The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel (21 page)

Sabin’s eyes narrow. “What’s his game?”

“No game. He only wants you to understand
what we’re up against.”

“A slip of a girl?”

“No, she’s unusual. Special.”

“What? You wanna take her home to Mom?”

Just for once, Rafe wishes Sabin would keep
his sarcasm to himself. “No. Listen to what I have to say. Edge
wants to see if you have the same experience we all do. If you
don’t, he’s willing to let you tattoo ‘Pussy’ in capital letters
across his forehead.”

Sabin flicks the hair out of his eyes. “Why
the fuck would I want one of my men having a tattoo like that on
his forehead?”

“It’s his way of telling you how sure he is
of this.”

“Hmm. This is a first. Sweetening the pot is
he? It might just be worth it to prove his arrogant ass wrong.”

Rafe laughs. “Thought you’d like it, but
it’s not gonna happen.”

“You’re that confident?” Sabin asks. “A
minute ago, you acted like you didn’t know your ass from a hole in
the ground.”

If Rafe is sure about one thing, it’s this
girl. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sabin leans forward in his chair, rests his
arms on his thighs, and steeples his fingers between his knees.
“Here’s my offer. I come. But if I find out differently, you’ll all
be pulled and suspended without pay. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get out of here and go tell Edge to get
ready for some company. I’m going to be his right hand man.” Sabin
flashes Rafe a wicked grin.

Juliette

Things have been so much better without
Sister Helena. Life’s almost like a vacation. Almost. The
oppressive darkness of living in the convent has disappeared and
even though it is still stark and unattractive, the atmosphere has
altered so much that it’s a much more pleasant place to live. All
the nuns seem lighthearted and happy. That was absent when Sister
Helena was in charge.

The night she was taken away, after Father
Anthony returned from the hospital, he called a meeting with all
the nuns at the rectory. He explained that she would be in
psychiatric care and when she was healthy enough to be released,
she would go into retirement. Sister Mary Elizabeth is officially
in charge now, and everyone is thrilled with the news.

The next day, one of the other nuns, Sister
Marcella, paid me a visit in my room after dinner and brought me
some blankets. She explained that Sister Helena only allowed the
meager ones on my bed. The nuns all had protested, but she would
hear none of it. I had no idea I had been deprived of these out of
spite or whatever you want to call it. It was my impression that
everyone slept with the same number of blankets that I did. That
was the first night I didn’t freeze while I slept since I arrived
at the convent.

Two days later, we’re getting ready for the
Christmas masses. The church is decorated and the nuns are
scurrying around with last minute preparations. Christmas Eve is in
two days. I haven’t seen Kade since I’ve been back. I miss him and
Ethel. It’s been too cold and the snow is still too deep for me to
walk over there or to the shelter, so I’ve had to cancel my
volunteer activities. Hopefully, the snow will melt off some in a
few days and I’ll be able to resume them.

We have choir practice today. The nuns have
encouraged me to join in. I’ve tried to get out of it, but they
won’t hear of it. I don’t know why they want me here. I swear I
sound like nails on a chalkboard, but they embrace my horrible
voice as if I were an opera singer. Maybe they all need psychiatric
care like Sister Helena. Or maybe they need their hearing
checked.

The church is filled with nuns and choir
members milling around, waiting for practice to start. I’m standing
right inside the church, leaning against a pew when he walks in the
narthex. Oh, God, he looks like sunshine and summer on this cold
winter day. He turns to the right and he must see someone because
he laughs. The timbre of his voice makes me shiver—not with cold,
but with heat. Blazing heat. His profile is perfect, nose straight
and tinged with pink from the cold; his sinewy form is covered in
his jacket, much to my dismay. The urge to run and hug him is
overpowering. Heat spreads from my belly to my core, and then up to
my neck. I know my face is flushed; I can feel the heat singeing my
cheeks.

“Emmalia, are you okay?”

It’s Sister Mary Elizabeth.

My head jerks around so I can look at her.
“Uh, yeah, I, uh, I’m okay.”

Her brow creases and she puts her hand on my
forehead. “You do feel a bit warm to the touch. A slight fever
perhaps?”

