Forever Together (10 page)

Kate took another look at the picture on her
laptop. She grinned at the seriously embarrassed fairy princess
sitting in front of her. “You’re going to glow when you hit the
runway. The organza skirt on your dress is beautiful.”

“As long as I’m not
glowing
from embarrassment, I’ll be fine. Wait until you
see my wings. Emily didn’t have them ready for the rehearsal, so
cross your fingers I don’t crash into someone.”

Tess held still while Kate brushed fuchsia
pink lipstick on her mouth. After watching Tess saunter down the
runway at the rehearsal, Kate seriously doubted she’d bang into
anyone. Even with twice as many models crowding the platform, Tess
had an elegance and grace that drew every eye in the room.

“Go get your wings, Ms. Princess. Just watch
out in case there’s a handsome prince sitting in the audience.”

Tess shook her head. “Not going to happen.
I’m all kissed out after the frogs I’ve been dating.” She looked
toward the front of the stage when the music changed. “Gotta go.
See you after the show.”

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Tess was her
last model. She could pack away the makeup, grab a coffee and relax
until the end of the show.

She turned back to her makeup station and
nearly leaped out of her skin. “Where did you come from?”

“We haven’t got time for questions.” Dan
grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a set of stairs at the back
of the stage. “You need to see the show before it finishes.”

“But I’m supposed to be looking after the
makeup. What if someone decides to walk off with Loretta’s
cases?”

Dan didn’t stop. He opened a door at the
bottom of the stairs and shoved her into a narrow corridor. “I’m
the Deputy Chief of Police. I’ll track them down and arrest
them.”

Kate’s high heels clicked against the wooden
floor. “Where are we?”

“Service corridor. All of the food from the
kitchen goes along here to the main ballroom.”

“You’re wasted in the Police Force. You
should be looking after the President.”

“Too much pressure,” Dan muttered as they
walked through another doorway and into the ballroom.

Everything looked more polished, more
professional than it had at yesterday’s rehearsal. Over two hundred
and fifty people had bought tickets for the fashion show. They sat
in their seats, looking spellbound by the magic Emily and Flavio
had created. The lights dimmed and the last of the models wearing
the maternity range left the stage.

“I can’t believe it looks so good,” Kate
whispered to Dan.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” he whispered
back. They stood at the back of the room, waiting for the next
group of models.

The sound of a harp filled the room, then
music as soft and soothing as a lullaby drifted over the sound
system. Kate had seen the dry ice machine pump clouds of white mist
into the room at the rehearsal, but it hadn’t
looked as
spectacular as it did tonight.
Spotlights softened, dimmed to an ethereal glow.

A horn sounded in the distance and the first
of the fantasy models stepped onto the stage. A collective sigh
rippled through the audience. Kate couldn’t take her eyes off
Celeste as she opened her butterfly wings and drifted down the
runway. Her purple and orange wings glittered under the lights. It
created the perfect backdrop for the
short satin
gown with silk flowers sewn along the
neckline and waist.

“Whoever did her makeup should get an Academy
Award.”

Kate smiled. “You’re biased.” Dan moved
closer and Kate felt his body heat through her cotton dress.

“Why do you say that?”

“You want me to stay in Bozeman. You think
flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Is it working?”

“Could be.” She laughed at the smile in Dan’s
eyes. “Why are you standing here with me? I thought you were
supposed to be on crowd control.”

“I got promoted to ticket collector when
someone called in sick. Everyone’s seated, so I’m off the hook for
the rest of the night.”

The gleam in Dan’s eyes sent warm tingles
through Kate’s body. She glanced back at the stage and tried to
ignore the man standing beside her.

“Is that Tess?” he asked.

Kate looked at the model on the runway. Tess
looked beautiful. The chiffon and silk dress she wore was almost
transparent. The long skirt flowed behind her, rippling along the
runway. But it was her wings that caught at Kate’s imagination.
They were only slightly wider than Tess’ body and moved backward
and forward in time with her unhurried steps. She looked as though
she was walking on air.

