“Maybe,” Kate said. “But—”
“Hi, can I join you?” Valerie sank down in the chair next to them. “I’m just about at my wits’ end.”
“Oh?” Kate said, annoyed at the interruption. She looked over at Penny and saw that even she was frowning. It took someone with extremely bad social skills to annoy Penny. Valerie was hitting on all cylinders today.
“What’s wrong?” Penny asked politely.
“What else? Men!” Valerie gave a short laugh. “Mark!” she called, without looking around. “Gin and tonic!”
Penny glared at her.
“Any man in particular?” Kate asked hastily, checking Penny for weapons. There didn’t seem to be much she could do with a drinking glass unless she broke it on the edge of the table and used the jagged edge to go for Valerie’s jugular. Kate pulled the glass out of Penny’s reach just in case.
“Will!” Valerie said with real venom. “I can’t believe he’s so stupid.”
“Will never struck me as stupid,” Kate said.
“Well, he is. He refuses to talk about the new bar, and the longer we sit on that idea, the more money we’re losing. And I’ve done everything but flat-out tell him that another hotel is trying to hire me away, and he just ignores me.” She ended her tirade on a wail. “It’s like he doesn’t care.”
“Maybe he doesn’t,” Penny said.
“Of course he does,” Valerie snapped. “Damn it, I have a plan here!”
“Don’t say that!” Kate said, wincing.
Mark brought Valerie her gin and tonic and winked at Penny before he went back to the bar.
“Yeah, plans are for the birds,” Penny said morosely.
“What are you two talking about?” Valerie asked.
“Well, I have this friend, see?” Penny said, shooting a look at Kate that said “Shut up.”
“And she had a plan to marry a really steady wealthy guy so she could stay home and be a housewife and mother and have a lot of kids because that’s what she really wanted. You know?”
“No,” Valerie said. “But if that’s what she wants, what the hell.”
“And she found the perfect guy,” Penny said gloomily. “And then she went and fell in love with a poor guy who’s never going to have much money and won’t be able to have kids with her for years.”
“So what’s the problem?” Valerie asked.
“What?” Kate said.
Valerie shrugged. “She stays with the rich guy. Love doesn’t last. Money does if you know how to manage it.” She looked at Penny. “Tell your friend to dump the poor guy, marry the rich guy, and take night courses in investing. That’s what I’d do.”
“I’m sure you would,” Kate said. “Don’t you love Will?”
“Well, of course I love Will,” Valerie said.
“What if he didn’t have the hotel?” Kate asked. “What if he ran the hardware store?”
Valerie thought about it. “Depends on the size of the hardware store, I guess. And what I could do with it.”
Kate tilted her head and looked at Valerie appraisingly. “This isn’t about money, is it?”
“What?” Valerie asked, confused.
“It’s not the money, although you want that, too. It’s the hotel and the wheeling and dealing and making plans. That’s what hooks you.”
“I guess,” Valerie said. “What are you talking about?”
“Because that’s what hooks me, too,” Kate said. “I need the challenge. I can’t just sit out on a lake and watch the fish for the rest of my life. I need to play the game.” She bit her lip. “I hate it, but that’s me.”
“Why hate it?” Valerie looked at her like she was crazy. “You’re terrific at what you do.”
“Yes, but now it’s getting in the way of what I want,” Kate said.
“I can’t believe you ever let anything get in the way of what you want,” Valerie said. “I really admire that in you.”
“Thank you, Valerie,” Kate said, standing . “Excuse me a minute. I need another cola. This one with rum, I think.”
That night at Nancy’s was a madhouse, and Kate served drinks until she was dizzy. Three days ago, she’d been a customer. Tonight she was a pro.
She took a beer and a wine cooler to Brad and his date, and he grinned at her and said, “Thanks, Kate.”
Three days ago he’d been groping her. Now it was “Thanks, Kate.” He’d better leave a big tip.
