Against the Wall (Stoddard Art School Series Book 3) (16 page)

“Kay…” Bear made a sound like he’d been punched.

She smiled. Her lipstick matched her dress. “You clean up nice. I like the suit.”

He smoothed a hand down his tie while his heart knocked around in his chest. He stepped toward her. “I love the dress.”

“The color is a little bold for me, but the salesclerk told me it made my butt look good. So I had to buy it.”

Bear held up a hand and spun his finger in a tight circle. Kay gave a sassy turn. The salesclerk was right. “I’m buying you two more,” his voice rasped. “Make that an even dozen.” He pulled the bouquet of twelve long-stemmed red roses from behind his back.

Kay stared at the flowers. “You bought me roses.”

“They even match.” He held them out.

“They do.” She stood twisting her hands. Her hesitation struck him as odd, but it was short-lived. She gave him a small smile and took them from his hand. “Thank you. You really shouldn’t have.”

“I wanted tonight to be special.”

Kay set the flowers aside without another glance, and smoothed her hands down the lapel of his jacket. She gave him the briefest of kisses and wiped her lipstick from his lips with her thumb. “I want that, too. Can we go?”

He’d made reservations for them at the Chart House. It was an upscale restaurant at the end of the harbor, with amazing seafood and an equally amazing view.

The maître d’ welcomed them and led them through the room. Tourist season was in full swing, and the restaurant was crowded. A loud group, all sporting plastic lobster bibs, were looking at the boiled crustaceans on their plates like something out of an episode of The Weirdest Thing I Ever Ate.

Bear had arranged for a private table for two tucked into a corner away from the main dining room with a stunning view of the back bay. According to the woman who secured his reservation, the intimate table was quiet, secluded, and the sunsets were guaranteed breathtaking.

Bear held her chair. The maitre d’ handed them thick, leather-bound dinner menus as well as their wine list and left them to enjoy their meal.

Kay appreciated the view. Bear appreciated Kay appreciating the view. She caught him staring and reached across the table to take his hand. “This is lovely. Thank you for bringing me. I haven’t been here since I was a little girl. I think they called it the Compass Rose back then. I remember thinking how fancy it was.” She opened her menu and leaned forward. “I was only six, however, any place where they used cloth napkins and your food didn’t come with a toy was considered fancy.” She blinked at him and frowned. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Is my lipstick smeared?” She shielded her mouth with her fingertips.

He squeezed the hand he held. “No, woman, your lipstick is fine. I’m just trying to get over how beautiful you are tonight.”

“There you go, saying the perfect thing again.” Color brightened her cheeks.

“I counted at least three other guys as we walked through the restaurant who’re considering fighting me in the parking lot for you right now.”

“Idiots,” she scoffed. “Have they seen your shoulders?”

He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. The waiter arrived, and Bear ordered a bottle of wine. Kay looked over the menu while he told them about the specials for the evening.

“Lucky pie.” Kay smiled as their server left. “The dessert special is lucky pie. Maine blueberry. I doubt it’s as good as Dottie’s, but I adore blueberry pie.”

“What makes it lucky?”

“Dottie.” Kay grinned.

The wine arrived and as Bear went through the motions of tasting and approving, Kay continued with her explanation.

“Dottie’s blueberry pie is magic. For my birthday, every year since I can remember, I’ve asked for her pie instead of cake. She told me she always bakes good luck into the crust, and Walter taught me to eat it backward.”

“Why backward?”

“According to Walter, if you eat the point of the pie last, your wish will come true.” Kay paused as Bear poured her wine. “I remember one year, all I wanted was a bubble-gum-pink bicycle with a glittered seat and purple sparkly tassels off the handlebars. I found it in a catalog. I cut out the picture and left it everywhere I could think, hoping my parents would get the hint. They didn’t.” She shrugged. “Walter and Dottie always had a special dinner for me to celebrate, and when she brought out my pie that year, she said she put in extra luck.”

Kay sipped at her wine. “I made my wish, blew out the candle, and made sure to eat it from the crust side just like Walter said. Sure enough, as the last bit of pie reached my mouth, a bell began to ring on the back porch. Dottie and I rushed out. There was Walter ringing the little tin bell attached to my new pink bike.”

“With sparkly purple tassels?”

“Of course.” She shrugged again. “Lucky pie.”

