Mr Destiny (28 page)

“You're in deep shit with your Mama for not calling her all week, buddy.” Joe pushed his hat back off his forehead and leaned
against his patrol car with a grin. “Mama Gina's exact words were ‘don't make me come up there’.”

Tony shook his head disgustedly.

“Sorry she bothered you, Joe. My mother thinks because I'm a cop, she has a hot line to every police station in the state
of New York.”

Joe laughed. “She thinks your future bride is up here with you, too,” he said. “Mama Gina's exact words on that subject were
‘don't screw it up.’ ”

Too late.

Tony walked back inside after Joe left, still shaking his head. He'd do better than head to town to call his mother. He'd
show up at the Friday night family dinner.

After he gave Mama a stern lecture about using law enforcement as her personal messenger service, he'd set her straight that
she wasn't going to be getting a daughter-in-law anytime soon.

Forgetaboutit already!

Besides, spending the rest of the weekend at the cabin now, wasn't even an option.

Hell, he'd probably sell the damn place as soon as possible. How could he not? He'd never be able to come to Trail's End again
without the memory of the five days he'd spent with Kate being there to haunt him.

Tony headed for the stairs to go pack his things.

Another low blow hit him when he reached the loft.

Kate's check for the dress was lying on the bed.

It's final.

She's made her own decision.

He'd do them both a favor and leave it that way.

H
arold stroked Carla's hair as they lay in bed on Friday morning, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder. Having
Carla with him the entire week had been spectacular.

They'd dined in all the best restaurants. He'd taken her shopping in all the best shops. He'd even taken her to a production
of
Chicago
, an appropriate play to see under the circumstances, even if he had to say so himself.

Once he had Kate settled and brought Carla to New York, he'd show Miss Matthews the magic of Broadway.

Harold frowned.

Kate.

Damn.

He didn't want to think about Kate at the moment.

He didn't want to admit he was suddenly developing a goddamn conscience, either. His father's first rule of survival had been
never
develop a conscience.

He was a survivor, dammit!

He was Harold Trent Wellington.

There was no room for a conscience in his life.

Not if he wanted it all.

One of the things he definitely wanted snuggled closer against him, and Harold said, “I have a surprise for you this morning.”

“Let me guess what it is.” Carla lifted the sheet to peek under the covers.

“Dammit, I'm being serious, Carla.” He shifted their positions and pulled himself up in bed.

She rolled over on her side, looking at him.

“You're always serious, Harry. It's boring.”

“I can be spontaneous,” he said, still pouting a little. “Like the surprise I have for you this morning. I've arranged for
us to have a private couple's massage in the spa here in the hotel.”

“Did you log it into your Palm Pilot?”

“Well, yes, dammit,” Harold said. “But the idea was spontaneous when I had it yesterday.”

He got out of bed and jerked on his boxers.

The fact that he was upset didn't seem to bother her.

She stretched languorously, instead.

“I've never had a professional massage,” she said, “but I've given a few in my day.”

“That
isn't
funny.”

“Oh, stop being such a big baby,” she said. “If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous of the men in my past.”

Damn.

I am jealous.

He refused to admit it.

“You can stay here making up ridiculous accusations if you want,” Harold told her curtly. “I'm going to shower; and then I'm
going to the spa and enjoy my massage.”

He paused at the bathroom door and chanced a look back over his shoulder. She'd rolled over in the bed so her back was to
him, obviously going back to sleep without another thought that he might be upset.

Fine!

There was just no impressing this woman.

Even worse was the fact that he wanted to impress her.

It just didn't make any damn sense.

Harold kicked his boxers across the bathroom, turned on the shower, and adjusted the water. He grabbed the shampoo, stepped
under the hot spray, and gave his head a good scrubbing—hoping it might stimulate some of the sense that seemed to be leaking
out of his ears.

Maybe it was time to send Carla packing, he decided, her blackmail photos be damned. After all, he was
the
master—when it came to damage control. Plus, he had all the money he needed and all the power it required to put a spin on
the story if she did follow through with her threat.

Photos of important people were doctored all the time, and everyone knew it. Who were people going to believe? Him, a respected
Manhattan attorney? Or the woman he would expose for trying to blackmail him into marrying her?

Harold smiled.

He was definitely going to send Carla packing.

Let her throw away the chance of a lifetime.

Let her…

Harold jumped, startled when the shower door opened.

Slender arms slid around his waist, then lower.

The idea of sending Carla packing went “poof.”

Except packing for her trip to New York City.

Alex handed the tissue box to Eve who handed the tissue box to Kate. Kate grabbed a whole fistful of tissues. This was not
a one-tissue sobfest. It was the first time she'd really let herself break down, except for those first few minutes after
she left the cabin.

