Chapter Five
He built you a fucking house!
Stephen’s words flashed through her mind as Ethan pulled up her long, winding driveway. Flowers bloomed in an explosion of pinks and purples, the small Tudor a painting come to life. A fairytale house nestled in a fairytale town.
Yet she knew the horrors beneath the picture-perfect surface.
Kat glanced over at Ethan as she opened the passenger door, but didn’t get out. He gripped the steering wheel as if they were driving through an obstacle course instead of parked in her driveway, attesting to the tension flowing through him. The tension he’d tried to hide behind constant conversation during the long two and half hour drive from the city.
Not how she’d hoped the ride would go. But as soon as she’d asked him where he was last night, why he hadn’t shown up for Jen’s birthday celebration, why he’d basically disappeared from her life, the strain between them had crept back in. She wished she could blame it on Stephen showing up. But the truth? Things hadn’t been right between them since the morning she’d left.
“Are you still mad?” Kat held her breath as she waited for his answer, finally asking the question that had been weighing on her mind for weeks. She didn’t need to clarify. The memory played itself out in every painful detail. Waking from another nightmare, covered with sweat, barely coherent until she felt strong arms wrap around her. She’d begged him to stay, begged him to never leave her again. Repeated over and over how much she needed him, wanted him. Only it hadn’t been Ethan’s name that had fallen from her lips.
It had been Stephen’s.
Even now she could remember the way his entire body had tensed, his hand freezing mid-stroke up her back. He’d told her she was safe, to go back to sleep. In the morning when she woke, Ethan was gone.
“I was never mad.”
Bullshit. But she let it go. “Then what’s your issue, Ethan? Do you even want me here? Because it sure as hell doesn’t seem like it.” Without another word, she got out of his car, grabbing Jake’s cat carrier before slamming the door.
Ethan was in front of her before she rounded the hood of his car. “I’m sorry,” he said, gripping her shoulders with both hands. “Of course I want you here, Kat. I’m just worried about the story airing. Thinking you may be better off in the city.”
Kat took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her own tension increasing. “And that’s why you’re so stressed?” She didn’t believe him. “I’ll deal, okay? It’s not as if I have anything to hide anymore. I wanted this week to fix—” Us, she thought, but the words sounded too…needy, she supposed. And maybe that’s why Ethan had kept his distance.
“Fix what, Kat?” Ethan asked, moving his hand from her shoulder and cupping her chin so she was forced to look up at him.
“My nightmares,” she evaded, glancing beyond him to the house. “I thought facing them would help.”
He looked at her for a long time before giving her a single nod and letting her go. Opening the trunk with his key fob, he grabbed her suitcases and followed her up the walk.
“You could stay with me if you don’t want to stay here,” Ethan offered. “I finished the guest room.”
“You did?” she asked, forcing lightness into her tone. “What color did you paint it?” And when had he had the time? His current project, just across the highway, had been a mess when she’d left, and he’d still been recovering from a bullet wound in his shoulder.
“Almost finished,” he amended, shooting her a smile. A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was waiting for you to paint.”
Like his, she was sure her smile looked just as forced. “Good. It’ll give me something to do in between parties.”
“Sorry I couldn’t take the week off.”
“It’s fine,” Kat shrugged. That had been the plan, but between the mess at the DA’s office, his campaign, and the time he’d taken with his shoulder, he couldn’t take anymore. “How do you feel about neon orange?”
“Not quite feelin’ it,” Ethan laughed, some of the tension leaving his face.
She smiled back, a real smile this time, as he followed her up the stone path. “Chartreuse?”
“Don’t even know what that is,” Ethan replied.
“What’s the code?” Her door had a new lock and she wondered when he’d installed that. And then wondered if it because he thought Stephen had a key.
“Me either, but it sounds ugly, doesn’t it?” she said once they were inside.
