Love on Ice (Cannon City Series Book 2) (10 page)

He moved toward her, but Kate backed up a step. “Babe, I told Monica nothing. I’d never do that. She’s a liar and you’ve got to trust me.”

“Trust you? God, I fell for it so easily. You give me that story about hating to be lied to, but you were the one who lied. I fell for everything you said.”

Kate’s brain jumped all over the place and she only knew one thing for certain. She had to leave. She’d never be able to breathe freely if she stayed. Frank didn’t have the first clue what he was up against. She saw the guy in the black jacket come out the front door of the rink. She turned toward the road.

“I don’t know who or what to trust or believe. I only know one thing and that is I’ve got to leave, now. There’s someone here and I can’t go back to that life, ever.”

She sped up her pace, but Jay kept up with her. They passed the diner and she heard Jay on the phone with someone. He snapped the phone closed.

“Frank will meet us at your apartment. We need to know what to do.”

She stopped and turned to him. “No,
we
don’t. I’m leaving. I must have been crazy to think I could have some kind of normal life. My mom used to say I wanted too much and I guess she was right. I thought you were an exceptional man, but, boy was I blind. So go back to the rink, Jay. Your little whore is there, waiting. We’re finished.”

Jay grabbed her arms and looked at her. “What else did she say to you? Besides the crap about me calling your mom.”

Kate looked up at him and felt so torn. His face and eyes didn’t look like he lied and then his nostrils flared. She wanted to believe him, but all of her trust issues surfaced. She pushed away from him, but he tightened his grip on her arms. “It doesn’t matter, Jay. Just stay away from me.”

“It matters, Kate. Tell me what she said.”

She looked away from him and tried to get out of his hold. “She said you fucked her in your office and told her everything. She said you laughed and that my story was pathetic.”

“And you believed her?”

“I have no clue what to believe. I don’t know you well enough...”

“You know me, Kate.”

She pushed away from him and started back to her apartment. “Go back to the rink, Jay. There’s nothing more to talk about. I have to get out of here.” She turned down the driveway to her apartment and saw a black Ford Bronco parked with the engine off. She stopped dead in her tracks. Another hand wrapped around her left arm and she knew it wasn’t Jay since he stood on her right.

When she saw the man in the black coat, she tried to get out of his grip, but he pulled her toward the Bronco. Kate squatted down and the man continued to drag her. Jay stepped in front of her feet and grabbed a handful of the man’s jacket. He swung up at the guy and she could hear a bone crack. The guy landed on his butt and held his face. Blood ran between his fingers and he moaned. Jay leaned over and helped her get up.

She heard a door open on the Bronco and saw a platinum blonde woman step out onto the driveway. Kate backed up a step, but didn’t know where to run to that would be safe from the woman who grinned at her. All she needed to do was get into her apartment, get her things packed and go to the bus station.

“Hello Stacy, long time, no see,” the woman said. She reminded Kate of a snake. “Are you ready to come home?”

Kate pulled her arm out of Jay’s hand and looked at the woman who’d given birth to her and thought she might throw up. She heard a car pull up along the curb on the street and glanced back. She saw Frank get out of a BMW. He walked up and stood next to Kate. She saw him glance down at the guy with the bloody nose who still lay on the ground.

“Mrs. Hardy, your daughter doesn’t want to speak to you right now,” Frank said. He took a small wallet out of his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed the card to the woman. “You can call my office to set up an appointment. She won’t talk to you without me present.” He turned back to Kate and Jay and motioned them to the house. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.”

“Stacy, please, there is so much you need to know. There’ve been so many changes. Just talk to me,” her mother said and tried to move toward her.

“Mrs. Hardy, there’s nothing she wants to hear from you right now. Get back in your vehicle and get out of here. There will be a time and place to conduct a conversation.” Frank looked at Kate and pointed to her doorway.

