Courting Katarina (6 page)

“Congratulations, Katarina.” Alex’s voice resounded through the house and out the screen door. He slid the screen open and the two men joined them. Ricky rushed past them to climb on his new swing set. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I could hardly miss the news. Would you mind giving me a lift?”

He casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder
and gave her a friendly hug. Katarina tried to ignore the piney scent of Alex’s aftershave. “Thanks, but where are you needing to go? I’m going to Washington.” Katarina stepped away.

“I’m aware of where Spokane is. Missoula is right on the way. If Kevin’s going to need me to help him for a while longer, I need my own truck.” Alex leaned back against the deck railing and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t keep borrowing everything, especially now that we aren’t in the same house. I’d be glad to share the driving and the expenses. As you say, airfare isn’t cheap. You’d save me a lot of money, and having a second driver would make the trip easier.”

Kevin had a puzzled smile on his face.

“That’s a perfect solution!” Emily got out of her chair and nuzzled up to her husband. “Isn’t it, Kevin?”

“That’s great news, Katarina. Sounds like Alex has everything at work running smoothly and we’re back on schedule. It would be a big help to have his own supplies. I don’t see any problem with you going, Alex.”

Katarina was speechless. She looked from Emily to Kevin to Alex.

“I’m so relieved you won’t be driving alone,” Emily exclaimed.

Kevin agreed.

Alex waited for her response.

There was no way Katarina could explain why
this was a terrible idea without her sister claiming Katarina still had that teenage crush on the man. There couldn’t be anything further from the truth. Having had three days to get to know him better, she knew her first impression of Alex was obviously wrong.
Mr. Nice Guy—what a joke
. The man was annoying. He was domineering, pushy and presumptuous. That might work on a mountainside, but not on her!

Yet, before she knew it, Alex had convinced her to let him ride all the way to Montana with her. He and Kevin left, while she and Emily packed.

Katarina added the finishing touches to her portfolio of drawings and tried to make her sister understand why she wanted to find a place of her own. Then Katarina, Emily and Ricky had the oil changed on the car and filled it with gas. On the way home, Katarina took Emily to see the apartment she had looked at to rent. When they returned to Emily’s, the discussion was still going strong.

“You don’t even know how long you’re going to need a place to live, Katarina. And if you do get married, what if Ron doesn’t want to move to Colorado after all? What if you sell your designs to a company that wants you to relocate? Kevin and I don’t mind if you stay here until you’re more certain of your plans.”

“I came here to set up my business, Emily. Ron understands how important this is to me.”

Emily sighed. “How many times have you two broken up in the two years you’ve dated, Kat?”

“This isn’t the same. We’re just taking a short break to concentrate on our careers before we have to settle down.”

“If the man were any more settled, he’d be petrified, Kat. Surely you don’t think that’s going to change? I cannot see you ‘settled down’ with anyone, let alone Ron. If he wanted to be here with you, he would be.”

“We have complementing personalities,” called Katarina as she carried the last ten-gallon tote from the basement to the back of her station wagon. She hoped her sister would stop talking about Ron before Alex returned.

When she saw Alex at the top of the stairs, Katarina realized it was already too late. He’d probably heard the entire argument. Without a word, Alex stepped out of her way.

“Wise move,” Emily quipped from behind her.

Katarina watched Alex stuff his backpack and sleeping bag into her car.

“A sleeping bag? I certainly hope you don’t think
I’m
camping out. We’re stopping at a hotel.” How she’d ever been convinced to go along with this, she’d never know. She must have lost her mind.

“Call it my security blanket, then. I don’t drive anywhere without one.” He carefully set her bag on top.

Katarina tried to ignore the way his lip quirked
up on one side. The man was too charming. That was it. He’d caught her in a weak moment of exhilaration.

I’m pathetic. Where’s my spine? What in the world will I find to talk to him about?
Nothing, if she was smart. She’d keep her mouth shut before she made a further fool of herself. It seemed every time they were together, she put her foot in her mouth.

Katarina jumped when the smooth timbre of Alex’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “That’s all I have. Do you have anything else to load?” They hadn’t even pulled out of the driveway yet, and his voice was already irritatingly familiar.

