Return to Lone Oak (Harlequin Heartwarming) (10 page)

CHAPTER NINE

K
ATIE
WATCHED
THE
movers
roll the last load of boxes, stacked three high, out to the truck.

It was done. The house was empty.

Her footsteps echoed as she walked from room to room over the bare floors. Her dad and Claudia were at the new place already, unpacking things delivered in the first truckload and waiting to tell the movers where to put the rest of their stuff once it arrived. Katie was glad, now, that she’d volunteered for this end of the job. She couldn’t do much in the way of lifting and loading with her arm in a cast, so she’d just directed the movers when they needed instructions. Watched them empty out her home of twenty-some years and turn it into a “pile of wood and bricks,” as Savannah had described it.

Katie took the stairs up to the top floor, her limbs aching with bone-deep emotional fatigue. She couldn’t bring herself to walk out the door just yet.

She went directly to the master bedroom and walked across it to a window seat in the dormer.

This had been one of her favorite places when she’d been young. She’d ask her mom to read to her, and then lead her here. Back then, there’d been overstuffed pillows lining the seat, but now nothing softened it. There was only a wooden bench with thinly cushioned upholstery on the surface. Nothing like the special place she’d shared with her mom so long ago.

Perhaps she was torturing herself, trying to hoard as many memories as she could. Hoping to file them away, somehow, so she wouldn’t lose them.

She made a quick check through all the upstairs rooms, to make certain they hadn’t left anything behind. Her closet door was open now and she smiled through her tears at the organizer her mom had installed in an effort to help Katie be neater. The endeavor had been a failure and the family had joked about Katie’s inability to keep her room clean ever since.

As she headed for the stairs again, she held on to her heart necklace, wishing it could offer the same comfort that holding her mother’s hand always had.

“Get over it,” she told herself when she got to the main floor. “It’s just a building.” She sat on the steps, lost in her thoughts, having no success whatsoever in following her own advice.

Finally, she stood slowly, grabbed her purse and a soft drink from the kitchen counter, and headed out the front door without looking back. She could barely see where she was going through her tears.

* * *

K
ATIE
PULLED
HER
J
EEP
up along the curb on the far side of the moving truck and hopped out after composing herself somewhat. If she had her way, she’d sit here in the street forever and avoid going inside. The moving men already had the back of the truck open and were starting to unload it, but her dad and stepmom were nowhere in sight.

She walked slowly up the driveway, giving the movers a hard time as she went. Finally she reached the front door of the square, characterless house, which was propped open. Up until now, she’d avoided entering the place. Her dad had tried several times to get her to go with them to see it, but she hadn’t been able to work up the interest. She’d held on to her denial for as long as she could.

After composing herself, she stepped over the threshold. Already, the couch was placed along one of the walls in the living room. The couch that had been in
her
home for years. It didn’t fit here at all. It no longer felt comfortable or wholly familiar.

“Hello?” she called. It echoed through the half-empty rooms.

“Hey, honey. There you are.” Her dad came out from the kitchen. “Come on in here. We’re just unpacking the necessities.”

She went to the doorway of the kitchen. It was modern, sparkling clean, full of white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. The exact opposite of the traditional coziness of her old home. She wondered if they had chosen this on purpose.

“I’m going to look around,” she said, trying her best to ignore the feeling of being totally lost.

Everything was on one floor, which would be good for her dad’s heart. She continued through the living room to a hallway. There were three doorways close to each other, two on one side and the other across the hall.

She poked her head into the first one and found it nearly full with the first truckload of furniture. Her dad’s office. The next room was clearly the master suite, even though there was no furniture in it so far, only a pile of boxes against one wall.

Finally, she walked into the third room. She knew instantly this one was supposed to be hers; there was her own bed in the corner.

Just as quickly, she knew she could never stay here, would never call this place home. It wasn’t that it was a bad room, it was just...not hers. Instead of having the feeling of belonging, she felt as if she were walking into a dorm room that had served its purpose for dozens of other people. As if putting anything on the walls would be pointless.

Katie turned away, a sharp pain shooting through her head.

No way could she stay here.

She walked directly out the front door and back to her Jeep. She’d planned to stay in Lone Oak for her last three weeks of enforced healing time, but not anymore. She’d needed comfort and now that was gone.

She drove to Savannah’s house, hoping they’d finished the basement as they’d planned to do a few months ago and had put a bed down there. And if they hadn’t, cement floors and a cot would be just fine for the next couple of nights until she headed back to St. Louis.

