It Takes a Hero Page 15

  Kristin settled the little girl at the table with cookies and milk, then turned on the small TV she kept on the kitchen counter, tuning into a cartoon channel. “Would you mind if your daddy and I talk in the living room for a few minutes, moppet?”

  “Okay. I like this cartoon.” Kimberly filled her mouth with cookie and stared contentedly at the flickering screen.

  Kristin turned to Jim, her smile forced, her tone unnaturally sweet. “Shall we?” she asked, motioning toward the other room.

  She saw him swallow before he nodded and turned toward the door.

  She wasn’t smiling when she turned to him in the living room. “What are you doing here, Jim?”

  “It really is good to see you, Kristin. I’ve missed you.”

  Again, she deftly avoided an attempted kiss. “You haven’t answered my question. Why are you here?”

  “I wanted to see you.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “And you didn’t bring your wife?”

  He winced. “Now, Krissie...”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “You used to like it.” His wounded look might have been endearing to her at one time—now it only annoyed her.

  “I never liked it,” she corrected him with some satisfaction. “I merely tolerated it while we were seeing each other. Now I don’t have to.”

  “You’re still angry. I understand that.”

  His solemn, sympathetic tone only irked her more. “I’m not angry. I just don’t know why you’re here. And why no one calls before popping in anymore.”

  “All right, Krissie—er, Kristin, I′ll level with you. My wife is on a business trip to Chicago. I’m here because you’ve been on my mind lately and I wanted to see you.”

  “And you brought Kimberly because you knew I wouldn’t close the door in your face if she was with you.”

  “I brought Kimberly because I know what good friends the two of you were when we were together. I thought you might want to see her.”

  She felt her lip curl She’d lost a great deal of respect for Jim when he’d lied to her and dumped her so unceremoniously, but she’d thought he was above using his daughter as a bribe. “As much as I enjoy seeing Kimberly, I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come here when your wife is out of town. I don’t think she would like it”

  Jim cleared his throat. “Well, the thing is...Linda and I have separated again, Kristin. Our reunion didn’t work out at all. I was clinging to something that should have ended long ago, and I’ve only just begun to understand that.”

  She crossed her arms in front of her, hoping this wasn’t leading where she knew it was leading. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you.”

  “Jim...”

  He held up both hands, palms outward. “Let me finish, honey. I know I hurt you very badly last year. That I was unforgivably cruel to you. But I hope you can forgive me. I hope we can start over.”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

  “Don’t say that, darling.” He reached for her hands, taking them before she could pull away and holding them tightly. “What we had together was so good. You were crazy about Kimberly...and, I believed, about me. We were a great pair, until I ruined everything. But, don’t you see? I know how wrong I was now. I’ll never make that mistake again. I know it’s you I want, not Linda.”

  “No, Jim. It isn’t going to happen. You see...”

  “You’re a very special woman, Kristin. You’re so gracious and peaceful and loving. So sweet. Linda’s not happy unless her life is in turmoil. She’s temperamental and tempestuous and totally unpredictable. I don’t want to live that way anymore. Maybe I’m just getting too old for it. What I want is the gentle, quiet relationship you and I had.”

  He made her sound like a favorite pair of old slippers, Kristin thought in mounting outrage. It was without doubt the least-flattering speech any man had ever made to her, though he would probably be utterly bewildered if she let him know just how insulting she had found his words. “I think you’d better leave, Jim.”

  “You’re still angry. I hurt you so terribly. It’s going to take time for me to make it up to you, isn’t it?” He nodded sagely. “Well, I deserve that. You want a courtship, you’ll get one. Why don’t we start with dinner tonight at that Italian restaurant you like so much? Vincenzo’s, wasn’t it?”

  “Vincenzo’s went out of business months ago—not long after you and I did,” she answered bluntly. “I don’t want a courtship from you, Jim. All I want is for you to—”

  “I’ve finished my cookies,” a cheery little voice announced from the doorway. ”Can we walk down to the lake now, Kristin?”

