by Linda Bleser
She nodded, not ready to admit where her thoughts had been leading her when she’d made that comment. Certainly she hadn’t been thinking about attending her ten-year reunion.
“The reunion is as good a place to start as any,” he said. “You can face the ghosts of your past all at once and put them to rest. You can walk in there with your head held high and show this town once and for all what you’re made of.”
Kate remained unconvinced.
“Not everyone believed the lies about you,” Max assured her.
The words were like a spike through her heart. “You did,” she whispered.
He lowered his eyes. “Not really. Not deep in my heart where I knew the real you. But it was easier than thinking that you didn’t love me.”
“But I did love you,” Kate cried. “I…” Her voice cracked and she left the sentence unfinished.
Max held her gaze, the moment stretching out uncomfortably. “Say it, Kate,” he urged.
And there in his arms, she realized she could finally admit aloud what she’d been running from all these years. “I…I still do.”
Max crushed her tight against his chest and this time the kiss was more possessive. “I never stopped loving you,” he whispered between hungry kisses that claimed her as completely as his words. “I love you. Only you.”
Kate felt a piece of her soul slip back into place, a shattered fragment that had been missing far too long. She held on tight, afraid to let go. She knew now how easy it was to lose the one true love of your life. She wouldn’t make that same mistake twice. This time she wouldn’t let love slip away.
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll go with you.” And just like that, a weight fell away—the weight of shame and guilt and resentment she’d been carrying around all of her adult life. She’d face them all, with her head held high, just like Max said. She had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of. With Max by her side, she could do anything.
Anything.
Even go back to high school if she had to.
A muffled cry of “Dinner’s ready!” came from outside the attic door.
Max turned and called out that they’d be right there, while Kate knelt down and started putting things back in the empty cartons. She reached for one of the albums stacked beside her and brushed her finger over Roy Orbison’s face, trying to penetrate the secrets behind those dark shades. “What?” she whispered. “What are you trying to tell me?”
She turned the album over and scanned the list of song titles. She had to be missing something obvious. She had the niggling suspicion that the answer was staring her right in the face, like one of those pictures where you tried to find the hidden objects. When you finally found the images, it was hard to believe they had been hidden inside all along.
Hidden inside?
Kate’s breath caught in her throat. No, it couldn’t be that simple. Could it?
She slipped the vinyl record out of its sleeve, her heart galloping with excitement. She knew she was on the right track now. She’d just had to shift her focus, look deeper inside for the answer.
She pulled another record off the stack then stopped as words on the album cover beneath it caught her eye⎯Roy Orbison’s album titled The Other Side. Her heart leaped and she knew without a doubt that she’d struck gold. Of course! If she’d had her wits about her, she would have looked inside this one first for a message from her mother. The clues had been there all along, she just hadn’t seen them.
She grabbed the album, her heart pounding with excitement. “Yes,” she pleaded, half afraid to get her hopes up again. “Be here, be here.”
And it was.
With a squeal of excitement, she found what she’d been searching for. Tucked between the record sleeve and the album jacket was an envelope. “Max,” she called, slipping out some folded papers. “I think I’ve found it!”
Her hands shook as she grasped the envelope. It was stiff and brittle with age. Max peered over her shoulder, watching as she opened the fragile packet.
Folded inside was a receipt and cancelled check, both made out to Jebediah Feathers. The letter explained everything. Anne Connors had bought out Jebediah’s share of the property, which later became the Tea and Crumpet Shop. Then she’d turned the title over to Lillian, free and clear.
Max rocked back on his heels. “My mother bought out Jebediah’s half of the property?”
Kate shook her head in disbelief. “Look,” she said, pointing to the other piece of paper. “She held it in trust for my mother. Apparently they’d planned on being partners, but…”
Max nodded. “My mother died shortly after these papers were signed.”
Kate glanced at him, her vision misty with tears. “They were really good friends, weren’t they?”
Max pulled her close. “The best,” he said. “And your mother never forgot. She was always around, watching out for us in whatever way she could. All the time she was building that business from the ground up, she’d made arrangements to see that we’d eventually get a share of it.”
Kate felt all the pieces of the puzzle beginning to slip into place.
“You know,” Max said, “Lillian tried to give me a loan when I was having financial problems. I wouldn’t take it.” He jutted his chin, showing a trace of the pride that had kept him from accepting that long-ago offer. “Then suddenly she had all this carpentry work that had to be done.” He smiled with the memory. “I told her she was paying me far too much, but she insisted.”
“She owed your mother a debt and was determined to repay it one way or the other.”
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Max asked.
Kate beamed, thrilled with their discovery. “It means we’re free of Ed’s claim on the property. My father sold his share of the property before he married Ginny Tate.” She gave Max a victorious smile. “It also means you’ll inherit your fair share of my mother’s estate—enough to keep the ranch running for a long, long time.”
“Yes,” Max said, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around in the tight space. “Let’s go downstairs and tell everyone the good news.” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “Then we can go off and find that quiet space you promised me for some serious make-out time.”
