Picture Perfect Page 13

  An unexpected surge of jealousy jolted Abby at the easy way Theresa acted around him. In fact, everyone in Pine Cove seemed to treat him that way. Abby had met plenty of men whose charm, charisma, even good breeding, drew people to them. But she’d never met anyone whose sincerity acted as a magnet.

  “What’s going on over here?” Theresa reached across Kurt to ruffle Brody’s hair.

  “The kids wanted to eat together,” Kurt said.

  Theresa nodded, but Abby sensed an undercurrent between Kurt and Theresa that hadn’t been there before. Dropping her hands to her thighs, Theresa turned to Erin. “You haven’t met my daughters yet, have you?”

  “I met one,” Erin answered.

  “Which one? Amber? The one with the gimp knee? She’s my sports addict. Sara’s about your age and I think you two would get along. After you eat, come find me and I’ll introduce you.”

  Abby expected Erin to refuse. Instead, she sought Abby’s permission silently and Abby nodded. To her surprise, Erin looked at Kurt next.

  “Sara’s the one who tackled me on the front porch when we went to get the barbecue things,” he explained.

  Erin smiled a little and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Great.” Theresa turned to Abby. “One other thing. We have a Fourth of July pageant every year. All the kids in town are in it.” She looked from Erin to Michael. “You kids want a part?”

  “George Washington!” Michael hollered.

  “Taken,” Theresa said with regret. “But we’ve got an Erin-size hole in the chorus and there’s one soldier’s uniform we haven’t filled yet.”

  An avalanche of excitement rocked the table. Michael and Brody both started talking at once, and Erin looked happier than Abby had ever seen her. If the kids were going to take part in the pageant, she’d have to, as well. And it might give them all something new to look forward to.

  When she opened her mouth to speak, Kurt caught her eye as if he anticipated her reaction. He expected her to refuse.

  “How about you, Abby?” Theresa asked. “Can you give me a hand with the costuming and makeup?” Theresa asked.

  Before Abby could speak, Erin pressed her. “Say yes. Please?”

  Abby had grown tired of picnics and exploring, and she’d been hoping to find something new for them to do. Maybe this would fit the bill. And if she volunteered, she’d be able to keep an eye on the kids. Plus, thinking about something new might prevent her from thinking about Kurt all the time.

  She nodded. “All right.”

  “Great. I’ll give you a call and tell you what I’ll need you to do.” Theresa patted Kurt’s shoulder, smiled at the kids and left. In her wake, the uneasy silence between Kurt and Abby returned.

  While Michael and Brody made enthusiastic plans and Erin concentrated on her dessert, Abby smiled at the irony of her situation. Costuming and makeup for the Fourth of July pageant? She’d never done anything like that before, and she hadn’t put a needle and thread through cloth since her seventh-grade home-economics class.

  It was a measure of her desperation, she supposed. But if it helped, she’d do it willingly. With Kurt occupied at work and Little League, and with Abby involved in the pageant, they’d never run into each other.

  But Kurt’s frown deepened and his face looked even more solemn if possible. “Well. I guess that means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. Doug Pierce just drafted me to help with the props and scenery.”

  TWO HOURS LATER, Abby settled into the passenger seat of Theresa’s station wagon as the kids belted themselves into the backseat. Not only did she not question Abby about not returning home with Kurt, Theresa seemed almost eager to give them a ride home. Jack and his daughters all insisted they wanted to walk.

  “Thanks for agreeing to help with the pageant,” Theresa said as she pulled onto the highway. “It’s nothing fancy. The costumes won’t be anything spectacular and the acting’s—well, you know. But the kids love it. They look forward to it all year long. The Fourth is almost as big a deal around here as Christmas.”

  “It sounds very nice.”

  “Nice? It’s a lot of fun, but getting ready for it is a pain in the neck! Half the town refuses to be on the committee and the other half can’t imagine life without it. We start off with a sunrise breakfast and then we have a parade. There are games and booths all day long and enough food to make you sick for two days after. There’s a huge barbecue in the evening and then the pageant and fireworks. It takes months to get everything ready. Some of the women have been baking and freezing since February.”

