“He’ll have to rethink that.” Kate rubbed her temple. She felt a headache coming on and she was so damned tired, she spoke without thinking. “If he wants you to go that badly, he can pay for it, or maybe Marie will give you the rest.” It was a petty comment and Kate regretted it the minute it came out of her mouth. Laura went from defensive to angry and neither of them needed a confrontation. Kate took a step away from the door hoping to make a clean getaway. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I can’t fucking believe this.” The words were said under Laura’s breath, but she fully intended Kate to hear them.

Kate turned and stared at Laura, who was now standing in her doorway with her arms folded and her face stone cold. Usually, Laura was more mature than most teens, but at that moment, she was pure attitude. She was a seventeen-year-old girl through and through—part woman, part child. Steeling herself, Kate was determined to maintain some shred of dignity. She took one step toward her daughter and then found herself getting irritated.

The girl was pushing every one of Kate’s buttons. “Excuse me? What did you say?”

Laura tried to backpedal at first, stuttering, but then attacked. “That I can’t believe you won’t give me the money.” Laura paused before she snarled and shot back. “You can afford it.”

“It’s not about the money, Laura. The simple fact is I don’t see why I should have to pay for your father’s whims.”

“He wants me to go on a nice vacation! That’s more than you’re doing.”

Now Kate was pissed. She’d told Richard all about the resort on St. Bart’s. He’d done this—pitted them against each other—on purpose. “Really? Is that what you think?”

“What I think is that you are freaking useless. I need the money, Mom.”

Kate’s blood started to roll. Mostly, she was angry at Richard, but Laura was giving a whole new meaning to the words ‘spoiled brat’. No. She was not going to back down; for the first time, she didn’t recoil at the attack but pressed toward her daughter. Kate was done being a doormat. “The only thing I’ve done that’s ‘useless’ is give in to you at every turn. I shouldn’t even give you half.”

“Oh, my God! Why are you doing this to me?”

“I’m not doing this to you. This is not a punishment. But I have some real issues with the trip.”

“Issues? What issues? It will be fun, and that’s not in your vocabulary? You need to get a life.” Laura snipped. “And to stay out of mine.”

Watching her baby retreat behind the wall she’d built between them, Kate took a deep breath so she wouldn’t lose it. She was fed up with worrying about everyone else, and what people around her, would think.

“You know what?” Kate felt the bile burn her throat. “Maybe you’re right. Now that I’m free, maybe I’ll do just that.”

Kate did her own storming off. Leaving Laura with her mouth hanging open was the best thing she’d done all day.

*

Julie hopped in the Volvo as soon as Kate put the car in park. “What’s going on? What’s the emergency?”

Throwing the car in reverse, Kate backed out of the driveway, shifted hard again, and drove down the street. “My daughter is going to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving.”

“What about the spa trip you planned?”

“I never got to tell her about it.”

“Oh, Kate…”

“After I heard her say she wished I could be more like Marie, I got pretty upset. Then Laura told me I’m useless and I needed to get a life.”

Julie reached out and touched Kate’s arm.

“Screw them all,” Kate murmured.

“Okay… so, why did you pick me up?”

“I need moral support.” Julie braced her hand on the dash as Kate took a turn. “I’m going to do something crazy.”

Julie reached out and gripped Kate’s arm. “What are you going to do?”

“You’ll see.”

*

Five minutes later, when Julie froze at the door of Dragon’s Tattoo Parlor, Kate grabbed her hand and pulled her through.

“Kate, are you sure you want to do this?” Julie whispered.

Kate nodded and smiled as she looked at the multiple-pierced, young man who approached them. “Positive.”

Chapter 5

‡

Kate shifted uncomfortably in the bus seat. She wasn’t sorry she’d gone through with it, but getting a tattoo the day before she had to ride in a bumpy school bus wasn’t her best idea. Julie saw her twisting and smiled.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little. Achy. Like a bad bruise.”

“You look fabulous.” Julie scanned her friend.

Kate looked down. Her jeans and white top were hardly anything special. “Whatever.” He isn’t even going to know I’m there. Which was what she wanted. Wasn’t it?

“Whatever?”

“I’m not allowed to look nice?”

“Kate, you look more than nice.”

Kate glanced at herself again, thought about the past day and a half, and had to acknowledge she’d prepped for this. She’d spent too much time putting together the ‘perfect’ outfit, right down to the jewelry, and spent an equal number of hours at the salon today having her hair and nails done.

Julie smirked, waiting for her to say something, but Kate wasn’t going to admit to anything out loud. Okay, maybe she dressed thinking if he saw her, and if was the operative word, he’d notice—maybe. But why would he? She was a blip on the screen of David Burke’s life. He was too busy being seen with local socialites. But earlier, as she stood before the full-length mirror in her bedroom, Kate knew exactly what she saw when she looked at her reflection. She couldn’t help it. As she pulled on the high-heeled black booties and sponged on her lip gloss, the person staring back from the mirror wanted to be noticed; she wanted David to suffer. But it was only in her twisted imagination that something like that would actually happen.

The bus pulled into the parking lot at the arena and Kate’s stomach lurched. It might have been up in her throat, it might have been in her chest—she wasn’t sure. Doing a quick head count after disembarking, they followed the kids into the arena. Kate wondered if it was too late to get the bus to take her home.

The place was packed. People moved along the concourse, stopping at concession stands for food or souvenirs. The kids bolted into the rink and headed toward the boards to watch the Flyers and that night’s opponents from Buffalo, during the pre-game skate.

Kate had forgotten about hockey arenas and was unprepared for the rush of testosterone that hit her as she walked down the steps. Rock music blared from the speakers and the players moved with a combination of brute force and poetic grace. The cutting sound of their skates, the click-clacking sound of the pucks hitting sticks, the entire scene assaulted every sense. She heard, she smelled, she felt…

Then she saw David, and her hormones headed south.

Julie gave her a nudge and Kate took another step, watching his movements with intensity. If she’d never seen this man before, she still would have wanted him. He didn’t wear a helmet during the warm up and his hair caught the breeze as he skated. He was enormous, fully padded, and so handsome she had to remember to breathe. Part of the thrill for her was knowing what was beneath the equipment, and knowing what David was like when he was off the ice. It took her a moment to absorb the rest of her surroundings. Women lined the boards, many of them wearing David’s jersey, and reality slapped Kate right in the face just like it did the day she saw him in New York.

He could have any one of them.

They were young and beautiful, with perfect bodies and flawless skin. His time with her was an aberration. She took a last look and just as she was about to turn away, David glanced in her direction and saw her. He froze. His eyes connected with hers and then a smile broke across his face. Part of Kate wanted to smile back, wave, something, but she held her enthusiasm and didn’t respond in kind. She saw no reason to give his ego the boost.