Chasing Second Chances Page 5

  “Bryan,” she called to him weakly.

  At once, he got up, walking towards her and sitting on the bed. “You should just keep sleeping. Lloyd told me you weren’t feeling well and when I checked earlier, you were running a fever. You might be coming down with something.”

  “It must be all this stress,” she said, lying back down. “And the rain.”

  “The rain?”

  Out of nowhere, the memory of the passionate kiss she had shared with Lloyd popped into her mind, and she quickly pushed it away, though not quickly enough to prevent a blush from coating her cheeks, which she hoped he did not notice. He didn’t have to know about it. He couldn’t. True, she had not meant to kiss Lloyd back and had only done so because her emotions had suddenly gone out of control but still, she knew it would hurt him. The guilt that was beginning to gnaw at her now was nothing compared to the pain she would feel if he found out.

  “It was raining in Rapid City?” Bryan asked.

  Kate nodded, remembering his question. “There was a squall just as we were leaving.” She turned towards him and placed her head on his lap. “Oh, Bryan. I felt so terrible.”

  “What happened exactly?”

  “It turns out that Ms. Singer was not as sane as she seemed to be. Either that or her vision was just plain horrible. The kids she had seen were the niece and nephew of a neighbor. They were staying there for a while because their parents had to go on a trip. They’re the same age as Lena and Jack but they certainly are not my kids.”

  “Well, perhaps it was a honest mistake.”

  “It was a hurtful mistake,” she said. “I should have listened to Lloyd and never had gone there.”

  “You needed to know whether it was true or not for yourself,” Bryan said. “If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have believed.”

  She looked up at him. “I’m that stubborn, huh?”

  “Stubbornness isn’t always a bad thing,” he told her as he ran his fingers through her hair. “In this case, being stubborn is a good thing, but you also have to have caution so you don’t end up hurting yourself more. I don’t like seeing you get hurt.”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  He placed his hand on her forehead. “Your fever seems to have gone down a bit.”

  “I feel a little better,” she told him. “But still under the weather.”

  “You should take care of yourself a bit more.”

  “Yes, doctor.”

  “Then again, I can just take care of you. What good is being a doctor, anyway, if you can’t take care of the person you love the most?”

  She grinned.

  “And guess what? I can really take care of you from now on because I managed to find someone to fill in for me.”

  Her eyes widened. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.”

  She placed her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Well, I’m glad.”

  “I’m gladder.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I may not be a millionaire, Kate, and I may not know people in high places but what I am is yours. I want you to know that I’m here for you and I’ll do everything I can to get you through this.”

  She wrapped her arms even tighter around him. “I’m so glad I have you.”

  She lifted her head, presenting her lips to him. He sealed them, holding her close. Again, the memory of the kiss she had shared with Lloyd crossed her mind and again, she set it aside, her lips parting so Bryan could deepen the kiss and make her forget all else.

  He took her cue, his tongue plunging inside her mouth to explore and then mingle with her own tongue, and she moaned. As always, Bryan was an amazing kisser, but it was not enough. She wanted more, wanted him to claim her and leave his mark on her so that she could feel completely his, just as she should be.

  She ran her fingers down the muscles of his chest and abdomen, reaching for the bulge that she knew would be there in his crotch, but just as her fingers brushed against him, he grabbed her hand and broke the kiss.

  “You’re not well, Kate,” he told her. “You should rest.”

  “I think I’m running a different fever at the moment.” She batted her eyelashes seductively.

  He gave her another kiss on the forehead. “I want you just as much, Kate, but you really need to rest.”

  She sighed, giving up. “Oh well. You can’t blame a girl for trying.”

  He laid her back down on the bed and tucked her under the covers. “By the way, Lt. Paulson called.”

  Her expression suddenly changed to one of unbridled curiosity. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

  “He said there was an FBI agent coming tomorrow to talk to you.”

  “An FBI agent?”

  “It seems like this case has just gotten bigger.”

  “Oh.”

  He stroked her cheek. “Don’t worry. That just means that we have more help now.”

  She nodded. “I guess so. I hope it’s enough. I…”

  She sneezed.

  “See, I told you you should rest.” He pulled the covers higher so that they reached up to her chin. “We can’t have you getting sick.”

  “Okay.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She closed her eyes and relaxed, his words of love sounding in her ear and making her feel that she was right next to him even when he had left her side, making her smile. Strangely, though, just before she drifted off to sleep, there was another face that clouded her mind, the face of a man in a drenched shirt standing under the rain, a man who, at another time, had worn a tuxedo and stood in front of the crowd with a huge grin and eyes only on her.

  Lloyd.

  * * * *

  Lloyd couldn’t sleep.

  Each time he closed his eyes, he found himself remembering the kiss he and Kate had shared at the children’s playground in Rapid City under the rain, which in turn, made him remember every kiss they had ever shared, like that first kiss in the car and the kisses on their wedding day when she had looked so beautiful in her white gown, so radiant, so happy, and he had felt so complete.

