Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
K ate
After an hour of swimming, I climb out of the pool and head for the table to get a drink and dry off while Ava and Sabrina play with Theo. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the living room door open, but it’s Matthias, not Ronan.
I check my cell and see Jessie sent me a message after we got off the phone earlier. She wants to go out tonight, but her client is running late, so she isn’t sure she’ll be able to get off in time for us to keep our plans for dinner.
What a disappointment this day has been. First, Ronan barely talks to me and disappears while we’re all outside having a good time, and now my plans for the night are in jeopardy. Just wonderful.
“Where did you come from?” a deep voice asks.
I look up expecting to see Matthias since he was just walking out of the house, but to my surprise, it’s Marius, Ronan’s other older brother. I stare at him for a long moment, shocked I’ve never noticed that he and Matthias could pass for twins they look so similar.
“Katie Abbott as I live and breathe. You’re a blast from the past.”
The only person in the entire world who has ever called me Katie, Marius King has never liked me. At least that’s the way it seemed when I was dating his brother. If he wasn’t scowling and surly toward me, he said nothing and seemed to be silently judging me. No matter how many times I asked Ronan why this brother didn’t like me, he’d never admit Marius hated me, though.
I give him a tepid smile, unsure what to say since we’ve never been close. “Hi, Marius. I didn’t realize you were here too.”
He grins and strips his black t-shirt off to reveal a stunning muscular body. This King has always been more artistic than athletic, so I didn’t expect to see him look that good under his clothes.
“I came to see my brothers, but I had no idea you were around again. Are you and Ronan back together?”
His question sounds innocent enough, but I struggle to answer it. I’ve never considered him to be an advocate for Ronan and me together, so I don’t think letting him in on my desire to get back with his brother is a good idea.
So I go with a vague statement that says nothing about what he asked me.
“Ava invited me to come visit her.”
That only makes him more curious, and he says, “I didn’t know you two knew each other. Who’s the new girl?”
I follow his gaze to Sabrina walking along the edge of the pool to pick up Theo’s orange pool noodle. “The babysitter. Her name is Sabrina. That’s about all I know of her.”
That’s not true. I suspect she has her sights set on the same man I do. I’m not going to tell Marius that, though.
“Interesting. So where is that youngest brother of mine? Still avoiding the sun like a vampire?” he asks before waving to Ava and calling out, “He’s a natural. Just like the brother he’s named for!”
From the pool, she yells, “Marius! I didn’t know you were coming. Are you here for long?”
He stands up and walks over to the edge of the water. “As long as you’ll have me. I’m on a break from work.”
Giggling, she splashes him and says, “You need a break from taking pictures of beautiful women on gorgeous beaches? In my next life, I want to come back as you, Marius King.”
I watch as Sabrina can’t take her eyes off this King brother. Good. Keep eyeballing him, and stay away from Ronan.
Marius spreads his arms out and laughs. “It’s not bad work, if you can get it. Where’s the new little guy?”
“We were just going to get him up from his nap. Marius, this is Sabrina. She’s living here now and helping me,” Ava says as she hands Theo up to the babysitter.
Or maybe I should be calling her the nanny. Whatever she is, she’s entirely too hot in that black bikini, and I have a feeling Marius is thinking the same thing.
But as soon as Ava explains who she is, I notice a change in his body language. Suddenly, he doesn’t seem as interested and walks back to join me at the table.
“So, Katie, what’s new?” he asks before taking a drink of his sister-in-law’s iced tea.
“Not much. Just returned from a trip to Europe last week. Oh, I start my new job teaching at Rosemont School in the city starting this August.”
My answer seems to be funny to him because he gives me a big grin. “Let me guess. Kindergarten. I can’t think of a more perfect person for that job than you.”
Now I know he’s making fun of me. He never did like me, so I guess it’s good to see nothing’s changed. If only the same could be said for his younger brother.
“Actually, it’s third grade,” I say as I stand up to leave.
I don’t give him a chance to comment on my correction of his mistake and take my towel with me to get changed back into the clothes I wore here today. This visit has been unsuccessful on so many levels, so maybe it’s time for me to go home.
“Kate, are you going inside? Can you tell Matthias I’d like to see him?” Ava calls after me.
“Sure.”
Just as I’m walking into the living room, I look back and see Sabrina strike up a conversation with Marius. I can’t think of a more perfect couple. He’s annoying, and she’s irritating.
A match made in heaven.
Disgusted, although I’m not sure why, I take a detour upstairs and knock on Ronan’s door. I should just leave and never come back here, but I guess I need to find out a few things before I give up.
He opens the door and seems confused to see me. How nice. One brother can’t think of anything but busting my ass about being a nice person, and another can’t figure out why I’d be standing in front of him at all.
I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t help but notice he moves his right arm behind him again. I hate that he thinks he needs to do that in front of me.
