Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
Other than a quick trip to Chicago in late September so Eric could see his grandmother, Jack and Andi were occupied with finishing the hotel in time for the December opening.
By mid-October construction was almost done, and the Chicago-based interior-design team arrived to put the suites and guest rooms together.
Andi settled into her office at the hotel in late October and was busy hiring and training staff while making final plans for the gala opening on December twentieth.
Eric moved to first grade at the girls’ school and was doing well with his sign-language aide.
Jack and Andi had talked about hiring a housekeeper to help with the kids in the afternoons, but Kate said she would do it, and they agreed to pay her.
She usually made dinner for the family and helped the two younger children with their homework.
Their lovely arrangement came to an ugly end the week after Thanksgiving when Jack came home from work early and caught Kate in a passionate embrace with her boyfriend, Ryan.
“Are you kidding me, Kate?” Jack asked after he showed Ryan the door.
“With two kids in the house who, I’d like to remind you, you’re being paid to watch? You know my rule about having boys here when we’re not home.”
She didn’t answer him, which made him even angrier. “You’re grounded. No Ryan, no car, no cell phone, no nothing for one month.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can and I did. You’ve betrayed my trust and Andi’s. We were counting on you to watch Maggie and Eric, and this is what you’re doing? I just can’t believe it, Kate. I’m so disappointed.”
“Maggie and Eric were fine. They were watching a movie! You can’t keep me from seeing Ryan! I love him.”
“You might think you love him, but I won’t stand by and watch you mess up your future for a boy. You’re grounded, and that’s the end of it.”
She bolted through the kitchen on her way to the stairs.
Andi had arrived home in the midst of the screaming match and was waiting for him in the kitchen. “What’s going on? I’ve never heard you yell like that.”
“I came home early and found Kate and Ryan going at it. If I hadn’t come in when I did, I think they would’ve had sex right there in the study.”
“She wouldn’t do that.”
“You didn’t see what I did. I still can’t believe it.”
Andi stayed home the next morning to participate in a conference call from Chicago without the noise at the hotel. After the meeting, she was in the kitchen making coffee when Kate wandered in, still in her pajamas.
“Why aren’t you in school?”
“Teacher training day,” Kate muttered.
“Are you all right, Kate?”
Kate shrugged and poured a cup of coffee. In a rush of words, she said, “Dad doesn’t understand anything.”
“He’s upset that Ryan was here when we weren’t home. We’re really counting on you, especially in the next month.”
“I’m sorry. I never wanted to let anyone down. I take good care of the kids, and that was the first time Ryan’s been here when you guys weren’t home. He stopped by to bring me some books I left in his car. I know you don’t believe me.”
“I do believe you. You’re not a liar, Kate.”
She seemed to brighten a bit at that. “Could I ask you something?”
“Of course.” Andi sat next to her at the table.
“How old were you, the first time you, you know, went all the way?” Kate’s cheeks colored with embarrassment.
Startled by the question, Andi released a ragged deep breath. “Well, let’s see, I was in college, so I must’ve been nineteen or twenty. Why?”
Kate studied her coffee cup. “I was just wondering.”
“Are you thinking about that with Ryan?”
“Dad doesn’t believe me, but I love him, and I know he loves me, too.”
Andi fought to stay calm as her heart raced and her palms went damp. She was in way over her head here. “I’m sure you do, but you’re both still so young. You’ll be in college next year, and who knows if you’ll even be at the same school? Are you sure you want to let things get so serious?”
“I’m not going to college.”
“What?” Jack would freak out when he heard this. “What do you mean? Of course you’re going to college.”
“I’m going to pursue my music. I’m not wasting four years in college. It’s not for me. I’m not a straight-A student like Jill.”
“You don’t have to be like Jill. No one expects that.”
“Dad does.”
“He knows you each have different strengths. You need to talk to him about this.”
“He’s going to flip, though. I know it.”
“You still have to talk to him. You can’t just drop this on him later.”
“You won’t tell him about the other thing, will you?”
Andi thought about that for a moment. “I just hope you’ll really think about it before you take a step you may not be ready for. And what about protection? Have you thought of that?”
“I’m probably going on the pill, just in case.”
Andi let out another long breath. It was better not to think about what Jack would have to say about that. “The pill won’t protect you from disease,” Andi reminded her, wondering where the normally quiet, reserved Kate had gone.
