Untangle My Heart (Tangled Hearts) (13 page)

Her eyes flew open. “What are you doing?”

“Relax, luv. I once dated a masseuse and she showed me pressure points to rub to become perfectly relaxed,” he said, caressing the instep of her foot.

She snorted. “Yeah, I can just imagine the pressure points she showed you.”

Edward briefly thought back to Lana, at least that’s what he thought her name was, with a fond memory. She had fantastic hands and could get herself into the most flexible positions. It made for some very creative sex.

But now he only had thoughts of Kate as he stroked her foot. He remembered she had the sexiest toes, always polished with bright colors. He wondered if she just did that for the summer or if they’d be polished now.

“You’ll be appreciating the special skills she taught me in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” She crossed her arms around her middle but closed her eyes again.

Not being able to resist, he stripped off her sock and felt his pulse increase. They were just like he remembered. Candy cane red today and perfectly manicured. He reached for her other foot and started the same ritual.

He studied her relaxed face, a slight curve to her mouth. A moan escaped her mouth and he wanted nothing more than to reach for her across the table and kiss her. Fully aroused, he tried to will away his erection all the while thinking how much he wanted to run his mouth up the length of her slender leg.

“I take it you like?” he asked, his voice husky with desire.

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured. “Your hands are magic.”

Then, almost as though she just remembered that he was the one rubbing her feet, she sat up, now wide-awake. From the heated glaze of her eyes, he knew she was just as turned on as he. A satisfied smile spread across his lips.

“I seem to recall your saying that about a lot more of me than my hands.”

She licked her lips and met his smoky gaze with her own. “What, are you fishing for compliments now? I didn’t realize you were insecure.”

“I’m not. I wanted to see if you remember.”

“You should know you’re not very forgettable.”

She caught him off guard by her blatant honesty. Based on her recent behavior toward him, he’d thought she might deny any recollection of their few weeks over the summer. Meanwhile, he relived them daily. It was clear from her face that not only did she remember, but also was affected similarly. And it frustrated the hell out of him that she refused to give in to their obvious physical attraction.

She pulled her foot back. “Thanks. That felt amazing. I’m much more relaxed. Can I have my socks and boots back now?”

He passed them under the table, disappointed their intimate moment was over.

“So what happened to your date tonight?” she asked.

He didn’t correct her presumption of a date but chose his words with care. “I decided to cancel my plans for the evening.”

“Oh. Are you still going to return home in this weather?” she asked, with a glance out the window.

He followed her gaze to where the snow had started to accumulate on the street.

“It’s probably not a smart move to head back tonight.”

At that moment, Vicky and Lucas returned with their dinner, including another one for Edward.

“Does that mean you’ll be staying at our place?” Vicky asked.

Edward studied Kate while Vicky placed their meals in front of them and handed out napkins and silverware. Then she disappeared to help a group of customers who walked in.

“If that’s all right with you,” he said, directing his comment to Kate.

She nodded.

“Can I eat next to Edward?” Lucas asked.

“Sure, baby,” Kate said, sliding his plate over to Edward’s side of the table.

Edward noticed the endearment and watched with interest as Kate added ketchup to Lucas’s plate without asking and handed him a napkin. Lucas sat close to him and proceeded to ask a million questions.

Edward put his laptop away and attempted to answer all of them and eat. He enjoyed listening to the boy and didn’t think he’d ever met a child who was as excited by everything and wanted to know how it all worked. His favorite questions either started with “why” or “how.” Edward figured if he had listened to Lucas chatter all afternoon he’d be as tired as Kate.

After they finished eating and Lucas wolfed down three mini cannolis, Kate glanced at the time on her cell phone.

“It’s getting late. I need to get this little guy back,” she said.

“Awww, I don’t want to go,” Lucas whined.

“I know, but you have to. I’ll see you at church tomorrow. I thought we could run to the store afterwards and get you a heavier coat and some snow boots. Unless you have them.”

He shook his head. “Nah.”