“Tess’ a fairy princess,” Kate whispered.
“Emily designed her costume.”

Dan didn’t take his eyes off the runway.

Kate frowned. “It’s a pretty dress.”

“Huh?”

“I thought police officers were supposed to
be cool, calm, and collected?”

Dan looked confused. “What are you talking
about?”

“Tess. You know she’s single, right? You
could ask her out on a date.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. It could have
something to do with the fact that you’re drooling.”

“I am not.”

Kate looked around the room and saw other men
with the same stunned expressions on their faces. “I’m surrounded
by hormonal males,” she muttered.

“And you’re not?”

“I’ve never been a man and I’m not hormonal,”
Kate said proudly. “I’ve got a career to think about. I don’t have
time for men in my life.”

Dan looked horrified. “Not even one?”

Kate wasn’t going to answer him. She thought
she might have had time for one
man,
until he started drooling over Tess. “I’ve got
things I want to do with my life. Places I want to see.”

“Name two cities better than anything you’ll
find in Montana.”

“We’re supposed to be watching the fashion
show.”

“I told you I was right.”

The smug note in Dan’s voice annoyed her. She
had to think fast. Her mom kept talking about Australia, so she had
a safe bet with a city there. “Brisbane. Lots of sun, clear blue
ocean, and white sand.”

“Sounds like California.”

“Paris. Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees
and…snails.”

“Shh.” A lady sitting in a back row seat
turned and glared at them.

Dan leaned in close. “Snails…is that the best
you can do?” His voice whispered in her ear and left goose bumps on
her neck.

“It’s better than cowboys and cattle.”

Dan took up position by her ear again.
“Depends on who you’re looking at.”

He had a point. A very good point if you
included men with more muscles than were good for them and a way of
moving that made a woman look twice.

She took half a step sideways. “You’ve
traveled around the world three times and never managed to settle
anywhere. What do you want to do with your life?”

“You’ve been talking to Anna, haven’t
you?”

The finale music started. All of the models
walked onto the runway with their designers. The shapes, the
colors, and the spectacle made Kate smile.

Dan glared at the runway. “I moved back to
Bozeman three years ago. I bought an apartment and found a great
job. I’ve already figured out what I want to do with my life.”

Emily, Anna, and Tom walked onto the stage.
Tom was wearing the same bright green tie he’d worn on the first
day Kate had seen him. Something about his tie stirred memories
she’d long since forgotten. Something about leprechauns and pots of
gold.

Tom held Anna firmly against his side and
Emily started thanking everyone for coming.

“There’s more to life than your job.” Kate
had learned that lesson the hard way. The trick was finding the
right balance between paying your utility bills and living the life
you wanted.

The lady in the back row seat turned around
again.

“I don’t know what her problem is,” Dan
muttered. “There’s no way she can hear what we’re saying.”

Kate looked
between
the annoyed lady and Dan. “We’d better behave
ourselves or the crowd control person will ask us to leave.”

“I heard he’s a great guy.”

“Only on good days.” Kate watched Emily hand
Anna an envelope. Everyone on the stage had tears in their
eyes.

After a quick glance at the woman in the back
seat, Kate leaned in close to Dan. She inhaled the smell of his
aftershave and went weak at the knees. “What did I miss?”

“Eight thousand dollars.”

Kate moved out of harm’s way and tried to
figure out what he meant. “Did Emily raise eight thousand dollars
from the fashion show?”

Dan nodded.

Holy cow, Kate thought. Emily had worked hard
to make tonight a success and she knew how grateful Anna and Tom
were. Kaylee’s medical insurance only paid for some of her
treatment, so the money raised tonight would make a huge
difference.

Dan wrapped his hand around hers and started
moving toward the door they’d come through. “We’d better get out of
here before everyone decides to leave.”

“What about Anna? Do you want to make sure
she’s okay?”

“Tom’s with her. I’ll take you backstage and
then I’m heading to their place for dessert. I’m working tomorrow,
so Anna suggested I stay the night.”

Kate stumbled.

“You okay?” Dan asked.

