AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just for the record, Katie,” he said slowly, his gaze drilling into hers as if he could somehow find her soul, “I never intended to hurt you.” With that, he turned and walked out of her life.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I don’t want the money.”
Luke had never thought he’d say those particular words. Since he’d grown up poor, he’d thought, for as long as he could remember, that money could buy him happiness. Not that he needed a lot. Just enough to get by and give himself a little nest egg so he wouldn’t have to work until he was ninety. But he’d changed his mind. Katie Kinkaid had seen to that.
Ralph Sorenson, on the other end of the line and woken from what must have been a deep sleep, wasn’t in the mood for Luke’s change of heart. “You earned it, boy. It’s yours.”
“No.”
“What the devil happened to you?”
I fell in love. “I just had a change of heart.” That wasn’t a lie.
“You’re just mad ‘cause I called my grandson’s mother before squarin’ it with you,” Ralph said. “Well, I admit I was a little impatient, but then you’ve got to understand there’s no reason to wait. That boy is Dave’s son. Our grandson. It’s time we met.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“So you’ll get paid.”
“Give it to Josh,” Luke said. “I’m out of this. Good night, Ralph.”
“Well, ain’t that a fine howdy-do?” The old man hung up, and Luke felt only slightly better than he had a while before. He strode to the window and stared into the night. He’d never gotten used to living in town, and the blue glare of the streetlights seemed harsh and unforgiving.
Just the way he felt. Staring at the huge apartment house as if it were an enemy, he tilted back his bottle of beer and took a long swallow. He thought of Katie, and deep inside there was an ache—something primal and painful and, in his estimation, way out of line. So she was a beautiful woman. So she had an outlook on life he found fascinating. So what? Disgusted with himself, he drained his longneck, considered another, then tossed the idea aside.
Alcohol wouldn’t help. Not that it ever had.
His conscience was eating him alive. What he’d done to her was unforgivable, and calling and telling Ralph that he was out of the deal was hardly compensation enough. Nope, his refusal of Ralph’s bribe was just another incidence of too little, too late.
Which seemed to be the story of his life.
* * *
“Where’s Luke?” Bliss had asked.
Tiffany, too, hadn’t let Luke’s absence go unnoticed. “I thought he was coming.”
“I specifically invited him,” John Cawthorne had grumbled. “Helluva way to act, if ya ask me.”
Of course no one had asked John’s opinion; John was just forever willing to offer it. While the rest of her family had laughed and talked, eating ribs, chicken, bread and coleslaw, Katie had scarcely been able to take a bite. Everyone had assumed it was from the trauma she’d suffered earlier in the day, but the truth of the matter was that no matter what she did, her thoughts turned back to the rangy cowboy with the Texas drawl and easy smile. Dammit, she’d missed him.
As soon as it was polite, she’d located Josh and said her goodbyes. All of her brothers had warned her to be more careful, whether while renting the house or chasing down stories. Her sisters had told her how great they thought Luke was.
As if they were a couple. What a laugh—a miserable, heart-wrenching laugh. Driving through the darkened streets of Bittersweet, she told herself that she couldn’t love a man like Luke Gates. She wouldn’t. It was just too painful.
He used you, she reminded herself as she shifted down and turned into the drive of the apartment house. The beams of her headlights washed up against the tailgate of Luke’s truck. He was home. Only a few yards away. She told herself it didn’t matter if he was living next door or in the middle of the North Pole.
But of course that was a lie. “Lord help me,” she whispered under her breath.
“Huh?” Josh, eyes closed, stirred in the passenger seat.
She parked and set the emergency brake. “Come on, bud,” she said. “Time for bed.”
“I can’t make it.” He yawned and let his head loll back against the seat again.
“Sure you can. Just try.” She managed to help him out of the Jeep, then guided him
