by Roze, Robyn
His eyes flicked to hers. “No way in hell. You’re not getting away that easy.” He pulled open his sport coat and pocketed his cell. “Not this time.”
****
He’d thumbed through magazines in her office, had made calls across the hall in the conference room, and had inspected the exit and entry points of J&P more than once. He basically kept her in close proximity, as if she were a felon with the words “flight risk” stamped on her forehead. In general, he’d been a pain in the ass and in a sour mood since their pissing match at lunch. Even though she’d ignored him while she attempted to be productive at work, she felt his eyes on her, judging her choices, especially the ones involving men.
Now she stood inside the front door of her apartment, assessing the tossed and torn cushions, drawers dumped, dishes smashed. Parker hadn’t wasted any time; probably paid someone to tear the place up. The news blurb had to have been the final straw. She’d watched it in her office with Dan. A headshot of her mother with the tips hotline number underneath had been displayed for a solid three seconds. She had Dan and his connections to thank for the airtime, which had served to dampen some of the resentment she’d aimed at him today.
He hollered from her bedroom. “It’s all clear, Kat! I’m calling it in.”
She stepped over a busted lamp, cracked picture frames, and an upended side table. As she entered her unholy wreck of a bedroom, Dan glanced over his shoulder at her. “You might want to clean up the mess from your nightstand over there before the police get here.” His tone sounded amused, even a bit mocking. “Your rancher must be better with horses than he is with women.”
Oh, she really wanted to smack his smug face. Her colorful assortment of toys lay scattered on the floor, some peeking out from under the bed.
“Actually, I need to get rid of them.” Her eyes met his. “For the first time in my life, I’m with a man who doesn’t need backup.” She winked and watched the self-satisfaction fade from his face. He stormed out the room and made his call out of earshot.
Served him right. Even with all the fun they’d had in the past and his help with her current problems, she wasn’t about to put up with his juvenile, male ego bullshit.
She scanned the destruction surrounding her. Estimated the time necessary to sort through the mess and organize her life once again. She dropped down on the edge of her bed with a weary sigh. Her elbows rested on her knees, face cupped in her hands.
Gears ground in her brain about the best way to present this situation to Tucker. He’d want to rush back. He hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place, hadn’t wanted her to stay without him. But she’d refused, insisting he go alone. The recent difficulties at Diamond Industries required him on site for a while. And the longer he put off those troubles, the deeper the hole would get, and the quicksand in it, which was the same reason she’d stayed behind in New York. They both needed resolution so they could move forward, wherever forward might take them. The sooner, the better.
Her vision snagged on an upturned heap. A ravaged object came into focus. She reached out and grabbed the photo Claire had taken of her and Tucker on their horses. The glass had been shattered, the picture scored with something sharp, their faces now unidentifiable. Her breathing accelerated and fear tickled up her spine.
“I doubt this was random, Kat.” Dan stood in the doorway. “A unit should be here in a few minutes.”
She nodded numbly. “I didn’t think he’d react so quickly. I mean, I know the firestorm hasn’t let up since the reading of my father’s will, and today I poured gasoline all over it—twice.” Her focus hadn’t left the ruined photo. “But I never thought he’d be so obvious about it. I pegged him as sneakier, more cunning. This feels off.”
“Well, they’ll dust for fingerprints, but I’m not expecting them to find anything.” He pressed his shoulder against the doorframe. “Do you know what someone might’ve been looking for?”
“Yeah, but it’s not here.”
He waited for more information. None followed.
“You can’t stay here tonight, Kat. I’ll get some guys to come tomorrow to install a security system.” She nodded. She knew he was right. “You’re bunking with me for the night.”
Her head whipped up. “Like hell I am! There are plenty of hotels I can go to!”
His arms folded in defiance across his broad chest, as if it were already a settled issue.