  Kristin bit her lip. It would be easy enough for her to throw Jim out, but obviously she couldn’t do it in front of his child. “Um—”

  “Sure, Kimmie,” Jim said jovially, practically daring Kristin to dispute him. ”Let’s all walk down to the lake—just the way we used to.”

  Nodding happily, Kimberly slipped her hand into Kristin’s. “Will we see any deer? And do you still have squirrels? Can I throw rocks in the water and look for minnows?”

  Because there was absolutely nothing else she could do—for now—Kristin allowed herself to be led outside. But she gave Jim a look over his daughter’s head that let him know she wasn’t at all happy with him. He met her gaze with a look of such patently false innocence that she was tempted to push him into the lake when they got there. That would show him that she could be as temperamental and unpredictable as the next woman.

  And then Kimberly started to sing, and Kristin knew she would do no such thing. Not in front of the child, at least.

  PERRY DROVE DOWN Kristin’s street with a great sense of relief that he’d made it here without attracting any undue attention. A great deal had happened since the last time he had talked to her, and now he had a few days free—and he wanted to spend them with Kristin.

  He saw the blue minivan parked in her driveway and wondered who was visiting her. Maybe he should come back later, when she was alone. But, no. He was too impatient to see her. He wouldn’t mind meeting some of her friends.

  He rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. Frowning, he looked at Kristin’s car and at the minivan, wondering where she could be.

  Maybe this time he should have called first.

  On an impulse, he tried the doorknob. The door wasn’t locked. Poking his head inside, he saw that the living room was empty. “Kristin? Hello?” he called out loudly.

  The house was silent.

  He debated only a moment before entering the house, calling out her name again. He checked her office and her bedroom. Both were empty. “Kristin, it’s Perry. Are you here?”

  No response. Why would she have left home without locking her door? She wouldn’t, of course. He looked toward the kitchen, suddenly realizing where she might be.

  He noticed a plate of cookie crumbs and a partial glass of milk on the kitchen table as he passed through. Either Kristin had been indulging her inner child, or her visitor had brought a kid.

  He opened the door that led out onto the deck. “Kristin?”

  The spring rockers were unoccupied. But he heard the high-pitched voice of a child coming from the direction of the lake. The voice seemed to be getting closer. Smiling, Perry leaned against the railing to wait for them, anticipating the moment when he would see Kristin again.

  But when he did catch sight of her, his smile froze, then faded away.

  An energetic little girl was walking at Kristin’s side, her right hand held snugly in Kristin’s. The child’s left hand was gripped by a man who was smiling sappily at Kristin over the little girl’s head.

  Perry recognized them immediately as Kristin’s ex-boyfriend and his daughter—the ones from the amusement park photos. The jerk who had dumped Kristin and gone back to his wife. The bastard who had hurt her so badly that Perry still hadn’t been able to gai
n her trust.

  Perry shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from following up on an impulse to smash the guy’s grinning face in.

  He had already realized how hard he had fallen for Kristin Cole. But only now did he understand that he was willing to do whatever it took to win her, even fight for her, if necessary.

  No campaign had ever been more crucial to him than the one he now waged to win Kristin’s heart.

  Kristin looked up from the little girl and glanced toward the house. Her gaze met Perry’s—and held. Her eyes widened.

  He nodded coolly, knowing his determination must be written on his face.

  The little girl spotted Perry only a moment later. “There’s someone on your deck, Kristin,” she said clearly.

  Perry had the satisfaction of seeing the other man’s smile vanish. “Who is that, Kristin? Has he been in your house?”

  “That,” Kristin said, “is my—um—my friend, Perry Goodman.”

  “Your friend, Kristin?” Perry stepped to the top of the steps and held his hand out to her. “Much more than that, I would say.”

