come on, Bubba, I've never known you to be one to give up so easily. You're in love with her, aren't you?”

  Rob nodded slowly. “Yes, I am. I've been thinking about it, though, and I think the first time I told her that was after she’d already started talking to him. I should've said something sooner, but I just didn't want to rush her. I mean, I knew she'd been through a lot already, I didn't want to make it seem like I was trying to push her into starting a new relationship.”

  “Okay, I get that, but it's too late to worry about that now. What you got to do is make your case, show her that there is something between the two of you. She was willing to hear his side of it, I'm pretty sure she'd be willing to hear yours, too. Pick up the phone and call her, don't just sit back and let her slip through your fingers. My God, Bubba, I've never seen you as happy as you have been the last few weeks. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the reason you were so happy was Katie Lou Brennan. It's time you let her know that.”

  Rob sat there and looked at her for a long moment, then reached for the phone he had laid on the table. “You really think this is a good idea?”

  “Absolutely! Come on, the girl has to be pretty confused, right now; she needs to know that you are serious about her. If you just sit here moping, she's going to get away, and there won't be anyone to blame but yourself.”

  Rob stared at the phone in his hand for another minute, then tapped the screen. A photo of Katie Lou appeared, and he tapped it once. A second later, he heard the ringing that signaled the call going through.

  Katie Lou answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

  “Hey,” Rob said. “How are you doing?”

  “I'm okay,” she said. “How about you?”

  “Oh, I'm doing okay, I guess, at least for a guy who's sitting here wondering if the best thing that ever happened to him is getting away. Have you—well, have you made any decisions yet?”

  “No, not yet. This isn't something I'm going to jump into lightly, or without being sure of what I'm doing. I don't know how far to trust Darren, right now. He says he wants us back together, and even quit his job in St. Louis, so that looks pretty sincere. Still, it's not easy to get over the hurt of being dumped by someone you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with.”

  “Well, that sounds sensible. Listen, I was wondering—how would you feel about having dinner with me tonight? I'd sort of like to present my own case. I mean, I realize we haven't known each other as long as you've known him, and I know you two have an awful lot of history, but I'm just going to be honest with you. I've known a lot of girls, Katie Lou, and even entertained the idea of marriage a couple of times, but I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. It's like I always wanted to know what it felt like to be in love, but never did; now, all of a sudden, I've got these feelings I never experienced before. I mean, whenever I'm with you, I feel like things are just right, and when you're gone, I feel like I'm drowning. It's like I can't get enough air when you're not with me, and all I can think about is the next time I'm going to see you. I'm so crazy about your smile that I sit and think of things to say that might make it show up on your face again, just so I can bask in its glow for a moment. I think about what I can do to make you happy, and that's such a strong feeling that if getting back together with him is what will do it, then I think that's what you should do.” He let out a sigh. “I just want to be able to tell you how I feel, face-to-face, so that you can look into my eyes and know I'm being honest with you.”

  “You're making me smile right now,” Katie Lou said. “I'd love to have dinner with you tonight. Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

  “No, let me come and pick you up, okay? I mean, our first date got sort of messed up, so let's try it again, shall we? We can go have dinner, and then, if you want, maybe we could go take in a movie or something.”

  He could hear the smile in her voice when she answered. “Dinner and a movie,” she said. “That sounds like a perfect do-over for our first date.”

  Rob's face was about to split with the smile he was wearing. “Fantastic,” he said. “I'll pick you up at six thirty, will that be okay?”

  “I'll be ready. Just—Rob, I don't want to get your hopes up too high. Remember that I've still got a decision to make, okay?”

  “I know, don't worry. I just want the chance to give you a reason to seriously consider me in that decision.”

  They said goodbye, and Rob set the phone down on the table again. Anna was smiling at him.

  “Well, she said yes. Do me a quick favor, and find out what movies are playing around the area. Pick one that you think she'll really like, okay?”

  Anna got up and went to her room, returning a moment later with her laptop. She opened it up on the table and began tapping the keys. She scanned through some of the new releases available in the area, and then broke into a big smile.

  “Oh, this is the one. It's called Mr. Right, and it's about this girl who's been through a bad breakup and then meets the man of her dreams, only to find out that he's a professional killer. She's so crazy about him, though, that when he has to fight for his life, she has to choose whether to help him or leave him.”

  Rob stared at his sister. “Why in the world would you think that's the right movie?”

  “It's perfect! The girl decides that she's so in love with the new guy, that nothing will keep her from being with him. It's almost like the perfect subliminal message, it'll make Katie Lou think of you as the perfect guy, the one who rescues her from all the bad stuff. And besides, it's playing at the drive-in at Aurora. Is there anything more romantic than taking a girl to a drive-in movie?”

