Unbreak My Heart (Childhood Sweethearts Reunited) (3 page)

His forehead creased in a frown as he stared at her. For a moment she thought he'd looked at the tiger's eye ring. His fingers brushed the back of her left hand and gripped the edge of her sketchbook. "May I?" he asked. He opened it and examined her drawings. "Are you still doing work for the advertising agency, Kat?"

"Of course not. I've got a six-week-old baby in case you hadn't noticed." She grinned at him, trying to make him smile, but he was deep in ‘Professor Andre’ mode. What was going on in that clever brain of his?

 
"I thought you might be doing freelance work to earn some money," he said. "Do you have your portfolio with you?"

A laugh of disbelief burst from Kate as she glanced at the pile of baby things on the floor next to her backpack. Only a man could ask a stupid question like that. "Of course. I slipped my portfolio in next to the disposable diapers just in case I needed it."

Andre followed her gaze and a rueful smile caught his lips. "Sorry, my mind went off at a tangent." He returned his attention to her sketchbook and flipped over some more pages, tilting the book to read her notes. "These are good. You've developed your style over the years. Some of these remind me of Georgia O'Keefe's work."

Kate shook her head. No matter what the subject, Andre always knew more about it than she did. Even his knowledge of art history rivaled hers, which was slightly annoying as she'd spent three years studying it.

Andre snapped the sketchbook closed, passed it back to her, then
steepled
his fingers against his lips. "I'd forgotten about your advertising agency experience, but seeing your work has given me an idea. I'm in the process of developing a new theme or advertising concept for the Caspian. I need someone with fresh ideas." He pointed at a pile of brochures on the desk. "That's what I've had so far. I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

Kate selected the top one and read the first page. "This idiot is suggesting you get rid of the oak paneling." She stared up at him in alarm. Andre's grandfather would turn in his grave.

Andre lifted his shoulders and held out his hands as if to say 'see what I mean.' "At least I know you won't make ridiculous suggestions like that. You understand the Caspian and its history as well as I do. What do you say? Come up with some ideas for me, and I'll let you hide out here until Daniel Crowther sinks back into the obscurity he so richly deserves."

A burst of excitement shot through Kate. She had been so busy hiding and caring for Keiko, she had hardly opened her sketchbook these last few weeks. To have somewhere safe to stay was a relief, to also have a creative project to sink her teeth into was the icing on the cake. Especially when it concerned a place she loved as much as the Caspian.

Andre walked over to the chair where Keiko slept and gently ran a fingertip over her hair. "She is a little sweetheart," he said softly. "She reminds me of you."

Bittersweet memories swept through Kate. If things had turned out the way they were supposed to, Keiko would be Andre's daughter. But fate and Andre's father had not wanted them to be together. She and Andre had resisted Robert Le Court's attempts to separate them for years, but in the end he had won.

"So, do we have a deal?" Andre asked.

"Yes." Kate had struggled to cope and keep her cool for her poor baby's sake. For the first time since Keiko's birth, the tense knot in her stomach loosened. They would be safe here for a while. And helping Andre meant she didn't feel so guilty about imposing. "I'd love to come up with some ideas for rebranding the Caspian."

He caught hold of her hand and stroked his finger along her lifeline. Tingles danced up her arm, skittered through her body, curled her toes. Her gaze jumped to his face and met the mischievous expression in his brown eyes. Her body had been switched off, immune to men for so long. Yet it took one caress from Andre and every nerve sparked back to life.

"I hate to see you running from the press as if you've something to hide, Kat. You haven't. You should stand up to them."

"In an ideal world, yes. But you know that's not going to happen."

"Not even with me at your side?"

A little niggle of disquiet passed through her. She knew he'd been cooking something up while he examined her sketch book, something more involved than simply asking her to use her creative talents for the hotel. "What are you suggesting?"

He held her hand loosely, stroking his thumb across her wrist, a casual touch but it muddled her thoughts. "We'll discuss it later. Once you're settled in."

Chapter Two

The sound of raised voices outside the window drew Kate's attention. She and Andre both moved across the room to take a look and saw the three photographers who had followed her arguing with one of Andre's staff.

"Damn. I'll have to go down," Andre said. "Looks as though my security guard is having trouble. When I come back, we'll get you settled. Won't be long."

Kate sat on the windowsill with Keiko cradled in her arms, grateful for time alone to gather her scattered wits. Ever since she gave birth, she'd felt extra sensitive, her feelings close to the surface. Being with Andre brought back so many memories, so many emotions she had tried to forget.

After a few minutes of arguing, Andre persuaded the photographers to leave. He slipped his hands in his pants pockets and rested a foot on the base of the fountain as he watched their rental car drive away. When the vehicle disappeared around a bend in the road, Kate released a heartfelt sigh of relief. Peace at last.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the precious little bundle in her arms. Her plan to spend the first weeks of her baby's life at her mother's cottage, quietly getting to know her child, had been destroyed by the relentless pursuit of a few selfish men. When she asked them to leave her alone, they laughed. All they cared about was the money they'd earn from the pictures. She'd been flushed out of her safe haven like a hunted animal.

The breeze freshened, clinking together the beads in her hair. Andre turned to come inside and glanced up at her. The wind lifted the flaps of his jacket, slapped them around his lean hips. She couldn't take her eyes off him. Until she was fourteen, he'd meant everything to her. Being with Andre had defined her life. But he was no longer that boy. He was a man with an innate authority, an authority that made her feel safe and vulnerable at the same time. He would protect her from the paparazzi, but who would protect her from him?

