Until I Found You (25 page)

“Are you
serious
?”

“Very.”

“I can’t believe it—”

“It’s true. You’ll be in charge of advertising for the spas, of course. In addition, we’re moving into nutraceuticals, body sculpting, and a skin treatment involving a flower just discovered in the Amazon rainforest. If it’s as effective as the tests suggest, it has amazing possibilities.”

Kate couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. “This is amazing. But—”

“But you have obligations,” Eve said for her. “Every woman who’s juggled a career with her personal life knows how difficult it is. No one can be in two places at once. I understand that, and I assure you I’ll be flexible where your grandmother’s concerned.” Another twinkle flashed in her eyes. “And Nick, too.”

“I just can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing right now.” Eve’s voice softened, a change that lessened the drama and made her more like a mother. “Let’s have dinner tonight. We’ll go over the details. You can think about it over the weekend.”

“I’d like that. But I have to be honest. I just can’t imagine taking the job. My life is . . . Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Eve studied her for a moment. “We’re back to Nick.”

“And Leona.”

Eve thought for a moment. “I have an idea. Let’s make this an audition of sorts. You can test the waters while your grandmother’s at Golden West. This is a big decision and you shouldn’t rush into it.”

Brad interrupted with a tap on the cubicle. “Roscoe broke out the champagne. Everyone’s gathering in the playpen.”

Kate glanced at her watch. It was four o’clock, and she wanted to thank Nick for the balloons and tell him that Eve loved the proposal. If he didn’t call her, she needed to call him. “I’ll be there in a minute.” When Brad left, she focused on Eve. “I need to give Nick a quick call.”

“Of course.” Eve gave Kate’s shoulder a pat and left with Brad.

Kate called Nick’s cell phone. When the call went to voice mail, she called the Clarion and got voice mail again. She didn’t want to leave a chirpy message, so she shot him a text.
The balloons are perfect. Thank
you. More later.

With a moment to herself, she closed her eyes and savored a heady mix of relief that the presentation was over and exhilaration that it had been so well received. Eve’s offer was a dream come true, and she wanted it badly. But at what cost? It would mean leaving Meadows except for occasional weekends. Leona was recovering beautifully, but the wisdom of her living alone was questionable. And then there was Nick. She
loved him and wanted to be with him, but his faith confused her. On the other hand, today’s victory made her feel secure, and she wanted to cling to that good feeling.

Someone tapped on the metal post of her cubicle. She expected to see a co-worker offering congratulations. Instead, she saw Nick—handsome, tall, and strong with a resolute gleam in his patient brown eyes.

T
o
nick’s delight,
Kate flew out of the chair and into his arms. There was no one around, so he hugged her hard and stole a kiss, enjoying every second of the embrace. The balloons and card had been a hit, and he was glad he’d come to see her instead of returning to Meadows after delivering a few things to Leona, including a journal that was a secret gift for Kate.

The past six weeks had frustrated him on every front. The
Clarion
required his full attention, and in spite of his sales efforts, the advertising revenue was down far more than expected. He didn’t have time to travel for
California Dreaming,
and five rejections had rolled in from the ten new queries he’d sent to agents. Even more frustrating, he missed Kate every minute of the day. For all his experience with women, Nick had never been in love before now. It was a little bit like having the flu. His body ached with a strange kind of fever, and he couldn’t do a thing about it except wait it out.

He hoped today’s presentation had knocked down the final roadblock to Kate’s coming home, because holding her took away the emptiness shaped like one of his ribs. It also made
the flu symptoms worse. The Lord must have enjoyed creating Eve for Adam, but the requirement to tamp down physical desire until marriage bordered on cruel. Well, not really—just at moments like this when he had to stop kissing her.

He eased back from the embrace and focused on her eyes. “I hear Eve loved the proposal. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” She trailed her fingers down the long sleeve of his button-down shirt, then took both his hands in hers and squeezed. “I’m thrilled, and that’s not even the biggest news.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“You won’t believe this.” She stepped back, giving him a clear view of her glowing face. He’d thought her earlier enthusiasm was for him; now he wondered if he’d been mistaken and her excitement stemmed from something else. After letting go of him, she clasped her hands over her chest in what looked like a prayer. “Eve Landon just offered me a job as marketing director. She’s expanding Eve’s Garden into EG Enterprises. It’s going to be huge!”

His blood congealed in his veins, making his skin cold and prickly. Just when he expected their circumstances to ease, Eve Landon had sucker-punched him. Nick had nothing against Eve’s Garden, and he wanted to support Kate in every way. If that meant her having a career in Los Angeles, he could adjust—but only if her motives were right. Did she believe EG Enterprises was her destiny, even a calling to love people who were hurting, or was she clinging to past success out of fear?

