Part 16 (2/2)
”We love it,” Kate said. ”I was wondering, though, are the owners interested in selling?”
”I could certainly check with them. Let me give them a call.”
After she walked away, Reid glanced down at her, grinning. ”You're full of surprises, darlin'.”
She shrugged. ”If we're going to put down roots, I say we go all the way.”
”Only if we can go all the way together.”
”You know that's my favorite way to go,” she said with a chuckle.
He laughed. ”I mean financially, you crazy girl.”
”You'd want to buy it together?”
”I'd prefer to buy it for you, but I suspect you wouldn't go for that.”
”You suspect correctly.”
”I had a feeling...”
The agent came back outside. ”You're in luck. The owners are willing to entertain an offer.”
Kate glanced at Reid. ”What do you think, Mr. Matthews? Should we make an offer?”
”By all means, Ms. Harrington.”
An hour later, their offer had been accepted, and they were the proud future owners of a beach house in St. Kitts.
”That was a little too easy,” Kate said as they drove away in his convertible. With the top down, the wind rushed through her hair. Kate raised her hands above her head and let out a giddy squeal.
Chuckling, Reid rested a hand on her thigh and squeezed. ”Happy, darlin'?”
”Very, very happy.”
”That's how I like you best.”
His phone rang, and he drew it out of his s.h.i.+rt pocket to hand it to her. ”See who it is.”
Kate took the phone and glanced at the caller ID. ”Ashton. Want to take it?”
”Not now. I'll call him later.”
That was when Kate remembered the call she'd ignored earlier. She retrieved her phone and found six calls from Jill, two from her father and one from Maggie. ”Oh G.o.d. What's going on?” Memories of the day Maggie had fallen off the ladder came rus.h.i.+ng back, reminding her of how things could change in a heartbeat. Her hands shook as she called Jill.
”Thank goodness you called,” Jill said.
”What's wrong? You called six times, and Dad and Maggie...”
”Oh, great. So they know, too.”
”Know what?”
”Are you sitting down, Kate?”
Reid reached for Kate's hand, and she held on tight to him as she braced herself for what she was about to hear. ”Just tell me, Jill.”
”There's a video on the Internet. You and Reid, naked...”
Kate felt the blood drain from her head, taking all her thoughts with it. Surely, she'd heard her sister wrong. There was no way...
”Kate? Are you there?”
”Did... Did you see it?”
”Yes.”
”And you can tell it's me?”
”Yes.”
”Oh my G.o.d!”
”What, Kate?” Reid asked. ”What's wrong?”
Kate tuned him out for the moment to focus on the conversation with Jill. ”I... What should I do?”
”I'm heading home later today. When I get back to the office, I'll see what I can do about a cease-and-desist order, but I have to warn you. The damage is already done. All the entertainment websites are all talking about your s.e.x video going viral. It's already a huge story.”
Suddenly nauseated, Kate said, ”Pull over. Please stop the car.”
Reid brought the car to a stop by the side of the road.
Kate bolted from the car and bent in half, sucking in deep gulps of humid air that didn't do much to alleviate the nausea. She felt Reid's hand on her back and could hear Jill calling her name through the phone.
”Yes,” Kate said to her sister after a minute. ”I'm here.”
”Are you okay?”
”Sure, I'm great. The whole world is watching me have s.e.x. Other than that, I'm fine.”
Reid's sharp gasp made her feel bad for letting him hear it that way, but was there any way to sugarcoat news like this?
”I'll do what I can on my end.”
”Oh my G.o.d. Dad called. And Maggie. I'm going to be sick.”
”Is Reid with you?” Jill asked.