Untangle My Heart (Tangled Hearts) (29 page)

After calming Abby, Meghan maneuvered so Charles ended up holding the newborn. He looked nervous at first, but Meghan must have said something to reassure him, because Kate saw him start to relax. He smiled down at the baby, and Kate watched with envy as he exchanged tender looks with his wife.

Kate didn’t think anyone, even Mario, had ever looked at her like that. The ache in her chest grew, until she felt the walls closing in on her.

Grabbing her purse, she headed toward the door. “I’m going to the cafeteria to get coffee and food since Meg and I didn’t get lunch.”

“You didn’t eat?” Charles asked his wife, worry etched on his face.

“I ate the emergency granola bar I keep in my purse, but that was on the way here,” Meghan said.

“I’ll bring something up for you, Meg,” Kate offered.

“Why don’t you go downstairs with Kate and eat?” Charles said. “I’m fine here.” He looked down at the sleeping baby.

“Are you sure?” Meghan asked.

“Yes. Can you bring me a cup of coffee when you come back up?”

“Make that two,” Mark said from the bed, now burping Colin. “Go. Charles is going to get his first lesson in diaper changing and he’ll be more relaxed without you fussing over him.”

Kate wasn’t sure, but she thought Charles paled a little.

The two women made their way down to the cafeteria while discussing who the twins resembled. After making their food selections, they sat at an empty table.

“How do you think Charles looked holding Abby?” Meghan asked.

“I’d say he looked like someone who’s never held a two-hour-old infant before,” Kate replied.

“Yeah, he was nervous at first, but I think he was getting the hang of it when we came down here.”

When Meghan picked nervously at her sandwich, Karen covered her friend’s hand with her own. “Charles will be a good father because it’s important to him. He might be scared of hurting or dropping the baby, but he’ll figure it out.”

Meghan sighed and took a sip of bottled water. “You’re right. I’m being silly. It’s just…knowing the way he was raised, there are certain things that don’t come natural to him. Babies need to be cuddled and kissed, and I’m not sure he even knows to do all that.”

“He looked just fine to me. Don’t worry, Meg. I think spending time around Karen and Mark’s twins will help Charles not only see how to handle them, but also better prepare him for yours. I bet he’s an expert by the time you deliver.”

They ate in silence a few moments.

“Do you ever think about having another child?” Meghan asked.

“I’ll be getting one very soon,” Kate replied, purposefully avoiding the true intention of Meghan’s question.

“Not a grown child, but your own that you carry and give birth to.”

Like she had with Tony.

Kate took a large bite of her turkey sandwich and used the time she chewed to think about how to answer Meghan’s question. Had she thought of having another child? If she was honest with herself, then the answer was yes. Of course, it didn’t help that her two best friends pulled her into every baby store in Manhattan.

“I’ve thought about it, a little,” Kate replied.

“Of having one with Edward?” Meghan pressed.

Kate straightened in her chair. “That’s not going to happen,” she said a little more harshly than she intended.

“He’s going to come back and when he does—”

“When he does, he’s going to give me a list of reasons why a relationship together won’t work out, all of which will be true,” Kate interrupted.

“You don’t know that.”

Oh, yes, she did. Kate knew his type. Hell, she’d spent the past several years seeking out his type just so she didn’t have to deal with relationship complications. Unfortunately, she’d allowed herself to slip and now was in love with someone who wouldn’t allow himself to love her back.

Kate gave a cynical laugh. “Oh, come on. We both know Edward isn’t looking for permanency or anything other than a quick tumble in bed.”

“That’s not how I see it,” Meghan said, studying her. “I see a man who has changed from the charming playboy I met last summer. Sure, he’s a flirt and likes to have fun, but there’s so much more depth to him. There’s a determination I hadn’t expected to see based on how Charles described his brother. He works hard and is committed to the success of their business. Then there’s how he looks at you.”

Kate put down her soft drink. “What do you mean?”

“He looks at
you
the way Charles looks at
me
. He’s in love with you, Kate, even if he doesn’t realize it yet and you’re too stubborn to see it.”

