“Thanks. He was…killed in a car accident caused by my abusive husband, who was also killed. It was only by some miracle that I wasn’t, too.”
“That must have been very difficult for you, dear.”
“It was. For the longest time I was angry at everything and everyone, including God. I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong to cause God to take Tony away from me.”
“And now?”
“I’ve made my peace with what happened, even though I still don’t completely understand why Tony had to die. However, now that I’ve met Lucas, a part of me thinks that losing Tony was God’s way of preparing me to help Lucas.”
“His family died in a car accident as well.”
“And he only survived because he was too sick to go out with his family.” She got up and stared out the window. It faced the hill where the kids were sledding, their shouts and joyful banter a distant roar as they played in the snow. “I feel this bond with Lucas. It’s helped heal the pain in my heart from losing Tony. For the first time in a very long time I feel I can make a difference. That I have a purpose other than myself.”
“Since you’ve been a mother, you know the demands expected of you, then. You’re not married, correct?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Involved with anyone?”
She thought back to Edward and what she felt changing between them. “Not at the moment.”
“What about Edward? You two seem close.”
“We’re just friends.”
“I see,” he replied with a look that conveyed he didn’t exactly believe her and knew more than a priest should about relationships.
“Does he or your family know your desire to adopt Lucas?”
“I’ve mentioned it to a couple of my close girlfriends and they’re supportive. But I haven’t told anyone else or my family, although I think my mother suspects.”
“Are you prepared to raise a child on your own?”
“I am. I couldn’t have done it a couple years ago, but I’m ready now. I need to do this in order to fully put the past behind me.”
“You seem to have given this a lot of thought.”
“I have, Father. I’m prepared to be a single parent and can financially support both of us. So, what do we do now?”
He opened a desk drawer. “I’ll get you the forms to complete. You can look them over and if you’re definitely interested, we’ll go from there.”
“Thanks, Father.”
He rose and walked around to hand her a stack of papers. “You’re very welcome. Losing a child or a family is very difficult. When things like that happen, it’s challenging to understand Our Father’s big plan. I’m glad you’re able to put your sadness away and can do something good for someone.” He touched her shoulder. “You’re a special woman, Kate, and I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful mother to Lucas.”
Father Dominic’s words brought tears to her eyes. She sniffled softly as she tucked the papers into her purse when leaving his office. Once she read through the information she’d have a better idea of the process and would be able to make her decision. In the meantime, she’d continue to refrain from sharing her intentions with Edward and her family—at least for now.
Chapter Eleven
With the food preparation under control in the kitchen, Kate put on her coat and wandered outside toward the sledding. As soon as Lucas spotted her, he raced to her side.
“Where’ve you been, Kate? I’ve been waiting to go sledding with you,” he said, a little out of breath.
“I was helping inside, but I’m done for now.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the others.
Edward turned when Lucas called out to him.
“I’m ready now. I have my partner,” he announced.
Edward raised an eyebrow toward her. “Are you sure you’re up for sledding?” he asked, with a glance down at her black high-heeled boots.
She shot him a challenging look. “Only if we race against you.”
“Me?”
“Lucas and I against you. Loser buys dinner.”
He studied her, almost as though he were weighing how he could turn this contest in his favor. Then he turned to Lucas. “Why don’t you grab two sleds, sport, while I negotiate with Kate?”
Lucas nodded and ran off.
Edward hooked his fingers in her jacket pockets and pulled her closer. “How about if I win, you go on a date with me?”
“That’s playing dirty.”
“Very well. You can explain to Lucas why we’re not racing.”
“I can’t do that. Just look at how excited he is.” She nodded over to where Lucas stood waiting for available sleds, jumping up and down and an enthusiastic grin on his face.
“My sled, my rules, or are you afraid you’ll lose?”
He struck a nerve and he knew it. She couldn’t back down from the challenge. Besides, she’d been rethinking the whole not-dating thing and almost convinced herself she was being ridiculous for fighting their attraction. So no matter what happened, she’d figured she’d win.
She met the challenge of his gaze. “One date—and don’t expect sex.”
He attempted to look shocked, but one side of his mouth twitched. “Certainly not.”
“Fine. Be prepared to lose.”
On their turn, Kate arranged Lucas at the front of the sled. Edward agreed to give them a five-second head start. One of the older kids gave them the signal, and she pushed the back of the sled and jumped on, wrapping her legs around Lucas.
She laughed as the sounds of his cheering reached her ears. One of the benefits of having a large family was that there was always someone to play with. They used to sled all the time when they were kids. It was usually Kate and Vicky against Nick and Vinnie. The girls tended to win almost as often as the boys. She could definitely take on Edward.
The sled moved quickly down the hill, and she leaned forward to drive it faster. Out of her peripheral view Edward approached from the left, gaining on them.
“Faster, Kate,” Lucas called.
She pulled up the sides of the sled and felt it pick up speed. She could hear the yells from the side as they rode neck and neck toward the bottom.
