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“Had I only known that all it would take to lure you out was a Harlan Coben book signing, I would have found a way to get him here long before now.”
Kai laughed. The dimple in her right cheek deepened. “Was I really that bad?”
“Yes. Good thing I have a healthy ego or I would be permanently scarred.”
“I doubt that very seriously.” She relaxed in her seat, glanced briefly at the crest of the horizon beyond her passenger window then turned slightly toward Andrew.
“Do you even like mysteries?”
He gave a slight shrug. “I’m more of a Stephen King kind of guy.”
She gave a fake shudder and a little frown. “Horror! Really? I would have never thought that in a million years.”
“Why?” He stole a quick look at her and was delighted to see the amusement in her eyes.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I guess I figured you for a history or a biography buff.”
“Real straight, no rough edges.”
“Not exactly but...”
“I get it. I totally get it. That’s why it’s more important than ever that you get to know the real me. I’m much more than a pretty face and brilliant mind, you know.”
Kai tossed her head back and laughed. “That’s to be determined.”
Drummonds was everything that Drew had said and more. The circular tables were draped in brilliant white linen, with sparkling crystal glasses and gleaming silver. One entire wall was smoked glass from end to end and looked out onto the pier, giving view to the gently flapping sails of the docked boats undulating on the water. The circular bar was a mixture of chrome, dark red wood and marble. Every stool was taken.
“Welcome to Drummonds. Do you have a reservation?” the slim hostess donned in all black asked.
“Yes, two for Clarke,” Andrew said.
The hostess checked her reservation list, looked up and smiled. She took two menus from the rack. “Right this way. Your table is ready.”
Andrew placed his hand at the small of Kai’s back and guided her behind the hostess who wound her way around the tables, dance floor and up one level to their table in front of the window. She placed the menus on the table. Andrew helped Kai into her seat then took his.
“Can I get you anything from the bar before your waiter arrives?”
Andrew looked to Kai with a questioning rise of his brow.
Kai glanced up at the waitress. “A glass of white wine.”
“Anything for you, sir?”
“Why don’t you bring us a bottle of sauvignon blanc?” He gave Kai a quick look of inquiry.
She offered her assent with a shadow of a smile. “Please.”
The hostess tipped her head. “Right away.”
Andrew turned his full attention back to Kai.
“I had no idea Drummonds was anything like this,” Kai said.
“Very Upper East Side Manhattan,” he joked.
She laughed. “Exactly. I mean the restaurants here are very nice but mostly quaint and cozy.” She gazed around in appreciation.
The waiter arrived with their bottle of wine and filled each of their glasses then took their dinner order before leaving as quietly as he’d arrived.
Andrew lifted his glass. “To a wonderful evening.”
Kai lightly tapped her glass to his.
“So tell me some more about your photography.” He took a sip of his wine then set his glass down.
Kai wrapped her long, slender fingers around the stem of her glass and gazed into the crystal depths of its contents. “I suppose I always had a thing for seeing things in parts.”
“In parts?”
“Yes. This may sound a little quirky but...” She pushed out a breath. “To me, I see things in pieces, not as a whole. It’s like looking at what’s in front of me in...frames. I compartmentalize.” She looked at him from beneath her long lashes.
A line of concentration etched itself between his brows. “All the time?”
“Pretty much.”
He thoughtfully sipped his wine. “So you’re not the ‘big picture’ kind of a girl.”
Kai grinned. “Nope. Guess not.” She sipped her wine. “What about you when you aren’t doctoring?”
Kai listened while Andrew talked about his love of the outdoors, the yearly camping trips with his college buddies and the marathon that he ran every year. She listened, nodded and “mmm-hmmed” in all the right places and wondered if she could ever put Andrew into one her compartments and label it “her man,” “significant other,” or “husband.” For whatever reason, she simply could not see him fitting into any of those spaces in her life. Maybe she had been out of the relationship game for so long that she no longer knew how to play.
When Kai and Andrew arrived at the Grenning Gallery there was a line waiting to get in.
“Looks like it’s going to be pretty crowded in there,” Andrew said as he guided Kai onto the line.