****

“Mama, what do you think of these centerpieces?” Kate pointed to the short glass vase filled with water and a floating white candle. “I’m going to scatter rose petals around it for opening night.”

“It’s perfect. It’s simple and elegant against the red tablecloths,” Carmen said. “But then you always had a talent for knowing what looked good.”

“I placed the dinner menus over by the hostess stand. We’ll have to wait to print the dessert menu until the queen of sweets finishes obsessing about what she wants. She’d better hurry her ass up, too. Opening night’s tomorrow.”

“Your sister just wants things special. It’s as much a reflection on her as it is on us. She’s counting on the restaurant to help get her new business off the ground.”

“I know, I know. Seriously though, if she makes me eat any more of her fattening treats, I won’t fit into my pants for opening night. All that chocolate mousse is delicious, but it’s going straight to my ass,” Kate said, patting her behind.

“Welcome to my world,” Carmen said, wrapping an arm around her daughter. “Your ass is beautiful and has been ogled by several of the workers still finishing up here.”

“Kate, am I done folding napkins?” Lucas asked from atop one of the bar stools.

Kate walked over and saw he wasn’t even halfway through the pile. “Are you bored, baby?”

He pouted and gave her a nod. “When is Edward coming back? He promised to help me with soccer practice.”

Kate’s heart lurched. How was she going to explain to this innocent little boy there was a good chance Edward wouldn’t be helping him with soccer? She silently cursed the bastard for putting her in the position of bull-shitting her way through the truth. Well, she sure as hell wasn’t going to make excuses for why he wouldn’t be helping out Lucas. Edward could explain that when he got back.

“I’m not sure when Edward will be back. He’s away on business and will come back as soon as he can,” Kate replied.

“Why don’t you go into the kitchen and see if Papa Joe has something for lunch?” Carmen suggested.

His face lit up. “Do you think he’ll make me some chicken fingers and fries? Those are my favorites.”

“I’m sure he will if you ask nicely.” Kate helped him down from the stool and watched him trot to the kitchen.

Kate felt her mother next to her and braced herself for the inquisition.

“Have you spoken with Edward since he left?” Carmen asked.

“No, but I really didn’t expect to. He’ll return when he’s ready.”

“And then what?”

“Look, Mama, Edward wasn’t raised in a loving home like ours. He has a difficult time knowing and expressing what he wants.”
Unless it involved sex, that is. Then, he knew exactly the right way to be expressive.

“Maybe, but how could he not want you and Lucas to be his family?”

Kate understood Edward well enough to know that he dealt with the lack of love by doing everything to avoid it. Casual affairs were his style and it was going to take a lot to change that, if it even could.

Kate turned and started folding more napkins. “Not everyone wants to be married with kids. I have to accept that he may never be able to give his heart completely.”

Her spoken words were much braver than the words of her heart, which told her Edward was her second chance for love. After Mario, she hadn’t imagined falling in love again. Kate’s love for Mario was the love of her youth. Due to her overprotective father and equally protective older brother, Kate hadn’t dated a lot before Mario. There’d been a few dates and a few stolen kisses, but nothing serious until her husband.

In retrospect, what she had with Mario started out sweet and evolved into a youthful passion but had never developed beyond that. Not even when Tony was born. Mario had always been self-absorbed and immature. He didn’t like being upstaged by Tony or sharing Kate with him. When all three of them were together, Kate felt the constant pressure to focus her attention on Mario, not easy when she had a screaming, colicky infant on her hands.

Edward couldn’t be more different. He emanated confidence, possibly a little too much, and didn’t seem to mind sharing her attention with a small boy. Despite his wild youth, Edward managed to straighten himself out and run a successful business with his brother.

Kate thought back to what Meghan had said at the hospital. Edward had changed from the playboy she met last summer. Sure, there were still elements of the flirtatious charmer in him, but she’d watched him work hard wooing clients to solicit more business for the firm. He had a strong work ethic and didn’t back down from hard work or a challenge.

“Do you think he’ll be back for tomorrow night’s opening?” Carmen asked, jerking Kate away from her thoughts.

