Home for Love (19 page)

Kate gave a slow, deep sigh and chewed thoughtfully on her licorice.

"Her daughter Lucy could tell you everything you want to know," Mr. Newberry went on. "Lucy Martin. Lives in San Jose, I think."

Kate jotted down the information.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Newberry. Well, I'll let you get on with your work now," she said reluctantly. She didn't want to leave. She felt safe and protected in here behind the moat.

"You look tired, young lady. Go ahead and sit a while. Solitary work, this. Glad for the company." He searched methodically through his pockets again and Kate watched, mesmerized. Some of his pockets were so small only a thumb could poke inside them. Others held pencils, nails and a hammer. At last Mr. Newberry pulled out a bag of gingersnaps. "Care for one?"

"Yes, I would. Thank you." She munched on it and sipped her juice. Mr. Newberry gave a gingersnap to Fred.

"I don't diversify much," he said to Kate. "Chairs, stools, a table or two. Now and then I do a cabinet or a chest of drawers. These things bear thinking on, you know."

"Mr. Newberry, I'm an interior designer. Your kind of furniture is just what I'm looking for."

"Is it now?" he boomed, a pleased expression on his face. "In that case, you'd better try out that chair over here. Lean back in it a bit. I like my chairs to be tested. Wouldn't have it otherwise."

The chair
was
comfortable. Kate settled back in it, stretching out her legs. Mr. Newberry went on sanding as his deep voice continued, "Pine. Now, too many people turn up their noses at your basic pine…"

Fred plopped down in a corner, his eyes closing. He snored quietly. Kate blinked. Here she was, all relaxed and comfortable, and those blasted tears were starting again. She struggled to her feet. Fred opened his eyes and looked at her in annoyance.

"I have to go now, Mr. Newberry. But I'll be talking to you again about your wonderful furniture."

"Take another gingersnap for the road."

"Yes, I think I will."

She munched on it, blinking furiously, as she crossed the moat again under the baleful stare of the ducks. She hurried to the curb where she'd left her car. San Jose or Steven's? She put her yellow Bug in gear and chugged her way up the hill. She passed Steven's house, foot pressed to the accelerator.

But it wasn't any use. She felt as if she were bound to him by invisible cords, tugging her toward him. She backed up and pulled into the drive behind the Mercedes. Emerging slowly from her car, she stood against it for a moment. Then she gripped her briefcase and strode up the walk.

Steven was wearing jeans and had his feet propped up on the coffee table in the library. Kate stared at his yellow-and-brown checkered socks.

"Hello," she said. He lowered the sheaf of legal papers he'd been studying and sat up straight.

"Hello there."

"Um, I guess I'll just get to work…" Her eyes weren't leaking anymore, but she had an ache in her chest. Could he ever turn from all the Gloria Nestors of the world and love only her? Could he possibly?

"Sit down. Let's talk," he urged. She balanced herself uneasily on the edge of an armchair and gazed at him. Why did he have to look so devastatingly handsome?

For a while neither one of them said anything. Kate looked at the smear of paint on the sleeve of Steven's shirt; she wondered if he even knew it was there. It was cornflower blue, the same shade as the trim in the upstairs bathroom.

"So, Steven," she began at last, "have you made up your mind yet? About what you're going to do next, I mean. Join the law firm in Los Angeles? Open a practice in a little town somewhere…"

"I haven't decided." He smiled at her. "I'm delaying, just the way you are. Maybe we're more alike than I thought."

"Maybe we feel the same way…about a few things."

"Do you like Marx Brothers movies?" Steven asked.

"Yes…" she admitted.

"Do you like organ music at baseball games, and the kids selling hot dogs in the stands?"

"Well, yes—"

"So there you have it," he said. "Already we agree on two major issues. We can always compromise on the rest."

"Steven, there's only one issue that matters!" Kate burst out.

"What's that?" he asked with interest. "Tell me about it."

She sprang up, afraid that she really would tell him. She'd say out loud that any compromise could be reached—if only he loved her. But no, she wasn't going to let herself say it. Being in love with Steven was like being swept away by a tidal wave. She actually felt that she would give up anything—even her independence— to win his love. How could she have allowed this to happen?

