Twist of Fate (2 page)

Her eyes met his for a moment, and then she rubbed her temples. “I needed time to think, time to clear my head. I didn’t have a plan. The rain started coming down so hard, I couldn’t see, so I pulled off here.” She stopped and snatched the umbrella from the edge of the table. Her blue eyes turned icy as she spat, “I certainly didn’t expect to run into you.”

Sam met her stare, squaring his shoulders. If a fight was what she wanted, he’d give it to her. She’d pushed him away six years ago and never looked back, never gave him a chance to explain, never cared enough to find the truth. There was a lot she never knew, and maybe now she needed to find out. She might not like what he had to say, but he would damn well make her listen.

Then her tone softened and she closed her eyes when she continued, “When I saw you, I was so relieved. You’ve always been
...
thought that
...
Oh, what does it matter, I honestly thought I wanted to talk.” She sighed, sending his frustration into overdrive.

“And you don’t now?” There were so many unanswered questions.

“I don’t know,” she said and continued to avoid his gaze.

“For God’s sake, Kate, open your eyes.” Blue eyes locked on blue as Sam willed her to understand. There was a brief flicker of recognition, as if she were picking up on his signal. He had to take what he was feeling inside and run with it. If she still hated him, then so be it. He would have to live with that. Right now, he had nothing to lose.

“Sam, this isn’t the time or the place.” She looked down at her diamond-encrusted watch, and he noticed how her hand shook.

When she raised her eyes to his, he saw the many questions swirling in their crystal blue depths. Lord knows he had enough of his own, and he couldn’t lose this chance. His stubborn pride had gotten in the way before. He wasn’t about to let hers be at fault this time. He damn well couldn’t let Kate get off easy. Something major was happening with her, and the knot in the pit of his stomach kept twisting tighter.

“Come home with me.” The words came out in a rush before he could talk himself out of them.

She braced her hands on the table, looking ready to protest.

He flashed a smile and proceeded to try to convince her it was the best idea he’d ever had. “No pressure, honest. We’ll sit by the fire, sip some of our favorite wine and relax, just two old friends catching up.”

Then again, maybe he’d had one too many beers tonight.

At the faint ring of her cell phone, she reached into her coat pocket. Scowling at the Caller ID, she shoved it back inside. Her voice quivered as she slid her free hand into the other pocket. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. They’ll be looking for me.”

They? Christ, she really was in trouble. She had to know he would help her, in spite of her feelings for him now. He wondered who had called. Regardless, he wasn’t about to give up.

“I’ve missed you, Kate. Seeing you here tonight has made me realize how much. I want to make it right again.” He saw the slightest of smiles touch her sweet mouth.

A mouth he so desperately wanted to kiss.

“I’ve missed you, too. You don’t know how many times I wanted--” She blinked and shook her head. “You’re expecting too much from me. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She touched his forearm and turned to leave. When he grabbed her elbow, she spun back to face him, her dark brown curls bouncing off her cheeks. “What are you doing?”

“I won’t let you go.” They’d always been good together, good for each other. One careless mistake and he’d thought he’d lost her forever. That is, until tonight. Tonight hadn’t been a mistake. Tonight had been divine intervention.

“You don’t have a choice this time.” She jerked her arm free, brushing past him toward the door.

“I mean it. I won’t let you walk away again,” he said to her back, feeling his stomach lurch at the possibility. Kate stopped mid-stride and he noticed how her body stiffened, but she didn’t turn around.

“So do I.” The words sounded almost deadly coming from her mouth. They both stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before he made a move to reach for the back of her shoulder. In that same moment, she took a hesitant step forward and glanced over her shoulder saying, “You don’t understand. This isn’t just about you and me.”

Sam might as well have been punched in the gut.

***

Katrina’s hands shook so hard she could barely grip the steering wheel. Of all the out of the way places to stop, she had to pick the one where Sam hung out. She didn’t even know he still lived around the area. He’d caught her totally by surprise. She’d wanted to prove a point, yes, not jump off the deep end.

What was she thinking?

Being in your arms again feels so right. I want to get lost in your eyes forever. Don’t ever let me go. Kiss me.
Yeah, that’s what she’d been thinking.

For so long she’d dreamed of a moment like this. She’d never wanted to give up hope until eventually she’d had no choice. He’d seen to that. Her heart ached deep within her chest, screaming of the big mistake she was making.
Was
this a mistake? Feelings were still there, and that had to count for something.

For a split second, she’d been ready to let it all go. Amazing how he still had the ability to make her lose all sense of logic, even after all this time. Images of how happy they’d once been flipped through her mind with every swipe of the windshield wipers. Snowmobiling and skiing in
Vermont
, camping, antique hunting. Apparently he’d never forgotten, either.

“Oh no, Sam Hackett, you’re not going to do this to me again. You’ve broken my heart one too many times.”

Sam may have remembered their past, too, but that didn’t constitute love. After blotting her eyes with a tissue, she turned up the wipers against the incessant patter of raindrops. Her finger pressed the scan button to find a local news channel since she’d never thought to check the weather report. Pounding the wheel with the palm of her hand, she shouted, “Why do I let him do this to me?”

She’d only wished he’d thought to chase after her sooner. What he offered seemed safe enough, but would she ever be safe? Willing herself not to cry, she looked in the mirror. No headlights, good. No one followed her. For a second, she felt disappointment. Well, that was what she wanted, wasn’t it?

Typical Sam, he hadn’t meant a word he said.

So much had happened over the years. So much he didn’t know about. So much he would
never
know about. He’d made his choice, and she’d done what she had to do. Somehow she’d get through all of this, just like before
...
wi
thout him.

