Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [109]
"Kate?" Ashley asked.
"What?" She suddenly realized she'd been daydreaming.
"I said that I made extra chocolate cookies if you and Caroline want to put them in your baskets."
"That sounds great." Kate looked at Caroline. "Do you think it's a good idea for you to go? It's usually traditional to include a bottle of wine in the basket."
"I can't avoid every situation where there's alcohol, or I'll never go anywhere. I'll just clue Mike in and ask him to bid on my basket. That way I won't have to pretend with anyone else."
Kate frowned, still not comfortable with the idea of her baby sister and this much older man. "Are you sure --"
"He's really nice," Caroline said, cutting her off. "He has changed since he stopped drinking. He told me so. And he's been nothing but a gentleman. Really. I know how a guy acts when he wants sex from you. I'm not naive."
Kate realized Caroline was probably less naive than she was where men were concerned, so she supposed she'd have to let her do what she wanted. She probably couldn't stop her, anyway.
"Speaking of men who want things .." Caroline cast Ashley a curious look. "I saw you and Sean last night riding on his motorcycle. I couldn't believe it. When did you decide to take a walk on the wild side?"
"It was just a ride."
"And?"
"It was nice," Ashley admitted with a guilty smile. "We went down Sorenson's Hill at about a hundred miles an hour. Okay, maybe not that fast, but it felt like we were flying. I can't remember the last time I did anything that thrilling or risky. I felt so alive."
Now Kate had something else to worry about. "Are you sure it's wise to get involved with Sean again?"
"I didn't tell him anything," Ashley said. "But --"
"No buts," Kate replied sharply. "Not now, not ever. If you think you can be with him and keep the past locked away, then fine, but if you can't, you shouldn't start something you can't finish."
"I really like him," Ashley said quietly. "And I've missed him. I've missed who I am when I'm with him. I'm not sure I can say good-bye to him again." She sighed. "But it may not be my choice. He's still planning to race in the Castleton and on to Hawaii."
"That might be the best thing," Caroline chimed in. "It will be easier for you if he's not here."
"That's what I thought when he left eight years ago. But I was wrong. I think this might be my last chance with him, and I'm really tempted to take it." Ashley turned to Kate. "By the way, Tyler stopped by my apartment. In fact, he was there when you called."
Kate tensed. "What did he want?"
"Some photos of us from the race. I told him they were all in storage."
"But he told me that he dropped the article idea about us. He's working on a new angle for a story."
"Are you sure? He asked me some rather probing questions about my fear of the water and what might have happened to cause it. I didn't get the feeling he'd given up on the story at all."
Kate's heart sank Tyler had lied to her. Why? Why was it so important for him to do a story on them?
"I gave him some photos from last year's Castleton Invitational," Ashley continued. "Maybe he'll find something interesting in there to build a story around. In fact, maybe we should think of a new angle for him, since he seems to be having trouble coming up with one of his own."
"That's a good idea," Caroline said. "Why don't you introduce Tyler to Ronnie Burns? He can tell Tyler about that shipwreck he discovered off the coast of Oregon last year."
Kate nodded, knowing it was a good idea, but her mind was still wrestling with the fact that Tyler had gone to Ashley behind her back.
"Maybe I misunderstood Tyler," Ashley said. "Maybe he was just making conversation. You should ask him about it."
"Believe me, I intend to." And this time she would force herself to listen with her head instead of her heart.
Chapter Nineteen
Hokey, silly, stupid, corny, old-fashioned.