At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel (26 page)

D
rew hadn’t left. Kate frowned as she poured herself a cup of coffee and snapped on a lid. She was supposed to be concentrating on Aunt Ivy’s peanut butter, not thinking about Rainbow’s End’s newest guest.

Drew had come to dinner last night, so apparently neither Greg’s tour of Dupree nor Angela’s reminder of the no-drinking rule had discouraged him. He’d been congenial at supper, and afterward he’d seemed to enjoy the game of Monopoly that Kate had organized. Perhaps that enjoyment was because he’d won handily. Somehow, Drew had never landed on the “go to jail” square, while the rest of them had spent more than their fair share of time behind bars.

Though Sally still regarded him with suspicion and had in fact told Kate he epitomized the rude younger generation, ignoring the fact that her granddaughter was part of that same generation, Kate had to admit that she was revising her opinion of Greg’s former partner. Perhaps, as Greg had claimed, he’d simply been out of his element the first night and was adjusting to the slow pace at Rainbow’s End.

But Drew Carroll was not Kate’s concern. Aunt Ivy’s was.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and gripped the coffee cup as she opened the outside door. Though it was a bit farther than taking the indoor route, she had decided to avoid potential distractions by walking to the lodge on the less traveled outside path. She had already had enough distractions.

As soon as breakfast was over, Sally had returned to the cabin to rest. Though she’d claimed that nothing was wrong other than a bit too much sun and a bit too much walking the previous afternoon, Kate couldn’t dismiss her concerns. She had wanted to stay in the cabin to be close by if her grandmother needed her, but Sally had insisted that all she needed was peace and quiet. And Kate needed to work.

Though Sunday had been wonderful, nothing had gone right since then. Kate looked around the lodge, satisfying herself that she wouldn’t be bothering anyone if she worked here. The room was empty. Perfect. Something ought to be. Kate sighed as she opened her laptop, pressing the power button. She’d expected it to be different, but she and Greg hadn’t had a single minute alone since they’d returned from Stonehenge, dinner, and the unforgettable kiss that had followed it.

Sunday had been a special day. In Greg’s arms, Kate had felt as if anything was possible. Though she’d heard friends talk about being on top of the world, she’d never experienced that sensation. Sunday night had changed all that. For the first time, she’d felt as if she’d climbed Mount Everest and was ready to do it again. The world was at her feet, all because of Greg.

When she’d returned to Rainbow’s End, Kate had felt happy, energized, and confident that everything was going right. The mental blocks that had plagued her would crumble, and she’d be able to create a campaign that would please both Heather and the client. It was a wonderful, heady feeling. Unfortunately, it hadn’t lasted. Though the rain had given her extra time to work on Monday, all she’d developed was increasing frustration.

Perhaps it would have been better if she’d been able to spend some time with Greg. Kate wanted to talk to him. Oh, why mince words? She wanted to kiss him again, to feel the magic of his arms around her and his lips on hers. But there had never been the right moment, and now that Drew was here, it seemed there wouldn’t be.

The man was like a barnacle. The only good thing Kate could say was that he no longer seemed to be clinging to her. Since he and Greg had returned from Dupree, although he’d given Kate a few puzzled looks, he had spent more time talking to Greg. It was almost as if he were trying to charm Greg, but that made no sense.

Then there was the ad campaign. Though she’d developed a few ideas, in her heart of hearts, Kate knew they weren’t good enough, and so she hadn’t discussed any of them with Heather. Time was running out. Heather wanted her concept no later than close of business Friday. Hazel and Ike Preston were expecting it on Monday, and though Heather hadn’t said anything, Kate knew that if she failed to deliver, Heather, Nick, and Chase would spend the weekend coming up with something to present to Aunt Ivy’s. If they managed to salvage the account, Kate might be given another chance. If not, unemployment was a distinct possibility.

Though distressing, that was nothing compared to Sally. She’d seemed unusually pensive this morning, and her insistence that nothing was wrong had rung false. Even their discussion of whether or not to have hot stone massages at the spa hadn’t distracted her. Kate might have dismissed her concerns as an overactive imagination, but it wasn’t like Sally to want to rest. Something was amiss, and that worried Kate more than anything else. If she had to, she could find another job, but her grandmother was irreplaceable.

Trying to push those thoughts to the back of her mind, Kate
stared at the blank screen on her laptop. She had hoped that sitting in the lodge would spark her creativity. The problem was, she could wax eloquent about the lake. She could devise a catchy slogan for the lodge itself. But peanut butter? The ideas simply refused to flow.

She leaned back in the chair, sliding down to prop her feet on the coffee table. Sally would deplore the sloppy posture, but it felt good, and feeling good was the first step toward unleashing creativity. Kate had developed some of her best ideas sitting on the floor of her apartment, wearing her oldest clothes, listening to her favorite playlist, oblivious to the fact that the open carton of ice cream in front of her was melting. There was no ice cream this morning, but perhaps the relaxed position would help.

She closed her eyes, trying to envision a jar of peanut butter in an unexpected context. Could she float it on the lake? Perhaps, but what would that signify to consumers? Peanut butter was hardly a life preserver. Though potential customers might laugh at the idea, laughter wasn’t what Aunt Ivy’s needed. Sales were. Kate pursed her lips in concentration, wishing she could find a novel way to announce that Aunt Ivy’s peanut butter was everything a customer had ever wanted in peanut butter and more.

