Chapter 4
Chapter Four
W hen the chaos of the gift exchange wound down late Christmas morning, Kat refilled her glass, increasing the champagne-to-orange-juice ratio, then flopped onto the couch next to Nana.
She started to set her drink on the table in front of her then scooped it back up when her niece began toddling her direction, grabbing knees and magazines as she made her way around.
“Whoa, she’s fast,” Kat said.
“That’s for sure.” Elizabeth grimaced, but with a smile in her voice. “Now that she’s completely mobile, I can hardly keep up.”
“I bet.”
“It’s so much fun, though,” her sister added. “You’ve got to have one of your own one of these days.”
“Oh, I’m sure–”
“You dating anyone?”
“No.” In fact, she lived in a city with millions of people, but her social circle had shrunk in the last couple of years.
Mister Right hadn’t shown up at the museum, and that’s where she spent most of her time.
Kat took a deep breath. This was probably the best opening she’d get.
“I have some other news.” She glanced toward her parents.
Conversation suspended. Excitement crept into her voice, and she announced, “I got a show.”
Blank eyes stared at her.
“A show?” her mother echoed.
Nana turned wide eyes on Kat. “You mean you haven’t told them already?”
There hadn’t been a good opportunity, and Kat didn’t want to blurt it out like a little kid looking for praise and attention.
“A gallery in New York City is showing her paintings.” Nana spoke for her.
Her dad gave a wide smile. “That’s outstanding. Congratulations.”
“We have to go to the opening party,” Nana said.
“Of course,” her dad agreed.
“When is it?” Her mother shot a look toward Kat’s father.
“April,” Kat said.
“April what?”
“The show runs the whole month of April. I’m not sure which night the opening event will be.”
“Oh, dear,” her mother said. “Let us know the date as soon as you can. We’ll be getting ready for the Symphony tour around that time.”
“Sure.” Kat swallowed hard. That simple comment told her everything she needed to know about her mom’s priorities. In her mind, Kat popped herself upside the head. What had she expected? She’d known her mother’s priorities for twenty-eight years.
“That’s great,” Kat’s sister-in-law, Laura, chimed in.
“Yeah. Cool,” her brother added.
“We should all go.” Nana looked pointedly toward Kat’s siblings and their families. “Who couldn’t use a little getaway to New York City?”
When her siblings and in-laws began shifting and murmuring, their children suddenly in need of attention, Kat’s face burned. “Oh, Nana, it’s not that–”
“Maybe.” Christopher glanced at his wife then back to Kat and shrugged. “Get us the details, and we’ll see.”
“Well,” Kat’s sister drawled. “I doubt it’s going to work for us.” She paused and looked around the room, a smile spreading across her face. “I guess this is a good time to tell our news.” She paused a moment for dramatic effect then clapped her hands together and announced, “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Laura screeched, her eyes bulging. “Oh, my gosh. So am I!”
The entire living room erupted in squeals and laughter and celebration.
Kat sat rigid on the couch while her mother shot past her and drew Elizabeth into a hug.
Nana placed a hand on Kat’s back, making soothing circular motions.
Kat couldn’t look her direction. Instead, she made eye contact with her sister.
“That’s awesome, Elizabeth. Congrats.” She refused to be surly or jealous. “How are you feeling?”
When their mother turned her loose, Elizabeth picked up her mug of cider, a wry smile on her face. “So far, it’s been good, except for the caffeine withdrawal.”
“Oh,” their mother exclaimed. “I should put on a pot of decaf. Would you drink some?”
“Sure, Mom,” Elizabeth said. “That’d be great.”
After quick hugs for Laura and Christopher, her mother scurried to the kitchen.
“Congratulations, girls,” Nana said, continuing to rub Kat’s back. “No matter how many children you have, each one is such a joy.”
Kat gave Nana a sideways glance, pretty sure she meant that last comment as a reminder for her parents.
* * *
Kat was curled up in the sunroom with a book two days later when she heard a knock at the door.
Knowing her mother was expecting Nick Summers, Kat stayed put but closed the book.
As much as she’d like to see the design ideas by Nick—not to mention the man himself—she didn’t want any comments from her to jeopardize the job for him.
She listened as best she could from the cozy armchair while her mother ushered Nick inside.
“Hello, Mrs. Andrews,” Nick greeted Kat’s mother cheerfully. “I’ve got several options to show you today.”
“Excellent. Let’s go into the living room.”
“Sure. Did you all have a nice holiday?”
That low, easy-going tone of his did something to Kat’s insides.
