The Right Time (76 page)

The front door opened and she caught a glimpse of blonde hair, then Kate stood in front of her. They’d never met, but she’d seen dozens of pictures of her. Dr. Brill was here—in the flesh.

“Hi,” Townsend said, almost falling over when one of the wheels of her chair rolled over her foot as she tried to stand. She slapped her hands onto the desk, steadying herself. “We finally meet.”

“Townsend?” Kate looked surprised, like she had no idea what she looked like. Then it dawned on her. She probably didn’t. Hennessy wasn’t dumb enough to leave photos of her all over the apartment.

She extended her hand, and Kate shook it. “It’s hard to believe it’s taken us this long,” Townsend said.

She had no idea why she was so jumpy, but she honestly felt like a little kid trying to impress a much older, much cooler kid. As if she was a seventh grader and Kate was a senior in high school. Everything about her seemed cool. Even her pale blue eyes sent off a slight chill. But it was her affect that was most striking. She oozed calm, cool, certainty—probably about everything. A dimwit could see the intelligence in her eyes, tagging her as the kind of person who’d make a sharp, quick assessment of a situation. Who’d make firm, unhesitating decisions, and not regret a single one. How could Hennessy relax with someone who seemed so—evolved? Hennessy was as goofy as the day was long, or was that her line? Either way, she was playful and light, unlike Kate, who seemed like someone who’d breeze into your hospital room and deliver bad news, then declare she’d open you right up and have you on your feet in no time. And you’d believe her.

“It is surprising, isn’t it?” Her gaze flew around the office, probably trying to find some sign of Hennessy’s presence. She must have seen something… Ahh. A photo of her and Hennessy on the desk. She walked around and sat in her chair.

For no good reason, that seemed a little pushy to Townsend, and she was tempted to tell her to keep her butt off Hennessy’s stuff. But that was crazy! The woman was just taking a seat, for God’s sake.

Kate’s admittedly lovely face revealed a muted smile. Maybe she was nervous, too. “Is Hennessy around?”

“Oh!” God she was an idiot! “There was some problem with the bus she takes. Since we’re just cleaning things up, she was going to come in this morning, instead of last night, but she texted me a while ago to say she was still wandering around the Walmart, waiting.”

“The Walmart?” A blonde eyebrow rose and stayed up for a few seconds.

“That’s where she catches the bus. She’s never mentioned…?”

Now the well-shaped eyebrows knit for a moment. “We don’t have a lot of time to talk. I don’t think we’ve ever covered her transit options.” By the time she was finished with that sentence, she was idly picking up things from the desk, looking at the trinkets Hennessy had amassed during the last year. Silly things; slivers of driftwood, some beach glass, half of a key a nervous student had broken off in a lock. And books—lots of books on writing and crafting a story. Kate’s gaze slid across the titles, her bottom lip stuck out as she considered them.

“Did you just fly in?” Townsend asked, finding the silences unnerving.

“Yeah. I wanted to surprise Hennessy.”

Townsend assessed her more fully while Kate was busy trespassing all over Hennessy’s stuff. She looked damned good for someone who’d had to get up at dark o’clock to get down to South Carolina before noon. She was a little pale, but seemed to have the kind of skin that got color fast when she was in the sun. Actually, when Townsend really studied her, she would have believed she’d been ill. She was very thin, but it didn’t look like she was trying to be—more like she couldn’t keep weight on. That, added to her pale skin, made her look like she’d emerged—not long ago—from a sanatorium. But Hennessy often spoke of her “hospital pallor” and said that all of the fellows looked worse than the people in the beds. Still, Townsend couldn’t make herself believe Kate was anything but lovely.

And she had style, too, looking breezy and cool in a blue and white striped shirt and marine blue jeans. Tan deck shoes gave her a little preppy edge, and they matched the tote bag she carried as a purse. A blue print scarf was tied around one handle of the bag, probably for later, if she wanted to jazz up her outfit. She definitely seemed like the type who knew how to jazz up just about anything she wanted to.

Once she’d finished playing with everything her elegant, well-manicured hands could grab, she sat back in the chair and leaned it back as far as it would go. “I had this image,” she said thoughtfully. “Of Hennessy having a big, old, wood-paneled office. Like the kind you see in classic movies about prestigious universities.” Her gaze traveled around the room again, and Townsend tried to see it through her eyes. It would have had to be classed up to even be modest.

