6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Katherine
Yesterday, I spent most of the day at an open house, avoiding Dad for the third day in a row. This morning, as I walk into the office, I dread passing by his door because I know he’ll want to usher me in for a talk. I admit my behavior was unacceptable, but honestly, that’s just the effect Adam has on me. My regret deepens with each click of my high heels, and I wish I’d worn flats to make the walk feel less daunting.
I steel myself as I approach Dad’s office, but when I glance inside, it’s empty.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask Sheri, his assistant, trying to keep my tone casual.
“He’s coming in later,” Sheri replies, looking up briefly from her screen. “He had breakfast plans.”
“Breakfast plans?” I echo, narrowing my eyes, suspicion blooming. There’s only one person I can think of. “Do you know where he went?”
“Oh, he said Adam was stopping by the house to have breakfast with him and Sharon.”
“Adam, huh?” My surprise is palpable. “You know him?”
Sheri’s lips curve into a smile. “I met him yesterday. The man is totally hot.”
"Really?" I say, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.
Sheri leans back in her chair with a dreamy expression. "And he smells as good as he looks," she says, fanning herself slightly. "It’s this woody sandalwood scent, clean but warm, mixed with just a hint of fresh soap."
"I... I wouldn't know," I stammer, trying to sound convincing.
"Girlfriend, are you blind?" she says, not buying it for a second.
"I just haven't noticed," I lie.
"He was wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans," she continues, undeterred. "Those pecs, those arms. You couldn’t see the six-pack, but it’s not hard to imagine... lordy."
I blink, trying not to picture it. I know exactly what she means—even though I'd rather die than admit it.
"Alrighty, then," I mutter, already stepping back toward my office. "I'll be in my office."
Sheri barely notices my exit, still rattling off a detailed inventory of Adam's attributes—which, according to her, are apparently endless. As I close my door behind me, I exhale sharply. I lean against it, trying to shake the image her words painted in my head. But it's no use. Now he's there too, vivid as ever. Damn it, Sheri.
***
"Loren," I say as soon as my sister picks up. "I don't know what you have going on today, but I need you and Laila to drop everything and meet me at the house this afternoon."
"What's wrong?" Loren asks, her tone immediately filled with concern.
"I can't talk about it over the phone," I say, glancing around as if someone might overhear. "Is Laila home?"
"Yes," she says. "We just finished breakfast."
"With Adam?" I ask, the pang of exclusion hitting me squarely in the chest.
"Yeah?" Loren murmurs, the word drawn out like she’s bracing for my reaction.
"You didn’t think to tell me?"
"Katherine," she sighs, "we all know how you feel about him. We didn't think you'd want to be here."
"You guys should’ve still asked me," I say sharply, even though I know she’s right. "Granted, I would’ve said no, but still."
"I’m sorry," Loren says after a beat. "Let me find Laila. What time should we be there?"
"I’m leaving the office at two," I reply. "I’ll see you at the house."
"Okay," she says. "We’ll be there."
As I hang up, I sink into my chair, pressing my palms against the cool surface of my desk. I can't help but wonder why, despite my frustration, I can’t seem to stop thinking about Adam.
***
I set the table with a bowl of guacamole, salsa, chips, and spinach artichoke dip accompanied by slices of baguette. A quick check in the freezer confirms that my favorite ice cream is still on hand. Whenever my sisters come over, I can almost always count on us indulging in snacks, watching a movie, and eventually falling asleep in the living room.
"I had to cancel a date, Katherine," Laila says as soon as I open the door. "This better be worth it."
"It's good to see you too, Sis," I reply, pulling her in for a hug.
Loren walks in behind her, giving me a scrutinizing look. "It sounded urgent," she says.
After I pour each of us a glass of lemonade, we take our seats. My sisters sit in silence, waiting with bated breath for me to speak.
"Did Adam's living arrangements come up during breakfast?" I ask, assuming they hashed it all out behind my back.
"We talked about medical school," Laila says. "My favorite topic."
"And about the wedding," Loren chimes in. "He's going to be one of Justin's groomsmen."
"Really?" I say.
"Yeah, Justin is going to ask him to—"
"Not that," I say, cutting her off. "My name didn’t come up?"
"Not once," Laila replies. "The universe doesn’t revolve around you, Sis. It revolves around me!"
We all burst into laughter. "Spoken like a true baby of the family," Loren says, shaking her head.
"So you don’t know?" I say, the blank looks on their faces confirming they have no clue. "Get this. Adam owns this house. He’s moved back to Cold Spring with plans to stay. And Dad’s bright idea is for him to move in with me."
"What?!" Laila shrieks, her voice echoing through the room.
Loren stays silent, clearly dumbfounded.
"Since when is it okay for a man to live with one of Dad's daughters?" Laila says. "If Justin and Loren decided to live together before getting married, Dad would kill Justin and disown Loren."
