Identity Crisis(77)

‘They’re both catching up on some work.’ She grabbed a much-needed Diet Pepsi from the refrigerator and offered him one. He seldom drank any kind of soft drink, but he made the exception for her from time to time. He took the offered beverage and followed her into the living room. They both settled on the sofa.

Once again, she could feel him studying her. This time she didn’t have to ask. She knew it was coming.

‘You shouldn’t have slept with him, Ken. What were you thinking?’

She bristled and was about to tell him who she slept with was none of his business, but he didn’t give her the chance.

He cocked his head. ‘Are you falling in love with him?’

She felt as though he had gut-punched her, especially after the little incident in the shower. But she’d made a living bluffing. She squared her shoulders and forced herself to hold his gaze. ‘I don’t fall in love, Harris. You’ve known me long enough to know that.’

‘I’ve known you long enough to know that you haven’t fallen in love yet, but you’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us, Kendra, whether you want to admit it or not, and he –’ he nodded toward the stairs ‘– well, he’s trouble. Surely you can see that by now.’

‘I see a lot of things, Harris. A lot of things that you don’t, so please, don’t lecture me.’

He raised his hands in defeat, which she knew only too well was only feigned. She braced herself for his next assault.

‘Have there been any more emails?’

‘Last night there was one,’ she said, then she hurried on, not wanting to hear his response. ‘They’re nothing, really. They’re not a problem.’

He shifted on the sofa and set his drink on the coffee table. ‘Dee told me what happened when you read the first one, Jesus, woman, you think I don’t remember what it was like for you after you came home from California? Don’t tell me it wasn’t a problem. How could it not be?’

‘All right! All right.’ She puffed out a hard breath and clenched her drink can for courage. ‘I’ll admit, it was a bit of a shock at first, and I didn’t handle it very well. But that was me reacting to my past and not to the situation at hand. Harris, believe me when I say I’ve seen this sort of thing dozens of times. This is just some dip-wad getting his kicks, that’s all. Nothing more. It’s not a problem. But what is a problem at the moment is the press making Garrett the villain in all this. It puts him at risk and it could put Tess at risk too.

He held her gaze. ‘Tess doesn’t exist.’

‘Right now, for those people out there, she does, and Garrett is enemy number one where they’re concerned.’

‘Yeah? So?’

‘Damn it, Harris. I’m sorry you don’t like him, but this is my job right now, and if Tess is at risk, I’m at risk, and I need your help.’

He still held her in a cast iron gaze that made it very difficult for her not to squirm. ‘There was a time, just a couple of days ago, when you didn’t like him either.’

‘Yeah, well, that was a couple of days ago! Harris, are you going to listen to me and help me here or are you just going to be a pain in the ass?’

His gaze softened. He released a deep breath and took her hand in his. ‘Ken, I’ll do whatever I can to help you. You know that. Just tell me what you need.’

And she did. And he wasn’t happy about it.

‘You want us to do what?’ Stacie said, looking first at Kendra then at Harris. ‘You’re kidding, right?’

Harris sat on one end of the sofa with his arms folded defiantly across his chest. ‘Believe me, it’s not my idea of a good time either.’

Kendra had a sneaking suspicion that Garrett wanted to snigger at the two, but he had the good graces to keep his mouth shut, which was just as well because she wasn’t in the mood to put up with any more bullshit and the last thing she needed was for him and Harris to be at each other’s throats.

‘I’m not talking about a good time,’ Kendra said. ‘We’re already way past that here. I’ve told Dan to leak to the press that we’re all about to make a statement. Harris, no one knows you’re here, and since you’re a bit of a hero with the press after your photos and write-up in Wilderness Vanguard from your Valderia trip with Ellis, your rapport will make it easier for the rest of us. Stacie, you’ve already said you wanted to feature Harris in your gallery opening. We don’t have to lie to make this one work. All you two have to do is act like you might be able to work together, and act excited. Can you do that?’ She gave Harris’s arm a gentle shake. ‘Harris?’