Destiny (9 page)

She drew a deep breath and continued. “I saw the divorce papers he wanted his wife to sign, and I knew he wasn’t living at home, but they had a child and there were some sticking points. I shouldn’t have let things get so far, but the chemistry was so strong, the feelings were so real…”

“So far it sounds like you were only being human. What happened?” Annie asked.

“Is it possible to say he cheated on me with his wife?” Kelly shook her head, still finding the situation hard to believe.

Annie frowned. “In technical terms, I guess it is.”

“Well, his wife got pregnant, he decided he had to try and make it work for the sake of his kids, and that, as they say, was that.” She rubbed her hands, as if wiping him out of her life. Kelly only wished it had been that easy.

“What happened next?”

“About eight months later, all the things that drove them apart the first time resurfaced and they separated again, except this time things got ugly and I got drawn into it.”

Annie propped her head on her bent knees. “I’m still listening.”

“Right.” This was the hardest part to admit to anyone. “Ryan and I didn’t meet in a traditional way.” And that was the kicker—the one thing she was running from because even the truth sounded ickier than it really was.

She twisted her hands together, forcing out the story. “I was just starting out as a paralegal when a friend came to me about this great opportunity to make extra cash. Gayle and I met in school and we both had student loans to pay back plus other expenses, and she’d started working nights for someone who owned an escort service, the type that provides dates for wealthy businessmen. Gayle swore there was no sex involved and I believed her.” Kelly bit the inside of her cheek and waited for Annie’s reaction.

Her friend’s eyes opened wider, obviously fascinated with the story. “Did you…”

Kelly shook her head. “Not at first. The whole idea wasn’t my thing. But then one night, Gayle came down with a nasty stomach bug and she asked me to fill in for her at the last minute.” Kelly still remembered how sick she’d been over the idea of going out with a stranger in exchange for cash. “I didn’t want to go, but Gayle was in a bind and afraid she’d be fired if she were a complete no-show. I knew how important the job was to her, so I said yes.”

“And that’s how you met Ryan?” Annie asked, thoroughly enthralled.

Kelly nodded. “It was instant attraction.” Or at the very least lust, she acknowledged now. A slightly older, extremely good-looking man showering her with attention and compliments he swore had nothing to do with the fact that she was hired to accompany him.

“Did you sleep with him that night?”

“No. I was too uncomfortable with how we’d met, but he wasn’t deterred. He kept calling and showing up with flowers. I mean, really persistent.” She shrugged. “What can I say?”

Annie grinned. “Like I said, you’re only human. So now fast-forward to his second separation from his wife.”

“You’re following this like a pro.” Kelly sighed. “Their divorce got ugly, and last time I heard from Ryan, his wife was threatening to expose to the world the fact that he used an escort service while they were still married.”

“But legally separated.”

“Yes. But the firm where he’s a vice president won’t care. If word gets out and negatively impacts the firm’s reputation, Ryan could have major problems. And if my name is linked to the scandal…” Kelly shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “Here I am preaching good behavior to Tess while I’m hiding this? Can you imagine what kind of hypocrite she’ll think I am? I’ll lose all credibility with my sister. And if the kids at school find out, Tess will be mortified! You have no idea what she was like when she came here.”

“Ex-wife, remember? Nash told me all about Tess.” Annie reached out and placed a comforting hand on Kelly’s arm. “But it sounds like this Ryan has a lot to lose too. That means he’ll do all he can to keep his wife quiet, right?”

Kelly hoped so. “You would think. But after today…”

“What happened today?”

Kelly swallowed hard. “Trisha told me that someone was hanging around the coffee shop yesterday asking other customers questions about me.”

Annie waved away the issue. “The coffee shop is gossip central. Who was it?” Annie asked.

“I wish I knew. But what’s worse is that Trisha didn’t know either, and she knows everyone in town.” Kelly shook both hands in frustration. “Trisha said she told him nothing and asked him to leave.”

“What’s your best guess?” Annie asked.

Kelly frowned. “It’s not Ryan. He’d just come talk to me himself.”

“Mrs. Ryan?” Annie asked, only half joking.

“His last name is Hayward,” Kelly said. “And yes, it’s possible she’s sending someone to see what I’m up to now.”

Annie scrunched up her face in confusion. “Call me naive, but I don’t understand why what you’re doing now would impact her divorce case,” Annie said.

