Chapter 13

Alex waited until Kate was all the way out of her car before pushing open his screen door and wandering down his porch steps. The sun was behind her, but she still wore large-framed, black, movie star glasses. She pushed her bag higher on her shoulder as she walked down the path that lined the driveway. When she noticed him, she shifted her sunglasses to the top of her head. He put his hands into his pockets and walked over his lawn.

“Hey there, Sheriff.”

Sometimes he wondered if anyone remembered his name. Lucy knew his name. Remembered it very well. Don’t go there right now.

“Hey Kate. How was class?”

“How did you know I had class?” She looked at him, arching a brow in a way that only made her look cuter—in a strictly little-sister way—rather than suspicious.

“Well, I used my powerful super-sleuthing skills. College student. Backpack on her shoulder that looks a little heavy. I’m guessing that it has books in it. You’re arriving home at”—he paused to make a show of looking at his watch—”eleven o’clock. I suspect you had a morning class. Do you see now why I’m such a good police officer?”

She laughed, sounding a bit like Lucy and hitched her bag farther up on her shoulder.

“Here I thought it was just the sexy uniform.”

“Brown isn’t sexy on anyone. And I hardly ever wear my uniform. Listen, do you have a couple of minutes? I’d like to talk to you,” he asked, changing his tone. Her brows drew together with immediate concern.

“Did she dump you?” Kate asked, touching his arm. He was surprised at the spurt of anger he felt at the immediate assumption. He pulled his hands from his pockets and stepped back.

“Why is that the first thing you would ask?” he demanded.

“Well. It’s just…” she started but trailed off and looked at him as though her expression would finish her sentence.

“Maybe you don’t know your sister as well as you think you do,” he countered.

Her eyes widened, possibly at his tone, possibly at his words.

“Or maybe you don’t. I love my sister—more than anything. But I see who she is. I know Lucy. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, but you look sad. What did you want to ask me about?”

She walked toward her house and he followed, giving them both a second to smooth out the edges.

“I didn’t mean to jump at you. I miss her. And that’s damn humbling to admit,” he told her, giving her a sidelong glance. She nodded as if she understood, but he didn’t think she really got it—he could barely wrap his head around how he was feeling.

“So, what’s up?”

“First, Sam has some guys willing to volunteer with the construction, so you’re going to be able to put some of the money to other uses,” he told her.

“That’s wonderful!”

“I thought you would like that. Second, I know you had teens helping out with painting, setup, and organizing programs that would be offered. How well did you know the kids helping out?”

She stopped on the top stair of her parents’ porch and looked at him. They were eye level now.

“I know their names and some of their history. They’re not all willing to talk, but the ones that are, I try to listen. Offer advice without seeming like that’s what I’m doing. Overall, I think a lot of them are good kids. Some aren’t, some have earned their reputation and are helping out as part of their rehabilitation,” she said thoughtfully. She shrugged again and pushed the screen door, holding it for Alex to follow after. She unlocked the white, heavy oak door with the glass panel revealing Julie Aarons sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hey mom,” Kate greeted. Julie turned and Alex thought the genuine happiness on the older woman’s face made her seem considerably younger. Even if it hadn’t, it was easy to see where all three girls had gotten their attractive features.

“Hi sweetheart! Oh, hello Alex. How are you?” she asked as she stood. She was a bit taller than Kate, but not by much. Also like Kate, she had smooth skin, dark hair, and happy eyes.

“I’m good, ma’am. It’s nice to see you. Are you working on one of your books?” he asked, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek when she leaned into him. She smelled like oatmeal cookies.

Kate unloaded her backpack on the table beside the laptop and papers scattered there. The scarred, wooden, rectangular table was huge and gorgeous. Since moving in, Alex had been trying to find just the right one for his kitchen. Kate signaled from behind her mother’s back, shaking her head and slashing her hand across her throat. He chuckled, making Julie look back at her daughter, who froze before facing him again.

“I certainly am. It’s about how to please yourself,” she shared. He watched Kate close her eyes and shake her head sadly.

“Uh…”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he put his hands back in his pockets and rocked back and forth slightly. The front door slammed, and Mark hollered out that he was home. Alex sighed internally—he just wanted to ask Kate some questions.

“It would seem you and my other daughter know very well about such things.” Julie smirked and moved to the counter where she opened a cookie jar that looked like a giant bear. Alex felt the heat move all the way up his neck and was positive that if he looked in a mirror, he would be redder than the tomatoes Dolores prided herself on growing.

