by Jillian Hart
A fine woman who made his heart beat inside out. A personable, gentle lady who’d laughed at his wry sense of humor and made him feel like the kind of man he wanted to be. A man unjaded by life and able to believe real love was out there. Not elusive like a rainbow’s end, but within his reach.
Man, you keep thinking like that, and you’re doomed to disappointment. The hamburger was sizzling, and he stirred it around in the skillet. He owed Katherine an apology, but he couldn’t start thinking there could be more to it than that. He had Hayden. He had a full plate of problems. He’d be smart to stop glancing at the phone and stop wondering if Katherine was listed in the white pages, and get the green beans in a saucepan. He had to fix dinner, not start a romance.
He didn’t have a chance with Katherine McKaslin. He had to face the truth. She wasn’t interested in him. She probably wasn’t sitting at home this exact minute wishing they’d had more time to talk, or wishing she’d gotten to know him better.
Nope, he was a realist. He stirred in a package of seasoning and noodles, covered the pan and left it to simmer, and went back to the pantry. It wasn’t a matter of should he call Katherine, no, that had no place in his life. Or did it?
He’d think on that later. Right now, deciding between green beans or corn for dinner, and how to deal with Hayden when she came down to eat was enough to handle.
It’s not any of my business, Katherine reminded herself as her gaze strayed to the kitchen phone. As she divided up the leftover Chinese food between her and Danielle, she tried not to wonder how Jack and Hayden were doing. The twins had already left to catch a movie at the discount theater near the college. Danielle was busily wiping off countertops with a sponge, efficient and hard-working as always.
Katherine didn’t know what she would have done without her stepsister.
“There. It’s almost as spotless as before we came.” Dani rinsed the sponge at the sink. “The twins upset you, didn’t they? You wouldn’t show it, but I can tell.”
“They get this way about every man they think is a possibility for me. A few weeks ago it was the copier repairman. That’s why the store’s copy machine is on the fritz and I won’t get it fixed. I’m not bringing that man into the store again and get Ava going on this path.” Katherine sighed, exhaling pent-up frustration she didn’t know she had. She fetched a plastic grocery bag from the bin under the kitchen sink, neatly piled Danielle’s share of the food into it and gave it a shove in Dani’s direction.
“Katherine? You seem off tonight. Is it something to do with this new guy the twins mentioned? Do you need to talk?”
Katherine shook her head. She needed to talk, but she didn’t know if she was ready. “I thought you wanted to get home for Madison’s bedtime.”
“I always have time for you. Always have, always will.”
No one knew the way Dani did how hard times had been for her and the hard choices she’d had to make. “Go home to your little ones. Hug them tight and keep them safe.”
“I guess that’s answer enough. For now.” Dani took the bag and her car keys. “But I’m going to stop by the store tomorrow morning. In case you’re ready to talk then. We could go out for coffee. Spence can run the store alone for a few hours.”
“It’s a deal.” Katherine knew she wouldn’t want to talk then. There were some things she never wanted to think about, ever, much less talk about as casually as the weather. But she appreciated Danielle’s support. “You’ve got the new book?”
“Right here.” Dani stopped to put on her coat. “Maybe this new man, this white-roses guy, he could be the one who—”
“I just don’t think so. I want to get close to a good man, but trusting him? That’s the problem. Love is very dangerous.”
“It’s like getting onto a sinking ship. But sometimes, together, you can get it to sail.” Why Dani looked sad when she said that, Katherine didn’t know. “If you have his number, you should call him. Invite him to church.”
“Do you need to talk?”
“You’re changing the subject.” Dani gave her a hug. “It was one mistake in judgment long ago. The consequences were devastating. I was there, I know. But you deserve to be happy. Not every man is Kevin. Not every man is going to judge and sentence you for what another man did against your will.”
“I know.” She knew that. Logically, she knew. But her heart? Her spirit? They were more tentative. “My problem is finding a good man. A truly good man. Since I’m not interested in the copier repair guy.”