She poured colas with rum and without. She plopped olives into martinis and dipped tequila glasses in salt. She filled the pretzel bowls on the bar over and over again. She carried drinks all over the bar, neatly dodging hands that came up to pat her rear end, telling drunks their next drink was coffee, taking several orders at once and delivering them without a mistake.
I’m pretty good at this, she thought. It was a nice thought, and as she was feeling particularly happy anyway, and as she happened to be passing Jake as he bent over the pool table, she patted him on the rear end to celebrate.
He miscued.
“God, I hope you stay forever,” Ben told her, and she laughed and went on to serve drink after drink after drink.
Jake watched her as she threaded her way through the crowd, smiling at everyone, leaving a trail of grins behind her. She looked like she belonged there. She did belong there. With him.
Then, like an evil curse, the thought intruded: What would she do here? There’s nothing for her here. And you remember what happened the last time you fell for a smart blonde with a great body? It didn’t last. What makes you think you’re any smarter this time?
“Are you going to play pool?” Ben asked.
“Yeah,” Jake said shortly, and shoved his thoughts about the future away. He’d think about that later. Much later. After all, he wasn’t even sure how he felt about her.
He looked up to see Kate walking past Brad, who reached out a hand and caught her on the rear end before she had time to swerve. She spilled some beer on him, and he laughed.
Jake put down his cue.
“Back in a minute,” he told Ben and walked over to Brad.
He put one hand on the back of Brad’s chair and the other on the table in front of him and leaned over.
Brad looked up.
“Hey, Jake,” he said happily.
“Don’t touch Kate,” Jake said.
Brad looked up, and his smile faded.
“If you get my drift,” Jake added gently.
“Got it.” Brad nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.” Jake patted him on the back and ambled back to the pool table. Ben rested on his cue and grinned at him.
“It was a lot easier when we could just brand ‘em,” Ben said. “Then everybody’d know not to mess with our womenfolk.”
“Shut up and play pool.” Jake picked up his cue.
“I never thought I’d see you lay claim to a woman,” Ben needled him. “Right in front of the whole bar and everything.”
“I just don’t think she should have to put up with that.” Jake glared at him, annoyed. “Are you going to play pool or not?”
“I’m going to play pool.” Ben chalked his cue. “Funny it never bothered you when Thelma and Sally had to put up with that.”
“Thelma and Sally can take care of themselves.”
“And Kate can’t?” Ben laughed. “Kate could take care of all of us. If we put her in uniform, we wouldn’t need the marines.”
“Nancy can take care of herself, too. What would you do if Brad went after her?”
“The same thing that you did, buddy,” Ben said. “Which is my point, exactly.”
Jake stood still for a second and then thought, Yeah, right. I’m not sure how I feel about her. Oh, hell.
He moved around the table. “Hit the ball,” he said to Ben. “Try to actually get one in a pocket this time.”
Above all, Kate served beer. Long-necked bottles, mugs, glasses. She felt like Mickey Mouse in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” After a wh
ile, she leaned against the bar and saw beer bottles marching toward her, sloshing foam over her feet. The world was made of liquid.
“Kate!”
She shook herself awake and turned to Nancy.
“Take a break,” Nancy said. “It’s ten. We’re slowing down.”
“How can you tell?” Kate asked. The bar was still packed with people, the noise was still as loud.
“Because we’re talking to each other instead of slinging drinks. You want to go sit down for a while?”
“No.” Kate looked back at the table she’d just served. “Watch the guy in the blue T-shirt. I think he’s had enough.”
“Right.” Nancy nodded. “I’m going to hate it when you go. You’re getting almost as good at this as I am.”
When she went. She kept trying to avoid that thought and it kept hitting her in the face.
“Hey, Nancy, two more over here,” Early called.
Nancy turned to make the drinks and saw the expression on Kate’s face. “You are going, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Kate said numbly.
“Just checking. I thought you might have changed your mind, with Jake and everything.” Nancy shoved the tray over the bar. “These go over to Early and Ross at the far pool table.”