The hum of a vehicle on the drive made Andre pause and turn. Kate followed his gaze as the car came to a halt in the unloading area. Her heart tripped in panic as the reporter Jerry Markham got out. He'd interviewed Dan and tried to corner her a number of times. He had a reputation for dishing the dirt. She must warn Andre. Holding Keiko securely, she ran out of the office and down the stairs, ignoring the inquisitive looks she received.

The hotel's double entrance doors stood open. Shielding her eyes against the falling sun, she arrived in time to see Andre shake Jerry Markham's hand. Andre relaxed against the car, and Jerry smiled. They knew each other? Instinctively, Kate stepped back into the shadow of the doorway and returned to the safety of Andre's office. She watched from the window with growing unease as they laughed and joked together.

They talked for twenty-five minutes. After some mutual backslapping, Jerry climbed in his car and drove off. Kate changed Keiko's diaper, wondering how Andre knew slimy Jerry. A short while later, the office door opened quietly, and Andre leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. He grimaced at the dirty diaper and the heap of discarded baby wipes, which were slowly dissolving the wax finish on the oak floorboards. She snatched them up and efficiently put them in a diaper sac. Tying off the top, she looked up at him. "You took a long time."

"Did I?" He glanced at his watch. "That was Jerry Markham. I haven't seen him for years. His father owned the pub in the village near my boarding school." He slipped his hands in the pockets of his slacks and wandered closer as she packed Keiko's things in her backpack. "He's a reporter now, and he's on your trail I'm afraid."

She looked up sharply. What had Andre told Jerry about her? Once, she trusted him implicitly. He'd been her best friend, and she thought he always would be. But when he went to boarding school, he made new friends and forgot her. The pain of the memory still had the power to make her cry. "Did you tell him I'm here?"

"He knew. One of those photographers is working for him apparently."

"That figures. What else did you tell him?"

"As little as possible."

Kate sat on the tapestry chair and laid Keiko on her lap, her heart fluttery with relief. She'd been wrong to doubt Andre. Why would he take her in if he weren't on her side? Andre stooped, picked up her backpack, and lifted it onto the edge of his desk. "Have you come across Jerry before?"

Kate sighed and nodded her head.

"Then you don't need me to tell you what he's like. Once he gets hold of a thing, he doesn't let go until he gets what he wants. He's checked Keiko's birth certificate and knows you didn't list a father. Look, is keeping it secret really worth all this trouble? You spent six years with Daniel. Why does it matter if people know he's Keiko's dad?"

Kate pressed a hand over her eyes and blinked back tears. When she'd called Dan from the hospital to come and see his newborn daughter, he'd said no. "The stupid jerk is so impressed with himself and his famous model girlfriend, he doesn't have time for Keiko."

Andre crouched at her side and laid his hand over where she held Keiko. "He's a fool, Kat. But that doesn't change the fact your little girl deserves a daddy. You can't keep her paternity a secret forever. One day Keiko will want to know her father."

Kate shook her head but couldn't meet Andre's gaze. He sounded sympathetic, but all those years ago he'd done something similar to Dan, rejected her because he'd found someone better.

"What about your friends in Somerset? Surely they'll talk," Andre said.

"No. They think newspapers are part of a worldwide conspiracy to brainwash people."

"Not even if they were offered cash?"

She pulled her hand away from him. "No, Andre. They're my only real friends. They wouldn't accept money to rat on me."

Andre raised his eyebrows. "Fine, let's hope you're right and this battle to hide the truth isn't for nothing." He rose to his feet and rubbed his hand across his mouth. "Talking about money, Kat, how are you managing?"

A shiver of apprehension passed through her, and she let her gaze slide away from his face. She had no intention of telling him how she now earned a living. He'd only laugh. "I have savings. I can pay for my room."

"That's not what I meant." He sighed and hooked her backpack over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you settled in."

***

As they walked out the front door of the hotel, Andre glanced at his watch. With a sinking feeling, he remembered his dinner engagement with Elizabeth and Edmund. It was now too late to postpone.

He set off across the lawn toward his cottage. Kate held Keiko against her chest and ran a few steps to catch up. "Where are we going?"

He turned and suppressed a smile. He was looking forward to seeing her face when she caught her first glimpse of the cottage. "You must remember what's down here," he said, teasing her.

When he reached the woods, Andre ducked beneath an overhanging branch and held it aside for her. He stopped in the middle of the small, wooden bridge over the stream and stared down at the bubbling water. The air was filled with the sweet scent of honeysuckle and the sound of water trickling between the rocks. He cast Kate a sideways glance. "I wonder if the troll still lives under here."

As a little girl, she'd been afraid to cross the bridge on her own. He used to hold her hand or give her a piggyback ride. Sometimes he'd tease her and wait on the other side. She'd run across screaming and jump on him in retribution.

She hesitated as she was about to step on and peered over the edge. Surely, she wasn't still frightened? Although he wouldn't put it past her. She had such an active imagination. Kate had always been different. It made some people uncomfortable, but he loved the way her mind worked. She had a unique way of looking at the world, very different from his. For him, that difference added another dimension to life.

Andre rested a forearm on the handrail as he watched her and wondered again how she was coping financially. She'd avoided the question, which set warning bells ringing. If she didn't have any money, he certainly wasn't going to let her leave here. "Do you really have enough saved to live on, Kat? Even if you live in a caravan, you still have to eat."

She gave him a falsely bright smile and he knew another diversionary tactic was coming. "You're such a snob. There's nothing wrong with a caravan."

"I'm not a snob," he said, deciding to play along for a while. "I just like my home comforts, you know, running water, hot food, that sort of thing." He braced his hands on both railings so she couldn't pass. "You're avoiding the question." Kate glanced down at her feet then slowly raised her eyes to meet his, her expression so bleak it sent a flash of fear through him. He struggled to imagine what terrible thing she'd done to earn money.

"I've been painting pet portraits," she murmured.