“Because you had an amicable split from your husband. Mrs. Ryan, as you called her, seems to live for angst and drama. And I think that if she can add to my already-
sordid
résumé, she’d love to squeeze even more money out of Ryan.”

“What a bitch!” Annie exclaimed.

“She very possibly is. Especially if I’m right.”

“What in the world can she find here?” Annie wondered aloud.

Kelly’s stomach cramped at the answer. “Only that the onetime escort of her soon-to-be ex handed off her sister to her millionaire half brother, then used her connection to said brother to move into his mansion?” Kelly groaned. “Sounds like one helluva story to me! The worse she paints me, the worse Ryan’s judgment looks.”

“There’s not one person in this town who’d agree with that perception of you! Especially not Ethan or Nash!”

“Oh no.
They
can never know.” Kelly jumped up from her seat, nearly knocking over her small end table in the process.

Annie rose too. “Calm down. They won’t hear it from me, but can we at least talk about this?”

Kelly nodded. “I’m sorry. It’s just humiliating. And I don’t want anything I’ve done to reflect on Tess or how the Barron brothers will feel about me sharing custody of Tess.” To Kelly’s embarrassment, her voice cracked as she revealed the fear she had never voiced aloud, let alone admitted to herself.

“Oh, honey, no! Do you even know Ethan’s history?”

Kelly nodded.

“Then you must realize he’d be the last person to judge anyone!”

“Maybe. But considering how Nash refuses to forgive Ethan, let alone even listen to his side of the story about why he left, he’ll be the first to judge me.” And find her lacking.

So Kelly intended to keep him from discovering a part of her past that deserved to stay dead and buried considering how innocent it actually was.

Annie blew out a long breath. “I see your point.
But
Nash’s feelings about Ethan are personal. He was the one hurt and left behind. I’m sure he’d understand anything you told him about yourself.”

“The way he understands when you ask for independence?”

“In that case he hears what he wants to hear…” she trailed off. “I still think you should tell him.”

“Not unless I have to. For all I know Ryan will pay his ex-wife off and none of this will come out. But if I’m subpoenaed to testify or give an affidavit in their court case, or if it looks like this mess will come out, I’ll tell him myself first.”

Annie pursed her lips. “I don’t like it.”

“But you won’t say anything?” Kelly asked, determined to hold on to her pride and dignity as long as possible.

“Of course not,” Annie said. “Are you just going to wait around and see what happens next?”

“Oh, no. I’m going to go directly to the source and find out for myself.” Though she didn’t relish the idea of talking to Ryan after all this time, she wasn’t about to sit back and be a target, either.
Proactive
was the word of the day.

“I’m glad to hear that. I’m curious, though. You’re upset someone’s in town asking questions. That much I understand. You’re worried your new family will find out about your past. I get that too. What I don’t get is where that leaves you and Nash now.”

Welcome to the club,
Kelly thought.

“You said you don’t have the best track record with relationships,” Annie said, as if Kelly needed reminding. “But you two already…
you know
. So what are you going to do about you and Nash now?”

Kelly shrugged, her exhale sounding more like a groan. “I only wish I knew.” Half the day had gone by and Kelly hadn’t heard from him.

She might be confused about herself, but she knew exactly how combustible they’d been and how he’d rocked her world. A phone call of confirmation he’d felt the same way would be nice. She bit the inside of her cheek, determined not to admit her pathetic neediness to Annie. Kelly was never going to be like her mother, wailing to the world and her liquor bottle how much she needed whichever man at the time.

“Tell me about your date on Saturday!” Kelly said to Annie, ready for a change of subject.

A slow smile slid across Annie’s face. “I’m excited.”

“Where are you going?”

Annie shrugged. “When he asked me out, he said dinner, but he wouldn’t say where. He wanted to surprise me.”

Kelly grinned. “Sounds exciting.”

“It is. But Joe’s not without his issues too.”

“Do tell.” Kelly nodded toward the sofa and they sat down once more.

For the next twenty minutes, Annie explained about Joe’s family history in Serendipity, his ladies’ man father, and the reasons and ways he was too much like Nash for Annie’s peace of mind. “But the attraction? That’s everything I’ve been looking for,” Annie admitted.

Kelly smiled, understanding exactly what Annie meant about
that
. Memories of last night were never far from her mind and her body tingled at the mere thought of Nash Barron.

“But Joe did say he’s not looking to be anyone’s babysitter.” Annie’s smile grew wider at the admission.