  Rob shook his head. “I'm going to trust you on this, but if it blows up in my face, I'll make you clean the whole house by yourself for a month!” He got up and went to his room, while Anna sat at the table and laughed.

  6

  Walter Andrews was a private investigator, one of the best in the business, and he knew it. Less than a half hour after his conversation with James Allsip, he called Katie Lou's phone, pretending to be a wrong number. In reality, however, a program called “Remote Cell Spy” that he bought on the internet installed a virus -like program onto her cell phone, so that every call she made or received was recorded into his
portable tablet computer. When she got a call from Rob Christopher only two hours later, and agreed to a date with him that night, he didn't think of himself as lucky. Luck had nothing to do with it, when you took the right steps to make sure you always got the information you needed.

  Minutes after that call, he had also placed a “wrong number” call to Rob's phone. In addition to being able to monitor all of Rob's calls and texts, the program gave him real-time access to the GPS location of the phones, recording everything on his tablet. Of course, he already knew where Rob would be at six thirty, picking up Katie Lou at her home. It would be child's play to keep track of him through the rest of the evening, and even to record their entire conversation by simply activating Rob's phone remotely. All that took was to hack into his phone's operating system and install the security app that would allow him to do so. The phone would come on and pick up every sound within several feet, transmitting all of it directly to Walter's tablet computer.

  It wasn't absolutely necessary for him to follow them, but he thought it might be advantageous to get some photos of the two of them, as well. That's why he was parked three doors down from Katie Lou's house when Rob's car pulled up into their driveway.

  Rob got out of the car and walked up to the front door, completely unaware that the phone on his belt was recording and transmitting everything it picked up. He rang the doorbell, and wasn't surprised when Judy opened the door to let him in.

  “Hello, Mrs. Brennan,” he said. “It's good to see you again.”

  “Rob, it's wonderful to see you, too. Katie Lou will be right down; she's almost ready. She's so excited to be able to go back upstairs to her own room, now.”

  “I can imagine,” he said. “I remember what it was like when I regained the use of my legs. I don't think I sat down for a week, I was so sick of being stuck in that wheelchair. I'm thrilled that she's walking so well again.”

  “She's got you to thank for that,” Kylie interjected, coming into the room from the kitchen. “She might have gotten better on her own, but I'm sure it would've taken a lot longer without your help and guidance. She needs to remember that.”

  Rob grinned. He could tell that Kylie was definitely on his side, and he was grateful for her support. “It's my job,” he said. “I do the best I can.”

  Allen came into the room just behind Kylie. “We're just grateful for all you've done for her,” he said. “You can be modest all you want, but trust me, we all know that a lot of her recovery is due to your efforts.” He walked over and shook Rob's hand, then went to his recliner and sat down. “Well, don't just stand there, have a seat.”

  Katie Lou came down the stairs at that moment, and Rob looked up at her. She was wearing jeans and a flowered top, and he thought she had never looked more lovely. They had agreed to make the evening casual, so Rob was in jeans and a nice button-down, as well.

  “Wow, you look great!” Rob said. Katie Lou blushed prettily, and walked directly to him. There was almost no sign of any limping, but Rob could tell that her left leg was still a little weaker than the right.

  “You look pretty good yourself,” Katie Lou said. She glanced over her shoulder at her family, and said, “Don't feel like you've got to wait up for me, I shouldn't be out too late.”

  They all smiled, and the young couple slipped out the door. “You do look lovely,” Rob said as he opened the passenger door of his car. Katie Lou smiled as she slid into the seat, then buckled herself in. Rob walked around the car and got in behind the wheel, started the car and backed out onto the street. He didn't notice the Cadillac that pulled out behind him a few houses back.

  “So,” Rob began. “The purpose of this evening is for me to sweep you so beautifully off your feet that you'll never think of leaving me again. Toward that end, I am taking you to dinner at one of the finest eating establishments in the area, also known as Vittorio's Pizzeria, and after that, I have chosen what I believe will be a delightful movie, which happens to be playing at one of the few remaining drive-in theaters in America, namely the Majestic Drive-in, which is conveniently located just outside of town. I figure that after an evening like this, you'll see what a fun guy I am, and that other fellow won't have a chance.”

  Katie Lou burst out laughing. “Well, I can tell you this much,” she said. “I have spent more time laughing since I have known you than I think I have laughed in the last ten years. That must say something, right?”

  “Of course! Doesn't every girl want the guy who can make her laugh? I'll remember that, and keep working on it.” He smiled over at her. “Seriously, is pizza okay? I just figured we keep it kind of light, tonight. Right?”