She headed for the door like a drowning victim making one last desperate swim toward land.

"Wait!" Steven said. "I want to hear about it. What do you think is the most important issue, Kate?"

"I'm busy," she answered with determination. "I'm going upstairs to work."

"You don't need to work right now."

"Yes, I do."

The phone jangled sharply from the hall. They both made a dash for it, but Kate got there first.

"Hello!".

"Kate, it's Paula. Guess what! I've just made a major breakthrough with Mrs. Cleeve. She invited me to eat lunch at her house today, and we sat on chairs. Real chairs!"

"That's fine," Kate said distractedly. Steven was leaning against the wall next to her, his fingers tracing a path down her cheek.

"I don't think you understand the significance of this," Paula said, her voice squeaking with excitement. "We've reached an agreement! We've decided that two of her rooms will have a Japanese motif—cushions, short tables, the works. But the rest of the house stays French Provincial all the way!"

Kate made an effort to concentrate. Steven's finger had found an extremely sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Paula, this is…wonderful news. I…I knew you'd handle everything… superbly. Does this mean we can finally…" Steven's lips were feathering Kate's left eyebrow. She closed her eyes.

"What's that, Kate?"

"Um, can we expect payment—"

"She promised to write out a check first thing Monday morning!"

"That's good, Paula," she murmured. "That's just wonderful… but I really have to go now. Goodbye." She hung up the phone blindly and rested her forehead against Steven's chest. He massaged her shoulders.

"You're all tense," he said. "Relax. Does that feel good?"

"Oh, yes." His touch was all she craved right now.

"Kate, I talked to Gloria again today. She says that Far Horizon will let you keep the name Melrose Designs."

Kate opened her eyes and stared at the brown plaid of his shirt. How could he be talking about Far Horizon? Couldn't he tell what was happening to her? It was a cataclysm of her entire being. It was a tempest, and he was at the very center of it. Yet he didn't even know.

"That's not all Gloria agreed to," he went on. "She's promised that none of your client consultations will be supervised—not even the ones with Marietta and her niece." He rubbed Kate's shoulders some more. "Loosen up—you're tensing your muscles."

She pulled away from him.

"You picked your moment again, didn't you?" she accused. "You waited until you thought you had me all happy and relaxed, and then you started in about Far Horizon!"

"Dammit, Kate, I'm just trying to negotiate a good deal for you. Gloria's cooperating a lot more than you are. That's pretty ironic, when you think about it. She's being a real professional. Why can't you be one, too?"

Kate grabbed up her briefcase, clenching her fingers around the handle. It made her so angry, the way Steven always compared her to Gloria Nestor and found her lacking somehow. She'd had enough of it.

Suddenly the decision about Far Horizon seemed very simple. Kate wanted to fight Gloria. She needed to fight! Loving Steven was something she could never escape. Very well, then. She wouldn't run away anymore. Instead she would confront Gloria and go to battle for Steven. Far Horizon Enterprises would be the battleground.

A small part of Kate tried to protest, clamoring that this was not the way to make a business decision. She would be using Far Horizon for her own private ends then—just like Gloria. But the protest was swept away by a wave of exhilaration. She had a plan of action now and she needed that more than anything else.

Kate looked at Steven.

"I'll do it," she said. "That's right, I'm going to do it. I'm going to join Far Horizon!"

Everything was arranged quickly and smoothly. Before Kate was ready for it, the big morning arrived. Today she was going to sign a contract with Far Horizon Enterprises.

She woke up with a sense of dread that would not go away. Once again she stood in front of her closet. She needed to wear an outfit that would give her fortitude and confidence. Dresses, pants and skirts flew out of the closet and landed in a heap on the bed. Kate's hair became a wild tumble from pulling clothes on and off. But nothing was right, not even her aqua business suit. Today it only made her look pale and washed out.

She was desperate. Slapping on a pair of corduroys and a blouse, she grabbed her car keys and left the apartment. She ended up on a street of fashionable boutiques that sold everything from jewelry to pipe tobacco. But Kate was on a specific mission, and she singled out the clothing stores. For a long moment she gazed at a dress in one shop window. Then she went inside and asked to try it on.