“You need to start dating again.”
“Dating. Ugh.” Anxiety pooled in her stomach. “After every date I’ve been on in the last year—not that it’s been that many—I get home and vow, never again. I hate dating.”
“How are you going to find the right man with that attitude?”
“I know, but I have to face the facts. All the good ones are already married. Those men get snatched up early. And now that I’m over thirty, I’m looking at what’s left over. Believe me, you don’t want to date leftovers. There’s always something really wrong with them, which is why they haven’t married in the first place, or some perfectly nice woman married them, brought them home, got to know them and then threw them back in the dating pond.”
“Excuses, excuses.” Danielle’s smile was gentle. “Jonas has known this guy since they were kids. He’s new to the area. He’s a good, solid faithful man. We could fix you two up.”
“I’d rather get a root canal without anesthetic. I’ve given up on dating.”
“Never give up, Katherine. God will send the right man to you. I believe that with all my heart.”
“Go home to your babies. Give them extra snuggles from their Aunt Katherine.”
“Okay, but we’ll talk about this tomorrow at the coffee shop. Good night.”
“’Night.” She threw the deadbolt, watching Danielle trudge down the dark, slick walkway to the sidewalk and then on to the guest parking.
Katherine changed rooms, standing in the bay front windows in the living room to keep Dani in her sight and make sure she got to her car all right.
Never give up, Katherine. God will send the right man to you. Dani’s words replayed in her mind as she watched the minivan back out of a parking spot and zip down the driveway, out of sight.
Katherine closed the blinds. She wanted Danielle to be right. That Mr. Right, not Mr. Almost-Right, was out there somewhere. Why did she hope, down deep, that man was Jack?
Because you like him more than you want to admit, Katherine, that’s why. What she needed to do was to give it to the Lord and trust Him to handle it. Maybe the angels could send her a sign, too, so she would know when the absolute right man came along. A great big sign, one she couldn’t miss.
Chapter Seven
“I don’t believe it.” Katherine had to look twice to make sure that she wasn’t imagining Jack Munroe getting out of a black SUV in the small coffee shop’s parking lot. She had a clear view of him, since she was sitting right in front of the window. “What are the chances?”
“Of what?” Dani peered over the rim of her cup and followed Katherine’s gaze. “Who’s that? Oh, is it the white roses guy? That’s Jack Munroe?”
“Good guess.”
“Before you got home last night, the twins described him in good detail. He is impressive.”
“It’s the scowl. It put me off at first, too. I think he comes across gruff on purpose.” Katherine wrenched her gaze from him and twisted in her seat. She was in plain view, if he came up to the door. With any luck, he was going to the sandwich shop next door. If he did, then he could miss her entirely.
Lord, please let him be going to the sandwich shop.
Katherine propped her elbow on the table and hid the side of her face with her hand. He’d breached the outer layer of her defenses last night and she still felt vulnerable. Dangerously vulnerable. She didn’t want to get close to a man who could see right into her. What if he saw too much?
She had to a
dmit she liked him. She really did. What scared her more was the possibility that he might like her back. But all she had to do was remember Hayden’s tantrum in the ski lodge to know the chances of it working out between her and Jack were slim to none. She didn’t have to be a NASA scientist to know that.
Jack hesitated on the sidewalk between the two shops. Rainwater dripped off his baseball hat brim as he stood talking with someone just out of sight.
Dani leaned far forward over the table and craned her neck to get another good look at Jack. “Wow, he’s all man, isn’t he? He just radiates power. He looks intimidating, but I bet he’s a teddy bear at heart. He has nice eyes, warm and kind.”
“Stop looking at him, Dani. The last thing I want to do is—” to feel as I did when I was with him. She ached with a powerful regret she couldn’t explain. It made no sense, but she knew it was best to avert her gaze, lean just right so he was less likely to see her.
I’m not being rude or cowardly, really.
