The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (2 page)

He sighed in relief.
My wife is not in danger, at least not at the moment.
She was just happy the team had arrived back from their vacation.

She ran down the steps and jumped into Donnie’s arms. He whirled her around in a circle then set her down. She staggered to Mel and grabbed her in a fierce hug. Corey jogged down the steps and joined in.

“Oh! I am so glad you are back!” Kate exclaimed as she squeezed the life out of Mel.

Mel giggled. “It’s good to be home!”

“Is our little one well?” She placed her hand on Mel’s still flat belly and Mel nodded with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Hey, Bro!” Corey fist bumped Donnie, and then hugged Mel. “You look nice and relaxed.”

“Mmmmhmmm,” Mel agreed and cast a heart melting glance at Donnie.

Kate and Corey broke into silly grins.

They gathered up their luggage and took it to the apartment over the boathouse. Kate had spent all morning cleaning it, setting out fresh flowers, and turning back the sheets in preparation for their return.

“Kate! Did you do this?” Mel dropped her bag in the front room.

“Yes, and I have dinner in the oven. When you two get refreshed and changed come on over and we will catch up on everything!”

Hugs were exchanged and backs pounded again, and then Kate and Corey left them to settle in. Corey fingered Kate’s hand as they sauntered back toward First Cabin.

“That was very sweet.” He kissed the back of her hand.

“I just wanted them to know how much I missed them.” She blushed. “I can’t wait for the others to get back.” She skipped around and jumped on his back. “It has been way too quiet around here.”

“I don’t know about that. You weren’t very quiet last night, or this morning!”

“Corey!” She batted at him playfully, and then kissed his neck. “I
will
miss our time alone.” Her voice was soft and demure. His heart stuttered.

He set her down and turned around to gather her in his arms. “Kate, we don’t have to all live here, you know. There are other cabins. We can spread out.”

“No. Definitely not. I want my whole family here under the same roof.”

Corey smiled at her and then grew serious, realizing her probable motive for wanting them all under the same roof. “Are you afraid?”

“Yes.” She pressed her forehead to his chest. “But that isn’t the reason I want the Keepers here.”

“I know.” They scaled the porch steps. He opened the screen door and led her inside. “I want them here too, but I think we should be sensitive toward their needs.”

She glanced up, warily. “Are you talking about Trip?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, and Dirk and Tara.” Corey shrugged. “We don’t know what might have changed on their vacations.”

“I was surprised that Tara chose to go to Galapagos with Trip and Eunavae.” Kate coaxed him onto the couch and crawled into his lap. “I thought she would go with Dirk.”

“She still loves Trip.”

“Yeah.” Kate’s face fell.

Corey touched her brow and smoothed the line that formed there. Quietly, he asked, “Does it bother you that she still loves Trip?” His heart jerked. He thought his lovely wife had moved past her feelings for Trip.

“No, not at all. It has never bothered me. I always thought they were made for each other. It’s just—” She bit her lip and the crease returned.

“What?”

“I feel responsible for them breaking up in the first place.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “If I had been stronger, faithful—”

“Kate,” he whispered and took her precious face between his hands. “You can’t blame yourself. They have to work it out between them. Don’t carry the guilt of that. Let it go.” He kissed her tear away before it reached her chin.

She nodded and lifted her lips, sighing into the kiss.

The timer buzzed on the oven, so she kissed him quickly three times and jumped up to take the meatloaf out of the oven. He’d told her it was Donnie’s favorite, so she’d searched the web for a recipe. She took the new creation out of the oven, put in the rolls, and reset the timer. They carried the food to the table and iced the glasses. Kate was pouring the tea when they heard the footfalls of Donnie and Mel on the porch.

“Come on in,” Corey called, and they opened the screen door, entering with smiling, relaxed faces.

“Do I smell meatloaf?” Donnie grinned.

“Uh oh! You will never hear the end of his requests now, Kate.” Mel laughed. “Now that he knows you can cook it, he will hound you to death for more!”

“Well, he’d better wait until he tastes it,” Kate suggested. “It’s my first attempt.”

They sat down around the table. Kate’s meatloaf was a hit, and Donnie polished off the whole dish. Mel exclaimed over the creamy mashed potatoes and Corey enjoyed the fresh asparagus.

How lucky am I? My wife can cook!

She had been so busy fighting for her life, they hadn’t had much regular-married-couple interaction, but over the last two weeks she had relished being the homemaker. Corey rubbed his belly
. I think I’ve gained five pounds from all the good cooking and experimental recipes. Not that I’m complaining! Kate has a knack.

“So, Corey, you’re like really rich, huh?” Mel swirled her iced tea glass and her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. “Your little Italian Villa was a mansion!”

“Oh man, that pool!” Donnie moaned, leaning back and rubbing his full belly.

“The pool? Do you mean the one in the master suite or the one outside?”

“Yeah, take your pick!” Donnie mumbled through a satisfying stretch. “So you’ve been holding out on us?”

“I—I just didn’t want it to change things, you know?” Corey stammered.

“I didn’t know either, if it makes you feel any better.” Kate rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, but Kate, you didn’t spend 170 years meeting him for breakfast every morning,” Donnie interjected.

“Nope, just a thousand years sharing the same cloud!” Kate laughed.

“Oh yeah, and it never came up?”

“Nope!” Kate gave Corey the stink eye.

He grinned.

“So how many homes do you own?” Mel leaned back and crossed her legs.

“A few,” he hedged.

Kate gawked at him. “A few?”

