Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1) (24 page)

She had said what she’d come to say; she felt strong. Daring a look at Decker, she tried to read the look on his face. His expression gave away nothing. Katie wanted him to assure her; with every fiber of her being she wanted him to promise her forever and choose her over all else. But, she knew Decker almost as well as she knew herself, and she knew what she’d just laid out to him could easily go the other way. She was prepared to only be his assistant manager if that’s what he wanted; in her heart, she knew it would be best if she tendered her resignation and began searching for another job. But, for the moment, she sat and waited for Decker to respond.

**********

Throughout an excruciatingly long dinner, she waited for him to process what she’d told him. After paying the bill, arguing that he’d put it on The Center+ since it was a business dinner, Decker took her hand in his. “Can we walk?” The heat from his hand shot straight to her heart, and she nodded mutely.

“Is this okay?” Decker held their intertwined hands up between them as he asked the question.

“It’s the only place I ever want my hand to be, Decker. But, I guess it depends on what you’re thinking and what you’re going to say.” Katie smiled a little regretfully at him as she removed her hand from his.

Breathing deeply, Decker stared at the sidewalk. “I don’t know if I can offer assurances, Kate. I love you more than I love breathing, but this is who I am. I take the responsibility of the business and my family very seriously. I want you by my side, as my partner and my friend, as my life, but I can’t promise that things at work will never take me away from you or our family. Rationally, I want to say that I would always choose you and any children we may have one day. But, I know how I am; if something were to come up at work, I know I’d drop things to be there. I’d like to think I’d never miss a ballet recital or baseball game, I’d like to think I’d be at every school function, home for dinner every night, and there for bedtime. But, I’m devoted to my family’s business; I’ve been devoted to The Center+ since I was old enough to know I wanted to run it and make it bigger and better. I want to say I could split my devotion and my focus and my responsibilities, but it’s not something I can promise.” He stopped walking by a bridge. Listening to the gurgling water flow, Katie took in his next words. “I love you, Kate. But, years from now, I don’t want you disappointed in me or angry that I’ve not lived up to what you want or need. If promises and assurances are what you need for a future I can’t see, I’ll have to step aside; when I give my word, it’s as good as gold. You’re wanting my word on something, but it’s something I can’t predict or control; I can’t give my word on something like that. This is killing me, Kate. But, I’ll understand if you can’t do this without those assurances.” He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you, Kate. I want to beg you to stay, but I understand why you need what you need. I’m so very sorry that I can’t give you that. I don’t want to make any decisions about your position at work tonight. Let’s give it a few days and see how we’re feeling; I don’t want to lose you at The Center+, but we may find it’s just too hard to work together.” His breath mingled with hers, and she closed her eyes against the onslaught of feelings.

With a tearful sniff, she spoke quietly. “I knew this outcome was a possibility; I just kept thinking that what we had would be enough, that our love would pull you out of your cocoon of control. I know this is how you are, I think I was just hoping that I’d been enough for you; I wanted you to choose me.” Her lips met with his, a mournful mating; love and goodbye mixed together. “Decker, I love you. So very much. Thank you for all that we had. I will cherish it always.” A last kiss, one last embrace, and she turned to go. Stopping briefly, she spoke, “I’ll work from home for a while. Let’s discuss my position in a couple days.” Retreating quickly before he could see the tears streaming down her face, she dropped into the driver’s seat and drove off.

Decker stood, rooted to the sidewalk, and watched his life fade from view.

“Katie, you’re an idiot.” Grandma glared at her over a steaming mug of tea.

“Excuse me?” A stunned Katie was instantly defensive. She’d been working at home for two days; moping at home for two days was a more accurate description. When she’d finally told her grandmother about her conversation with Decker, this wasn’t the reaction she thought she’d get.

“Child, I understand you want to protect yourself from what your mother and you went through with your dad. I get it, I really do. But in attempting to protect yourself, you’ve basically done the exact same thing to Decker that he originally did to you when he was trying to protect you from Angela. You’re pushing him away, but worse than that, you’re asking that boy to make promises about something that hasn’t even happened yet. You aren’t married and you don’t have children, but you want him to promise he’ll never take a work call or have a meeting that runs into dinnertime. Can you promise him that you’ll never miss a day of work with a sick child? Can you promise him that you’ll get up with a hungry baby every night, even when you’ve got an early morning meeting?” When Katie started to protest, Grandma held her hand up to shush her. “Think about what I’m saying Katie. Some promises are easy, but some are hard. Life gets in the way of promises sometimes. You’re not being fair to Decker. You know his word is everything to him. Asking him to give his word on something like this, it’s unreasonable.” Grandma watched Katie’s face as she processed the information. Hanging her head, Katie felt defeated.

“I just want him to say that he will always choose me and our family over work. Daddy didn’t do that, I don’t want my kids to go through being second to a business.” Katie’s eyes shone with tears.

“What if I asked you to promise me something? Would you try your best to do it?” Grandma spoke softly and rubbed Katie’s hand.

“Of course I would. I love you. That’s what I want Decker to do; I want him to say he’ll try his best to keep that promise.” Katie nodded her head emphatically at her grandmother.

“Okay, what if I asked you to promise me you’ll be with me when I die. I want you to prove your love to me by being by my side when I die.” Grandmother held her chin high and challenged Katie.

Annoyed, Katie tried to avoid the question. “Grandma, I don’t like talking about you dying; you’re asking for something you know I can’t do. I’d have to be glued to your side 24 hours a day in order to keep that promise; we have no clue when you’re going to die. That’s a totally unfair example to use against me.”

