Naturally Naughty - Leslie Kelly [61]
He nodded to Diane and Josie, barely glanced at Kate, then noticed Jack. His face paled and for a second Kate thought he was going to get back in his car and drive away. Then his shoulders straightened as he locked the car and walked around it to the sidewalk.
Okay, so the jerk wasn’t a complete wimp. He wasn’t going to try to avoid his ex’s brother.
“Hello, Jack, Josie. Diane.” Then he glanced toward Kate, as if waiting for an introduction. His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. “You…my God, it’s Kate Jones.”
“Hello, Darren.”
“I had no idea you were back in town.”
“Well, you know what they say about bad pennies.”
“You look…wow, you look great,” he said, his eyes wide as he stared her up and down.
Next door, the door to the Tea Room opened. Darren glanced past Kate, his face growing red. She knew darn well who stood there. “It was so nice seeing you, Darren. Be sure to say hi to your mom for me, okay?”
She turned around. Mrs. McIntyre stood on the porch next door, all stiff-necked, righteous indignation. Another woman, one Kate didn’t recognize, stood with her. The two of them immediately started speaking in low voices. She couldn’t hear their words, but she got the message loud and clear.
Kate gave them a forced but saccharine-sweet smile as she strode inside her store, as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
Jack watched Kate leave, and made no attempt to stop her. He’d seen the silent exchange between Kate and Darren’s mother. The glassiness in her eyes and the quiver of her lush, beautiful bottom lip, said she was holding on by a thin thread.
He’d also read the tension between his ex brother-in-law and the woman he now considered his. He didn’t stop to evaluate that, knowing Kate would resent the hell out of him thinking that way. Particularly since he’d wondered if it was best to stay away from her, for his own sanity and reproductive health. He’d come to the conclusion that walking around with a hard-on eighteen hours a day could really be bad for his future children.
Josie and Diane seemed to notice the tension in the air, as well. Telling Jack how nice it was to meet him, they both walked down the street, their heads close together as they talked.
Once they were gone, Jack eyed his sister’s former husband. “How’s it going, Darren?”
Darren was still looking at the door to the building that had once belonged to his father. “I can’t believe Kate came back. I haven’t seen her since graduation.”
“You knew her in high school?”
Darren nodded. “We dated for a while, during senior year. She was my prom date.”
Prom night. The night, if he wasn’t mistaken, when his kid sister had gotten pregnant by this little prick, who’d walked out on her as soon as she’d miscarried their baby. Jack’s teeth clenched. “I thought Angela was your prom date.”
“Oh, no, we just left together afterward…” Darren seemed to realize who he was speaking to, because his face went redder. “I mean, well, Angela and I had dated the year before. And we kind of got back together that night at prom.”
“What about Kate? You know, your date?”
Darren stood there looking hopeless, helpless and regretful. He finally shrugged. “High school, man. I was a kid.”
Jack shook his head. “Some people don’t have to wait till they grow up to become dickless assholes.” He prepared to walk away, but paused. “Darren?”
Darren finally looked him full in the face.
“If you like breathing, you’ll stay away from Kate.” Not waiting for an answer, he turned to follow Kate into her shop.
The doorknob didn’t jiggle in his hand, she’d obviously flicked the lock when she went inside. He knocked, figuring she wouldn’t answer. To his surprise, the door moved. Pushing at it, he watched as it swung open. The lock was apparently broken, lucky for him.
After he got inside, and closed the door firmly behind him, Jack noticed the smell of paint and new carpet. The overhead lights in the shop were off, but recessed ones above the