“He’s never done it before, either, so we’re both safe.”
“It sounds like you’ve given it some serious thought. I hope you know what you’re doing. Sex changes a relationship—not always for the better.”
“It’s not happening this month, because I can’t even see him.” Kate turned her stunning blue eyes on Andi. “But if I wanted to be protected, just in case, would you help me? Get on the pill I mean?”
Andi thought about that, her head spinning. “There’s almost nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Kate, but you can’t ask me to go behind your father’s back on something like this. I won’t do that to him. But I’ll make you a deal. If you can get him to agree to it, I’ll take you.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Like that’s ever going to happen. He almost passed out when he saw me kissing Ryan.”
“You won’t know if you don’t talk to him,” Andi said, even though she wasn’t optimistic, either.
“You won’t say anything?”
Andi shook her head, even though she had serious reservations about making such a promise.
“Please don’t let me down by doing something foolish.
Talk to your father.” She got up, kissed the girl’s forehead, and walked over to put her coffee cup in the dishwasher.
“You’re all set to get the kids at three today? ”
“I’ll be there,” Kate said. “Andi?”
Andi stopped on her way to the garage. “Yes?”
“Thanks.”
“Any time.”
Andi couldn’t focus on the mountain of work on her desk as she replayed the conversation with Kate.
All she could think about was how upset Jack would be to hear that Kate didn’t want to go to college, not to mention she was thinking about having sex with her high school boyfriend and wanted to go on the pill. Imagining the scene, Andi shuddered.
Jack appeared at her office door, carrying his hardhat and wearing jeans, a thermal shirt, and work boots.
His cheeks were red from being out in the cold all morning with the stonemasons who were installing the south veranda.
Somehow he managed to look as sexy in work clothes as he did in a tuxedo.
He’d told her this would be his last week of work at the hotel, which made her sad.
She’d miss having him around during the day.
“What planet were you visiting?” he asked. “You were a million miles away.”
Andi caressed his cold face when he bent to kiss her. “I was just taking a quick trip to Pluto, but I’m back now.”
“What’s on your mind?”
She wanted so badly to tell him everything Kate had told her. “Nothing special. Are you having a good day?”
Seeming exhausted and troubled, he dropped into a chair. “The stone guys don’t speak a word of English, so it seems my job is to stand back and let them do what they want. Since the veranda is coming out only slightly different than I’d planned, I’ve chosen not to do battle with them. Yet.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said as she studied him.
“I also can’t stop thinking about what happened with Kate last night.”
“You should talk to her—when you’re not mad.”
“Do you think I was too hard on her?”
“Not at all. She knows she’s not allowed to have boys there when we’re not home. You absolutely did the right thing.”
“That helps, thanks. I’m on unfamiliar ground with this whole Ryan situation. She says she loves him, but what does she know about love? She’s just a kid.”
“Jack, think about it. You’ve told me boys have been asking her out for years, and she’s never said yes until now.
Why do you think that is? She probably does love him, and you can’t just blow it off and wish it wasn’t true.
” Andi hoped he would take the initiative to talk to Kate—and soon.
She didn’t like keeping things from him.
“You’re right, and I’ll talk to her. Well, I’d better let you get back to work and go see how much damage they’ve done to my design.” Leaning over to kiss her again, he said, “I’ll see you at home.”
“I might be late.”
“Take your time.” He waved as he walked away.
Andi ached for him, knowing he would be upset by what Kate had to tell him.
With a deep breath to clear her mind, she forced herself to focus on work.
She picked up the phone to dial Bill’s direct line in Chicago to update her replacement on their progress.
Since she’d been so involved with the initial planning for the Newport property, she’d overseen much of the installation work herself.
Jen Brooks, her former assistant, answered Bill’s line. “Hi, Andi, how are you? Is it crazy there?”
“It’s like a war zone. I have trouble imagining we’ll be ready in just twenty-five days. My office is still in boxes, and all I do is sit in interviews and meetings, but I love it. How are you?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“You don’t sound okay. What’s wrong? Are you enjoying working for Bill?”
“He’s great—not as great as you, of course.”
Andi laughed. “Of course. So what’s going on? You sound so down.”
“Mark and I broke up two weeks ago.”