Kate listened for gunfire, then stepped into the condo. “Hello?”
She was about to suggest they leave, when she heard footsteps in the hall. Kate put on her meet-and-greet face, but it crumbled when Jack walked into the living room.
She blinked several times, but Jack was still there. A smile lit up his face, and his warm, green eyes made her breath catch. The funny thing was he didn’t look surprised. She turned to Sue and was met with a smug smile.
“Did you plan this?”
Sue shook her head, a smirk on her face. “It was all his idea. I’m just the delivery woman.”
Kate looked at Jack. He shrugged, keeping his sheepish grin in place.
“I’ve got to run.” Sue squeezed Kate’s hand. “I can’t miss that meeting.”
It took a minute for the words to sink in, but when they did, Kate jumped. “Oh my God, I’ve got to go.” She stared at Jack and considered blowing off work, but that wasn’t a great way to ensure job security. Then again, she could always teach Charlie to cut coupons.
“It’s covered,” Sue said. “You started feeling bad this morning, and now you’re so sick I had to drive you home and put you to bed. It’s probably the flu, so you’ll be out for a few days.”
Kate faced her friend. “Sue.” It was an admonishment and a request for a pardon.
“Go on.” Sue flipped her hand to the hallway. “Get in bed. You look flush.” With a devilish smile, she turned and left the condo.
As soon as the door shut, Jack grasped her in his arms, lifting her off the floor. She yelped, then laughed, holding on tight. In time, he lowered her, then pulled back to hold her face. Kate’s heart stopped. Jack was here. It had only been one week, but she’d thought of him every day. Longed for him every night. And here he stood, ready to suck her right back in. Crack is whack, and Jack is back.
She searched his eyes and then ran her hands over his shoulders. “Jack . . . What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in India.”
“I pushed through what I needed to do and finished early.” He kissed her hand. “Was motivated to get back to the states.”
“Why?” Her heart fluttered, hoping for one answer.
“I’m here to see you. Figure I can work on the new project while hanging here as well as I can in San Francisco.”
Gridion wanted Austin. Yes. Jack was here to close the deal. It was Christmas and her birthday rolled into one. “So that means you’re bringing the project—”
“We’re not talking about the project now.” He took her lips in a tender kiss. It felt like a beginning, a promise. When he pulled back, she was left wanting.
“God, I’ve missed you.”
“Me, too.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.
The words thrilled her. Scared her. How long could she swim in this water before going under? Jack brushed his lips against hers. There was barely any contact, but it broke her will. Kate couldn’t resist the force that was taking her down.
Chapter 33
In an office overlooking downtown Austin, Jack sat at his desk, watching the clock. It seemed as if the hands were taking hours to mark one minute. It’d been that way for the last two weeks. Noon couldn’t get here fast enough. It was his time with Kate.
Jack wanted Kate in his bed every night, but her children eliminated that option, and rightly so. But he wasn’t going to let that keep them apart. He leased an executive office a block from Kate’s work and brought in a top-of-the-line sleeper sofa. Lunch had become his favorite part of the day. Sometimes food was never ordered.
The phone rang and interrupted his wicked thoughts. “Jack Graham.”
“Hi.”
Just hearing her voice stirred his blood. “Hey. I was just thinking about you.”
“Hmm. You’ve crossed my mind a few times this morning.”
He checked his watch. Eleven. “Why don’t you head over now? Take a long lunch. I might even let you eat.”
Kate giggled. “Always tempting, but that’s why I’m calling. I can’t make it today.”
Jack held back a groan. “Surely you can take fifteen minutes. That’s all we’ll need.”
“True, but seriously, I’ve got a conference call with Hevington. I can’t miss it. You know what this deal means.”
“Yeah.” Jack felt like shit every time he thought about Kate being removed from the Gridion deal. How he’d caused such a mess with her job. He’d wanted to fix it, explain things to her boss, but she’d insisted it would only make matters worse.
“I understand. How about a drink after work?”
Kate sighed. “Sorry, I’ve already got a date with Charlie on the soccer field. It’s a big game for him.”
“Has anyone told you lately you’re a great mom?”
She sighed. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“Have fun at the game. Give Charlie a fist bump from me.” They both knew the bump would be delivered without Jack’s name. Kate was determined to keep their affair a secret, especially from the kids.
“He’s so cute out there. Half the kids don’t know which way to run. I wish you could . . . It’s a hoot.”
He wanted nothing more than to meet Charlie and watch Kate cheering on the boy she raved about. But he knew what it meant for Kate to invite him into her life. If an invitation ever came, it’d be based on false hopes. He’d be in Austin for three months, no longer. He was selfish enough already. He wouldn’t hurt her further.
After an awkward silence, Kate spoke. “I’ll see you Monday.”
“It’s a date.”
Jack hung up, feeling like a first-class asshole. He shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t stay away from Kate.
An hour later, Jack was deep into Huntsville’s proposal for Gridion. They’d come up with a winner of a site, available acreage, and a historic mill to boot. Their incentive package left no doubt they were out to win the location. Objectively, when all pros and cons were considered, Huntsville and Austin were equal contenders. Such a deal should’ve had him revved, but as he read through the report, his mind kept pulling up images of Kate. When Gridion announced their decision in October, would she understand? Would she still want to see him?