“That’s a great story.

“Dottie made me lucky pie the night before I came to the inn for my interview,” she said coyly.

“Then it was lucky for both of us.”

As they waited for their meals to arrive, a woman strolled through the restaurant with a large basket of single-wrapped roses offering them to the men to give to their female companions.

“Rose for the lady?” she asked Bear.

“No, thank you,” Kay was quick to say to her. To Bear she said, “You already got me some.”

“There’s no such thing as too many roses,” he argued, peering into the basket.

“No.” There was the look again. Flustered, she flashed a quick smile at the woman. “Thank you, anyway.” When she left, Kay took a large swallow of wine and asked for a bit more.

Bear wanted to ask what was wrong, but Kay was quick to turn the subject back to something else, and the moment was lost and soon forgotten.

Dinner was delicious. Bear ordered a second bottle of wine. They had a wonderful time. Kay got delightfully tipsy. By the time it came to ordering dessert, they both were too full, but Bear made sure to order an extra large piece of their blueberry pie, to go.

His plan had been to invite her back to his place for a nightcap, but after ordering a second bottle of wine, he decided the evening’s plans had capped enough. At least for Kay. He’d only had the one glass. The second he poured just for show, but she’d kept tipping a bit more into her glass. He took her home.

Back at the cottage, she hung onto his arm and suggested he take her straight to bed. Bear put the kettle on for coffee instead. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Turning from the stove, he caught her as she stumbled. “You’re drunk, Ms. Winston.”

Kay giggled. “The perfect obber…opportunity to take advantage of me, Mr. Coulter.” She slipped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.

He smiled down at her. “I don’t take advantage of drunk women.”

“I’m not drunk. Maybe I am a little. But it’s not taking advantage if you’ve been
asked
to take advantage. Nicely, I might add.” She ran her fingers through the back of his hair.

“Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you some coffee.”

“You know what you are? You’re too damn nice.” She dropped into a seat at the kitchen table and picked up the bouquet of roses she’d tossed there before they left. She lifted them to her nose, and breathed in their scent. “Too damn nice. Had anyone else brought me these.” She waved them at him. “I’d have dropped them straight in the trash. I might have stomped on them first.”

Bear frowned. “What do you have against roses?”

“Shhhh.” She put her finger over her lips, then motioned him closer. She pulled him down and whispered in his ear. “I h-hate them.”

“You do?”

Kay pulled back, traced his ear with her fingertip, and nodded. “I really wanted to like your roses, Bear. They are so beautiful. And
you
gave them to me, but I can’t like them. It’s not your fault. They’re ruined.”

“You’ve lost me, sweetheart.”

She held up her thumb. “See this scar?” She held it way too close to his eye for him to see anything. She sat back examining it herself while she told him about her ex-fiancé, Todd, and the rose petals.

“I was fine,” she insisted. “I’d gotten over the whole thing. I was happy, dammit. Really happy. But it’s like an alarm goes off somewhere. Oops, Kay’s happy. Can’t have her happy. Quick, Todd, you better stop that shit. So, of course, he called. Thought if he said Kay-Kay, I’d forget what a bast—”

“Whoa, back up. Todd called? When?”

“Last night. After I left the inn.”

Everything started to make sense. Of course she’d be still upset this morning. Giving her the flowers and bringing it up again at dinner, no wonder she kept refilling her glass. Bear pulled her into his lap and held her. “I’m sorry.”

Kay rested on his shoulder. “Please don’t be nice to me, Bear. You’ll make me cry again.”

He tucked her under his chin, and kissed her hair. “I have to be nice to you. I love you.”

“Todd said he still loves me too, but he’s not nice.”

“Then he’s lying to you.”

The kettle began whistling. Bear moved Kay gently to the adjoining chair and shut off the flame. Making her a cup of coffee, he set it before her.

He swept the roses off the table, dropping them to the floor. Smashing them through the cellophane with the heel of his shoe. The bruised scent of them wafted up to him. He made sure to crush each tight head before gathering the mess of mashed petals and broken stems and throwing them into the trash. Kay looked at him with wide eyes shimmering with tears. Her lower jaw had gone slack in surprise.

Bear knelt next to her chair and cupped her cheek. He kissed her. “I promise, I’ll never give you roses ever again.”

