Текст книги "Katherine in Gold"

Автор книги: J. B. Hartnett

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Katherine

Max tried to wrap his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into the side of his body, and for a few seconds, I fell right into place, protected from the big bad wolf that was my oppressive, asshole father.

“He slapped her,” I said, my eyes on the sidewalk as we walked down Pacific Coast Highway.

“Not the first time, darling.”

“It should be the last time.” I yanked free from him and turned around, back toward Bear Claw.

“Katherine, she’s a grown woman,” he said, impatience in his tone.

“What did you say to me?”

“She’s a grown woman. She needs to make her own choices. You can’t make them for her.”

I turned back to him and got in his face, “Why are you here?”

“Katherine…”

“Why are you fucking here?” I screamed.

“Lower your voice,” he warned.

“No. I want to know why you’re here. I know my parents are here for some engagement thing. Why are you here?”

“We should go somewhere and talk. We’ll go to your apartment and talk.”

“I live in that apartment with my fiancé, you asshole. I just walked away from him so I can tell you to your face what I’ve finally figured out: you should be in fucking jail! Done! Now, I need to get back to Holst!”

“I didn’t expect you to be like this, Katherine…” he commented. And I was pleasantly surprised to know, I didn’t give a fuck what he thought. I might change my mind later, after it all sunk in. But for now, seeing him in person for the first time in years, I felt nothing for him.

“You…don’t…know…me!” I yelled then began my walk toward Bear Claw again. With his footfalls loud behind me, I kept talking. “You know what I’ve been doing the last thirteen years, Max?”

“Katherine.” He grabbed my arm. “Please, let’s…”

I spun around and got in his face. “Waiting! Waiting and fantasizing that you’d come back to me, and you never fucking did. And then, I figured out exactly who and what you are. And here I am, finally taking a stand against my dad, following my dream, and letting a fantastic man into my heart. God…he makes my heart sing, Max. He makes my body cry tears of fucking joy, and what I have with him is so much more than what we had. There’s no comparison. None. And you came here with my dad for a reason. So, tell me why? Feeling nostalgic for the good old days when you were fucking underage, virgin cunt?”

“Jesus, Katherine…you’re so…”

“Awesome,” Tori chimed in. “I think the word you’re looking for is awesome.”

“And you would be?” he asked.

“The pregnant best friend who is going to feed you your dick if you hurt my best friend any more than you already have. Are we done here?” she asked me, calm as can be. “The baby wants a taco.”

“Katherine, we’re not finished,” he warned, trying to make me bend to his will with that demanding tone.

“Why are you here?” I asked again.

He lifted his chin, his jaw ticcing in anger, but answered, “The engagement party…”

“Is yours,” I finished.

“Yes.”

“Taking me for one last spin?” I surmised, and he said nothing.

Max had aged remarkably well, but I knew he would. He looked…weathered, greys mixed with the brown and blond strands, obviously in good shape, nice tan. And then I asked the question that would tell me exactly what I needed to know.

“How old is she?”

“Ka—”

“How old?”

He took a breath and told me after a long silence, “Twenty-six.”

“Oh my God…”

“Katherine,” he tried to interrupt.

“You’re…I pray you don’t have daughters,” I whispered. “You’re not a good man, Max.”

“It wasn’t like that,” he defended with conviction. He moved to touch me again as I stepped back. “I loved you, Katherine, and I’ve never forgotten what those years were like, and the years since—”

“If you loved me, you would’ve come back so I wouldn’t have been in pain anymore, but you didn’t. I was too young, Max. And you know it. I was lost. I was…You countered everything my dad did and said, but rewarded yourself with my affection and my body. You manipulated me until you were my entire world.”

“Katherine…”

“My entire world. And I wasn’t yours.” I never wanted to believe it, but Holst was absolutely right. “I was your prey.”

I turned with Tori, and, arm in arm, we headed  back to Bear Claw.

And I never looked back.

I stopped in front of her gate. “Did I sound convincing? I mean, about feeding him his dick?”

“Tori.”

I stopped her and shook my head.