He’d come back to Austin because he needed to be with her, but he hoped, with more time, she would see why they should and could make a long-distance relationship work.
A knock on the door had him out of his chair and racing to open it. Kate must have finished early. But the person on the other side wasn’t the woman who consumed him.
“Dad?” Jack’s disappointment was quickly replaced with the anger that had eaten at him since their last meeting. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
His dad looked strained, like the man Jack remembered from his youth. “I ran into Peter. He said you were back in town. Told me where I could find you.”
He’d have to set things straight with Peter. While he was in town, no more attempts at his forced father-son reunions. He’d had enough back in July to last him for another ten years.
“Can I come in?” his father pleaded.
Jack shook his head but allowed him in. “I have a conference call in twenty minutes.”
“This won’t take long, Son. I know you’re working. I figured this might be my only way of getting you to see me or return my calls.”
For a flash, he felt like an asshole, but he pushed that aside. “I’ve been busy on a project.”
“So it seems. And the fact that you’re here, again, tells me it has to do with Austin.”
Jack offered the chair in front of his desk and walked around to his own. “I’m not at liberty to discuss Gridion business with—”
Waving his hand, his father interrupted. “Stop. I’m not here to steal corporate secrets. I just want to talk with you. Just you, with no interruptions. It’s time. Especially now.”
“Now? What’s changed? Why didn’t you want to talk twenty-five years ago w
hen mom died? Hell, even ten years ago would’ve worked. But no, we never talked. That was against the rules.”
“I’ve changed.” His dad leaned forward and placed his hand on Jack’s desk. “I’m seeing a counselor. We talk about your mother’s death and how I handled everything afterwards. Son, I’m sorry . . . God, so damn sorr—”
“It’s too late,” Jack argued, then stood up. “It’s late. I need to get ready for my call. I need you to leave.”
John Graham looked old and broken when he stood. When he finally faced Jack, his eyes were watery. “Let me fix this. Fix us. I want us to be in each other’s lives. Your sisters, too. It’s time to heal. And if you’re in Austin, we finally have a chance.”
Jack’s chest tightened, making it hard for him to catch a breath. He couldn’t face this man now. Not with the shit-storm raging through him. How long had he wanted his dad to reach out to him, as the father he’d once been, not as the emotionally dead man that he’d known for the last twenty-five years? A flash of hope was easily dowsed with anger. No, he wasn’t ready to poke at that beast of pain. Not now. Maybe never.
“I’ll give you a call. I won’t be in town for long.” Jack wouldn’t give his father specifics. He walked over and opened the door of his office.
Just before his father left, he stopped and put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Find the time, Son. We need this. You need this.”
Jack watched him walk away. He didn’t need anything but a scotch. Or to see Kate. She was the one thing that made this city bearable. He had three months left. Three months to avoid his dad and win Kate over to a long-distance relationship.
His ring tone went off, and he answered without looking.
“Jack!”
He pulled the phone back an inch from his ear. Talking to his boss, Richard, always required the adjustment. The man’s voice was always booming, as if his body couldn’t contain all his power.
“Richard. Good to hear from you.”
“No time for pleasantries. Have you convinced the woman to sell?”
Jack moved his feet off his desk and grabbed a pen, clicking it repeatedly until he caught himself. “No . . . not yet.”
“Well, get it done today. The shit’s hit the fan, and we need to announce this deal by the seventeenth.”
Jack shot up. “Of this month?” The pen clicking started up, and Jack didn’t try to control it.
“That’s right.”
“Richard, what’s going on? The plan is to announce in October.”
“Plan’s changed. We’re calling it in ten days. We’ll keep with the original construction schedule, but we’ve got to hit the press with the location on the seventeenth.”
Panicked, Jack rubbed his eyes, realizing the ramifications of the new deadline and his relationship with Kate. “What’s changed?”
“That shit-for-brains, tree-hugging hippy in Lexington has changed everything.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the damn Brown-Spotted Gypsy Newt. Ever heard of that fucking piece of bait?”
“No.”
“Well, we’re supposedly wiping out the species with drainage from the plant. My lab guys swear it’s not the case, but some loudmouth journalist is blaring it all over the news. Claiming Gridion, Gridion, dammit, is an environmental killer.”
“That’s bullshit. No one’s going to believe that. Our record is proven. Hell, look what we’re doing with this new facility.”
“Perception is reality. The damn, squeaky, hippy wheel is painting this picture. We need to nip it. He’s waiting on the results of some EPA report that comes out at the end of the month. We’re going to cut him off with this new plant and our location designs.”
Jack jumped out of his seat, pacing the office. “We can announce the plans without a location and still have the same impact.”
“No. That’s got smokescreen written all over it. Just wrap up the land, Jack. You know I want this in Austin.”
“I’m not ready to shut the door on Huntsville yet,” Jack said, searching for some way to slow down this runaway train. “You’ve seen the incentive package, and as we speak, they’re meeting with the Governor to sweeten the deal.”