She and Dante had been separated for the last eight months. He wasn’t the same man she’d married. Carlo Santini had changed him. For her own safety and the safety of her daughter, she couldn’t be a part of that world anymore. When Kate served Dante with divorce papers, of course he’d contested. Her friends thought she was crazy to go against him. Dante’s reputation as a ruthless lawyer was world renown. Kate suddenly doubted her daring actions against her soon-to-be-ex-husband. In their five years of marriage, she’d never done anything this bold.

Then again, she wasn’t the same woman anymore, either.

Putting some space between herself and all these problems, including Sam Hackett, was the best thing right now. The more distance the better, she thought as she pressed on the gas. Once she got to Jennie’s, she’d call her parents to check on Hope. Her best friend would help her get her head on straight. In times of trouble, Jennie made the best conscience. Tonight would be a double brownie-batter night for sure. Kate’s conference call with her overseas distributor had been rescheduled for next week so she was actually arriving a day early. She’d been so distracted by the contact with Sam, she hadn’t thought to give Jennie a heads up. Oh well, that’s what friends were for, unexpected visits.

A flash of headlights brought her eyes back to the mirror. She wondered for a moment if Sam had kept his word, after all.

High beams blinded her, and the first twinges of fear danced down her spine. When the vehicle caught up to her, she didn’t have to think twice as to who was at the wheel. She accelerated as much as she dared, the other car matching her speed until they were close enough to hit her bumper.

Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel as she focused on the road in front of her. Her head jerked back as they struck her car harder this time, making it swerve. With quick thinking she cranked the steering wheel, keeping on the road. They were relentless, and a third knock slammed her car into a full-blown spin.

The world flew buy in a sickening blur.

She clutched the wheel, pinching her eyes shut. When her car finally stopped, she took several deep breaths and tried to calm her hammering heart. Headlights which had glared in the rearview mirror moments before now flickered off. Kate stared into the blackened glass, swallowing the bile that rose in her throat as two shadowed figures got out of the car. They had to be Carlo’s men. Would they kill her?

In a blind panic, she punched the gas pedal to the floor. The tires whirled against the wet pavement. The car didn’t budge. Desperately, she tried again as blood pounded in her ears. A truck horn blasted through her thoughts, and her eyes snapped forward. She was sitting in the wrong lane.

“Oh, God.”

In its efforts to stop, the large truck’s tires locked and it went into a skid. Fear froze her hands to the leather-wrapped wheel, and she watched in slow motion as the truck slid toward her. She was going to die, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Her shrieks went unheard against the sound of grinding brakes and metal upon metal. Her little sports car was no match for the construction vehicle.

The tiny car slid over the embankment and started to roll. With every flip, Kate stayed secure thanks to her seatbelt. Loose change in the cup holder stung her exposed skin. Her daughter’s books from the back seat flew around the interior of the car. By the time the car stopped, she felt nauseous.

Disoriented and numb, she could faintly hear the water tapping on the roof. Her seatbelt had locked, and she couldn’t move. Placing her hand over her stomach, she tried in vain to loosen the belt. Worry and panic consumed her. How far had she rolled? What road was she on? Would anyone find her?

She heard a loud pop from under her car. The front end dipped, then slid as water trickled through the door. Her seatbelt still wouldn’t release. Reaching with trembling fingers for her cell phone, she frantically tried to remember her parents’ number.

“I have to get out of here. Please...don’t let me
die. Hope. I have to get home.”

Her eyes closed tight against a sudden, piercing pain and the phone dropped to the floor.

***

Annoyed by his behavior, Sam drained his third cup of coffee since Kate’s departure. All those beers topped by the mystery shot of lightning must have made him see things that weren’t really there. She obviously didn’t feel anything anymore, so to hell with her, her loss. Maybe he’d just needed closure. Thank God his best friend knew better than to give him the old, ‘I told you so.’

“So
...
wanna fill me in on what the hell just happened?” Rusty slapped him on the shoulder.

“Not now,” Sam barked, slamming the mug down on the bar. “Need another refill, Jed.”

“You didn’t leave with her,” Rusty winced under Sam’s glare and held his mug up for Jed to fill, “so I’m assuming she told you to drop dead.”

“Not exactly.” Sam scrubbed his face, wishing he’d taken the time to shave. Then again, why should he care how he’d looked to her?

“You hooking up with her later?”

“No.” He gave his friend a warning stare. Rusty didn’t take the hint.

“So what’s going on then?” Rusty paused for a second before a wide grin crossed his face. “She got under your skin again, didn’t she?”

Sam tried to be flip. “I learned my lesson six years ago. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you want.” Sam cradled the steaming mug in his hands and nodded a thank-you to Jed’s grey, whiskered face.

“I didn’t think she lived around here.”

“Yeah, me neither. I’d heard she came back to the states about two years ago. Don’t know where she ended up, though.”

Rusty took a drink from his mug, and his eyes narrowed. “Think it would have made a difference if she’d come back home?”

“Probably not. She hated me back then, anyway.”

“So what do you think brought her here?”

“I don’t know, and I sure as hell don’t intend to find out. She left this behind.” Sam held up the crumpled paper and answered the question in his friend’s eyes. “It’s an appointment for a court hearing. It looks like her perfect world isn’t so perfect anymore.” Rising from the stool, he tossed a wad of bills on the bar. “I’m outta here.”

He hated to admit it, but Rusty was right again. Kate did get under his skin. Now he’d have to work like hell to get her out. He thought he’d been successful until tonight. One look and he’d been sucked in again. What had he been thinking? Miss high-and-mighty had herself a rich life with a fancy car, her own clothing line, a successful husband and a child. Everything she’d ever talked about, she’d accomplished without Sam’s help. Whatever was going on in her life was her business. No doubt she cou
ld handle that on her own, too.