  Last Fourth of July, Abby had gone with a date to the symphony and heard a selection of John Philip Sousa’s best works. They’d had champagne and watched fireworks from the balcony of his condominium. This year, she’d be sewing costumes, putting makeup on little faces and eating hamburgers. If anybody had told her a year ago how she’d be spending this Fourth of July, she wouldn’t have believed them.

  Theresa glanced into the backseat. “How are you and the kids getting along?”

  “We’re fine. Everybody’s been so friendly. Michael loves the team and Erin…likes it here,” she finished lamely.

  Theresa took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for an unpleasant task. “I saw you and Kurt talking earlier. Did he say something to upset you?”

  Abby froze. “No.”

  “You looked upset when you came out of the bedroom.”

  “No, everything was fine.”

  “Good. He’s been kind of—I don’t know what you’d call it—persistent, I guess, about some things since his wife left. He’s got the idea that it’s his responsibility to make sure everyone around him is happy.”

  Abby didn’t respond, and Theresa didn’t seem to expect her to. They drove the rest of the way in silence. But when Theresa stopped the car, she put a hand on Abby’s arm before she could climb out of the car. “Can we talk for just a minute without the kids?”

  Abby hesitated, then handed her keys to Erin. With a silent nod, she faced Theresa, hoping her anxiety didn’t show.

  “It really broke Kurt up when his wife left. They met when he was at Willamette in law school and she was working in the placement office there. They were married before any of us ever met her. I tried to like her, but I’ll be honest, I never did. She wasn’t Kurt’s type. He’s always had this dream of helping people, but she wanted somebody who’d make a lot of money and buy her a big house and keep her in style. For a while, he tried to be what she wanted, but it didn’t work. And when he finally came back here—which he had to do for his own peace of mind—she couldn’t stand it.”

  Abby was puzzled by Theresa’s sudden need to confide in her. Though part of her wanted to hear everything she could about Kurt and his marriage, an inner voice warned her that knowing the intimate details of his life would ensnare her further. “She didn’t want to come here?”

  “She wanted to move up in the world. Seattle was fine at first, but she had her heart set on L.A. or New York, where she could have really advanced. She wants to be one of the top headhunters in the country. But Kurt hated every minute of the time he spent away from here. He’s a small-town guy, I guess.”

  “If he knew she didn’t want to live here, why did he insist on coming back?”

  “I think he’d given up trying to make her happy by that time. Some people are never satisfied, even when you do your best. Laura was one of those. Kurt’s best was never good enough.”

  “So he just packed up and moved to Pine Cove and expected her to follow?” The same way Steven had accepted a position in Baltimore shortly after their wedding without even consulting her.

  “It wasn’t exactly like that. He gave her a choice to come with him or not, and she came. But until she saw him on his home ground and realized how happy he was here, I think she believed she could convince him to leave again. One day just before Kurt’s birthday, she left and never looked back. Not even for Brody. I think Kurt could forgive her almost anything, but not what she�
��s done to Brody. Kurt and Laura’s breakup was inevitable. They didn’t belong together, here or anywhere else.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  Theresa met her eyes for an instant and her look was frankly assessing. Then, as if she liked what she saw, she smiled and touched Abby’s arm. “Because I suspect you and Kurt have feelings for each other. And because I don’t want to see him get hurt again.”

  Abby wanted to deny that she would ever hurt him, but she knew she might. She wanted to protest that she felt nothing for Kurt but friendship, but that would be a lie, and she couldn’t add another one to the list. More than anything, she wanted to tell Theresa the truth, but that was absolutely out of the question. So she said nothing at all.

