Love and Honor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 7 (14 page)

“But that’s not fair to me, Daddy!” Kit cried. “I’m nearly eighteen. Many women my age are already married, with babies. I’m old enough to take care of myself and live my life the way I want—and I
don’t
want to go back to New York.” Kit searched his face, desperately seeking some sign that he understood, that he would yield and take her side.

“And I know all about the rumors of war,” she rushed on. “I know that the government of Spain says that if war does come, they’ll declare neutrality, so I’d be safe here.”

Colt frowned. “Safe doing what? Where would you live, Kit? What would you do?” He shook his head. “No, I feel that the family would be safer in America, and this time I’ve got to agree with your mother that it’s time to get you away from unhealthy influences.

“Quite frankly,” he went on, anger suddenly flashing in his steel-gray eyes, “I’m pretty upset with you myself. The idea of my daughter playing bullfighter does not make me happy. I let you ride with Doc’s vaqueros because I didn’t see any real harm in it. But bullfighting?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid that you’ve gone too far this time.

“And,” he added coolly, “I don’t even want to discuss the accusations the Estabans made about how you ruined their daughter’s birthday party.”

“Well, that’s all a lie, anyway. Let’s talk about me and my life.” She then said slowly, “Just what do you and Mother have planned for my life, since you think it’s perfectly all right to tell me how to live it.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, Colt said, pursing his lips, “I haven’t had time to really plan anything yet, Kit. This came about a bit suddenly, you know. Frankly, if your mother had her way, she’d have you on the next ship for New York, but there are details to be taken care of. I’ve got to resign my position with the embassy and tie things up there before I can leave, and there’s the ranch to sell.”

“And then?” she snapped.

“We move back to New York.”

“And where do we live?”

“Until we find a suitable house, your mother wants to take an apartment in the Osborne Building. It’s in a good location—on Fifty-seventh Street. The new apartments have fourteen rooms and six bathrooms—quite luxurious.”

Kit leaned back on the divan and folded her arms across her chest. Staring into the fireplace, she said with cold resolution, “I won’t go.”

Colt was unmoved. “Yes, Kit, you will. You don’t have any choice.”

Kit stood up suddenly, her eyes blazing with rebellious determination. “Oh, yes, I do! I have my trust fund, and I can use that to buy my own ranch. I’ve got it all figured out. Marilee is going away to finishing school, and Travis will go to West Point. Grandma can live with me. How could you object to that?”

“In the first place, I want you to be with me and your mother. In the second place, you don’t have the trust fund, not yet…not till
I
say so.”

“You mean not till
Mother
says so!” Kit said hotly. “Seems to me that
she’s
making all the decisions.”

“Don’t be impudent, Katherine,” Colt warned her. Kit cringed inwardly. When he called her Katherine, it meant he was dangerously close to losing his temper, and she knew that nothing would be accomplished then. “I’m sorry. It’s just that if the decision were up to you, you’d be more understanding.”

“Your mother and I don’t have that kind of marriage, thank goodness. We have equal say in decisions concerning you children.”

Kit’s lavender eyes flashed. “I’m not a child! That seems to be the whole point here, doesn’t it?”

Colt sighed, thinking how badly he needed a brandy. Jade had been absolutely incoherent, trying to describe the terrifying sight of the bull charging Kit. He couldn’t blame her for being upset, and the only way he’d managed to calm her down was to agree to return to America. But he hated seeing Kit so unhappy. It was a miserable situation all the way around. “We’ll talk more about this later, Kit. We’re both tired and upset right now.”

He headed to the door, but turned when he heard his daughter’s voice. Tears were running down her cheeks, and her lips were trembling.

“I love you, Daddy,” Kit whispered tremulously, “but I swear to you, I’ll run away before I’ll go back. My life is here now.”

Colt sighed, his heart going out to her. “Later, Kit.”

She ran to him, and he wrapped her in his arms once more. “Just promise me that you’ll at least consider letting me stay here.”