“This is so exciting. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“You and a lot of other fans.”
They inched along on the line and finally made it inside. Andrew was right. The Grenning Gallery was packed, upstairs and down. The reading and signing were set up on the upper level. The lower level was for appetizers and refreshments. The crowd was an eclectic blend of the die-hard fan and the curious, garbed in everything from jeans and sneakers to evening wear.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Andrew asked, leaning close to be heard over the mild din.
“Hmm, sure. A glass of white wine.”
“Stay put. I don’t want to lose you,” he said and flashed Kai a look that gave his words much more meaning.
Kai held her small purse to her chest and took in her surroundings. It had been a while since she’d been to the gallery, partly because she’d totally run out of excuses why she would not exhibit her photography and couldn’t bear disappointing the owner again. She’d donated a couple of her photos months earlier for a fund-raiser and the owner had been after her to do a show ever since.
Hopefully with all the people at the gallery, they wouldn’t cross each other’s paths.
Her gaze slowly moved around the room, capturing images of the art, the people and the movements, and forming a montage of sorts in her mind. With each blink of her eyes, another image was snapped. Then there was a big hum in the air, the buzz of excitement that always preceded a major event. The author had arrived, accompanied by his publicist and a photographer. The surge of the crowd moved her along in their wake.
The bevy of guests began taking cell-phone pictures as Harlan Coben made his way through the throng, smiling and shaking hands along the way as he was led upstairs.
Kai peered over the sea of heads and shoulders trying to locate Andrew when her gaze landed on him. Heat rushed to her head and her heart banged in her chest. It was him. He was partially turned in her direction. His profile was identical to the one she’d snapped months earlier. He was turning in her direction. Something or someone drew his attention and he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
“There you are.” Andrew had come up behind her. “Thought I’d lost you to the crowd. Did you get to see him before he was swept away?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Andrew. Her cheeks were hot. “Oh...yes. Just for a minute,” she said.
Chapter 3
“Mr. Weston, your wife is on line three.”
Anthony Weston’s dark brows tightened across his forehead. He didn’t know how many times he would have to tell his secretary, Valerie, that Crystal was the ex-Mrs. Weston. Maybe Val couldn’t or wouldn’t get it right because he was still wrestling with that reality nearly two years after their divorce.
He pressed the flashing light on his phone. “Hey...Crystal. What’s up?”
“How are you?”
Her voice still flowed through his veins like good brandy, warm and fluid, and could sneak up on him and knock him out when he least expected it. “I’m good. You?”
“Fine. Trying to get everything together for Jessie’s trip...and mine. She’s so excited.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I wish I’d had the chance to see where you’ll be staying, Tony.” The hint of censure in her tone caused his jaw to tighten.
“I wouldn’t take our daughter anywhere that you or I wouldn’t stay. The house is beautiful. The locale is safe and she’ll have a ball.”
Crystal pushed out a breath. “I’ll drop her off in the morning?”
“Sure, or tonight if you want.”
“No. I want us to have one more night together.”
“You make it sound like she’s going away forever. It’s just a couple of weeks. With her father,” he added a bit more harshly than necessary.
“I know that,” she snapped.
Anthony squeezed his eyes shut. It never ceased to amaze him how their conversations could go from zero to sixty in a flash, and that was not always a good thing. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Two.”
“Do you want me to pick up Jess and take you to the air—”
“No,” she said, quickly cutting him off. “It’s not necessary.”
Anthony was silent for a moment. He knew what that meant. Gordon Russell was taking her to the airport and more than likely traveling with her on the Caribbean vacation. It stung, but not as much as it once did. Crystal had stopped mentioning anything about Gordon after Anthony’s last “another man around his daughter” tirade. He knew he’d taken it too far. He’d allowed his ego to run roughshod over his common sense. It took his and Crystal’s amicable though cool relationship to an arctic freeze and it was still in the throes of unthawing.
“Hey, no problem. What time are you dropping Jess off?”
“About eleven.”
“See you then.”
“Bye, Tony,” she said in the way that he remembered.