“You’ve got to do it, Greg.”

Kate blinked at the sound of Drew’s voice. It seemed that the two men had entered the lodge, perhaps seeking solitude as Kate had. Realizing that they could not see her, Kate started to rise to announce her presence, but before she could do that, Drew continued.

“I promise I won’t ask again, but I really need this. My job’s on the line.”

Kate winced. She didn’t know Drew well, but what she knew was enough to make her certain that he would be embarrassed by her overhearing that particular admission. She slid back
down, hoping the men would leave the room before she heard anything more.

“I already told you that I can’t.” Greg’s voice held more than a hint of annoyance, as if this wasn’t the first time they’d had this particular conversation.

“You
won’t
. There’s a big difference.” And the angry note in Drew’s voice left no doubt that he wasn’t happy. “I know you, Greg. You could sketch out half a dozen new features for Sys=Simpl in an hour. I’ve seen you do it.”

“That was then. It’s not the same now. I’m not part of the company anymore. Just as importantly, it’s no longer part of me. I don’t eat and breathe it any longer.”

Kate heard the sound of a fist connecting with wood and guessed that Drew was expressing his displeasure. “I don’t believe you,” he said. “You’re just trying to pay me back for something. I’m not sure what that could be, but you’re acting like a sore loser.” He snapped his fingers, the sound echoing through the nearly empty room. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’ve realized that you’re a loser and always have been. You know you couldn’t do anything without me, and now you want to punish me for that.”

Drew’s voice was filled with anger, but there was something else, perhaps a hint of desperation. Though Kate felt a moment of sympathy for the man whose job was at stake, it evaporated with his next words.

“You’re a loser, Greg,” Drew continued. “You always have been, you always will be.”

How dare he say such things? Kate shuddered at the thought that Greg’s father might have used the same words. If he had, hearing them come from Drew would be like reopening a partially healed wound.

Kate had heard enough. Scrambling to her feet, she turned to face the men. “If anyone’s a loser, it’s you, Drew.”

Both Greg and Drew stared at her, obviously shocked to discover the lodge wasn’t empty.

Kate took a shallow breath before continuing. “You might have been the face of Sys=Simpl, but that’s all you were: an empty shell. Greg was the brains of the outfit, something you’re only now learning.”

As Drew’s face flushed with anger, Kate delivered her final salvo. “You’re nothing without him. You’re the loser, Drew.”

Though she saw the shock on his face, Drew’s voice was remarkably calm. “What makes you think you know anything?” His eyes roamed from the top of her head to her feet, his expression practically shouting “dumb blonde.” At another time, Kate might have been annoyed by his attitude, but today she didn’t care. What mattered was the way he was trying to destroy Greg.

“I have eyes. I have ears. And, believe it or not, I have a brain.” She lifted one shoulder, feigning nonchalance. “I’ve read everything I could find about Sys=Simpl, and what I learned was that customers loved the software. Not the packaging, not the pretty speeches, not even the key chains you handed out at industry meetings. They bought it because it’s great software that does exactly what they need. And we all know who was responsible for that software.” Though Kate had been staring at Drew, daring him to be the first to break the gaze, she turned to smile at Greg. “Greg was the reason for Sys=Simpl’s success. Face it, Drew. The company was successful
despite
you.”

He took a step toward her, his stance menacing. “That’s a crock of—”

“Enough.” Greg clapped his hand on his former partner’s shoulder. “It’s time for you to leave Rainbow’s End.”

Drew swiveled to face him, his eyes burning with intensity. “With pleasure.” A second later, the door slammed behind him.

Greg took a step, then another until he was only inches from Kate. His eyes had deepened to the shade of cedar needles, and his expression was serious. “Did you mean all that?”

“Of course I did.” How could he doubt it? “Any idiot could see that you’re worth a dozen Drews. You’re smart, you’re dedicated, and you don’t need him. You can do anything you want all by yourself.”

Greg stared at her for a long moment, as if he were trying to absorb what she’d said. At last he shook his head. “I don’t know how I ever got so lucky as to have you on my side, but you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

His lips curved into the sweetest of smiles as he pulled Kate into his arms. She stood there for a second, not daring to move lest he break the embrace. And then Greg began to stroke her back, his hand moving in lazy circles that sent ripples of delight through her body.

Kate moved a little closer, feeling the warmth of his breath, inhaling the tangy scent that was Greg’s alone. This was wonderful, so very wonderful. The anger she had felt toward Drew drained away, replaced by pure pleasure.

Kate had no idea how long they stood there, neither of them speaking, their eyes locked in silent communication. At length Greg’s hand slowed and he leaned forward to feather kisses on her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. Kate closed her eyes, wanting to savor every sensation, determined to etch each instant on her memory. This was what she had dreamed of, what she had longed for. Greg, the man she loved, was holding her in his arms, making her feel like the heroine of every romance novel she’d ever read.

“Look at me,” he whispered between kisses. And as Kate opened her eyes, Greg lowered his mouth to hers. She tasted cinnamon and coffee; her body tingled from the top of her head to the tip of her toes; every sense was heightened by the magic
of Greg’s embrace. Kate felt pampered; she felt protected; most of all, she felt loved.

Perhaps it was a minute, perhaps an hour, perhaps an eternity later that Greg drew back, ending the kiss, leaving Kate’s emotions so tangled that she knew she would never unravel them.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he whispered, his lips only a breath away from hers, “but I thank God you’re here.”