“I’ll consider it,” he promised, “but let’s have a family conference first, all right? We are a family, you know,” he reminded her with, a warm smile. “And, speaking of family, they’re all here. I know they’d like to see you, so dry those eyes.”

Despite her misery, Kit managed to joke, “Well, I guess you’ll have to give them the key, won’t you?”

He reached in his vest pocket and took out the key. Laying it on the table by the door, he winked. “Somehow I’ve got a feeling that with your old man around you won’t be climbing out any windows to go fight bulls.”

He turned to leave, then remembered to ask, “By the way, that magnificent horse in the barn—where’d you get him?”

“He’s mine,” she informed him proudly. “I won him in a race.”

Colt smiled, unable to hide his pleasure that his daughter was such an accomplished horsewoman. “Congratulations. Does your mother know you’ve been racing for wagers?”

Kit shook her head.

“Well, we won’t tell her. I’m afraid she can’t take any more at the moment.” With another wink, he left.

Kit started pacing her room again. She desperately wanted to see Kitty, but she knew that her mother would be hysterically relating her side of the story. She’d have to wait.

After an hour passed, Carasia came to tell her that tea was being served on the summer porch, and she was expected.

Kit hurried downstairs. She blinked back tears of joy when Kitty stepped into the foyer, holding her arms open in loving greeting. She ran to her grandmother and hugged her tightly. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you! I’ve never needed you more!”

“Shush now. Don’t you dare cry. Everything’s going to be all right, I promise, and—”

“Kit! Kitty!’’

They both turned at the sound of Jade’s sharp voice. “In here, please.”

As they went in, holding hands, Jade glared at Kitty. “I thought you agreed that we’d have this family conference before you went behind my back and took sides against me.”

“When have I ever gone behind your back to take sides, Jade? You know I’ve always been very open with my opinion that you smother Kit.”

Jade stiffened and looked to Colt for support. As always, he glanced away, not willing to get involved in a confrontation between his wife and his mother.

Travis was sitting by the window, looking bored. He gave Kit a polite nod, but she saw at once that his eyes held condemnation.

Marilee sat on the wicker lounge, eyes wide with excitement.

No one said anything as Carasia nervously served the tea and sandwiches. When she left, closing the door behind her, Jade said, “Let’s get this over with. Everyone knows what Kit has done, and I think everyone agrees that it’s best we move back to New York, and take her away from such harmful influences.”

Kit objected angrily. “Well,
I
don’t agree, and it’s my life we’re talking about. I love Spain, and I don’t want to live anywhere else.”

Travis got to his feet and faced her, his expression stern. “What you did was foolish and dangerous, Kit. You weren’t thinking of anybody but yourself, and you were wrong to cause Mother so much distress. I agree that it’s time to get you away from here, because you’re turning into a spoiled brat, if you want to know my opinion.”

“I don’t care what you think!” Kit cried furiously. “What I do is none of your business, Travis, and I’ll thank you to stay out of it.”

“Now wait just a minute, young lady,” Jade said.

“This is a family conference, and everyone has the right to speak his mind.”

“You all know how I feel,” Kitty put in. “I think it’s time Kit was allowed to make her own decisions. You can’t force her to live a life she doesn’t want to live.”

“She’s my daughter, and she’ll do as I say.” Jade walked across the porch to stand before Kitty. Her green eyes glinted with anger. “Kitty, you know I’ve always had the utmost respect for you, and I’ve loved you like the mother I can hardly remember, but quite frankly, there have been times when I’ve resented your interference with how I raise my daughter. I’m going to have to ask you to stay out of this.”

Kitty was undaunted. “She’s my granddaughter, and my namesake, and I’m not going to stand for her being made unhappy.”

Jade was appalled. “Do you mean to tell me that you approve of your granddaughter fighting a bull? Risking her life?”

Kitty shrugged. “From what I hear, she did a good job. I’d say you should be very proud of her.”

