Home for Love (16 page)

"I prefer to say that I direct my employees," Gloria answered. "They're allowed plenty of responsibility as long as they don't do anything to harm the company. I'm known as a good boss. You would have found that to be true."

Kate shook her head in disbelief. "You play games with people, Gloria. You even play them with Far Horizon, using the company for your own private schemes."

Gloria's mouth constricted to a thin line of crimson, yet her beauty remained unmarred. When she spoke next, her voice was sharp and chilling, all the soft throatiness gone from it.

"I never jeopardize Far Horizon. Believe me, I'd like to keep you on so I could prove to Steve how ordinary you are. I'd really like to, but I won't. You're out of Far Horizon, Kate. Out."

"I never wanted to be in," Kate returned. "I think you know that. But I would have surprised you. I would have achieved my own kind of success."

Gloria seemed to be enjoying herself now. "Too bad we'll never know," she remarked. "And it's too bad we both want the same man."

Kate recoiled from this last statement, but she kept her expression noncommittal. Gloria watched her. "Don't be so reserved, Kate," she said mockingly. "Why don't you admit you're in love with Steve?"

The words hit Kate with a jolt. In love with Steven! That was the last thing she needed. She'd been struggling against it all along. She turned away, but Gloria spoke again.

"Just remember, Kate—I'm going to keep on fighting for Steve. I'll do whatever I can to have him."

Kate swiveled back. Gloria looked so striking with her scarlet mouth and flowing black hair, her aura of self-confidence. But Kate wouldn't allow herself to feel inadequate. Not anymore. She had her own confidence.

"Watch out," Kate said hotly. "If I ever decide to fight for Steven, you'll have a real opponent. Because to me he'd be more than just a prize for the winning-much more. He might like that for a change." She went to the door, flung it open and strode down the hall, her heels making a forceful tattoo over the floor. She didn't look to see if Gloria was following.

Steven regarded Kate speculatively when she entered the drawing room to make her farewells to Marietta. The old woman held out a hand. "I hope you will come to see me again," she said. "And we'll talk about the pumpkin rug."

Impulsively Kate bent down and kissed Marietta's wrinkled cheek. Then she hurried back down the hall, and the young butler had to run in order to open the front door for her. He looked affronted, and tried to smooth his one stubborn shock of hair.

Kate leaned against her car for a moment, then reached for the door handle.

"You were wonderful in there with Marietta."

Before Kate could move, Steven's arms had come around her from behind. He kissed the nape of her neck, right there in front of the regimented flowers. Her body yielded only momentarily to his before she twisted away.

"You have no right, Steven! Especially after the mess you got me into today."

He leaned imperturbably against her car door, preventing her from opening it. "What happened with Gloria?" he asked. Kate laughed rather wildly; she couldn't begin to tell him what had happened.

"Let's just put it this way," she said. "Gloria has decided that she can't control me, so I'm out of Far Horizon. She made that very clear."

Steven looked amused. "Not bad for your first day on the job," he observed. "You managed to win the client over and get fired at the same time."

"That's right. I'm through with Far Horizon. I'd like to go now. Please remove yourself."

"Look, Kate. You were so good in there with Marietta. You knew exactly what she needed. I'll have a talk with Gloria and see if I can't unruffle her feathers. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll be bossing
her
around."

Kate glared at him.

"I can't believe this! You never quit, do you? I don't want to boss anybody around, not even Gloria Nestor. And I don't want you trying to manage my life anymore!" Her voice trembled with anger and frustration. She gripped the door handle, trying to nudge Steven aside. His body was rock solid, immovable.

Just then Gloria strode down the walk from the house, moving with easy grace. "I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to you, Kate," she called. "I do wish you luck." She sounded friendly, as if addressing a sorority sister. She positioned herself beside the passenger door of Steven's Mercedes. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Steve," she said. "I'm ready for that lunch you promised me."

Kate swallowed, her throat like sandpaper. She-waited for Steven to move, staring at his elegant, dark green tie. Green!

"Gloria needed a lift this morning," Steven muttered to Kate. "What the hell did you expect me to do?"

"I'm sure she contrived to need a lift."

"Kate—"

"She's waiting for you."

With an oath under his breath, Steven left Kate. She slipped into the front seat of her Bug, pulling her door shut and locking it. She watched as Steven opened the door of the Mercedes for Gloria. She saw the way Gloria's jewel-green fingertips lingered for a moment on Steven's arm. Then Steven went around to his own side and the Mercedes swung out of the drive.

Kate rested her forehead against the steering wheel. She longed for only one thing now—to stop the words echoing in her mind. But they would not go away. They repeated themselves over and over, like a tape recording of Gloria's cool, mocking voice: "Why don't you admit you're in love with him? In love with Steven…"

Gloria's question pursued Kate the rest of the week, until finally she knew she had to turn and face it head-on. This conviction came to her late Friday afternoon in the produce section of the grocery store. She picked up a grapefruit and gave it a vigorous squeeze.