“Please, tell me whatever it is that’s going on inside your head right now. Come on, this is it,” she urged. “You and me…my soul sister…talk to me,” she pleaded, shaking both my arms.

“It’s over,” I said.

“More…”

“I’m free,” I whispered.

“Yeah. I think you are. You want a taco?”

“No, I want my man, and I want a beer,” I told her and looked her in the eyes. “I love you, Victoria Muir. But I really need to get back to Holst.”

“We’re gonna name the baby, Lana,” she told me randomly.

“Sorry?” I asked, confused by the topic change. I took out my phone and checked to see if Holst tried to reach me.

“It’s a girl. And you know how Cam said I brought sunshine back into his life? Lana means sunshine.”

Her chit-chat made me think something was really fucking wrong.

“Tor—”

“I think Cam’s brother might have the hots for Ruby. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

Finally, I lost my thin patience. “What the fuck!”

“I’m pretty sure Holst freaked on your mom and dad…”

I didn’t let her finish. “I love you for what you did back there, but I gotta go, Tor.”

I ran to the front door of Bear Claw, but a tattooed arm shot out and stopped me.

“Kath,” Frodo said..

“I…I gotta go. I’m sorry, Frodo, but—”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“He said he needed to clear his head. When you left, you left behind a man who looked as if the smallest thing could force him to detonate. He’s my friend, Katherine.”

“Where is he now?” I asked, but Frodo seemed…not very cooperative since he didn’t answer me. Therefore, I had to yell in his face. “Where in the fuck is he, Frodo?”

And as calm as can be, he asked, “What are your intentions, Katherine?”

“What are my…intentions? Are you fucking insane? My intentions are to live happily-ever-after and get married in a golden dress and make babies and fuck that man until I die doing it! Happy?” I yelled.

But when I yanked my arm free and walked into Bear Claw, I was right back into the drama. And that was when my father, waiting in one of the big chairs, rose and said to me, “We have a few things to discuss, Katherine.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have time for you, you fucking, misogynistic psycho. Where’s Holst?” I dialed his number and put the phone to my ear. When it went to voicemail, I practically screamed into it, “Where are you?”

“You seem to have a proclivity for choosing men who leave you behind, Katherine.”

“Fuck. You. Where is Holst, Dad?”

“Probably as far away from my toxic daughter as possible.”

I put my hands out and said, “Stop.”

I asked Leo, who was standing a few feet from me, “Cover the shop. Call Gloria. She’ll be happy for extra hours. You have everything you need to take care of the banking, and if you run into a problem, ask Frodo first, then call me. Make sure you get the pastry order in early on Friday, or we won’t get enough for the weekend. We’re getting busier, so better to do a bigger order. And Dad…” I turned back to him. “Get the fuck out of here. You have no hold over me, my finances, or what I do with my fucking life. You’re an abusive asshole bully. Sorry, ladies,” I said to a woman and her friend who were seated in the corner. “Family.” I shrugged.

They both gave me understanding nods and inconspicuously went back to their lattes.

“Dad, I’m going now. If I find you here again, I’ll call the police and have you removed. They like me. I flashed my tits for the department to show my appreciation for their stellar community service at a parade two years ago, and they haven’t forgotten me. They won’t like a man who, not one hour ago, slapped his wife in front of witnesses, and I might also have to tell them your second-in-command has a habit of fucking underage teens. You come back after that, I’ll file a restraining order. And Dad?  Mom’s a beautiful woman. I hope she leaves you for a younger man who doesn’t need a pill to get his dick up.”

I grabbed my purse from under the counter and asked Leo quietly, “Do you know where he is?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, babe.”

Then the first pang of fear hit me when I realized he might not understand. He might not get why I walked out that door.

I only had one thing left to say to my dad.

“I was fourteen. The night he had me, he lit candles and poured us red wine, which I don’t drink to this day because of the association. He said I was a woman, his woman, wise beyond my years. He told me I was beautiful, that I’d be his forever. And then he was gone. He broke me, and Holst put me back together again. And you can spin this any way you want, but I was underage. He knew better, and you’re taking the side of my abuser. Never, ever contact me again. Not when you’re old and feeling guilty and regretful, because I will never forgive you. Not ever.”