“Mom!”

“What?”

“Hello family! Hi there, Alex. I guess you kind of suit that label, too, don’t you?” Mark asked, walking into the kitchen with the strap of his laptop case slung over his shoulder. He was dressed casually for a college professor—Khaki pants and a pale blue, striped polo. Mark waggled his eyebrows at Alex, but he didn’t think he could go any redder. Mark moved toward his wife immediately and kissed her cheek with such obvious affection that Alex felt a gut-deep pang of envy.

“Stop it, you two. You’re embarrassing him,” Kate defended with a look that clearly said Alex had brought this on himself.

“As I said to Lucy, no reason to be embarrassed, dear. Here, have a cookie,” Julie said, passing him a large, slightly warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

“Thank you,” he mumbled like a teenage boy caught with his girlfriend. He was here on official police business. How the hell did this happen?

Lucy waited in the lobby of Posh Magazine. Waited was a generous term. Mostly, she sat on the luxurious leather sofa trying to not actually touch it with her body. She was essentially doing the most excruciating squat possible, because the couch looked like it had never been sat on before. Four women—who had to be models—sauntered by, and Lucy had the horrible image of leaving a wide bum indentation on the couch as she stood. The quiet clacking of the keyboard was interrupted by evenly paced, heavy footfalls. She almost whimpered with joy when Kael finally joined her in the eerily still room. She stood, ignoring the cramp in her legs, and turned to see him. Immediately, she laughed and then was swallowed in a large hug.

“The expression ‘sight for sore eyes’ was made for when people like me get to look at people like you,” he said in his low, gravelly, vibrato voice. He smelled like honey and felt warm like fleece. Kael Makhai was a hulking man who went against every stereotype the fashion industry could possibly have. He was also a brilliant designer, and some of Lucy’s best photographs had been of his work.

“I don’t even know if that makes sense,” Lucy squealed, tightening her arms around his neck, one palm brushing the nape of his black buzz cut. He put her down but kept his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length.

“Of course it makes sense,” he chided, lowering his voice to a whisper before continuing. “I spend my day with women who avoid food so they don’t get fat, avoid laughing so they don’t get wrinkles, and avoid friendship so they don’t get stabbed in the back.”

She slapped his Hawaiian-shirt-covered chest and laughed louder than she should have, earning a glare from the pencil-thin, unsmiling receptionist, who looked like an ad for Business Management School. Snooty Business Management School.

“Don’t be so negative. I know there’re plenty of awesome people in this industry,” she said, following along as he guided her across the gold-flecked tile flooring. “In fact, I saw Lola yesterday.”

“You should have called me. We could have all gone to lunch. Like old times.”

“I didn’t stay long, but it was good to see her, and it’s good to see you.”

He didn’t walk so much as shuffle along as his size allowed. He wore canvas shorts and sandals. Not one person, in all the time she had known him, had ever guessed his occupation correctly. It always amazed her that this brusque, large-framed man with hands the size of her head could create the most delicate, intricate designs favored all over runways in Europe.

“Good to see you, too, my girl. It has been too long.”

They made their way past racks of clothes, half-naked women, doorways leading to design rooms, photo shoot rooms, unused lunchrooms, several bathrooms, a fitness room, and a lounging area. Off of the lounging area, Kael led her into an open room with a wall of windows. Heading straight for them, she gave a small gasp.

“You can see all of New York from here,” she said in both awe and envy. There was nothing like a good view of New York on a perfectly clear day. Except maybe the view from a mountain on an equally clear day.

“Pretty close,” Kael laughed, coming up beside her. “You know, they’re looking for a photographer here. I could put in a good word. We could work side by side again. Two thirds of the dream team.” Along with Lola, they had made quite the crew: designer, model, and photographer—a trifecta of friendship. A lifeline at times.

She crossed her arms over her chest, grateful she had worn a purse that could be slung across her body effortlessly. Lucy looked up at her friend, his tanned skin on his round face stretched smooth. She bumped his hip casually with her own, or tried to, but she was considerably shorter.

“That would be pretty amazing.”

“But? Tell me this doesn’t have anything to do with that ass or the Africa assignment?”

Eyes wide, she unfolded her arms and began looking around his chaotically organized space.

“You heard about that?”

“I heard a bullshit rumor and figured the rest out for myself.”