“It does,” Ethan agreed as he set her suitcases down in front of the wall near the front door. The same wall Stephen had taken her against when he’d lost all control, forcing three orgasms from her…
Feeling the heat staining her face, Kat bent down to open the cat carrier, unable to stop her body from responding to the memory. She swore she could still feel his hands gripping her wrists, imprisoning them above her head. The same things she’d wished for when she woke in his arms this morning. At least until the fog of sleep had cleared and she’d all but panicked. Now, she was glad she had panicked. He’d left without a word, without a text or voicemail. Again. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d see him again.
Or if she wanted to.
Jake shot up the stairs as soon as she opened the door. Kat sighed, knowing it would be a day or two before she saw him again. Perhaps she should have left him with her grandmother, but the thought of being without him for a week…she hadn’t been able to do it.
“You’d think he’d be used to it by now,” she said as she made her way into the kitchen. Sunlight greeted her when she entered the kitchen, the smell of oranges assaulting her. The house was spotless, no dust anywhere.
“Thank you for taking care of the house while I was gone,” she said, unable to help herself from glancing out the French doors, her gaze moving directly toward the crystal-clear pool glinting in the sunlight.
“Thank my sisters. They came this morning,” Ethan said, standing behind her. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted it covered or not. Or maybe even filled in.”
It was such a peaceful sight, so calm and soothing. Unbelievable that it also was the site where a woman was brutally murdered.
“I’m not sure yet.” She wasn’t sure about even keeping the house. Was nearly positive she was going to sell it. It wasn’t as though she needed it, living back in the city. She had no intention of coming back, not with years of schooling ahead of her beginning in September.
“Ethan—”
“We need to get ready,” he said, cutting her off as he turned back toward the foyer. “Parade lineup is at six. We can’t be late.”
And he left. Abruptly. Before she could even utter a sound.
***
“You’re pretty good at schmoozing the crowd,” Kat teased, offering Ethan a bottle of water as he approached the float, decorated in red, white, and blue, with Ethan’s name emblazoned on all sides. The sun was wickedly hot even though it was approaching 8:00 p.m. But that hadn’t deterred the crowds from lining Main Street. There had to be ten thousand people packed into the small town. Music from the local high school marching band stopped abruptly as soon as the students’ feet hit the convenient store parking lot, signifying the end of the parade’s route. Kat had felt bad for them the entire evening, with their dark uniforms covering them from head to toe. They had to be absolutely melting.
But to Kat, the heat felt glorious. The sun kissing her skin warmed her like nothing else had over the past five weeks. Breathing in the fresh air was once again a novelty, something she’d taken for granted. The scent of flowers replaced the smell of exhaust fumes, a scent she’d become so accustomed to, she’d barely realized it. Kat soaked it all in, letting it soothe her. The perfect blue of the sky, unobstructed by skyscrapers. The sound of birds replacing the incessant horns and sirens. Despite the tragedy she’d suffered, she could almost believe she’d find that peace she’d enjoyed for such a short amount of time.
“Schmoozing?” Ethan laughed as he took the bottle. His mood had been much lighter when he’d picked her up and she’d followed his lead, letting the stress between them go. “I don’t schmooze.”
“You do,” Abigail said, reaching for Ethan’s hand as he helped her down from the float.
“Kissing babies,” Arianna added.
“Tossing candy to the kids,” Annalise laughed. “Definitely falls under the schmoozing category.” It was still a shock, seeing Ethan’s identical sisters. Tonight it was easier to tell them apart. Abigail wore red, Arianna, white and Annalise wore blue.
Ethan laughed again, gripping Kat’s waist as he lifted her out of the float. “You wouldn’t be insinuating I’m a slimy politician, would you?”
“Well…” Kat hedged, unable to hide her smile. “If the shoe—”
Ethan cut off the rest of her words by pulling her into him, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before her feet hit the ground. “Be nice. It’s my big night.”
Disentangling herself from his arms, Kat smiled up at him. “You did great, Ethan. It’s obvious the town loves you.” And it was so nice to see a smile on his face again, see the stress disappear and the tension between them ease.
“You look gorgeous, Kat.” Her smile froze. It was probably the first time Ethan had ever said that to her, at least in that husky tone. She looked down at her dress. It was white, with a halter style neckline, the silky material hugging her curves without clinging too tightly. Casual, like Ethan had suggested, but still flattering and sexy enough for a party.
