Kara (Starkis Family #4)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “The dresses,” Kara said, clutching my hand as we drove back to the beach. “We’ll have to go into the city tomorrow to get dresses. Do you think they’ll be able to accommodate us on such short notice? I mean, off the rack with minimal alterations—is that crazy?”

  I knew nothing about wedding attire, but I did know that shopping in a city the size of New York with an unlimited budget anything was possible. “I’m sure you ladies will find something.”

  “What about you guys?” she asked, biting her lip. “You’ll need something too.”

  I laughed. Guys had it so much easier than girls. “No worries, I’ll call up a designer friend of mine. He’ll hook us all up.”

  She took a deep breath, looking out the window.

  “Hey,” I said, grabbing her hand, “if this is gonna be too stressful for you, we’ll push it out a few weeks. No big deal.”

  “No!” she said, sounding alarmed. “I don’t want to wait. I want to do this now.”

  A far cry from the way she would have reacted last time had I presented her with the option to wait. It felt good to know that she was as ready as I was. “Then we’ll figure it out. The cake, the flowers, the photographer, all that stuff is nice to have, but all I need is you, baby. You and the people we love most to witness us exchanging our vows.”

  “My parents aren’t going to believe this.”

  “Actually, I don’t think they’ll be too surprised. I called your dad before you got here yesterday. If our conversation went the way I was hoping it would, I knew I wanted to propose. Given how traditional your dad is, I knew I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t ask his permission first.”

  “Smart. So what did he say? Was he surprised, concerned?”

  “He seemed happy for us.”

  He and I had had a long talk, during which he questioned me about my previous engagement and whether I was certain Kara was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. He said that he’d always loved and respected me but didn’t want to see either of us get hurt again. I assured him I knew what I wanted and it was Kara.

  “Do you think our parents will approve of us rushing the wedding like this?”

  “To me, it doesn’t feel rushed,” I said, curling one hand around the steering wheel while I brought her hand to my lips with the other. “It feels like it’s about eight years overdue.”

  She smiled as she stroked my cheek. “I feel the same way. I love our families, but I honestly don’t care who does or doesn’t approve. You’re the love of my life, and I can’t wait to make you my husband.”

  “Uh, about your last name. If you want to keep your maiden name—”

  “No way,” she said, shaking her head defiantly. “I’ve been scribbling Kara Matthews in my notebooks since I was a teenager. You’re not going to talk me out of taking your name.”

  I grinned. Nothing would have made me happier than sharing my last name with her.

  ***

  We were all crowded around my parents’ dining table, talking, laughing, and making plans for the wedding, when I noticed Chase standing off to the side, staring out the window.

  I walked up to him and gripped his shoulder. ““Hey, man, sorry about that,” I said, gesturing to our families. “When I invited you up here, I wasn’t thinking it would turn into—”

  “Don’t apologize,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m happy for you guys. You and Kara belong together.”

  “Thanks.” I opened the door and led him out onto the deck. “What’s on your mind? And don’t say nothing. I can tell there is.”

  He looked at the water. The sun was setting, splashing the sky with random bolts of color—pink, red, even a hint of purple—as the waves crashed against the shoreline. “I don’t want to burden you with my problems. You and Kara have waited a long time for this, and I’m not going to spoil it for you.”

  I appreciated his consideration, but I knew how hard it was to try to get through something alone when you felt like no one else understood or even cared. “Is it all the talk of the wedding and engagement that’s got you down?”

  He closed his eyes, tipping his head back. “I guess I just want what you guys have.”

  “And you want that with Catia?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  I could tell he was hedging, and I didn’t blame him given Cat’s attitude. “She’s worth fighting for, you know.”

  “You’re probably right, but you can’t force someone to feel something they don’t.”

  He was crazy if he thought Cat didn’t feel anything for him. She clearly did.

  “It’s just…” He shoved one hand in his pocket while bringing a beer to his lips with the other. “I want to give my babies a real family. My ex has gotten a little crazy since the divorce. The girls are less of a priority for her now that she’s single again, and I’m thinking about filing for custody.”

  I couldn’t deny I was shocked. Chase worked as many hours as I did, sometimes more. Raising two little girls on his own would be hard. “Wow, that’s a big step. You sure you want to put them through that? You know your ex will put up a fight.”

  “Sure, she will,” he said, sounding bitter. “Only because she likes those big, fat child support payments every month. Gives her more to spend on herself.”

  “If you think this is the best thing for the girls, you should pursue it.”

  “I do think it would be best for them.” He sat on the end of a lounger, dropping his head. “Having my girls back under my roof full time would be amazing, but I want more. I want to be married again. I might even want more kids someday. Being a dad’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I hate thinking about all the things I’m missing out on, not having them with me all the time.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Kara said, stepping out on the deck. “I can come back.”

  “No,” Chase said, standing. “You stay put.” He gave Kara a kiss on the cheek as he walked past her. “Take good care of this guy, honey. Never take what you have for granted.”

