Читать книгу The Father of Her Son - Kathleen Pickering - Страница 12
ОглавлениеCHAPTER FOUR
STEVE FIORE RUBBED his hands together. “Smells like Friday in here, Kelly. How about serving us up two of Jake’s specials?”
Steve’s eagerness and his genuinely affable nature helped Kelly shake away her dread. Besides, she’d handled Jay Doyle. There was no need to give his interrogation any further attention. The smile that creased her mouth drained her tension.
“Nothing would please me more, Steve.” She gestured to the stool next to Evan’s—which he now occupied, his gaze still on her. “Care to sit next to our star patron? I must warn you, he’ll chatter your ear to bending.”
Evan shook his head. “A man does not chatter, Red. We discuss matters.”
Steve was studying Evan’s name stenciled on the floor beneath the stool. He gestured to the floor below his own seat. “Where’s mine?”
She laughed. “You need your own TV show and must eat here every day to earn that honor.”
Steve looked baffled. “But, Evan wouldn’t have his own show if it wasn’t for me.”
Kelly slapped the counter. “Of course. You’re right. If you are happy with that perch, I’ll stencil your name there tonight.”
Satisfied, Steve sat. “I’ll get a gold star, as well?”
“Sure, Steve, but you’ll have to earn your place on the Wall of Fame.”
Steve glanced at the wall holding the fifty or more photos of patrons, all smiling with a mouthful of food. “McKenna isn’t up there yet.”
“I will be soon,” Evan chimed in. “Had my photo op just a few days ago.”
Kelly wagged a finger at Evan. “But, you’ve been absent all week. That photo may have to wait.”
“Didn’t want to give you a chance to break our date.”
Before she could declare that they were not having a date, two patrons came up for Evan’s autograph, killing the opportunity. At least Steve noticed her consternation. Kelly turned to Jake, who signaled that he had already spotted Evan and Steve’s arrival and was preparing their specials.
Moments later, Matt burst through the diner doors like a miniature whirlwind with Jared and his mom, Donna, hot on his heels.
“Mom! We saw the Tyrannosaurus bones at the museum again. I think he got bigger... Evan!”
Matt had been heading for her until he spotted Evan. He and Matt exchanged their knuckle handshake while she invited Jared and Donna to take a booth near the window. She settled them in, catching up on their adventure at the Museum of Natural History until Matt scooted into the booth next to Jared.
“Mom, Evan says we’re having birthday dinner tomorrow at his penthouse.”
Donna raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Way to score, Kelly.”
Kelly scoffed. “Not what you’re thinking, Donna. Please don’t start any rumors.”
Donna gave the TV show host, now deep in conversation with his boss, an appraising glance. “Evan McKenna would be a rumor worth making, my dear.”
Kelly met her friend’s conspiratorial gaze. The last thing she wanted was uninvited attention over a television personality. “Now, that’s enough. Lunch is on me for entertaining Matt this morning.”
* * *
THE RISING MOUND of clothes littering her bed betrayed Kelly’s angst over tonight’s dinner with Evan. Something about trespassing into the McKenna inner sanctum sent tendrils of disquiet through her gut—a disquiet she was rapidly translating into a conviction that she had made a mistake. She’d been avoiding Evan for so long that agreeing to see him outside of Neverland seemed like surrender. Despite the fact that she had a son, her experience with men was nonexistent! Her apprehension was turning her stomach into knots.
Matt felt it, too. Despite a birthday party at the diner earlier today, then a romp through FAO Schwartz for Nerf guns, followed by several hours in Central Park playing Nerf gun tag, Matt was practically bouncing off the walls asking her when they were going to leave, as if he was sure she’d change her mind any minute and refuse to go.
She finally reached for her first choice, a soft green Indian tunic dress with an embroidered hem that stopped an inch too high above her knees. She looped a tan leather belt low on her hips and slipped into a pair of matching strappy sandals. She let her hair cascade onto her shoulders, slid silver hoop earrings into each ear, a cuff of bangles on her wrist, and finished her look with a spray of her favorite Christian Dior perfume—one luxury in which she dared to indulge.