Kate’s heart pounded with excitement and anticipation. They’d won an important victory today, but that was only the beginning. With the past finally untangled, it was time to begin looking forward to the future.
“Oh Max, could I use your phone? I have to tell Nellie. She’s been worried sick about this.” She glanced at the papers in her hand. “Now we can all relax and get on with business.”
“Of course,” he said. “But after that, you’re all mine. Deal?”
“Deal,” she agreed with a smile. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than put the worries behind her and concentrate on Max.
He took her hand and led them out of the attic, down the hallway to his room. “There’s a phone in here. I’ll meet you downstairs.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then turned and left the room.
Kate made a low, appreciative sound as Max swaggered away. She couldn’t decide if it was more fun to watch him coming or going.
Coming. Definitely coming.
Kate’s cheeks burned. The man was corrupting her.
She glanced around Max’s room. It was a man’s room, neat and orderly, with little or no adornment. The only exceptions were the pictures on the wall—pictures of Bobby and Max, Bobby and Outlaw, Bobby and Max and Outlaw.
The bed was neatly made. Kate was struck by a mental image of Max stretched out naked on those very sheets, his hair rumpled sexily from sleep. She fought the urge to bury her face in his pillow and instead reached for the telephone on the nightstand. She couldn’t wait to tell Nellie that their problems were solved.
Kate brought the phone to her ear and quickly realized that someone was already on the line. She would have hung up immediately if she hadn’t heard her own name mentioned.
“
It’s over. I’m telling Max and Kate everything.”
Kate recognized Sue’s voice, but the one that answered shocked her.
Ed Tate was on the other end of the line.
“Like hell you will. If I go down, you’re going right down with me.”
Kate gently replaced the receiver. She sank down onto Max’s bed. What was that all about? What could Tate possibly be holding over Sue’s head? There was no mistaking the warning in his voice.
The question was—what should Kate do about it?
Chapter Eighteen
Otis slathered a biscuit with butter, shaking his head in wonder. “Who’d have thought,” he said, then popped half the biscuit into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“Where did Mom get the money to buy out Jebediah’s share?” Max asked.
“Oh, she had a nice little nest egg when we got married,” Otis replied. “I was stubborn enough to insist it was the man’s job to support his own family with no help from anyone else. I didn’t much care what she did with her pin money and never asked.”
Kate had to smile at Otis referring to thousands of dollars as “pin money,” as if Anne Connors had been tucking away spare change in a jelly jar.
“You know,” he said, “now that you mention it, I remember Lillian coming to me claiming she owed Anne money and wanting to repay me.” He glanced at Kate. “Told her at the time that wasn’t necessary. We were getting along just fine and Lillian was struggling alone with you kids and that shop of hers. I couldn’t see taking money I didn’t need from a little lady who did.”
Kate felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t thought much about how hard it must have been for her mother all those years ago. She’d lost her husband and her best friend. She’d bucked the odds and built a thriving business from nothing, all while raising her children alone. Lillian had been a single mother and successful businesswoman long before it was fashionable to be so.
Yes, she’d also been headstrong, stubborn and controlling. But the flip side of that was she had incredible drive and determination. For a woman alone in the world, those qualities were necessary for survival. Kate wished she could turn back time and tell her mother how much she appreciated her. There were too many words left unsaid. If anything, that gave her one more reason to regret the years she’d lost.
Kate pushed her dish away. “My mother never forgot that debt,” she said. “That’s why she provided for the ranch in her will.” She shot Max a warning glance in case he was having second thoughts about accepting the money. “That’s what my mother wanted,” she said. “And she’ll probably haunt me forever if you don’t accept.”
“Stubborn,” Max muttered.
Kate chose to believe he was talking about her mother’s restless spirit. He certainly couldn’t mean her. But she wasn’t about to belabor the point. Besides, she knew how much good that money would do, and she also knew that Max cared too much about the welfare of the kids who came to the ranch to let his pride get in the way.
She also intended to call her office in the morning and tell Lester Crumb she wouldn’t be back to work on Monday. She had too much unfinished business here in Easy, and the few days left of her vacation weren’t enough to sort out the pieces of her life. She owed at least that much to her mother. And to Max.
Otis pushed his chair away from the table. “So what are you kids going to do next?”
It took Kate a minute to realize that she and Max were the “kids” Otis referred to.
“Besides kick Tate’s ass from here to Phoenix?” Max asked.
“Watch your mouth,” Otis admonished. “There are ladies present.”
Kate bit her tongue and glanced at Sue. They shared a quick, secret smile at Max’s expense as he muttered an apology.
“Sorry ladies,” he said before turning back to his father. “Actually, as much as I’d love to throw this in Tate’s face tonight, I have other plans. Kate and I had a misunderstanding as wide as the Grand Canyon.” He gave her a wink that made her heart flip over in her chest. “I want to be sure that’s all behind us now.”