"Exactly!" I say, dipping a chip into the salsa. "He would never allow it."
"This is completely different," Loren says. "Dad sees Adam like a son and as a brother to all of us. It hasn’t even crossed his mind that Adam might be in love."
"In love with who?!" Laila exclaims.
Loren turns to me, her eyes wide. "Did I say that out loud?"
"What?" I whisper, my hand frozen in mid-air, holding a salsa-topped chip. To say that I feel weightless would be an understatement. Adam , my father's favorite. Adam , my eternal enemy. Adam , the thorn in my side... and now, Adam, in love. With me?
"Loren, please!" Laila exclaims, "don't be ridiculous."
"No, wait!” I blurt out. "Loren, why on earth would you say something like that?"
"Oh, come on!" Loren replies. "He sends you birthday cards, Christmas cards, even a sympathy card when Tater died. Dad spends five minutes catching Adam up on mine and Laila's lives, but when he starts talking about you, there are always follow-up questions. I'm not saying this because I'm jealous; it’s just something I’ve noticed."
She falls silent, but I can tell there's more, so I wait.
"And I accidentally picked up the phone one night when they were still talking and overheard their half-hour conversation."
“Wait, you eavesdropped?" Laila asks, her eyes widening in disbelief. A slow grin spreads across her face. "Loren, I didn’t know you had it in you. You actually eavesdropped!"
"It's not something I'm proud of," Loren says. "You should've heard them though. It was so sweet. Honestly, I don't know if Dad knows or is just oblivious, but Adam? Adam is in love."
"I think you're imagining things," Laila says, trying to downplay this bombshell.
I’m flabbergasted. Speechless. Frozen in place. This can't be.
"Adam is like our brother," Laila adds.
"He is like a brother to you and me," Loren clarifies. "But trust me, I know love when I see it. I saw it this morning."
"I thought you said my name never came up," I say quickly, narrowing my eyes at her.
"He didn't have to say it," Loren replies, lifting her eyebrows meaningfully. "He walked around the den, glancing at all your pictures. That look on his face? It said everything."
I get to my feet and begin pacing the room. "I hadn't seen Adam in nearly seven years," I say, my voice tinged with disbelief. "So when exactly did this supposed affection for the girl who's despised him most of her life happen?"
"Loren's mistaken," Laila says, sensing my unease. "She thinks just because she's getting married, she's suddenly an expert on love." She looks at me with a reassuring smile. "Katherine, don’t overthink it. He can’t be in love with someone he doesn’t really know."
"Katherine might not know him," Loren says, "but thanks to Dad, Adam knows everything there is to know about Katherine, down to the number of boyfriends she's had."
"Do you still hate him?" Laila asks, her lips curling into a slight, almost hopeful smile.
"He wanted to move in with me!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "He's not exactly earning any points."
"You have to admit, though," Laila murmurs, a guilty smile forming on her lips, "the man is gorgeous."
"Oh, God!" I groan, throwing my head back. "You too!"
"What do you mean, you too?" Laila asks, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Dad's secretary, Sheri," I begin, narrowing my eyes. "She was practically drooling earlier when his name came up."
"Sheri might be onto something," Laila says with a small shrug. "Now that I'm older, I can appreciate just how good-looking he is."
"Forget about Sheri," Loren says, leaning forward and giving me a knowing look. "What do you think about him?"
"I don't," I lie, my voice firm. "I don't think of him at all."
"Katherine," Laila says, tilting her head. "This is us you're talking to."
"You've always been so mean to him," Loren points out.
"Thanks," I sneer.
"I didn't say it to make you feel bad," she continues. "This is Adam we're talking about. We love him like family. Why don't you?"
"He came between me and Dad," I say, my voice quieter now, unable to meet their eyes. "Isn't that enough?"
"I think we all know that's not true," Laila says, her tone serious.
"Let's just agree to disagree then," I reply, realizing how stubborn I must sound.
We all sit in silence, each one of us with plenty to say but too afraid to start an argument. "Anyway," I finally say. "Adam and I talked and agreed that him moving in would never work."
"So what's the problem, then?" Laila asks.
"I don't think Dad is going to give up so easily," I say. "I don't want to move back home. I don't want to move out. I like it here."
"But it's Adam's house," Loren reminds me.
"What do I do?" I ask. "I have to convince Dad that he needs to let Adam and me work this out without interfering."
"I hate to break it to you, Sis," Laila says, "But Dad is still the boss of you, whether you like it or not. Especially when he's right."
"What does Mom say about all this?" Loren asks.
"I haven't spoken to her about it," I admit. "I was too upset. But we all know Mom and Dad always present a united front. Even if she doesn’t agree, she won’t go against Dad once his mind’s made up."
"And let’s not forget," Loren adds, "she loves Adam."
"She loves Adam," Laila and I echo in unison.