Defensively, she said, “This works for us. It was more important that we have the bigger room for our instructors to have some space to relax in.” Hoping her offer would be accepted, she said, “You might be more comfortable in there. The sofa’s really comfy.”

Quickly, Kate sat up, her back perfectly vertical to the floor. “Oh, God, am I disturbing you? I assumed things were winding down…”

“No, not at all!” She tried hard to make her smile look natural. “I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable. Can I make you some coffee?”

“I’m a tea drinker. But don’t go to any trouble. I had a couple of cups already.” She stood and gazed at the whiteboard, the big one where Hennessy kept all of her deadlines. “I’m not surprised to see each of these ticked off,” she said, with a note of pleasure. “Boudreaux is a hell of a hard worker, isn’t she?”

“She is. Always has been,” Townsend said. “I could check and see if Hennessy’s still in Beaufort. You could take my car…”

“She’s coming, right?”

“She said she was, and knowing her, only a hurricane could stop her.”

Kate went to the window and peered up at the sky. “Clear day. She’ll be here.” She went back to the chair and settled herself onto it, barely making the springs creak. She must have been a dancer or something, given how lithe she was. “I don’t want to go to Beaufort if I don’t have to.” She leaned over and rested her head on a hand. “I think her grandmother would be happy to never lay eyes on me again.”

“Hennessy’s mentioned that.”

Eyes popping open, Kate sat up straight again. “She’s said that—specifically?”

“Oh, no,” Townsend said, waving her off. “Just that you and her grandmother aren’t close.”

“Oh.” She stretched out again, seeming very cat-like—lean and long and light on her feet. “I wish Hennessy wasn’t so fond of her grandparents. Then I could take the job at UCLA.” She sighed heavily. “I’d love to be by the ocean.”

“But she
is
close to them,” Townsend said, ready to stick up for Hennessy even when she wasn’t present. “She’d be miserable if she had to live in L.A. That’s just not her.”

Kate cocked her head, her gaze sharpening. “I think I know her pretty well. We’ve been together for a very long time.”

“I’m not saying you don’t. But if you think she’d like Los Angeles, you’ve missed some big clues.”

“New York-Presbyterian’s my second favorite,” she said, an eyebrow lifting. “How do you think she’d like Manhattan?”

“I think she’d like it a lot less than Boston, which she kinda hated.” She screwed up her courage and spit it out. “Face it, Kate, if you want her to be happy, you’ll move close to her family. There’s no way around that.”

“I realize that,” she nodded. “That’s why I’m here. To take her with me to Durham.” A smile bloomed, immediately making her look healthy, even vibrant. “I’m going to sign a contract at Duke. I’ll be on staff, and I’ll get to do a little teaching, too. It’ll be good,” she decided.

“It’s about time!” Townsend blurted, leaning back in her chair, relief flooding her.

“Pardon?”

Kate’s piercing blue eyes locked onto her like guided missiles.

“Oh, shit, I didn’t mean that to come out that way. I’m
so
sorry. This is none of my business. I just know how much Hennessy—”

“You’re right,” Kate said briskly. “This
is
none of your business.” She got up and moved over to sit on the edge of the desk, where she loomed over Townsend. “I was thinking about this on the flight down. It seems like you’ve been friends for years and years, but you really haven’t been.” Townsend started to interrupt, but Kate kept going. “You were together here when you were kids, but she was your counselor, and I know nothing went on then.” She dismissed that time with a wave of her hand. “Then you started to get close, but it didn’t work out. I don’t think you ever even had a week together. And I’m
certain
you didn’t have sex.”

“We never did,” Townsend admitted. “Not even close.” This was really none of Kate’s business, but she felt she might help Hennessy out by confirming what Kate thought she knew.

“Then she went to Paris and…you know the rest. So you’ve really only known each other for a year when you drill down to the facts.”

“I suppose that’s true, when you’re only counting the time we’ve been in the same space. But that kind of calculation ignores how close we were during those early years—even when we were apart.”

“We’ve shared a bed for our time together, Townsend. I’ve gotten to know her—inside and out.”