  She hugged him before he walked inside, then she accepted my outstretched hand. “He’s such a good guy. I wish my sister could get past her fears and give him a chance.”

  “If it’s meant to be, it will be, baby.” I wrapped my arm around her as we watched the sun disappear. “You get tired of all that wedding talk inside?”

  “No.” She laid her head on my shoulder. “I was just missing you.” When I kissed her cheek, she said, “We didn’t get a chance to talk about this today…”

  “What’s that?” It seemed to me we’d covered all of our bases.

  “Are we going to rent an apartment in the city? I’ll need to be there during the week until this project is finished, unless you want me to go on living with Cat, which is fine. I can still come out here on the weekends.”

  “Are you crazy?” I asked, tightening my grip on her. “I want us sleeping in the same bed every night from now on.” I didn’t know how practical that was with her work in the city and my projects here and in Raleigh, but I was willing to make whatever sacrifices I had to to minimize our time apart.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that.” She brushed her lips across my cheek. “I wasn’t looking forward to being apart from you all week every week.”

  “There’s something else we haven’t talked about,” I said, considering one other little detail that would give me a lot of pleasure. “The honeymoon.”

  She grimaced. “As much as I’d love to go away with you, do you really think we can swing that with everything else we’ve got going on?”

  “You come first with me, Kara. Always. Just remember that.”

  “I love you for saying that,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. “But would it be okay with you if we waited until this project is finished to take a honeymoon?”

  “I don’t mind at all. In fact, the timing could be perfect.” I glanced at the lot where they were preparing to pour the foundation for our dream hom
e. “By the time we get back, we’ll be able to move in.”

  She tapped her sandaled feet on the stained boards. “I can hardly wait for that.”

  “Me too, baby.” I kissed her temple, inhaling her scent as I thought about all of the nights like this we had to look forward to. “Me too.”

  ***

  Cat showed up on my doorstep the following night, and I could tell something was weighing heavily on her mind.

  “Can I talk to you guys?” she asked, peering over my shoulder to see Kara watching TV with my parents. “In private?”

  “Sure.” I beckoned for Kara to join me and told my parents we’d be back in a few minutes.

  Cat was sitting at the table in the middle of the deck when we stepped outside. I closed both the screen and glass doors to ensure we had the privacy she’d asked for.

  “What’s wrong?” Kara asked, looking from me to her sister. “Are you okay?”

  I shrugged when my fiancée frowned at me. I had no idea what was troubling Cat, but whatever it was, I could tell it was big. I sat at the end of a lounger, allowing Kara to claim the spot across from her sister at the table.

  “Um, I’m going to head back to Chicago after the wedding,” Cat said, running a hand through her thick hair.

  “Can you afford to take more time off right now?” Kara asked. “I thought since we’d already taken a few days for the wedding we’d all have to get back right away. That’s why Dustin and I decided to postpone our honeymoon.”

  “I’m not going back to work.” At Kara’s shocked expression, she said, “At least not here. I’m going to work in the home office.”

  “But why?” Kara asked. “Why would you walk away in the middle of a project?”

  I knew Cat had included me in this discussion because her decision meant she wouldn’t be going into business with us even though we’d all gone to visit the space together and agreed it was the perfect spot. She’d seemed enthusiastic about it at the time, so I knew something pretty big must have happened in the interim for her to change her mind.

  “I have to do it.” She dropped her head into her hands, her long hair veiling her face. “I made a really stupid mistake, and I can’t stay here. It would be too hard.”

  “What kind of mistake?” I asked, watching her closely. She wouldn’t lie to us, but she may try to evade. “Is it really bad enough for you to walk away from everything?”

  “I’m not walking away from everything,” she said defensively. “I’m walking away from this project.”

  “And our business,” I reminded her. “I thought you wanted this?”

  “I did.” Cat sighed, looking regretful. “If there was any way I could stay, I would.”

  “What the hell happened?” Kara demanded. “It’s not like you to cut and run.”

  She closed her eyes as she stretched her hands out on the table and tipped her head back. “You guys are probably going to find out soon enough, so I might as well tell you. I slept with Chase.”

  Kara gripped her sister’s hand, wide-eyed. “What? When?”

  “We went into town last night so I could show him around. We had a nice dinner, a few drinks, and ended up at the Hilton in Riverhead.” She smirked. “I guess it was inevitable, huh?”

  I’d known it was only a matter of time before they slept together, but I couldn’t believe whatever had happened between them warranted Cat’s decision to leave town.

  Kara rubbed her temple. “I still don’t understand.”

  “He’s an amazing guy,” Cat said softly. “It would be too easy to fall in love with him.”

  “And that’s why you’re leaving?” Kara shrieked. “That’s ridiculous!”

  “Sssh,” Cat warned, glancing at the closed door. “I don’t need the whole world to know about this. Chase is a dad, first and foremost. He wants custody of his kids. That has to be his top priority right now.”

