Her Backup Boyfriend (Entangled Bliss) (Sorensen Family) (13 page)

“Yes, but it’s something. Anything is better than sitting in limbo. With your help, she’s finally taking control of her life and not letting someone else make the choices for her. So…thank you.”

She squirmed, avoiding his gaze and instead fidgeting with the label on her beer bottle.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She looked up at him in surprise, and he could see she was about to object. Then she clamped her mouth and heaved a sighed. “It’s just I hadn’t expected to like Daisy and the rest of your family like I do. It makes me feel awful, the way we’re lying to them. They think we’re a couple and are opening their arms to me on that basis alone.”

“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. They like you. Not just because you’re my girlfriend—” Damn. That had sounded pretty good. He stopped and regrouped. “Well, pretending to be—but because you’re genuinely caring and nice and funny. Believe me, I’ve had a few girlfriends I’ve brought home in the past, and they didn’t roll out the welcome mat like they have with you.” Actually, with few exceptions, they’d loathed them. Melinda most of all. In hindsight, he could see they’d had good reason.

Not looking entirely convinced, she slid off the stool and took her empty cup to the sink. “I just hope that this whole thing doesn’t cause more pain. But I am glad to be helping Daisy out, any way I can.”

“Of course you are.” He smiled and reached over and picked up the almost full beer she’d left on the counter and took a pull while she rinsed her cup.

She turned around, wiping her hands on a towel before dropping it to the counter. “Anyhow, Daisy asked me if I might be stopping by the hospital. To lend you support. I had to think fast since I hadn’t realized your dad’s surgery was this Friday, but I don’t think she noticed. Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“It wasn’t intentional. I just didn’t think it was something you needed to worry about.” He also hadn’t wanted to overburden her with his family problems. God knew that Melinda hated doing anything family related. It hadn’t seemed fair to ask Kate, his pretend girlfriend, to stop in for what some might see as an unpleasant task.

She took a step forward and slugged him with surprising force. “Let me decide that, okay? I really like your dad and your whole family. And whether we realized it at the time, this charade has drawn me into your family and the drama that comes with it. I can’t help but care.”

He rubbed his arm but was unable to keep the smile from creasing his face. “Fair enough.” He sounded offhanded, but hearing her talk about his family like that—like she really cared—was making him feel all sorts of crazy.

Maybe Cruz had been on to something. Maybe he was growing more attached to Kate than he’d originally envisioned. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Cruz was making him paranoid. That’s what it was.

“I may have mentioned I have depositions I’m taking on the McKenna case tomorrow,” she continued. “It’s scheduled for two days, but I’m hoping to get most everything wrapped up tomorrow. Maybe freeing up some time on Friday, if I’m lucky. I can come by. The hospital, I mean. If you want me to.”

“I think having you there might be kind of nice,” he said cautiously, not wanting her to know how much it would mean if she did. He didn’t want to pressure her. “But I also know how important this case is to you, so if for any reason you can’t be there, just know that I understand. But speaking of your big case…” He needed to change the subject. It was getting entirely too personal and he needed a breather. “Shouldn’t you be cramming or something right now?”

She laughed and practically rubbed her hands together in front of her. “Nicole wasn’t all that happy to see me bail before eight tonight, but I know the facts inside and out and sitting in my office reviewing them another couple of hours isn’t going to make any difference at this point. Now it’s all about the excitement, the wondering of how things will go tomorrow. I know what I’m hoping she’ll say, but sometimes you never know. It makes it all so…terrifying but exciting at the same time.”

He watched her describe some of the case details again, noticing the way her eyes lit up with excitement, turning them more turquoise than their usual blue gray. She licked her full lips and he was reminded of how sweet her lips had tasted, and how soft and pliant they’d been under his. If he kissed them now, would she taste like tea and honey? Or maybe like the beer she’d tentatively sipped?

Then the truth hit him hard in the chest, and he felt as if the air had been punched out of him.

Shit. Cruz was right.

He just might be falling for this smart, passionate woman whose heart was as beautiful as she was. And he just might be past the point of caring.

Chapter Thirteen

Ava Herrera, a woman in her early forties, was quite pretty, make no mistake about it. She was dressed for court in a conservative but stylish suit with a bright scarf tied around her neck that coordinated with the cherry-red stain on her lips, both of which further accentuated her pretty brown eyes.

Kate would have bet Ms. Herrera’s dark brown hair, full and teased, would give even Miss Texas a run for her money. She was a woman who knew her attraction and, Kate had no doubt, played that to her advantage.

But was that so different from any other woman?

Kate tried to quiet the annoying voice that had been popping up all morning during the deposition, anytime Kate thought something snarky, something to help see this woman as the bad guy. It always made it easier when she had to ask the tough questions, particularly when this woman’s dark, expressive eyes looked at her, damp with moisture and with a look that said Kate, as a woman, had somehow betrayed
her
.