“You done?” he asked.

With nothing else to lose, I asked. “Why have you always hated me?”

He stared at me for a long moment and finally replied. “I wanted a son. But even as a woman, you could’ve been a part of my business…but you never wanted it, Katherine.”

“Yeah. Did you ever wonder why?” I said, sarcasm dripping from my words. “We’re done, Dad.”

Then I stormed out and headed toward the apartment.

I didn’t run. I took my time, because when I checked my phone, there wasn’t a single missed call or message from Holst. I kept checking in hopes that something would change from the five seconds before.

Less than a block away, I tried to call again.

“Listen, when you get this, come home, H.”

I was trying to figure out all his thoughts when all this could be alieved with one phone call.

When I reached the apartment, my heart dropped when I didn’t see his car in the driveway. That was when the doubt really began to sink in. Considering the closest thing I’d had to a relationship was with Mark, I had no idea what to expect. But tomorrow was Christmas, and if Holst wasn’t waiting inside the apartment with eggnog and carols…

I didn’t know what to think.

Now, I needed to figure out what was next. I assumed, wherever Holst was, he needed space since he hadn’t called. So, I went into the bedroom and grabbed my Roxy duffle bag and matching roller suitcase. It was brown with big, pink Hibiscus flowers, and I loved it. It was brand new, tags still on, ready for that big adventure I’d never taken. I hadn’t even started packing for the trip to meet Holst’s mom, but I needed to keep busy.

This day…it was all too much. I began to throw random bits and pieces in the suitcase and let the tears fall. My dad…confirmation that he was an unrepentant asshole was witnessed by all. Max…I almost wish I’d had more time to tell him exactly what he’d taken from me, all those year wasted, but he would never get anything else from me. Not my words, not my accusations, and not my tears. All of that led me to Holst.

Then, there was my mom...

My mom.

To think that my mother knew…I wouldn’t have listened. Back then, I would’ve done anything to protect Max. But I knew in my heart, if I had a daughter, I’d do whatever it took to protect her. Even if she hated me for it. Because that’s what you do as a parent. You have to make the hard choices for your children when they can’t. I heard my parents argue, mostly my dad yelling at her, berating her, but I thought that was just their screwed up relationship. Whenever I saw her, she was chipper, well put together, a smile plastered on her face. But it was all an act, and I knew that act well…like mother, like daughter. Though I understood she’d suffered mental and probably physical abuse at the hand of her husband, it wasn’t enough for me to forgive her. I needed time to sort out my feelings, not just about her, about everything.

The only person I wanted to talk to was Holst. Since he still hadn’t called me back, I went to the one place I thought he might be. I had to call Tori and tell her where I was going. The guilt of worrying my pregnant best friend would kill me if I didn’t.

Then I called a cab, and, thirty minutes later, I was sitting on a bench, watching the ocean, wondering when the next train was coming, and waiting....

For my man.

Holst

I had to let Katherine go with him. It was the kind of scenario I’d never faced and hoped to fucking God I’d never have to again.

It seemed once Katherine gave herself to me, to us, she’d done so with the acceptance of what Max really was. That first night we were together, I’d told her exactly what I thought of the man, whose identity had been unknown until today.

When she left Bear Claw, I asked Leo to watch the place then went next door to Coastal Ink.

Frodo saw me and noticed the struggle. It was a struggle he’d known and faced through the years. Luckily, he was reading, Zack chattering away while he tattooed a man’s sleeve.

“Friend,” Frodo said, with his rich blue eyes staring at me. “I heard there’s been unrest in your kingdom.”

“Yeah,” I chuckled, but the sound was an angry one. “You could say that.”

“The past has shown itself.”

“In Technicolor,” I spat. “I have to get out of here before I tear the place apart. Would you mind checking on Leo?”

“No worries, Holst. May I give you some advice?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Take it out on anything else but her.”

My chest tightened at his warning, but he was absolutely right in giving it.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’ll be back.”