She rang Savannah’s doorbell. Her brother-in-law Michael opened the door.

“Katie.” He held out his arms and she hugged him. “How’s my favorite kid sister?”

“Still your only kid sister.” She kissed his cheek, then looked him over closely for any signs of strain. She would have to have been blind to miss the tension in his face, the way his mouth fell into a frown of sad resignation.

“Have you eaten?” he asked. “We just sat down to dinner.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Burgers. We’ve got plenty. Come on in.”

Katie followed him into the kitchen.

“Aunt Katie!”

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d still be helping with the move.” Savannah got up and took an extra plate from the cupboard.

“Thanks. Sorry to barge in at dinnertime. I didn’t even realize what time it was.”

“So are they all done with the big stuff?” Savannah asked.

Katie filled her plate. “They’re just unloading the second truckload. Got a ways to go.”

“And you took off?”

“Hey, I lasted longer than you did.” Savannah had left after lunch, to take the kids to swimming lessons. “Actually, I wasn’t doing anyone much good. Then I saw the new house.”

“And... What’d you think?”

“It’s okay, I guess.” She took a bite of her burger and chewed, glancing at the kids and trying to decide how much to say. “I don’t think I can stay there. I was wondering if your basement was in shape enough for me to stay down there.”

“It’s finished,” Savannah said. “It’s almost a full apartment. Only thing it lacks is a kitchen. What do you think, Michael?”

He didn’t even look at his wife. “Why ask me? You’re the one in charge of everything around here.”

O-kay. If that wasn’t indicative of a deeper problem, Katie didn’t know what was. The kids were quiet, pretending to be engrossed by their food.

Savannah shot him a killer look, then turned her attention back to Katie. “You’re welcome to stay down there for as long as you need to.”

“Thanks,” Katie said, extremely concerned by the bad vibes snapping between Savannah and her husband. “It’ll only be for a couple nights, until I can get organized. I’m going to head back to St. Louis.”

“Thought you’d planned on staying until your medical leave was over.”

“I made those plans before I knew we’d be leaving the old house.”

“Dad will be upset if you don’t stay with them,” Savannah said.

Katie finished a mouthful of chips and shrugged. “He knows how I feel.”

“Maybe you should try to get over it,” Savannah said.

“I
am
trying. I feel awful being upset about this. It’s a house—just a house. It makes no sense.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Savannah said, amused.

“Anyways, leave me and my issues alone,” Katie said halfheartedly, not really upset. “I’ll go back over after a while to see if I can help with something, and I’ll tell them I’m going to crash here.”

“I’ll come with you. Maybe we can present it as a sisterly bonding thing. You know, a chance for us to stay up late, talking about girl stuff.”

“Yeah, except Dad knows better. You and I don’t bond and we don’t talk about girlie things.”

“Good point. So we’ll just tell him you hate the house.”

“Sounds like a fun conversation to have.”

“You know, you could stay a little longer than two nights.”

Katie looked carefully at her sister. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost think Savannah wanted her hanging around. She glanced at Michael again, but he was ignoring them, reading the newspaper and finishing his dinner.

“I...might,” Katie said cautiously. “If you think I should.”

Of course, Savannah admitted to nothing.

* * *

K
ATIE
HAD
SPENT
enough time in hotels across the country that one more bed shouldn’t have bothered her. And in fact, last night it hadn’t. After an emotionally draining day spent moving her dad and then explaining to him that she couldn’t stay in his new house and was heading back to St. Louis early, she’d collapsed in Savannah’s basement and fallen into an exhausted dreamless sleep. Tonight, however, that wasn’t happening.

Katie sat up in bed and stuck her legs over the side. Savannah’s guest bed was comfortable—with a fluffy, lightweight down comforter and soft clean sheets—but physical comfort wasn’t going to quell her restlessness now. She jumped up, switched on the ancient lamp on the nightstand and surveyed the room, not sure what she was looking for. It was a hodge-podge of mismatched furniture—an old white dresser, a recliner, an end table, a small dining set—but somehow it all came together to be homey, cozy. And cool. Katie shivered from the combination of central air conditioning and an insulated basement. Then she started pacing.

She allowed that energy to carry her up the stairs without much thought then let herself out onto the back patio, closing the door silently.

