-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Katherine Bloom
     Chloe Sinclair
From: Julia Boudreaux
@
ktextv.com>
Subject: Fabulous!
Kate, so
sorry that I had to
pressure you for details regarding your
idea. But, alas, the auditors needed more than my word. I completely
respect that you didn't want to tell me yet, that
everything wasn't
pinned down, but I'm so thrilled that you let me know what you're
putting together. A golf-off is inspired. I read your proposal this
morning, and it's utterly dee-lish. The auditors are impressed as well.
Jesse v. Bobby Mac. I knew I could count on you not to let me down. But
two weeks? How can we put this together in two weeks?
xo, j
 Â
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Julia Boudreaux
Katherine Bloom
From: Chloe Sinclair
Subject: In agreement
I have to
agree with Julia on this
one, Kate. Great idea, but not
enough time to implement.
How about we do it in September? I'm sure I
can get the auditors to give us that much time.
Congrats! Chloe
Chloe Sinclair
Station Manager
Award-winning KTEXTV
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Julia Boudreaux
     Chloe Sinclair
From: Katherine Bloom
Subject: Golf-Off
September
is too late! We have to
pull this together in two weeks,
because I want to showcase Travis
and the kids at the golf
camp. And
camp will be well over by September.
Given that, we need to move into high gear. Chloe, you're the
best, I
know you can put it together. Advertising should be a cinch since every
local sponsor in town will want in on this. And with publicity spots
running on heavy rotation between now and then, we'll have no trouble
getting
local companies to donate money for both the winner and the
runner-up. Not only will they get
free publicity, but the money they
donate is a tax write-off. Plus, we need only one camera crew since the
whole show is Jesse and Bobby Mac.
The good
news is I already have
the golf course for the event. It's
going to be a ratings smash!
Kate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Katherine Bloom
     Julia Boudreaux
From: Chloe Sinclair
Subject: Fine
I say we go
for it. I've jumped
through hoops before, and I can do it
again to get everyone
assigned. What do you say, Julia?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Katherine Bloom
     Chloe Sinclair
From: Julia Boudreaux
Subject: re: Fine
I say we
have a golf-off to
produce. But we can't afford any mistakes.
xoxo, j
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Julia Boudreaux
     Chloe Sinclair
From: Katherine Bloom
Subject: Not to worry
Everything
is going to be great!
Nothing's going to go wrong!
I'll keep
you posted.
Kate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Vern Leeper
From: Katherine Bloom
Subject: Westchester golf tournament
Dear Vern:
Sorry I didn't get by your office, but have you found any footage
of
the Westchester Open yet?
I'd really like to see anything you can find
ASAP.
Best, Kate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
To: Katherine Bloom
From: Vern Leeper
Subject: re: Westchester golf tournament
Dear Kate:
The tournament was not covered nationally. However, I have a call
in to
the local affiliate who
must have some footage for highlights to use on
their news. As soon as I hear anything, I'll let
you know.
Vernon Leeper
Sports Director,
KTEX TV West Texas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Â
TWENTY
Nothing's going to go wrong
might have been a tad optimistic. And she hated that she'd had to show
her hand to Julia
before she was certain that all was okay with Jesse. Sure, he had
agreed to do it at Bobby's Place, but she couldn't deny that she was
worried.
To compound her concern, Jesse had avoided her for the last two weeks
as she worked on the Public Programs Golf-Off. Arranging something of
this magnitude would have been challenging under the best
of
circumstances. Doing it so quickly really kept her on her toes.
But the sheer amount of logistics and arrangements wasn't what gave
Kate nightmares. Since the day Travis had arrived in El Paso, Jesse had
put the boy first. Now, with the golf-off looming, Jesse had shifted
his entire focus onto his game. She felt bad for Travis. And she
couldn't help but wonder why Jesse was avoiding her.
Because he now saw her as nothing more than a reporter who wanted
something from him?
She was concerned that it was something more. Something bigger that she
was missing. But when
she tried to talk to him,
he was busy, on the cell phone, just leaving, or, more than once,
simply hadn't answered the door. No discussions, no more shared meals.
But most of all, no more talk or even hint
of sex. She hated how that
bothered her the most.
One night she woke and was surprised to find Jesse asleep in the chair
beside her bed, that old photo album open on his lap. Getting out of
bed, she had quietly knelt before him, allowing herself to trace the
tired lines of his face. He didn't wake when she pulled the album away.
She waited for him to stir while she sat on the floor next to his
chair, looking at pictures of them growing up. His family and hers.
Jesse, young and laughing, his mother next to him, smiling and clearly
proud. Then another of him with his father, years later, standing in
front of their house, Derek caught standing off to the side, left out.
Or
was it that Derek wanted no part of his father's and brother's
escapades?
After Mrs. Chapman died it was like Carlen Chapman had needed
Jesseâsort of like how Kate's mother had needed her. But in her case,
the child had become the parent, while in Jesse's case, the child had
become a buddy.
When she got to the end of the photos, Jesse was still asleep, as if he
hadn't slept in weeks. Finally, she covered him with a blanket, then
went back to bed.
