***
“We just landed,” Kara told Baron on her way home from LAX on Sunday. “I took a taxi and should be home soon. How is Sandra doing?”
“She’s the same.” His tone was cool.
“Do you want me to stop by afterwards?”
“No, coming here is not a good idea,” he said. “They’re only alowing family. This is not the right time or the place to talk about us or anything else.”
Did he realy think she was that insensitive? “I don’t want to talk about us, Baron. I want to be there for you. I miss you.” There was silence and the “I miss you too” Kara expected to hear didn’t come. “Baron?”
“I want what’s best for Sandra, and I need a clear mind to make that happen, Kara.”
And she would cloud his mind how? Kara wanted to snap.
She forced herself to speak calmly. “I too want what’s best for her, Baron.”
“Then you understand why I can’t do anything about us, until this situation is resolved.”
No, she didn’t. Baron wasn’t super glued to the chair by Sandra’s bed. It was obvious he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. There was only one solution to their situation.
Kara took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Why don’t we just cal it quits right now?”
“Kara—”
“You said it was up to me to decide when I wanted this relationship to end. The two weeks are up, Baron. I think it’s time.” Her voice broke at the end of the sentence.
“Don’t do this, sweetheart. I just need a little time.”
“It’s better this way. Cleaner. I’l clear out my workroom next week. Goodbye, Baron.” Her eyes connected with those of the taxi driver through the rearview mirror. The man was shamelessly listening to her side of the conversation. She glared at him, turned off her cel phone, and fought tears.
It was the right decision. The only decision. Baron had a daughter and an ex-fiancé to deal with while she had her business.
Family came first. It was his family motto. Why then did it feel wrong? Why did it hurt so much? Because she had hoped he’d want her to be in his family. This was what she’d been scared of, the heartache, the pain of losing him. She’d deluded herself into thinking she had a shot with him, and brought this on herself. Baron didn’t ask her to fal in love with him.
“Are you okay, miss?”
Do I look like I’m okay?
She glared at him through a sheen of tears, turned her head, and watched the passing scenery with unseeing eyes. Each breath she took hurt more than the last.
Would she ever feel whole again? Tears threatened to fal, but she refused to cry.
***
Baron’s heart damn near jumped out of his chest when Kara walked through the galery doors two days later. She didn’t look up or glance at the display the way she usualy did, her gaze straight ahead as though she couldn’t wait to get to her workroom and leave. He knew she was here to colect her things. Gena had told him.
It hurt to see her, to know there was nothing he could offer her to make her stay. Not when Valerie was part of his life. Part of him wanted to run downstairs and beg Kara not to leave. He loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he couldn’t drag her into his mess. As soon as he finished sorting out things with Valerie, he would find Kara and explain.
It wasn’t long before she came out again, paused by Maya’s desk, and hugged the vivacious girl before starting for the door with Rick by her side, carrying a box with her things. Baron closed his eyes to block watching her walk out of the galery, but it was too late. The image stayed embedded in his brain, taunting him.
His lungs constricted and his head hurt. Al he’d done the last two days was strategize one course of action after another with no end in sight. It always ended with letting Kara go for now. His eyes snapped open and he strained to watch her get into her car.
“You’re an idiot,” Chase snapped from behind him.
Baron didn’t respond. Pain, his constant companion the last two days, crashed through him.
“That bitch nearly destroyed you five years ago and now you’re alowing her to keep you from the one thing in your life that’s true and pure. Go after Kara right now, Baron, or I swear—”
“I can’t,” Baron snarled and continued to stare at the spot Kara’s car had been a few seconds ago.
“Why not?” Chase snapped. “She doesn’t fit into your five year plan?”
“She doesn’t deserve to be part of this mess.” Baron turned and faced his twin.
Something on his expression caused Chase to step closer.
“Shit! You love her.”
Baron nodded jerkily. “Letting Valerie into my life five years ago was my worst mistake. Now I must clean up my mess. Alone.
When I go to Kara, I’l go a free man, free from this ugliness, free to love her like she deserves to be loved.”