  “Please don’t misunderstand me, Abby,” Theresa continued. “I really do like you. And if you and Kurt were attracted to each other under any other circumstances, I’d be happy. I’d like to see him get married again, maybe have more children—that’s what he needs. What he doesn’t need is to get involved with someone who’s already married. He thinks you’re in trouble of some sort. If his suspicions are right, Abby, then please find help. But don’t let it come from Kurt.”

  Tears blurred Abby’s vision. Everything she’d done had been with the best of intentions. “I never asked for his help,” she whispered. “Believe me, Theresa, I have no intention of getting involved with Kurt or any other man at this point in my life.” She opened the car door and started to climb out.

  But again Theresa touched her arm. “I’m sorry, Abby. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I can see the writing on the wall, even if you and Kurt can’t.”

  Abby slid from the seat and closed the door quietly behind her, then watched as Theresa reversed onto the highway and drove away. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts, to steel her emotions and ready herself to face the children. When Theresa had gone, Abby hurried into the house, seeking sanctuary.

  Still battling her emotions, she tucked Michael into bed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. When she stepped into Erin’s room, she felt the now familiar wrenching of her heart. Had Erin really thawed a little tonight? Had some of her barriers cracked? Abby knew they needed a father figure. Life with their own father had never been easy, but it hadn’t been all bad. And both Erin and Michael seemed to gravitate to Kurt to fill the void.

  She pulled the quilt up over Erin’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. On top of everything else, Erin worried about her mother. So did Abby. Vic might not have always been homicidal, but he’d gone ’round the bend in the past few months, and Abby fully expected that he’d continue to assault Rachel and try to make good his threats to kidnap the children.

  Closing the door behind her, Abby stepped out onto the landing. Within an hour, Michael might have his nightmare and she’d have to soothe and comfort both children. But for the moment, she was alone. And for these few minutes, she didn’t have to keep up the pretense any longer. Lowering herself to the top step, Abby let the tears wash down her face.

  KURT KICKED the covers off his feet and punched his pillow into shape. Brody had fallen asleep the minute he’d gone to bed after the potluck, but Kurt had been tossing for hours. The memory of Abby in his arms danced through his mind.

  Rolling onto his side, he folded the pillow under his neck and thought about Theresa’s warning. He should forget about Abby completely.

  He flopped resolutely onto his back and tried to push her from his mind. Outside his window, the river surged onto the shore. Usually restful, tonight the sound frayed his already jangled nerves.

  Finally, unable to find a comfortable position, he got up and crossed to his bedroom window. Moonlight streamed from the sky, dancing across the waves, reflecting off the rocks. He studied the shoreline and wondered whether Abby was asleep. Or did their kiss linger in her memory as it did in his?

  Outside his room, he could hear Pride moving restlessly about. Pulling on his sweats and shoes, Kurt whistled softly to the dog and stepped through his French doors into the fresh night air. Maybe a little exercise would do him good.

  The moon lighted the shoreline well enough for Kurt to walk without a flashlight. He set off aimlessly, but after several minutes he reached the shore across from Abby’s house. He told himself he hadn’t headed in this direction deliberately, but in his heart he knew he had. As the moon controlled the tide, something about Abby pulled him, and he felt just as helpless to resist.

  Standing in the shadows, he watched the house for a moment. Every light was out except the one in the front bedroom. Her bedroom. Feeling like a voyeur, Kurt turned away. He shouldn’t be doing this.

  Was this how Laura’s affair had started? Had her lover been attracted to her like this, unable to control himself? After ten years of marriage to her, Kurt couldn’t imagine how anyone could feel that way about Laura.

  He’d thought he was in love with her of course, or he wouldn’t have married her. But his affection for her had diminished over the years until the pain he’d suffered when she’d left had been more for the loss of an ideal than for Laura herself. He’d stayed under the pretense of providing Brody with security, and for their last few years together he’d tried to convince himself that comfort had replaced passion in their lives. But what they had couldn’t be called comfort, either.

  Only Kurt’s fear of the unknown had kept them together at the end. And his determination not to let the marriage fail.

