A Promise of Forever (26 page)

Kevin hired cars for the evening to avoid having anyone drive after drinking.
The ride to the country club was surprisingly quiet.
The ballroom was packed when they arrived.
All of the state’s most influential people were in attendance.
Katelyn spotted Brody almost immediately.
He was standing in the midst of a group of men talking politics as usual.
He was taller than the other men; even if he hadn’t been taller, he had an aura very similar to that of Gianfranco and it was what separated him from the other men.
She wondered when Nellie would make her entrance.
If nothing else, she thought, she had their reunion to look forward to tonight.
Brody must have felt her presence because he turned, looked in her direction and smiled as he excused himself from the pack of men.

“You look absolutely stunning,” he said as he greeted Katelyn.
She thanked him and together they entered the larger ballroom that was already alive with laughter and music.
She took a quick glance around the room to see if Nellie had arrived but she was nowhere to be seen.
She wasn’t comfortable keeping what she knew from Brody but her sixth sense told her it was for the best that he remained ignorant, for now.
She wanted to believe that after tonight, the man she had grown to love as a dear friend would find the happiness he deserved.

“Everything is so elegant.
I don’t think Sylvia forgot a thing.
Do you know where you’re sitting?” she asked.
“Will we be sitting together by any chance?” she added as they made their way to the table that held the place cards.

Brody made his way through the crowd of people and picked up both his card and hers as well.
They were sitting with Kevin and Sylvia just as he expected they would be.
He did notice a card for Gianfranco Broccolini too but he knew, from speaking to Kevin, that he probably wasn’t going to be able to make it.
He held the cards in the air and signaled to Katelyn that they could go inside and take a seat.
He escorted her to their assigned table but not before introducing her to the many people who stopped him along the way.

Katelyn knew she shouldn’t, being in the mood, she accepted the glass of champagne that was offered.
It no time at all, one glass turned into two and then three and then four.
Brody was very polite and kept her company for most of the evening until the great surprise.
Katelyn had forgotten but as soon as she saw the surprised look on his face, she knew, without following his line of vision, that Nellie had entered the room.

Brody didn’t say a word as he sat silently watching the apparition of the woman that he had once loved.
He believed that Eleanor had probably gotten on with her life and married some rich Parisian and yet here she was in the flesh.
He didn’t utter a word as she moved her hips seductively from side to side as she strolled in his direction. He didn’t know what she was up to but her show was definitely for his benefit.
He remembered that dress she was wearing and couldn’t wait until she turned around.
Whatever her reason for being here, that dress was meant for his eyes alone.
He had thought that she had given up on completing it because he hadn’t seen it in any of her designs and he had seen them all.

Brody didn’t mean to keep tabs on her professional life but he was curious to see if what she gave up was worth what she accomplished.
He needed to know that she had walked away from their marriage with no regrets.
From what he had seen, she had made a great success of her life, although she dropped out of sight for the past year.
He’d hired a private investigator to look into it but to no avail.
Wherever she was, she didn’t want to be found.
She reached the table but not before Katelyn, who’d had too much to drink, stood up and greeted Eleanor, calling her Nellie.

“Nellie, I didn’t think you were coming,” she said feeling a little intoxicated.

“You two know each other?” he questioned and then added, “Who is Nellie?” seeming somewhat confused.

“Eleanor is Nellie, the woman who opened the new boutique that you took me to.
I have to tell you she’s very talented.
But you would know that, wouldn’t you?” she asked pointing a finger into Brody’s chest.

“Katelyn, I think you have had a little too much to drink.
Do you want me to take you home?” he asked.

“I’m only a little tipsy and you two have unfinished business to discuss.
I’m going to leave you to it.
I’ll get some fresh air.”
She stood for a second and turned her attention to Nellie.
“It was nice to see you again and good luck, I think you both deserve to be happy.
It’s been a long time coming,” she added.

Katelyn knew, as she walked away, that all the time they had spent separated somehow disappeared.
She knew, from the way Brody admired that dress and twisted her around in his arms, that he was looking for the infamous tattoo located on his wife.
He must have seen a hint of it because, as he led her out on to the dance floor, he smiled, realizing that his wife had finally come home to him.
It’s all well and good
.
Too bad happily ever after isn’t in my future.

She had almost reached the bar when a young man she didn’t recognize stopped her.
“Excuse me, aren’t you Kevin Donavan’s sister?” the cool young voice asked before introducing himself.
As he stood in her line of vision, Katelyn saw that he was a tad older than he first appeared.
He was young and confident, or at least he seemed to be when he spoke.
She acknowledged his claim, accepted his hand and introduced herself.

“My name is Michael.
I’m a colleague of Kevin’s,” he said letting go of her hand.
He gave her a sideways glance, and looked over his shoulder and then offered her another drink.
He also told her that perhaps he should help her back to her table seeing that she was slightly inebriated.
The champagne was doing a great job numbing her pain but her head was becoming very fuzzy.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Michael, but I don’t need saving.
Thanks for the drink,” she said, slurring her speech as she walked back to the table on her own accord.
She sat with her back to the door and watched happily as both couples, Kevin and Sylvia and Brody and Nellie, danced.
Each couple seemed engrossed in their partner.
It was a pleasant sight for Katelyn.
She took another sip from her champagne and noticed that Michael was headed in her direction once again.