  I understood where Cat was coming from, but I couldn’t help but feel there had to be a way for them to make things work between them. “How does Chase feel about you leaving?”

  She glanced at me. “He told me he was falling in love with me, Dustin. I couldn’t say it back.”

  Things were beginning to make more sense. “But does that mean you don’t feel the same way? Or are you just having a hard time coming to terms with the way you feel about him?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know. I never expected to come here and meet someone like him. I thought it would be a temporary assignment just like all the rest. I’d return to Chicago when it was over and move on to the next phase of my career. This thing with Chase and the offer you guys made, for us to go into business together, it’s all happening too fast. I need time to figure out what I want.”

  “Fair enough.” I reached for Cat’s hand and brought it to my lips. “You know we love you and only want what’s best for you, honey. Take all the time you need to decide what you want. If you decide this is where you want to be, the offer stands.”

  She gave me a grateful smile. “You don’t know how much that means to me. Thank you.”

  “Is Chase still here?” Kara asked, glancing at the driveway.

  “No, he had to get back to the city. He said he’d be back for the wedding though.”

  “Have you talked to Dad about this?” Kara asked.

  “Yeah. After Chase and I talked about me leaving after the wedding, he offered to have his own project manager wrap things up here. Dad was okay with that. I think Mom and Dad know there’s something between Chase and me, but they’ve been good about not prying.”

  “I can’t believe you’re really leaving,” Kara said, sounding dejected as her shoulders slumped. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

  Cat and Kara weren’t only sisters but best friends too. They’d never lived in different cities. Even during college, they’d gone to the same school and lived in the same dorm.

  “I’m going to miss you too,” Cat said, moving to sit beside her sister on the bench seat. She put her arm around Kara’s shoulders and leaned her head against Kara’s. “But you have an amazing man to look after you now and an incredible life to look forward to. You don’t need me.”

  Kara covered Cat’s hand with hers. “I’ll always need you. You’ve been my rock.”

  “I’m just a phone call away, Kara. You know that. If you really need me, I’ll be on the next flight out.”

  “I know.”

  I was envious of their relationship. Since my brother lived in another state, we didn’t have the same kind of connection the girls did.

  “So you guys can take the apartment in the city,” Cat said, looking at me. “I have a service packing up my stuff while we’re here, so I don’t even have to go back.”

  If she was so anxious to bail that she didn’t even want to revisit the city, the time she’d spent with Chase in that hotel room had obviously had a huge impact on her.

  I walked over to Cat and kneeled in front of her. “You sure this is what you want, hon?”

  Her bottom lip trembled when she said, “I’m not sure of anything right now. That’s why I have to go, to get some distance and perspective. If I decide I can’t live without seeing him every day, who knows, maybe I’ll back.”

  I feared Cat’s pride may prevent her from returning, even if her heart guided her back to Chase, but I hoped for both of their sakes that it didn’t. Something told me they belonged together. I leaned in to give her a hug before kissing her cheek. “Don’t make the same mistake we made, Cat. Don’t waste years of your life trying to get over him when you could have spent those years with him instead.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kara

  I couldn’t believe this was my wedding day. Finally. Dustin had stayed at his family home last night while I’d stayed at ours. But we had talked on the phone until well after one, planning our future, talking about the house and business we were building together. We used to do that when we were young, but now that the life we’d been planning forever w
as finally here, it seemed surreal.

  The girls—Kara, Tiana, Eleni, and Mia—were scattered around the room, checking their hair and makeup and making last-minute adjustments to their dresses, when Damon’s daughter, our beautiful flower girl, walked into the room.

  “You’re going to steal the show,” I said, gripping her hands. “No one’s even going to notice me.”

  Dalia blushed, her shiny lips breaking into a huge smile. “No way! You look like a movie star.”

  I gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, “Thank you, sweetie.”

  The photographer came in to take a few pictures of the bridal party getting ready before the wedding planner came in to announce that it was time for us to make our way downstairs.

  My father walked into the foyer where we’d gathered and asked me if we could sneak into the study for a few minutes. My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke, people always listened.

  After closing the door, he faced me with a smile and unshed tears in his eyes. “So it’s your big day, huh?”

  I nodded, grinning. “Yup.”

  “I don’t have to ask whether you’re happy. I can see that you are.”

  “Happier than I’ve ever been,” I assured him.

  “You and Dustin worked out your problems?”

  My father and I hadn’t discussed my health concerns since they came to help us celebrate our engagement, but I knew it was important for him that we weren’t rushing into this without considering the potential problems we could face.

  “We decided if we’re not able to have a family the old-fashioned way, we’ll adopt.” His face gave nothing away, and I was momentarily concerned. Even though my father had accepted my marriage to a non-Greek man because of his relationship with Dustin, I knew he still held the old-world values. “What do you think about that, Dad?”