Am I in love with Steven
? she asked herself forcefully, almost defiantly.
Well, am I or not
?

She wanted to discover the truth, for that would be her only strength now—to know what was in her own heart. And yet no answer would present itself. Baffled, Kate tossed the grapefruit into her basket and pushed on to the broccoli. Maybe the problem was that she couldn't even give herself a definition of love. She tried to puzzle it out. Her parents had certainly shared something all those years—her mother constantly worrying about her father, knowing the meanings and nuances of every grumble he made. He had worried about her, too, so afraid that she would leave him someday to become a painter or a writer. It had been a strange sort of mutual dependency, but her mother called it love. And maybe it was, at least for her.

What about Eliza Rose? She had believed herself in love with Michael after only a week. Maybe that had been something genuine, too, whether it had lasted for a moment or fifty years. Who could know? And the way Kate felt about Steven… that was a whole labyrinth of longing and confusion. Who could unravel it?

Kate sighed and looked down at the bunch of broccoli she was clutching in her hand. She stuffed it into a plastic bag, pitched it into her basket and headed for the checkout line.

The telephone was ringing when she let herself into her apartment. She dumped her two bags of groceries on the kitchen counter and grabbed the receiver of her wall phone.

"Where the devil have you been?" Steven's voice demanded. "I've been trying to find you. Don't you ever follow a schedule?"

She frowned and began rearranging the collection of magnets on her refrigerator door.

"Well, hello, Steven. If you must know, I had to get my hair cut," she said. "And then I did my grocery shopping. There was a special on cranberry juice."

"How much?" Steven asked, sounding disturbed.

"Only a dollar ninety-five a bottle," she told him. "I bought two. Cranberry juice is really good for your kidneys."

"That's not what I meant! How much hair did you get cut off?"

"Oh." She brought a strand forward and examined it. "I'd say about an inch. It was just a trim."

"Good," he said. "I like your hair long. It makes me think of strawberries." He barreled onward. "I've been calling all over to see if I could find you. First I tried Paula. She suggested I look in my attic. She says you've been spending a lot of time up there lately. My entire house looks like Attila the Hun is camping out here, and meanwhile you start holing up in my attic."

Kate twisted the telephone cord around her finger. She'd been going up there to search for clues to the story of Eliza Rose and Michael. She hoped Steven hadn't noticed all the loose floorboards she'd pried up, looking for a possible cache of love letters.

"And then I phoned your mother," Steven went on. Kate pulled on the cord, cutting off the circulation to her finger.

"My mother!" she exclaimed. That was going too far.

"We had a very enjoyable conversation," he said. "She invited both of us for dinner tonight. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Oh, no, you can forget that," she declared. "We aren't going to my mother's house, for dinner or anything else."

"What are you afraid of, Kate?"

"Nothing. It will be a disaster, that's all. You don't realize what you're getting yourself into. I never know what my mother's going to say or do next."

"I'm willing to take the risk," he answered. "I'm intrigued now. I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Kate's hand tightened on the receiver. As if he could see her, Steven's voice took on a warning tone. "Don't even think it, Kate. You're not going to hang up on me again."

She relaxed her grip only with a great deal of effort, and scowled down at the receiver. "Steven, why was it so urgent for you to talk to me in the first place?"

"I had a meeting with Gloria today and we settled everything. She still wants you at Far Horizon."

"That can't be possible!" Kate protested. "Gloria was furious about the way I handled Marietta Win-field."

"As it turns out, Marietta refuses to deal with anyone but you. What do you think of that?"

"Steven, you don't know what went on that day between Gloria and me…"

"It doesn't matter what happened," he said. "Apparently it's quite a surprise for Marietta to stand firm like this, and her niece is backing her up. This is the time for you to sign with Far Horizon, Kate. Gloria will have to agree to your terms—she won't have much choice. You can call your own shots now, and you've accomplished that just by being yourself. That's really something."

Kate listened to Steven's voice. It was deep and vibrant, sending a current of warmth over the line. She found herself caught up in that current. It seemed she still had a chance to give Paula and Max all the opportunities they deserved. Paula had even been making progress with Mrs. Cleeve; she was developing public-relations skills that would make her a success anywhere—even at Far Horizon. Oh, it was tempting to think about proving Gloria wrong. Kate fantasized about it. She and Paula and Max would sail into Far Horizon, and they would succeed magnificently. There wouldn't be anything ordinary about it. After a while Steven wouldn't even look at Gloria Nestor.

Kate put a hand on the counter, trying to ground herself again. But nothing seemed clear anymore. Nothing at all. All her moorings were slipping away.