Both sleds hit an ice patch at the same time. Unable to control what happened next, they ended up colliding and flipping into the snow.
By the time they stopped rolling, they’d landed in a pile and were hysterical with laughter.
“That was awesome!” Lucas shouted with the jubilation of a child. “I’ll go get the sleds so we can do it again.” He jumped off them and raced over to where the sleds lay, a good hundred yards away.
Kate lay on top of Edward, her mouth dangerously close to his. “Looks like we have a tie.”
He removed a glove and pushed aside a few strands of hair that had escaped her hat. “I suppose we’ll need a rematch, then.”
Despite the cold, his fingers were warm along her face. Her heart pounded—not a result of the race. His other hand held her firmly against his hard body, and yeah, he was most certainly hard—everywhere. She shifted, the impact of his arousal heating her insides.
“Kate,” he half groaned.
Her hair curtained his face, blocking out the world so the two of them appeared to be alone. She studied his lips, slightly parted, and begging to be kissed. With only the slightest shift of her head, she rubbed her bottom lip against his. His lips were soft and trembled—possibly from the cold, but she hoped from her touch. He didn’t move, but rather, let her set the pace—slow, teasing, and ridiculously arousing. There was no denying she wanted him, and from the way he pulled her lower half against him, he wanted her.
“Edward, I…”
“Kate, Edward, look out,” Lucas called.
Kate glanced up just in time to get a snowball in the face. She shrieked while Edward only laughed. He raised a hand to wipe at it and found one in his face, too. A few feet away, Lucas stood, giggling.
“Hurry, we’re having a snowball fight. Kids versus adults,” Lucas called.
The intimate moment broken, Kate struggled for composure, wondering how much anyone saw. “Sorry about that.”
He rolled and pinned her under him. “I’m not. We’ll continue this later.” Before she could respond, he planted a kiss on her nose and moved aside. “How are you at snowball fights?”
Grasping the hand he offered, she rose to her feet. “Pretty damned good. You?”
“Quite excellent if I do say so.”
“Well, I suppose there’s only one thing to do now,” Kate said.
With a crooked smile, he pulled her toward the others. “Let’s get him.”
****
Following the snowball fight, Edward and some of the other adults worked with the kids to carry the sleds back to the orphanage and store them in the shed.
Edward hadn’t been sledding since childhood and even then, it hadn’t been that often. The servants kept a sled in the storeroom and would let his brother and him use it when their father worked and their mother pampered herself at the salon. But it wasn’t nearly as loud or as exhilarating as today’s events.
Back inside, Edward grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and scanned the room for Kate, finding her by the fireplace. The light from the fire reflected off her face, and he felt an uncharacteristic urge to hold her. Not for sex, but rather for intimacy. He frowned at this sentimental thought.
Something had changed between them over the past two days. Yesterday, he thought she was going to kiss him back in his apartment. Then there was the kiss outside. It wasn’t the wild and hot kisses he’d shared with her in the past, but it practically undid him with its slow teasing.
Kate called out to someone across the room and ran directly into a man’s arms. Standing well over six feet, the recipient of her affection had wide shoulders and bulging biceps. A smile lit up his brooding face when he saw Kate and he leaned down and planted a kiss on her mouth. A sharp stab of jealousy flowed through Edward. Who the hell was this man and how did Kate know him?
He turned away and forced his features to remain casual, banking his irritation at seeing her in another man’s arms.
“That was some fine sledding you did today, sport,” Edward said when Lucas approached him.
“It was a blast. Can we go out again later?”
“We’ll have to see, all right?”
“Okay. This time I want you on my team.”
Edward’s heart lurched at the pure joy that lit up the boy’s face. Right now the boy directed his pleasure at Edward, and that made him feel…he searched for the right word…good. Although he hadn’t intended to, he found himself liking this little boy. He sure as hell didn’t know what to make of that.
Before he could reflect any further, Kate approached and weaved her arm through his.
“Hey, I want you both to meet someone. This is my brother, Nick. Nick, this is Edward, and this little guy is Lucas,” Kate said.
Her brother. Of course. Now that he could see him up close, the resemblance was clear. They both had thick, dark hair and an olive complexion. Now he felt like a prat.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Edward said, extending his hand.
“Same goes.” Nick gave his hand a firm shake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Edward just bet he had. From what he remembered, Kate was closest to Nick and based on the warning look her brother shot Edward, he must know about their history. Approval from this member of the DiFrancesco clan would be harder to earn.
After a minute-by-minute account of the sled race, Kate led a chattering Lucas toward the food line.
Edward checked to make certain Kate wasn’t coming back. “I’m glad we have a moment alone. I know Kate called you about the situation at the church. What have you been able to learn about Sal DiSilva?”
Nick’s eyes turned hard. “Only that he made parole a few weeks ago. Since he cornered Kate at St. Christopher’s, he hasn’t surfaced other than to report to work and check in with his parole officer.”