“Why does your brother hate me?” I ask, figuring I’ll just dive in head first and not bother with manners. Not exactly my style, but when I get flustered, all the nice in me goes out the window.
“Matthias? I don’t think he hates you. In fact, if you’re not Ava, Theo, or Matty, he barely knows anyone else is alive.” He stops and then in a low voice adds, “Well, except for me lately.”
“No, not Matthias. Marius. He’s never liked me, and today just proved it. What is his problem with me, Ronan? Tell me before I never come to this house again.”
When I say that, he winces, like just hearing I’m going away forever hurts him. “Marius is here?”
“Please answer the question. I’d like to know.”
Ronan shrugs and shakes his head. “I don’t know, Kate. He used to tease me about how nice you were, but I think that was probably more against me than you.”
“Fine. I guess I’ll have to settle for that answer.”
I turn to leave, but he says, “He won’t be here forever. Maybe you can come back when he’s gone.”
Without turning around, I throw my hands up in the air, nearly tossing the towel down the steps. “Why bother? The only person who seems to genuinely want me here is Ava.”
He doesn’t say anything more, so I hurry downstairs to the guest bathroom where my clothes are hanging on the back of the door. I quickly get dressed, but then I remember I forgot to tell Matthias that Ava wants to see him. Sorry I got sidetracked by Marius and his bullshit, I rush down the hall and knock on the office door.
The oldest King looks up from some papers on his desk and gives me an awkward smile. “Oh, hi, Kate. What’s up?”
As he stands to come toward me, I answer, “Ava wanted me to tell you she wants to see you. She’s outside with Marius, Sabrina, and Theo. I have to go.”
“Wait,” he says before catching up to me not two steps down the hallway.
I turn around and see a far more serious expression staring back at me. Maybe this brother hates me too.
He lowers his voice and says, “I’d like to talk to you. Can you come into my office? I’d prefer to have some privacy for this conversation.”
Since I don’t believe I’ve spoken more than ten words on any occasion to this King, I’m intrigued and a little uncomfortable, but I nod and walk back to his office. When he closes the door, I’m really feeling strange. What could he possibly want to speak to me about?
Pointing at the black leather couch just inside the door, he asks, “Would you like to sit down?”
“No, I’m okay. Is something wrong?”
His expression is downright somber, so I naturally assume either I’ve done something to offend him or there’s some other problem that relates to me. He probably wants to say that it would be better if I didn’t come over anymore. Ronan probably told him to say that.
He finally smiles again and walks over to his desk to lean against it. Dressed in gray suit pants, a blue dress shirt, and a dark gray tie, he looks every bit the CEO of a company. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering if you’re coming over here to visit with my wife or to see Ronan.”
I look down toward the hardwood floor that’s so polished I can almost see myself in it. Embarrassed because my true intentions must have been more obvious than I thought, I try to find a polite way to explain my behavior.
Finally, I look up and meet his gaze. “It’s not that I don’t like hanging out with Ava. We have a nice time talking, and those babies are just the cutest things ever. I never meant to make it seem like I was using her to get to see Ronan. I was just hoping that maybe he and I could…”
I can’t find the words to explain that part of my thinking, so I don’t bother. Better for me to just let things drift off to silence than to dig the hole deeper.
He surprises me by not appearing angry, though. “It’s okay. I know she likes talking to you, but she was hoping that by having you over that maybe you and Ronan would start talking again. My wife has a good heart and good intentions, but she was trying to play cupid. I hope you understand.”
I’m relieved he isn’t upset by my confession, but nothing he says makes me any happier. “It’s no use, I’m sorry to say. He barely acknowledges I’m here. If she wants to play cupid, I think I’d suggest the nanny instead of me. Ronan at least talks to her.”
“Sabrina? No, he doesn’t care about her. She helped him clean himself up, but I think he did that because he wanted to look good for you.”
What an emotional rollercoaster today has been. First, Ronan basically blows me off and chooses to chat up Sabrina, and then Marius shows up and picks up on his mocking me where he left off when I was nineteen.
And now it seems like Matthias is telling me that Ronan actually wants to spend time with me.
“Maybe I’m not the person he needs now. Marius was just teasing me about being so nice that, of course, I teach elementary school. Maybe nice isn’t what Ronan wants.”
Matthias doesn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he sighs and says, “I’m breaking some code we brothers have by doing this, I think, but here goes. Ronan is having a hard time. He isn’t accepting his life the way the doctors and those of us who care about him had hoped he would by now. Nobody is saying we want you to fix him, but I know he’s liked seeing you these last couple times you were here. As for Marius, ignore him. He’s a ball buster from way back. He’s probably giving Ronan a hard time as we speak. Nobody escapes his teasing. It’s just who he is.”
For a moment, it seems like Matthias is overcome by emotion. He looks down toward his black dress shoes and clears his throat before lifting his head to meet my gaze again.