“I can protect you better at my place.” He held a hand up, shook his head, and interrupted her bluster. “Hotel or not, you’ll be with me either way. So, deal with it, James! You think I crowded you today? You haven’t seen anything yet. We’re doing this my way. And I’m pretty damned sure the horse whisperer’s going to agree with me on this.” A self-satisfied gotcha grin plastered his face.
Kat blew the bangs away from her eyes, her frustration boiling over. Damn, she hated it when he was right.
****
She nosed around Dan’s warehouse loft; he’d been in the middle of renovations when they’d had their blowout breakup. One word: gorgeous. Sleek and masculine, like Dan. He’d intended on her moving into this open space with him. Had he divulged that critical piece of information before purchasing the enviable Manhattan square footage? No. Because he’d believed his grand gesture, after the fact, would melt her icy heart … bitter words once spoken never to be unheard. From there, the downward spiral had devolved into an epic battle. Picture bighorn rams head butting in the wild.
After walking through the door tonight, he’d armed his high-end security system to ensure she couldn’t escape, then told her to make herself at home while he made a client call from his home office. His muted tone carried through the door. She circled in place, absorbing the open layout with its exposed brick and ductwork and impressive floor to ceiling windows. The stainless steel appliances, espresso cabinetry, and slate fireplace competed for top billing with the impressive view of the city.
She smiled at her friend’s success. Dan Walsh had done exceptionally well for a blue-collar boy from the Bronx. The man was smart, and driven, more than most. He’d used his football scholarship at Columbia to pull himself out of the poverty he’d been born into, and to make a name for himself in a city where almost no one stood out.
They’d bumped into each other a lifetime ago at a crowded fraternity party and had hit it off right away after his size-thirteen shoe had crushed her size seven. He’d had the dark good looks she’d always favored, plus a wicked sense of humor; the winning combination had kept her attention much longer than the other boys had. And over the years, she had loved taking him to family dinners—which drove Sarah James crazy. None of them ever liked Dan. His pedigree simply didn’t measure up and never would in their jaded eyes, no matter what he accomplished. They had told her to stop slumming, stop bringing stray dogs home. As usual, she’d ignored them. Dan had been in on the game, of course. He’d understood her motivation and had played along like a true friend. Tormenting the James family had been a favorite pastime of theirs over the years.
Melancholy weighed heavy on her chest. Her family … What the hell did the label family even mean anymore?
“Kat.” Dan tapped her arm with his cell phone. He gestured for her to take it, and then walked away toward the kitchen.
She pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Just answer one question. Were you ever gonna call and tell me what happened tonight?” Tucker’s voice was tense, stressed.
Her eyes slammed shut; a throb jabbed behind them. She grumbled under her breath and stalked toward the granite countertop where Dan casually leaned back against the edge, favorite microbrew in hand. She gave him the stink eye. His mouth curved in a satisfied smile, and he winked as he took a swig.
“Kat!”
Tucker’s sharp tone vaporized the image of her hands around Dan’s throat, choking the life out of him.
“Yes, of course I was!” She sounded bitchy but hadn’t meant to. Her nerves had frayed today, probably m
uch like his. She glanced over her shoulder as she headed for privacy and saw Dan tracking her movement. She slammed the door shut on his smug grin.
“Just deciding what you were gonna leave out before you called? Is that it? Is that why I had to hear it all from him?” Tucker’s voice sounded strained, tinged with a hint of jealously, and probably doubt about his decision to leave.
She plopped down in Dan’s leather chair and angled her elbows on the desk blotter, a palm pressed to her forehead. She reeled in her instinct to bite back and instead spoke from her heart. “I miss you.” She heard the release of pressure on his end, the anxiety leaving his lungs. “I know it’s only been a couple of days, but I—”
“I wish I were there too.”
“I don’t. I’d rather be where you are right now. I feel like I can’t breathe here.”
“What’s goin’ on, Kat? What happened today?”