Oooh.
She was looking for a fight and Townsend was just about to give her one. She’d been on very good behavior for an awful lot of years, but she’d once clocked people much bigger for less. Standing to get some distance, Townsend tried to contain her temper and her tongue. “I never said you didn’t know her. Of course you do. I just want her to get what she wants—you and this job and the ability to see her family often.”

“I’m sure I’ll have at least one weekend call a month. She can fly down and see her family when I’m working.”

“Fly…?” Townsend blinked, trying to recall where Duke was. “Can’t she drive?”

“Well, she could, but it’s at least five hours away. Not something you’d want to do for a weekend.”

“Shit,” Townsend grumbled before she headed back to her chair and dropped onto it. “She’s not going to like that. Not at all.”

“It’s better than UCLA, isn’t it? Or New York? She’ll be in
a
Carolina.”

“What if she wants to stay here and commute to see
you
on the weekends?” She knew she was shoving her nose where it didn’t belong, but she couldn’t stop herself. Couldn’t come close to putting on the brakes.

“That won’t work,” she said flatly. She jumped to her feet, her feline grace letting her land with the softest of “thumps.” “I’m making a sacrifice to come down here. My mentors are in Boston, and my family’s in Chicago. I’ve got no ties, no contacts down here. I’m doing this
only
for Hennessy. And I’m not planning on living alone.”

“But she loves this job,” Townsend said, her voice a plea.

“Give me one reason why she can’t do it from North Carolina? All she does is talk on the phone and use the computer. She didn’t teach a single class this year—the stated reason for her coming, by the way.” Bitterness had crept into her voice, giving Townsend even more warning to back away, slowly. But she didn’t. This was like a stone rolling down a steep hill, picking up steam as it traveled.

“She’s planning on teaching next year. Especially if Nicole, the woman I’m dating, doesn’t move down here. Hennessy’s going to take on her full load if that happens, and you can’t do that by telephone.”

“Nicole,” Kate said, gazing at Townsend like she was on exhibit. “How’s that going? I got the impression you were on thin ice.”

Townsend shrugged, unwilling to concede anything. One thing was certain. Gramma was a good judge of character. She’d sniffed out something unpleasant in Dr. Brill, and Townsend was now getting a whiff of it.

Kate moved to stand right in front of Townsend. Then she leaned over and put her hand on the back of the chair, holding her in place. Her damned perfume was so sexy it wasn’t fair. How could you clock someone who smelled so good?

Kate’s voice was calm, cool and even. But the words were jagged, piercing. “I think I know why you’re still single. I think I know why a very nice looking, very wealthy, perfectly pleasant woman with a sparkling personality can’t hold onto a girlfriend.”

“I
can
hold onto a girlfriend,” she snapped. “Just because I’m picky doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

“Yes, it does,” Kate said. “It means you’re waiting for Hennessy. You still love my girlfriend.”

“You’re right!” Townsend snapped, shoving her chair away from Kate’s hold. No matter how mature she was, she’d never be able to tolerate anyone physically holding her in place. Some things were hardwired into your DNA. “I love her. I’ve
always
loved her. I’ll love her until the day I die. So fucking what? She’s chosen you, so take her! Go! Be happy little Tar Heels or whatever they call Duke.”

Kate got close again, this time not trying to restrain Townsend. The doctor learned quickly. Her voice wasn’t harsh, but the words definitely were. “She chose
me
. That’s the truth. So get your own girl and leave mine alone. I’ve got enough to deal with without having to worry about you making her want things she can’t have.”

“Like a good relationship between her lover and her family? If I had her, I’d be doing cartwheels to make her grandmother like me. Why can’t you go out of your way for her?”

“None of your business,” Kate snapped, turning to head back to Hennessy’s desk. “I’m sure you’ve got all sorts of tips for making Hennessy happy, but I was doing just fine before you dropped her dream job into her lap.” She looked around, then shook her head. “There’s no way you can pay her what you do and make a profit. This was all smoke and mirrors to get your hands on her.”

“We did just fine. The goal isn’t to make money. It’s to provide a service. So long as we break even, Mary Ann’s happy.”

“That can’t be true. No one runs a business that way. By the time Mary Ann figures out she’s pouring capital into this thing and not making a dime, she’ll pull the plug. Then what will Hennessy do? She’ll look like an idiot for working at a failed summer camp when she could have been well on her way to getting tenure at Stanford.”