The sticky night was full of sounds, calming ones. The chirp of crickets. The harmonized whirr of the neighbors’ air conditioners. A light wind rustling the leaves in the trees. She inhaled the humid air, thinking if she breathed in enough of it, the peace of the evening might fill her.

The moon was bright, inviting her to stray from the safety of the backyard. She had no plans when she started walking barefoot down the driveway, onto the sidewalk. She didn’t worry about the fact she was wearing only her pajamas—a thin-strapped tank and baggy cotton pants—since no one in this sleepy town was stirring anyway. Didn’t worry where she was heading, either, and soon found herself three blocks from Savannah’s.

Right smack in front of the home they’d just moved her dad and stepmom out of.

The entire main floor was brightly lit. Katie walked a few steps farther, toward the driveway, and saw Noah’s Tahoe pulled up in front of the garage. An inexplicable relief went through her at the sight, as if she’d wanted to see him. She hadn’t, not consciously. They hadn’t spoken since they’d left the Dairy Delight the other night on less-than-friendly terms.

She walked up to the front door, craning her neck to try to get a glimpse of Noah, but the living room—in the front of the house—appeared to be unoccupied. She rang the doorbell and smiled sadly at the familiarity of the sound.

She heard footsteps approaching, then Noah opened the door. He wore cutoff sweats, an ancient paint-spattered Gumby T-shirt and a frown.

CHAPTER TEN

“W
HAT
ARE
YOU
doing here?
”
Noah asked, making no motion to invite her inside.

“I could ask you the same thing. Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

He nodded. “I want to get the painting done before I move in this weekend. It’s easier when there’s no furniture.”

“What are you painting? Are you changing the colors?” She looked beyond him anxiously.

Noah thought for a moment, realizing he wasn’t likely to get rid of Katie too easily. In spite of his determination to stay away from her, he found he couldn’t help feeling sympathy now. Clearly, she was still having trouble letting go of the house. Sympathy and...something else. Something better left unexplored.

The least he could do was let her in and see if that helped her to understand that it was no longer her family’s home.

“Yes, I’m changing the colors. I think the living room looks good, but it’s definitely different.” Noah casually rested his hand on her waist as they moved toward the room, then pulled it away when he realized what he’d done and thought about how natural it had felt. “Remember that in a few weeks, you won’t know the difference. You won’t be able to tell when I so much as plant a new tree in front, because you’ll be miles away, caught up in your next adrenaline rush.”

“Tomorrow, actually.”

“Tomorrow what?”

“I’m going back to St. Louis.”

“What for?” A part of him—the part that had reached out and touched her just a minute ago—was sorry to hear she was leaving.

“That’s where I live, remember? This is no longer my home, in any sense of the word.”

“I thought you were staying here while you couldn’t work.”

“I was going to. Until I went into my dad’s new house yesterday. I couldn’t stand it. It’s depressing. It just emphasizes the fact that that’s not where we belong. That our home is gone. Yeah, this looks like a different place,” she said, paying attention to the walls at last. “Brown, huh? Very...masculine. Something my mother would never have chosen.”

“Desert khaki,” he corrected her. “It’s darker than I expected, but I like it. I’m sorry it makes you sad though.” He found he meant it.

Katie turned in circles, taking it in.

“I’m hopelessly hung up on how it was, you know.” She blew out the air from her lungs. “I never really thought about it, but we’ve kept everything the same ever since she died. Even when we repainted, we bought the same colors my mom had chosen. We’re a sick bunch, huh?”

He’d had the exact same thought about himself in the past, when he couldn’t let go of the crushing sadness of losing Leah. He’d much rather try to help Katie through her grief than work through his own, though.

Regardless of his promise to himself to keep his distance from Katie, he couldn’t be harsh or mean or cruel when she showed him how upset she still was. All he could do was fight the urge to pull her into his arms—an urge that was building instead of diminishing.

“You’re not sick,” he said. “People handle their losses in different ways. Who’s to say what’s the right way to do it?”

Katie met his gaze. “Yeah. True.” She turned back toward the walls. “But it’s been long enough. I need to let go.”

“Something tells me we never really let go of our mothers, whether they’re alive or not.” He moved so he could see her face in profile and realized there was moisture in her eyes.

“Hey,” Noah said, touching her cheek with his knuckles.

She turned her head to his and smiled sadly. “I swear I didn’t come over here to cry on your shoulder.”