She sat back, searched around the room for a starting point, and finally rested her sights among the many trophies and awards gleaming in a lit display case. Then the day’s events spilled out in chronological order. All of it. The face-off at the hotel with Parker and the board, Kyle’s entrance and exit, the news story about Rose Kelley, and finally her ransacked apartment and the top-of-the-line security system being installed tomorrow.
He listened without interruptions. She did her best to calm him, to reassure him she would continue to keep her word and not meet Parker alone—anywhere. She explained to him everything had been handled, that he could trust Dan to keep her safe until he returned to do it himself.
After all, she knew Dan bothered him most. Another man filling in for him, doing what he saw as his job. Then she convinced him not to take the next flight out, to stay in Montana where he needed to be, for right now.
“I really am fine, Tucker, I’m not just saying that. I don’t want you coming back here before you’ve had a chance to handle everything you need to out there. I mean it. I’ve got this covered. I’m not going to do anything stupid.” She chuckled. “Your annoying overpriced bodyguard will make sure of that.”
The tensions had eased.
“He’d damned well better. That’s what I’m payin’ him the big bucks for. You do what he tells you to do, even if you don’t like. Let him do his job. This is serious, Kat. I need to know you’re safe so I can get this mess here handled and get back to you as soon as possible.”
She needed to change the subject before he talked himself back into taking the next flight to JFK. “How is it going out there?”
The squeaking told her he’d reclined in the comfy chair in his home office, rocked in it now. The sound of his hand scrubbing over his whiskered face made her close her eyes, imagine herself sitting across from him, the big old weathered desk between them.
“Well, I’m meeting the site manager and some inspectors at one of the copper mines tomorrow. I’m expecting a long day, but I’m optimistic.” He sighed. “It’ll all work out.”
She smiled at his last statement, the Tucker Williams motto. She’d needed to hear it, hear his voice.
“Hey, turn around and look out your window.” His seat complained as it rotated. “You really need to oil your chair, Williams.” He laughed in agreement. “Is your big sky filled with stars tonight?” She could picture the smile on his face.
“Yeah, just full of ’em.”
“Like those nights we slept underneath them?”
He didn’t answer right away.
“Yeah, just like those nights.” His voice was distant, wistful.
A long pause filled the space and distance as their memories met and mingled, lingered in that time and place.
“God, I wish we were there now.” Her whisper was distressed with the weight of the day, the burden of the unearthed past, and the unknown future lurking around the corner.
“Close your eyes, sweetheart.” She did as he asked. “We are.” His words, thick with sentiment, curled the corners of her lips and lifted the ache from her heart.
The thick aroma of coffee and the sizzle of bacon opened Kat’s lids. She rolled in the direction of the heavenly scents, belly rumbling in response. Dan stood at the kitchen island, dress shirt on, Windsor knotted tie flung over his shoulder as he worked on breakfast in swift, no-nonsense strokes. He still looked pissed. The tight line of his lips, the hard set of his jaw, the line jammed between his brows. The man could hold a grudge, refuse to let go even when there was nothing to hold on to.
She rubbed at her bloodshot eyes, still exhausted after the twelve rounds with him that had lasted into the early morning hours. No knockout punches. No breaks in a corner. A draw. No winners. The man stayed tenacious and rooted in the past, convinced they could work out the disagreements between them. Dan Walsh remained the most stubborn person she’d ever known.
Except for herself.
Last night’s contentious bickering had caused a headache of flashbacks to their earlier demise and only cemented in her mind the necessity of her decision last year. Dan had wanted to change the rules, the nature of their dynamic, for a more traditional setup encouraged by society at large. At first his spiel had felt like a gentle nudge; but when he didn’t get the progress or concessions he’d wanted, he bulldozed ahead as if she’d back down in the face of his male bluster. Right. And then they imploded. And she’d lost a great friend in the fallout, a high cost she would always regret.
Notwithstanding her icy heart.