Ignoring the pile of clothes on her bed, she dashed from the room before giving herself a chance to change her mind. “Matt, are you ready?”
He looked up from his latest Lego construction. “Wow, Mom. You look pretty.”
The admiration in his young eyes squeezed her heart. “Well, it’s your birthday. That’s a great reason to dress up.”
He jumped from the couch. “Let’s go. I hope Evan made an ice-cream cake!”
She reached for her purse and keys, her heart sinking. “Uh-oh. I forgot to tell Evan.”
His grin was priceless. “Don’t worry, Mom. I told him.”
* * *
SHE HARDLY NOTICED the taxi ride to the Upper West Side. Matt was full of questions and it wasn’t until she chided him that he had to be on his best behavior in Evan’s home that he settled down to a round on his game player. As the doorman opened the door to the taxi, she was glad, once again, that she had refused Evan’s offer to pick them up. She wanted this evening to be as little like a date as possible.
Matt bolted into the apartment lobby and ran to the elevators. “This place is cool, Mom! Which button do I press?”
“Elevator B.”
When the light illuminated, she resisted the urge to hightail it right back out the door. This was crazy. A wave of heat suffused her body, making her palms feel damp. Going to Evan’s place was sheer insanity. It didn’t help that Bunny had sent her out the door this afternoon with admonitions like, “Take no prisoners,” echoing in her wake.
She couldn’t believe how awkward she felt—at her age! She was miles out of her league. During the years Evan had been away, she was sure he’d had his fill of women of every kind. She’d not had a single man. She’d never been courted, or wooed. But, tonight was NOT a date. It was a birthday dinner for Matt. Evan was their friend. And honestly, now that Grampy Herby was gone, Kelly was grateful for the male bonding Evan offered her son. It was why she was here in the first place. She would not lose sight of that singular fact.
The elevator doors swooshed open. “Come on, Mom! Which button now?”
Smiling to herself she said, “The one with the letters, PH.”
He pressed it and beamed up at her. “Penthouse. Evan is rich, right?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Jared told me.”
“Oh, and how does Jared know?”
“He heard his mom talking on her cell phone.”
“And, to whom was she telling this priceless information?”
Matt shrugged as if that was a really dumb question. “I don’t know, Mom.”
The elevator opened onto a black marble landing just outside Evan’s door. Creamy yellow Venetian plaster-colored walls were trimmed with wide white moldings. His door, a work in gorgeous carved mahogany stood sentinel guarding the man and his private world.
Kelly felt miles out of her comfort zone. Knowing that Evan lived in opulence like this by his own achievements humbled her to the core. She couldn’t help but think this accomplished and excruciatingly handsome man was toying with her and her son. She ran a diner and lived in the two-bedroom apartment above it. They didn’t belong here.
She was about to sweep Matt back into the elevator when the door opened. Evan stepped out followed by a waft of air, warm and redolent with the savory smell of garlic and Italian sauce. She looked at his grinning face feeling like the typical deer in headlights.
“Hi, Evan!” Matt scrambled past his host and into the apartment as if he had been given a free pass to an amusement park.
“Hi, Matt...”
Evan answered Matt as an afterthought because his eyes were glued to Kelly. He whistled softly. “You look amazing.”
A lightning-fast blush heated her cheeks, ruining her composure. She didn’t like the feeling at all. Not now. Not at hello. Not when he looked excellent in a white button-down rolled up at the elbows and a pair of faded denims that sat on his hips as if they were sculpted to his body. She waved away his compliment, wanting him to stop staring while also soaking in the good feeling. “Go on with you now, Evan. I don’t always wear sneakers and an apron.”
His grin deepened. “You’re blushing.”
“And you’re a blustering fool. Now, will you be inviting me in, or shall I leave Matt to you for the evening?”
* * *
EVAN STEPPED BACK, opening the door wider. No way in hell would he permit Kelly to retreat on him now. Not when she looked so hot in that belted green dress and smelled like dessert. And, Holy Mother of God, those legs!