Kate walked to the side of the house with Jay and Frank following. She took her key out of her pocket and opened the door. As she walked in, she moved away from Jay and went to the other side of the living room. Her heart raced and pounded in her ears. All she wanted to do was pack her bag and get out of here. She didn’t want a conversation with her mother and she didn’t want to talk to Jay or Frank.

She couldn’t look at either man. She didn’t know if what Jay said was true or not. She didn’t know who she could trust. Her body felt numb and she just wanted to catch the next bus out of town.

“I was going to talk to you two after the game. How about we all sit down for a minute?” Frank said.

“I’m too wound up and just fine standing.” Kate leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. There wasn’t much time. The sooner she left Canon City and changed her name again, the better.

“Okay, your mother at one time controlled your management as a skater, as I’m sure you’re aware.” Kate nodded. “That all ended seven years ago when you turned eighteen. The contract expired. So as far as the skating is concerned, she has no cards to play one way or another.”

She saw Frank look at the kitchen. He went in, grabbed a straight back chair, carried it into the living-room and sat down.

“I found out something interesting. Your mom has some writer on hold to do a biography of you. She seems to think she can make millions on your story, which makes no sense. You’re a wonderful person, Kate, but rarely do bio’s sell that well.” He rested his elbows on his knees and tented his fingers. “Kate, I want you to hear what I’m going to say. Are you with me?”

Kate saw Frank look at her with a very angry stare. “Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, Frank, I can hear what you’re saying,” she said and felt her own anger begin to build.

“Your mother no longer controls your life. She has no control unless you let her. The idle threats she made about committing you to a mental hospital are nothing. If she continues to badger you, I’ve prepared a harassment law suit and she’ll be slapped with a restraining order. Do you understand what I’m telling you, Kate?”

“I think you’re saying that I let her push me around all of these years when I could have just told her to fuck off and leave me alone.”

Frank chuckled. “You got it, but I think she trained you pretty well to fall in line. Now, I want you to think about one thing only, if you run again she wins. I’m pretty sure you don’t want that.”

Kate opened her mouth to say something, but didn’t know what she wanted to say. “I understand,” she said and looked down at her hands. “Why did you call her Mrs. Hardy?”

“She’s remarried. I don’t know the details yet, and we still have some things to check out. It looks as though your parents divorced at some point. I’ve tried to reach your father, but haven’t found him yet. Look sweetie, I don’t want her to bug you anymore. I know you’ve been staying at Jay’s, but she’ll probably be able to figure that out and find his house. This might be an ideal time to borrow your good friend’s cabin.”

She frowned at him. “Who’s my good friend?”

“Frank thinks he’s being funny. It’s his cabin,” Jay said.

“The words
thank you
are not in Jay’s vocabulary, Kate. You’re going to have your hands full with him; you should know that up front. Your mom can easily find out where Jay lives. I think you two should go to the cabin and enjoy a nice relaxed week or two off. I’ll let Harry know you’re away on an emergency, but should be back soon.”

“No, I have to work and I’m not at Jay’s anymore. We’re finished.” She crossed her arms and looked at the floor.

“I’m not sure what’s happened here...” Frank said.

She looked up and saw Frank look back and forth between her and Jay. “I don’t think...” she started but Jay interrupted her.

“Frank, could you come back to lawyer mode for a minute?” Jay asked. “I need for you to defend me.”

Kate saw Frank arch his brow and look, again, from Jay to her and back. “Okay, what have you done?”

“Tell him what Monica Everett said to you at the rink.” Jay crossed his arms and looked at her.

“Oh, God, not the forked tongued bitch?” Frank groaned. “What did she do?”

Kate swallowed and froze. She felt embarrassed and realized she’d let Monica play her. The look on Jay’s face killed her and she knew she’d hurt him by believing the woman. It didn’t matter, though. She’d only hurt Jay in the long-run and it was best for him not to be involved.

“She told Kate that I contacted her mother. Monica also said I fucked her in my office at the rink,” Jay said.