Jade threw up her hands, turning to Colt in disgust. “Oh, why do I even bother arguing with her?”

Kitty ignored Jade’s outburst. Addressing Colt, she said, “What if Kit compromises?”

Kit stared at her in astonishment, but Kitty went on. “Suppose…just suppose that Kit agreed to go back to New York—”

“Wait a minute!” Jade interrupted. “I don’t have to make any bargains. She’s my daughter, and she’ll do as I say, and—”

“Please, Jade. Hear her out.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at her husband.

Kitty smiled at her son, then gave Jade a patronizing nod. “Now then, you know that if Kit makes up her mind not to go to New York she’ll find a way to stay here, even if it means running away. You also know that if it came to that, I’d help her.”

“You…you wouldn’t dare…” Jade sputtered indignantly.

“Yes,” Kitty said quickly, “I would, and you know it, so stop pretending you’re shocked. You’d best listen to the compromise I propose.”

Jade gripped the arms of her chair. “I’m listening,” she said tightly.

“The compromise is that Kit will go to New York on the condition that if she is absolutely miserable, you will let her return to Spain.”

“Never!” Jade objected loudly.

“Return…” Kitty announced slowly, “to the ranch I’ll buy for her. And I’ll live there with her since Marilee and Travis will be away at school.”

Jade shook her head adamantly. “That’s absurd!”

“Is it?” Kit exploded, leaping to her feet. “I think it’s a fair compromise. I’ll agree to it. Why won’t you?”

“Because…” Jade’s fiery green eyes met her daughter’s defiant gaze, “…because I don’t have to compromise.”

Colt slowly got to his feet, wearing a determined expression. “Yes”—he looked at Jade—“we do, because otherwise, like it or not, Kit will do something drastic. I suggest we accept this plan and just hope that Kit comes to her senses and decides to remain in New York with us. I don’t see any other alternative.”

Jade turned on Kitty. “If this doesn’t work out, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you.”

“It’s settled,” Colt stated. “We’re going back to the States in time for the inauguration. Meanwhile, arrangements will be made for Kit’s debut. Now…”

He sighed, heading for the door. “I’ll see everyone at dinner. As far as I’m concerned, this discussion is closed.” Everyone filed slowly after him, leaving Kit and Kitty alone. They threw their arms around each other and danced a little jig around the porch, laughing with joy.

Kit cried, “I love you! You’re my best friend in the whole world.”

“And I love you, too, my precious,” Kitty said, her lavender eyes sparkling. “Oh, how I wish I was young now, to have all the wonderful opportunities you have—”

“The ranch! What do you think?” Kit asked excitedly. “Please, don’t say we’ve got to wait to buy it. I don’t care what we told Mother. If we wait, we’ll lose it, because there’s someone else after it.”

“Of course we aren’t going to wait,” Kitty assured her. “Do you think
I
want to stay in New York with your mother?” She made a face, then grinned. “I’ve wanted to live on a ranch again for some time now, and this is my chance. Tomorrow morning we’ll go into town and make all the arrangements. As for your mother…” She paused to wink, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “We didn’t tell her
when
we’d buy the ranch.”

Kit was trying very hard not to cry. She had never loved anyone more than she loved her grandmother at that moment.

“Don’t you get emotional on me!” Kitty commanded. “Now that that’s all settled, I want to talk to you about something else.”

“Anything.” Kit grinned happily.

“That handsome devil you danced with at the embassy ball. There was just something about him that reminded me of your grandfather…”

Kitty went on talking about what a striking couple they’d made, not noticing how Kit had stiffened. She didn’t know she’d struck a nerve…and that Kit had no intention of discussing Kurt Tanner.

Chapter Twelve

As they had previously agreed, Kitty remarked at breakfast that she’d love to go horseback riding. She said wistfully that the ranch was the only place where she could do real range riding. According to plan, Kit offered to go with her.

Jade immediately voiced her objections. “We have far too much to do if we’re going to leave in just two weeks—packing, putting the ranch up for sale—”