A Hope Undaunted (16 page)

She blew hard and released a quivering sigh. “You sending me back to the Merkles?”

His jaw shifted as he wiped a stray tear from her mottled face. “Nope, that bridge has been effectively burned to the ground, you little squirt.”

“Good. They smell.”

Luke exhaled a heavy blast of air and stood to his feet. He propped his hands low on his hips and studied her through half-lidded eyes. “Mrs. Merkle said you stole money. Did you?”

The heat of his stare caused her to squirm. She dropped into Luke’s chair with a grunt. “Shoot, Luke, it was just a nickel for a hot dog. I gotta eat, don’t I?”

“Not if you have to steal. And don’t give me the sad act, you little beggar. Mrs. Merkle may smell, but I know good and well she fed you.”

Gabe bit her lip and peeked up through soggy lashes. A touch of regret actually shadowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Luke. I won’t do it again, I promise.”

He sucked in a deep swallow of air and huffed it out again. A ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. “See to it you don’t. I’m doing everything in my power to find you a good home, Gabe, but you’re not making this easy.” He glanced up at Katie with tired eyes. “Thanks for staying, Katie. I hope this little monkey didn’t give you too much trouble.”

Katie smiled and tweaked the back of Gabe’s neck, prompting a giggle from the little girl’s throat. “Nothing a few cookies and Nehis couldn’t handle.”

“Good.” He took Gabe’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, kiddo, I’ll take you back.”

She jerked free from his grasp with panic in her eyes. “To the Merkles’?”

“Nope. Back to Miss Lillian.”

A lump bobbed in her throat. “Luke?”

He paused, giving her a sideways glance. “What?”

Katie’s heart pulled in her chest. Gabe seemed so small and forlorn, her tiny hand swallowed in his – a lost little girl with no family of her own.

“Do you think . . . I mean, could I, maybe . . .” Gabe worried her lip, eyes wide with hope.

Luke ran a hand over his face and blew out a sigh, silent for several seconds. His shoulders finally slumped in defeat, but his voice was edged with warning. “All right, okay. But only if Betty will have you, and
only
for tonight.” He aimed a threatening finger for obvious effect, the sternness all but compromised by the tenderness in his eyes. “You have to do whatever Betty says without any lip, and if Mrs. Cox so much as hears one peep out of you, I swear I’ll drag your little carcass to the BSCG so fast, your head will spin. Understood?”

She squealed and clutched him about the waist. “And can we play Pinochle too? Please?”

His lips curved into a lopsided smile. “You’re lucky I have a weakness for pushy women, little girl, or I’d send your sassy attitude home to Miss Lillian tonight,
without
Pinochle.” Luke winked at Katie, which immediately triggered another heat wave in Katie’s cheeks.

With a thick swallow of air, Katie hurried toward the door. “Well, have fun, you two. Nice to meet you, Gabe.” She screeched to a halt, nearly colliding with Parker and Betty.

“Whoa, what’s your rush, Katie?” Parker leaned against the jamb and crossed his arms as he peered in at Luke. “I see you found her. So what’s the excuse this time?”

Luke’s lips skewed into a wry smile. “Mrs. Merkle smells, apparently.”

“Like VapoRub,” Gabe said. “And Mr. Merkle – ”

“Has an intestinal problem,” Katie said in a rush.

“So I can’t go back there,” Gabe explained.

Betty strolled into the office and dropped several sheets of paper on Luke’s desk, then shot a secret smile in Gabe’s direction on the way to the door. “Makes perfect sense to me.” She glanced at Luke over her shoulder. “By the way, Carmichael had me take notes for you, and there’s a couple things he wants first thing Monday morning.”

“Sure, thanks. Uh, Bets?” Luke’s voice was hesitant.

Betty turned at the door, a single brow cocked in question.

“I was wondering if Gabe could bunk with you tonight. I sort of promised we’d play Pinochle. That is, if it’s okay with you.” Luke gave Betty a pitiful smile.

Betty’s eyes softened as she studied him, her lips pursed tight in thought. Her gaze shifted from Luke to Gabe, and the softness seemed to harden into a silent threat. “She’ll do whatever I ask? Brush her teeth, take a bath, and go to bed when I say, no backtalk?”

Luke gave her a boyish smile. “You’re the boss, Bets. If the little baggage doesn’t do what you say, I’ll cart her back to Miss Lillian tonight, no questions asked.”