Frank stood up and walked over to Kate. He took her hand in his and looked her in the eyes. “Sweetheart, I’m only going to tell you this once and if you ever fall for her lies again, I will spank you myself. Monica Everett is a pathological liar. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard her tell the truth and I’ve known her since kindergarten. Ignore the words that come out of her mouth, Kate. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was the one who called Mommy Dearest, but how did she know about it?”

“I have no idea, but I intend to find out,” Jay said.

Kate looked at Jay, again and saw him shrug his shoulders. He looked pissed and she didn’t think he would ever forgive her for the way she’d treated him. It would have to be. She’d just have to understand if he wanted nothing more to do with her.

“As for the other thing she said, she’s been after a couple of men in town since high school and we all hold her at an arms distance. There’s no way Jay would screw her anytime, anywhere. To save your sanity, Kate, just disregard her and don’t let her push your buttons again.” Frank looked at them both. “It would seem you two need to talk. I’ll be in touch. I’m going to make sure the Bronco is gone. If I come back inside it’s because she’s still out there and we’ll need to call the sheriff.”

Kate didn’t even realize Frank left the apartment. She stared at Jay. The look on his face killed her and the realization that she’d blundered by believing Monica made her very angry at herself. She said terrible things to him and didn’t know what to do.

“I’m really sorry. I never meant... Maybe someday I’ll be able to not freak out...I mean I don’t know how...” She looked up at him and wanted to hold him, but thought she might have gone over the line and hurt him so badly he wouldn’t want to be with her anymore. “I’m so confused and have a lot to learn,” she said quietly and looked down at her hands.

She saw his sneakers down by her feet and felt his fingers under her chin. He moved her head up. His brown eyes were pinched and looked very intense. He pulled her into a hug. She put her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
  “When I saw Monica talking to you, I freaked out. I could tell by the look on your face it wasn’t good.” He put his hands on her shoulders and moved her back. He looked directly at her and Kate started to worry this was the end. “Babe, this is lesson number one and it’s something you need to take very seriously. The way it is with me, and those around me, family and close friends, is that we take care of things that are important to us. My mom is already over the moon about you and plans to take you shopping even though she’s only known you for an hour. I’m giving you early warning. My parents instinctively can tell when something or someone is important to their sons. Honey, I adore you and us and everything that means. This may sound crazy, but we fit together in a really weird way. So, part of being involved with me is putting up with my over-protectiveness. I...well...” he smiled. “I won’t say that
L
word because I don’t want to scare you, but since I do, you’ve now got a family and friends that care for you.” He stood up straight and put his hand on her cheek. “I know you have trust issues and it will take some time for you to rely and have complete faith in me. I can live with that. I need for you to understand that when I’m involved with someone who makes me catch my breath when they walk in a room and how you can move so gracefully on the ice and waiting tables, I’m involved for good. You’re the only one I want by my side, Kate, my beautiful woman. That’s enough of lesson number one.”

Kate started to open her mouth, but her voice caught and a tear rolled down her cheek. She put her hand over his and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to sob. “Jay,” she whispered and her lips trembled. “Thank you. I was so afraid I’d screwed up completely and...and...” She shook her head and tried to get a complete thought together in her brain. “My mother can be very mean and I really have no right to ask you to put up with...” She stopped when he put his fingers over her lips.

Jay pulled her back into his arms and held her tight. He wrapped his arm around her head and kissed her hair. “I can deal with her. You don’t need to worry about that. Okay? There’s no need to think that you screwed up. Just know that we’re together and I’d never in a million years do anything to wreck what we’ve got, okay?” He moved her back and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

“Okay,” she said and tried to smile. “Oh Lord, the game. You should go back to the rink. The game’s probably still going on and the kids need you.”

He put his hand on her neck and looked down into her eyes. “It’s only a game, Kate. It’s not as important as you are.”

She looked up at him. “I’m not that selfish and I want to go back. If Monica is still there, I want to see her face when we walk in hand in hand and you give me a hard kiss with lots of tongue.”

“Oh baby, I like where your head is at. Maybe you want to go check your face. Your make-up got a little smeared.”