“And what did you do after Mr. McKenna made this advance?”

“I was in shock. This was the first time he’d taken his flirtation past blatant sexual innuendo to something more…physical.”

The woman continued to detail what happened that particular day and later, when they went on a business trip together and her boss actually attacked her. At times, she’d break down, and her attorney would hand her a tissue and they’d wait until the woman could gain her composure. But she remained consistent throughout, much to Kate’s dismay. And credible.

“And did you tell anyone at the company what had happened up to this point? A coworker? The human resources department?”

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I need you to respond for the record.”

“No.”

This questioning went on another hour and a half, until it was time to break for lunch.

“Two months of alleged harassment and you finally made a formal complaint to Ms. Driscoll at human resources,” Kate said, summarizing the morning’s testimony. “Do you recall what she told you after you explained everything?”

“She said they’d start an investigation and would notify me of what they discovered.”

“And do you know if they did, indeed, start an investigation?”

Ms. Herrera shrugged, a wry smile on her lips. “They started an investigation, all right. But I don’t think they were looking to prove anything about my complaint. It was more a witch hunt—against me—for daring to bring such a claim against Mark. I knew Ms. Driscoll didn’t believe me and wouldn’t help me, despite what she’d said.”

“And how could you know that?”

“Besides the fact she looked at me throughout the whole thing like I was some kind of lying schemer? A couple of days later, when I was dropping off some reports at Mark’s office, I overheard her and Mark talking about me. I distinctly heard him telling her this is what happens when they hire trailer trash like me to fill some quota.” Ms. Herrera’s voice broke at this last part.

It was as if someone had slugged Kate in the stomach.
Trailer trash.

She tightened her grip on her pen. She couldn’t explain it, but the words hit something in her. She was more than relieved it was time for lunch and made a beeline to her office, trying to take deep, calming breaths. She could hear Nicole following behind her. Of course. They had to discuss the information they had so far and make sure they were on task. And discuss points they could tear apart, to get Ms. Herrera to backtrack.

It was dirty. And necessary, even if Kate felt nauseated at the prospect.

But this was what she did.

And the sooner she got her head in the game, the sooner she could wrap this up.

…

Dominic took a drink of the lukewarm coffee that Benny had brought him and the rest of their small group seated in the waiting room. It had been a couple of hours and, from what the doctor had explained, it could still be another hour more.

Waiting sucked.

Benny sat next to him. “So Kate seems really nice. Smart but not overly full of herself.”

He’d wondered how long it would take before Benny started talking about this.

“Are you guys serious?”

He could say one thing about his sister, she certainly was straightforward. “Kate and I…we’re kind of complicated right now.” Benny stared at him, waiting for him to continue, and he sighed. “I don’t really want to talk about this right now, Ben. Can we save it for later?”

“Okay. But I wanted you to know. I like her. We all do. She’s nothing like Melinda.” Benny waited about twenty seconds and started again. “But what’s so complicated?”

Dominic repressed a sigh and was just about to tell his sister she needed to learn the definition of “no” when he saw a familiar redhead in a knee-length navy skirt, matching blazer, and killer heels walking his way. And all other thoughts save one left his mind.

She came.

Even with her hair drawn into a tidy bun at the back of her head, she looked damned sexy. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms.

She stopped in front of Daisy and his mom, and they both stood and welcomed her in a hug. If he weren’t mistaken, Kate actually looked comfortable with the contact and seemed to return it—even if she hadn’t initiated it.

He and Benny joined them, and he could feel everyone watching him and Kate. He spoke first. “You came. Did everything go okay with the deposition?”

She shrugged. “It went fine.”

But he could see something in her eyes, and the dark shadows underneath told him there was more to the story. He’d have to pursue it later.

“Your mom told me your dad’s still in surgery. How are you holding up?”

Dominic looked around at the curious faces and smiled. “I’m doing all right. I need to walk my legs a bit. Care to join me?”

He waited until he knew they were out of earshot to ask. “You look beat. You didn’t have to come, you know.”

She looked affronted. “Of course I did. We already went through this. I care about your family, just as I care about you.” The words made his heart thud a little irregularly, even when she hastily added, “I mean, I think over the past couple of weeks we’ve become…friends.”

“Okay, then since we can both agree that we’ve become friends, maybe you can tell me what has you so upset? Don’t tell me you’re fine. I can see you’re struggling.”

“Yeah, fine. This one seems to be taking a lot out of me. Making me wary of the whole process. I’m used to turning off my emotions when I question witnesses. Empathy doesn’t have any room in a deposition or a courtroom. But something about this woman…” She paused and tried to force a smile. “I’ll probably feel better a little later. After I’ve processed everything, had something to eat.”

“You hungry? We can grab something in the cafeteria.”

