He traced the color with the pad of his thumb. He rolled her carefully onto her back, resting within her thighs, capturing her head between his forearms. “You’re everything to me.”
Kat nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m marrying you.”
Carter grinned. “Happy New Year, baby.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around him. “Happy New Year.”
chapter six
Kat made her way carefully through the chatting patrons waiting for one of the highly coveted tables of The NoMad restaurant her mother frequented, on Broadway. Looking past the striking maître d’, Kat saw her mother seated in her favorite spot, sipping water delicately from a crystal glass. She smiled when Kat caught her eye and waved her over.
After kissing her mother on the cheek, Kat took a seat opposite her and ordered a white wine from the smiling waiter. She had an unsettling feeling that she was going to need the drink. It’d been three weeks since New Year’s, four since Christmas, and Kat hadn’t heard much from her mother. Things had been quiet. Maybe too quiet. There had been the usual phone calls and text messages, but nothing on the scale of panic and fuss Kat had been expecting once her and Carter’s engagement was announced.
The fact that her mother had seemingly accepted the news without expressing her opinion was disconcerting to say the least and, although Kat hadn’t aired her worries to Carter, she had been on edge since they’d shared their news on Christmas Eve. The fact was Eva Lane was never quiet about such important matters. And, Kat knew, her marriage to an ex-con was a very important matter. Kat suspected the rare quiet had been the dangerous calm before the inevitable storm.
“So what’s up?” Kat asked after taking a huge gulp from her wineglass.
Eva looked up from her hand on the table, startled. “Nothing’s up. I haven’t seen you since New Year’s and I simply wanted to have lunch with my daughter. Is that a crime?”
Kat’s brow furrowed. “I guess not.”
“I’ve been thinking about your engagement party.”
Of course she had.
“Carter and I haven’t discussed anything in detail yet,” Kat replied. “I know we want something small. Besides, Carter wants to wait until Max is home before we start to plan everything. He’ll be the best man after all.”
Eva patted her lips with her napkin. “Max? The . . . fellow who . . . the one in—”
“In rehab, yes, Mom,” Kat interjected, never lifting her eyes from the menu the waiter had handed her. “And don’t sound so judgmental; half the women in your social circles over the years have been in rehab a time or two.”
Both women knew it was true, and the silence that settled over them was heavy with words unsaid. Kat sighed and set her menu down. “Come on, Mom. What is it? Was it just about the engagement party? I’m not going to be able to enjoy my food if you don’t tell me.”
Eva cocked an eyebrow.
“Come on,” Kat continued expectantly. “Spit it out.”
Eva licked her lips and adjusted her position in her seat. She was uncomfortable. That wasn’t characteristic at all.
Kat was instantly wary. “Mom, whatever it is, tell me. Are you okay?”
Sitting in her seat, straightbacked with an unflinching stare, Eva paused. Kat swallowed hard. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good news.
“Shortly after Christmas, I had a meeting with the family lawyer,” Eva said.
Kat’s shoulders dropped from their tense height. She blinked. “Family lawyer?”
Eva nodded and sipped her water.
Kat rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger, utterly flummoxed. “Okay, and why are you speaking to a lawyer?”
Her mother’s eyes flitted away while her mouth pressed into a taut line before she began speaking. “I wanted to start the ball rolling with your prenuptial agreement.”
All the oxygen in Kat’s lungs left her in a huge whoosh. For a couple of minutes, her voice eluded her, replaced with gusts of air and strange astonished noises.
Kat nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m marrying you.”
Carter grinned. “Happy New Year, baby.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around him. “Happy New Year.”
chapter six
Kat made her way carefully through the chatting patrons waiting for one of the highly coveted tables of The NoMad restaurant her mother frequented, on Broadway. Looking past the striking maître d’, Kat saw her mother seated in her favorite spot, sipping water delicately from a crystal glass. She smiled when Kat caught her eye and waved her over.
After kissing her mother on the cheek, Kat took a seat opposite her and ordered a white wine from the smiling waiter. She had an unsettling feeling that she was going to need the drink. It’d been three weeks since New Year’s, four since Christmas, and Kat hadn’t heard much from her mother. Things had been quiet. Maybe too quiet. There had been the usual phone calls and text messages, but nothing on the scale of panic and fuss Kat had been expecting once her and Carter’s engagement was announced.
The fact that her mother had seemingly accepted the news without expressing her opinion was disconcerting to say the least and, although Kat hadn’t aired her worries to Carter, she had been on edge since they’d shared their news on Christmas Eve. The fact was Eva Lane was never quiet about such important matters. And, Kat knew, her marriage to an ex-con was a very important matter. Kat suspected the rare quiet had been the dangerous calm before the inevitable storm.
“So what’s up?” Kat asked after taking a huge gulp from her wineglass.
Eva looked up from her hand on the table, startled. “Nothing’s up. I haven’t seen you since New Year’s and I simply wanted to have lunch with my daughter. Is that a crime?”
Kat’s brow furrowed. “I guess not.”
“I’ve been thinking about your engagement party.”
Of course she had.
“Carter and I haven’t discussed anything in detail yet,” Kat replied. “I know we want something small. Besides, Carter wants to wait until Max is home before we start to plan everything. He’ll be the best man after all.”
Eva patted her lips with her napkin. “Max? The . . . fellow who . . . the one in—”
“In rehab, yes, Mom,” Kat interjected, never lifting her eyes from the menu the waiter had handed her. “And don’t sound so judgmental; half the women in your social circles over the years have been in rehab a time or two.”
Both women knew it was true, and the silence that settled over them was heavy with words unsaid. Kat sighed and set her menu down. “Come on, Mom. What is it? Was it just about the engagement party? I’m not going to be able to enjoy my food if you don’t tell me.”
Eva cocked an eyebrow.
“Come on,” Kat continued expectantly. “Spit it out.”
Eva licked her lips and adjusted her position in her seat. She was uncomfortable. That wasn’t characteristic at all.
Kat was instantly wary. “Mom, whatever it is, tell me. Are you okay?”
Sitting in her seat, straightbacked with an unflinching stare, Eva paused. Kat swallowed hard. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good news.
“Shortly after Christmas, I had a meeting with the family lawyer,” Eva said.
Kat’s shoulders dropped from their tense height. She blinked. “Family lawyer?”
Eva nodded and sipped her water.
Kat rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger, utterly flummoxed. “Okay, and why are you speaking to a lawyer?”
Her mother’s eyes flitted away while her mouth pressed into a taut line before she began speaking. “I wanted to start the ball rolling with your prenuptial agreement.”
All the oxygen in Kat’s lungs left her in a huge whoosh. For a couple of minutes, her voice eluded her, replaced with gusts of air and strange astonished noises.
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