“That’s great,” he said, trying to mean it.

“It is. But I don’t see how I can take it.”

The longing in her voice cut to his heart, so did the faraway look in her eyes. He didn’t know exactly why Kate thought she couldn’t accept Eve’s offer, or what future she was imagining and if it included him or not; but he was certain she wanted the job. If she turned down this opportunity, she might regret
it forever. In a way they were back in his kitchen when she asked him to run the
Clarion
while she worked at Sutton. If she accepted Eve’s offer, she’d be asking him for even more, though he didn’t know exactly what.

She indicated the opening to the cubicle, then held out her hand to him. “Roscoe broke out the champagne. I have to go . . . Come with me.”

Nick grasped her fingers and followed, but only until they passed through the narrow opening. When they could walk side by side, he offered his arm to escort her. Smiling up at him, she slipped her fingers around his elbow and they sauntered forward together. The crowd split around them, breaking into applause as she left Nick’s side and joined Roscoe. Someone put a glass of champagne in Nick’s hand, and Eve Landon greeted him with a smile.

“She’s remarkable, isn’t she?” the actress said about Kate.

“Very,” Nick agreed.

While Roscoe elaborated on Kate’s accomplishments, Eve murmured to Nick, “I feel terrible. You surprised Kate for Valentine’s Day, and I’ve already invited her to dinner to discuss business. I’d back out, but I’m leaving for Europe in the morning. You were planning a night together, and I ruined it.”

Nick was planning a lifetime with Kate, not just a night. Eve might have ruined the evening, but she didn’t control the future. “Kate told me about your offer.”

“Oh, good!” Eve’s face lit up. “I’m so glad she told you. I can’t keep a secret to save my life. Would you like to join us tonight? Maybe you can convince her to give it a try.”

“A try?”

“Yes.” Eve tapped a finger on her champagne glass. “She’s hesitant because of her grandmother—and maybe you—so I suggested a three-month trial period. I know how hard it
is for a woman to juggle her personal and professional lives, but it
is
possible. I’ve certainly managed.”

Yes, and you’ve been
divorced five times.
Nick hurt for Eve, for every person who had been wounded by life. He didn’t doubt that people could combine work, home, and faith. His brother and Gayle did it as a couple, and they did it well. His concerns were all about Kate’s motivation, and he had to admit, a trial period had merit.

Eve assessed him with a cool look, one that sized him up and maybe gauged his use to her. When it came to Kate, Nick could be a powerful ally or Eve’s worst enemy. At the moment, neither of them knew where the other stood. When Nick said nothing, Eve raised her chin and stared at him, her gaze a bit haughty. “EG Enterprises is going to change how women see aging, and Kate’s going to be part of that. A new world will open up for her.”

But was it a world worth having? Nick had written an entire book about places like Eve’s Garden.
California
for Real Men
had given him money, some fame, and a lot of pleasure. But in the end, the experiences behind it had caused heartbreak.

When Roscoe raised a toast to Kate, the crowd clinked glasses and cheered. Nick joined in the celebration, but the champagne burned his throat. As much as he wanted Kate to return to Meadows, he had to consider another possibility. He saw Eve’s offer as an apple, forbidden fruit, a temptation for Kate to be in control. But maybe the job really was a plum, something sweet, juicy, good, and desirable. Who was Nick to cast stones or make judgments?

No one.

Absolutely no one.

He was a guy who drove too fast, made mistakes, and couldn’t sell his book. But he also loved Kate. He had walked away from
CFRM
, and though he still considered himself
a writer, the recent rejections left him riddled with doubts about his future. He didn’t want Kate to live with what ifs, especially when her faith was at a low ebb.

With the crowd cheering for her, Nick swallowed hard and made a decision. As much as he wanted Kate to refuse Eve’s offer, he wouldn’t press her in any way. God had given Adam and Eve a choice in the Garden of Eden, and Nick had to give Kate the same respect. For all he knew, she belonged right here in Los Angeles, a city full of saints and sinners like themselves. If Kate belonged here, maybe Nick belonged with her. He didn’t want to leave Meadows, but he had to be open to the idea.

When the cheering ended, Kate bounced to his side. Eve tilted her head like a mother hen watching a chick. “Enjoy the party. I wish I could stay, but I have another appointment.”