“Why don’t you run to the bathroom while I call us a cab,” she said. “And don’t forget to wash your hands with soap.”

“A cab?” Edward asked when Lucas stepped away.

“We could walk but don’t think we’d get very far with my heels and Lucas’s worn out sneakers.”

He’d been wondering about something and decided to test his theory. “Do you want to borrow my car? I have some other items to discuss with Vicky. You could swing by and pick me up on your way back.”

Vicky chose that time to return to collect their empty plates and stopped with her hands in midair.

“Did you just ask her if she wanted to borrow your car?” Vicky asked with surprise.

“Yes. Shouldn’t I have?” Edward replied.

Vicky shook her head at Kate in disgust. “I can’t believe you haven’t told him.”

“There hasn’t been a need to until now,” Kate said through clenched teeth. She narrowed her eyes at her sister. “Leave us.”

Edward watched a variety of emotions pass over Kate’s face. Anger turned to sadness, followed by humiliation.

“You haven’t driven since the accident, have you?” he asked in a soft voice.

When her eyes met his, they were filled with a vulnerability he’d not seen in her too many times, if ever. He found that while he liked her fierce independence, this side of her was equally as attractive and made him feel very protective of her.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

She shifted in her seat. “At first I couldn’t drive because I had broken my leg and arm. Once I healed, I tried but couldn’t get the image of Tony and the accident out of my head. Sometimes I still see it even when I’m not driving.”

He recalled the times his more aggressive driving had panicked her. Now it made sense.

“Did you talk to someone about it?”

“Oh sure,” she snapped. “I spent hours with a shrink who tried, unsuccessfully, to help me overcome my fear.”

“How long has it been since you last tried?”

“A couple years.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll help you if you want.”

Panic crossed her face.

“Not tonight, of course,” he added with a smile.

“I’m not sure, Edward. My entire family has tried without success.”

“But
I’ve
not tried. Why don’t you think about it and we’ll see. All right?”

After considering it a moment, she nodded.

He hated the thought of her still being haunted by her son and husband’s deaths. It was as though she blamed herself and refused to be happy. Like it was some sort of punishment. Well, he’d have to find a way to break past her stubbornness and convince to put her past just there, in the past.

Chapter Nine

Kate’s family had attended mass at St. Christopher’s church her entire life. Although she’d stopped regularly attending service over the past four years, Kate would go when visiting her family. This morning, the church was decorated for the holiday, complete with lighted trees, candles, and wreaths.

Kate had always loved Christmas, and not just the day itself, but the entire season. Since Tony’s death, however, holidays had lost a lot of their wonder. Kate would never tell her mother this, but she’d even stopped putting up a tree in her apartment.

Every decoration was a reminder of another year that passed without her son. With that came the realization that she’d never again see the excitement in his eyes come Christmas morning. Sometimes the pain of her loss was so great the only way she could deal with it was to avoid thinking about holidays and special events.

But this year, she was looking forward to the Christmas party at the orphanage. She was grateful to have met Lucas and wanted him to spend the holiday with her family. She hoped to speak with Father Dominic later that day about the adoption process.

Next to her in the pew, Lucas squirmed. She remembered all too well the struggle to sit still through an hour-long mass. For a young child, it could be torture. Lucas must have sensed her watching him because he lifted his head and smiled. She put her arm around him and he snuggled close to her side.

Edward sat on the other side of Lucas. She’d been surprised when he offered to join her family for mass. He wasn’t Catholic and not religious at all, to her knowledge. When asked why, he mumbled something about always having been interested in the architecture of old churches.

In actuality, Kate suspected it had something to do with their conversation the night before. Something shifted between them since her admission about not being able to drive. She’d allowed him to see another piece of her—a piece she’d kept private over the years. Normally, that should make her feel vulnerable, but for some odd reason, it didn’t. Telling Edward had been a sort of relief. Sometimes it was more difficult trying to keep a secret, and, after four years, Kate was tired of pretending.