“I’ve told you, Austin is the fit. If you can’t get the lady to budge, find another site. You’re in Texas, dammit. Land is available.”
There was a rumbling on the phone. “Jack, I’ve got to take this call. Bottom line, we’re making the announcement. Close the damn deal.”
The call ended as Jack’s heart dropped. “Fuck!” He kicked his chair and sent it streaming across the room before it crashed into the couch. “Fuck!” He braced his hands on his desk, trying to catch his breath. A total fucking mess. He needed more time. Time to be with Kate. Time to convince Kate that they had something worth making the effort of a long-distance relationship.
His phone sounded, and Jack dreamed for a moment it was Richard telling him it was all a joke. But it was Kate. He reached for his phone but stopped. God, he wanted to hear her voice. The warmth and giggles would help take the edge off this day, but he couldn’t talk to her. She knew him too well and would press him to know what was wrong. How could he explain their time was running out?
Jack lay on the couch, covering his eyes with his arm, the light too bright for his pounding head. His chest constricted with the weight of the new deadline. It was too soon. He wouldn’t have enough time to convince Kate, especially when the location was announced. He’d lose her.
“No.” He shot up. That wasn’t an option. His mind raced through all the experiences he wanted to share with Kate. With her kids. Hell, maybe as a family. Granted, what he knew of family wouldn’t serve as a guide, but he’d figure it out. The truth hit him like a brick—a life with Kate outweighed all the shit from his past. He couldn’t leave her. He’d make this city fucking bearable if it killed him.
Chapter 34
Jack sat down under the shade of a tree on a steep hill leading down to Barton Springs. The natural spring was filled with people of all ages. The spring maintained a constant seventy degrees, which always took some getting used to, but it definitely offered relief from the hundred-degree heat.
Nostalgia overwhelmed him. He hadn’t been here since the summer before his mother’s death. For whatever reason, she’d hired a sitter to watch his sisters and brought him here alone. He was fourteen and usually wanted to be with his friends, but knowing she wanted to share this with only him made it special.
They brought masks and dove down repeatedly into the cold springs to check out the bottom. He could still feel her tugging on his hand, pointing to a fish or unique rock. Later, they had lunch on the steep hill. She’d made his favorite sandwich—ham, mayo, and sweet pickles. She was a great cook . . . when she was up and able.
“Hey, Son.”
Jack turned to find his dad standing hesitantly, holding a small cooler and a rolled up blanket. His stomach lurched. “Dad.” He stood. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. I’m glad you called. I was surprised to hear from you so soon.”
“Yeah. Things have changed.”
His father nodded, then eventually said, “I brought a few things. Figured we’d need some drinks out in this heat.” He shook the blanket out and laid it on the ground.
Jack stumbled when he saw the old quilt—faded blue and yellow squares, some tearing from the seam. It’d been his mother’s go-to for every picnic he could recall. “Where did you get that?”
“You remember this?” His dad smiled, but his eyes were weary. “I’ve had it in storage with some of your mother’s other things.”
Jack’s heart ached. His eyes stung. “You had it? You kept her things? Did you know I looked through every damn box when we moved, trying to find anything of hers, but there was nothing?”
“Son—”
“How the hell could you keep her things from us? Her children?” Jack gripped his hair, trying to hold his hands in check before he did
something crazy. Violent. “What kind of sick bastard would do that?” he yelled, pointing at his dad.
“Jack.” His dad held out his hand as if to calm a child. “Give me a chance to explain.”
“What? There’s no excuse to justify this. Save that bullshit.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. There is no justification. I was wrong.” His voice broke. “So wrong. I’m sorry. I screwed everything up.”
Jack stared him down, looking for some clue as to what his dad was doing.
After a long silence, his dad motioned to the blanket. “Sit down. Let me explain.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Jack sat with his knees bent, his arms resting on top while he looked over the water at all the people enjoying the day. He couldn’t look at his dad, but that didn’t stop the man from talking.
“When your mother died . . . when she took her life, my world stopped. She was the heart of our family, even during her dark days. The world was ripped out from under me.”
Jack couldn’t let that pass. “It was ripped out from all of us!”
“I know. I know that. And that nearly did me in, seeing you kids suffering. I’d hurt every person I loved.”
The comment threw him. Jack turned to his dad. “How could you not see how sick it was to want us to obliterate Mom from our memories?”
His dad hung his head and shook it. “I know now how I mucked that up. But, no, I’m talking about how I handled things with your mother. I could’ve stopped her death.”
What the hell?
“Jack, your mother was sick. I’m pretty sure she would’ve been diagnosed as bipolar nowadays, but we weren’t aware of such things back then. But I did know something was wrong. I knew it. We went to her doctor about it. He told her it was just her needing to rest more. That she was just tired and her hormones were off after having Libby. That it’d get better.”
Rubbing his eyes, his dad went on. “But it didn’t. I should’ve forced her to see another doctor, but she never wanted to go. Said it was a waste of money, she’d just been tired. And then she’d get to a good place, and we’d put it behind us.”
Then He Showed Up Page 24