“I see them.” Kate picked up the tray and then stopped. “I can’t give up my whole life after one night,” she said to Nancy. “That would be stupid. He’s never said he loved me, and how could he? We’ve only known each other a week. Less than a week.”
“I know,” Nancy said. “But I don’t want you to stay just for Jake. I want you to stay for me.” She leaned on the bar. “I’ve got a lot of friends here, people I grew up with, but you and I...talk. About the bar and other things. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too,” Kate said with tears in her voice. “I’d better get these to Early.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you, honey.” Nancy patted her hand. “We’ve got more than a week before you leave. Let’s just enjoy that. Here, take a couple of beers to Ben and Jake, too. They’re due.”
Kate took the tray back to the corner of the bar, handing Ross his whiskey and Early his gin. “Thank you, Kate,” Ross said. “Mighty kind of you, Kate,” Early said.
“My pleasure, boys,” she said and smiled because it really was. There was something about being in a place where you knew everybody and everybody knew you. Like home.
She took the beers to Jake and Ben.
“Pat his butt again,” Ben told her as he watched Jake sink a ball. “I almost won a game when you did that.”
“If you only almost won, what good will it do?” Kate asked.
“Well, do something else, then,” Ben grumbled.
“Hell, we’re paying you minimum wage. Earn your keep.”
Kate put down the tray as Jake came around the table to take his next shot. “Come here, big boy.” She hooked her fingers in the waistband of his jeans and pulled him toward her. Then she kissed him full on the mouth and heard someone whoop behind her.
She’d expected him to pull away, but he leaned into her, bending her back onto the pool table as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. Her hat fell off. He took his time about finishing the kiss so she broke it off, and when she pulled her mouth away, he kept her pinned to the table and said, “Did I ever tell you my fantasy about pool tables?”
“No!” She slipped out from under him, red-faced.
He clapped her hat back on her head.
“Don’t start what you can’t finish,” he said, grinning at her, and turned back to the table.
Ben was shaking his head at him.
“We were going to put up a big sign that said Jake Templeton Finally Got Laid, but now we won’t have to.”
“What’s this ‘finally’ stuff?” Jake looked insulted. “I wasn’t desperate.” He studied the table and found his shot. Then he lined up his cue and remembered Kate bent under him in the same position. If he hadn’t had a fantasy about pool tables before, he had one now.
He miscued.
“One more great athlete destroyed by sex,” Ben said and began to run the table.
“Very nice,” Nancy said when Kate got back to the bar. “I don’t know what got into me.” Kate pulled her hat low over her eyes.
“On a guess, Jake.”
“Very funny.”
“You sure you’re going to leave?” Nancy asked. “It seems like you were always here.”
“I’m sure,” Kate said. “I need to work and there’s nothing for me to do here. And besides, I don’t think Jake’s interested in anything permanent. The whole idea of me staying is just impossible.”
There was a loud cheer from the back of the bar. “Kate, I love you,” Ben called out to her.
“That’s twice Ben’s won in a week,” Nancy said. “If that can happen, anything can happen.”
The four of them closed the bar at midnight and walked out to the parking lot behind the bar.
“I can’t believe I beat you,” Ben said, savoring his victory. “Twice in one week.”
“I was distracted.” Jake put his arm around Kate to pull her close. “You’d better give her a raise.”
“Women,” Ben said. “You gotta love ‘em.” He moved behind Nancy and put his arms around her.
She closed her eyes and leaned back against him, smiling. “Twenty years. And you still turn me on like crazy.”
“If we’re in your way, just say so,” Jake said. “Otherwise we’ll stay and watch.”
“Good idea,” Ben said. “Maybe you’ll learn something.”
“Not if you make love like you play pool.”
“Hey, I won.”
“Come on.” Kate tugged on Jake’s arm. “I’m tired, and I’m covered with beer, and Nancy’s getting all the action.”
She pulled him toward the car.