He was gone in the morning, the blanket tucked around her. He was drawn
to her, but avoiding her as well, she realized. It made her feel both
hopeful and despairing of ever breaking through those walls of his.
The day before the golf-off, with a West Texas summer storm brewing,
huge billowing clouds starting
to fill the sky, all of El Paso was buzzing about the event. Travis sat
in the
kitchen, elbows on the table,
face in his palms, staring at the TV that
wasn't turned on.
Kate came inside the house through the back door. She tossed her keys
and purse on the counter.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Hi." He didn't look over at her. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Aren't you supposed to be next door with Suzanne until the golf van
shows up?"
That got a half smile out of him, a smile so like his father's that
Kate felt her heart twist.
"Yeah. But Suzanne is 'shampooing' her hair and said she'd call when
she was done. Though she's really dyeing it and thinks I'm clueless and
couldn't tell the difference. She said you've left every emergency
phone number known to man so I'd be safe for the few hours it would
take to do her hair. Plus, I'm
going over to Lena's in a few minutes to
help her with some stuff."
"Is her mom at home?"
"Yeah. And I swear we won't look at a single golf magazine."
The looked at each other, then started to laugh.
"So what's your excuse for being here?" he asked.
She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I was over at the golf
course, making sure everything was in order for the big day tomorrow."
"You were looking for Jesse, huh?"
Her hand went still in the middle of pouring a glass of orange juice.
Then she rolled her eyes. "Am I so transparent?"
"Yeah. But that's okay."
He turned back to face the empty screen. "Is everything okay with my
dad?"
Kate's pulse leaped with anxiety. Travis had been so excited when he
learned about the event.
She busied herself putting the carton back in the refrigerator. "Sure,
he's fine."
She wished she was as certain as she sounded. Had she been so focused
on her own concerns that she hadn't given enough attention to the
warning signs that had been there all along? His return to El Paso?
Diving into the tree house project instead of playing golf when he had
the biggest tournament of his life coming up?
And what had Tommy Davis meant when he'd said, "You are a hero, aren't
you, Jesse?"
When she thought about it, she realized there had been an odd tone in
the reporter's voice. A question.
Wheels on gravel caught Kate's and Travis's attention. They stared at
each other in hope, neither
realizing they were holding their breath
until they saw the black Jeep and they exhaled in a rush.
"It's him."
"He's here."
She had to force herself not to fly out the back door right behind
Travis. Instead, she stood at the
kitchen sink, praying for calm.
Praying that she was wrong and Jesse was all right.
"Hey, Jesse!" the twelve-year-old called when he came through the back
gate.
Jesse stopped and looked toward the house. "Travis," he acknowledged.
Kate could see him through the window. He pulled off his golf cap, his
hair matted from sweat, a bright white stripe across his forehead
making the burn on his face more apparent. His expression was as dark
as the gloomy sky.
Travis raced across the yard to see him.
Kate could make out only a few of the words that carried on the wind
that began to stir through the leaves. Travis must have said something
about the unfinished tree house because they both looked up.
Pushing open the screen door, Kate came out into the yard. Jesse
stopped mid-sentence and looked at her. His expression became even
darker, more unfathomable.
"Hey," she said softly.
He shoved his hands in his back pockets. "Hey."
Travis put his hands in his back pockets as well. "I was just telling
Jesse that we need to finish the tree house. We're supposed to put a
railing up to hold the sides secure. If we don't, the wind will
probably wreck it."
As if to prove the point, a gust of wind shuddered through the tree's
limbs, and the planks of wood gave an ominous creak. It was like a
replay of all those years ago, the wind tearing apart something that
she cherished.
"When do you think we can do it?" Travis asked Jesse. "Probably better
do it soon. Though I guess we can't do it tomorrow, since you have the
golf-off."
The wood creaked even more, but Jesse didn't respond.
Travis looked at him curiously, and with more than a little concern.
"You're playing, aren't you?"
Simple words, though the meaning not so simple, put out there so
boldly, asking exactly what Kate was afraid to. Half of her expected
Jesse to toss off an easy "Sure."
"Travis, I'm sorry. But no, I won't be playing."
Wind rushed through the yard, through the tree house, stressing the
boards, rustling their world.
"What?" Travis choked.
"It turns out I have to leave town in the morning."
Kate's breath expanded painfully in her chest. Jesse focused on her.
"I'm sorry about the late notice."
A thousand questions sped through her mind. How could he possibly
disappoint Travis? Or El Paso? Concerns about the actual tournament
barely registered.
"It can't be helped," Jesse added.
Travis blinked, then blinked again. "I gotta go," the boy said, his
voice strained.
"Travis," Jesse said, stopping him. "I'm really sorry, T."
"No problem. I really gotta go. Lena's waiting for me."
When Jesse would have questioned him, the boy turned quickly to hide
his sudden tears. Then he
dashed away, and the sound of the back gate
banging closed echoed through the quiet neighborhood.
Kate and Jesse stood there for a second before Jesse cursed, then
headed for the guest cottage.
"Jesse!" she called after him, then followed. "What is going on with
you?"
He kept walking, and when he started to slam into the cottage, she was
there, her palm planted against
the plank.