Of course I’m warm to the touch. My blood is
about to boil. Shaking my head, I say, “No, no, I don’t think
so.”

“Maybe you should sit down.”

“I’m fine, really.”

While we’re discussing the state of my
health, I don’t notice Kade’s approach.

“Emmalia.”

I really need Sister Mary Elizabeth to get
the hell out of here.

“Hello Kade. I’ll be running along to gather
the sheep. Emmalia, if you don’t feel up to this …”

“I’m fine,” I huff.

She nods and her chubby body shuffles off.
Oh, how I wish we were anywhere but here.

Turning to face Kade, I smile and say,
“Hi.”

“What the hell happened to your face?”

It’s dark, well dark like most churches, and
my face has faded quite a bit so I didn’t give it a thought. But
his ice blue eyes darken as his pupils dilate. He fights to
maintain control, as his body tenses and his eyes seethe.

“Tell me, Emmalia, before I do something we
both regret.”

“It was Sister Helena.”

His face moves in front of mine and he says,
“What did you say?”

“But it’s okay.”

“It is
not
okay.”

Before I can speak, he stalks out of the
church. I run after him calling his name. He stops in the
narthex.

“Listen to me.”

He looks like a damn bull, with his nostrils
flaring. The muscle in his jaw twitches so violently, I’m afraid
he’s going to crack his teeth.

“Calm down, Kade. Everything is good. She’s
gone. Father Anthony removed her and Sister Mary Elizabeth is in
charge now.”

The tension drains out of him and he
inhales. “Thank God.”

“There’s something else. Well a couple of
things.”

“Am I going to have another stroke over
them?”

“I don’t know.”

The truth is, I don’t know how he’ll react.
I’d like to think he’ll be happy, but who knows? Our eyes dance
around each other’s for a few seconds and mine end up lingering on
his sensual lips for far too long.

“Are you going to tell me or are you just
going to stare at me?”

My belly turns into a pile of knots, and I
grimace.

“That bad, huh.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I squeak. So I blurt
out, “Father Anthony knows we’re sweet on each other. Well, he
knows I’m sweet on you. And so does Sister Mary Elizabeth. And I
told them both that I would make a decision soon about my life in
the convent. They reminded me that I can’t date you while I’m
here.”

A monstrous grin spreads across his face.
Then he looks around and sees no one, so he grabs my hand and drags
me to a nearby closet. It’s a small one that’s used for odds and
ends. Once inside, he flips on the light, closes the door, and his
hand softly traces the outline of what remains of the bruise.

“I’m glad she’s gone because I may have gone
to jail over this.” His lips kiss the bit of swelling left behind,
and work their way to my lips, where they caress and tease. “I want
you, Juliette. I’ve done nothing but think about you since you
left. Come back to me. Please. I’m not above begging.”

“Kade. I want you too, but this is moving so
fast.”

“I mean leave the convent so we can try.
Properly try.”

His lips are back on mine, but this time
they’re insistent, probing, tasting, invading, and I’m lost to
everything that’s Kade Hart. My hands burrow under his jacket so I
can feel his skin. I need his skin next to mine. And I realize then
there’s no hope for me here. I have to get out and make my way,
trying to see if it works with Kade.

“Okay.”

“Okay? Okay what?”

“I’ll leave. After Christmas.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

He grabs my butt and hoists me up against
him, saying, “I promise, you will not be sorry. I’ll make you
happy, I swear I will.”

“You have to promise me something else, too,
Kade.”

“Anything.”

“That we’ll take this slow. That we won’t
see each other every day. That we give each other room. I want us
healthy in this relationship and not using each other as a
crutch.”

He plays with a piece of my choppy hair as
he thinks of what to say.

“This isn’t a place for a long conversation,
so I’ll be brief. I’m pretty much a fucked up, broken down, drug
addict. I’m not a great catch,” and he bends down to whisper into
my ear, “Juliette.” Then he offers me a goofy grin before
continuing. “I’m eccentric as shit. Sometimes my thoughts turn
pretty dark and my moods turn even darker. That’s when I express
myself better through music than words. I’ve never thought I was
worth loving—until I met you. Have you ever heard of the snap? The
click? That’s what happened to me when I met you. Everything
snapped into place. It all clicked. You make me feel things—things
I didn’t know existed. I’ll never use you as a crutch. I look at
you as a rocket booster, Juliette. You lift me up. Take me places
I’ve never been. But a crutch? Never. And I agree with you. If you
want room, you’ll have it.”