I left Coastal Ink and was face to face with Katherine’s father.

“I’d like to speak to you,” he demanded.

“You know, my dad wasn’t a good man either. He knocked my mom around just like you do to your wife. Still, I know he loved me. But you…”

“You think you know me?”

“Nope,” I replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact, at this particular moment, I want to beat the shit out of you.”

“She secured a loan with my apartments.”

I stepped closer to him, not heeding my internal warning that I should get as far away from him as possible.

“They’re hers now.”

“She’s living in a million dollar property she did nothing to earn.”

I stepped even closer and warned quietly, “She did earn it.”

“Get out of my face,” he countered, just as quietly.

“She earned it!”

With an arrogant confidence that made me hate him all the more, he said, “Get the hell out of my face.”

I ignored his words. “She should’ve been your first priority.”

His reply was to laugh, and, feeling a tumult of anger well up inside me, it was only a matter of time before I released my rage onto him with my fists.

“You’re not a part of her life now, and unless she wants it, you won’t be a part of her future either.”

With a small feeling of accomplishment that I didn’t physically harm or threaten him, I brushed past her father and left.

He wasn’t worth it.

If he’d tried to say anything further to me as I walked away, I didn’t hear it.

***

I had yet to rent my apartment to anyone, not because I thought things would go badly between myself and Katherine; I just hadn’t bothered yet. I kept my favorite longboard there and went through the motions of grabbing a wetsuit and securing the board to the car. Then I made my way to a spot I’d been going to for years.

When my relationship with Chelle began to grow more and more difficult, I came here. I loved that I could see the people on the train, the Amtrak Oceanliner. On my board, out in the Pacific Ocean, I was part of their California scenery.

I paddled out, letting my arms dip into the cold water, my chest flat against the board as a wave crashed over me.

Then I was there.

That calm spot where you wait. To my left were three other surfers, waiting for the next set to roll in, and I replayed the entire scene with Katherine in my head.

That’s when it hit me, I should’ve waited. I should’ve ignored my rage and waited for her.

There was history and heartache all wrapped up with Max, her mother, and her father, but as I turned and took the first wave that came my way, more became clear to me. Most importantly, she was going to be my wife, my future, she just needed to say goodbye to her past.

I rode one last wave in, the positive release of adrenaline renewing me and then, I wanted nothing more than to be with her. Right then and there I knew, I would never leave her alone like I had that afternoon. Today was an exception, because if there was one thing I should’ve remembered about battle…

Never leave your partner behind.

***

I showered quickly and dressed in whatever I could since most of my clothes were now at Katherine’s place. Then I made my way back to Bear Claw.

I hadn’t been gone long, forty-five minutes, an hour at most. I checked my phone and saw several missed calls from Katherine, but when I tried to call back, she didn’t answer. I walked in and was first greeted by Leo, who’d given me the play-by-play of what had happened between Katherine and her father.

“Fuck,” I bit out, murmuring that, if I ever saw that man again, I would break his neck with my bare hands.

A woman who had been there for a while approached me and asked, “Are you Holst?”

“I am,” I replied, not really wanting to have a conversation at the moment, but not wanting to be rude to my customers either. It was almost closing, half-past three, and Christmas Eve at that.

“I’m Lynn, and that’s Rue. We’re friends with Gloria.”

“Nice to meet you,” I returned with as much polite enthusiasm as I could muster in the moment.

“A couple of things. My friend and I saw the whole show. Apparently, we missed round one with the ex-boyfriend and all that. But we saw round two, and, of course, Gloria has kept us all abreast of the goings-on of your little soap-opera world here.” She leaned in to whisper, “We know all about Frodo and that lovely girl, Dee. And that poor girl, Ruby,” she pursed her lips and gave me a sad expression as she hemmed, “Well, I think something will happen with that carpenter.”

I smiled at her. This fifty-something woman was very well-informed.

“I need to find Katherine,” I told her.

“I know you do.” She winked. “One more thing. We actually came in because we have a book club that meets every Friday night. We need somewhere that has good coffee and won’t mind us drinking an excessive amount of wine. We’re happy to make it worth your while…and him. We want him.” She nodded toward Leo. “Eye candy, you understand.” She winked.