“Your problem is you’re not aggressive enough,” Jake told her. “A man likes a woman who will show a little interest. You keep playing hard to get and you never will get—”
“Get in the car,” Kate said. “I’ll show you aggressive.”
The next morning, Kate came home to find Penny weeping hysterically on the steps.
Kate took her into the cabin and washed her face with cold water.
“What’s wrong?”
“I made my decision.” Penny swallowed and sat down on the bed. “I decided the only smart thing to do was to stay with Allan, so I told Mark I was getting married. He got so mad....” Penny shook her head.
“Well, he has a point.” Kate sat down beside her. “How would you feel if the situation was reversed, and you’d been sleeping with him, and then he told you he was engaged?”
“I thought guys didn’t care. I thought they just liked the sex, you know?”
“I don’t think Mark is a ‘guy.’ I think he’s a person. I think he really cares about you.” Kate took a deep breath. “I know you really care about him.”
Penny began to cry again. “What am I going to do?”
“Call Allan and tell him it’s all a mistake.”
“I can’t. The wedding’s all planned. We have caterers. My dress is done.”
“You’re going to spend the rest of your life with a man you don’t love because of some caterers and a dress? Are you out of your mind?”
“Yes,” Penny said and cried some more.
“What do you want me to do, Penny?”
“Fix it.” Penny looked at her like a little girl.
“I can’t, kid,” Kate said. “You’ve got to fix this yourself. Choose one or the other.”
“Allan.”
“Okay. Then it doesn’t matter that Mark is mad. Because you’re never going to see him again anyway.”
Penny howled and threw herself on the bed.
“Come on, Penny.” Kate patted her on the back. Funny. She’d never thought of herself as a patter.
“You don’t understand,” Penny sobbed. “You have Jake forever.”
&n
bsp; “No, I don’t.” Kate swallowed hard as she remembered. “I’m leaving in a week.”
A week. Seven days.
Penny lifted her head from the bed.
“Why?”
“Because I have a career in the city and—”
“You’re leaving Jake for a job, and you tell me I‘m out of my mind?”
“It’s different,” Kate said weakly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Does Jake know?”
“Yes.” He must know. We haven’t talked about it, but he must know.
“I bet he doesn’t.” Penny wiped her tears on the back of her hand. “He’s crazy about you.”
“Not that crazy,” Kate said grimly.
Penny sat up beside her. “We didn’t do so hot, did we?”
“No, we didn’t,” Kate agreed. “But we’re not done yet. I think you’d better do some fast thinking about Mark and Allan.”
Penny gulped.
“Imagine living with Allan for the rest of your life,” Kate said. “Imagine never seeing Mark again.”
“You think I should stay with Mark,” Penny sniffed.
“I think you don’t have any choice,” Kate said. “If you’re this unhappy when he’s mad at you, how are you going to feel if you never see him again?”
Penny threw herself back onto the bed and began to cry again, and Kate sighed and handed her more tissues. And how am I going to feel? she asked herself as she patted Penny. I feel like throwing myself down beside her and howling, too. This is a mess, but I’m not going to think about it now. I’m going to enjoy myself, damn it I’ll think about the future later.
Much later.
Chapter Ten
The rest of Kate’s vacation passed in a pleasant, lazy blur of floating on the lake with Jake in the mornings, playing with Penny in the afternoons, bartending in the evenings, and then making love with Jake with such passion that she forgot there was anything in the world but the two of them. Periodically, the cold threat of the future sliced its way into her consciousness, but she repressed it ruthlessly. She wasn’t leaving until Saturday. She’d think about it later. Not now.
The week was hardly without its distractions. She worked on the plans for the bar with Nancy and felt a satisfaction she hadn’t felt for a long time as things began to fall into place there. Knowing Nancy’s possessiveness about the bar, she was careful not to overstep at first, but Nancy seemed genuinely enthused about the changes she proposed, and finally Kate relaxed and enjoyed working with her.