She hoped he hadn’t noticed her staring at him. “No, that’s everything.” She turned to Emily and forced a smile. “I’ll see you by the end of the week, sis. And remember, if Mrs. Simmons calls about that apartment, I want it.”

“You don’t want that tiny place, Kat. We’ll come up with something better.” Emily’s smile was full of mischief. What did she have up her sleeve now? Katarina shook her head. There was no use arguing.

“Oh, if Ron calls, tell him I’ll call him from the hotel tonight. Bye-bye, Ricky. You be a good boy.” Katarina gave him a hug, knowing she would miss him more than she wanted to admit. After only three weeks together, she’d kind of gotten used to his boisterous energy, almost as if they were kindred spirits.

Emily and Ricky stood on the porch hand in hand. “Have a nice trip,
you two
.”

Katarina glanced at Alex, then glared at her sister.
I hope he didn’t notice the teasing lilt to Emily’s voice
.

No way were Katarina and Alex going to find common ground. She was only doing him a favor. After two days she’d be free of him and his annoying charm. With any luck, he’d return to jumping into fires, and she’d have an all-new plan for her business.

Katarina had spent the past week pondering her sisters’ accusations that she wouldn’t marry Ron. What made Emily and Lisa so sure? Just because Katarina had momentarily forgotten his name at the wedding, it didn’t mean she didn’t take the relationship seriously. She and Ron had dated for almost two years. He was trustworthy, understanding and nice-looking. Who wanted a guy so handsome that all the women would be chasing him?

She buckled her seat belt and turned the key in the ignition, stealing a glance at Alex. It wasn’t his fault that he was too attractive, too charming and too close for comfort.

Help me to be civil to him, Lord. And help these two days pass quickly
. She realized there must be a reason Alex made her so uncomfortable.
God, why do You keep bringing Alex into my life? I’m going to marry Ron. I’ve been down the road of failure
with one attractive older man—I’m not interested in trying it again
.

Alex tucked his long legs into the passenger seat and his knees nearly touched the dash, yet he remained silent. She waited a few minutes to see if he’d say or do anything. He didn’t.

“You can move the seat back if you’d like. It’s a split bench,” she said, trying to tame her irritation.

“I’ll be okay. Besides, it can’t go back any farther. You have supplies behind the seat.”

Katarina shifted to Park and looked at him. “So you were going to ride for eight hours like that?”

“I had faith in you.” One corner of his mouth turned up. The twinkle in his blue eyes told her that he would have spent the next nine hundred miles like this just waiting for her to prove his point.

She didn’t need him flirting with her. It was going to be difficult enough spending the next two days together without any other complications. Ron had been happy to learn that she’d have Kevin’s big brother along to help drive. He wouldn’t be if he saw the man.

Was that why she was so edgy? Because she’d been too chicken to tell her almost-fiancé that Alex was single, and six feet six inches of rugged masculinity? Because she found Alex MacIntyre not only physically attractive, but intellectually, as well? Or because she was terrified to think that her sisters were right, that Ron wasn’t the right man for her?

I’m going to marry Ron. I am. Why is everyone trying to confuse me?

Ron might not be all that her first fiancé hadn’t been, but he wasn’t exactly chopped liver, either. They knew everything about each other. There would be no surprises with Ron. Eight weeks from now, he would propose. Two years later, they’d start a family. It was part of the plan, and Ron planned everything down to the tiniest detail. He probably had the exact time he would propose written into his computer day planner. Stable and predictable. That was what she needed from a man, wasn’t it?

Katarina crawled out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. She opened the back door and yanked the tall basket from the floor behind the seat, rearranged the plastic totes and set the basket on top. “Go ahead and move the seat. It should even recline, if you want.”

She stepped back. When she turned, he was standing beside her, towering above her by nearly eight inches. “Thanks.”

Katarina tipped her chin up, and up. “I can’t believe you were waiting for me to say something. It could have been hours before I realized.”

“But it wasn’t.”

She put her hands on her hips and pressed her face closer to his. “But it could have been.”