He took her hand. “When things settle down here, I will take you to every one of them.”

Kate narrowed her brows. “I probably won’t be seeing them anytime soon, then.”

Donnie and Mel traded startled expressions, and then turned to Corey. “Why not? What happened?” Donnie asked.

“We had a visit from The Sphere Master.”

Mel blanched. “He came here?”

“Right in our back yard,” Kate murmured and her face tightened with distress.

Corey’s heart swelled protectively, and he readjusted his hold on Kate’s hand.

“What? How?”

“A sphere landed on the other side of the pool.”

“Oh man, that is not good.” Donnie scrubbed his hand across his face. “What did he want?”

“Kate.”

Mel gasped and took Kate’s other hand. “What did he say?”

“He said my team killed his wife, so it was only fair that he be compensated.”

“His wife?”

“Greg said ‘my wife, my Kate,’” Kate choked out.

“So they were married?” a familiar voice asked from the front room.

They all jerked heads around to see Trip standing in the front door with his arms full of luggage, face drawn and tight. “Greg and the other Kate were married?”

Kate cast her stricken gaze down at his feet.

“Surprise! We’re home!” Eunavae announced as she hopped out from behind Trip.

Mel’s face brightened. “Hey! You guys are back early?”

Tara walked in behind Eunavae, and Trip’s jaw tightened, stepping aside to watch the reunion. Mel and Kate squealed and ran to them. A flurry of hugs and squeals and giggles invaded the living room. The sweet reunion wrapped them in warmth.

It was so good to have them all back home. Tara glowed in her deep golden tan. Eunavae flushed pink all over.

Corey touched her red nose. “Girl, didn’t you have any sunscreen?”

“Slathered SPF 120 all over myself, everyday, but still burned,” she complained. “Trip said he will never stop calling me Pinky now.”

They burst out laughing, and Corey caught Trip’s inquisitive eye as it cut to Kate and back. He’d heard enough of the previous conversation to know that Kate was in danger. Corey nodded imperceptibly, and then they turned their focus back to the homecoming.

Kate gave instructions for the others to get settled while she and Mel whipped up more dinner. “Donnie ate all of the meatloaf,” she explained, cutting him a playfully derisive look.

He posed an innocent expression.

“How about—” Kate stuck her head in the fridge. “Bacon sandwiches?”

“Sounds great!” Trip called from the upstairs.

“Okay.”

“Sure,” Eunavae and Tara chimed as they shuffled suitcases through their bedroom door.

Corey and Donnie went up to Trip’s and Dirk’s room to help Trip unpack. Corey took the opportunity to give more detail about Gregory’s unwanted visit.

“What happened?” Trip dumped his suitcase and whirled around when he saw them enter the room. His jaw bulged and he planted his fists on his hips. “Gregorvitch came here in a sphere?”

Corey nodded.

Donnie closed the door behind them.

“How does he have access to our spheres? He left the village, right?”

“It was his own. It looked and sounded different. The shape was oblong, not completely round and instead of water or fluid, it swirled with tiny glass shards or maybe clear sand.” Corey rolled eyes up to search his memory. “The sound was deep, more like a foghorn instead of a screech.”

“So he wants our Kate?”

Our Kate. Corey didn’t like the implications of those two words, but knew what he meant. “Yes.”

Trip cursed and sat down on his bed.

“When Dirk gets back tomorrow, we are going to all go up to the Admin Mansion and talk to Chaps.” Corey sat down at the desk.

“Yeah, we need security, a plan of action. Hell, Corey, we need to shut down this place until we can figure out how to protect her.”

“We can’t shut the village down. We have commitments to 3,500 teens and their families,” he argued. “But we have shut down the quantum fields. Though, I don’t think it matters now that we know he has his own technology.”

Donnie crossed his legs as he leaned against the paneling. “The campers aren’t in danger. Just Kate and whoever decides to protect her.”

Corey searched Donnie’s face. “Listen, Donnie, you and Mel should just go. I can put you in a house far away from all of this. You can start a life with your wife and unborn child.”

Donnie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “That is very tempting, Corey, but Mel and I consider you and Kate family. We won’t abandon you now.”

“Put them in a house?” Trip asked, eyes narrowed. His face slowly dawned with comprehension. “Corey, who paid for our vacation? The village, right?”

“Yes. The village compensated you all for your work as Keepers.”

“What did you and Kate get as compensation?”

“Two weeks alone.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Corey?”

Corey sighed. “I am Corey Chastain of Chastain Corporation.”

“Your parents have some money? Is that what you’re saying?”

“My parents died two years ago. I was the sole heir.”

Trip sat in silence for a minute, then said, “So you are?”

“I own Heartwork Village and all of the Chastain Corporation holdings.”

Trip whistled. “That makes you the boss.”

“No. We’re a team, just like before. Dirk is Jump Commander, Mel and Donnie are second in command. I’m just an advisor.”

“They get their paychecks from you, Corey. That makes you the boss,” Trip insisted.

Corey huffed and looked down. “This is why I didn’t want you all to know. It messes things up.”

They were both awkwardly quiet, deep in their own thoughts.

“Maybe, but I think I can handle it if I get a paid vacation every three months or so.” Trip grinned.

“Was it great?” Corey lifted bright eyes and chuckled.

“Oh man! You should have seen Tara attack this aggressive shark!”

“What?” Donnie and Corey leaned forward.

“Jeez, talk about heart stopping! She’d moved too far away from the group…”

Worries of Gregory and spheres melted away as Trip launched into an animated description of the scuba adventure.