“Right. I’m certain he’s being the model citizen.”
“It appears so. Why, you don’t believe it?”
“I was there the day he threatened your sister. I saw his face.” Edward would never forget the malevolence on Sal’s face or the disturbing way he’d leered at Kate. “He has an agenda and it involves Kate. I got the distinct feeling he’s biding his time to get to her.”
Nick frowned. “I have some people keeping tabs on him, and I spoke with his parole officer last week to make sure he hasn’t missed any of his appointments.”
“So that’s it?”
“For now, it’s all I can do.”
He wasn’t pleased with Nick’s answer. Edward glanced over at Kate, now laughing with a group of kids. She was so alive and vibrant. He wouldn’t risk anything happening to her.
“There has to be something else that can be done. I’ve asked her to stop taking the subway and start taking cabs. I’ve even offered to pay, but she won’t hear of it.”
“And that surprises you?”
Edward exhaled in frustration. “No, it bloody well doesn’t. It just annoys the hell out of me. Have you talked to her about increased safety?”
“Not unless I want to get my head bitten off. Kate has taken self-defense classes. She knows how to kick ass if and when she needs to,” Nick said.
“But that’s not the same as being able to apply those skills in real life. She was visibly shaken at seeing him.”
“Now that the shock of seeing him is over, she’ll be prepared if she encounters him again.” He clapped a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll talk with her.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
They made their way over to the buffet line. The talk with Nick helped but didn’t completely reassure Edward that Kate wasn’t in harm’s way. Hopefully, Kate would heed the advice of her brother and it would be enough to keep her safe.
****
The party ended after they watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Kate tucked Lucas into bed and it had only taken reading him one story before he fell fast asleep. Before heading back, Edward took her out for a drink and light snacks. It was eleven when he finally pulled into a parking spot around the corner from her parents’ house.
Silence accompanied them as they strolled down the street. They walked side by side, occasionally bumping hands. On reflex, Kate grasped Edward’s fingers the next time they brushed hers. Their warmth felt good against her colder ones.
She’d expected him to bring up their earlier kiss when they stopped for food, but he hadn’t. Rather, they’d talked about the party, which had been a complete success. The joy on the children’s faces at the generosity of the gifts donated from St. Christopher’s parish had been wonderful to experience.
But the most memorable moment had been when Edward and Nick carried in the fifty-inch widescreen television and Nintendo Wii. The shouts of joy from the children filled the room, and they all ran over to help unwrap the gift. For the rest of the night they took turns playing games and watching movies.
The present had been a surprise to even her. The fact that Edward thought of it touched something inside her. Not because he wasn’t a generous person, but because he tapped in to something important to the children—something she hadn’t thought he was capable of relating to. She knew he hadn’t initially been comfortable visiting the orphanage, including spending time with Lucas. But he did it anyway, and over the past few weeks she saw him change toward the children, especially Lucas.
That change shed a whole new light on the man who walked beside her. As much as the logical part of her was still afraid of getting involved, of getting hurt, the woman inside her knew what she wanted—hurt be damned.
They walked up the stairs, but when she reached the top step, she turned and faced him. He was on the lower step, so she was closer to his face.
“Thanks for all your help
today,” she said.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad to have been a part of it.”
“The kids had a great time.” She rubbed her lips together, wanting to say more, but struggled with finding the right words to say she’d been wrong to push him away.
So she did the only thing she could without feeling like an idiot.
She kissed him.
His lips were soft and inviting when she brushed hers lightly over them. With the slightest of pressure, she slipped her tongue inside and deepened the kiss. His hands encircled her waist, and she clasped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She moaned as the kiss heated, until they were both a little breathless.
“We’re not going to be able to be alone in there are we?” He trailed his lips along her neck.
“It depends. My parents usually go up to bed about this time. Since it’s the weekend, Vinnie and Vicky often go out after the pizzeria closes, but you never know with them.”
He captured her mouth and had her gasping when he finally pulled away. Boy, the man could kiss.
“I have an idea,” she whispered against his mouth. “Why don’t we go inside, get changed into something more comfortable, and neck on the couch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Neck on the couch?”
“Sure. I haven’t done that since I was a teenager. Didn’t you?”
“Living in a house full of servants didn’t really lend itself to necking on the couch.”
“Well, you missed out.” She tugged him up the stairs. “Let’s see if I can help round out your experiences.”
****
They entered the house and caught Carmen and Joe as they were heading upstairs for the night. After several minutes of small talk, Edward and Kate were each able to escape to their rooms to change.
After slipping into sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, he found Kate in the kitchen popping popcorn, her plaid pajama pants and short sweat jacket an oddly sexy combination. He couldn’t recall ever lounging around eating popcorn with any of the women he’d dated. It was an experience he should be uncomfortable with given his upbringing…but found that he wasn’t.
He encircled her waist from behind and pushed her hair aside, nuzzling her neck.
Untangle My Heart (Tangled Hearts) Page 13