She snorted and sat up, stretched, and then sank back against the comfortable leather sofa. To this day he insisted she would’ve only needed to tweak a few minor things. Her attitude for one, and then they could’ve been perfect together. If she didn’t have to wear the pants all the time. If she could be even a little dependent on him, once in a while. If she’d be willing to rein in her workaholic tendencies, even a bit. If she’d just considered the idea of kids and letting him take care of her. Had he really been asking for too much from her? Was he really an asshole for wanting those things with her?
She drew in a deep breath and yawned. She’d always loved how the men in her past had focused on her flaws, real or imagined, instead of on their own. Thankfully, a cowboy from Montana had changed all that. She shook her head as she watched Dan, still unaware he was being observed.
She jumped when her phone vibrated to life on the coffee table in front of her, yanking her back to the present. The picture on the screen made her blood run cold. She held the cell up and stared at the image. Dan came into focus above her, his expression curious. She pushed the phone up toward his face so he could get a good look. His eyes widened.
Kat cleared her throat and accepted the call with a tap. “Well, well, I’m surprised it took you this long to call. Were you and Parker getting your stories straight, Sarah?” Her eyes flicked to Dan, now perched on the coffee table.
“That’s in very poor taste, Kathryn. Not to mention disrespectful.”
“The last thing you’re going to get from me is respect.” She leaned back, stretched her legs, and plopped her feet beside Dan. “Is your psycho son listening in right now?”
“That is quite enough, Kathryn!” Her voice was shrill, lacking its usual control and authority. “We need to talk. Just the two of us. Today. I’ll even ask Terrence to prepare your favorite.” The words sounded forced, her upper-crust aloofness shaken.
“My favorite what, Sarah? You don’t have a clue what my favorite anything is. And you obviously take me for an idiot, if you think I’m going to meet you in private, anywhere.” Dan nodded in agreement. “Especially without a food taster.” Her words dripped with sarcasm and loathing.
An indignant huff blasted through the phone followed by unintelligible bluster. “It’s imperative we talk, put to rest the absurd ramblings of a man who was in pain, incoherent, and heavily medicated. Your father was not of sound mind when you last saw him, Kathryn. You simply cannot trust anything he might have said to you.”
Kat contemplated her next turn in the dangerous maz
e. “Did you see the news last night, Sarah? Watch it with Parker? Strategize afterwards on how best to handle me.” Her focus swung to Dan, the shadowed planes of his face intense. “Of course, you can’t believe everything the news reports, can you? I’m sure you’ve been as upset by the stories circulating in the tabloids as I’ve been.” Kat pushed off the sofa and moved to a tall window.
“Then again, maybe not. This is, after all, the first time you’ve contacted me since the reading of my father’s will. So I can only assume you’re quite pleased with the smear campaign you and others have orchestrated against me.” The line was quiet, except for Sarah’s uneven breathing punctuating the silence. “As long as it keeps you and yours in a positive light, you don’t give a shit about me.” A cold chuckle bubbled past Kat’s lips. “Except now, you kind of have to. Don’t you, Sarah.”
A phone call would never suffice. Kat wanted to sit across from this bitch one last time.
“I’ll have Stella rearrange my schedule just for you, Mother Dearest. Be in my office at two o’clock; you know, the big corner suite my father occupied.” She disconnected just as the sputtering rebuttal started.
Dan’s reflection in the window grew larger, closing the gap between them. He held coffee mugs in each hand and passed one off to her, his black as night, hers the rich color of caramel. Apparently, he still remembered how she liked her morning fix.
“You seem like you’re actually enjoying this shit.” He blew carefully over the rim of his mug. Steam swirled in front of his handsome face as he took a sip, all the while his questioning eyes remained locked on hers.
She turned his words over in her mind. Stark images and visceral memories flooded her brain. The James family was an aloof, calculating bunch. They had always organized and operated more like a business with profit margins and branding campaigns than a real flesh-and-blood family, at least in any Hallmark movie sense. The James clan met the definition of family only in its barest description: they were a group of related people—mostly.