Chapter Nineteen

Bear left Kay’s a short time later after agreeing to return. Given he’d hoped they end up at his place, he needed to head back to the point and let Shadow out for a quick, but by now, necessary break.

“I don’t want to ruin our wonderful night.” She stroked his cheek. “You didn’t even get your dessert. Come back after you take care of Shadow.”

“I think you should go to bed.”

“I do, too, but with you.” She smiled. When he hesitated, she insisted. “I’ll drink two more cups of coffee while you’re gone.” She held up a three-fingered Boy Scout gesture. “In fact, bring Shadow with you. I’ll make him a bed in the living room. Turn down service with a Milk-Bone on his pillow. He’ll love it.” She left his arms long enough to pull a key off a hook. “Take my spare key. In case of serial killers, I’ll lock the door and wait for you upstairs.”

Bear stroked her arms. “What’ll be on my pillow?”

“Just me.”

Shadow raced past Bear as he entered the house on the point. Guess the boy needed to go. He pulled the tie from his neck and tossed it on the counter just as the phone rang.

Diane. Again. She’d called earlier and twice again while he and Kay had been at dinner. He’d switched his phone over to vibrate, and the blinking four on the answering machine told him she’d tried to reach him at this number, too.

He grabbed the handset and pushed the talk button. “What do you want, now?”

“Finally. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling for hours.”

“Is someone dead?” he asked.

“Of course not.”

His jaw tightened. “Fire? Earthquake? Aliens invade California? Are you under attack?”

“Don’t be such an ass,” she snapped.

“Just trying to figure out what’s so damn important to make you call me eight times in four hours.”

“If you’d picked up the phone when I called the first time, it wouldn’t have been eight times. Where were you?”

He planted a hand on his hip and studied the tie on the counter. “I was on a date.” A familiar unease washed over him. Why did it always feel weird telling Diane about his relationships? There hadn’t been more than a couple since they divorced, and it wasn’t as if she cared about who he saw or held onto any hope of reconciliation. Was it always like that with an ex?

“Kind of early to be home, isn’t it?” Smugness oozed through the phone. “It can’t even be midnight there. Not like the Bear Coulter dates I was used to.”

“Date’s not over, sweetheart.” He grabbed Shadow’s leash off the hook by the door. He didn’t want him getting away from him on his way back to Kay’s.

“Is this the same artist you’ve been going on about? What’s her name again? Things must be getting serious with you two, but if she’s there with you, why’d you answer the phone?”

“’Cause you keep calling.” Bear tugged on a fistful of his hair. If he still lived with the woman, he’d be bald. “Now I know no one has died, I’m hanging up.”

“I have to talk to you.”

He sighed and opened his back door. He didn’t see Shadow at first. “If I say I’ll call you tomorrow, will you stop bugging me?” Bear held the phone away from his mouth to give a quick shrill whistle. “Come!” he shouted.

“Oh, honey, is that your technique now? No wonder your date sucks. You used to be so suave.”

“Goodbye, Diane.”

“You’ll call me tomorrow?”

“Yes.” He pressed the disconnect button. “Maybe.”

Shadow raced into the house as he’d raced out, slobbered through a fresh bowl of water and gave himself a good shake before sitting. Bear clipped his lead to his collar. “Now, when we get back to Kay’s, there’ll be no three in the bed, understand?” The mutt wagged his whole body at the mention of her name. The dog tipped his head as if listening. “You stay downstairs like a good dog, right?” Shadow stood and gave a single bark in agreement.

Kay had left the light in the kitchen on, but true to her word, she’d locked the door. Shadow tugged at the leash after Bear had let them in. “We’re guests, remember. No chewing, scratching, or peeing on anything unauthorized.”

A thick blanket had been laid on the floor by the fireplace for the dog. Shadow found the treats she’d left and inhaled them. “Now, lie down, and stay.”

Shadow was a trained lie-downer, but he needed work on his stay. Bear had only climbed two steps when he was bumped in the back of his knee by a disobedient nose. He returned the dog to his blanket and tried again. With more authority. “Shadow, down.” The dog shifted his eyebrows as if considering. “Listen, I’ve got a beautiful woman waiting for me upstairs. Have a heart. Lie down.” Bear pointed to the floor. Shadow lowered himself and dropped his head to his front legs with a huff. “Good man.”