Point of Contention (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (8 page)

Point of Contention

46

at the time, willingly. Hell, she figured what’s a year or two when you

have a lifetime ahead.

“Oh! That’s all you have to say? I expected more from you, Katie.

You’re an educated woman, and I expected a better response.”

“Don’t cop an attitude. You called me. Since you did, you

obviously want to fill me in on the missing pieces, so go ahead. How

did you screw up this marriage?” She found the simple rhythm of

filling the jars was therapeutic as she listened to her ex-husband.

“I didn’t.” Anger filled the room with his booming voice. A sick

chill ran through her when she heard this tone in his voice, instantly

remembering the other times she’d been the recipient of this attitude.

Kay took a breath and remembered she wasn’t married to him and

didn’t have to absorb his anger.

“Eric, really. In any relationship there are two points of view.”

Kay didn’t spur him on. A protracted silence enveloped them all.

“Dee may not be mine. Until the paternity test comes back next

week, we decided some time apart was best.”

Kay’s first reaction was to say, “Oh” again. She fought the urge

and found herself saying instead, “I’m sorry, Eric. This must put all of you in a difficult position.”

“Not difficult. If she’s not mine, I want nothing to do with her

ever again. If she is, I’ll pay.” His words halted before he added,

“And pay and pay.”

“It all boils down to the money with you. If she’s your child, she

deserves more than a check once a month. You owe it to her to spend

time with her and…”

“Oh, Katie, cut the dramatics. We both know I never wanted her.

Actually, I’m hoping it turns out in my favor. I could be rid of both of them much easier that way.”

“You’re a bastard, Eric. I’m still not sure how I was so blinded by

you for such a long time.”

“Not blinded, baby. You know I’ll always love you. You never

gave us a chance to work through our problems.”

47

Louisa Neil

“No. I don’t accept that. You had an affair. I didn’t. And when I

asked you to go to counseling, what happened? You went to the first

two appointments and then found you were too busy. Unfortunately,

we both know what you were busy doing while I was in therapy

trying to save our marriage.”

“I was only banging her, baby. You I made love to.”

Kay caught a glimpse of Stuart moving from the shadows in the

doorway, his hands balled into fists, apparently livid at Eric’s remark, but she didn’t let on she’d seen him. But now she knew he’d been

listening to her conversation. It circled around her mind that he could

be trying to get to know more about her, or maybe he was just nosy.

Either way, she’d explore those possibilities later. For now, she had to assert herself with her ex-husband and let Stuart know she wouldn’t

play games with any man when it came to their private lives. She

wondered what Stuart’s thoughts on her ex would be. Would he

consider him a bastard, or was she just a woman who couldn’t keep

her man happy?

“Bite me, Eric. You cheated on both of us. You told her we were

separated and I wouldn’t let go. You told me you wouldn’t see her

again if I gave you a second chance.”

“She was just a body, a piece of ass to pass an occasional

afternoon.”

“No, she was your mistress. Our divorce would have happened

even if she was a one-night stand.”

“None of it matters. I found out she was cheating on me, and now

I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I’ll bet you do. Have you had one of your law partners make up

all the papers already? Cut them both out of your life completely? I

find it amazing you have the balls to feel so violated and betrayed by

Diana when you were doing the exact same thing to me.”

“You were my wife…”

“And I’m not anymore. Good for me.” She drew a deep breath

and continued. “I’ve moved on, Eric. You should, too. I’d prefer it if

Point of Contention

48

you didn’t call me anymore, especially on the business phone. If you

have an emergency, please use my cell from now on. And before you

say anything more, I really can’t imagine what emergency you’d have

to inform me about anyway.”

“Some of our old friends still ask about you. They miss you.”

“My old friends are still my current friends. Your friends are still

yours. The only reason they were polite to me was because of you and

your father.”

“That’s not true—don’t you remember all those wonderful

evenings at our home, with all of us laughing and sharing a meal?

Come on, Katie, you remember.” His voice turned smooth, and Kay

pictured a snake-like creature holding the other end of the telephone,

a striped tie wrapped around its neck.

“I remember entertaining your friends. I remember doing all the

work and getting a pat on the head at the end of the night for a job

well done. I remember you calling at two in the afternoon and telling

me you’d invited ten people home for supper, not caring that I’d be in

court all afternoon. I remember you assuming it was my

responsibility. And I remember hating most of the people we

entertained.”

“No, you didn’t. You enjoyed it as much as I did.”

“No, I didn’t. It was a lot of work and always on your terms. I

enjoyed entertaining when I chose to, on a weekend with my friends.”

“Please, don’t remind me. How many weekends did I give up to

your friends and their mundane life stories? Did you really think

sitting around in jeans and sneakers, eating pasta, and drinking cheap

wine was my idea of a fun Saturday night? Get real, Katie.”

“I know it wasn’t, and you were always so clever to let us know

you thought us a waste of your precious time. And we never drank

cheap wine, Eric. Your ego wouldn’t allow it.”

“Send me your contract. I’ll find a loophole to get you out of it.”

“
No
. I’m quite happy here. I like my job, and I’m not going to

give it up for you or anybody else. If I wanted out, I’d exercise the

49

Louisa Neil

back door I had written in.” Kay sipped her coffee and organized her

thoughts. Letting Eric get her all riled up wasn’t acceptable anymore.

“We’re divorced, Eric. I have a new life. You need to get one too.”

“Katie…”

“Eric, please don’t call or contact me again. There’s no real

reason. I’ll consider it harassment if you call back.”