  “Pizza sounds great, Rob. I think this will be a wonderful evening, and I think we need this.” Her face sobered. “I know this has put you in a terrible position,” she said, “and I'm so sorry about that. You do mean an awful lot to me, and I've already admitted that I love thinking about what might be waiting in the future for us, but I think I owe it to you, and to myself and even Darren, to be sure of what I want before I commit to one person. I wouldn't want to make a choice, and then come to realize weeks or months later that it was the wrong one. I need to be sure.”

  “I understand, and I accept that,” Rob said, nodding his head. “But I've also come to realize that I'm in love with you, and I wouldn't be fair to myself if I didn't try my best to win your heart. I spent most of this afternoon trying to figure out where to take you for dinner, thinking about fancy places and expensive places and such, but then it hit me that when you and I are together, were usually smiling and laughing. When I think of smiling and laughing, pizza just naturally comes to mind.”

  “I couldn't agree more,” Katie Lou said, her eyes sparkling. “And I'll tell you something. I think the only times I ever had pizza with Darren was when we made it in the oven, or just grabbed one as a quick takeout dinner when we were in a hurry.”

  “Well, that doesn't sound like a lot of fun.”

  “Oh, we had our good times. Darren was just—he grew up differently than I did, and always thought of pizza as a junk food. At my house, it was considered a staple. I think we had it at least once a week, maybe more.”

  Rob made a pouty face. “I didn't mean to try to run him down, I was just being funny. At least, I thought I was.”

  “Oh, no, I didn't take it wrong. Like I said, Darren just grew up differently. I think you and I are more alike.”

  “I think so, too,” Rob said. “I'm just curious, but have you and he actually talked about the accident?”

  “Not directly, no. I mean, he's told me how sorry he is about it, and that he accepts the responsibility for it, which is something. Of course, that doesn't matter a whole lot now, since we already signed the settlement. If he had said that before, we probably could've gotten his insurance company to pay more, but it's not like I'm out to take him for all I can get. The settlement I got is more than enough, especially when the insurance company already paid all my medical bills. I don't need to sue anyone over it, I'm not one of those people who will sue him for all he's worth, in any case.”

  “I wouldn't think you were,” Rob said. “I wasn't thinking about the legal aspects of the accident, so much as the physical. I was just wondering if you talked about your injuries, and how well you've recovered from them.”

  “Well, no, we really haven't talked a lot about that, either.” She suddenly grinned. “Let's lighten the subject. Want to try twenty questions again?”

  Rob laughed. “Sure, let's do it. You go first.”

  “Okay. Let me think, okay—would you rather take a girl to the county fair, or to a play?”

  “Are you kidding? County fair wins, hands down! My turn? Okay, then, let's see—would you rather have a man tell you you’re beautiful, or just catch him staring at you a lot?”

  “That's not fair, because I want both. Can I have both?”

  “I'm pretty sure you would with me,” Rob said. “Is that a point in my favor?”

  Katie
Lou laughed. “I guess I'd have to say it probably is,” she said. “Now that I think about it, Darren isn't the kind to do much staring. He compliments me now and then, but I guess I could stand to hear more often that he thinks I'm beautiful.”

  “Cool, can we start keeping score? That's one for me. And it's your turn.”

  Smiling, Katie Lou pretended to think hard. “Okay, here's one. Tell me what you see as the ideal marriage.”

  “Wow, give a guy a tough one, would you? The ideal marriage? Well, I could just be an ass and say any marriage that involves you and me, but I think you want something a little more descriptive. I'd have to say that my ideal marriage would be one in which my wife and I worked together as equals, building our lives together for our mutual benefit, and of course the benefit of our children. Does that work?”

  “That's good, and I would feel exactly the same way. Okay, your turn.”

  Thirty yards behind them, Walter Andrews was listening to the banality of their little game, already thinking of minor edits he could make to the recording, edits that would make it seem the pair were plotting against Darren. This couldn't possibly be going any better, from his point of view.

  He followed them to the pizzeria, and while he didn't need to go inside to know what they were talking about, he decided to go after a few pictures. He waited a couple of moments after they had gone in, then got out of his car and made his way to the door. The place was kind of busy, but he was able to snag a little two-person booth that gave him a clear line of sight to where Rob and Katie Lou were sitting in a similar booth. He would've preferred that they sat together on one side of a bigger booth, but they were leaning toward each other and smiling a lot. The little spy cam in his hat was snapping twenty-four photos every second, fast enough for high-quality video, but with high enough resolution to get some incredibly clear still shots out of it.

  He laid his tablet on the table in front of him, listening to their conversation through the Bluetooth earpiece on his right ear. He was briefly distracted when a waitress came to ask for his order, but he was hungry enough not to be irritated. He ordered a small pepperoni and a beer, then tried to keep the hat pointed toward the apparently happy little couple.