Summers' Love, A Cute and Funny Cinderella Love Story (LPC Romantic Comedy Series) (20 page)

“Please, let me make it up to you.” His voice was low and husky sounding. She didn’t respond. “The thing is, I’ve never met anyone like you, Kate, and I didn’t want to forget the way you looked and felt in my arms. That’s why I wrote what I did.”

Kate caught sight of Rog tapping his wrist, as though he actually had a watch. Trying to hurry things along, she replied, “You could have kept a diary. That’s what a normal person would do.” There was an awkward pause while Kate wondered if she should say more. “Was there some other reason you called?”

“No. Just wanted you to know I missed you.”

His words hit harder than she expected. Taking a deep breath, she pivoted slightly away from her brother and spoke softly into her phone. “You are who you are, Stu. I can’t change that. You see people and they send you soaring off into some make-believe fantasy world in your head. I guess that’s why you’re so good at what you do. But I’m not like that. I’m private. I won’t even shower at the gym, for goodness sake. Not that I go to the gym anymore. Just saying when I
had
a membership to the gym, I refused to shower in public. Not public as in where everyone could—”

“I get what you’re saying, Kate.”

“I don’t want to open a book someday and see myself splashed across the pages of one of your novels. Thing with you is, there are too many books, too many films. I never realized it before, but everyplace I go I see an ad for a movie made from one of your novels or an announcement that you’ll be at such and such a place signing books.”

“I can work on that,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll find other ways to get inspiration. It doesn’t all have to come from you.”

“What you have to understand is, I’m not someone who takes chances. I took a big one driving down to see you and it blew up in my face.”

“Kate, I don’t know how to say it any other way except that I’m sorry. I really am.”

Roger waved his arms, motioning for Kate to hurry. She took a step toward him more to pacify her brother than to actually leave the bedroom.

“And I want you to understand … that thing I told you about my wedding,” Kate said, keeping her voice low, “I’ve never told anybody. Then to see my words in your story and the part about me still being a …”

Another awkward pause ensued. Roger remained in the bedroom doorway, flapping his arms as if he were a lanky gull trying to take flight.

“So maybe the next time I’m in the D.C. area we could get together for coffee or something?”

“I don’t know if that’s such a great idea,” Kate replied.

“I’m actually driving through D.C. tomorrow. Maybe I could stop by the mall and see where you work.”

Out of the corner of her eye Kate saw Roger grab her suitcase and begin rolling down the hallway. She took another step.

“You know what? That’s probably not such a good idea. I have somewhere to be tomorrow night.”

“Another time, then.”

“Oh wow, this is so hard.”

“What, fitting me into your dating calendar?”

Kate took a deep breath and exhaled. “Please understand, when it comes to men and dating … I don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Date.”

“Ever?”

“I sell stun guns, for goodness sake. You know, to keep men away. That should tell you something right there.”

“Tells me you’re a go-getter, an entrepreneur, like me. In fact, I’m thinking of buying one of those guns.”

“You are?”

“Absolutely. You have no idea how unruly a book signing can become.”

She bit back a smile. “I should have trusted my woman’s intuition. I didn’t. And that’s on me. You seem like a sweet guy, Stu, you really do. But you’re a bestselling author with a yacht and beach house and a press person that gets you dates with models who have the total fat content of a stalk of celery. I host stun gun parties and sell ball caps at the mall to fat slobs who think pinching my butt is a sign of affection. I spend all my waking hours trying to figure out how to pay the bills. The last thing I need is to get involved with someone who jets around the country doing book signings and guest appearances on talk shows.”

“So you really are saying no, aren’t you?”

She glanced around the darkened room. “Maybe if I wasn’t so … Goodbye, Stu.”

Kate killed the call and shoved the phone back in her purse, then joined Roger in the kitchen.

Her brother pulled open the sliding patio door. “Now please, for the love of Lucy, can we get out of here?”

She took a final look around the kitchen, thumbed away a tear, and followed Roger into the pouring rain.

She was about to dash across the patio when a flashlight blinded her.

“
Police! Freeze!”

Chapter Twenty-three

You’re not the police,” Kate said to the silhouette of the man who stood shadowed and in the pouring rain.

“
Keep your hands where I can see them!”

“He’s not the police,” Kate whispered to her brother.

Kate stood completely still on the patio with her brother, both soaking wet. Their path remained blocked by a short, stout security officer wearing a dark blue slicker.

“Yes,” Roger muttered, “but he is wearing a uniform and he’s carrying a gun.”

“I’m fairly sure this is what’s-his-name,” said Kate, squinting in the glare of the flashlight beam. “The homeowner’s association’s rent-a-cop.”

“
Don’t move!
”

Kate and Roger exchanged glances. “We’re
not
moving,” they said in unison.

“But I am going to put my hands down,” Kate announced. “So I can wheel my suitcase back inside before it gets waterlogged.”

“Sis, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Roger warned.

But Kate pulled her suitcase back into the kitchen.

“
Hold it right there!”

Kate glanced over her shoulder into the glare of the officer’s flashlight. “Would you chill? I live here, you ding-dong. See?”

Kate parked her suitcase next to the kitchen table and whipped out her driver’s license. Leaning out the door she held it out at arm’s length. The officer stepped closer. Her brother, eyeing the advancing gun coming in his direction, retreated inside.

“So how come you’re sneaking around in the rain? Why not use the front door?” The officer lowered his flashlight but not his gun.