A reluctant smile softened the lines of her lips. “You’re deadly, Luke McGee, you know that? Worse than a thimble–rigger on Ann Street, you are.” Her eyes zeroed in on Gabe. “And you – you’re as good at conning him as he is at conning me. Come on, you little vagabond.”

Gabe reached for Luke’s hand. “That’s okay, Luke’ll bring me.”

Luke ruffled the top of her head. “Sorry, Gabe, but you heard Bets – I’ve got some work to do before I go, so she and Parker will take you home. I’ll be along in an hour or so, okay?”

Parker extended a hand. “Come on, kiddo, if you’re good, you can look at my comics.”

Gabe shuffled toward the door, shooting Luke a pleading look. “Don’t take too long, okay?” She glanced at Katie. “Thanks for the cookies and Nehi. You’re not so bad for a runt.”

Katie grinned. “Thanks, neither are you.”

Parker ushered Gabe and Betty from the office while Luke dropped into his chair with a groan. He began to read Betty’s notes, apparently oblivious that Katie was still in the room.

She backed out the door, feeling a prick of sympathy at the exhaustion on his face. “Good night, Luke. Don’t stay too late,” she whispered.

He looked up with a touch of surprise in his eyes. “Sorry, Katie, I didn’t realize you were still here. Thanks for staying – I really appreciate it. Have a good weekend, okay?” He returned to his reading with a hand to his eyes, and somehow she felt lost as she quietly closed his door.

Moving slowly, she made her way to the time clock to punch out and then went to collect her purse from the drawer. Her mood was a little blue, and she wasn’t sure why. Outside the window, she spied Betty and Parker holding Gabe’s hand and swinging her high every few feet or so. Their laughter floated up, taunting her on a breeze. She sagged against the sill, wishing more than anything she were playing Pinochle tonight. She clutched her purse to her chest, suddenly missing them all.

With acute frustration, she threw back her shoulders and stood up straight, desperate to shake this unsettled feeling. “What’s the matter with me?” she muttered under her breath, completely baffled by her melancholy mood. Could it be the weekend, she wondered, the fact that all of her friends would be out while she was confined? And yet, thoughts of Jack and the gang left her surprisingly cold. With a deep sigh, she pressed her forehead to the window screen and closed her eyes, reluctant to leave and go home. And then it came to her, as light and firm as the screen against her skin. She was lonely, she suddenly realized. Lonely for the closeness that Betty and Parker and Luke all shared, lonely for their friendship, for the sense of family they created . . . lonely for . . .
Luke
?

She sucked in a harsh breath, the thought seizing her with a cold wave of fear.
No!
She listed against the windowsill, her mind glazed with shock.
Not him, please, no . . .
It was just attraction and nothing more.

Isn’t it?

She closed her eyes and put her face in her hand, seeing beyond the handsome face and heart-melting grin. In one short month, the bane of her past had become the haunt of her present, drawing her to him like he drew everyone else. A magnet of a man who was warm and kind and giving . . . and, she swallowed hard . . .
incredibly poor
.

Her purse slipped to the floor, but Katie could only stand with her hand to her mouth while panic struck deep in the pit of her stomach. She bit her lip hard. She would not do this, she vowed. She would
not
fall in love with a man who was not part of her plan. She needed Jack – a man with ambition and political connections, someone who not only supported her dream of championing women’s causes, but whose wealth and family could help her achieve it. She put a shaky hand to her eyes and expelled a jagged breath, quite certain that would never be Luke – a man shackled to the streets and content to stay there.

“Katie, are you okay?” Luke loosened his tie and stared, concern creasing his brow as he watched her, her body slumped at the window with a hand to her eyes. She didn’t move, and the tightness in his gut increased. He approached quietly, afraid he would startle her. “Katie?”

“Oh!” She whirled around, staggering against the sill with a hand to her chest.

He clutched her arm to steady her, and the color drained from her cheeks. Softening his hold, he absently grazed her skin with his thumb, then ducked his head and smiled, eyes tender as he studied her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Are you all right?”

She nodded stiffly, her gaze glued to the massive hand on her arm.

Worry wrinkled the bridge of his nose and he braced both palms on her shoulders, convinced something was wrong. Her face was white and her breathing labored, and he could swear he felt a hint of a tremble. “No, I can feel it. Something’s bothering you.” He pressed his hand to her forehead. “Are you sick?”