“That doesn’t sound very nice to me.”

Annie shook her head. “No, I know exactly what he meant and it’s more than okay.”

Kelly merely stared at her friend. “If you say so.”

“I do. But…”

Kelly tipped her head. “What?”

“Do you ever worry about jumping in too fast?” Annie asked.

Kelly couldn’t hold back a laugh. “After what I just told you about myself, do you really need to ask?”

Annie grinned. “Well, I’m nervous. What if I’m making a huge mistake, going out with Joe despite the fact that a part of me is worried he’ll be that overprotective guy I don’t want?”

Kelly sighed. “Another thing I wish I had the answer to. But I’m going to keep your advice in mind and you should too.”

“Remind me?”

“You said that what matters is what’s in your heart. Just do the best you can,” she said, repeating what she still thought were wise words of wisdom.

“Right. Gotcha.” Annie shot her a wry look.

Kelly definitely understood Annie’s sarcasm. It was one thing to give advice, another to take it. Kelly was afraid she was already in over her head emotionally with Nash Barron. If she followed her heart, she might end up with it broken again, except this time there was much more at stake.

Eight

Nash didn’t call Kelly the next day. He couldn’t
because he didn’t know what to make of the thoughts rioting through his brain. Thoughts about Kelly, last night, and how different it’d been from anything he’d experienced before.

He’d married Annie young and had been with her since he was sixteen. Yeah there’d been other women since the divorce but not many. This was Serendipity, and the single women here wanted commitment, and if not, gossips would hook you up as a couple whether you wanted it or not. Leave your car outside someone’s house, the neighbors were sure to know it, and the people at Cuppa Café would hear about it soon after.

Nash had found a few out-of-the-way places in neighboring towns to hang out when he wanted female company, and a lawyer’s convention also gave him the chance to meet out-of-town women. Sure, he’d gotten his share following in Ethan’s footsteps beginning when he was fifteen—like his brother, he’d started young—but damned if he’d count
that
as an active love life.

Now he had to deal with the fallout of what he clearly hadn’t thought through. He knew what he felt for Kelly was more. He just hadn’t anticipated how much more. And he didn’t know what to make of it. Of her.

He finally picked up the phone from his office after calling the hospital for a check on Richard. Status quo, Mary had informed him. Kelly’s cell rang once and immediately went to voice mail. The second he heard her recorded voice, his gut clenched and he regretted not calling earlier, feeling like a selfish ass.

“Kelly, it’s Nash.”
Last night was spectacular,
he thought. “Just wanted to say hi. Looking forward to dinner Saturday,” he said, and disconnected the connection. Then he got back to business, staying late to finish up and keeping his mind occupied.

Because by the time he turned into bed at midnight, Kelly hadn’t returned his call.

After hanging out with Annie, Kelly made her way to
the office, returned some phone calls, and compiled a list of cases and questions to discuss with Richard when he was ready. But she made sure to be at the mansion when her sister came home from school. Knowing Kelly would be moving back to her apartment in a few days, they had an unspoken agreement to spend their free time together. Though Tess had a lot of homework, they sat in the family room, Tess doing her work while Kelly read a book. And before bed, they shared chocolate-chip ice cream and hot fudge like they used to do on special occasions when Tess was young.

Once her sister headed for her bedroom around eight thirty, Kelly wanted to try Ryan again but she’d left her cell upstairs. She picked up the house phone. She still had Ryan’s private number memorized, and though she’d hoped to never use it again, she had no choice. She refused to be used as a pawn or caught by surprise in his ex-wife’s bid for more money in their divorce settlement.

Drawing a deep breath, she dialed.

The phone rang and rang…

“You’ve reached Ryan Hayward,” the familiar voice said. A voice that she once thought the world of. “Leave a message and I’ll call you back.” A loud beep went off in her ear, startling her despite expecting it. Nerves, she knew.

“Hi, Ryan. It’s Kelly,” she said, her voice firm. “I need to speak to you as soon as possible. Call me.”

She hung up without saying good-bye, and when she was through, she was breathing hard, unable to relax. She ended up staying downstairs for an extra couple of hours, reading and drinking a warm cup of tea to calm herself down.

When she finally walked into her room around midnight, she picked up her cell on her nightstand. A quick look told her Nash had actually called and she played the message. Short and simple. He’d called to say hi and he looked forward to dinner. On hearing his voice, she was once again reminded of how amazing they’d been together, how much she was beginning to feel for him, and her stomach flipped in sweet anticipation. Until she remembered all the things that could come between them.