He stood up and took Kate’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “Tate’s not going to come between us ever again, darlin’,” he promised.
Kate followed him out the door. At that point she would have followed him anywhere just to hear him call her darlin’ in that slow, sexy southern drawl.
“Don’t wait up for us,” Max called over his shoulder as he led Kate out to his truck.
It didn’t take Kate long to realize where they were headed. “Do kids still come here to make out?” she asked as Max turned onto the secluded dirt road leading to Whiskey Creek overlook.
“How would I know?” he asked. “I haven’t been here since you left town.” He put the pick-up in park beneath the shelter of a stand of aspens and held out his arms. “Come here,” he said. “You promised me kisses.”
Kate slid across the seat and into his arms. This was perfect. This was where he’d given her his high-school ring and asked her to go steady. It was their spot, the ideal place for starting over. They’d come full circle.
He pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Kate watched the teasing play of moonlight and shadows over the strong angles of his face. A gentle breeze drifted through the open windows and the only sound in the closed cab of the pick-up truck was the whispered rasp of denim along denim as she settled onto his lap.
He tucked his face against the side of her neck, taking slow deep breaths. “You smell so good,” he whispered. “I’ve never forgotten the way you smell. Like sunshine and fresh flowers.”
As he spoke, his hands slid along her thighs. Kate melted into his embrace, her curves fitting perfectly along the hard lines of his body.
He nipped the underside of her chin playfully. “Where’s my kisses?”
She slid her hands up along his chest and pushed herself back a bit so she could look into his eyes. She cupped his face between her palms, fingers brushing along the ridge of his jaw. “I love you,” she said, the words rushing straight from her heart before her mind had a chance to weigh and consider them.
Max moaned, her simple declaration unraveling his self-control. Ten years of emotions held in check erupted like a volcano, turning him to heat and fire. “Oh God, Kitty. I love you so much.” He pulled her tight against his body, needing to be closer.
Want and need battled with caution as her lips yielded beneath his. He’d meant the kiss to be sweet, but when she parted her lips and moaned, his heart kicked into overdrive and his body reacted instantly, hardening, thickening, throbbing. He swept his tongue over the softness of her lips, letting his body speak for him. He had to have her—again and again and again.
He cupped her breast and a whimper escaped her lips as he gently squeezed the soft mound. Then she ground against him, her hot tongue darting into his mouth. That was his undoing.
With a husky moan, he tore at the buttons of her blouse, uncovering soft, warm skin. He knew he was acting like a teenager in heat but couldn’t help himself. He arched upward, grinding against her. The friction of his jeans stretched tight across his erection was nearly unbearable. The answering heat of her body drove him half crazy with desire.
She tore her lips from his and pulled her shirt off, as if impatient with his fumbling attempts. He only had a moment to try to catch his breath as she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, leaning forward and shrugging it off in one smooth motion more erotic than anything he’d ever seen in his life.
Kate sent him a sultry smile. “I’ve never forgotten what it felt like to make out with you here.”
“Darlin’, if you keep this up, we’ll be doing more than just making out.”
She arched an eyebrow. “My thoughts exactly.” Then she slid her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her breast before he could object. He was long past the point of objecting anyway and feasted on her like a starving man, his tongue teasing and circling her nipple into erection, then suckling hungrily.
She whispered his name and rocked against him until he thought he’d explode right then and there. “Easy baby,” he whispered. “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”
That was an understatement, for sure. All he knew was that if he didn’t have her, he’d surely go mad. But a woman like Kate deserved better than a quick tumble in the front of a pick-up truck. She deserved hearts and flowers and silk sheets and candles.
He pulled her roughly against his chest and laid his head back on the seat rest, struggling to catch his breath. The windows were fogged with steam and the air inside the cab heavy with the heat of their sexual yearning. He cradled her, letting the throbbing ease enough to clear the fog from his brain. But he couldn’t stop touching her, one hand gently stroking up and down her back as he held her close.
As much as he wanted her physically, he needed more. He needed forever, and that’s what he had to tell her. But he was just a cowboy. How could he ever find the words pretty enough to romance her? How could he convince her to give up her glamorous world for life on a dusty Arizona ranch?
“I want you so much,” he groaned.
She peeked up at him, her eyes soft with desire. “I want you too, Max.”
“Not just like this,” he said, brushing a fingertip along her cheek. Her skin was so soft against his calloused fingers. He was almost afraid to caress her, as if his touch was too rough for skin so delicate. “Not just for one night in the front seat of my pick-up truck.” He wanted her to understand that she deserved so much more.
“Stay,” he pleaded, putting his heart in her hands. “Stay and let me court you. We deserve to discover what could have been, what could still be if we give ourselves a chance to find out. Please, Kate. Stay here with me.”
Kate felt her heart slam against the walls of her chest. Max wanted her. But he wanted more than her body—he wanted her to stay. And more than anything in the entire world, she wanted that as well. The realization hit her like a blast, sending shock waves through her body. The world seemed to spin and lights flashed before her eyes.