Over Lucas’s head, she met Edward’s gaze and wondered what he was thinking. She’d been worried how he would react when he learned she hadn’t driven since the accident. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it hadn’t been the genuine concern he displayed. She’d never admit it to him, but she’d been pleased by his concern. Despite his offer to help her, she knew he wouldn’t push her to get behind the wheel of a car.

He was a good man and while a part of her wanted to reach out to him, the practical part of her refused to allow it. She didn’t want a man in her life and, even if she did, would he be the one she’d choose? If she decided to get involved, she’d want it to be with a potential life partner, not someone who could have a different woman each night.

But he continued to surprise her and cause her to rethink why she pushed him away. Take Lucas. The boy idolized him, and she wasn’t even sure Edward realized it. Last night when they brought Lucas back to the orphanage, he convinced Edward to stay and watch
How to Train Your Dragon
with him. When it was time to go, Lucas didn’t hesitate to give Edward a hug goodbye.

The three of them, sitting together in the church pew, made her recall the times when she, Mario, and Tony used to come to mass. It reminded her of being a family and that both pleased and petrified her. It made her happy because she’d given up all hope of having a family, and was surprised to realize she was actually considering it, even though it would just be her and Lucas. But, deep down, lay the worry and fear she would lose all that was dear to her a second time. She didn’t have all the answers, but knew she couldn’t live through that pain again in this lifetime. Lightning never struck the same place twice, did it?

A chill ran down her back, similar to the day she was in the cemetery. She glanced around, looking for what could have caused her to shiver but saw nothing unusual.

Then it was time to offer peace to their neighbors. As Kate shook hands with those around her she noticed a figure off to the side. There was something familiar about how the person stood. His face was blocked by someone leaning forward, but Kate had a definite and creepy feeling she knew the man. Before she could adjust her position for a better view, someone moved, blocking him completely from her sight. When they moved back, he was gone.

But in that split second, she’d felt as though she’d seen a ghost.

Edward furrowed his brow. “Are you all right?” he whispered. “You’re as white as a sheet.”

She wasn’t sure, but she nodded, not wanting to alarm him.

After the service ended, her family gathered in the back. Lucas persuaded Edward to buy him a donut and pulled him toward the community room behind the church, where refreshments were being served.

Kate had been searching for the person she saw earlier, but he seemed to have disappeared. Despite the snow-covered paths, Kate wandered over to the prayer garden along the side of the building. Ice crunched under her boots as she walked along the path. She paused at the statue of the Blessed Mother and said a prayer.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice said from behind her.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she whirled around, fists clenched, as though preparing for battle.

“You’re looking mighty fine on this cold winter day, Kate,” a cold and spine-chillingly familiar voice said.

Salvatore DiSilva. Her creepy brother-in-law turned convict. Last she’d heard he was in jail for theft and aggravated assault. What was he doing out of prison and here?

She held her chin high. “Too bad I can’t say the same for you, Sal.”

“Aw, is that any way to greet me after all this time?” he said. “Come, give me a hug and kiss.”

“Go to hell,” Kate said.

His deep, evil laughter filled the silence and reminded her too much of her late husband’s when he was drunk and forced himself on her.

“Sorry, babe, I just got out of there, and I’m not planning on going back.”

When he moved closer, she stepped back, determined to maintain the distance between them. Although it was morning, she could already smell booze on his breath. Sal was dangerous without alcohol and even worse with it.

“What do you want, Sal?” she ground out. She glanced behind him for any trace of her family, but they’d all remained inside.

He continued to creep forward, his eyes wild and dark. Her chest tightened and she breathed in slowly through her nose, attempting to squelch the panic threatening to take control.

When Mario was alive, there’d been many times Sal had gotten too close to her when no one had been looking—closer than a brother-in-law should. He never acted on it but enjoyed taunting her with vivid details of how he could satisfy her better in bed than his brother. At first, she tried to laugh it off. But over time, the details became more suggestive, the look in his eyes hungry with lust. Eventually, she did everything she could to avoid being alone with him.