“Yes. It was lovely,” her mother answered Nick’s question.
Kat noted that her mom didn’t bother to ask Nick about his Christmas.
They walked farther into the room, making it impossible for Kat to hear the conversation.
Curious, she put her book aside and tiptoed to the kitchen, careful to remain out of sight.
She really wanted to know her mother’s reaction and how much Nick had modified his style to fit her tastes.
Footsteps coming her direction startled her, and she jumped back.
When she peeked around the corner again, she saw Nick open a bag and withdraw several pieces of wood.
He returned to the living room and sat on the sofa opposite her mother then spread the samples on the coffee table, which he’d covered with a black cloth. Nice attention to detail.
“Katherine?”
Her mother suddenly called her name, and Kat startled, knocking her elbow against the refrigerator door.
“Katherine? Could you come in here a minute, please? Come look at Mr. Summers’ ideas.”
What? Her mom wanted her opinion? News flash—hold the presses. Rubbing her tingling funny bone, Kat moved just inside the living room.
“Hi,” she greeted Nick. “Wow. You work fast.”
His smile widened.
Maybe it was the white teeth against the dark beard that made his smile seem so bright. Whatever, it put off some power vibes.
“Come look.” Her mother motioned her over.
Gingerly, Kat picked up the sketches and leafed through them, stopping for a close look at a few.
“These are great,” she said simply, smiling from her mother to Nick.
She could see his flair for design in each one of the sketches, and it was also obvious that he’d toned down the more modern artistic details.
The vertical slats of wood above the bookcases would make the wall feel taller.
“Look at these samples.” Her mother held up a piece of mahogany wood, richly stained with a high gloss finish. It was beautiful. “How do you think this would look in here?”
“Well,” Kat stalled. What was the right answer? “I think it’s pretty. You’d want to coordinate the wood choice with the rest of the design, though. Have you picked out paint and tile colors, Mom?”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure.” Her mother turned to Nick. “I’d like the tile to match the new floors in the sunroom. Could I keep these samples for a few days until I can show them to Susie, my designer?”
“Absolutely,” Nick assured her. “Keep them as long as you need to. Any of these designs can be made in any of those woods and stains. I’ve got the costs broken down here.” He held out a sheet of paper to her mother, but his eyes were on Kat.
Her face grew warm under his gaze, and she was glad when her mom diverted Nick’s attention.
“Have you ever worked with Susie Morrison, Mr. Summers? Have you heard of her?”
“The name sounds familiar,” Nick said. “I haven’t personally worked with her. I’d be happy to meet with you together, though, and talk about coordinating the design and schedule.”
“Yes. We would probably need to do that. Let me check my calendar, and I can tell you when Susie and I are scheduled to meet. I’ll be right back.”
With her mother out of the room, an awkward silence settled over Kat and Nick, and Nick began shuffling papers and samples.
“I’ll look forward to seeing the finished room next time I’m home,” Kat said.
“You come home often?” he asked.
“No. It’s far and expensive, and as a lowly sidekick to an associate curator at the museum, I don’t have a lot of time off.”
“Still, being on staff at MoMA is impressive,” he said.
She laughed. “I’m actually living out my parents’ worst fears—I have an MFA, and I live in a dinky one-bedroom apartment that’s ridiculously small and expensive. You’re right, of course. But they don’t realize it.”
Nick had no idea what to say to that. Clearly there were some issues at hand. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and said nothing.
Kat flipped her hair behind her shoulders and added matter-of-factly, “I love it, though. It’s where I need to be right now.”
He thought he heard a touch of defiance in her tone. He could imagine the parents probably weren’t too excited about their little girl living in the big bad city.
Nick studied Kat’s face a moment, noting that her smoky eyes looked bluer today. Probably a reflection of the bright blue sweater she wore. It was a nice package. He sighed. Just his luck. The most interesting girl, correction—woman—he’d met in a long while lived in New York.
She stared back at him then gave a rueful smile. “I’m sorry. Too much information.”
Impulsively, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “No. Don’t worry about it. I’m just sorry you live in New York. I–” He broke off. What an idiot. He was about to say he’d like to ask her out. Even if she lived in Denver, Kat Andrews was way out of his league.
She cocked her head and looked up at him, eyes questioning.
Nick’s heart slammed against his chest. He cleared his throat. “That’s so far away.”
Mrs. Andrews reappeared. With difficulty, he turned his attention to her, hoping he didn’t look guilty of drowning in her daughter’s eyes.