To make matters worse, Ryan hadn’t returned her call, and the idea of some unknown guy asking questions around town and eventually getting around to Nash made her sick.

She ran a shaking hand through her hair, wishing she were baggage-free to enjoy the newness of the affair.

But she wasn’t.

And she was grateful it was too late to call him back now.

Kelly left another message for Ryan on Friday and
another on Saturday. Now she was beyond nervous. She was angry and frustrated and barely able to conceal her emotions. When Tess asked to go to the mall with Michelle and her mother, Kelly was grateful for the break from having to hide her feelings.

Richard had been moved to a private room and though he was asking to see visitors, Mary and his nurses had him on lockdown, as they called it. Kelly took it as a sign of progress and laughed, thinking of the hell he had to be giving the nurses, even in his weakened state. She couldn’t send flowers or food. Instead, she sent her love in the form of a card and a letter to Richard’s wife promising to relieve her when she was overwhelmed with his home care. It was the only thing she could think of doing for them at the moment.

Unable to sit still, Kelly drove downtown, parked, and took a walk down Main Street. Though the temperatures were cool, her down vest, scarf, and a pair of gloves gave her enough warmth, and the crisp air felt good against her skin and cleared her mind, letting her just
be
for a little while.

She walked aimlessly, weaving in and out of the side streets, checking out the various stores for the first time. She passed by Faith’s interior design shop. Inside, she caught sight of Faith’s mother, also her newest employee. A peek in the window revealed Lanie Harrington was about to lock up for the night, which was for the best, Kelly decided. Call her a coward, but Kelly planned to steer clear until Faith was back. She’d seen her mother in action at the wedding, heard clients in the office talking about losing money to Martin Harrington, and the interview that Faith had given to Lissa Gardelli, detailing her life growing up the Ponzi schemer’s daughter. It was all Serendipity lore by now. As family of sorts, Kelly knew Faith had a strained relationship with her mother, a difficult woman to say the least. Though Kelly was dying to go inside and view Faith’s shop firsthand, next week would be soon enough.

Along the same strip of stores was a bakery Kelly had heard of but hadn’t yet tried and a place called Consign or Design. When Kelly had complimented Faith on one of her jackets, Faith had told Kelly about the shop. The owner was both a consignment store operator and a designer, creating and selling unique pieces of clothing. Thanks to Faith’s closetful of now-unused couture pieces, April Mancini, the owner, was making them both a profit by deconstructing her old clothes and creating new designs. Since it was a little after 5:00 P.M., Consign or Design was already closed for the day, but Kelly promised herself she’d check the place out soon.

Realizing the time, she headed back to the mansion. Tess was due home at six and Nash was supposed to pick them up for dinner at seven.

Nash.

She wanted to see him as much as she needed to cancel. Until she had her answers from Ryan and understood where her life was headed, she couldn’t go out for dinner with Nash and Tess and pretend everything was fine. And though she could send Tess alone with her brother, Kelly wasn’t up to the argument Tess was sure to give her.

It was easier all the way around to call Nash and promise to reschedule dinner.

Joe rang Annie’s doorbell, daisies from the local florist
in his hand. She didn’t strike him as a roses kind of woman, and with her father in the hospital he didn’t want to pressure her or come on too strong. With everything going on in her life, he was just happy she hadn’t canceled.

He waited, taking in the small house at the end of a tree-lined street. She and Nash had sold the place they’d bought when they got married and Annie now rented from a couple who’d moved to Florida to be nearer to their children. Joe had been friendly with Nash back in school, but they hadn’t been close. For one thing, Joe was a year older, and for another, Nash had run in a tougher crowd, at least until he’d left for private school. Annie, on the other hand, was Nash’s age and had gone to the same private school with him. Joe used to watch Annie in the afternoons, when she’d come to town with her friends, always thinking how gorgeous she looked in her preppy uniformed skirt.

He inhaled, taking in the cooler fall breeze and the scent of leaves and knocked again. Stepping back, he studied the place where she lived. The outside of the house was white, painted with a blue trim and black clapboard shutters. The lawn was well manicured and autumn mums were planted out front. But the shades on the front windows were drawn closed, and the house appeared… sad.

He frowned, and when nobody answered, he rang the bell and knocked again, even louder this time.

Still no Annie.