Father, please, let him go on by. She held her breath, peeling off a layer from her chocolate croissant on the plate in front of her, waiting, willing Jack to go into the sandwich shop. To her surprise, he strode powerfully out of her range of sight. She waited a beat, but he didn’t come back.
Thank you, Lord. Relief left her dizzy.
“It’s for the best,” she said, but she didn’t know if she was trying to convince her stepsister of that. Or herself.
“So,” Dani began. “About the guy Jonas knows. We could have you both over to dinner at our house. Or, we could meet you at a restaurant. Or you could just be brave and do the whole blind-date thing. Let him come pick you up, take you out, bring you home. Think of all that time you could talk and get to know him. It could be good.”
“It could be doom.”
“It could be good. C’mon, say yes.”
“How about I think about it?”
“Deal. Think about it before you say yes. I won’t take no for an answer.” Danielle smiled as she cut into her chocolate chip muffin.
A blind date? Not in this lifetime. She wasn’t about to change her mind, either. Katherine’s gaze drifted to the empty sidewalk where Jack had been standing.
Well, one thing could change her mind, a small voice within her said. But she decided not to listen to it. After all, a girl had to be sensible.
In the sandwich shop, Jack stared at the menu. His eyes wouldn’t focus. He wanted coffee. Just coffee. Maybe a muffin or something sweet. But when he’d spotted Katherine McKaslin in the coffee shop, looking as pretty as spring in a pink fuzzy sweater and tan slacks, he couldn’t face her. Mostly because she hadn’t acted the least bit interested in him. And after Hayden’s outburst, he knew she never would be.
Let it go, man. He swiped his hand over his face, feeling exhausted and every minute of his thirty-six years. He’d hardly slept a wink last night, and it was one of his nights off, too, and so that meant he was starting work tonight already behind.
Pastor Marin had answered her office phone at exactly five minutes after eight and was more than happy to recommend a private Christian school that just happened to have a mandatory dress code. He’d spent the first part of the morning battling Hayden and getting her enrolled.
That had been enough to deal with. He didn’t have the energy to try to face Katherine and apologize. He had the sinking feeling that there were no words in the English language sincere enough to ask for understanding for Hayden’s outburst.
“Sir?” the college-age girl asked from behind the glass case. “What can I get you?”
“Coffee,” he managed to get out. “You got anything for a late breakfast?”
“I have some ham and egg breakfast sandwiches left.”
It would do. He nodded, pulling out his wallet. What he didn’t like was that Jonas, who was currently studying the chalkboard menu, was no dim bulb. He was going to figure out what was bugging him. A man could only get this knotted up over a woman. He’d better pull it together, fast.
Jonas ordered, and they took their trays to one of the scarred wooden tables. Was it coincidence or providence that he had a clear view of the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop?
Don’t think about Katherine, he told himself, as he bowed his head for prayer.
Jonas said the blessing and then dug into his mid-morning ham on rye. “Now that you’ve got your girl settled, I’ve got someone I want to set you up with. My wife suggested it.”
“A blind date? Forget it.” He emptied three sugar packets into his coffee. “The last one I had was a full-out disaster. I vowed never again.”
“And how long ago was this?”
“About a year. Around the time I started thinking about relocating to Montana.” Jack would always be grateful to his childhood friend for helping him to get on with the state force, but friendship and gratitude only went so far. “No offense, but forget it. No. Won’t do it. Not even at gunpoint.”
“How are you supposed to find a nice lady to marry with that attitude?”
Good question. It wasn’t just his attitude, but that of his fifteen-year-old daughter, too. And that was an even bigger obstacle. “I’ve got enough on my plate.”
“Would it make a difference if I told you my wife is next door with her, right now? We were going to try to get you in the same spot, but you refused to go to the coffee shop.”
Katherine was in that coffee shop. Jack gulped down a few swallows of coffee. What were the chances? “Who is she, the woman you were going to fix me up with?”