It was a swirl of amber silk. The material was soft, cool and soothing as it settled against Kate's skin. She turned one more time in front of the shop mirror, then sighed. The dress was beautiful and far too expensive. But for just a moment it gave Kate the illusion that her life was still normal, still her own.

"Looks great," said the salesclerk around her wad of chewing gum. She leaned against a dress rack in her fuchsia miniskirt and her high-heeled black leather boots. "I'll ring it up for you."

Kate glanced around the trendy little store, which charged far too much for its clothes. "What I really need is a skirt," she said. "Something sensible." She went to the racks and pulled out an A-line style that would wear very well. It was khaki. Kate shoved the skirt back into place and found herself in front of the mirror again. The dress was cut in elegant simplicity, with cap sleeves, a V neck and a softly belted waist. The color brought out the gold in Kate's hair and the rose of her complexion.

"Bet your boyfriend would like it," the salesclerk said, chewing her gum.

"I don't have a boyfriend!"

"Then you really need that dress." The girl went to the mirror herself, patting the sides of her spiky black hair. "Of course, if you don't want it, we sell plenty of
boring
clothes. We'd go broke if we didn't. You know what I mean?"

Kate looked at the price tag again and winced. She had been so careful with money lately, determined that never again would she suffer financial bondage to Steven. The dress simply wasn't part of her budget. Of course, once she was working for Far Horizon, she'd be able to afford ten dresses like this. But the idea didn't cheer her at all. What was she getting herself into today? All the money in the world couldn't replace her freedom.

She reminded herself that she was joining Far Horizon for one important reason—to fight for Steven. She couldn't think about anything else, or her resolve would truly waver. The silk material felt like liquid gold in her hands. With such a dress, she could hold her own, even against Gloria Nestor. She turned to the salesclerk.

"I'll take it," she said.

Kate was ready in the amber dress when Steven picked her up at her apartment later in the morning. At first they were tense with each other. But once they were standing in front of the Far Horizon building, Steven took Kate's hand and drew her close.

"You're luminous," he said. "You shine with your own light." His fingers brushed through the flaming curls of her hair. Then he released her gently. "You're going to dazzle them up there," he told her. Ever since she'd announced her decision to him, he had been so excited for her, so proud of her. And she basked in his approval. She was like a planet in orbit around the sun, needing Steven's warmth for her very life.

She walked with him toward the plate-glass doors and her reflection bounced back at her, distorted. She paused, taking a gulp of air. She was doing the right thing. Surely, surely she was doing the right thing. But she didn't have time to ponder any doubts. Her decision to join Far Horizon had gained a momentum all its own. Now it propelled her forward to the elevator and up to the green and khaki world of Gloria Nestor.

"Hello, Steve. Kate, I'm pleased we're going to work together, after all." Gloria was cool and businesslike today. She wore a severe black trench dress, which heightened her dramatic beauty. But Kate didn't let that intimidate her; she looked her best today. She regarded Gloria steadily, and Gloria finally gave a faint smile.

"You've managed to drive quite a bargain for Mel-rose Designs, Kate. I have to congratulate you on that. Along with everything else, you're getting one of the best offices on the floor. Right across from mine, in fact."

Yes, the office was right where Gloria could keep an eye on Kate—it hadn't been possible to win a concession on all points. But the fight had barely started; Kate didn't expect or even want it to be easy. Her success at Far Horizon would be all the more triumphant if it was hard-earned. She went with Steven into Gloria's office.

"Steve, are you sure you finally approve of the contract?" Gloria asked in a teasing voice, all her attention now on him. "You're certainly the most thorough lawyer I've ever known."

"I wanted Kate to have the best deal possible," he said mildly. "I'll let her read over the contract for herself now. Go ahead, Kate. Take your time."

Gloria made an impatient gesture, but Kate sat down and read each clause carefully and thoroughly. She had no doubt that she would find everything in order; she just needed to delay signing her name for a few more moments. Surely that was understandable—she was taking a big step.

At last she had to raise her head and nod her acceptance. She picked up a pen and inched it toward the signature line. Gloria's low, throaty voice took over.