He stepped back, opening the door wider. He grinned when he realized she was grazing his body with her eyes as if enjoying his look. When her eyes met his, her blush deepened.
“Come on in, Red. It won’t be a party without you.”
She followed his gesture and entered. The soft incense of her perfume shot straight to his groin. What was it about this woman that made her blast his senses like a furnace? The familiar scent didn’t have this effect on him in Neverland, where she was steeped in her own territory and surrounded with patrons and friends. She eased past him as if trying to avoid a sidewinder. He’d have to tread slowly and carefully to put her at ease.
“Don’t worry. I won’t bite. Promise.”
“Of course, you won’t.” The temperature rising up her neck betrayed how foolish she felt.
He tilted his head into her line of vision. “Kelly, I am honored that you and Matt are here. I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. Please, feel welcome.”
She glanced into the apartment, where Matt seemed to have vanished. “I appreciate you saying that, Evan. Matt can use a male figure in his world.”
“I get that. I was an only child, too. My dad was a huge influence.”
She frowned. “You never told me you were an only child.”
“Really? How did we never get to that topic?”
She chuckled. “Because you always have your nose in my business.”
He gestured to the table beneath a huge framed mirror. “You can put your bag here if you’d like.”
He could sense that she was starting to calm when she lifted her face and inhaled. “I smell spaghetti sauce.”
“My boss’s family recipe. I’m hopeful this Irishman meets Steve’s Italian standards.”
“I’m sure Matt told you spaghetti is his favorite meal.”
“That and ice-cream cake. This newsman listens.” He tapped his ear to punctuate his promise.
Matt charged back toward them from somewhere in the open expanse, his face animated with delight. “Mom! Evan has a basketball hoop. Inside!”
Kelly appraised Evan’s home. He liked the way she smiled as she took in the mahogany entrance, the sprawling floors reflecting the same deep, polished timber as the door.
Her gaze rested on the huge, deep blue jewel-toned Oriental rug that delineated the living room. There were overstuffed caramel-colored couches, matching ottomans and inlaid antique tables with carved wooden elephants flanking the couches.
“Your home certainly is welcoming, Evan.”
He enjoyed his home. He’d taken pains to ensure that despite its modern decor, his home offered warmth and comfort—from the art-deco reading lights perched on each table to the “floating” mahogany wall unit that divided the living room from the open kitchen. The unit was stacked with books, unusual pottery and knickknacks from his travels. He’d placed the dining room by the floor-to-ceiling windows to give the effect of bringing outdoors inside.
He’d set a table on the balcony with place settings for three. Potted trees along the balustrade brought the park in the distance up to Evan’s living space. Candles dotted the table, though they had yet to be lit in the waning light. He felt a surge of pride as Kelly appraised his home. What struck him more was that he liked the way she looked in his place. Kelly against the backdrop of his belongings sent his senses thrumming.
Kelly frowned. “I don’t see a basketball hoop, Matt. For goodness’ sake, were you snooping?”
Evan pointed to an area blocked by another floating wall. Over its top, she would be able to see that the ceiling rose to a second level.
“It’s over there,” he said. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Kelly followed him around the wall. A large open game area held a regulation pool table, an antique table with two chairs set for a chess game, a Ping-Pong table and yes, the rest of the room was laid out to accommodate a half court, regulation-height basketball hoop.
At the far end of the room, a detached staircase led up to a loft that housed his master bedroom suite backlit with more windows. Evan gestured toward the stairs.
“The stairs lead to my room. That hallway at the foot of the stairs goes to guest bedrooms. Would you like a tour?”
Kelly’s jaw dropped. “You live here? Alone?”
He shrugged. “I bought it when I took the home job. Do you like it?”
She smiled. “It’s wonderful. You’re a lucky man.”
Matt tugged on Evan’s hand. “What’s that?” He pointed to the pinball machine.
“Wow,” Kelly said.
Evan grinned. “That is an original Flash Gordon pinball machine. Ever play one?”
Matt’s wide-eyed look held awe. “I don’t know what it is.”
Evan crossed the distance to the pinball machine in a few strides. “Come on, Matt-man. I’ll set you up. The sounds are great. You can play while I finish making your birthday supper.”
