Until I Found You (14 page)

“Nick?”

He turned and saw Kate striding toward him, her face flushed and her eyes bright. “Let’s go. With a little luck, Eve will be on time for a change.”

The coming storm wouldn’t wait for anyone—not even Eve Landon. Nick took Kate’s hand and together they hurried to the parking structure.

K
ate ran with nick
as fast as she could in her high heels. When they reached the truck, he helped her up, strode to the driver’s side and climbed in.

“How did it go?” he asked as he turned the ignition.

“Good, I suppose.” Except she felt as jittery as she did before the meeting. “I’m the lead on the proposal, but I almost wish Roscoe had chosen Brad.”

“Why?”

“It’ll be hard to juggle both Eve’s Garden and the newspaper.” Time was a factor, but mostly Kate struggled with a divided heart. Every time Roscoe had asked her a question about her work hours and setting in-house deadlines, she’d worried about the impact on Nick and the
Clarion
. At Eve’s request, the final presentation was scheduled for February fourteenth—a reasonable timetable if she were working at Sutton full-time, but close to impossible with her obligations in Meadows.

“You’ll do great,” Nick said, as he navigated the tight
turns in the parking garage. “You’re a pro, and Eve loves your work.”

“Yes, but I’m worried.” The last few turns made the tires squeal. He wasn’t going fast. All tires squealed on the oily concrete, but the screech unnerved her. When they reached the street, she peered at the sky through the tinted window. The dark glass made the clouds almost black, and a gust of wind caused the truck to sway. More tense than ever, she glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “I hope Eve doesn’t run late.”

“Me, too.” Nick gave her shoulder a squeeze.

His touch calmed her, and they navigated quickly through canyons of steel and glass and out of West Los Angeles. Eventually they turned north toward Bel Air, where the road narrowed and the houses expanded into mansions. “Turn here,” she said when they neared a gated driveway with two brick pillars. A brass plate displayed the words
Eve’s Garden
below an intercom
.
Nick pressed the button and waited.

A perky female voice came over the speaker. “Welcome to Eve’s Garden. May I help you?”

“Kate Darby is here to see Eve,” Nick announced.

“Come on in.”

The iron gate opened so slowly that Kate wanted to scream. Palm trees were swaying in the whistling wind, and the sky seemed even grayer. By the time Nick pressed the gas, Kate was ready to leap out of the truck and run to the white stucco mansion on her own two feet. Instead, she gritted her teeth until he parked in front of the heavy oak doors where a life-size marble statue paid tribute to the female body.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted. “Both about Eve and getting back to Meadows.”

Nick covered her hand with his. “You know what you’re doing. As for getting back to Meadows, we can’t control the weather.”

“No.” She glanced at the sky and remembered the day she made the snow angel. If God was real, maybe He’d show mercy and hold back the storm. “I just hope Eve’s on time,” she said again.

“Me, too.”

Nick released her hand and came around the truck to open her door. As she stepped down to the pavement, the doors to the spa swung wide, and Eve appeared. Her hair shimmered between gold and platinum; her sculpted nose tipped up at a perfect angle; and her eyes sparkled with the look of perpetual surprise that came with having one’s eyelids done. Eve didn’t hide the plastic surgery; she flaunted it. Her war on aging had certainly been effective. She looked closer to forty than her true age of seventy.

That first glimpse of the star hit Kate the way it always did—in the solar plexus. No matter how warmly Eve treated her, Eve was still a Class A Hollywood celebrity, and Kate couldn’t help being a little star-struck.

“Kate!” Eve hurried down the walkway. Dressed in khaki slacks and a pearl-white mohair sweater, she moved with her typical grace in spite of the gusting wind. “It’s wonderful to see you.”

“Hello, Eve.”

The actress kissed Kate’s cheek, then turned to Nick with an enigmatic smile. “I’m Eve Landon,” she said, offering her hand.

Kate took her cue. “Eve, this is Nick Sheridan. He’s a friend from Meadows.”
And so much more.
She hoped Eve wouldn’t ask questions about him, because she didn’t know how to explain their friendship.

