Wet(26)
Chapter Eight
Katy woke to the sound of seagulls squawking outside her window. She smiled as she recalled the last three days. She and Trent had hung out like old times, relaxing, chatting, cooking. They’d spent every spare moment they could together, sneaking around town, hiding from the paparazzi and making love every chance they could. Katy had never been happier in her life, not just because she and Trent had found each other again, but because of something Trent had said three nights ago when they’d made love at the restaurant, she’d finally figured out what she wanted to do about her contract.
After a restless night of thinking, tossing and turning, and planning for her future, Katy climbed from bed, dressed in her work wear and hurried to the restaurant. She’d scrapped her idea of introducing sophisticated gourmet food to the menu, thanks to Trent’s insight, and used the last few days to play with local recipes. As she glanced over the day’s menu, good old down-home cooking with a twist, she knew it was time to contact her station and put her plans into motion.
As excitement began building inside her, she jotted down a quick, bullet-point presentation, determined to prove to the network that she had what it took to increase ratings. It was time to put in a call and get the contract back on the table. Then, once it was signed, she needed to talk to Trent about what their futures held.
After her quick, succinct presentation, the network agreed to her idea, and immediately faxed the contract for her signature. Katy spent the rest of the day desperately trying to focus on her work. The day flew by far too slowly for her liking and she counted down the minutes until she could see Trent, to tell him about her newly signed contract and her exciting new ideas.
Katy couldn’t help but think things couldn’t have worked out better for her. She and Trent had found each other again, had put the past behind them, and she now knew where her career was headed. All day she’d been bursting to tell someone, but she wanted Trent to be the first to hear it.
After the dinner rush hour, she slipped out the back entrance and cut along the gravel path to avoid the cameras. She came upon Trent’s big old Victorian house and her heart tightened as she stood back to look at it. He’d painted it red, changing it back to its original color, a color once used to help the fishermen find their way home in the fog. Had he done that on purpose? To help her find her way back to him? Katy swallowed the lump in her throat and choked back the tears as love rushed to her heart.
As she climbed the stairs, she thought about all the times they’d driven by this particular place when they were young, idealistic teens. Katy loved the old home, had dreamed about buying it with Trent and filling it with kids. They used to talk long into the night about it, excited by the prospect of a future together. But then she’d grown up, and decided she needed to experience more.
When she reached the landing, she knocked on the front door. When no response came, she checked her watch. Trent wasn’t supposed to be on duty tonight. Thinking he might have been called in for an extra shift, Katy hurried to the firehouse and met with Adam. She found him out back shooting hoops by himself.
Still dressed in her work clothes, Katy brushed the moisture from her forehead, and leaned against the brick wall. “Hey, Adam, have you seen Trent?”
Shirtless, Adam took a shot, pushed his hair from his face and met her gaze straight on. “What do you want him for?”
Katy stepped back, surprised by the hardness in his tone. “I need to tell him something.”
The ball came bouncing back and Adam picked it up and braced it under his arm. He angled his head and glared at her. “Haven’t you done enough already, Kathleen?”
Katy swallowed, a nervous sensation moving through her. “What are you talking about, Adam?”
Adam shook his head and grunted. “I thought you said you weren’t going to start something you couldn’t finish.”
“I didn’t.”
“Oh no?”
“No. I love him, Adam,” she admitted, ready to tell the world how she felt.
He studied her for a moment, then his face softened slightly when he said, “Well you sure have a funny way of showing it.”
“Where is he?” she demanded, her knees feeling a little rubbery beneath her.
He gave a long sigh. “I don’t know. He seemed out of sorts and tore out of town earlier. I haven’t been able to get ahold of him.”
As Katy thought through the events of the last few days, she couldn’t deny that there were moments where Trent had seemed a bit distracted. She chalked up his distraction to his concerns over the town’s new arsonist, but now she was beginning to wonder if it had something to do with her.