Manhunting Read online

  “Maybe,” Kate said. “But—”

  “Hi, can I join you?” Valerie sank down in the chair next to them. “I’m just about at my wits’ end.”

  “Oh?” Kate said, annoyed at the interruption. She looked over at Penny and saw that even she was frowning. It took someone with extremely bad social skills to annoy Penny. Valerie was hitting on all cylinders today.

  “What’s wrong?” Penny asked politely.

  “What else? Men!” Valerie gave a short laugh. “Mark!” she called, without looking around. “Gin and tonic!”

  Penny glared at her.

  “Any man in particular?” Kate asked hastily, checking Penny for weapons. There didn’t seem to be much she could do with a drinking glass unless she broke it on the edge of the table and used the jagged edge to go for Valerie’s jugular. Kate pulled the glass out of Penny’s reach just in case.

  “Will!” Valerie said with real venom. “I can’t believe he’s so stupid.”

  “Will never struck me as stupid,” Kate said.

  “Well, he is. He refuses to talk about the new bar, and the longer we sit on that idea, the more money we’re losing. And I’ve done everything but flat-out tell him that another hotel is trying to hire me away, and he just ignores me.” She ended her tirade on a wail. “It’s like he doesn’t care.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t,” Penny said.

  “Of course he does,” Valerie snapped. “Damn it, I have a plan here!”

  “Don’t say that!” Kate said, wincing.

  Mark brought Valerie her gin and tonic and winked at Penny before he went back to the bar.

  “Yeah, plans are for the birds,” Penny said morosely.

  “What are you two talking about?” Valerie asked.

  “Well, I have this friend, see?” Penny said, shooting a look at Kate that said “Shut up.”

  “And she had a plan to marry a really steady wealthy guy so she could stay home and be a housewife and mother and have a lot of kids because that’s what she really wanted. You know?”

  “No,” Valerie said. “But if that’s what she wants, what the hell.”

  “And she found the perfect guy,” Penny said gloomily. “And then she went and fell in love with a poor guy who’s never going to have much money and won’t be able to have kids with her for years.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Valerie asked.

  “What?” Kate said.

  Valerie shrugged. “She stays with the rich guy. Love doesn’t last. Money does if you know how to manage it.” She looked at Penny. “Tell your friend to dump the poor guy, marry the rich guy, and take night courses in investing. That’s what I’d do.”

  “I’m sure you would,” Kate said. “Don’t you love Will?”

  “Well, of course I love Will,” Valerie said.

  “What if he didn’t have the hotel?” Kate asked. “What if he ran the hardware store?”

  Valerie thought about it. “Depends on the size of the hardware store, I guess. And what I could do with it.”

  Kate tilted her head and looked at Valerie appraisingly. “This isn’t about money, is it?”

  “What?” Valerie asked, confused.

  “It’s not the money, although you want that, too. It’s the hotel and the wheeling and dealing and making plans. That’s what hooks you.”

  “I guess,” Valerie said. “What are you talking about?”

  “Because that’s what hooks me, too,” Kate said. “I need the challenge. I can’t just sit out on a lake and watch the fish for the rest of my life. I need to play the game.” She bit her lip. “I hate it, but that’s me.”

  “Why hate it?” Valerie looked at her like she was crazy. “You’re terrific at what you do.”

  “Yes, but now it’s getting in the way of what I want,” Kate said.

  “I can’t believe you ever let anything get in the way of what you want,” Valerie said. “I really admire that in you.”

  “Thank you, Valerie,” Kate said, standing . “Excuse me a minute. I need another cola. This one with rum, I think.”

  That night at Nancy’s was a madhouse, and Kate served drinks until she was dizzy. Three days ago, she’d been a customer. Tonight she was a pro.

  She took a beer and a wine cooler to Brad and his date, and he grinned at her and said, “Thanks, Kate.”

  Three days ago he’d been groping her. Now it was “Thanks, Kate.” He’d better leave a big tip.

  She poured colas with rum and without. She plopped olives into martinis and dipped tequila glasses in salt. She filled the pretzel bowls on the bar over and over again. She carried drinks all over the bar, neatly dodging hands that came up to pat her rear end, telling drunks their next drink was coffee, taking several orders at once and delivering them without a mistake.

  I’m pretty good at this, she thought. It was a nice thought, and as she was feeling particularly happy anyway, and as she happened to be passing Jake as he bent over the pool table, she patted him on the rear end to celebrate.

  He miscued.

  “God, I hope you stay forever,” Ben told her, and she laughed and went on to serve drink after drink after drink.

  Jake watched her as she threaded her way through the crowd, smiling at everyone, leaving a trail of grins behind her. She looked like she belonged there. She did belong there. With him.

  Then, like an evil curse, the thought intruded: What would she do here? There’s nothing for her here. And you remember what happened the last time you fell for a smart blonde with a great body? It didn’t last. What makes you think you’re any smarter this time?

  “Are you going to play pool?” Ben asked.

  “Yeah,” Jake said shortly, and shoved his thoughts about the future away. He’d think about that later. Much later. After all, he wasn’t even sure how he felt about her.

  He looked up to see Kate walking past Brad, who reached out a hand and caught her on the rear end before she had time to swerve. She spilled some beer on him, and he laughed.

  Jake put down his cue.

  “Back in a minute,” he told Ben and walked over to Brad.

  He put one hand on the back of Brad’s chair and the other on the table in front of him and leaned over.

  Brad looked up.

  “Hey, Jake,” he said happily.

  “Don’t touch Kate,” Jake said.

  Brad looked up, and his smile faded.

  “If you get my drift,” Jake added gently.

  “Got it.” Brad nodded. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem.” Jake patted him on the back and ambled back to the pool table. Ben rested on his cue and grinned at him.

  “It was a lot easier when we could just brand ‘em,” Ben said. “Then everybody’d know not to mess with our womenfolk.”

  “Shut up and play pool.” Jake picked up his cue.

  “I never thought I’d see you lay claim to a woman,” Ben needled him. “Right in front of the whole bar and everything.”

  “I just don’t think she should have to put up with that.” Jake glared at him, annoyed. “Are you going to play pool or not?”

  “I’m going to play pool.” Ben chalked his cue. “Funny it never bothered you when Thelma and Sally had to put up with that.”

  “Thelma and Sally can take care of themselves.”

  “And Kate can’t?” Ben laughed. “Kate could take care of all of us. If we put her in uniform, we wouldn’t need the marines.”

  “Nancy can take care of herself, too. What would you do if Brad went after her?”

  “The same thing that you did, buddy,” Ben said. “Which is my point, exactly.”

  Jake stood still for a second and then thought, Yeah, right. I’m not sure how I feel about her. Oh, hell.

  He moved around the table. “Hit the ball,” he said to Ben. “Try to actually get one in a pocket this time.”

  Above all, Kate served beer. Long-necked bottles, mugs, glasses. She felt like Mickey Mouse in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” After a wh