Chapter 6
Because she was watching for them, Zoe saw when the woman all but rushed back inside. She also saw the evidence of acute distress on her face and what seemed to be tears.
Turning toward the group, she touched William's arm lightly and forced a charming smile she did not feel. The man was a posturing idiot and talked way too much. He also thought too much of himself.
"I have to go to the ladies'." She sent her dad a pleading look. "Tell him about the Satterly's case. I'm sure he'll be very interested."
The man actually beamed at her and patted the hand on his arm, his manner clearly condescending. "You go do what you have to, my dear. We'll be right here."
"Right. Thanks, Dad."
When she turned around, there was no sign of Kara.
Using her instinct and where she would rush to, Zoe headed out of the room and went to the nearest ladies' room.
Jackpot! she thought as soon as she pushed open the door to find it empty except for the woman leaning against the pastel pink marble counter and staring at her face.
"Oh!" Obviously flustered and trying to hide the tears, she started to reach for a tissue. Zoe got to it first and handed it to her.
"Thanks. Allergies, I think."
"All right." Leaning on the counter, she crossed her arms over her breasts and studied the girl. She really was stunning, Zoe thought.
"Or we could call it by its name. Zane Stanhope. What did he do?"
"I... nothing."
"Darling, I know a thing or two about men, and I happen to know lots about my brother. What did he do to upset you?"
"Nothing." Kara dabbed at the corners of her eyes and met those stunning tawny ones in the mirror. Ones that reminded her of the man she had left in the garden. "He's... he's pushy." Turning away from the mirror, she sat on the padded bench. "William must be wondering where I am."
Zoe joined her. "William hasn't noticed you've been gone. He's in his element."
The tone of voice had Kara closing her eyes in despair. "He made a fool of himself. He's not usually..." She stuttered to a stop when Zoe placed a hand over hers.
"There's no need to make excuses for him. He's..." She searched around for a term that would not offend and could not come up with one. "He's something else."
Kara laughed and felt the tension easing around her heart. "That's one way of putting it."
"I've been trying to come up with an answer to this baffling question, and I cannot seem to find one. What's a beautiful, intelligent woman like you doing with someone like him?"
The question was so close to the one the woman's brother asked that she had to turn her head away. "We've been together for two years." She shrugged. "We go to the same church."
"And you fell into a pattern."
"My mother thinks he's a catch."
Something in the girl's voice had Zoe staring at her curiously.
"What do you think?"
"I don't know." She twisted the tissue between her fingers and felt despair coating her very soul. She had stood there in the garden and felt alive for the first time in her life. A man, a virtual stranger, had kissed her, and nothing, absolutely nothing, had ever felt that good.
"We're supposed to get married."
She jolted when Zoe tightened her hold. "And that would be the biggest mistake of your life. You deserve better."
Her eyes flashed. "Like your brother? I'm sorry."
"Why? My brother can be very difficult. He's not your normal type of guy. He defies the rules deliberately and does his own thing. But he's caring and a softie at heart.
"He would go to bat for the underdog, and he hates that he's so wealthy while there are people having to scrounge around for their supper.
He hangs out with bikers because it happens to drive our parents crazy.
He volunteers at the legal aid clinic downtown, and I have to add that he's an excellent attorney.
And I've never seen him look at another woman the way he looked at you. "
The words, especially the last part, had Kara's heart pounding.
"I cannot be involved with him. I'm just a novelty and I... I'm with William." The tissue shredded some more. "I go to church and have lived a respectable life without scandals or even the glimmer of one. It's who I am."
Zoe saw the full picture, or a glimpse of one.
She had seen the woman around, briefly. They did not run in the same circle, and she had only seen her a handful of times in the courtroom.
While she was always as neat as a pin, the outfit she was wearing now was something she would never have worn in normal circumstances.
She appeared to be a woman who scrupulously and absolutely followed the rules.
And being with Zane would not only be bending them, it would also be uprooting them. She must be scared to her very bones.
"What shall I tell William?"
"What?"
"Clearly you cannot go back into that room looking so distraught. Did you drive yourself here?"