Chase stared. “Damn, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” He slapped Baron’s back and gave him a hug. “This cals for a celebration.”
“I feel like shit and you want to celebrate?” Baron growled.
“Damn straight. I plan to tel you in excruciating details how I plan to go after Kara if you screw this up.”
“Screw you.”
Chase chuckled and started for the door.
Baron grabbed his car keys and folowed. His brother liked to make him sweat, but he’d be justified if Baron let Kara go.
“You’re buying.”
***
Kara drove only a short distance before she puled over.
Driving with tears was an accident waiting to happen. Her phone went off. She ignored it. Just another caler wanting to know if she was okay.
In the last two days, al her phone conversations had started and ended the same way. Her parents, her sister, Renee, Chloe, Rick, and even Raul, it didn’t matter who.
“How are you holding up?” they’d ask.
“Good,” she’d answered and deliberately tried to sound preoccupied.
“Do you want us to come over?”
“No. I’m realy busy with the store right now. Maybe later.” Al she did was mope around the house, sniffle, and watch TV. On a normal day, she couldn’t stand soaps and talk shows. A cal from the contractor renovating her store had yanked her to the present this morning, reminding her that life must continue. She made her choice and must learn to live with it. Baron had moved on too. The tabloids made sure she didn’t forget. Colecting her things from his galery without him coming downstairs to talk to her had driven it home.
Calmer, Kara started her car and headed home. The presence of a rental car at her curb sent dread through her. Her parents.
The last person she wanted to deal with was her mother.
How much had Briana spiled? It was one thing for her mother to suspect Kara was in love with Baron and quite another to know she’d been involved with him. Worse, her mother liked him. Would she blame Kara for the breakup?
Before Kara puled up beside the rental, the driver door opened and a tal man with shaggy blond hair and a day-old shadow stepped out and waved. Jim.
Kara sighed with relief, but it was short-lived. “What are you doing here, Jim? Are Briana and the baby okay?”
“They’re fine.” He walked around the hood and opened the passenger door.
Briana, in a flowing, sleeveless summer dress and heeled sandals, floated to where Kara stood and wrapped her in a perfumed hug.
Kara’s breath caught in her throat.
Briana leaned back, studied Kara’s face, and swore, “I’m going to tear him a new one.”
Kara laughed, or at least she tried. “It’s not his fault. I chose to walk away.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Briana retorted. “You are incapable of hurting anyone. I warned him, but he didn’t listen.”
“What are you talking about?” Kara frowned.
“When he came to the house I told him he’d better treat you right or he’d have me to deal with.”
Kara’s eyes misted. “Thanks, sis, but the situation with Valerie is more complicated than the tabloids insinuated. You see…” She remembered they weren’t alone. “We’l talk later.” She patted her sister’s arm, turned, and hugged Jim. “I don’t know what you two are doing here. I told you I was fine,” she scolded, glancing at Briana.
“You’re not,” Briana retorted. “Don’t think I can’t tel when you’re hurting. Your voice becomes brittle and high-pitched. You need me, for the first time ever. Of course I had to come.” Kara stared at her sister and sighed. “You’re my sister, Briana. I’ve always needed you.”
Briana’s eyes filed with tears. “I’m so sorry for everything, sis. Stealing your boyfriends, Jim,” she waved toward her husband, who looked ready to bolt. “I convinced myself I was protecting you from them, that if they wanted me while dating you then they were wrong for you. Now I know why I did it. I was jealous. Men always want to take care of you, while me, they just wanted this.” She indicated her body with a sweep of her hand.
“Sweetheart,” Jim protested.
“Except you, baby,” Briana reassured him before adding,
“It’s not easy being the dumb sister.”
“You’re not dumb,” Kara protested. “And stop with the waterworks. I’m sure al this is not good for my nephew.” Fighting tears too, Kara wrapped an arm around Briana and led her toward the house. They needed to get inside before the neighbors recognized Jim and started taking pictures. She had enough of seeing people she loved in the tabloids. She unlocked the door and ushered her sister inside.
