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She countered with a question of her own. “You tell me something, Jack. The night we met, when you found out who I was, that Edie Tremaine was my mother…is that the reason you never called? The reason you decided we couldn’t get involved?”
He answered easily. “Of course.”
She stiffened, as if offended by his honesty, though he didn’t know why. He opened his mouth to elaborate, to tell her how hurt he’d been for Edie, how he’d wanted to make it up to her and not take advantage of Kate.
Before he could say a word, however, she picked up her purse and keys. “Thanks for being honest. Now, you want the truth? Here it is. I came back here with every intention of seducing J. J. Winfield.” Stepping around the counter, she met his stare steadily with her own. “I planned to get him to go crazy over me, then stomp his heart into the dust with the heels of my six-inch-tall slut-puppy boots.”
Without another word, she turned and walked out of her own store.
14
WHEN NURSING A BROKEN heart, it really sucked to live next door to the person who’d done the breaking. Kate found that out late Monday night when she lay on her mattress bed in Aunt Flo’s duplex, listening to Jack arrive home next door.
As soon as she heard his truck outside, she bit her lip to stop her tears. She definitely didn’t want him to hear her through the wall.
She’d been crying for hours. Whimpering like a sissified baby. Wishing she had someone to talk to, but knowing there was no one. Cassie would be too pissed on her behalf to be of any help. Plus, the last thing she wanted to do on the day of the triumph at the store was to tell Cassie someone she thought she loved still looked at her as unworthy.
When Jack had admitted he’d decided to end their involvement because of who she was—a Tremaine—Kate had wanted to die. All she’d heard were his sister’s angry words, the echo of taunts of her childhood, the deeply-buried-but-not-erased voice of her subconscious that had told her she would always be just a trashy Tremaine. Never good enough for decent people. Worthy of sex but not love, fun but not commitment.
Living together, but not marriage.
Even though her heart was breaking, she’d still almost gone back to apologize, to tell him she might have first intended to get involved with him for revenge, but knew she could never go through with it. Because like a colossal fool, she’d fallen in love with him. And it had hurt her to see the pain on his face at her confession.
Pride had kept her walking out the door the same way it had sustained her on prom night when she’d walked home in the rain.
She didn’t sleep more than one straight hour all night long. Kate knew she looked and sounded like hell, so when she called Cassie the next morning, told her she wasn’t feeling well and would be late coming in to help in the store, her cousin hadn’t protested. She felt like a heel leaving Cassie holding the bag at Bare Essentials. Still, she doubted their day would be anywhere near as busy as yesterday had been.
Jack left the house early—before eight. She watched him from the upstairs window, careful not to let him see her. She needn’t have bothered. He never spared a glance at her half of the duplex as he got in his truck and drove away.
Once he’d gone, she cried some more. Ate some donuts. Took a shower. Finally, sick of feeling sorry for herself, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and called the one person she knew would understand.
Her mom.
JACK DIDN’T WANT to see anybody Tuesday. He had no interest in being anywhere near his mother or sister. Nor could he stay at the duplex, knowing Kate was right next door.
Sleeping there the night before had been sheer torture. He had lain awake most of the night, thinking about what had happened, replaying the scene at the store. He’d tried to find some explanation, but couldn’t deny the truth. She’d said the words herself. She’d fully intended to get involved with him for the express purpose of hurting him as some kind of whacked-out revenge on his father.
Mission accomplished.
Damn, it was almost easier when he thought he’d never fall in love.
After driving around for a while, he went downtown and parked outside the Rose Café. Across the street, Bare Essentials remained dark, not yet open for the morning. When he went inside the café for breakfast, he took a seat away from the front windows. He really didn’t want to see Kate arriving for work.