Nick clasped Eve’s hand. “Miss Landon, it’s a pleasure.”

“Call me Eve,” she said with a little laugh. “‘Miss Landon’ makes me feel like a relic from the 1950s.”

“Hardly,” Nick said graciously.

Smiling with delight, Eve winked at Kate. “You have good taste in
friends
.”

Eve could be incorrigible when it came to men. Kate hoped she wouldn’t press the issue. Not only was Kate worried sick about getting back to Meadows, she didn’t want to be flirty or suggestive around Nick. “Yes, I do,” she agreed in a formal tone. “Nick works with me at the
Clarion
.”

Eve assessed him with a direct stare. “Will you be joining us?”

“No.” He held up his hand palm out. “You and Kate have a lot to discuss, and we have a time crunch. We need to get back to Meadows before it snows. I-5 is expected to close.”

Grateful to Nick for bringing up the time limit, Kate breathed a sigh of relief and faced Eve. “Could Nick wait in the library?”

“Of course.” The actress led them into the lobby famous for its tranquility. White and lavender orchids filled the room, and glistening water spilled over rocks and into a stream that meandered throughout the spa. The three of them stepped into the library, where Eve used an intercom to instruct a staff member to serve Nick the spa’s famous tea tray. After he assured them he was comfortable, Eve led Kate to her office, a familiar spot where they had met many times before.

When they passed through the door, Kate headed to the sitting area where a push-button fireplace displayed steady orange flames. Her favorite spa treat, a mango smoothie, waited on the mahogany table next to Eve’s usual jasmine tea.

Eve indicated the leather sofa. “It’s certainly a gray day. The fire is cheerful, don’t you think?”

“Very.” Kate focused on the flames that were so different from the fires that burned in Leona’s woodstove. Leona’s flames danced and changed; the logs hissed and popped, sometimes so loudly that Kate jumped. The flames in Eve’s
fireplace burned in a straight line and emitted a steady, undisturbed hiss. Leona’s living room always smelled a bit smoky in the winter, while Eve’s office smelled like purified air.

Feeling as if she had fallen into a rabbit hole, Kate sipped her smoothie. Eve dropped down next to her, set her phone on the table, lifted the teapot, and poured.

Eager to get down to business, Kate set down her glass. “So, what do you have in mind for the new marketing campaign?”

Eve lifted her teacup but didn’t sip. “I know you’re in a hurry, but first I want to hear about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

Any other time, Kate would have welcomed Eve’s interest. But not today. Not with the storm barreling toward them. Besides, what could she possibly say?
Los Angeles used to
feel normal, but today it’s fast and loud. I
want to go home, but I don’t know where
home is.
No way did Kate want to reveal her weakness to Eve, though she greatly admired Eve’s personal strength. No one modeled the principles of self-fulfillment better than Eve Landon.

“Kate?”

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I was trying to figure out what to say. Life’s been interesting lately.”

Eve’s eyes twinkled. “Apparently so. Tell me about Nick.”

“There’s nothing to tell. We’re just friends.”

“Oh, Kate.”

“What?”

“It’s obvious.” Eve fluttered her hand.

“What is?”

“You like him.” Eve said
like
with a waggle of her brows, making the word suggestive, when Kate saw
liking
Nick as far more than finding him attractive—which she did. Very much. But that was none of Eve’s business. Kate didn’t want
to talk about
liking
at all, but she couldn’t hide the heat of a blush. The sooner she answered Eve, the sooner they could focus on business.

“Yes, I like him,” she admitted. “But we’re not rushing things.”

Eve tipped her head, crossed her legs, and wrapped her manicured fingers around her knees. “Kate, darling, take my advice. Love is glorious, but it comes and goes with the stages of our lives. If you’re attracted to Nick, act on it. How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“You’re young and beautiful.” In spite of her perfectly sculpted face, Eve sounded wistful. “Believe in yourself and go after what you want.”