She'd made it back to the city around noon, turned in the rental car, and grabbed a taxi home, staying only long enough to
shower and change. Eve had sensed she wasn't ready to talk about what had happened, and being the sweetie that Eve was, she
hadn't pressed Kate for details.

When she'd reached the gallery, Grace had sensed the same thing. Kate and her grandmother had spent the remainder of the day
getting ready for the exhibition, pretending everything was normal, and dancing around each other with polite conversation.

In other words, Kate had been reminded real quick how little her life had changed.

Except for her broken heart.

Now, it was Friday night all over again. Alex had stopped for their usual takeout from Mr. Woo's. Her two best friends were
sitting beside her lending their support. And she was determined to cry Tony Petrocelli right out of her system.

Kate blew her nose.

Several times.

“And then what happened?” Alex asked.

“I reminded him that he thought I was his destiny the second he saw me in the park. And I asked him what it would take for
him to believe it. I asked him if he needed to find me standing in the park beside the Blessed Virgin again, even wearing
the wedding dress he bought me.”

“And you do have the painting and the dress,” Eve mentioned.

Kate and Alex both looked at her.

“Oh, another metaphor thingy,” Eve said. “Got it.”

Alex said, “And what did Tony say?”

“Not one word,” Kate said. “That's when I left.”

Alex sighed. “You don't want to hear this, Kate, but I can understand why Tony didn't want you to face Harold alone. You'd
just finished telling him what an ass Harold is. How did you expect him to react?”

“My point exactly,” Kate said. “And that's just what I
don't
need. Tony storming in, grabbing Harold by one of his three-hundred-dollar silk ties, and dragging him all the way to the
freaking Conrad Suite to punch him out. No, Alex. I don't think so.”

“Tony's an officer of the law,” Alex said. “I'm sure he has more control over his actions than that.”

“You didn't see the way he was gripping the arms of that deck chair,” Kate said.

“Still…” Alex began.

“Don't confuse me, Alex,” Kate said. “I gave Tony every opportunity before I walked out that door to tell me what he should
have told me. He should have told me that he cared enough about me to respect my decision and let me settle things with Harold
in my own way.”

“
And
that he didn't mind being your dirty little secret for as long as you wanted?”

Kate blew her nose. “He never was my dirty little secret. He was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Was
being the operative word.”

“Yup, that's how love is,” Alex said. “Fall in love in five days. Fall out of love in five minutes.”

“Dammit, you know I still love him.”

”
My
point exactly,” Alex said. She leaned over and picked up the phone and handed it to Kate. “Do something about it.”

Kate refused to take it. “I told you. Tony threw his cell phone in the lake.”

“I'll bet you five hundred dollars Tony didn't stay at the cabin after you left,” Alex said. She kept holding the phone out
for Kate to take.

Kate shook her head. “No. I'm not calling him. Not until I settle things with Harold. If I call him now, we'll only end up
in the same argument we had before I left.”

Alex put the phone down. “You're probably right.”

Kate and Eve both sent Alex surprised looks.

“Hey, it happens,” Alex said. “I do agree with people on rare occasions.” She paused for a second, then reached for the phone
and picked it up again. “You said Grace told you she'd accept your decision, whether she agreed with it or not. So, settle
things with Harold right now, Kate. Call the bastard. Put an end to his silly surprise wedding, and that'll solve everybody's
problem. Then I'll run downstairs and hail you a taxi for your trip to Queens.”

“No,” Kate said. “I want to tell Harold face-to-face that I'm not going to marry him. And I want everyone to meet at the Waldorf
just like Harold is planning. I want Gram and Margaret both to be there when I apologize.”

Alex yelled, “Apologize!” and Eve jumped.

“Yes, apologize,” Kate said. “I'm not a victim in this situation. I'm a cocontributor. I owe all three of them a huge apology
for sitting there like some experiment in artificial intelligence and accepting Harold's proposal. I should have turned him
down that night. Harold is a first-class ass, yes. But I was a first-class ass in accepting his proposal when I knew I didn't
love him. I've hurt everyone involved. I need to take responsibility for it.”

Kate blew her nose again.

Eve reached out and patted Kate's hand.

Alex only frowned.

“I really don't like you all grown-up, Kate.”

“Stop frowning, Alex,” Kate said. “I doubt wrinkled is what you want to be if you ever decide to grow up.”

“Enough,” Mario said, looking around the table. He motioned to Tony who was sitting three seats away and said, “Come with
me.”

“Gladly,” Tony said as he got up from his chair.

But not loud enough for his mother to hear him.

His stern lecture for Mama had turned into a stern lecture
from
Mama. About why he'd messed up his golden opportunity to prove to Kate that their destiny was written in the stars—and that
their destined marriage was in the immediate future.