His smile broadened. “And I must say, I’m flattered that you noticed.”

Katarina jerked back. “Well, you shouldn’t be.”
She slammed the door closed and walked back to the driver’s seat.

Emily laughed. “Hey, you two, I’m expecting a complete family gathering this Christmas. And I don’t want either of you to ruin my plans! Now, quit behaving like a couple of twelve-year-olds.”

Alex laughed. “I’m sure we’ll find plenty to talk about.”

“Then you must like talking to yourself,” Katarina grumbled as she got in and turned the key, grinding the already revving ignition.

“I’ll see you soon, buddy,” Alex said to Ricky.

He beamed, then gave Alex a “super-duper” bear hug.

Alex stepped over to Emily and gave her a hug. “You make sure that brother of mine takes it easy.”

“And you take care of my sister, would you?”

“My pleasure.”

Katarina beeped the horn. “We don’t have all night.”

Alex crawled into the car and clicked his seat belt. “I wouldn’t bet on that.”

Chapter Seven

K
atarina was doing a fine job of pretending Alex wasn’t there. If they were going to spend the next nine hundred miles together, he thought, they could at least get to know a little about each other, couldn’t they? It didn’t mean he needed her, or she needed him. Didn’t have to mean that, anyway.

At first he’d thought she was simply preoccupied with driving through the heavy summer traffic. Businessmen flew down the highway as if they were headed to a fire. Add to that the first of the summer tourists, motor homes, and it was a full-fledged mess.

Katarina turned on the radio and set her cruise control, allowing those in a hurry to buzz on past.

“So, tell me about your business. How’d you ever get started making dolls?” Alex asked half an hour
later, after deciding she wasn’t going to initiate conversation.

“I’m sure the last thing you want to know about is my dolls.” She ran her hand through her short hair and tucked a strand behind her ear, then pulled it out again.

“Why are you so determined we can’t be friends?”

She remained silent.

Without her hair pulled back, Alex could barely see the hearing aid. He wondered if she’d turned it off again, and spoke a little louder. “I know I stuck my foot in my mouth right off the bat, and I can’t apologize enough.”

“You don’t have to yell—it’s on.” Her eyes didn’t leave the highway. “I asked you to forget that. I don’t want your pity.”

“I’m not offering any, so don’t make me give it.” He rubbed the pain in his knee. “We’re going to be in this car for close to sixteen hours. There’s no reason we can’t talk, is there?”
She’s wearing that perfume again
.

She glanced at him, then back to the road. “I can’t believe you want to talk about dolls. Doesn’t seem like you. Now, if you’d asked about my hearing, that would seem more like a guy.”

So that was the barricade. He smiled, shaking his head, hoping to reassure her he wasn’t trying to pry. “I don’t want to hear anything you don’t want to tell me. If and when you do, I’ll listen. Until then,
I’m certain there’s something we can discuss. And for the record, dolls don’t scare me, either.” He turned slightly to face her, then rested his arm on the back of the seat. She didn’t jump as she had on the porch swing in the gazebo. That in itself was a relief. “From what my sisters tell me, I take it these dolls of yours aren’t the average wet-and-cry babies I see on the shelves every Christmas.”

The beginning of a smile teased the corner of her mouth, allowing her true personality to peek through. “No, not yet, anyway. Right now I only sell porcelain dolls, design their clothing and make a few stuffed animals called Kat’s Kritters. But I’d love nothing more than to see children enjoy actually playing with a Kat’s Kreation. Hopefully Bearly Toys will like the idea as well as I do.”

He listened as she went on about the selection process and what Katarina hoped it would mean for her company.

The mood lightened considerably as Kat’s passion for her creations overflowed like bubbles from a root beer float.

Her enthusiasm took him back to the days when he’d been young and full of dreams. How long had it been since he’d felt for his job what she did for hers? He didn’t want to think about it. Especially not right now. He’d much rather share Katarina’s excitement than try to find his own again.

“Susan and Liz went on for an hour about your dolls after you left the other night.” He motioned
over his shoulder with his thumb. “So all this stuff back here is what you turn into your classic creations, huh?”