A month ago Kate would have agreed with Eve, but what did a woman do when her choices affected the hearts, minds, and lives of others? Listening to Eve, Kate felt like a marble rolling around in a box, hitting the sides and bouncing in different directions. It gave her a headache, especially when she thought of Nick, whose marble was securely glued in place. Kate envied his groundedness, but she also admired Eve.

A gust of wind dragged a tree branch across the window, scraping the glass with a reminder of the storm. “Life is definitely short,” she agreed. “And I really do have to leave before rush hour.”

“Of course.”

Eve’s phone buzzed. Shoulders rigid, she read the text and frowned. “I’m sorry, Kate. It’s my daughter. I have to speak with her. She and her husband are in the middle of a messy divorce. They were in court today—”

“Call her.” If Leona were on the phone, Kate would answer in a heartbeat.

Eve headed for the door with the phone raised to her ear.
“Darling, what happened? . . . Oh, no . . . He can’t take the children. . . .”

The conversation faded as Eve walked away, leaving Kate alone with the whispering fire and dripping rain. She tried to shake off the grimness of Eve’s tone, but her upset lingered like the scent of the jasmine tea. Another gust shook the window, this one stronger and more abrupt. Kate checked the weather app on her phone, saw the radar, and winced at the thick yellow bands off the coast of Santa Barbara. Shoulders tense, she texted Nick.
Eve stepped out. Am waiting.

He texted back.
Want to leave?

Not yet.

For the next thirty minutes, Kate monitored the weather while she texted. A message to Leona came back with a report of light rain and a warning to be careful. Maggie texted with a request.
If you get stuck on I-5, take pictures
!

Nick sent a warning.
I-5 predicted to close approx
. 7 p.m. I’m ready when you are.

At exactly three o’clock, Kate’s fear of the storm trumped her responsibility to Sutton, and she scrawled a note to Eve, saying she needed to leave because of the weather. Eve had to understand, but what if she didn’t? What if she dropped Sutton from the account? Pen in hand, Kate stared out the rain-spattered glass. How did she choose between conflicting priorities?

Eve breezed through the door, her hand fluttering an apology. “Kate, I’m so sorry. I know you have to leave.”

“Yes.” She shifted her weight to stand, but Eve dropped down next to her. “Stay the night. You and Nick can have the Garden House. It’s my way of apologizing.”

“Thank you, but no.”
Absolutely, positively no.
“My grandmother’s alone, and we run a newspaper. I have a deadline to meet.” She desperately wanted to leave, but to protect Sutton
she needed Eve’s blessing. “Could we reschedule? I’d be glad to come back on Friday.”

Eve paused with an air of silent disapproval. “I have commitments every day this week. I’m sorry, dear. But it’s now or never.”

Paralyzed with indecision, Kate wondered what Nick would do. Life didn’t push him around the way it pushed Kate, though no one could predict the weather or when the roads would close, or even
if
they would close. The storm could pinball north or south, or stall off the coast. Her phone chirped with a text from Nick.
Spoke w Maggie. It’s raining. No snow yet
.

Kate took the report as a sign and met Eve’s stare. “That was Nick. It’s not snowing yet, so let’s get started.”

“Are you sure?” Eve sounded concerned.

“I’m not sure of anything,” Kate admitted. “But I’m here and we have work to do.” With the decision made, she whipped a notepad from her purse. Eve picked up the remote for the flat screen on the wall. While the equipment booted up, Kate texted Nick that Eve was back, then turned to the screen, which displayed a marble building evocative of Greek revival architecture.

Eve gazed at it admiringly. “This is the newest spa. It’s located in Atlanta.”

Kate made notes as Eve narrated a slide show of the new facilities, but her thoughts ricocheted from one worry to another. Even if the interstate stayed open, she and Nick had to pass through San Miguel Canyon and the hanging hairpin. She forced herself to nod and agree with Eve’s commentary, but her stomach was in knots. Rain slapped the window in waves, each gust stronger than the last.

Somehow she hid her anxiousness until Eve turned off the computer. “That’s it. The buildings I’ve purchased are proud,
elegant, and timeless. I want that impression to translate to the spas. The question is how to do it.”