  It was not just the kisses that he remembered, though. He remembered, too, all the times that he had held her, all the times that she lay beneath him, panting, writhing, moaning, calling out his name in the rapture of ecstasy. He recalled one memory particularly vividly—the memory of them making love under a large quilt in front of a fire at a skiing lodge in Alta, Utah, just a few months after their marriage.

  What had happened to them?

  No, he knew the answer to that one. As far as he knew, there were only two things that could make a marriage fall apart—either one large unforeseen problem like an affair or abuse, or more commonly, the sum of many small misunderstandings and dissatisfactions that were left unresolved because words were left unsaid.

  His marriage had fallen apart because of the latter. He could not pinpoint each of those small things but he knew that after giving birth to Lena, Kate had changed. For a while she went through postpartum depression, and it was a matter of bad timing that it was at that same time that he got promoted. At that time, he had thought it was a good thing. Now that he had a family, he needed to invest in their future, after all. But he had been wrong. By devoting himself to his job in order to provide an excellent future for his family, he had neglected his family. He had not been there during the times that Kate had needed him the most, and so he had destroyed that future.

  It had all been his fault and so when Kate had asked him for a divorce, he had given it, even going so far as to give her the house, half his fortune and full custody of the kids without contest before moving somewhere far away, thinking that if he couldn’t give her happiness, then at least he could give her some peace.

  He had thought he had forgotten all about her, but now, he knew he had been deceiving himself all along. Otherwise, he would not feel so jealous right now, so frustrated at being under the same roof as her but not having her in his bed, in his arms. He woul
d not be hurting so much just from wanting her, not only the warmth of her body, but her smile, her tears, her soul, all of her.

  God, he still loved her.

  He knew, too, that she still loved him. It was only a small flicker, perhaps, one that burned unsteadily, but it was there. He had only to kindle it so that it became the fire that had burned for him before.

  He had to be careful, though. The situation right now was precarious, not only because Kate was under great strain but because he was competing with Bryan. One wrong move and his one chance to get her back would go to waste, and everything would be lost.

  He got out of bed, grabbed his phone and made an important phone call.

  He did not care what it took. He was not going to lose her again.

  * * * *

  “You lost me there,” Kate told Bryan over breakfast the next morning, interrupting him in the middle of explaining something on the news about a new treatment for cancer. She still did not feel at her best, but she felt better. At the very least, her head wasn’t hurting anymore and she was able to gobble up a hearty breakfast without feeling sick.

  “Never mind,” Bryan said. “You’ve got a lot to think of already.”

  Kate just grinned as she took another sip from her glass of juice. She heard the phone go off again—she had lost count of the number of times it had gone off just that morning—but didn’t move. Instead, she just watched and after the third ring, Lloyd’s assistant, Sharon, picked it up, nodding and mumbling something into the receiver.

  After the incident in Rapid City, Kate had to accept the fact that the phone would keep ringing, and that whoever was on the other end was not necessarily someone to be believed. In order to help her accept that, Lloyd had assigned answering the phone to his assistant, who took note of every call and screened them to try and determine which ones were worth a second thought, and a third, and which needed to be disregarded. Kate didn’t like the idea of someone else making that important decision entirely, but since Lloyd trusted Sharon, she decided to do so, as well, and so far, she was glad she did since the younger woman seemed to be taking her job seriously and doing it well.

  “I’m beginning to wish I had an assistant,” she said to Bryan.

  Bryan chuckled. “Aren’t you the kind of person who likes to do everything yourself?”

  She sighed. “I guess you’re right, though it would be nice to have some help once in a while.”

  “I’m here,” he told her. “You can order me around as much as you want.”

  She smiled, then lowered her voice to a whisper as she brought her glass to her lips once more. “Says the guy who wouldn’t let me touch him last night.”

  “You weren’t feeling well. That was an exception.”

  “I was just kidding,” she said, nudging his shoulder.

  He grinned.

  Lloyd walked into the kitchen. “What time is the FBI agent coming again?”

  “Lt. Paulson just said he’d be here today,” Bryan answered. “He didn’t give specifics.”

  “I see,” Lloyd said.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Well, that must be him now,” Kate said. She was about to get out of her seat when Bryan stopped her.

  “I’ll go get the door,” he offered.

  “Oh, all right.”

  Kate watched him go, then stood up so she could start fixing up the dishes. Lloyd helped her.

  “Are you feeling better now?” he asked her, his concern for her apparent in his voice.

  “I can’t say I’m that well yet,” Kate answered without looking into his eyes. “But I feel a little better, thanks to Bryan.”

  “I’m glad you’re better. I was afraid that rain would have a worse effect on you.”

  She stiffened a little, feeling that he was trying to say something else. She was suddenly aware that he was so close to her, their elbows almost touching. It was strange but while she had not minded being in his arms before, now, just having him right next to her seemed to bother her. All because he had kissed her.

  “Kate,” Bryan called out to her.

  At once, she felt the tension in the air dissipate, making her breathe a sigh of relief. She turned around. “Yes?”

