arranging apples in a glass bowl on the table. “What sounds good for dinners I can make you this week?” she asked, looking my way.
“I don’t care,” I grumbled, pouring coffee beans into the grinder. She turned away and I sighed deeply.
“I’ll think of some things,” she said brightly.
“Sorry, Mimi. I’m in a bad mood.”
She wav ed a hand in my direction. “It’s okay.”
I rubbed my face and leaned against the counter. Things with Kate had been awkward as hell since the night I’d kissed her. Now I was careful to keep my distance, because I didn’t want her to quit being my assistant, and I sure as hell didn’t want to make her cry again.
The coffee brewed and I brought Mimi a cup. She looked up from her grocery list and reached for the mug, sipping it slowly. I stirred cream and sugar into the coffee I’d poured into Kate’s Ryan Gosling mug in front of her usual spot at my table. Would she notice if I had some shirtless actress on my coffee mug?
I’d downed half of my coffee before I walked over to the wall of windows to stare out at the lake. I usually waited for Kate so we could drink our coffee together, but I was wound up today.
“Where i s she?” I said, watching the water’s waves. “I need to get to the rink.”
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Mimi said in a soothing tone. “You can leave any messages for her with me if you need to leave.”
I shook my head and went back to the counter for more coffee. “That’s okay.” It wasn’t that I was aggravated with her, it was that I was eager to see her, but I didn’t want to tell Mimi that.
After another ten minutes, I couldn’t stand it any longer. It was 20 minutes later than the time Kate arrived every morning. Now I was worried, dammit. I couldn’t leave for the rink.
I dialed her phone and crossed an arm across my chest, waiting for her to answer.
“Ryke.” She was breathless, and I wondered why. “I know I’m late, I’m sorry.”
“Am I interrupting something?” My tone was gruff and pissed, but I couldn’t help it.
“Not really . . . I know you need to get to work. Don’t forget that you’re going to that youth hockey league practice tonight. They asked if you’d bring your skates and skate with—”
“Are you on your way up?” I heard cars in the background and knew she was outside. “I can wait til you get in.”
“No. I’ll be a little while yet. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not pissed, Kate. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
The blare of a loud car horn nearly drowned her out. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t want to pry. If she’d woken up in some other guy’s bed, I didn’t even want to know.
“Okay,” I said. “I guess I’ll see you—”
The sound of a muffled man’s voice made me stop talking. I strained to hear what he was saying.
“I don’t know,” Kate said to him. “It was smoking really bad, but I don’t know why.”
I ran a hand through my hair, my heart pounding with jealousy and curiosity.
“Who is that?” I demanded. “Are you with Quinn?”
“Quinn?” Her voice rose with indignation. “No! It’s a guy who pulled over to help me because I’m having car trouble.”
“Car trouble?” I practically yelled into the phone. “Why didn’t you call me? Christ’s sake, Kate! Where are you?”
“I’m maybe three or four miles from your place. But you don’t have to—”
“I’m on the way.” I reached for my keys and jogged to the door.
By the time my Jeep’s tires squealed to a stop behind Kate’s hunk of junk, there was another guy there trying to help her, too. I saw relief on Kate’s face when I approached , and the guy hustled back to his car.
“Hey,” I said. Her face was lined with worry and she was biting her lip.
“I thought my car was about to catch on fire,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“Let me look at it,” I said, taking her arm to lead her away from the traffic flying by on the crowded
“I don’t care,” I grumbled, pouring coffee beans into the grinder. She turned away and I sighed deeply.
“I’ll think of some things,” she said brightly.
“Sorry, Mimi. I’m in a bad mood.”
She wav ed a hand in my direction. “It’s okay.”
I rubbed my face and leaned against the counter. Things with Kate had been awkward as hell since the night I’d kissed her. Now I was careful to keep my distance, because I didn’t want her to quit being my assistant, and I sure as hell didn’t want to make her cry again.
The coffee brewed and I brought Mimi a cup. She looked up from her grocery list and reached for the mug, sipping it slowly. I stirred cream and sugar into the coffee I’d poured into Kate’s Ryan Gosling mug in front of her usual spot at my table. Would she notice if I had some shirtless actress on my coffee mug?
I’d downed half of my coffee before I walked over to the wall of windows to stare out at the lake. I usually waited for Kate so we could drink our coffee together, but I was wound up today.
“Where i s she?” I said, watching the water’s waves. “I need to get to the rink.”
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Mimi said in a soothing tone. “You can leave any messages for her with me if you need to leave.”
I shook my head and went back to the counter for more coffee. “That’s okay.” It wasn’t that I was aggravated with her, it was that I was eager to see her, but I didn’t want to tell Mimi that.
After another ten minutes, I couldn’t stand it any longer. It was 20 minutes later than the time Kate arrived every morning. Now I was worried, dammit. I couldn’t leave for the rink.
I dialed her phone and crossed an arm across my chest, waiting for her to answer.
“Ryke.” She was breathless, and I wondered why. “I know I’m late, I’m sorry.”
“Am I interrupting something?” My tone was gruff and pissed, but I couldn’t help it.
“Not really . . . I know you need to get to work. Don’t forget that you’re going to that youth hockey league practice tonight. They asked if you’d bring your skates and skate with—”
“Are you on your way up?” I heard cars in the background and knew she was outside. “I can wait til you get in.”
“No. I’ll be a little while yet. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not pissed, Kate. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
The blare of a loud car horn nearly drowned her out. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t want to pry. If she’d woken up in some other guy’s bed, I didn’t even want to know.
“Okay,” I said. “I guess I’ll see you—”
The sound of a muffled man’s voice made me stop talking. I strained to hear what he was saying.
“I don’t know,” Kate said to him. “It was smoking really bad, but I don’t know why.”
I ran a hand through my hair, my heart pounding with jealousy and curiosity.
“Who is that?” I demanded. “Are you with Quinn?”
“Quinn?” Her voice rose with indignation. “No! It’s a guy who pulled over to help me because I’m having car trouble.”
“Car trouble?” I practically yelled into the phone. “Why didn’t you call me? Christ’s sake, Kate! Where are you?”
“I’m maybe three or four miles from your place. But you don’t have to—”
“I’m on the way.” I reached for my keys and jogged to the door.
By the time my Jeep’s tires squealed to a stop behind Kate’s hunk of junk, there was another guy there trying to help her, too. I saw relief on Kate’s face when I approached , and the guy hustled back to his car.
“Hey,” I said. Her face was lined with worry and she was biting her lip.
“I thought my car was about to catch on fire,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“Let me look at it,” I said, taking her arm to lead her away from the traffic flying by on the crowded
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