“My wife’s stepsister. She’s the nicest, most honest woman in the whole state of Montana. Her name’s Katherine.”
Jack choked, and that’s when he saw her. Katherine McKaslin looking amazing in a sleek fashionable tan jacket, which she was buttoning as she paused on the sidewalk, beneath the awning, chatting with another woman—Jonas’s wife. They were close, he guessed, by the way they leaned toward one another, relaxed and casual, but there was an obvious respect and a fondness between them. Like blood sisters have.
In that moment, time slowed to a stop. This was the Katherine from last night, honest and unguarded, all heart. A longing he couldn’t name rushed through him, so sweetly his spirit ached. He watched as she waved goodbye to her friend, stepped off the curb in her low-heeled tan shoes and hurried through the parking lot, taking his heart with her.
A definite sign.
Funny how falling for someone could really sneak up on a guy. He took another swallow of coffee, but it had no taste. He watched Katherine weave through the second and third row of cars and then disappear, leaving only cold gray rain in his world.
The bookstore’s mid-afternoon lull was in full swing, and Katherine was thankful. Ever since she’d returned from coffee with Dani, there had been constant customers. Not really a rush, but with the skeleton staff for the slow retail months following the new year, it kept everyone hopping.
Rain tapped cozily at the window of her office while she turned to her engagement book, which was open on her desk blotter. Several items on her to-do list had been crossed off, but there was still a long list needing to be done. The most important being, to figure out how to fix the copier. Or look up a different repair company in the phone book. Spence wasn’t going to like that, so she continued down her list.
Prepare the journal entries for the bookkeeper. Katherine skipped right over that one, too. Usually she liked to get things done, but she was low on energy—on everything—today. She was not in the mood to deal with numbers or math.
There was a light knock on her open door. She turned to see Kelly standing just outside the door frame. “There’s some people to see you.”
“Customers?” At least she hoped it wasn’t the copier repair guy. Spence could have made the call on his own initiative and forgotten to tell her.
“Not exactly.” She lowered her voice, her expression cheerful. “It’s that handsome cop guy. You know, with the shoplifter daughter.”
I’d rat
her deal with the copier man. Katherine pressed her hand to her forehead. A headache was building there. “What do they want?”
“He wouldn’t say. He just asked to see you. I think it’s personal. Remember what you always tell me? Good things happen to good people.”
She hopped out of her chair before Kelly could start. She tended to side with Ava and Aubrey on the subject of Jack Munroe. “I’ll deal with him. Thanks.”
“Sure. I’ll be here, at the front, if you need anything.”
Katherine ignored the knowing grin Kelly flashed her because she felt an icy tingling settle into the back of her neck, like doom.
Sure enough, there was Jack at the counter, his daughter at his side. Katherine took a step toward them and the icy tingle of nerves slid down her spine and into her stomach, from dread or attraction, she didn’t know which. Probably a little of both.
“Katherine.” He boomed her name. “Just the lady I’m looking for.”
Hopefully, he didn’t mean that literally. He was wearing civilian clothes instead of his trooper’s uniform, but even in a sweatshirt and jeans, he looked mighty. There didn’t seem to be a soft spot or a weakness in a man like that. If she didn’t know he was a pretty nice guy, she never would have guessed it.
She swallowed hard, hoping her anxiety would settle, and approached the counter. With a little effort, she was able to smile cordially up at him, as if there was nothing between them. “What can I do for you two?”
“May I talk with you in private?”
Private. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered harder. “Sure. Come into my office. Kelly, would you mind being in charge until I get back?”
“No prob.” Kelly, who often studied in the lull between customers, closed her college sociology book with a thud. She apparently was going to keep a sharp eye on Hayden.
Not that Katherine was worried about it. She thought the teenager looked different today, in a prep school uniform and blond hair without blue highlights. She looked almost contrite. “Hayden, there’s hot herbal tea and cookies on the cart in the reading area, if you want to snack.”