Ethan let her go, helping his mother from the float. “Congratulations, Ethan,” Victoria said, giving him a warm hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I haven’t won yet.”
“You will,” they all said in unison, triggering more laughter.
“Thank you. For everything,” Ethan said to his family, giving each of them another hug. “We’ll meet you up at the party.”
Traffic was horrendous, and it took nearly half an hour to drive the few miles separating the convenient store from the senator’s ski house where they’d have an excellent view of the fireworks. At least this time, the drive wasn’t filled with tension.
“Is the senator from here?” Kat asked.
“No,” Ethan said. “He’s from the city. But his family owned a vacation house in town when he was growing up.”
“So how’d you manage to get an invitation?”
“The senator always invites the DA’s office, along with everybody in the area running for office. He’s usually not up at the house until after just before the fireworks start though. He goes to the lodge first. More than half the people enjoying the fireworks are from the city.”
“Campaigning for votes from both up- and downstate at the same time? Smart.”
“Yeah. This is the first time he’s doing this without his wife. She died a few months ago.”
“That’s awful—”
“It is and it isn’t. She was sick for a few years. She had a heart defect.”
Before Kat could respond, Ethan parked on the side of the private road. “We’re gonna have to hike a bit. See why we brought the truck?”
Kat laughed. She’d made fun of him when arrived at her door driving his construction truck. To say it had seen better days would have been a compliment. She hopped out, waiting for Ethan to come around the hood. “I’m surprised it made it up the hills.” Which seemed nearly straight up in some parts.
“She never fails me,” Ethan said, entwining her hand in his. “It may look like a piece of crap, but it runs like a top.”
Kat squeezed his hand. “I had fun at the parade, Ethan. I’m so glad I’m here.” Surrounded by Ethan’s mother and sisters on the float and their pleasure at seeing her again had gone a long way to ease her nerves. If they all knew what happened all those weeks ago, they never let on. And the excitement she felt for Ethan when the town shouted his name, filled her with joy. Apparently, he was more than just her hero.
Ethan smiled, slipping his hand under her hair. “I really am happy you’re here, Kat,” Ethan said sincerely. “I’m sorry if I made you feel otherwise.”
Kat breathed out a sigh of relief, but before she could respond, Ethan’s sisters and mother were surrounding them, their excitement drowning out anything she would have said as they walked up to the senator’s house.
It was gorgeous. Chalet style, popular to the area. The interior consisted of logs and glass and soaring ceilings, rising at least thirty feet. A massive stone fireplace took up an entire wall adjacent to the windows, the hearth stretching the whole width. Since it had taken them so long to crawl their way through town, the party was already in full swing. Music blared from unseen speakers, both inside and out, loud enough to keep the party atmosphere going, yet low enough to enjoy conversation. An explosion of red, white, and blue balloons floated everywhere, adding to the happy and light atmosphere.
But the most spectacular feature of the house was the floor to ceiling windows that took up the entire wall, giving an amazing view of the slopes, the lodge and the town beyond, reminding her of the time she’d spent skiing with Ethan this past winter. When she’d almost been happy.
Unfortunately, the tall statuesque blond reporter was the first person they saw when they walked in, as if she was lying in wait. Kat’s good mood disappeared in an instant, her tension back in spades, shock at seeing her replacing everything else. She glanced up at Ethan, wondering if he’d known she’d be there, because she damn well could have used the warning.
“Emma!” Abigail and Arianna said in unison. Kat couldn’t tell if they were excited or surprised. Emma and Ethan’s family were close, had practically been raised together since the triplets met Emma in nursery school when they were three.
But none of that warmth for Ethan’s family extended to Kat. Emma Anderson hated her. Blamed Kat for her and Ethan’s breakup even though nothing could be further from the truth.
As Emma approached, Kat felt the full weight of Emma’s stare even as she avoided looking at her, instead focusing on the man by her side. A boyfriend, maybe? He was handsome, brown hair and blue eyes, his smile open and friendly, so unlike Emma’s.