“For someone who expresses himself better
through music than words, you did a damn fine job of it just
now.”

He kisses me, but just a peck.

“We need to get out of here before they call
the police and file a missing persons report.”

He opens the door and peeks a little then we
walk out. I’m struck by the fact that he’s here so I ask him.

“I’m playing the organ.”

“For the services, too?”

“Huh uh. Only for practice. Mr. Grant, the
regular organist, couldn’t be here today.”

“Kade, have you seen that organ? It’s
huge.”

He looks at me and busts out laughing. “I
have seen it and indeed it is.”

“Can you play it?”

“I grew up playing the mighty organ,” he
smirks. “I’m quite handy at it.”

The sexual innuendos suddenly hit me and I
elbow him. “You’re bad.”

“No, I’m a man and we all act like we’re
twelve.”

“You really know how to play that
thing?”

He laughs. “You’re going to find out. But
are you singing today?”

“They insisted, but I think I’ll lip
sync.”

“Just relax and sing. You’ll be fine.”

“Okiedoke, Bronco,” and I give him a
wink.

We separate ways, and I can hear him
laughing as he climbs the stairs to the choir loft, where the
humongous organ is. I join the others in the front of the church.
As I pass Sister Mary Elizabeth, she mumbles, “Did you two have fun
in the closet?”

I suck in my breath and my face feels like
it could torch up the church. I’m sure it’s red as fire.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone else saw
you slip inside.”

“Gah, I’m dying here. He was furious over my
swollen face.”

“I take it you explained the situation.”

I nod.

“Come. It’s time to practice.”

I let her lead me, but I know I’ll sound
like a squirrel barking. This two hour practice will seem like
days.

Kade stands at the choir loft and tells the
director he’s ready. And when the pipes of the organ begin to blow
out the melody, I can only think of him running his expert fingers
across the ivory keys. Song after song, he plays, never missing a
key. Or at least if he does, I can’t tell. My untrained ears
probably wouldn’t notice anyway.

We finally finish, and I look at my watch.
It’s one-thirty. And I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.
I linger at the back, hoping to talk to Kade.

He finally comes down from the choir loft
and says, “I was hoping I’d see you while I was here. I wanted to
give you this.” He hands me a piece of paper with a phone number on
it.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the kennel where Ethel will be
staying.”

“Kennel?”

“Yes. I leave tomorrow for Charleston to
spend the holidays with my family and I’ll be back the day after
Christmas. She’ll stay there until I return.”

“Oh, no!”

Sister Mary Elizabeth hears me and asks,
“What is it Emmalia?”

“It’s Ethel. She has to stay in a kennel
because Kade is going to Charleston for Christmas.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have any other option,”
he says.

“I know. But it still breaks my heart.”

Sister Mary Elizabeth chews on her lip. “Why
doesn’t Ethel stay here?”

“But I thought …”

She smiles. “I know. That was Sister Helena.
We all wanted that puppy here. You can bring her here and then she
won’t have to stay in the kennel.”

I nearly knock poor Sister over when I hug
her in excitement.

Kade comments about how things have changed
for the better around here.

“They sure have. I even have more blankets
and I’m not freezing at night anymore.”

He bristles. “You were freezing at
night?”

“Forget I said that.” I don’t need him
seething over something else. “You’re not going to burst my bubble
of happiness. I get Ethel for a couple of days.”

“And I’m sure she’ll be excited to see you
as well,” Kade adds.

“Let’s go get her!” I charge toward the
church entrance. This is such a fabulous surprise. Christmas wasn’t
exactly going to be an exciting holiday for me. The last two were
dreadful. I was expecting for more of the same, but now with Ethel
coming over, I’m happier than I would be if someone handed me a
trunk full of money.