Kara nodded.
"Good. I'll make your excuse. A stomachache good enough?"
A slight smile touched her lips. "You seem to be familiar with this kind of thing."
"I have several girlfriends, and high drama doesn't even begin to describe what they go through on a regular basis. So, stomachache?"
"Yes." She drew in a breath. "He's angry with me."
"Who? William?"
"No." She shook her head. "Your brother. I said some things."
"He's a big boy. He'll get over it."
"Thank you."
Zoe patted her hand. "Go on home and have a glass of wine."
"I think I'll do just that." She rose and turned to look at the stunning young woman. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome."
Zoe waited a full five minutes before following her out.
The man didn't even bat an eye when she told him that his date had to leave suddenly.
"The party was a little too much for her.
I'll check in on her later." To say he was dismissive was putting it lightly.
Zoe had to step away before she said something that she would regret.
And stepping away, she glimpsed her brother leaning at the bar with a drink in his hand.
A glint entered her eyes, and she decided he was a handy target.
Marching over to him, she plucked the glass from his hand and took a sip.
"Get your own."
"Men are morons."
His brows lifted as he retrieved his drink. "Want to elaborate?"
"That idiot there." She pointed to where William was standing with her father and a group of other men. "His date left suddenly, and he's still there. And you!" She rounded on him and had him jolting. "You made her cry."
"I... What?"
"Whatever you did out in that garden upset her so much that she was crying."
Guilt bore a hole inside his chest and knocked out the frustrated anger. "That's nonsense. She told me she wanted nothing to do with me."
His sister gave him a bleary look. "What did you do? Or should I guess? You came on strong, demanded instead of persuading, and fully expected her to abandon everything she is, just because you happen to like her." She huffed. "Men!"
"I got it the first time," he muttered. "I like her. A hell of a lot." He downed the drink. "She pissed me off with her tidy logic and her prejudices. My tatts turned her off, and my motorcycle."
"She's been with the guy for two years, and from the little I got from her, it's because of her mother's approval." She signaled for champagne, and the server came hurrying over.
"Thanks, darling." Zoe gave the buff, obviously wannabe actor an absently warm smile that had him blushing to the roots of his bleached blond hair.
"Anything else I can get you?"
Zane gave the man a hard look that had him scurrying away.
"Why the hell do you do that?" he growled.
"Do what?" she asked innocently, taking a delicate sip.
"Never mind. What else did she tell you?"
"You scared her, darling."
"I didn't mean to." Taking her glass, he downed half of the champagne before she retrieved it.
"Now what?"
He glanced over to where William was still holding court. "Now I tread carefully."
*****
She had the glass of wine, but the smooth, slightly sweet red didn't do anything to calm her nerves. She was shaken up. During the ride home, she kept expecting him to follow her, but he had taken her remarks to heart and was now leaving her alone.
She did not want to dive deep into the reason why that was making her so depressed.
Taking the wine with her upstairs, she climbed into bed and sat there staring out the window.
It was going to rain. But rain or not, she was going to services.
Lifting a hand unconsciously to her lips, she closed her eyes and found herself reliving the scene in the garden.
Her heart rate accelerated as she recalled the taste and feel of him against her.
She had been kissed several times before, of course, and had even found some of them pleasant.
William's kisses had always left her feeling vaguely dissatisfied and disappointed.
She knew it wasn't fair to be making comparisons, but how could she help herself?
she wondered. She had heard and read about sparks and heat and had thought it was exaggerated.
How could a kiss make one forget the time and place and be so caught up that nothing else mattered?
How could the meeting of lips drive a person to the brink of near insanity?
And that was what had left her so shaken.
If he had continued, she was very sure she would have begged him to take her, right there in the garden.
Everything else had emptied out of her brain.
She was always so cautious and well behaved, and she had gone from that to feeling a wildness inside her that had frightened her to death.
It was fear that had her saying those nasty things to him. Taking a sip of the wine, she tried to ease the dryness in her throat. It frightened her that for the first time she had come close to surrendering her innocence to a virtual stranger.
*****