Right from the Start (20 page)

“A cow?”

Fiona nodded dreamily and gave a squeaky little sigh. “A cow.
He was a weeper.”

“Okay. I suppose if I’d have seen the movie, right?” Then maybe
Kenzie might have a clue what Fiona referred to. “Since I haven’t, maybe you can
explain to me why a best friend can’t be a hero.”

Fiona and Jess faced each other, their skeptical expressions
comically similar. What wasn’t so funny was the way they excluded Kenzie with
that glance.

“She definitely needs to see the movie,” Fiona said.

Jess turned to Kenzie. “She’s right. You do.”

“Okay, in all my free time, which, incidentally, is probably
why I haven’t seen it already.”

“Fee’s point exactly, don’t you think?”

Fiona nodded. “I’m simply saying that maybe this is why you’re
freaking yourself out about Will. That’s the real question, don’t you
think?”

“What question exactly?” Kenzie asked. The wine was going right
to her head tonight. She reached for more bread.

“You’ve dated before when you and Nathanial weren’t together,”
Jess clarified. “So why is this time any different? That’s the question you need
to ask yourself.”

Okay, Kenzie understood. But she already knew the answer. The
difference was that she’d never been so attracted to a man who was so totally
not
what she was looking for in her life.

* * *

M
OVEMENT
IN
THE
large,
first-floor classroom pointed Will in the right direction, and he found Kenzie
there, decorating a long table at the back of the room. A white tablecloth
covered what appeared to be a folding table and a centerpiece of bright flowers
perched in the middle, while plates, cups and plastic tableware sat in stacks at
both ends. She was creating decorative fans out of the napkins, with her back to
the door.

“Guess I won’t be replacing ceiling panels in here tonight,” he
said, to make his presence known and avoid feeling like any more of a lurker
than he already did.

She startled and spun toward him with a surprised smile.
“Will.”

Her greeting was quick and breathless, and if Will needed any
more proof she was as aware of him as he was of her, the color rising in her
cheeks was definitive.

“How’s Sam?” she asked. “Still at camp or is he home now?”

“Still at camp. Having a good time from what I’m told.”

“That’s great.” She held her hands poised over the napkins, as
if she wasn’t sure what to do with them, and watched him like a deer in the
headlights.

Not that he’d ever actually seen a deer in the headlights. But
he did recognize the look. The other night she’d had sleep dulling the edges.
Not tonight.

“Throwing another party?” he asked.

“Of a sort. What gave it away? The flowers?”

He lugged his equipment inside the room and set it on the
floor. “Silverware. Means there’s food. What’s the occasion?”

She finally abandoned her efforts with the napkins and backed
away from the table. “I’m pitching my new curriculum to some of the top-shelf
professionals in my network tomorrow.”

“Sounds important.” He hadn’t realized her agency had top-shelf
professionals. Showed him what he knew.

She shrugged lightly, making her blouse pull across her chest
in a very appealing way. “Figured I’d keep them in the loop on what’s
happening.”

“You didn’t want to wait until the renovations are done? Place
will clean up even better with new ceilings and refinished windowsills. Not to
mention functioning rooms.”

“I don’t want to wait. Not at the rate we’re going,
anyway.”

He deserved that. “You mean me.”

She frowned. “No. I’m going to help with the windowsills,
remember?”

“I haven’t shown you how.”

Her gaze dropped to his toolbox. “Or loaned me the tools.”

“Brought everything tonight as a matter of fact.”

“No worries, Will,” she said lightly. “I’ve been so busy
getting organized, the trim and sills have dropped from the priority list. My
shingle’s outside, thanks to you, so I’m good. I’ll tour everyone through the
place and they’ll be even more impressed when it’s finished.”

“Sounds like a plan.” A good one for him. He really didn’t need
another deadline and more pressure.

Still, he didn’t like the thought of touring people through the
building when there were still rooms with unfinished floors, missing baseboards
and crown molding. Somehow it felt as if she’d be displaying this old place
half-dressed.