The phone clicked in his ear. Slowly he returned the receiver to the cradle, leaned back in his chair and absently massaged his chin. Two years. It was still hard for him to swallow the reality that he had failed at something. It wasn’t in his makeup to fail. Whatever he took on—from a “friendly game” of basketball to the courts of justice—he won. Decisively. It’s what he did. It’s who he was. He was driven to achieve excellence. The divorce had rocked him, unmoored his foundation and forced him to question himself. There were moments, like now, that made him feel as if the ground were slowly shifting beneath his feet.
His intercom buzzed and jerked him away from his brooding. “Yes, Valerie?”
“Mr. Blumenthal wants to see you.”
“Thanks.” He shook off the remnants of his dark thoughts and returned his focus to the task at hand, dealing with his boss, the district attorney for New York, the man whose job he would seek come fall.
Anthony took his jacket from the hook by the door, slipped it on and walked down the corridor to Harrison Blumenthal’s office. He nodded to Blumenthal’s secretary, who smiled and waved him in. Anthony knocked lightly on the partially open door and stepped inside.
“Shut the door, will you,” Harrison grumbled in his trademark no-nonsense grit-and-gravel voice.
Harrison removed his half-framed glasses and rested them next to a stack of files on his desk while Anthony unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat opposite him.
“I’ll get right to it. I don’t like the progress or should I say the lack of progress on this Warren mess.”
“His lawyers say he won’t take a deal.”
“Make them take it. We can’t win this case. You know it and I know it.”
“I don’t agree.”
Harrison’s bushy right brow rose to an arch. “I can’t afford any of your cowboy antics in court. I have no intention of tallying up any losses. Especially now.” He gave Anthony a cool green stare.
“I won’t lose. This is the type of case I’m known for winning. You know that as well as I do,” he returned with the same purposeful stare.
Something rumbled deep in Harrison’s chest before the words rolled out, like a train in the distance before pulling into the station. “There’s a first time for everything, and my point is, I cannot afford to let this case be that first time. Our conviction record is solid.”
“Thanks to me,” Anthony interjected.
Harrison pursed his lips. “It needs to stay that way. For my sake as well as yours.”
Inwardly, Anthony smiled. That was about as close to a compliment as he was going to get from Harrison Blumenthal.
“Find a way to make this case go away.” He put his glasses back on, a clear indication that the meeting was over.
Anthony pushed back from his seat and stood. He buttoned his jacket. “I’ll see what I can do...when I get back from vacation.”
“See that you do. When are you leaving?”
“Saturday afternoon. Crystal is dropping Jessie off in the morning.”
Harrison’s rocky countenance softened. “How are things...with you and Crystal?”
Harrison was one of two people who knew how hard he’d been hit by the divorce. The other was his lifelong friend Lincoln Davenport. It was Lincoln who’d convinced him that he needed some downtime to think really hard about where he wanted his life to go, and a great place to do it was Sag Harbor. He could relax, spend time with his daughter, put the job on hold and enjoy the company of his friends. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Anthony had finally given in.
He’d gone to visit a few months earlier, really liked the place, and after having lunch with Melanie Harte—who was equally as eager to find him a new love as she was finding him a place to stay—he found a great house that was on the market, priced to sell, met all of his needs and would definitely give him a sanctuary when he wanted to get out of the city. He’d gone back a couple of times on weekends to get the lay of the land, check on the repairs of the house and even stumbled onto a book signing at the local art gallery during a last-minute trip a week earlier. He was really looking forward to getting out of Manhattan and “setting up house” with his daughter—even if it was only temporary.
“Better,” he finally answered. “At least, as good as it probably will ever be.” His expression darkened.
“Hmm. It gets easier. Take it from a man who’s been through it...twice.” He held up two long fingers.
“Yeah.” The corner of his mouth curved into a half grin. “So you have reminded me.” He headed for the door.
“Try to enjoy your time away. You know, when you get back, this office will be pretty much all on your shoulders as my campaign will be in full gear.”
Anthony nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve been trained by the best,” he said with a wry smile. “I can handle it.”
