Page 64 of Storm Warning
There was his work, the long hours he put in, the late-night calls and meetings. Part of her bristled at the idea of becoming an afterthought, something to be slotted in around the demands of his empire. He'd promised he would make space for her, though. She wanted to believe that. She needed to believe it—because she wasn't interested in being anyone's convenience ever again.
She'd spent so long convincing herself she was better offalone—it was safer that way. And maybe she had been. But safe didn't equate to happy.
In truth, she had been lonely. Kate wanted a partner. Someone who'd look at her as an equal, not a project to fix or a woman to tolerate. She'd worked hard for everything she had—all those late nights drafting chapters after her shift, the rejection letters she'd survived, every small win she'd built into a career. Dan never understood that. He had never wanted to understand it.
Maybe that was why Dan's contempt had hurt her so much. He'd laughed at her, called her stories smut, said she wasted her time playing with invisible friends. What stung even more was the way he'd looked down at her—as if she were small and silly and didn't have anything real to offer.
He'd been so proud of his degree, his job, the shiny title his parents bought for him. He didn't understand what it had cost her to build something out of nothing. And she'd let his condescension seep into her very soul, let it convince her she was lucky to be with someone like him, that she should be grateful for whatever scraps of affection his superior self doled out.
But she wasn't that woman. She did have value. She did have something to contribute. And she was tired of thinking she didn't deserve to be met halfway.
The sun now sat higher in the sky, painting the water with brilliant sparkles. A trio of sandpipers raced along the tide line, chasing the retreating foam. The rhythm of the waves—crash, hiss, retreat—had become a metronome for her thoughts.
Her life was in Colorado. Nick lived here in South Florida. Not impossible, but it would be hard. Long-distance wasn't something she'd ever pictured herself attempting. Still, if they wanted it enough, they could find a way. She could write anywhere. Callie was her only tie to Colorado—there wasnothing to keep her there. The idea of following him, of making a life together, sparked a flicker of adventure.
Callie would probably threaten to drag her back if she so much as hinted at moving. The thought made her laugh out loud, a bright burst of relief she hadn't expected. She'd take it as a good sign—that she could laugh at all, after everything.
Kate glanced at her watch and winced. Hours had crept by while she sat here thinking herself in circles. No wonder her legs were numb. She slid down onto the warm sand, stretching out her stiff muscles as she stared up at the mansion. Heat radiated from the beach below her, and the salt-sticky air clung to her skin.
It still seemed like too much. Like he was too much. But maybe he thought the same about her—like she was something unexpected he didn't know how to hold. Wasn't that the point of trying? To risk being known, even if it meant being hurt?
Her stomach growled, and she shook her head, smiling despite the ache in her chest. She could think more later. For now, she would stand up, go inside, and figure out what comes next.
And maybe, just maybe, that was enough for today.
Chapter 34
Threads
A scrapeon the decking startled Kate awake. She bolted upright to find Zach and David spinning chairs to face her. She rubbed her eyes. Yup, still there, sitting on her pergola. Her sleep-addled mind struggled to figure out why.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you.” Zach growled, but with a note of apology.
“No, it’s fine. I must have fallen asleep.” Kate shifted into a sideways position, curling her feet up next to her on the swing, the cushion beneath her still warm from the afternoon sun. “What can I do for you two, or are you here to lecture me too?” She glanced between them, a prickle of defensiveness raising the hair on her arms.
David appeared confused. Zach looked... well, like Zach always looked. “Why would we lecture you?”
Kate sighed and twisted her lips into a wry smile. “Never mind. Tell me why you’re here. I somehow doubt you’ve dropped by for tea.”
The two men exchanged glances before David spoke up. “Well, I’m here to update you about the hack. Nick told you that someone spoofed his email, right?” When she frowned butnodded, he continued. “I’ve been tracking that email to Jessica. Whoever did it has some skill. They routed it over half the globe, but I’m better. I traced it to an IP address here on the island. It came from a coffee shop downtown, so whoever sent it was here on the island.”
Kate’s stomach tightened, a cold stone dropping into her gut.
“I checked out the shop,” Zach growled. “It has cameras, so David is going to hack its system and try to find images from that time frame. If they continuously record and keep the footage for at least five days, we may get a picture of the sender, since we know what computer he used.”
Kate leaned forward, her pulse quickening. “Really? That’s great.”
“It’s a lot of ‘ifs’, but hopefully we’ll get lucky. Ninja is still trying to track down the LLC’s ownership. He thinks he’s getting closer, but no dice so far.”
The excitement evaporated like water on hot pavement, leaving Kate deflated as she slumped back. “Oh. Anything on that guest at Tiki Beach?”
Zach shifted minutely in his chair, which looked too small for his massive frame. The metal creaked under his weight. “The guest said he got a note with cash in it. Note said to go to one of the restaurants and cause trouble, in front of witnesses to record it. He was to make it look like the resort messed up. If he did, he’d get another envelope of cash. The bigger the issue, the bigger the payoff would be.”
“So, counting the room block problem, two definite problems linked to this LLC guy, and possibly a third, if we include Jessica.” Kate mulled that over, tracing her finger along the edge of the swing’s cushion.
“Don’t forget that spa mixup, too.” David added.
“Actually, we’re over half a dozen now. We had a fooddelivery canceled. The chefs had to scramble to handle a dinner reception.” Zach raked a hand over his short hair. “Good thing it was a simple food choice—chicken. They got most of what they needed at the grocery store. A few other lesser things.”