“We went to the galery and missed you,” Briana said between sniffles. “I plan on going there until I catch up with Baron.”
“Don’t.” Kara stopped and glanced over her shoulder at Jim, who hovered in the doorway. “How long are you guys staying?”
“For as long as you need me.” Briana kicked off her sandals and plopped on the nearest couch with a determined look.
Kara’s gaze voleyed between them, a foreboding feeling washing over her. She had only one bedroom and a futon in her workroom. “Are you planning on staying with me?” Briana chuckled. “No, sily. Jim is going to check us into a hotel a few blocks from here.” She glanced at her husband, who stil stood by the door. “Go on, sweetheart. Pick me up in a couple of hours. Kara and I need to talk.”
Kara’s grip tightened around her laptop as she studied the virtual designs of the store and studied the wals.
“You see how perfectly they fit when we shift this here,” the tal man touched the screen twice and two panels switched places.
“What do you think?”
“A little lower. I don’t want customers craning their necks to study the frames.”
He chuckled. “No, we don’t want that. Are you going to be around this afternoon, Ms. Michaels?”
“Yes, I’l be in and out. I have a few errands to run, but I’l have my cel phone if you need to get in touch with me.” She’d insisted on being hands-on, and the contractor was very accommodating. She knew why—he hadn’t tried to hide the fact that he found her attractive. Too bad she wasn’t interested. He was cute in an earthy sort of way.
Kara carefuly sidestepped planks on the floor and retreated back into her office. The drab carpet had been ripped off and replaced with durable and attractive hardwood flooring, the wal painted teal and textured to her specification. She’d insisted they start with her office, so she could furnish it herself, make it as comfortable as possible. It was where she’d confer with clients about their damaged pieces. The main floor, however, was the face of Michaels Fine Art Restoration and Framing. It had to be both welcoming and professional-looking. The contractors understood that. They’d work on her workroom last.
Sitting behind the old desk the previous owners had left behind along with a single office chair, Kara blew out air. Her gaze went to the manila envelope on the desk, and a feeling of déjà vu washing over her. A month ago, she’d dreaded tendering her resignation to Baron Fitzgerald. Once again, she was mentaly steeling herself before going to see him.
Her chest hurt, as it often did whenever she thought about him, which was often. She thought the pain would lessen with time, and if she stayed busy, she’d numb her senses. It only got worse.
At home, when she had no contractors to distract her except her ornery cat, the memories became unbearable.
Pain or no pain, there was no going around it. She had put off returning the thumb drive with his photographs long enough.
There was no way she could use them now, which meant she had to budget for prints to display in her one-of-a-kind frames.
A brief knock on her door and Kara cleared her voice before saying, “Come in.”
The door opened to reveal a beaming Estele Fitzgerald, a hefty paper bag in her arms. “Hi, sweetheart.” Kara blinked. What was Baron’s mother doing here?
“I brought lunch.” Estele entered the room.
Didn’t she get the memo? Kara and her son were history.
Being friends with anyone from his family would only make that fact more unbearable.
“Where do I put this?” Estele walked toward Kara, who seemed to have lost her voice.
Kara jumped to her feet, rushed around the desk to take the bag from the older woman. She placed it on the desk, and watched Estele warily.
“So much space,” Estele said, looking around. “I love it.”
“I plan to have a conference table and chairs by the window,” Kara said.
“Tel me more while we eat.” Estele started removing sandwiches from the bag—turkey on rye and on croissant, iced tea, and bottled macchiato. “I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer, so I brought both.”
Kara cringed when the older woman sat on the table, shifted to get comfortable, and crossed her legs. “Take the chair, please.”
Estele dismissed her words with a wave. “I’m fine. Baron’s father and I used to eat just like this in his office when we first got married. The best meals I ever had. Sit.” She patted the table.
Blowing out a breath, Kara moved the laptop so it was between them and sat. For a moment, they ate in silence. Then she tapped a key on the keyboard and started sharing her vision.