ambassadorship, did you know?” she asked. “He knows everybody in Washington, right to the top. But he turned it down because of mother and me. Since then, he’s given everything to the ranch.”
“Not quite everything,” Marshal murmured. “His girl was a knockout.”
“I’d have liked to knock her out,” Kati muttered, flushing at Ada’s shocked look. “Well, she must have bathed in perfume; I could hardly breathe,” she said defensively.
But Ada only grinned, and Kati hated that knowing look. So she was jealous! She caught her breath. She was jealous? Of Egan? She picked up the untouched wineglass and helped herself.
Egan wasn’t home when they finally got back to the apartment, and Kati could just picture him with that sizzling blonde. It made her ache in the oddest way. She took a shower and got ready for bed and then paced and paced around her room.
“Is something bothering you?” Ada asked minutes later, coming in to check on her. It wasn’t like Kati to pace. “You’re getting to be as bad as Egan about wearing ruts in the carpets.”
Kati lifted her shoulders helplessly, grabbing at the ribbon strap that kept sliding off. The green gown was far too big, but she liked its roominess. “I’m just restless.”
Ada studied her friend quietly. “He’s a man,” she said softly.
Kati blushed all the way down her throat and turned away.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Ada said hesitantly. “But, you see, I can’t help noticing the way you look at him. And the way he looks back. Normal people don’t fight like the two of you do. Anything that explosive has to…well, there has to be something pretty powerful to cause it, don’t you see?”
“I hate him,” Kati said through her teeth. “That’s powerful, all right.”
“But you want him.”
Kati’s eyes closed. “Tomorrow is Christmas,” she said. “The day after, he’ll go back to Wyoming and I’ll go back to my sordid books, and we’ll both be better off. There’s no future with your brother for any woman, Ada, and you know it.” She turned around, her face stiff with control. “He’s not the happily-ever-after kind.”
Ada looked worried. “He says that, but no man really wants to get married, does he? It kind of takes the right woman.”
Kati laughed huskily. “A woman like Jennie. She suits him just fine, doesn’t she?” she asked venomously.
Ada shook her head. “She numbs the hurt, that’s all. He’s a lonely man.”
“He got hurt once and never wants to be again, is that how it goes?” Kati asked.
“I don’t think Egan can be hurt, Kati,” came the soft reply. “He doesn’t let anyone close enough. I know less than nothing about his private life. But I think he’s more involved with you right now than he’s ever been before.”
“He’s never touched me,” she bit off.
“Yes, I know. I didn’t mean physically,” Ada said. “I mean emotionally. Don’t you realize that’s why he hits at you so hard?”
“He hits at me because he wants me,” she told the other woman bluntly. “He said so. He thinks I’m easy.”
Ada looked horrified. “Well, did you tell him the truth?”
“Of course not! I don’t owe your horrible brother any explanations—Let him just keep his disgusting image of me!”
Ada frowned slightly. “Kati, he isn’t a man to let go of something he sets his mind on. I think you’d better tell him.”
“Why bother? He’ll be gone day after tomorrow,” she repeated.
“Kati—”
“Go to bed and stop worrying about me,” Kati said gently, and hugged her concerned friend. “Egan and I will go on being enemies, because I won’t give in and he’ll give up. He makes a nice enemy.”
“You wouldn’t think so if he’d ever really been yours,” Ada replied.
“Anyway, we both need our sleep. It will all work out, somehow. Sleep well.”
Ada gave up. She smiled as she went out. “You, too.”
But Kati didn’t. Not until the wee hours
“Not quite everything,” Marshal murmured. “His girl was a knockout.”
“I’d have liked to knock her out,” Kati muttered, flushing at Ada’s shocked look. “Well, she must have bathed in perfume; I could hardly breathe,” she said defensively.
But Ada only grinned, and Kati hated that knowing look. So she was jealous! She caught her breath. She was jealous? Of Egan? She picked up the untouched wineglass and helped herself.
Egan wasn’t home when they finally got back to the apartment, and Kati could just picture him with that sizzling blonde. It made her ache in the oddest way. She took a shower and got ready for bed and then paced and paced around her room.
“Is something bothering you?” Ada asked minutes later, coming in to check on her. It wasn’t like Kati to pace. “You’re getting to be as bad as Egan about wearing ruts in the carpets.”
Kati lifted her shoulders helplessly, grabbing at the ribbon strap that kept sliding off. The green gown was far too big, but she liked its roominess. “I’m just restless.”
Ada studied her friend quietly. “He’s a man,” she said softly.
Kati blushed all the way down her throat and turned away.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Ada said hesitantly. “But, you see, I can’t help noticing the way you look at him. And the way he looks back. Normal people don’t fight like the two of you do. Anything that explosive has to…well, there has to be something pretty powerful to cause it, don’t you see?”
“I hate him,” Kati said through her teeth. “That’s powerful, all right.”
“But you want him.”
Kati’s eyes closed. “Tomorrow is Christmas,” she said. “The day after, he’ll go back to Wyoming and I’ll go back to my sordid books, and we’ll both be better off. There’s no future with your brother for any woman, Ada, and you know it.” She turned around, her face stiff with control. “He’s not the happily-ever-after kind.”
Ada looked worried. “He says that, but no man really wants to get married, does he? It kind of takes the right woman.”
Kati laughed huskily. “A woman like Jennie. She suits him just fine, doesn’t she?” she asked venomously.
Ada shook her head. “She numbs the hurt, that’s all. He’s a lonely man.”
“He got hurt once and never wants to be again, is that how it goes?” Kati asked.
“I don’t think Egan can be hurt, Kati,” came the soft reply. “He doesn’t let anyone close enough. I know less than nothing about his private life. But I think he’s more involved with you right now than he’s ever been before.”
“He’s never touched me,” she bit off.
“Yes, I know. I didn’t mean physically,” Ada said. “I mean emotionally. Don’t you realize that’s why he hits at you so hard?”
“He hits at me because he wants me,” she told the other woman bluntly. “He said so. He thinks I’m easy.”
Ada looked horrified. “Well, did you tell him the truth?”
“Of course not! I don’t owe your horrible brother any explanations—Let him just keep his disgusting image of me!”
Ada frowned slightly. “Kati, he isn’t a man to let go of something he sets his mind on. I think you’d better tell him.”
“Why bother? He’ll be gone day after tomorrow,” she repeated.
“Kati—”
“Go to bed and stop worrying about me,” Kati said gently, and hugged her concerned friend. “Egan and I will go on being enemies, because I won’t give in and he’ll give up. He makes a nice enemy.”
“You wouldn’t think so if he’d ever really been yours,” Ada replied.
“Anyway, we both need our sleep. It will all work out, somehow. Sleep well.”
Ada gave up. She smiled as she went out. “You, too.”
But Kati didn’t. Not until the wee hours
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