“See that you do.”
Anthony tucked in his smile and closed the door quietly behind him. He was lucky to have a man like Harrison in his corner, paving the way. Often the D.A. was a megalomaniac driven solely by ambition, political polls and winning at any cost. Sure, Harrison loved to win just as much as the next man, but it was more than that. He had a true passion for justice and doing the right thing no matter if it was politically incorrect. And he wasn’t always looking over his shoulder to see who was trying to move up the ranks to take his place. If anything, he encouraged his staff to climb the ladder, which Anthony had done and secured the position of chief assistant district attorney through the mentoring of his boss. The world of crime may have hated Harrison Blumenthal but his staff worshipped the ground he walked on. His shoes were big ones to fill, but Anthony knew he was up to the job. After all, hadn’t he sacrificed everything...including his family...to get where he was?
Chapter 4
“You still haven’t explained to me why you won’t get serious with Andrew. You said the date went fine,” Tiffany said as the two friends walked up the winding path leading to Melanie Harte’s house on the hill. The house and the front lawn sparkled with pinpoints of light, and music could be heard floating in the air.
Kai gave a light toss of her head. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy. Handsome. Funny. Smart.” She paused, blew out a breath of frustrated confusion. “He’s just not right for me. This may sound like a fairy tale or something out of a romance novel, but I want a man that makes my heart pound. Makes my skin get hot with just a look, gets my stomach to flutter when I think about him and has my vajayjay talking in tongues when I know I’m going to see him.” She sighed with a faraway look in her eyes.
“Damn, girl, well, when you find him please ask if he has a friend, a brother or a cousin just like him.”
They laughed in unison and stepped into the party that was in full swing.
“Mel sure knows how to throw ‘a little get-together,’” Tiffany said, raising her voice slightly above the hum of conversation and the live band.
Kai gazed around at the crowd, recognizing some faces from town, a few from television and the rest she wasn’t familiar with. “What I need to do is take Melanie up on her offer to find me the perfect man,” she said in a pseudo whisper.
A waiter approached with crab and shrimp appetizers balanced on a tray. They helped themselves to the delicate treats and snagged the next waiter for two glasses of champagne.
“There’s Lincoln and Desiree.” Kai waved and started to walk over when she heard her name being called. She turned. “Andrew...”
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
“Kind of a last-minute thing,” she managed while wishing that the floor would open.
He studied her for a moment then turned to Tiffany. “Good to see you again.”
“You, too.”
“I would ask if I could get you ladies a drink but you have that covered. Looks like I’ll have to catch up.”
“I’m going to say hello to Lincoln and Desi. Oh, Maurice and Layla just came in. Be right back. Good to see you, Andrew.” Tiffany darted off before the ice daggers from Kai’s eyes could land in her back.
An awkward moment of silence dropped like a final curtain between them. Kai sipped her drink and stole a glance at Andrew from beneath her lashes. This is so bad.
“Drew...I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. I—”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain. Really. I’m a big boy and I can take a hint.”
“That doesn’t excuse me being rude and for that I’m sorry.”
He gave her a half smile. “True.” He paused, as if relishing her wide-eyed look. “But...apology accepted.”
She released a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“And now that we have all that out of the way...I hope that we can still be friends.”
“Of course. I’d like that.”
“Good, let’s go mingle.”
* * *
He really isn’t a bad guy, Kai thought as she watched him chat and charm everyone around him. He had a great sense of humor, was good to look at, had a solid career...but that spark wasn’t there for her no matter how hard she tried, and to lead him on would be plain wrong. Andrew was deserving of someone who gave as much as he did and wanted him as much as he wanted her. She wasn’t the one.
Kai wandered out back while Andrew regaled a small group on the antics in the E.R. when it was filled with kids and crazed parents.
“There you are! Are you enjoying yourself?” Melanie slid an arm around Kai’s waist.
“Yes, very much. You’ve outdone yourself as usual.”
“I feel it’s my duty to put a little sparkle into this sleepy little town.” She chuckled.
“Where’s Claude? I was hoping to see him.”