Evan pinched a handful of quarters from a bowl on the table next to another overstuffed lounge chair. He tugged the ottoman over to the machine.
Matt scrambled onto the ottoman, looking into the pinball machine as if he’d discovered a secret world. “Wow! What does it do?”
Evan dropped a quarter into the slot. The machine lit up. Bells sounded and a dastardly but hilarious, “Ah, ha, ha!” resounded.
Matt yelled with delight. “How do you play?”
Evan showed Matt how to launch the silver ball and manipulate the flippers on the sides of the table. The machine dinged and pinged with lights flashing every time the ball hit a bumper beneath the glass. It didn’t take long for Matt to become completely absorbed with the game—especially with that large bowl of quarters on hand. The boy was grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh, man. This is the best birthday, ever!”
Satisfied that Matt was entertained for the moment, Evan gestured toward the kitchen, where a pot of water boiled on the stove. “Kelly, would you like a glass of wine?”
With a longing look at the pinball machine, she said, “I’ve never played.”
Chuckling, he led her to a chair at the black granite counter. “I’ll make sure you get a turn.” He circled to the work side of the counter. He poured a glass of Cabernet to match his. “Anything for you, Kelly. When are you going to figure that out?”
He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. Kelly stiffened in her seat, her glass stopping in midair.
She pointed a finger at him. “Now, Sir Smooth, save the suave words for your lady friends.”
Oh, well. Now he had to save face. He held up a stopping hand. “Sorry. I can’t help myself with your hair down like that.”
She lowered her voice to a whisper. “If it wasn’t Matt’s birthday, we would not be here. Now behave!”
He tapped his glass to hers. “Mea culpa.”
Well, he’d pay in spades. Just watching her lift the glass to those luscious lips was payback enough. Damn. He’d love to be that glass.
Before taking another sip she gave him her sternest look. “No tomfoolery here now, Evan McKenna. You promised.”
He sipped his wine if only to do something with his mouth other than try to kiss her, and nearly groaned when she let the flavor of her wine swirl on her tongue before swallowing.
“Mmm. This is delicious.”
I’ll bet you are. If he was going to make this night a success he had to get his head out of the bedroom, or the living room floor, or the dining room table. He held up the bottle. “It’s a good year.”
“Oh, yes? And which year is that?”
“The year we met.”
She almost choked.
He reached over to pat her back. “Did I have that bad an effect on you?”
She held a hand to her throat. “That year was rather awful for me. I’d say the following year was a better time.”
“Why do you say that?”
She frowned. “Well, it doesn’t matter. That year began a prestigious career for you. So I’m happy to toast to a fine year.” She lifted her glass.
He studied her from across the counter. There she was dodging information, one more time. “Yes, there was that.”
She smiled sweetly. “Is there anything I can do to help with the meal?”
She looked uncomfortable again and it pained him that she felt she had to be so protective. He shook his head. “You serve folks every day. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself.”
Behind them the pinball machine dinged wildly. Matt jumped up and down on the ottoman. “Score!”
“Easy on the furniture, son.”
“Okay.” Without even looking at Kelly, he slipped another quarter into the machine and began playing again.
“Don’t worry. I bought the furniture to handle my rowdiest friends. Matt can do no harm in here. Let him be free.”
Kelly smiled. “That’s nice. Thank you. He doesn’t get much room in the apartment.”
“Well, you and Matt are welcome here anytime.”
“I’ll be sure to call first. Wouldn’t want to interrupt a hot date.”
He laughed. Boy, did she have the wrong idea. “Not much worry there.”
She slanted him a sideways glance. “Oh, please. Your reputation precedes you.”
“Lies. All of them.”
“Hmm. I seem to remember some political, fund-raising auction and you were the main prize for a dinner date.”
“Oh, don’t remind me of that hellish night.”
She chuckled. “If I remember correctly, three women pooled their money and you ended up taking them all out. Even I bought the tabloids to read about your escapades.”
He slapped his chest. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I didn’t. But, I was tempted.”
He leaned closer. “And what about you?”