“I’m fine.” Sharing the same house with Dan
didn’t seem like a good idea, even for one night. He had a habit of
getting under her skin, confusing all the logical reasons why she
should leave after Kaylee’s transplant.

On the brighter side, maybe seeing him first
thing in the morning would be just what she needed. He was probably
grumpy and irritable when he woke up, everything that would make
her forget how sexy he looked in a tuxedo.

Kate decided to focus on the brighter side
and hope like crazy he wasn’t a morning person.

***

Kate curled her feet under her, snuggling
down in one of the big comfy sofas in Anna and her dad’s living
room.

Anna smiled over the rim of her mug at Kate.
“The models looked amazing. Did you get to see much of the fashion
show?”

“Dan came and got me near the end. I saw the
fantasy section.”

“I couldn’t believe we were sitting in the
Emerson Center,” Tom said. “Everything looked so professional.”

Dan came in from the kitchen holding a mug of
coffee in one hand and a plate of cake in the other. Without
looking at any of the other empty seats in the
room,
he sat beside Kate.

He held the plate out to her. “Cake?”

She shook her head. She’d have enough trouble
getting to sleep with Dan down the hallway. She didn’t need a body
full of sugar to add to her problems.

He passed the cake to his sister before
settling back in the sofa. “How was Kaylee tonight?”

Tom put down his coffee before replying. “She
was disappointed she couldn’t be at the show, but the clothes you
bought for her doll helped. And she loved Anna’s photos. It’s going
to be a big day tomorrow. She’ll need all her strength to get
through her last round of chemo.”

“What did Doctor T say about her blood
tests?” Anna asked.

“They looked all right. Her blood proteins
were higher than normal, but he wasn’t too concerned.”

Dan turned to Kate. “How’s the big sister
feeling?”

“I’m happy it’s nearly time for the
transplant.” She didn’t know what she’d said wrong, but the smile
on Dan’s face disappeared.

“I suppose you’re looking forward to going
back to San Diego?” he asked.

Kate shrugged her shoulders. “I love the
ocean and miss my friends. I’ve applied for a couple of jobs back
home, so I’ll see how that goes.”

“When will you know if you’ve got an
interview?” Anna asked.

“I should hear something in the next few
days.”

“Do you have enough money to pay your rent?”
Tom asked.

Kate felt Dan stiffen beside her. “My
roommate’s boyfriend moved in, so they’re sharing the rent while
I’m here. I’m fine with everything else.”

Anna looked
between
Kate and Dan. “Have you given any thought to
staying in Bozeman? Your dad and I would enjoy having you here and
I know Kaylee would be over the moon.”

Kate shook her head. “I need to go back to
San Diego. It’s where I’ve made my home.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Dan asked.

Anna choked on her cake and spilled half her
coffee on the floor.

Tom was off his feet heading toward the
kitchen before Kate could uncurl her legs.

“I’ll get a dishcloth,” her dad yelled over
his shoulder.

Kate took the mug out of Anna’s hands before
the rest of the coffee landed on her lap.

By the time Anna had stopped coughing, Tom
was back, wiping the floor. Dan hadn’t moved from the sofa. He
looked so uncomfortable that Kate almost felt sorry for him.

He loosened his tie and left it hanging
around his neck. “I didn’t mean…I just wanted…oh, hell. Forget I
said anything.” He stood up and headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll
see everyone in the morning.”

Kate blinked once and he was gone.

Tom looked at Anna, then down at the soggy
dishcloth in his hands. “I’d better get rid of this before it
starts dripping over everything.”

Then her dad was gone and Kate was left with
a slightly puzzled looking Anna.

“What’s going on with Dan?” Anna asked.

Kate didn’t know what to say. He’d been
acting weird all night. Sexy weird, but weird all the same. “I
don’t know. It might have something to do with Tess.”

“Tess?”

“He couldn’t take his eyes off her.” Kate
could have kicked herself. The
green-eyed
monster had reared its ugly little head. Tess
was beautiful. She had a great personality. She was intelligent,
funny, and a great cook.