“Congressional hearings. He had to stay in D.C. with Senator Lawson. I hope he can get back next weekend or I may pay him a surprise visit, stir things up a little.” She flashed a mischievous smile.
“Just make sure you don’t wind up on the front page of the Washington Post with a coat over your face.”
They laughed at the image.
“It’s good to see Maurice doing so well,” Kai said, watching Maurice dance with his bride.
“Layla definitely has that special touch in more ways than one. It wasn’t Maurice’s war injury that needed the healing, it was inside.” She tapped the center of her chest. “I wish I could take credit for that arrangement,” Melanie said, “but they did it all on their own. Mostly.” She winked.
“I’m happy for them.”
“Actually—” She lowered her voice. “There was someone that I especially wanted you to meet.”
“Oh?”
“Unfortunately he couldn’t make it. Didn’t say why.” Her brow creased. “Another time. He’ll be in town for a few weeks.”
“Mel...”
“Listen, everyone needs someone. And that goes for you, too. I think he would be perfect for you. In fact, I know he would.”
Kai lowered her head for a moment. There was no debating Melanie when she decided that you were her “special project.” She wouldn’t rest until she found Mr. Right or, at least, Mr. Right Now. As CEO of the Platinum Society, Melanie Harte and her team were renowned for their matchmaking skills that found that special someone for everyone from corporate executives, actors, athletes, and politicians to the average girl and guy next door. Before there was eHarmony there was the Platinum Society.
Kai laughed lightly. “I’m sure he is.” She checked her watch. “Listen, I’m going to find Tiffany and head home.” She kissed Melanie’s cheek. “Thanks for a great evening as usual.”
Although the gathering was pegged as a simple get-together with friends, Mel never got people together for a reason as benign as that. She firmly believed that if you put the right people in the room together they would find each other. She was usually right. As Kai wound her way around the guests and through the rooms of the sprawling house in search of Tiffany, she could already see the results of Melanie’s plan at work as many of the guests who’d walked around unattached earlier in the evening were now a twosome.
Kai stepped out into the backyard and spotted Tiffany leaning casually against a towering maple tree in deep conversation with a really good-looking guy. She waved to get Tiffany’s attention and when she did, she mouthed that she was going home and that she’d call tomorrow.
The waning evening was absolutely exquisite, Kai mused, as she drew her oversize teal-colored silk scarf around her bare shoulders. The sky was a lush blanket of deep blue with brilliant splashes of light that flickered and danced against it. The most gentle of breezes blew in off the ocean, capturing the scents of the sand, sea and budding jasmine bushes and other flora. The sounds of light laughter and music hovered around her then grew more distant as she descended the winding walkway leading to the main road. A perfect night for a walk...with someone you care about, a distant voice mocked.
She glanced briefly over her shoulder as the house grew smaller in the distance. Andrew really wasn’t a bad guy. Actually, he was a great catch. There was no doubt about it. Maybe if she allowed herself she could care about him as more than a colleague.
She turned down the street that led to her house. The truth...she didn’t want to care about him as more than a colleague.
* * *
The one great thing about being self-employed was that you could call your own shots and make your own hours, which was precisely what Kai planned for her Saturday. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn off her internal clock. She woke at precisely 6:00 a.m. just as she did when she had her shift in the E.R. Some habits die hard, but one habit that she was glad she’d never broken was turning on the timer for the coffee machine at night. The heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through her home would give Starbucks a run for their money. After showering quickly and donning her supercomfy sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, she made a beeline for her kitchen, where she was eagerly greeted by Jasper, her Yorkshire terrier, who was frantically scratching at the door and yipping around the kitchen.
“Take it easy. Take it easy.” She bent down and scratched him behind his ears. “I’m glad to see you, too. I’ll let you out in one minute.” She went to the kitchen window and pulled the curtain aside. Sometime during the night, it had rained and the air felt and smelled crisp and clean like freshly washed laundry. The grass and tree leaves still glistened with beads of water and morning dew. A great day to take some pictures. After she let Jasper out back and had her coffee, she would get her equipment.