“I never...”
“Yes?”
There it was again. Their easy conversation stalled midway by Kelly’s refusal to speak her mind. What would it take to make her trust him?
She sipped her wine. “I never discuss my private life.”
He laughed. “Touché.”
He’d have to try another way to penetrate her defenses. Instead, he tasted the sauce. Not bad. He turned the burner off. Dropped fresh pasta into the boiling water. “Just five minutes and we can eat.”
He stirred the pasta in the pot, wanting very much to stir another proverbial pot. Taking a shot at the hard questions with Kelly would certainly quash any flirting he had on his mind.
He added more wine to her glass. “So tell me, Kelly. Who is your best friend?”
She frowned. “Bunny, I’d say.”
“No, she is your employee.”
“Well, she has also grown to be my friend.”
He sipped his wine. “As luck would have it.” He took another tack. “Then tell me this. Is she your confidante? Someone you can trust?”
“No. Herby was the closest person to me and now he’s gone.”
The pinball machine sounded. “Bwaa, ha, ha!” Matt’s laughter pulled their attention to him.
Across the counter, Evan could sense Kelly’s defenses rising, as he expected. He found it hard to believe that someone as personable as Kelly didn’t allow anyone except a kindly old gent into her inner sanctuary.
She turned her attention back to him. “Why do you ask, Evan?”
He poured the steaming pasta into a colander in the sink then shook the extra water from the noodles. He placed a pasta bowl next to the sink.
“You seemed distressed yesterday afternoon when Steve and I arrived at Neverland. You did a fine job of distracting Steve, my dear, but not me. I was wondering if you have anyone to talk to when something bothers you.”
She managed a smile. “Not much bothers me, Evan.”
He shook his head. “You don’t fool me, Kelly Sullivan. Something rattled your cage yesterday, and I saw it. As your friend, I want you to know, I’m here if you ever need me.”
He was talking as he worked, pouring the pasta into the serving bowl, ladling the sauce over the top, pulling the Parmesan cheese from the refrigerator and slicing a chunk into the hand grater.
Kelly placed her goblet on the counter, pulling herself up on the stool like a Valkyrie. “I appreciate the offer, Evan, but let me be honest with you.”
Uh-oh. Would she unleash her Irish ire even before Matt had his cake? “Okay. Shoot.”
“You are a newsman. A very clever, crafty and intelligent researcher who surpasses his counterparts in every way.”
He didn’t expect the compliment. “Why, thank you, Red.”
She shook her head. “I am not done.”
He met her fiery gaze. “Oh.”
“You have been snooping for answers about my life since you returned. I like my privacy. If I wanted to share things with you or anyone, I would have. Sometimes you’re a tad too big for your britches—even if they do fit you to a fine turn.”
He burst out laughing at that. “Well I’ve never been shot down and built up so effectively in one delivery.”
She nodded once. “The pleasure is mine.”
He wanted to thank her for the pleasure of just watching her get all heated up defending herself. He loved the way her chest heaved beneath the gauzy green dress with the embroidery that matched the dye and traced the V-neck of the dress right into her delightful cleavage. That, along with the jangle of her bracelets mixed with her bravado and unabashed ease in standing her ground with him, all turned him on something fierce. He tore his eyes from the daring in her emerald-green gaze and pulled garlic bread from the warming drawer beneath the oven. He tossed the salad with his favorite homemade balsamic dressing, if only to give himself time to regroup. This intoxicating woman was having an even more profound effect on him simply by sitting in his kitchen.
She settled back down into her seat, as if ready to move on from the topic. “You are quite the chef.”
He tapped his wineglass to hers. “There is so much you don’t know about me, Ms. Sullivan. Hopefully, we’ll change that.”
He lifted his focus to the game room. “Yo, Matt-man. Help me serve dinner.”
“Almost done!” Matt was becoming a pinball wizard in his own right, working the flippers as if he had been born in the sixties.
Evan laughed. “I think I’ve created a monster.”
Kelly sipped her wine. “I suppose we’ve all created a few of those in our time, now, Evan. Haven’t we?”