Not deterred, Joe pulled out his cell and dialed her number, standing on the porch while it rang and rang. Finally the front door cracked open and Annie appeared in the doorway behind the screen. She didn’t look like a woman ready to go out on a date. In fact, he thought he’d woken her up. Her normally perky hair was matted against her head and her face pale.

“Joe?” she asked, sounding confused as she ran a hand through her curls. The action did little to give them their normal bounce. “What are you doing here?”

He slipped his cell back into his jacket pocket and narrowed his gaze. Now he was really worried.

He stepped closer and held out the flowers wrapped in paper. “You, me, date?” He waved the bouquet in front of the storm door.

“Oh! I forgot!” Her hands flew to her mouth and she unlocked the door, letting him inside.

“Should I be insulted?” He followed her into the small foyer.

A full blush stained her cheeks. “I…”

“Is it your father?” he asked. “Is Richard okay?”

She nodded. “Improving steadily.”

If it wasn’t her father that had her out of sorts… “Are you sick?” He put a hand to her forehead.

“No.” She stepped back, out of reach. “Look, I’m really sorry and I should have called you, but—”

“You forgot,” he finished for her, still not understanding.

His gaze swept downward from her hot pink tank top that had KISS ME emblazoned in silver across her breasts, to her low-cut drawstring pajama pants with red hot lips scattered all over them, to her equally pink bare toenails.

Swallowing a groan, he asked, “Did I wake you?”

She shook her head, oblivious to his perusal. “I was just resting.”

She wasn’t sick, but she’d forgotten their date. And she sure as hell didn’t look well. Suddenly he remembered her MS and he all but slapped his hand against his head. “You’re having an episode.”

“Can we just reschedule?” She looked away, obviously embarrassed.

Joe didn’t know what having multiple sclerosis entailed and he sure as hell hadn’t thought it through when he’d pushed her for a date. Clearly he was going to have to read up. For now, though, he’d have to muddle through because he wasn’t leaving her alone.

When she swayed where she stood, his decision was confirmed. He sure as hell wasn’t abandoning her to take care of herself. He placed the flowers on the credenza and wrapped his arm around her waist at the same moment her legs gave out and she sagged into him, feeling tiny and frail yet so warm and good against him.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice too weak to sound like she was really putting up much of a fight.

“Taking you back to—where? Bed?” he asked, his voice thick thanks to both the womanly feel of her in his arms and the faint scent of strawberry teasing him with every breath he took.

Silence followed his question and he could almost imagine her internal fight. This proud, independent woman did not want him taking care of her.

Well, too bad. He lifted her into his arms, shocked at how light she felt. “Where to? Bed or couch?” he asked, not planning on taking no for an answer.

“Bed,” she said, closing her eyes, obviously embarrassed. “Up the stairs, first door on the right.”

The stairs were four short ones that led to a landing, her bedroom on the right.

“I thought you weren’t anyone’s babysitter?” she asked, her arms tightening around him.

As if he’d let her fall, he thought wryly.

He wanted to tell her he’d lied, that he’d watch out for her as long as she’d let him, but his stomach cramped at the notion. He’d thought his care-taking days were behind him. Besides, Annie wouldn’t let anyone close enough to become her keeper. Once she was better, she’d run far and fast if he tried, and that was the thought that eased his mind.

“Who said anything about babysitting? I’m helping you out for a little while. And when you’re back on your feet, I plan on letting you make tonight up to me.” He laid her on one side of the bed, realizing she hadn’t yet been underneath the covers. Too tired to even crawl under, he’d bet.

He strode to the other side and turned down the eyelet comforter, pushing the pillows into what he thought was a more comfortable position. Then, without asking, he walked back, picked her up again and tucked her in, pulling the covers up over her.

She mumbled something incoherent, rolled over, and fell fast asleep, not giving him a chance to ask when she’d eaten last.

Good thing he’d had plenty of practice cooking for his mother. As long as Annie had a few staples in the kitchen, he’d make do.

He glanced down. Her breath was slow and even, her eyelashes surprisingly long and dark against her paler skin. Unable to stop himself, he brushed her hair off her cheek before turning and heading for the kitchen.

Kelly might have canceled, but Nash didn’t plan to
take no for an answer. She claimed to have a headache and not to be up for dinner at a restaurant, throwing in too that Tess said she wanted to spend her last night at home with her sister. But there was every possibility Kelly was avoiding him.