“That reminds me,” Kate said. “I hate to cancel dinner, but Nick’s here and—”

“He’s invited,” Eve said with a smile. “I’ll see you at the Mediterranean Grill at eight.”

Nick recognized the name of a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He had included it in
CFRM
, but he didn’t belong there anymore, and he didn’t belong at the meeting with Eve and Kate. “Sorry, but I can’t join you ladies.” He smiled a reluctant blessing down on Kate. “You can tell me about it tomorrow.”

Her eyes clouded. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Eve dipped her chin with swanlike grace. “Thank you, Nick. I appreciate it. I was going to ask you something tonight, but I’ll ask you now instead.”

What more could Eve want? She had already hijacked Kate on Valentine’s Day. “What can I do for you?”

“I’ve read your articles in
California Dreaming.
They’re excellent.”

“Thank you.”

“Would you be interested in doing something on Eve’s Garden? Be warned. If you say no, I’ll have Kate use her influence to persuade you.”

“There’s no need to use Kate,” he said. “I’d be glad to do it. Let me check with my editor and get back to you.”

“Excellent.” Eve clasped her hands at her waist. “I have to go, but you can arrange the details with Kate.”

She hadn’t accepted the job, but Eve was acting like she already owned Kate. The women hugged good-bye, then Eve shook his hand and headed for the lobby, where her bodyguard was waiting. Kate watched until she rounded the corner, then she let out a breath. “What an amazing day.”

For Nick, too, though not in a good way. “We need to talk. There’s a coffee place downstairs.”

“I can’t leave yet.” She wrinkled her nose, a gesture he now recognized as guilt. “Roscoe wants to meet in about fifteen minutes. Let’s go to my office.”

He didn’t want to be overheard. “Is there some place more private?”

“Sure,” she said. “This way.”

They walked down a long corridor, their hands dangling close but not touching as she led him into an empty conference room. As he pulled a seat around, Kate swiveled a chair to put them eye to eye, knee to knee. Neither spoke for several seconds. He used the pause to drink in Kate’s shining face, her pretty eyes, the soft lips he wanted to kiss. She broke the tension by reaching for his hand. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

“So,” she said in her business voice. “You want to talk about Eve’s offer.”

“Yes, I—”

“Me first.” She lifted his hand slightly, taking the weight
with a determined squeeze. “Before you say a word, I want you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve already done. Eve’s offer is a real thrill, but I can’t take it, not with Leona and the
Clarion
on my plate. I won’t ask you for another favor. It just wouldn’t be right.”

He stroked the top of her hand with this thumb, particularly her bare fourth finger. He wanted to slip an engagement ring over her knuckles and imagined doing it on April ninth, the official end of his sabbatical. He wanted Kate to be his wife. Even more, he wanted her to
want
to be with him, to make the choice with joy. But when he looked into her eyes, he saw the solemn expression of a person making a sacrifice, not the glorious smile of a woman in love.

Nick made the sacrifice for them both. “Take the job.”

“What? I thought—”

“Take the job,” he repeated, though his stomach soured with the champagne. “You’re not asking me for a favor. I’m offering.”

Drawing back, she straightened her spine. “I thought you were eager for me to come back to Meadows, not just for the paper, but so we could be together.”

“I want that very much.”

“Then why?”

“Because you need to do this. I walked away from
California for Real Men
, but I didn’t stop being a writer. When you became a Christian, you didn’t stop being you. I don’t want to limit you, Kate. I want you to be everything God intends for you to be, though I have to admit—I’m being totally selfish here.”

“How?” Her voice shook.

“I want you to figure out how to be
you
so that we can be
us.”

Her eyes glistened and blinked, then her lips trembled ever so slightly. “You know I love you. I couldn’t say it, because—”

He didn’t care why. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

He raked his fingers through her hair, cupped the back of her head, and matched his mouth to hers. The kiss told her that he wanted her, loved her, believed in her. When he eased back, they were breathing in perfect time.

Kate laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Everything,” she said in a whisper. “I don’t know how to live like this, how to mix the old and the new.”

The black and white balloons were more fitting than he had imagined. An artist blended the two colors to make shades of gray. People compromised. But some decisions really were black and white. A person couldn’t go east and west at the same time, but two people could walk side by side in the same direction. At some point, though, they had to agree which way to walk. If they couldn’t and they still wanted to be together, someone had to make a sacrifice.

“Take the job,” he said for the third time. “Try it out.”

She lifted her head off his shoulder and stared into his eyes, her longing as evident as her earlier desire to be kissed. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

When she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, Nick held her tight and silently prayed for them both. It was the best weapon he had against Eve Landon and her apples.