“Yes, well, I guess I’m not always wanted just for my great photography skills,” Lucy tried to joke. She ran her hand over his design table, careful not to touch the actual page that showed some sketches of a dress he was designing. She eyed the way the delicate curve of the neckline created folds and ruching as it came down to curve over the chest. It cinched at the waist and then simply exploded in extravagance. A wide, intricately designed skirt—for which she knew he would use some sort of delicate material—flowed out like the ripples of the creasing had burst into a river of fabric.

“Don’t do that. It pisses me off,” he said, bringing her attention back, shuffling to his desk and opening up his laptop.

“What?”

“Your photography speaks for itself. Yes, you’re gorgeous. But you get work based on your talent. Vincent is well known for being a sick bastard. That has nothing to do with you, and your reputation isn’t in question. Don’t doubt that. It pisses me off,” Kael repeated. Lucy shrugged and moved to his back counter where shelves lined the wall. He had fabrics laid out, sketch books open, and dozens of pencils scattered. She loved looking at his space—imagined having her own little spot where she could line her cameras along the shelves and hang her shots. She pushed the thought aside.

“Anyway, you turned my sister down for an internship,” she said without censure.

He looked up at her in surprise, his dark eyebrows arching, wrinkling his beautiful skin.

“What? First, I didn’t know you had a sister that wanted into fashion. Second, when? I get hundreds of applications a day. Most of them, I don’t even read. I get my assistant to do it.”

“Well, to be honest, I didn’t know Kate wanted to be in fashion, either, but she applied for an internship, and when I asked her about it, she got defensive and shut down.”

Kael grabbed a pen and a small notepad before leaning over his desk.

“What’s her name?”

“Kate Aarons.”

“So, she shut down and then asked you to pull some strings?”

Lucy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in his direction. He put up a hand and laughed at her expression.

“No. She doesn’t know I’m here. I want…” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

The moment of quiet seemed unsettling and when the phone rang, she was grateful for the interruption. She moved back to the window and took in the skyline again, savoring it and locking it away.

“You okay, Luce?” Kael asked from behind her. She heard his feet shuffling away and looked back to see him closing his office door.

“Yeah. It’s just that…” she started. She turned to face him and sat on the thin window seat. “Since I’ve been home, I’ve started to realize how much I’ve missed. How much I haven’t been a part of.”

“Because you’ve been part of something else. Many something elses. You’ve traveled all over the world and taken some of the greatest photographs I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you. And yes … but at what cost, K? My baby sister is graduating from university. My older sister just had a baby. My oldest niece is five now. Something is up with my mom. And being with my dad makes me realize how much I missed him. Them. They all take care of each other—”

“Do you want them to take care of you?”

She felt tears stinging her eyes and shook her head, unsure of how to explain or even of how she felt.

“No. I guess. I don’t know. They take care of each other. I want to be part of that. Both ways.”

Lucy wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands, rubbed her hands on her jeans brusquely, and stood up, smiling too brightly.

“You want to do something for your sister. Even though she isn’t ready to confide in you,” Kael summarized, reading her as well as he always could.

She nodded her head and bit the inside of her cheek to stop any further tears from falling.

“Alright,” he said, moving back to his desk and picking up one of his cards. “Tell her to email me directly when she’s ready and remind me that she’s related to one of my favorite people.”

She laughed and skipped toward him, making him laugh when she threw her arms around him. Or part of him anyway. He squeezed her back and placed an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

During conversation over an impromptu lunch with Kate and her parents, Alex realized none of them knew Lucy would be back early the next morning. No one knew her flight times or arrangements. When they’d said good-bye to her, they figured she’d be back again or she would be in touch. Kate knew she had gone to New York to secure some items for the auction but little else. Why don’t they question her? Wonder when she’ll be back? A coping mechanism maybe? For him, it wouldn’t work. He crawled into bed early that night and texted Lucy, confirming her flight time. She said she would see him after he got home from work. Told him, she’d be fine getting herself home from the airport. She hadn’t seen reason to trouble anyone in her family with the details. Because she expected no more of them than they did of her. When she was here, she was here, and when she wasn’t, she wasn’t. But it wasn’t good enough for him. At all.

“You still don’t know you matter,” he said to himself after texting that he missed her and looked forward to seeing her the next day. She texted back smiles and hearts and then a bunch of jumbled symbols that he guessed were meant to be X-rated, making him laugh.

“But you will. You need to realize you belong. Here. With me.”