“Congratulations, Ethan,” Emma said as she approached, the smile on her face positively glowing.
“Thank you,” Ethan returned, accepting Emma’s hug, but Kat could feel the tension in his body even though they weren’t touching.
“Mark,” Ethan greeted, shaking the man’s hand. “Thank you for your help tonight.” He turned to Kat. “This is Mark Prescott, the senator’s campaign manager.”
Mark smiled and extended his hand toward Kat, his Claddagh ring shining, reminding her of her father’s. But Mark was wearing his on his right, not his left. “It’s a pleasure to meet you—”
“Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn Delaney,” Emma supplied before either Ethan or Kat could make the introductions.
“Kat,” she said easily. “Everybody calls me Kat.” She smiled at Mark, trying to ignore then tension that was now pouring off Ethan, the feel of the triplet’s eyes on her, along with Ethan’s mother. She hoped none of the nervousness she felt showed on her face, while trying to ignore Emma’s smugness when she took Mark’s hand. After he released it, Kat wrapped her fingers around Ethan’s forearm, hoping to ease some of his tension, hoping he wouldn’t say anything, falling into Emma’s trap.
Ethan grabbed her a glass of wine from a passing waiter, which Kat gratefully accepted. Soon, the whole world would know who she was anyway. Yes, it would be annoyance, and yes, she’d probably be hounded by the press once again, but that’s just what it was. An annoyance. Something that would blow over. At least for her. Not so much for Stephen.
“Here’s the man of the hour!”
Ethan turned, bumping into Emma in the process. The glass of wine she held poured down the front of her white dress, splashing on Ethan. Kat jumped back, her small bag falling to the floor, the contents spilling.
Emma gasped just as Ethan swore under his breath, muttering apologies as he grabbed some napkins from a nearby table and thrust them at Emma. Kat bent down, retrieving her stuff and shoving it back in her bag with Abigail’s help.
“Way to make an entrance, Ethan,” Senator John Harrington chuckled as Emma glared at Ethan, which he ignored. The senator was classically handsome, his gray hair cut short, light blue eyes filled with laughter. By his side, a woman about Kat’s own age stood by his side. Her hair was a beautiful shade of auburn, the light picking up her red highlights, her blue eyes the same shade as the man next to her, leaving no doubt they were related. The redhead grabbed more napkins, which had little effect on the wine.
“I was just going to suggest we get this show on the road,” the senator said. “But maybe you’d like to change first?”
“Good idea. I’ve got another shirt in my truck,” Ethan agreed, grasping the senator’s outstretched hand, before doing his round of introductions, using Kat’s current name.
“The fireworks will be starting soon. I’ll introduce the congressman while you change. Ten minutes?”
“Perfect.” With another round of handshakes, the senator made his way to the raised hearth while Ethan went outside to change.
Kat spotted a waiter across the room and went to grab another glass of wine. As she made her way back to the group, she noticed Emma had disappeared, her date now standing next to the senator who stood on the fireplace’s raised hearth as the music was lowered. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My daughter, Genevieve, and I would like to thank you all for coming tonight…”
Kat let the senator’s voice drown out while he introduced the congressman who was up for reelection, keeping her eye out for Ethan, who appeared less than ten minutes later. His shirt was a blue button-down, replacing his white one. He smiled, giving her a wink, as he made his way to where the senator stood.
Applause filled the room as the congressman stepped down and the senator introduced Ethan. She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was, his smile lighting up the room, perfectly at ease as spoke to the crowd. It was different seeing him like this, in his element, she supposed, surrounded by people who supported and loved him. So much of their time together had just been one on one and it was sometimes a shock to realize she no longer had to hide.
“Thank you, Senator Harrington,” Ethan said over the crowd. “Not only for the endorsement, but for the use of your beautiful home. And thank you to everybody who has come to support me tonight. I’ll keep it short and sweet.”
“He’s a natural. The reigning king of the town.”
Oh, God. Could the night possibly get any worse?