“No, but thanks. Not that hospital cafeteria food doesn’t sound appetizing, but I need to get back to the office. I’ll just pick up something on the way. I have a meeting with Tim and Nicole to discuss the progress of the case and next week’s round of depositions. How late are you going to be here?”

Dominic looked at his watch. Just past two. “If everything goes as planned, Dad should be out within an hour and in recovery. I want to see him before I go. Then I was planning on getting the tile laid in your bathroom.”

“Dominic, you don’t have to work tonight. Your dad just had major heart surgery.”

“Which is exactly why I need to work. It’ll distract me. I want to do this.” And he wanted to see her. “Want to have dinner later?”

She tucked the slightest wisp of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I’d like to, but I should warn you, I don’t know how late this thing will go—or my meeting with Tim. I probably should head out now. Will you tell your family good-bye for me?”

“Of course.” He couldn’t resist the opportunity and reached his hand down to hers and held it for a moment, happy to see the way she jumped at his touch and then blushed. “Thanks again for coming, Kate. And don’t let this case get you down. You’ll do the right thing.”

He watched as she walked away, turning back a brief moment to wave before disappearing down the corridor.

She appeared to have the weight on the world on her shoulders. Dinner together might be just what they both needed.

He was already looking forward to the prospect.

…

Heavy, wet snowflakes made her commute home from work Friday night treacherous and stressful. The sight of Dominic’s truck in front of the curb at her house, after her long, bone-tiring day of finishing up Ms. Herrera’s deposition, quickened her pulse—but in a more pleasurable way than the traffic.

She hadn’t looked forward to a weekend away from work in a long time. Not just a weekend away from work, but a weekend with Dominic. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to race out the door after her meeting with Tim and Nicole and the long conference call with the client after.

Her feet seemed to fly up the porch to her door. Dropping her stuff inside the door, she stopped and listened for him. Hearing the noises coming from the kitchen, she headed in that direction.

He looked perfect.

And after the day she’d had, she felt an overwhelming urge to head directly into his arms, to have their strength around her, holding her. Smell his clean, musky scent. Feel the touch of his hands on her waist and hips as he pulled her closer and the stubble that darkened his jawline as she raised her mouth to his in a welcome.

He looked up then, and she had to catch her breath at the promise in his eyes when he saw her and his usual slow smile filled his face. Like a promise of fun and adventure and lots of laughter—and clothes-ripping, mind-blowing, make-her-beg-for-it sex. She let her breath out, trying to steady her rapidly beating heart.

It took her a second to realize that her old kitchen cabinets were no longer gracing her walls, and she was looking at blank, patched walls where they once had hung. She blinked.

“Wow. You have been busy. And I guess this answers my question. We certainly will be ordering in pizza. So everything is going okay with your dad?”

“He’s doing remarkably well. They think he’ll probably be released by Sunday, so that made him feel a lot better.”

“So fast? That seems crazy. You know what this means, right? Soon your dad will finally be on the road to good health and you can broach the topic of going out on your own.”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding somewhat distracted. “Soon, but I’ll probably give him another week to recover. Thanksgiving is next week, so I might wait and broach it after.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up her again, a nervous smile now on his mouth. “Which once again brings up another issue that I don’t think either of us considered when we formulated this plan of ours. Thanksgiving dinner. My mom will be heartbroken if you don’t come over and celebrate with us.”

Thanksgiving?
That was big.

Back when Grams was healthy, Kate used to go all out making the big feast—even though it was just the two of them. A turkey that gave them leftovers for the next week, pies, stuffing, homemade Parker House rolls, and her grams’s special sweet potato casserole. It had been about…four years since they’d done that? She really missed it.

Really missed her.

“Dinner will be around four. I know how much your grandma means to you, and she’s welcome to come, too. I can help you get her if you want.”

He said it so easily, so ready to help make Thanksgiving complete for her. She smiled and shook her head, humbled by his consideration. “Thanks, and there would have been a time she would have loved the invitation. Now, though, she feels more comfortable and relaxed in her room, with the things that are most familiar around her.”

But she could go, and Lord help her, she really wanted to. And that just might be the biggest shocker of all. Her choosing to go to a family event.

“You know…I usually hang out in the afternoon at the center and have dinner with her—they serve Thanksgiving dinner pretty early.” Dominic was nodding in understanding, his face devoid of any emotion. “I suppose I could probably make it by four…”

It was hard to miss the smile that slid over Dominic’s face, the strange light in his eyes as he processed that she was coming. Like he was actually glad she was coming, not just because his mom had invited her, but because maybe he wanted her there. And suddenly, the dread and depression that been like a shadow of her day seemed to dissipate. She was feeling alarmingly cheerful and optimistic. “But I’m going to have to bring something. I insist.”

“You’re going to cook?” His brow lifted and it was hard to miss the mischievous smile he now delivered. “I’ll warn them ahead of time.”