“This is more of a practice run for me, so I can work on my
presentation. I’ve invited attorneys and mediators I’ve worked with forever.
Geri will be here, too. And Congressman Fleming.”

He wouldn’t have pegged her as such a party girl, but she sure
seemed to like hosting. “So you’re pitching a curriculum? For your classes? Do I
understand that right?”

She nodded, kneeling in front of the box that held supplies,
more plates and cups. She presented him with quite the display of graceful
motion and slender curves in the process.

Her blouse might cover everything from her neck to her elbows,
but the fabric was sheer nothingness that molded to the lines of her body. Her
skirt, another fitted one—his favorite kind, he decided—detailed the length of
her thighs, displayed the subtly flexing muscles of her calves and trim ankles
poised on matching pumps.

She withdrew a thermal bag, chattering about her five-year
plan. “I’m ahead of schedule because of Family Foundations.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But what exactly is the five-year
goal?”

“To standardize the curriculum for the divorcing parent classes
in North Carolina.”

He gave a low whistle. “Sounds like a big goal.”

Placing the bag on the table, she flashed a bright smile. “It
is. But it’s an important one. Otherwise, there’s really no point in requiring
parents to attend these classes. They show up, kill four hours and leave with
their certificates to satisfy the court, but they don’t always learn anything.
You must have attended one of these classes, Will. Do you mind if I ask what you
remember about it?”

He searched his memory for one thing he could tell her so he
could impress her, but he finally spread his hands in entreaty and admitted, “It
was a time killer. But in my defense, my class didn’t sound a thing like yours
did the other night. Well, from what I heard anyway when I came through your
ceiling.”

That made her chuckle. “Precisely my point.”

She started lifting out foam boxes and setting them on the
table. “Are you hungry by any chance? I promised to call the caterer before they
close at six to tell them what I want for brunch. They brought all these
samples, and I’m running on too much coffee and a protein shake. I don’t want to
rudely eat in front of you.”

His turn to laugh. “Who knew we had so much in common?”

She arched a skeptical eyebrow.

“The protein bar and bag of peanuts wore off a while ago.”

“Oh.” She waved at the table and starting flipping open boxes.
“Please grab a plate and help yourself. I’d appreciate your opinion to help me
decide. These are all samples, but they always send so much.”

He had no comment, was trying to figure out if she kept trying
to feed him because he always looked hungry.

“Looks like we’ve got a vegetable frittata and some sort of
meat strata.” She leaned over the box and inhaled tentatively. “Sausage, I
think. Mmm. This one’s eggs Benedict. My favorite. This looks like eggs
Florentine. I’m sure this is spinach.”

Or maybe she just liked to eat and share her hobby. Will didn’t
know, but he’d like to. Too much. He’d guess she wasn’t a big sausage fan.
Heading to the table, he grabbed a plate. Sharing dinner with Kenzie was exactly
what he shouldn’t be doing right now. But better he eat here than waste more
time leaving to get something. A lame rationalization at best.

Didn’t matter if he was wasting time he didn’t have when there
was so much to do. He filled a plate with everything but Kenzie’s favorite eggs
Benedict and sat at one of the classroom tables.

She set her plate at the other end of the same table. “Water
okay for you?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

She disappeared through the door on light steps that echoed
down the hallway, leaving him wondering what in hell he was doing here when he’d
already decided that he didn’t need any reminders of the parts of his life he
was ignoring.

Kenzie made him remember those parts.

But there was no possible way Will could avoid this encounter.
And it was more than not wanting to appear rude. He could have made an excuse.
Told her, “Thanks, but no thanks.” She knew better than anyone how much work he
had to do. But Will lacked both the desire and the discipline.

It felt too good to talk to her, to notice her, to react.

To be a man for a few minutes.

Not a dad or an Angel House support parent or a contractor with
a business and a lot of jobs pending and employees who counted on him or a
councilman with responsibilities and decisions that he didn’t have time for.