She jerked back from his hold and butted up against the window, arms crossed and hugging her waist. “No!” she said too quickly to suit him, clearly avoiding his eyes. “I mean maybe a little dizzy, but nothing serious. I just need to go home . . .”

He shifted, suddenly concerned it had to do with him. He plunged his hands in his pockets and softened his tone. “Katie . . . is it me? Did I say or do something to upset you?”

She shook her head, gaze bonded to the floor. “No, Luke, really, please, I just need to – ”

He nudged her chin up with his thumb, and her lips parted with a sharp intake of breath. And then he saw it. The gentle rise and fall of her chest, the soft rose in her cheeks, the skittish look in her eyes, flitting to his lips and then quickly away. Comprehension suddenly oozed through him like heated honey purling through his veins. Could it be? Was it possible that cold, callous Katie O’Connor was beginning to warm up? To him, of all people – Cluny McGee, the pest from her past? The thought sent warm ripples of shock through his body, thinning the air in his lungs. His gaze gentled, taking in the vulnerability in her eyes, the fear in her face, and all he wanted to do was hold her, reassure her.

As if under a spell, his gaze was drawn to her lips, parted and full, and the sound of her shallow breathing filled him with a fierce longing. “Oh, Katie,” he whispered, no power over the pull he was suddenly feeling. In slow motion, he bent toward her, closing his eyes to caress her mouth with his own. A weak gasp escaped her as she stiffened, but he couldn’t relent. The taste of her lips was far more than he bargained for, and he drew her close with a raspy groan. With a fierce hold, he cupped the back of her neck and kissed her deeply, gently, possessive in his touch. His fingers twined in her hair, desperate to explore.

And then all at once, beyond all understanding, her body melded to his with an answering groan, and he was shocked when her mouth rivaled his with equal demand. Desire licked through him, searing his body and then his conscience. With a heated shudder, he gripped her arms and pushed her back, his breathing ragged as he held her at bay.

“We can’t do this,” he whispered. He dropped his hold and exhaled, gouging shaky fingers through disheveled hair. His gaze returned, capturing hers and riddled with regret. “Believe me, Katie, as much as I want to, I’ve learned the hard way to take things slow. I should have never started this, and I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Forgive him?
She stared at him through glazed eyes, her pulse still pumping in her veins at a ridiculous rate. She never wanted this, couldn’t stand the sight of him, and now here she was, tingling from his touch and desperate for more. Addicted to the “King of Misery.” The very thought inflamed both fury and desire at the same time, muddling her mind. She was torn between welding her lips to his or slapping him silly. With a tight press of her mouth, she opted for the second and smacked him clean across the face.

His jaw dropped a full inch, complemented nicely by a slash of red across his cheek.

Her chest was heaving, but at least it wasn’t from his touch. She narrowed her eyes and clutched her fists at her side, not all that sure she wouldn’t slap him again. “So help me, if you ever touch me again, you will be the sorriest person alive.”

He slowly rubbed his cheek with the side of his hand, exercising his jaw as if to make sure it still worked. His eyes glinted like blue glass, sharp and deadly. Even so, the swaggering smile of old eased across his face. He bent forward, his tall frame looming over her like a bad omen, and his voice held that cocky drawl so reminiscent of his past. “What’s the matter, Katie Rose,” he whispered, “does my
touch
make you nervous?”

The heat in her cheeks went straight to her temper. She iced him with a cool gaze. “Nervous? Around you? Hardly. You can dress up in a suit all you like, Luke McGee, but to me you’ll always be the same cocky street brat with a twang in your voice and grime on your face.”

She knew her words hit their mark when a red blotch crawled up the back of his neck like a rash gone awry. A nerve pulsed in his temple, but his smile never wavered despite the steel edge of his jaw. One blond brow jagged high in challenge. “Is that a fact? Well then, how about a little experiment? Kind of like when you were eleven and I bet you couldn’t be nice?” He leaned close, his voice as hard as his eyes. “What d’ya bet I can make you nervous now?”

She tried to shove him out of the way. “I’m going home.”

“Not yet,” he whispered, blocking her in with a push to the wall. His voice, like the dominance of his hold, was a force to be reckoned with. “You always packed a wallop for a little girl,
Katydid
, but this time you picked the wrong street brat. You can turn your nose up at me all you want, but we both know that slap wasn’t so much about an innocent kiss . . .” He bent close, his eyes on fire and the scent of peppermint hot against her face. “As how it made you feel.”