  “Good morning, Ms. Evans,” Lt. Paulson greeted. “I’m here with Agent Geoffrey Wilkins from the FBI.”

  “Agent Wilkins.” Kate stretched her hand out to the man beside Lt. Paulson, a man who was a bit stocky but not fat, who had a skin tag near his right ear, a hard jaw and cold, calculating black eyes that seemed as if they could almost see through her , all in all giving her the impression that he was a man who was not to be messed with. “I’m Kate Evans. Thank you for helping us.”

  “It’s my job,” Agent Wilkins said, showing no warmth or enthusiasm.

  “This is my ex-husband, Lloyd Marrick,” Kate introduced. “And the man who answered the door is Dr. Bryan Knowles, my boyfriend.”

  “Nick filled me on the little details,” Agent Wilkins said. “Why don’t we sit down and see if there’s anything else helpful you can tell me that I don’t already know?”

  Kate nodded. The five of them sat down around the dining table, Agent Wilkins asking the questions and answering some of Lloyd’s occasional ones. Mostly, he asked the same questions Lt. Paulson had asked her but she sensed that he was contemplating her answers more seriously, studying her more intently. In fact, she could almost hear the wheels turning inside his head and it made her wonder what it was he was looking for, or what he was up to.

  After an hour, he got up but instead of taking his leave, he turned to Kate. “Can I talk to you for a moment, Ms. Evans?”

  “Of course,” Kate answered.

  “Alone,” Agent Wilkins added, glancing at Lloyd then at Bryan.

  Kate glanced at them, too, and when they nodded in understanding, though both wore wary expressions, she nodded at Agent Wilkins. “We can go outside.”

  She led him to the backyard, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her as she felt the breeze.

  “You sure have two tough bodyguards,” Agent Wilkins remarked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants.

  Kate decided to let the remark go. “What was it you wanted to ask me, Agent Wilkins?”

  He looked at her. “I’ll go straight to the point, Ms. Evans. What if I told you that Lloyd Marrick or Bryan Knowles might have taken your children?”

  Chapter Ten

  Kate stifled a gasp, her eyes widening at Agent Wilkins’ question. She had certainly never expected to be asked such a thing, especially not by a man she had just met.

  “Wh-what do you mean, Agent Wilkins?”

  “I meant exactly what I said, Ms. Evans,” he answered. “And I know you understood it well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be wearing the same expression as a kid whose birthday cake had just been trampled on by the kid next door.”

  Kate frowned. Up until that moment, she had admired Agent Wilkins’ intelligence, his perceptiveness, which reminded her of a detective in a mystery novel like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, but now that he was using those qualities against her, or so she felt, she found them annoying.

  She found him annoying.

  “Agent Wilkins, are you saying that either Lloyd or Bryan is the one behind all this?”

  “I’m not saying one of them is,” he said. “I’m saying one of them could be. Have you ever even considered as much?”

  Kate shook her head. “I’m afraid it makes no sense.”

  “Because you care about them too much to suspect them?”

  “Because it is impossible,” she told him. “Bryan was with me on the trip while the kids were taken…”

  “He could have had one or more accomplices.”

  “And Lloyd…why would he kidnap his own children? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “It’s been done, Ms. Evans,” he told her. “Think about it. If this was a normal kidnapping case, then there would have been a phone call asking for ransom already,
but it’s been a few days and still there isn’t, which just means that the motive is something else other than money.”

  “And you think Lloyd and Bryan both have a motive?” She folded her arms across her chest. “They would never do such a thing. Neither of them would.”

  “Remember, Ms. Evans. Often, the least likely suspect is the culprit.”

  “This is not a mystery novel, Agent Wilkins.”

  “No, it’s not,” he agreed. “Which is why this mystery may never be solved.”

  She placed her hand over her mouth as she gasped in horror at his words. She knew it was true—there was no guarantee she would be able to find her children—and yet nobody had had the gall to say it out loud to her face until now, which made the possibility seem more real, frightening her.

  Agent Wilkins glanced at her. “Ms. Evans, I only ask that you consider the possibility I have presented and that you keep your eyes open.”

  She lowered her hand. “You are asking me to doubt the two people who are all I have right now, the two people I’m leaning on the most.”

  “Then perhaps it is time for you to stand on your own feet.”

  “Do you have any idea what you are asking me to do?” Kate felt her dismay turning into anger. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to have your children taken from you?”

  “I only know that we have to do everything we can to find them,” he said, unaffected by her words. “Even if it means questioning what we know and hurting some people’s feelings.”

  Kate felt another sting at the words. She paused, trying to gather her thoughts and calm herself down before speaking. “Why, Agent Wilkins? Why are you asking me to do this?”

  “Because if one of them did indeed take your children, then you are the most likely one to find out. Perhaps, you might even be the only one who can find out and save them.”

  “This is crazy. Why would they take my children? Why would Bryan? Why would Lloyd? What for?”

  “You’re an intelligent woman, Ms. Evans,” Agent Wilkins simply said as he looked into her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”