“You’re very persistent, aren’t you?” she asked as he joined her, sitting in the seat that had been saved for Gianfranco.
They exchanged small talk before Michael admitted to being a little curious.
“Well, why don't you spit it?
We both know you want to ask me something.” she rebutted.

“I’m just wondering what a beautiful lady like yourself is doing all alone at one of these things?” he asked, as he drank from the glass he had brought to the table with him.

“It’s very simple, really.
My fiancé is out of town on business and I’m here.
No mystery, I’m afraid.”
She smiled at him and she reached over and innocently took his hand in hers.
“Michael, would you consider it forward of me if I asked you to dance?”

“I would never take such liberties but I would be honored to dance with you,” he said as he touched her elbow and led her to the dance floor.
She didn’t know what it was about Michael that felt wrong but she decided to ignore the little warning signs and dance with him anyway.
When they reached the dance floor, she noticed that Michael didn’t seem to know Kevin at all as he had intimated.
She casually introduced them and was shuffled away by her escort.

“Thanks for not giving me away.
I don’t know your brother, my name is Michael though.
Michael Bishop, I’m a reporter at the Herald and I’m here on a lead.
It seems Eleanor Mulaney, the famous designer who disappeared a year ago, may be hiding in this town somewhere.
Do you know anything about her?” he asked as he held her in his embrace.

“If I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” she whispered seductively.
As he whirled her around on the dance floor Katelyn was careful not to let him see her as she searched the dance floor for any sign of Brody and Eleanor.
It was pretty clear though that they had probably left to find a more private place to talk.

“Tell me something else,” he said as he glanced down at her.
“Your story is just as intriguing as Eleanor Mulaney’s.
You’re engaged to be married to Gianfranco Broccolini, one of the richest men around and he’s left you alone at this function.
I might add, looking strikingly sexy, what gives?
Everything I hear about the almighty Broccolini leaves me to wonder why he left you alone to fend for yourself while he’s off doing who knows what.”

Katelyn was a journalist herself and she wasn’t about to fall for this trap no matter how much she’d had to drink.
She used this same method herself on occasion.
He asked her about the connection between Gianfranco and Kevin and didn’t seem surprised to learn that they were college friends.
He had done his homework, she was sure of that.
He wanted a story and the only way he thought he’d get one was to trick her into revealing the life she shared with Gianfranco when she felt more vulnerable, like now.

After Michael promised to stop digging for a story, they continued to dance.
He found himself relaxing and having a good time, enjoying her company.
As they slowly turned to the music, a path opened toward the two of them.
She couldn’t figure out why until he was directly upon them.

“I see you’ve kept yourself otherwise occupied in my absence,” the voice said from behind her.
She could feel his breath; he was so close.
Gianfranco was not a man to be taken lightly and right now she wasn’t sure what the next couple of minutes held for her dance partner.
The couples within their immediate vicinity had a lot of sympathy for the young man who would be on the receiving end of his wrath.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.
My name is Michael Bishop,” the young reporter said, holding out his hand to Gianfranco.
“I’ve had the great pleasure of keeping your fiancé entertained awaiting your arrival.
If you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave her to you.
By the way, Mr. Broccolini, I would think twice about leaving such a gorgeous creature alone,” he added before taking leave.

“I think a breath of fresh air would be appropriate.
All these people are waiting for me to make a scene and as that would embarrass both of us, I suggest we go outside.”
He didn’t give Katelyn much of a chance to defy him as he led her outside into the night air.
He wasn’t looking at her as they stood in the cold frigid weather of Montana.
It was almost as if it would hurt him to look away.

“Let me go back inside.
I’m freezing out here and I’m not having any fun.
I wanted to dance with you but you had to go and spoil the fun for me,” she declared once again slurring her words.

“I guess that was one small minor detail we forgot in our haste,” he said, taking off his jacket and placing it around her after observing that her nipples were taut from the cold; the material of her dress so thin, it offered little protection from the cold.
“That guy was a reporter and I don’t know what you’ve said to him.
Let’s hope I can stop him from printing whatever he has in mind to.
What were you thinking?” he asked.

His touch was gentle and yet reserved.
He was holding back and Katelyn knew how hard this was for him.
The physical side of their relationship was never lacking, in fact it was the only thing that kept the emotional detachment bearable for them both.
He looked sexy dressed up in his tuxedo and she was finding it hard to concentrate on anything he was saying.
She was soaking in his masculinity, enjoying the false sense of power the alcohol was giving her.
Who said women didn’t enjoy and want sex as much as man did?

“If I hadn’t arrived when I did, Katelyn, how long would it have taken Michael, whatever his name is, to get you into his bed?” he asked heatedly.

“You bastard!” she cried out with loathing.
“You’d stop at nothing to make sure you didn’t look the fool in public, wouldn’t you?
It doesn’t matter if anything is going on or not; you’re angry that he moved in on your property.
That’s it, isn’t it?” she asked as the tears welled in her eyes.

He laughed arrogantly and shook his head.
“Is that what you think?
You can’t honestly believe that young man’s thoughts weren’t about what he wanted to do to you?
I came between the two of you because I felt like I was being made the fool?
You are practically my wife, Katelyn.
I don’t take too kindly to witnessing my wife in the arms of another man, especially since she seemed to be enjoying it.
I’m a little tired of reminding you that your mine and mine alone,” he added possessively.