“Yes, that reminds me. Why
did
you come over here?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She faced him fully now. “I couldn’t sleep. I went outside and it was so nice out there, so I started walking. This is where I ended up.”

“In your—” Noah let his gaze move over her “—pajamas.”

Longing ignited in him as he noticed the rosy flush on her cheeks. He wanted to touch her, pull her close to him, kiss away her troubles.

And that was completely inappropriate.

She’d come here for comfort, to process a loss. Whether she’d
meant
to show up or not, she was drawn here because she was upset. If she knew the thought that had just coursed through Noah’s mind she’d no doubt slap him.

Or maybe she wouldn’t. The way she looked up at him at that moment made his breath catch in his throat. He looked away, afraid he was a moment away, at most, from doing something stupid.

“If you give me five minutes to finish washing out brushes, I’ll give you a ride home,” he told her, heading to the kitchen and away from temptation.

“You don’t need to do that.” She followed him. “I’m sorry to show up here, uninvited. At this hour.”

“Nights are harder, aren’t they?”

She looked at him sharply, then nodded. “Darkness seems to affect everything, make things more difficult.”

She joined him at the sink, taking one of the paint-soaked brushes from the tray and holding it under running water. Their elbows were side by side, brushing together every so often, and Noah became completely focused on the fleeting contact.

As they stood there in silence, rinsing out paint, he fought a war with himself. He wanted to kiss her, but he’d already told himself getting any closer to her would be a giant mistake. Because no matter how calm and rational she seemed at this moment, she was still an impulsive risk taker, an enjoy-life-at-all-costs person. And he couldn’t live with that.

He finished the brush he was working on and stepped away from Katie, away from the sink. Then he picked up the thin plastic tarp he’d used in the living room, wadded it into a ball and shoved it into a large trash bag.

Time to get out of here. He’d come far too close to doing something he shouldn’t. Tomorrow she’d be gone, and while he was a little sorry to hear the news, at least he’d escape without succumbing to the temptation of getting any closer.

Katie finished the last brush and set it down to dry.

“Let’s go,” Noah said.

“Go where?”

“I’ll take you home. It’s late.”

She glanced at the clock on the stove. “I told you I can get myself home. Do you want me to throw the brushes in a plastic bag for you to take with you?”

“No. I’ll need them tomorrow.”

“You’re painting more?”

“Tomorrow’s the kitchen. I hope to get the whole main floor repainted before the weekend.”

He could tell when she noticed the bare kitchen walls for the first time. He’d spent several hours stripping the wallpaper. She stood there, seeming to absorb all the changes. Instead of the concern she’d shown when she’d first seen the living room, she nodded. “I guess it probably needs it, huh?”

Katie noticed the way Noah was staring at her... again. As if he was feeling the same thing she was feeling. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to find out how it felt to have his arms wrapped around her. She’d thought he might kiss her when he’d noticed she was wearing her pajamas but then he’d backed away.

He went into the other room, now, and she heard him lock the front door and turn off the lights.

“Ready?” Noah asked as he returned. He opened the back door and held it for her.

As she passed by him, she caught his scent, which should’ve been unappealing. He’d worked the entire day and then spent the night painting. But all she smelled was man and paint. It seemed so personal. Drew her to him, made her want to get even closer and bury her face in his chest. Just the scent did odd, tingly things to her insides.

She walked to the passenger door of the Tahoe and was about to open it when Noah grabbed the handle first. Katie turned to look at him, smiling.

“Are you always such a gentleman?”

He lowered his eyes to her lips and Katie felt the tingling again.

“Are you always such a...” He frowned. “Forget I said anything.”

“Such a what?” she asked. “That could end up being either good or bad. What were you going to say?”

He tried to turn away, but Katie stepped toward him now and touched his arm. “Noah.” They were less than a foot apart and she moved closer still, making eye contact inescapable. He stopped trying to get away and stared into her eyes. “Remember that conversation we had about finding time for fun?”

“Yeah.” The word sounded husky.

“Now would be a good time to try it.”

“You think so?”

They moved together until their bodies were touching. Instead of waiting for Noah, Katie stretched upward and kissed him. At the first touch, she felt herself falling, floating, just like when she stepped out of an airplane. But along with that usual rush came a special electric thrill that shot deep inside her.

Noah’s arms closed around her, his hands running over her back.

“See?” she said. “Fun is good.”

He groaned something akin to agreement, then deepened the kiss. Her entire being was focused on the tantalizing feel of his lips on hers.