  She hesitated before she responded. It couldn’t have been more than a moment, but it felt like a very long time in which Perry’s entire future seemed to hang in the balance. And then, with a spark of what might have been recklessness in her eyes, she reached for his hand. “You′re right, of course. I own you. I paid ten thousand dollars for you.”

  He laughed in delight and relief, and drew her to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “True. And it was a one-time-only bargain sale. No refunds. No returns.”

  “What on earth are you talking about?” the other man asked crossly.

  “Is this your boyfriend, Kristin?” the little girl asked at the same time.

  “Yes,” Perry answered, ignoring the man and smiling at the child. “I’m her boyfriend. And who are you?”

  “I’m her friend. My name’s Kimberly Hooper. This is my daddy, Jim Hooper. He’s Kristin’s friend, too.”

  Perry nodded briefly to the other man. Neither extended a hand. “It’s nice to meet you both”

  “You didn’t tell us you had a new boyfriend, Kristin,” Kimberly commented, not seeming particularly perturbed by the oversight.

  Her father didn’t take the news nearly as well. “No, Kristin, you certainly didn’t.”

  “You haven’t given me a chance.” Kristin smiled up at Perry. “They surprised me with a visit, and we haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk yet.”

  “Oh? Well, maybe we can all do so now. I always enjoy meeting your friends. Would you like me to make a pot of coffee while you take them into the living room? I know where everything is, of course.”

  “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.” Jim Hooper looked at his watch. “Kimberly and I have to be going.”

  “What a shame.” Perry was sure the smile he gave Hooper conveyed the opposite message.

  Hooper spoke pointedly to Kristin, deliberately ignoring Perry. “I still want to talk to you, Kristin. When will you be free to get together?”

  “I’m afraid we’re going to be very busy for some time,” Kristin answered firmly, her tone as cool and detached as if she were speaking to a persistent salesperson. “Aren’t we, Perry?”

  He gave her a warm, intimate smile. “Yes, we have many plans.”

  Jim apparently knew when to concede defeat. “We’ll be going now. Tell Kristin goodbye, Kimberly.”

  Perry watched as Kristin bade a tender farewell to little Kimberly.

  “Can we come see you again, Kristin?” the child asked hopefully.

  “You will always be welcome here, sweetheart,” Kristin replied, but the hint of sadness Perry heard in her voice let him know she didn’t expect to see the child again.

  “Goodbye, Kristin,” Jim said stiffly. ”I hope you’ll be happy.”

  “I’ll make sure of that,” Perry said, and for a moment he allowed the masculine possessiveness he’d been battling to show in his expression.

  The other man nodded in resignation. “Come on, Kimberly. Let’s go.”

  The child took her father’s hand and waved over her shoulder. “Bye, Kristin. Bye, Mr.—er, Kristin’s boyfriend.”

  Perry chuckled. She really was a cute kid. No wonder Kristin was so fond of her.

  After he heard the minivan drive away, he turned to look at Kristin. He caught her wiping a single tear from her cheek, and he frowned. “Are you sad about Kimberly—or her father?” he demanded with uncharacteristic tactlessness.

  Kristin. squared her chin. “Kimberly, definitely. Seeing her again reminded me of how much I′ve missed her.”

  “And what did seeing him again remind you of?”

  She lifted an eyebrow in response to his jealous tone, but she answered succinctly, “It reminded me of how glad I am that he went back to his ex-wife.”

  Perry smiled naturally again for the first time since he had seen her walking up the path with Jim and Kimberly Hooper. He was filled once again with hope—and with determination. “That’s what I was hoping you would say.”

  He tightened his arm to pull her closer.

  Kristin pulled away before he could follow through on his intention to kiss her.

  “I am not boring!” she said, glaring fiercely at him.

  “I never said you were boring. In fact...”

  “I know how to have fun. I can be spontaneous.”

  “Okay...” he said carefully, wondering where this was leading.