Kate looked around the restaurant he’d designed. They’d spent every weekend at her parents’ house since Thanksgiving and worked tirelessly on the details to get it up and running by New Year’s Eve. It was everything they’d planned together and as wonderful as she thought it would be. The warm yellow of the walls softened the dark wooden floors. The combination of wall sconces and candles provided exactly the intimate and seductive atmosphere she’d been trying to achieve. Even the crown molding had his imprint on it.

“I hope so. He was so much a part of this I’d like to think he’d want to share in its success,” Kate said, refusing to give in to the urge to cry or throw something in frustration.

“Good. When he returns, you will sit and talk this through with him. Then, if he still doesn’t come around, you let me talk to him. I’ll knock some sense into that boy.”

Kate saw the set of her mother’s jaw and knew there was no talking logic to her at the moment. Regardless of what her mother thought, Kate would not allow Edward to charm his way back into her life. Not this time. She needed to think about Lucas as well as attempt to preserve the final speck of her heart he hadn’t yet claimed.

Kate put her arm around her mother’s shoulders and told her what she wanted to hear but what Kate didn’t believe. “Okay, Mama. I’ll let you set him straight.”

****

Edward tapped the blackjack table and the dealer threw him another card. Although his face didn’t show it, he was pleased by his cards. A six and a two, combined with the queen of hearts that lay face down, would give him a nice eighteen. He gave the sign to hold and finished off his drink.

After the other players completed their hands, the dealer revealed the house’s cards. Stuck at seventeen. Edward won.

Edward signaled the waitress in the scantily dressed uniform. He didn’t notice her endless legs and top that barely contained her enormous breasts, even when she flashed him an over-enthusiastic smile.

“Tonic water, please,” he said and directed his gaze back to the table.

He played for another forty-five minutes, watching his pile of chips grow. Satisfied and bored with the lack of challenge, Edward cashed out and strolled through the casino.

The brightness of the lights and dings from the slot machines usually exhilarated him. Tonight they were giving him a headache. He wandered toward a little bar, where jazz music played in the background.

After almost five days in Vegas, he wasn’t any closer to figuring out what to do about Kate. Of course, he’d done a good job keeping busy and avoiding considering his dilemma.

He met with the engineers for the Morrison account and had caught a snag in the design. He’d put in long hours the past couple days to work through the difficulty. Now, finished with business, he needed to decide how much longer he could procrastinate before returning home.

The opening of Trattoria DiFrancesco was tomorrow night, New Year’s Eve. The entire DiFrancesco clan expected him to attend, and he wanted to be there. The opening of the restaurant signified something important he’d accomplished with Kate, the turning point in their relationship. So what in the bloody hell was he still doing here?

Edward sat at the bar and ordered another tonic water. He took a deep breath and pondered over the word…relationship. Not a word he usually used with the women he’d dated, but one that seemed entirely appropriate with Kate. While things between them started out rocky, they’d come a long way in the past month. They’d transitioned from friends, to dating, to something more in a short period of time. They felt right together, and that was a new and completely terrifying feeling for him.

His phone buzzed and pulling it out, he saw a couple of emails, both from Vicky. The subject of the first was related to the restaurant. After reading her brief note, he clicked the attached video. It was a short clip she’d taken of the inside of the restaurant. Everything looked perfect. Something tugged inside him that he wasn’t there to help finalize the details.

The second message contained two pictures from Christmas Eve. The first was a picture of Kate and him dancing. He held her close and she smiled up into his face. But it was the tender way he gazed down at her that surprised him. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was in love. He rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn’t be, could he?

He opened the second file, a picture of him with Kate and Lucas. Looking at them, made him wish he was back home. They all looked so happy…like a family.

“Buy me a drink, handsome?” a husky female voice crooned in his ear, disrupting his thoughts.

Turning, he saw a knockout brunette. She was tall and wore a dress meant to show off every one of her perfect curves.

“What would you like?” he replied, putting his phone away.

“How about a glass of champagne? I’m in a mood to celebrate,” she replied.