Julie came in the room and stood next to her friend. “Headmaster wants to see you.”
“Golly, I wonder why?” It wasn’t the time for sarcasm, but Kate couldn’t help herself.
“I don’t even know what to say. I’d run her down with my car if I thought it would help.”
A chuckle escaped Kate’s lips, because only a truly good friend would volunteer to off the competition. “Damage is done. It’s a matter of time, but I’m guessing I’m going to have to resign.”
Julie’s face tightened. “No. That would be wrong. You’re a grown woman, you have a right…”
Kate stopped her, took off her Santa hat, and smoothed her hair. Considering the situation, she spoke more calmly than she could have imagined. “I’m a teacher who just had her private life exposed to the faculty and the very stuffy board of trustees. Headmaster doesn’t care about my rights.”
They stood quietly for a few moments, looking around the room and thinking about what would happen next.
“So what made you tell her off?” Julie asked.
Kate took a moment to answer, because she wasn’t exactly sure what had made her respond in just that way. It wasn’t what people had come to expect from her, nor was it the most professional reaction, but she felt more like herself than she had in twenty years.
“I figured if I was going down, I’d take her along for the ride.”
“Do you think it’ll matter to her?”
“Her father is ruined here. What happens to me is irrelevant. She destroyed his reputation, as well as her own. She didn’t think about that.” Kate stretched and pressed her hands into the small of her back. “It’ll matter to her eventually.”
Julie reached out and touched Kate’s shoulder. “You okay?”
“I’m sure I’ll have a meltdown later, but at this point I’ve been kicked so many times, I don’t even feel it.”
Chapter 21
‡
David pulled into his sister’s driveway and stared at the house. She and her husband had moved into this place over the summer, and it was more impressive than she described. On the west side of the city, the brick home had huge windows and what looked like a nice bit of land for this area. She’d need the space with her growing family.
Getting out of the car, he opened the back door and removed his bag. The scene was almost too perfect. The snow on the ground was the perfect setting for the house which was decked out with pine garland, lights and wreaths—very much like Kate’s house, very much like the house he grew up in.
It was a home.
He thought about Kate the whole way there, on the flight from Montreal to Toronto, and on the drive from the airport. He wondered what she was doing, if she was thinking about him. Part of him wanted to get a flight to Philadelphia and spend the holiday with her, help her through the recovery. But the other part of him knew they needed this time apart to get a hold of their feelings.
As he made his way up the walk, the front door flew open and his sister Rachel dashed outside. At thirty-eight, she still looked like a pixie to him, with her large green eyes and auburn hair. Flinging herself at him, she clung to his neck. David dropped his duffle and spun his big sister in a circle before setting her on her feet.
“I’d better set you down or the neighbors will talk, eh?”
“God, it’s good to see you.” Rachel gave his arm a smack. “Why don’t you visit more?”
He picked up his bag, looped his arm around her shoulder and walked into the house. “The season’s a nightmare, Rach, you know I can’t.”
“I know.” She hugged him again when they were in the foyer. “You look good, Dave… different somehow.”
“Different?” He tilted his head and saw her eye him curiously. “How do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Like someone’s gotten into your head.”
David shrugged, wondering if his feelings for Kate really were that obvious even to people who didn’t know about her. “It’s quiet. Where is everyone?”
“Dad’s taking a nap and Ian took the rug rats to get the pizza.” She helped him off with his jacket and hung it in the closet. “The kids are dying to see you.”
“Me too, I bet they’re big. Did the presents get here?
“Yup, last week,” she said.
“How’s Dad?”
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Better since he moved here with us. Mellowing.”
“About time. Where am I crashing?” he asked.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” They climbed the wide staircase and Rachel opened the door to a nicely sized guest room. “The bath’s through that door. There are towels in the closet to your right.”
“This is a great house. Big.”
“Yeah, this room will only be guest room a little while longer.” She patted her belly. “Number four comes in July.”
“Really?” He smiled the best he could. “Another one?” He was genuinely happy for his sister, but then thought of his child, the one who never had a chance. He thought about Kate, too.
Rachel must have sensed the change in his mood, and sat on the bed. She didn’t say anything, but watched him as he hung up his suit and a few shirts.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. What about you?” she asked. “Are you ever going to get married and start having little hockey players?”
That hurt. David thought the married and kid thing was settled; now he wasn’t so sure. He stopped what he was doing, looked at her, and then gazed at the sweater in his hand. Kate bought the sweater for him; she bought it because she thought he’d like it, no other reason. “There is someone I’m seeing.”
Rachel pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Tell me,” she said.
“Her name’s Kate. I’ve only known her for a couple of months, but…” He paused, knowing what he was about to say could send his sister into a tailspin. “She’s it. She’s the one.”
Rachel was quiet, examining his face, searching for her own answers. Finally, she spoke. “I’m happy for you, David. Why didn’t you bring her?”
“She had family coming for the holidays, so she couldn’t.” He stopped, thought, then started again. “But something happened right before I left.” Moving toward his sister, he answered the question before she asked. “She was pregnant and she miscarried. She wouldn’t have been able to travel regardless.”
“Oh, no,” Rachel whispered. “Dave, I’m so sorry.” She rose and hugged him. He fought the wave of sadness, fought the echoes of Kate’s cries in his head.
“How is she?” she asked in a way that only a woman who’d been through the same thing could ask. She’d had three miscarriages before her three successful pregnancies.
“Recovering. She was about fourteen weeks.”
“That must have been awful, for both of you.”
“Her daughter was with her when it happened. I didn’t see her until it was over.”
“Her daughter?” Rachel sat again. Waiting.
“She’s divorced. Has a seventeen-year-old daughter.” Now he knew the questions would come.
“Wow.” Rachel pulled her legs onto the bad and settled herself in for a story. “I’m guessing you’re going to fill in the blanks. How did you meet her?”
“Our first road trip of the season, we were in California and she was there for a teachers’ conference.”
“She’s a teacher?”
He nodded. “And a writer.”
“I like that she has brains.” Rachel grinned because David hadn’t dated a girl with brains like Kate’s since college. “What kind of writing does she do?”
“Hang on.” He rummaged through his bag and produced Kate’s latest book. “I asked her to sign it for you.”