“My brother here bet me he could pick the lock on the sliding glass door in under five minutes. I told him no way, that it was impossible.”

“She’s kidding officer, I would never—”

“Show him your lock-picking set, Roger.” Kate’s head bounced in a “yes-yes” motion. “Go on. Officer, you’d be amazed at what he can do with a lock, it’s like … watching … Rembrandt paint.”

“My sister is exaggerating. I need help picking my seat at the movies.”

“I need to call this in,” said the officer, still pointing his flashlight at Kate. “This looks suspicious.”

“Fine. But can you call from in here?” Kate motioned toward the kitchen. “My hardwoods are going to be ruined if I don’t close the door.”

My hardwoods,
as if she still lived there. And all she needed was for Barney Fife to report this to the building manager.

The three of them stood silent for several moments, no one moving. Finally, the officer lowered his gun and joined Kate and Roger in the kitchen. Kate flipped on a light and, using a roll of paper towels, began mopping the floor.

Roger said, “Hey, you look familiar. Didn’t you officiate the ACC basketball games?”

The security guard kept his stance. “Long time ago. What of it?”

Kate straightened and tossed the sodden wad of towels into the sink. She studied the officer more closely. Short and round with chubby cheeks, a serious scowl and pinched, pouty mouth.

“Oh wow, now I know who you are,” Roger said, as though he and she were sharing a thought. “Carl Hester, right? Back in the day they used to call you King Carl because of the way you held court.” The officer’s scowl deepened. “Your modus operandi was to steal the spotlight in any and every game, and make blatantly awful calls on national TV. Didn’t you once toss N.C. State legends Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani?”

“They were mouthing off,” Hester said.

“But they were in the stands. Isn’t that what fans are supposed to
do
?”

“Coaches, players, and officials expect a certain degree of professionalism, even from spectators.”

Kate glanced at her small box of belongings on the kitchen table. Roger hadn’t bothered to seal the box and now picture frames, important documents, and other things lay exposed for the officer to see. It certainly looked as if she were skulking away in the dark.

“And didn’t you also line up UConn and Marquette players in the wrong direction at the start of overtime one time?”

Roger was on a roll. Kate was grateful that her brother knew so much about college basketball. It helped to take the spotlight off her.

“An honest mistake,” explained Officer Hester. “Could have happened to anyone.”

“Yes, but after you lined up the players incorrectly, UConn got the tip, scored, but you waved off the basket. Marquette ended up winning by one point.”

“What’s
your
point?”

“I think his
point
is,” said Kate, “that you might be making the wrong call here, too.”

“I don’t think so, ma’am.”

“Look, you saw my license. I live here. Do you really want to call the police, have them stop by and ask why you detained a homeowner for no apparent reason?”

Officer Hester looked around the kitchen. “I still say there’s something not right here. At the very least I should call the property manager.”

“Is it true you gave Louisville coach Rick Pitino a technical for yelling at his own player?”

Officer Hester glowered at Kate’s brother but said nothing. With an audible grunt, he turned and stepped back onto the patio. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you two,” he said. “And if I come back by and see anything suspicious …”

“You have a nice night, officer,” said Kate, sliding the glass door shut.

She looked at her brother.

“That was close,” said Roger. “Guy like that
looks
for a reason to cause trouble. I’m betting he calls his supervisor as soon as he’s out of sight.”

“So let’s not wait around. We’ll go out the front door.”

“And leave it unlocked? I don’t want to waste time trying to relock it with the pick set.”

“If he calls it in, like you say, whoever changed the locks will eventually show up and lock up.”

Kate grabbed her suitcase. “Grab that box and come on.”

“Okay, but where are you spending the night? You already saw the sort of dump I live in.”

“Reagan National. I’ll just hang out at the airport until my flight to Charleston leaves.”

“Without showering?”

“I’m a vagrant, Rog. This is what homeless people do. Let’s
go
.”

* * *

A few minutes after midnight Stu’s taxi parked in front of the brownstone townhome. The lights were on. He could see a silhouette standing in front of what was probably the bedroom window. With the cabbie’s meter still running, he hopped out and bounded up the front steps. For a second he thought about ringing the doorbell and giving Kate the letter personally, but she’d made it clear she wanted her space. That, he would respect and honor. He had spend the better part of an hour carefully writing the letter, pouring out his heart, explaining why he believed she was the love of his life. Then he’d closed up his yacht and raced to the New Bern airport and caught the last flight out to D.C.

Dropping to one knee, as if proposing, he slipped the envelope under the door. There, he thought. I’ve done it now. Laid myself bare and exposed my heart. I hope you’re happy, Hattie. And I hope this works.

Back in the cab, he composed a short email to his editor.
First, I would like to thank you for the extension. That was kind and more than generous. And I do appreciate your encouragement regarding my latest revised manuscript. However, at this point I feel it is best if I return the advance for the latest book contract and cease work on this project. I understand there will
be financial and professional repercussions, but I cannot finish the book. I’m simply too close to the story. Hope you understand. Stu.

Taking one final look at the figure in the bedroom window, Stu told the driver to take him back to the Marriott Hotel at Reagan National airport.

Chapter Twenty-four

T
here’s an old phrase.“ Their eyes met across a crowded room.” In my case our eyes met across a crowded concourse. Concourse C, to be exact. In front of Gate 23. Kate held my gaze for all of two seconds. Then she turned away and hurried to board her plane.