He fell asleep with that thought in his head and a smile on his face.

Lucy navigated the airport with the ease of a well-traveled person. The routine was as common to her as getting ready in the morning. Exit terminal, head to baggage, then customs if necessary, and find the cab stand. She yawned behind her hand and pulled her travel bag onto her shoulder more securely as she made her way toward the baggage claim. The air conditioning made her grateful for the dark grey, oversize, cable knit cardigan she had picked up in New York. It wasn’t frivolous if it was useful. It was early, but hundreds of travelers were milling about, rushing around as overhead pages rang out from speakers. Some people were laughing, others crying. One man was at an airline counter demanding a full refund and emphasizing his request with a slam of his fist. Two security officers moved in quickly, flanking the irate traveler on either side. Lucy side-stepped a little girl pushing a huge baggage cart, full to the brim, and smiled at the dad who gave Lucy a well-meaning shrug. She could smell coffee and pastries and wondered which one she wanted more at the moment. Both, obviously. Then she stopped short and stared. To her utter mortification, she burst into tears and covered her mouth with her hand.

Between inelegant sobs, she wiped at her face with the sleeve of her hand. Alex walked toward her, a coffee in one hand and a pastry bag in another. He looked uncertain, a half smile on his lips and his eyes bright with concern. She moved then, straight to him, ignoring the coffee and the pastry, and put her arms around his neck, almost strangling him in her need to get closer. His arms came around her, despite being occupied, and she could feel the strength of his biceps as he crushed her to him.

“Are these good tears?” he whispered into her ear. She nodded against his shoulder. She leaned back her cheeks wet, and put her palms to either side of his face.

“No one has ever met me at the airport,” she whispered fiercely. Then she sealed her mouth to his, pouring everything she felt into the kiss. He backed them out of the aisle of foot traffic, his lips never leaving hers. She came up for a second of air when she heard a thud and felt his hands on her skin, pushing under the back of her sweater and T-shirt.

“What?”

She looked down at the trash can where he’d just deposited her coffee and treat and back at him.

“Hey!”

His hands gripped her tighter before he wove one hand into her hair, tangled his fingers at her nape, and brought her mouth back to his.

“I’ll buy you more. As much as you want,” he said hoarsely against her lips.

She grinned and tightened her arms around his neck again, absorbing his heat and strength, the feel of him against her, surrounding her, comforting her and driving her crazy at the same time. She had no idea how long they kissed, devouring each other, and gave no thought to those that passed them. All she could think, feel, and see was him. It was him that pulled back finally, his hands on her face while hers were wrapped around his waist, tucked under his lightweight coat.

“Did you miss me?” she asked, no longer crying.

He gave a short, harsh laugh. “A little bit.”

She burrowed into his arms, absorbing the feel of him. Savoring the fact that he was here. His hands came to her shoulders before one hand trailed down her arm until it found her hand. He wove his fingers with hers then touched his mouth to hers, one more time. They walked toward the baggage claim, and Lucy couldn’t keep the smile from her face. Her cheeks were aching with it, and she wrapped her other hand around his arm, snuggling into his side.

“I can’t believe you met me at the airport.”

“I can’t believe no one ever has.”

The luggage was starting to drop from the conveyer belt as they approached. She looked up at him.

“I didn’t know it mattered to me. Maybe it didn’t. Until you.”

His face tightened and he looked like he wanted to say something, his eyes holding hers captive just as his hand did. Not that there was anywhere else she wanted to be. He kissed her forehead, making her close her eyes and sigh. When she opened them again, he was still watching her with an intensity that made her heart stumble and her throat dry up.

“That’s how I feel about most things when it comes to you,” he finally said. She saw her bright purple suitcase from the corner of her eye and moved to retrieve it before Alex could. She pulled the handle up and rolled it over to him. She wondered if her face showed all of the turbulent emotions swirling in her stomach and chest.

“I believe you owe me coffee and a pastry. Then I think we should head home. To your house,” she correctly quickly, her heart skipping one quick beat.

He smiled at her and once again took her hand.

“Sounds perfect. If I remember correctly, you promised me the real thing when we get there.” He grinned, tugging her through the crowd. She laughed, but in her mind, she thought, doesn’t get much more real than this. The thought, which would have terrified her months ago, made her more eager to get back to his home.

“We can grab coffee in a drive-through,” she insisted when he made to stop at a stand in the airport.

“God, I missed you,” he laughed as they both quickened their pace.