“I don’t know what might happen between you and Ronan. I don’t think he has any interest in Sabrina, but you might know better than I do. Ava tells me I don’t read women the way she does, so it’s possible I’m not seeing things right.”
My heart sinks at the thought that Ronan actually does like the nanny. But why wouldn’t he? She gorgeous with a great body, especially in that bikini. Even more, she’s found a way to get him to talk to her. Meanwhile, I’ve had very little luck at all getting any words out of him.
“What I do know is Ronan cares about you. He always has. Maybe things can’t be the way they used to be between you two, but if you can find it in your heart to give him a few more chances to talk to you when you come over, I hope you two can at least be friends. He needs people like you now, Kate.”
Touched by how much Matthias cares about Ronan, I nod my head and smile at his suggestions. “Okay. I do like coming here. I have such wonderful memories of my time here with him when we were together.”
With a big smile, Matthias walks over to the door and opens it for us to leave. “Excellent. Thank you, Kate. I guess I better go find out what Ava wants, or I’m going to be in the doghouse.”
As we walk down the hallway toward the living room, I see Ronan standing at the door looking out. My heart aches at the thought he can’t even go outside to spend time with his brother or his nephews.
Matthias gives me a knowing look at then walks out to the pool area, leaving me wondering if I should say something to Ronan. Maybe we can’t be together again because too much has changed, but I’d like it if we could at least be friends.
Swallowing hard, I try to find the right words to say, but nothing seems to be in my brain at the moment. A fine time to suddenly become empty-headed. What I wouldn’t give all those nights when I lie down to sleep and can’t stop thinking about all that happened during the day to have an empty mind.
“You used to like to swim,” I say, instantly wishing I had said something more interesting.
He turns around and nods. “I did.”
“I wish you would have been out there with us before.”
Ronan takes a few steps toward me and stops. “Why?”
He really doesn’t know, does he?
“Because I would have liked to spend some time with you.”
“Maybe next time,” he says quietly, as if he doesn’t want to announce it too loudly and be held to that like a promise.
“I’d like that.”
God, if only I was better at letting people know I like them. It’s just not my style to be that forward, though. If he could remember that, he’d realize how much I’m trying right now.
“Will you be coming back anytime soon?”
I swallow hard again because I know this is my chance to say something that shows I’m hoping to spend time with him. “I’d like to. Would you like to have lunch or something sometime?”
Not exactly the most impressive effort, but for someone shy like me, that’s about as obvious as I get. God, I wish he’d remember what I’m like. If he did, he’d know my tepid words have so much more meaning behind them.
That question finally makes him smile. “I’d like that. What about tomorrow?”
Just like that first time he asked me out at my locker in junior year in between classes, he doesn’t play any games. It’s what I always loved about him. Other guys would make it seem like they’re busy or have other things going on, but never Ronan. He always made me feel like I was the only person in the world he wanted to be around.
“Tomorrow’s good! Do you want to go somewhere or stay here?”
Darkness washes over his expression, and he moves his body so I can’t see any of his right arm. “We’ll stay here.”
“Okay. What time?”
He doesn’t think for more than a second or two before he says, “One. Be here for one and come with your appetite because you know how Eleanor likes to make a big deal out of things.”
I can barely contain my excitement at the thought that Ronan and I will be having lunch together tomorrow. It’s a small step, but it’s progress, nonetheless.
“Okay, one o’clock. I’ll see you then.”
“See you then, Kate.”
I hurry toward the front door but realize halfway through the house I didn’t say goodbye to Ava. Turning back, I see Ronan walking up the stairs to the second floor. As much as I hope he isn’t going to spend the rest of the day in his room, I like that he’s not going back to get another look at Sabrina in that teeny bikini.
Ava is hurrying toward the guest bathroom off the living room with little Theo when I finally find her to tell her I’ll be back tomorrow. The baby’s got something yellow all down the front of him, and I think it’s something gross.
“Do you need help?” I ask as I follow behind them.
She waves me off, laughing. “No. It looks worse than it is. His uncle gave him a sip of lemonade, and Theo here spit it all down the front of his shirt. Are you going?”
I stop in the bathroom doorway as she sits him in the sink to get washed off. “I am. Thank you for letting me take a swim. I’ll be back tomorrow, though.”
Ava looks over as Theo plays with the water, and I say, “Ronan asked me if I’d like to have lunch. Well, actually, I guess I asked about lunch, but he said he wants to. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
A look of pure joy comes over her. “It’s fantastic! He hasn’t wanted to do anything with anyone before this. I’m so happy! I’ll see you tomorrow, but I promise I won’t stick around.”
She really is so thoughtful.
“See you tomorrow! See you later, Theo,” I say, smiling at the adorable baby who’s decided to take a full bath in the sink.
I walk out to my car practically floating on air. Ronan and I are having lunch together tomorrow. I need to find the perfect outfit and make sure I look my best. Or maybe I should go shopping and buy something new.
It’s only lunch, but it’s a start.