"What is wrong?" she demanded.
He raked his hands through his hair, his dark eyes wild. "Nothing's
wrong," he all but yelled, turning
away and continuing inside just as
lightning cracked open the sky.
Kate stood there, stunned, the rain starting, the wind growing harsh
and punishing, until the first board wrenched free,
tumbling down into the bright green summer grass.
Shaking herself, she followed him, slamming the door shut behind them.
She counted to ten. "Jesse,
damn it, once and for all, talk to me."
Pivoting on his heel, he came back to face her. "What is there to talk
about? I came home to work on
my game, and I've done everything but
work on it."
"You've done nothing but work on it for the last two weeks."
"For all the good it's done me. All I can do is think about you." He
took a step toward her.
Despite her having known him a lifetime, every instinct she possessed
screamed he was dangerous, and a frisson of concern raced through her.
When he took another step closer, his expression grim, she took a step
back. Suddenly standing there pushing him didn't seem like such a smart
idea.
"Jesse, really, clearly there is something bigger going on here. Let me
help."
"God," he groaned, "I'm beyond help. I'm beyond sanity. You drive me
insane. I want you to be the
little Katie Bloom that I've known
forever. Sweet, kind, uncomplicated. Not this wild woman who . . . who
..."
"Who what?" Her shoulders came back.
"Who has a body meant for sin."
Her mouth dropped open. "You're upset because I grew up? What kind of
insanity is that?"
He plowed his hands through his hair. "Exactly. I am insane. I can't
stop thinking about you naked in
my arms."
Her breath snagged painfully in her chest.
"But don't you see, there's no future for us. We are so different. We
want different things. My life isn't here. My life is on the circuit,
and in Florida. I can't be pure and innocent and everything you deserve
in a man. I know that, and you know that. ..."
She hated how her throat tried to squeeze closed.
"But still, all I can think about, all I can dream about, is you." He
took a step closer. "You going down
on me, making me burn with an
innocent desire I have never felt before."
Her mind whirled as he came closer, backing her up against the small
counter in the kitchen. "I said we were going to make love. I told
myself that I didn't care that you were distracting me. But I have to
care. I have to care about golfâit's what I do. It's the only job I
know. Just as television is what you do."
The edge of the Formica bit into the small of her back. Jesse stopped
directly in front of her, his gaze burning.
She didn't know what to say, or think. All she knew was that her body
tingled from nothing more than
his proximityâand from the fact that she
plagued his dreams as much as he plagued hers.
"Every night I want to cross the yard and slip into your bed," he
whispered, his voice gruff with accusation, "when I should be
concentrating on making sure I keep in shape. I eat Pop-Tarts with
relish.
I stay up late without a thought."
"But you're known for late nights."
"Not anymore. I can't afford that life if I am finally going to win one
of the majors. And now I have the chance to win one of the most
prestigious tournaments in golf, and I've hardly seen a golf course
since I got here. I haven't focused. I'm squandering an incredible
opportunity. And
that, at least for now, has to be my priority."
He started to move away, but she caught his arm. "Stop running, Jesse."
He went still, his tautly held control practically vibrating through
him.
"Touch me," she persisted.
"Kate, you don't want this," he stated, his voice tortured.
"But I do. I want whatever you can give me. I don't want innocence. I
don't want purity. I want the
man that you are."
Tension rode him hard, she could see it.
She curled her fingers into his shirt, tugging him back. "Please,
Jesse."
Then suddenly, like a dam breaking, he clutched her to him, his mouth
coming down on hers hungrily. She responded with the same intensity,
matching his movements when he sucked her lower lip, grazing his teeth
along the tender flesh of her throat. This time there was no gentle
coaxing, no teasing prelude. He undid her shirt, then dipped his head.
Instinctively, she arched to him when his tongue returned to her
nipple, circling the outer edge. A moan escaped on an expelled breath
as he tugged up her skirt. He slipped his palms inside her panties,
cupping her bottom. He buried his face in her shoulder, the tips of his
fingers sliding low until they brushed the core of her.
A deep shuddering breath expelled from her lungs, and her body tensed.
He stroked her softly. "You undo me."
He kissed her temple and her forehead, gentling her.
Then in one controlled but powerful yank, he ripped her panties free.
She bit her lip, but he ran his tongue along the contours, savoring
her. She couldn't seem to help herself when she closed her eyes and
moved her hips ever so slightly to experience more of his touch.
"That's it," he crooned. "Let me touch you."
With one hand at her back, holding her secure, he cupped her mound,
moving erotically as he nipped
her ear with his teeth. "You are so
sweet," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.
She felt pleasure coming from every direction. Hot and intense. She
felt carnal and primal. Then his thumb parted her moist center,
brushing against her tender nub, and she felt her body shudder. He made
her feel wild and wanting at the same time. She wanted everything he
could make her feel.
"Let go," he commanded.
And she did. She tugged at his shirt, and in seconds his clothes were
gone. When he lifted her up, setting her on the counter, she felt the
cool tiles against her bare skin. Leaning her head back against the
cabinet, her body sought what he wanted to give.