Whoa. This was dangerous ground.

Katie pulled away from his kiss just enough for him to open his eyes questioningly.

“We’re moving from fun to dangerous in record time,” she said lightly, breathing unevenly.

“You could be right.” He nuzzled her hair, kissed the sensitive spot by her ear.

“I’m usually right,” she said, grinning. “I was right about the fun thing.”

“Not really.” His lips were still near her ear. She shivered.

“Not really?” It was hard to focus on the conversation. “Not fun?”

Noah shook his head. “
Fun
is such a mundane word. This is more...
intoxicating.
”

Katie chuckled. “That’s definitely a first.”

“What?”

“I’ve never had a guy say kissing me is intoxicating.”

“Then your previous guys have been lacking in imagination.”

“More likely they’ve been lacking in vocabulary. I’ve never kissed a doctor before.” She ran her finger over the rough stubble on his cheek, and then across his lips. Noah kissed the tip.

“I guess you’ve been missing out.”

“Something like that.” Her voice sounded odd to her—breathless. “You realize you have patients to see in how many hours?”

He nodded and leaned in to brush his lips across hers one last time. “Let’s get you home.”

He held Katie’s hand as she climbed into his SUV, then shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side. Before climbing in, he inhaled deeply, wondering how long it was going to take his head to clear.

They were silent on the drive, save for Katie’s brief directions to Savannah’s house. He pulled into the driveway just far enough to get off the street, not wanting to draw attention to their arrival. He felt like a kid sneaking his girl home after curfew.

Before he could think any more about how twisted that was, Katie leaned over and pressed her lips to his once again. Just when he’d managed to get his pulse back down into the normal range.

“You know what?” she whispered. “I’m starting to think serious is exciting.”

He had no idea what to say to that and thankfully didn’t have to as she hopped out.

“Night,” she said before shutting the door.

He watched her make her way up the driveway, keeping his eyes on her until she disappeared around the corner of the house.

He sat for a moment longer, closing his eyes and trying to regain control of himself. Between fatigue and excitement, his head felt full of...fuzz.

So much for his big doctor’s vocabulary.

He shook his head as he backed out and headed to his parents’ place, where he’d be sleeping for a few more nights. He tried not to let his mind wander to kissing Katie. Tried but failed.

He crept into his parents’ dark house and went directly to his bedroom, not turning on a light until he’d closed his door.

He took off his shoes and sat on the bed, still warmed by the rush contact with Katie had given him.

The rush.

He looked at his nightstand, contemplating the stack of back issues of
Rush
magazine that he’d found at the office. The top one was opened to another eyewitness article by Katie. The primary photo was of her and several others white-water rafting. It didn’t take a great imagination to picture her knocking her head on one of the huge boulders, becoming unconscious and being washed down the river.

His warm buzz vanished and the too-familiar panic set in. The pain in his neck overwhelmed him, as if he’d just suffered whiplash. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Leah had gone rafting, too. He’d been chilled when she’d told him all about it, but his reaction now was stronger. He knew he’d been gun-shy since her death. Knew he couldn’t handle another woman remotely like Leah.

So what on earth was he doing?

Noah had kissed plenty of women before. He’d been serious with only a few, but even in med school he’d made time for dates here and there. He knew with absolute certainty that kissing Katie was on the explosive cardiac-arrest end of the spectrum. He’d never experienced
anything
like that before, not even with Leah.

That realization frightened him like a mile-wide tornado couldn’t.

* * *

K
ATIE
LET
HERSELF
into Savannah’s house. Thanks to her impromptu tryst with Noah, she was now full of an entirely different kind of restless energy than she’d had when she left the house. And she was even further from being able to sleep.

She went through the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, and into the living room, hoping to raid Savannah’s bookshelf, which was full of paperbacks. Just as she was about to flip on the lamp, she realized someone was on the couch. Instantly, she recognized Savannah’s hair falling over the end of it, thanks to the moonlight that was shining in.

Her sister didn’t stir. Katie backed out of the room, feeling as if she’d walked in on a big secret. Why wasn’t Savannah sleeping with Michael in their room?

She knew, at once, that the vibes she’d picked up between the two of them at dinner were not just the signs of a single bad day. Katie closed her eyes and leaned against the doorjamb. If Savannah and Michael were no longer sharing a bed, things were serious. This looked like a major problem. Katie couldn’t wrap her brain around it.