It had been three weeks since she’d been in New York City and had seen David having brunch at Sarabeth’s. Kate wasn’t surprised she hadn’t heard from him, especially since he wasn’t alone in New York. She’d been working up the courage to actually call him, to take control of the situation. Now she was glad she’d never found the nerve. She’d watched his game on TV the night before, and a photograph of David, crushing an opposing player into the boards, dominated the back page of the newspaper she’d borrowed from the library. She stared at the picture and remembered the man who’d made love to her in California. The picture and the reality she’d experienced were in direct conflict. Did she want to take a risk on him?

Oh, yeah. She wanted him bad.

“Hey.”

Kate’s head shot up and she glanced toward the door where she saw her closest friend, Julie Higgins. Blonde and stunning, Julie was a French teacher and a few years younger than Kate. As silly as Kate was serious, as adventurous as Kate was cautious, Julie still didn’t know about David.

“Hi,” Kate said.

Julie walked in and glanced at the newspaper. “Following hockey?”

“A little.”

“Laura’s a big fan, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. Maybe it’ll give us something to talk about.”

“Maybe.” Julie sat in a student desk facing Kate. “One of the chaperones for the Honor Society trip backed out. I could use a hand. Are you available Friday night?”

“Sure.” Laura was with her father this weekend, going to his house right after school on Friday. Kate stood and walked toward the windowsill with a stack of papers. “Where are we going?”

“The Flyers game.”

Julie flinched as Kate spun toward her. “Flyers game?”

“Uh huh. The kids were invited because they adopted one of the team’s charities.”

Kate took three deep breaths to calm her racing heart before she spoke. “You know, I won’t be much fun. I’m not a big fan.”

A crease formed between Julie’s drawn brows. “You just said you want to learn about the team. This is the perfect opportunity.”

No, not perfect. She wanted to forget about David, not throw herself into his path. It was bad enough she was obsessing, watching his games on TV, reading about him in the newspaper, and staring at the poster on Laura’s wall. She couldn’t show up at one of his games. She drew in a deep breath and walked back to her desk.

“Kate, you’ve been acting weird since you got back from that conference. You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“There’s nothing going on,” she said quietly.

Julie looked away and Kate wondered what she should do. Her friend knew her better than almost anyone, so telling her nothing was wrong was insulting. And in reality, Kate hated keeping secrets. Maybe if she told her she’d feel better. Confession was good for the soul—right?

Walking to the classroom door and closing it, Kate faced Julie. “You really want to know?”

“I want to help if I can.”

“If I tell you, do you promise not to tell a soul? I mean no one.”

“Absolutely.” Julie leaned forward and folded her arms on the desktop. “This must be a pretty big deal. You’ve never sworn me to secrecy before.”

Bracing her hands on a desk behind her for support, Kate licked her lips. “I don’t know how to say this,” she began. “I had a—well, I sort of had a—fling when I was in California.”

Julie’s mouth hung open and then broke into a huge smile. “You did? Oh. My. God!”

“On my birthday, no less.”

“Happy Birthday to you! Was he amazing?”

“He was a god. Younger than me.”

“Really?” Julie squeaked. “How much younger?”

“Twenty-nine.”

Julie let out a long breath. “You’re killin’ me. What did he look like?”

Reaching out, Kate turned the newspaper and tapped the picture of David. “Like that.”

“Like David Burke! No way!”

Kate glanced at the picture, and the corner of her mouth twitched. “He didn’t just look like David Burke.” She bit her lip and blurted out the truth she still barely believed. “It was David Burke.”

Nothing.

There wasn’t a squeal, a gasp, nothing. Just a blank stare. Kate wasn’t sure, but she was afraid her friend was in shock. “Julie? Are you going to say anything?”

Julie blinked once, looked away and then looked at Kate straight on. “You are my hero,” she said quietly. “David Burke. Mon dieu.” Julie patted the desk next to the one she was sitting in and Kate obliged. “I want the whole story, and if you leave anything out I’ll never speak to you again.”

Thank God.

Kate drew a breath, smiled, and gave up her secret.

*

A little less than an hour later, Kate finished her tale, and this time, it was Julie who drew the breath and crossed her hands over her heart. “How did you keep it to yourself for so long?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even tell my sister, and you know I tell her everything.”

Julie nodded. “That is, without a doubt, the most romantic story I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t mean much. I haven’t heard from him since I told him how old I am.”

“No?” she asked.

“I should have known. I mean, why would he want to be with someone my age?” Kate folded her arms on the desk and dropped her head.

“You liked him, didn’t you?”

Kate nodded. “It’s sad. The first man who pays attention to me after Richard and I’m like a lovesick fifteen-year-old. Deep down, I’m still hoping for something—a call, a text. Every time my phone so much as chirps, I hope it’s him.”

Julie reached over and patted her shoulder. “Maybe it will be.”

Kate shook her head and grabbed for the newspaper. “Want to see the other picture of him in this issue of the paper?” She flipped to the gossip page and there was David attached to a very attractive, very young, woman.

Julie scowled when she took in the picture. “Yeah, well, maybe he took a hit to the head that night. I mean she’s beautiful, but she has nothing on you.”

“Are you kidding? The only thing I have on her is about twenty years.”

“Maybe it was a previous commitment?”

“Maybe, but it gets worse.” Kate paused because this part of the story was humiliating—there was no other way to think about it. “Last weekend, I met my agent for brunch, remember?”

Julie nodded, remembering Kate’s trip to New York. “You took her out for her birthday.”

“Right. There I am, on a gorgeous Sunday morning, enjoying my French toast and berries, and who walks into the café? David, with a gorgeous blonde on his arm.”

“Shit. You have the worst luck.”

“Tell me about it. The blonde was Chelsea Connor.”

Julie gasped and Kate nodded. Chelsea was one of St. Andrew’s most well-known alumni. Unfortunately, she was well known for being a society party-girl and a spoiled brat. Kate always thought if the faculty could give senior superlative awards, Chelsea would be voted Most Likely to Marry for Money. “I could see them the whole time. They were there with another couple and I felt like I was going to die. I had to go right past them when I left. I actually tried to cover my face with a coat. It was like a perp walk.”

“Did they see you?”

“He did, she didn’t. He looked terrified, like I was going to start a scene or something.” Kate shook her head and glanced at his picture again. He was so gorgeous it hurt to look at him. “I’m pathetic.” Kate dropped her head into her folded arms once again. “I actually thought there might be something between us. How could I think that? Am I stupid?”

“You aren’t stupid, he is.” Julie rubbed Kate’s shoulder. “So, he’s why you don’t want to chaperone?”

“Uh huh.” She lifted her head and sat up. “I know there will be thousands of people there, but I’ll feel like such a stalker. What if he sees me?”

“You’re going to let the possibility of seeing this man run your life? Are you going to stop going to the city because you might run into him?”