  He imagined life with Abby. How different that would be from the marriage he’d known. Abby had none of Laura’s grim competitiveness or her reverence for status.

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he started home. He shouldn’t have come here. He’d never do it again. Allowing himself one last glance at Abby’s house, he turned. But this time the doors to the bedroom were open and Abby stood on the deck, captured by the moonlight.

  His heart hammered in his throat and he stepped back into the shadows. Had she seen him?

  She stood unmoving, her gaze steady as she looked toward the shore, and the fear grew that she knew he was there, watching. The wind danced through her hair and lifted it. He wanted to be there beside her, to kiss her again. She looked so beautiful he fought to catch his breath.

  After a long minute, she turned and went inside, pulling the doors closed behind her. She hadn’t seen him.

  Relief buckled his knees. Feeling as stupid as a thirteen-year-old with his first crush, he vowed he would never, ever do this again.

  But all the way home, he knew the image of her standing in the moonlight would haunt him for a long time to come.

  “DAD, WAKE UP. Dad—” Brody shook his shoulder impatiently “—you’re late. Naomi called and said she needs you at the office right away.”

  Grabbing the alarm clock, Kurt tried to force his eyes to focus. “What time is it?”

  “After nine.”

  He shook his head, trying to clear it of sleep and memories. “Is there any coffee?”

  Brody turned away. “I made some.”

  “Great. Pour me a cup while I grab a shower, would ya please?”

  “I guess. Come on, Pride.”

  They’d had a great time last night, but obviously nothing had changed. Brody was still determined to resent every intrusion by Kurt’s career.

  Showering quickly, Kurt dug out a shirt that wasn’t too badly wrinkled and a clean pair of pants, then gulped down a cup of coffee on his way out the door. Brody and Pride had moved to the edge of the deck, where they watched the flow of the river. Cindy must have arrived while Kurt dressed because she sat in one of the deck chairs near Brody.

  “I’ll call you later,” Kurt called as he jogged to the driveway.

  Brody lifted his hand in a wave, but he refused to look at Kurt. The boy dropped his hand to Pride’s back and leaned against the railing. Kurt wished he could stay, but ignoring his practice wouldn’t bring in a salary. He turned away, blocking the picture from his mind. Cleaning the house, doing the laundry and cooking the meals
had been easy to master. The hardest part about being a single parent was juggling his son’s needs with his career.

  During the school year, Brody often brought his homework to Kurt’s office and studied—or didn’t—until Kurt was ready to leave. But with the increase in his client base, Kurt was spending less time with Brody, and his son obviously resented it. At least this summer, Brody could go to Abby’s. And he did almost every day.

  Kurt drove quickly, passing Abby’s house with scarcely a sideways glance. No more schoolboy tricks for him. No more stolen kisses. It didn’t matter how much he tried to deny it, Theresa was right. He’d lose all self-respect if he compromised himself further with Abby.

  He reached the office in under ten minutes and left the Cherokee on the street. Inside, Naomi sat at her desk, her face flushed with impatience.

  “You’re late,” she stated. “What happened?”

  “Overslept. What’s the emergency?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  Kurt stopped in his tracks. “You?”

  She nodded. “Can we go into your office?”

  He’d seen this look on her face before, and after Bill’s outburst at the party last night, it could only mean one thing. He opened the door and closed it after Naomi followed him through.

  She settled herself in one of the chairs by his desk and crossed her legs. “I want a divorce.”

  He knew it. “Have you said anything to Bill yet?”

  “No.”

  “Isn’t there some way you can fix things between you?”

  “You saw the way he was last night. Do you know how embarrassing it is when he gets like that? Do you know what it does to Jason? Kurt, I can’t live like this anymore.”

  “Didn’t you talk about counseling once?”

  Naomi flicked her hand at him dismissively and made a noise with her teeth. “He won’t even consider it. He doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong. According to him, this is all my fault.”

  “What does he want you to do differently?”