  “Just because I work hard at my career and don’t run off to Australia on a moment’s notice with handsome pilots and don’t enjoy living in constant turmoil and chaos, people think I′m dull and unadventurous. Is that what you see in me, Perry? Is your life in Washington so stressful and hectic that you come here to rest in my boring, peaceful presence?”

  Her challenging tirade fascinated him. The spark of defiance in her eyes aroused him. “Where do you stand on your book?” he asked abruptly.

  Still seething about whatever had set her off in the first place, she answered distractedly. “It’s finished. All I have to do is proofread the printout.”

  He was delighted to hear that. “Then go pack a bag. I’ve got a couple of calls to make.”

  That got her attention. “Pack? What am I packing for?”

  He grinned at her. “You are about to be spontaneous and adventurous. Pack casually and comfortably—and don’t forget your bikini.”

  “I don’t own a bikini,” she answered repressively.

  “Improvise,” he suggested.

  “But...what about your job? What about the crisis in California?”

  “All taken care of. I’ll tell you all about it later.” After he found out for himself just how far her trust in him extended, he silently vowed.

  “But I can’t just leave. I have so many things to do. So much to—”

  He lifted his eyebrows and interrupted her. “We could always stay here and watch TV or something, if you’d rather. That sounds like a quiet, peaceful weekend.”

  Her chin firmed and lifted. “I’ll go pack.”

  He nodded in satisfaction. “You’ve got half an hour.”

  Big words, he told himself ruefully. He only hoped he could pull enough strings to follow through.

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE I′M IN Hawaii.”

  Perry laughed. “That has to be the tenth time you’ve said that.”

  “I can’t help it.” Wrapped in bathrobes, they sat on a shaded lanai with a breeze from the ocean tousling their hair—the ocean that was only a stone’s throw from where they sat. ”Yesterday I was at home in North Carolina and today I woke up in Maui. This is so unlike me. The trip wasn’t on my calendar. I didn’t make any lists. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. It was a totally spontaneous action.”

  “And how does it feel?” Perry asked, watching her indulgently.

  “Wonderful,” she answered simply.

  He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said
, his body still heavy and sated from making love to her all night. “It feels damned good to me, too.”

  She tossed her head, letting the breeze catch her hair. “This condo is fabulous. The view is breathtaking. I can’t believe you were able to make the arrangements on such short notice.”

  “I have a few friends in high places.”

  She eyed him speculatively. “They must be very good friends.”

  “Let’s just say I called in some big favors.” And now he owed a few, as well, but he would worry about that later.

  “I’ve never been to Maui before.”

  “Yes, you mentioned that.”

  A becoming blush stained her cheeks. “I must sound very unsophisticated. You would think I’d never left the Carolina hills, the way I’ve been carrying on. I really have traveled a bit, but never quite like this. I’ve always had to have a reason to go somewhere—a conference or book tour or research trip or at least a vacation that had been planned and scheduled down to the last minute. Taking off on impulse this way—well, that’s always been more my mother’s style.”

  “And you never thought you could be like your impulsive, happy-go-lucky mother.” It was a shot in the dark, but it must have hit home, he thought when Kristin’s eyes widened, and she nodded.

  “Mother always said I was just like my dad. He was an engineer—very methodical and practical. Mother’s opposite, really, but they adored each other. She loosened him up and he took care of her.”

  “A responsibility you took over when he died?”

  “No, not exactly,” she answered, her gaze focused on the vividly blue horizon. “I always took care of myself.”

  She looked at him then, her eyes big and serious-looking. “I love my mother very much, Perry. I don’t want you to get the idea that she wasn’t a wonderful mother to me. She was always just a little... different.”

  “From what I’ve seen of her, Sophie’s a jewel,” he assured her. “Though I’m sure there were times you felt a bit eclipsed by her, I’m sure overall you felt very fortunate to have her for your mother.”

  “Exactly,” she said, nodding her head and looking pleased that he understood.