He was powerless to resist this unexpected chance to be just
Will,
a man enjoying a conversation with a
beautiful woman. And she was so beautiful. His pulse quickened when he heard her
footsteps, tap-tapping over the floor on her return. He couldn’t keep his gaze
from the door, waiting for her to appear, suddenly hungrier for the sight of her
than the food on his plate.

“Here you go.” She set a water bottle in front of him as she
passed, hips swaying gently, hair bouncing softly on her shoulders as she took
each light step.

He suddenly imagined what she looked like dancing in the
studio, imagined her wearing something flowing and clingy as she stretched and
twirled on those light steps, hair whipping around her, reflected in the mirrors
from every direction.

The thought alone made him catch his breath.

“That’s sweet, but you didn’t have to wait, Will. I’m sure
everything’s lukewarm. They dropped it off hours ago. I just haven’t had time to
eat.”

“I hear that. But this is much better than a protein bar so you
won’t get any complaints from me.”

She sat with a smile, and he speared the plastic fork into the
sausage dish. She didn’t go straight to the eggs Benedict but sampled a bit from
each of the other dishes first. Being fair, no doubt. Traditional, he decided,
remembering her parents. Reared with an attention to fairness and the qualities
of another generation. Was that what made her so different?

“Do you have any siblings, Kenzie?”

The personal question surprised her. He could tell by the way
she glanced his way, fork poised at her lips. “No. I’m an only child like Sam.”
Her gaze widened. “I mean, I assume he is an only child. You haven’t mentioned
any other children.”

“Only Sam.”

She relaxed. “I was a later-life baby, but I’m guessing you
figured that out when you met my parents.”

“I suspected.”

“What about you? Does Sam have any aunts or uncles?”

“Two uncles. My brothers. Both younger, not by much.”

“They live in town?”

He nodded. “My mother always threatened that if we moved away,
she’d move, too. None of us bothered leaving. Didn’t want to stress her out
trying to decide which one of us she was going to follow.”

That made Kenzie smile. “Thoughtful boys. I’m sure she
appreciates that.”

“I think so. She enjoys being involved. I don’t know what I’d
do without her help with Sam.” He changed direction by finishing the last of the
sausage dish and announcing, “This one gets my vote.”

She eyed his plate and slid the box with the remainder of the
dish his way.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“I tried my bite. Enjoy.”

“Make a decision yet?”

She nodded. “I’ll ask the caterers to bring me eggs Benedict.
If you’re a good indication, my male guests will enjoy that sausage strata, and
I’ll provide the vegetable frittata for an alternative.”

“I hope I’m a good indication, then.”

“I’m sure you are. And if you’re working next door, you’re
welcome to drop by to eat. If not, you can always come later to grab leftovers.
I’m sure there’ll be plenty.”

That made him smile. “So which is it? Do I always look hungry
or you just like to feed people?”

She shrugged a bit sheepishly.

Upending the box, he slid the remaining contents onto his
plate. “I’m going to owe you big after all these meals.”

She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “You’ve been working
nonstop on this building since I met you. How is it you owe me?”

“Renovations were part of the deal.”

“I still appreciate everything you’re doing. Just works out I
happen to have food when you’re around. I work a lot, too.”

But it was more than that, Will knew. Kenzie was a caring
person and wasn’t shy about showing how much. He might not know her well, but he
could see her caring in the way she looked after the people around her, noticing
little things that meant she paid attention. He liked that about her.

And thought her currently off attorney
friend
was an idiot.

Then again, Will didn’t have room to talk given his track
record. But he couldn’t help wondering what her relationship with the
pretentious BMW driver was all about.

Instead he asked, “So what’s up with this new curriculum you’re
pitching? I didn’t realize divorce mediators were so brainy and academic.”

She gave a quick snort of laughter when he wasn’t being
entirely facetious. He’d overheard some of what she’d said in her class. “Smart
is good, Kenzie. Sets an example for the kids who’ll soon be your neighbors.
They need strong examples.”

That earned a more thoughtful expression. “Well, then, I’m
glad. Think Sam’s going to like his new school?”

“I’m not answering that question until you answer mine.”