Manhunting Read online

  At the hotel, she watched Donald Prescott pursue Valerie with the single-minded passion of a businessman pursuing a profit. Valerie did everything but throw him in Will’s face, and Will remained oblivious throughout. So Valerie grew more determined.

  And, of course, Jessie called.

  “Are you engaged yet?” Kate heard her say as she picked up the phone.

  “What happened to ‘Hello’?”

  “Hello. Are you engaged yet?”

  “No, and I’m not going to be,” Kate said. “I’m in love with a man who’s allergic to marriage.”

  “Jake’s allergic to marriage after one bad assistant district attorney? He sounded tougher than that.”

  “How did you know I was talking about Jake?”

  “Oh, please,” Jessie said. “It was so obvious. Once I heard you’d been drinking beer with him in a rowboat, I knew it was just a matter of time. So, does he fill all the important requirements of your plan?”

  “Important requirements?”

  “You know,” Jessie said. “Great sense of humor. Equal rights for women. Terrific in bed. Loves you to the point of madness?”

  Kate thought about it, surprised. “Yes,” she said slowly. “He does. What do you know, he does.”

  “Good,” Jessie said. “You may marry him.”

  “I don’t think so,” Kate said. “I don’t think Jake is ever getting married again.”

  “Ha,” Jessie said.

  “You don’t know Jake,” Kate said.

  “No, but I know you,” Jessie said. “You’ll find a way. Now what do you want on your wedding cake?”

  “Fish,” Kate said, Jessie’s certainty cheering her up. “And a rowboat.”

  “You got it,” Jessie said. “I’ll start designing it now.”

  And on Thursday, after an intense game of tennis and an even more intense conversation back at the cabin, Kate held Penny’s hand while she made a tearful call to Allan and broke off their engagement.

  “I did the right thing, didn’t I?” she asked after she’d hung up and Kate was blotting her tears.

  “Why don’t you go discuss it with Mark?” Kate suggested. “See how you feel?”

  “Do you think he’ll even talk to me again?” Penny said.

  “It’s a sure thing,” Kate said. “Begin by mentioning you’re no longer engaged because you’re in love with him and will be until the end of time.”

  “All right,” Penny said. “But even if he doesn’t, I’m glad I broke the engagement. Allan was really nasty on the phone. I wouldn’t marry him now, even if Mark doesn’t want me.”

  “Well, that’s good to know,” Kate said. “Come on. I’ll walk you down. I need to tell Jake I’m running late anyway.”

  Jake and Will were conferring at the lobby desk when they walked in, so Kate stood by the door to the bar and watched Penny try to talk to Mark. He looked at her warily when she walked in, and then she leaned across the bar and said something. He dropped the glass he was holding, vaulted the bar, and pulled her into his arms.

  Kate grinned and turned away, thinking, I love a happy ending. I wonder if Jake can jump over a bar like that.

  She was heading toward the desk to ask him when Valerie caught up with her.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you,” she exclaimed and put her arm around Kate.

  “I have to talk to Jake and go,” Kate said quickly. “I can’t possibly play pool tag or anything else.”

  Valerie laughed. “Don’t be silly. I want to talk to you about us.”

  “Us?” Kate said, confused. “What ‘us’?”

  “You and me,” Valerie said. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together and, frankly, I couldn’t be happier. Now that Jake’s settling down—”

  “What?” Kate asked, trying to disentangle herself. “I don’t know—”

  “Now don’t be coy,” Valerie said. “Everybody knows about you and Jake.”

  “Oh, great,” Kate said.

  “It’ll be just the four of us,” Valerie began. “I know it’s too soon for you and Jake to set a date—”

  “Uh, Valerie—”

  “But Will and I will be making an announcement very shortly,” Valerie said, looking very pleased. “I don’t know why I was so upset before. I should know by now that that’s just the way Will is.”

  Kate shot a glance at Will behind the lobby desk. “Valerie, have you actually discussed this with Will?”

  “Well, in a manner of speaking, of course,” Valerie said.

  “Not ‘in a manner of speaking,’” Kate said. “In a manner of sitting down and you saying, ‘I think we should get married,’ and him saying, ‘Yes.’”

  Valerie shook her head. “That’s not the way Will and Jake are,” she explained. “They don’t like confrontation. You try that and you’ll never get anywhere.” She lowered her voice. “They’re both very stubborn.”

  “I know,” Kate said. “But I don’t think...”

  Valerie patted her on the arm. “Trust me. I know the Templetons.” She smiled at Kate. “After all, I’m going to be one. And if you play your cards right, so will you.”

  Kate looked at her, appalled. Valerie hadn’t even talked to Will. She just assumed that she knew what was going on.

  Kate looked up and saw Jake crossing the lobby toward her. Of course, she hadn’t talked to Jake, either. And she was running out of time. I’m no better than Valerie, she thought. I’ve got to stop hedging around. Jake would want me to be up-front about this.

  “Jake’s not like that,” she told Valerie.

  “You’ll see,” Valerie said. “They’re all like that.”

  “I’ve got the order forms for Nancy,” Jake said, coming up behind her. “You want to run them down now or wait until this evening?”

  “This evening,” Kate said. She took a deep breath. “We need to talk.”

  “Why?” Jake asked suspiciously.

  Valerie waggled her finger at Kate. “I warned you,” she said and left them to join Will at the desk.

  “Tell me you’re not planning something with Valerie,” Jake said.

  “I’m not planning something with Valerie,” Kate said. “What are we doing here?”

  “We’re standing in the lobby,” Jake said. “Is this some game?”

  Kate stood her ground. “No. You and me. This thing we’re doing. What is it?”

  “This thing?”

  “This relationship,” Kate said.

  Jake groaned and stepped back. “I hate that word.”

  Kate looked over at the desk. Valerie was standing close beside Will, shaking her head at Kate and smiling. Jake’s retreat was obvious from clear across the lobby. “Fine,” Kate said, and turned away.

  Jake caught her arm and turned her back. “Look, this is not the time or place to talk about it.”

  “Fine,” Kate said. “Where and when?”

  “Later,” Jake said, looking around the lobby. “Much later. Someplace else.”

  “I’m going home day after tomorrow,” Kate said.

  Jake jerked his head back to face her. “Saturday?”

  Kate nodded. “My reservation is up Saturday morning. I have to be out of my cabin by noon.”

  Jake looked relieved. “Well, hell, if that’s the problem, move in with me. You practically have already, anyway.”

  “Jake,” Kate said. “I have a job. A career. I can’t play house with you forever.”

  “Is that what you want?” Jake asked. “Forever?”

  Kate stopped for a minute, took a deep breath, and then said, “Yes.”

  “Oh,” Jake said.

  “Thank you,” Kate said, turning away again. “This clears things up nicely.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” Jake grabbed her arm again. “Damn it, stop walking away from me and give me a chance to think.”

  “Haven’t you thought about this at all?” Kate asked him, her anger finally breaking through. “Hasn’t it once occurred to you in this