I gave her a genuine smile. “I think we can accommodate you, Lynn.”

“Wonderful.” She clapped. “I’ll be back in a few days to get the scoop on what happened with ‘Your Katherine.’ Everyone loves a happy ending.”

I turned my attention back to Leo. “Any idea where I can find her?”

“I’d ask her friend, Tori,” he suggested. “But she told me to take care of the place and give Gloria some more hours. If I ran into any problems, ask Frodo.” Then he looked out the window and back to me. “He grabbed her on the sidewalk.”

“Who?”

“Frodo. Not rough, not like that. Just talking to her. Then she screamed at him, came in and had the showdown with her dad, and left.”

I hoped this would be my biggest fuck-up in our relationship—leaving so I wouldn’t beat her father or that Max asshole to death. I should’ve taken a walk, not a surf.

I ran my hands down my face. “There are way too many people in my relationship right now.”

Leo commented with monosyllabic effectiveness. “Word.”

“Thanks, Leo.”

“No worries.”

I went to Victoria first, but Cameron answered the door with his chest puffed out, his eyes burning, and asked, “Did you make my wife cry today?”

“Absolutely not,” I replied.

“Crying makes her throw-up. Throwing up makes her cry. So unless you have something nice to say to her, get the fuck off my porch and go fuck yourself.”

I took a deep breath because I understood his protectiveness of Victoria. Then I glanced inside their home. It was Christmas…everywhere. Not overly done, but beautifully done. You could see the light touches of a woman with an eye for detail who knew when enough was enough. A fresh tree stood in their living room to the right, and if I hadn’t been so caught up in my thoughts, I would’ve seen it through the front window. Even their garden gnome that Katherine had given them with pride had a matching Santa hat. A nice touch I thought.

“I need to find my fiancée. I need to bring her home to have Christmas Eve with our friends, and then I need to take her to meet her future mother-in-law. That is, if you think she still wants me after my huge fuck-up today.” I had no doubt Katherine and I were solid, but I thought her best friend might not understand my absence of the last hour and a half.

Tori moved to stand next to Cam, looking, I hated to say, terrible.

“You’re not wrong.” She burped and tried to be lady-like about it. “Hang on.” She held up the finger of one hand and covered her mouth with the other.

Cam pulled her hair back, and we all waited to see what was going to happen next.“Okay,” she breathed. “I’m okay. Kath said she was going to find you at your favorite surfing spot. She said you mentioned it when you needed to clear your head.” She put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes as if she was waiting for the room to stop spinning.

“Victoria?” Cam smiled down at her.

“I’m good…” She attempted a shaking smile and tried again. “I’m good.”

“Did you see the ring?” I asked.

“Pretty,” she said, her face moving into a beautiful, soft smile.

“We probably won’t make it tonight,” I told her. “I’m sorry, Victoria, I will try. I know you were looking forward to having this holiday eve with your friends and family. But I hope you know it won’t be the last time my future bride and I share a celebration with you and yours.”

“I was kind of hoping you’d say something along those lines.” She grinned, though it looked painful for her to do so as a grimace warred with her smile.

I turned to go, but she stopped me with her hand on my shoulder. “Holst?”

“Yes?”

“She’s new at this whole relationship thing. She’s an awesome friend, but relationships are new territory.”

“Today, I made the first of what I’m sure will be many mistakes. And when I get to Katherine, I’ll tell her exactly what those were. But I assure you, lovely Victoria, I’ll spend the rest of my life giving her what she needs, because today, for a brief moment, I had to watch her walk out a door with another man. When I get her back, I’m never letting her go again.”

“Swoony,” she said on a sigh and smiled that smile that apparently made Cam fall in love with her.

“I’ll let you know when I get to her. I’ll send a text so you don’t worry.”

“I’d wish you luck, but I don’t think you’ll need it,” Cam told me, pulling his wife into his arms.

“Drive safe,” Tori called as I made my way back to my car…to find Katherine.