“But you’re doing the same to Decker, hon. You’re asking him to predict soccer schedules and piano recitals and family dinners along with expense reports and staff meetings and water main breaks at work.” Grandma nodded sagely at the younger girl. Watching her granddaughter, she knew the information was sinking in, even if she didn’t like what she was hearing.

“Fine, Grandma, you’ve made your point. I’m going to run into work. The Center+ is closed, but I’ve got some files I need to grab. I may also use the gym to work out some of the millions of thoughts in my head right now. I’ll be home by 11:00p.m., but don’t worry about waiting up. Just let Mom know where I am, okay?” Katie gathered the tea cups, and leaned down to kiss the old woman on the head. “Thanks Grandma. Once again, you gave me the ability to see things for what they really are instead of allowing me to look at things through fogged-up glasses.”

“Well, Katie, when you’re as old as I am, you’ve had a lot of time to see things for what they really are. Get your thoughts together, but don’t waste too much time. That boy loves you, don’t make him sit around being as miserable as you’ve been.” Grandma smiled and leaned her head back to catch a little shut-eye before her favorite program came on TV.

**********

Decker read the message and smiled to himself. He was miserable without her. His only consolation was Sawyer and Kendrick reporting to him that Kate was just as miserable. He wasn’t happy she was miserable, but he hoped maybe this text meant she’d reassessed her stance on their future. He wanted more than anything to be able to promise her what she wanted to hear, but he just couldn’t; he wished she could see that.

**********

The events which unfolded over the next hour would haunt Decker for the rest of his life. Thirty minutes after his text to Katie, he got two texts within seconds of each other. First thinking it was her telling him she was skipping her run and coming over early, the blood in his veins froze as he read the words.

Calling Kendrick, he bolted to his car. “Angela is back in Torey Hope. Call the police, tell them to get to The Center+. Kate’s there, Kendrick, she’s there. Angela’s going to kill her.” The fear that gripped him was enough to take his breath, but he pushed it aside and focused on Kate. “Bug, be smart. Fight her, fight like you’ve never fought before.” He had tried her cell, but it just rang through; he knew she wouldn’t have it on her while she was running because she didn’t like it strapped to her arm.

Pulling up to The Center+, he swallowed down bile when he saw the glass on the front door had been shattered. He took small comfort in knowing Angela couldn’t have been there long; the alarm company would have alerted the police the second the glass was shattered and they would have been there in 5 minutes. Stopping briefly in the equipment room, he grabbed a baseball bat and walked stealthily through the semi-dark halls. He tried to listen for sounds to determine where they were, but the blood roaring in his ears from the beating of his heart was too loud.

He heard the sirens pulling up outside, voices on the radio speaking, and Officer Smitson yelling, “Mr. Morgan, I need you to stop. Let us go in first, sir.”

Ignoring the man, Decker progressed down the hall toward the gym. Knowing Kate, she probably grabbed the files first thing and then headed to the gym. Angela was most likely to find her there, so Decker proceeded that way. Finding the gym dark, his heart sank.

A shrill scream, the loud pop of a gunshot, and deathly silence echoed through the building. He tried to control his breathing, tried to control his fear, but everything was out of control. He ran into the darkened gym and straight toward the light coming from under the locker room door.

The sight that greeted him would forever be fodder for his nightmares.

**********

Katie had grabbed the files and headed into the gym. Picking her favorite treadmill, she turned it on and started running. Before she’d even broken a sweat, the treadmill shut off and the lights went out.

“Damn it.” Knowing the lights were on a timer, she headed toward the only light she could see streaming under the women’s locker room door. As she reached for the handle, her brain registered that the men’s locker room didn’t have light; the entire gym was on the same timer. Why were all the lights off except the women’s locker room? And what had caused the treadmill to turn off? Too late, she pulled open the door and screamed when a hand grabbed her hair and pulled her inside.

“You stupid bitch. I knew you’d come running back from Daddy’s as soon as I left town. I just had to bide my time and get rid of that cop they had trailing me before heading back to this shitty little town to finish you off. Anything you want me to tell Decker? He’ll be so distraught from your death, he’ll have no recourse other than to turn to me.” Spit flecked against her cheek as Angela’s deadly whisper spoke into her ear.

Katie knew there was no reasoning with this woman; she had gone absolutely insane. Fighting back was her only chance. Thinking of the time, she knew Decker would be expecting her soon; her only hope was to fight Angela off until he got worried and came looking for her. When Angela pulled out a gun, Katie’s hopes of fighting deflated.

Laying the gun on the counter next to the sink, Angela produced a knife from her boot. “I think I should do a little decorating before I put a hole through that damn ugly head of yours. I’ll make you so hideous, Decker won’t be able to stand the thought of your body; he’ll long for me instead.” The grip on her hair tightened and she gritted against the pain.

She felt the knife trail down her cheek, the sting of her flesh being opened, the warm trickle of blood as it oozed from the wound and ran down her neck. Pain and fear mixed together in her head, but anger took precedence. She’d let Angela run the show for way too long; Angela was the reason she and Decker were in the position they were in. Katie was done being the victim to this woman.

With all the strength she could muster, she jammed her elbow into Angela’s midsection. A growl from Angela was the only warning before the knife sliced into her side. The searing pain brought tears to her eyes, but she threw another elbow and kicked backwards, landing both her elbow and foot in hard contact with Angela’s body. It was enough to cause Angela to let go. Grabbing the gun off the counter, Katie leveled it at the woman and hoped against hope that she wouldn’t have to use it; never in her life had she held a gun, let alone shot one.

With fire in her eyes and hatred on her face, Angela let out a shrill scream and threw herself at Katie. As they fell to the floor in what felt like slow motion, Katie heard the loud pop of the gun, and then her world went black.