“Don’t go all legal on me, Kadence.”

“Why not, afraid I’ll best you, again?” Her laugh rang through the

kitchen, and she felt better immediately. Stuart wouldn’t know the

details of what she referred to, but it was enough for him to know she

pissed off her ex.

“That was uncalled for,” he told her in an indignant tone.

“I know, but it felt great. Get a life, Eric, don’t call me again.” She

disconnected the speaker phone and poured herself a second cup of

coffee. Only then did she allow herself the time to think about his

words. Finally she let herself laugh out loud. There was justice in the

world, sometimes you just had to wait for it to come full circle.

She was filling the jars again, her motions timed to the

background music playing from the radio across the room. She’d

started out with a classical station but found her mood lightened after

Eric’s call. Switching to classic rock and roll, her hips swayed with

the notes as her canning continued. She knew from the shadows in the

hallway Stuart had left but she also knew at some point he’d ask about

her conversation, or at least, her relationship with her ex.

Kay wondered if he’d come back to the kitchen tonight or if he’d

run back to this office.

Point of Contention

50

Chapter Seven

An hour later Stuart couldn’t keep himself from going back to the

kitchen. He knew she was still working. All the lights reflected into the dark dining room hall when he left his office. He’d spent the time

going over the conversation he’d eavesdropped on. It was

enlightening to say the least. Her file had told him she’d been a public defender in Manhattan before going back to school. It was part of why

he couldn’t get a grip on her. Why would someone spend so much

time and effort to get a law degree and then chuck it and become a

pastry chef? While it didn’t make sense to him, somehow he liked that

she stood up for herself. It also made him realize he was dealing with

a woman who stood her ground, not the fluff he’d originally thought

to meet.

Watching her from the doorway, he cleared his throat to get her

attention before walking to the coffeepot and pouring himself a cup.

Old Harley followed at his heels.

“Everything okay at home? Your husband sounded upset when he

called.”

“My ex-husband, and I’ve asked him not to call me here again.”

“It’s not a problem, as long as it doesn’t become a habit.” Leaning

against the counter at the far end of the room, he wondered how much

information she’d offer.

“I’m sure you’d rather keep your lines clear for lodge business.”

End of subject. She wasn’t going to talk to him about her

conversation. Instead, she changed the dynamic of the situation.

“There’s some fresh sourdough rolls in the pantry if you want to

sample the preserves.”

51

Louisa Neil

He put his cup aside and retrieved the baked goods, finding them

still warm from the oven. Kay spooned some of the preserves into a

small dish and placed it on the counter near him. Tearing open the

roll, he dipped it in the sweet strawberry concoction and washed it

down with a sip of coffee.

“Pretty good, but why are you canning at eleven o’clock at

night?”

“Is it a problem?” She glanced from her jars to him and he shook

his head. “Sometimes I like the quiet of the kitchen. I can think and

work at the same time. Today I just felt like it.”

“I’m just surprised you’re not out with Travis tonight. Sunday

night, tomorrow off, I figured you two would have plans.”

“Travis had plans, and I did, too. His were to go into Wilmington

and bar hop. Mine were to turn these bushels of strawberries into

something other than compost.” They were quiet while she finished

the process. Kay poured a fresh cup of coffee. She brought to the table

a metal tin of butter cookies, motioning for him to take a seat.

“Travis never had cookies or cakes around for us to snack on. Are

you trying to make me fat?” he teased.

“Somehow I don’t think a few pounds would hurt you either

way.”

“Brunch went well today, considering you were a person short.”

She only glanced at him through her lashes before smiling. “Not

much gets by you.”

“Not much should. How will you handle your no-show?” He bit

into a second cookie and savored the buttery texture. He decided Kay

was holding back the smile that he noticed always found its way

forward when someone enjoyed her labors of love. She took a cookie

for herself and broke it into two pieces, savoring the taste before

answering him.

“I’m not going to. When Travis does the payroll this week, he’ll

have to deal with him. It’s better this way, until I get to know the staff a bit better. I don’t know if this is a first-time absence or a habitual
Point of Contention

52

problem.”

“You’re right, let Travis handle it. But brunch went well. I got

several positive comments as the group was leaving.”

“That’s nice to hear, thank you.” She finished her cookie and

pushed back in her chair, lifting her legs to the empty one beside her.

Stuart watched her silently before breaking the standoff. What he

wanted to ask her was why in God’s name had she married such a

stiff-ass jerk, but he knew he wouldn’t. Maybe someday, but not now.

Just the idea that he was picturing glimpses of the future with her was

unsettling. Changing direction, he moved to a neutral topic.

“Chloe is pregnant.” Stuart watched Kay’s face light with relief.

“I’m glad she’s not sick.”

“So am I, but I’m not sure a full litter is what we need right now.”

“I’ll help with the pups,” she offered.

His gaze flew to hers, holding for a second too long before he

retreated to his coffee mug. Again there was a protracted silence

between them. This time she just sipped from her cup and waited for

him. After he had kissed her, she’d told him it was up to him if he

wanted to continue or start, rather, a relationship. Somehow he didn’t

like the lawyerly vibe she was giving off, and he knew she realized

why he’d come to talk to her. It was the proverbial kiss-off she’d been

expecting. Having thought through the situation, he knew starting a

relationship with her would not be productive for his business or his

ego. How he handled her would be the interesting part. All of his

preconceived statements fled his mind. He realized in that second he

did want a relationship with her but knew he’d tell her different.

“Kadence, I’m sorry about kissing you the other night. I was out