The Contract (The Contract 1)

“I see why my Katy is so taken with you, Richard.”

“Is she now? Well, I am a charmer.” I smirked down at her, relieved.

She pursed her lips. “I think there is more there than that.”

Ignoring her words, I stayed until she fell asleep. I left somewhat calmer. I could imagine if it upset me when she didn’t know my face, how much it must affect Katharine.

It struck me odd I should be worried about that. Nevertheless, I was. I decided I needed to start tagging along for more visits with Katharine, as well as going to some on my own.

I turned back to the file in front of me. The Kenner Footwear campaign I had pitched to Graham had been met with huge enthusiasm by the client, and I was still working up all the different concepts. I rubbed my temple, wishing I could concentrate more. When I spoke with him on the phone earlier, Graham had told me to cut out early, and I closed the file, shutting down my laptop. Maybe I would take him up on his offer. I could go home and see what changes had occurred today—see what my wife was up to.

My wife.

Katharine.

Somehow, since we had exchanged vows, we had come to an unspoken truce. The things I always found annoying, no longer bothered me. Maybe it was because I understood where they came from. Maybe I was more patient because she understood me.

Between our talks, Penny, yoga, paint chips, dinners and games, we had become . . . allies. Maybe even friends. We had a common goal, and instead of fighting and pulling, we had almost settled into a life, together. I knew my tongue wasn’t as sharp. What before was nasty, now became teasing. I liked hearing her laugh. I looked forward to sharing my day with her. When she felt sad about a bad day with Penny, I wanted to cheer her up. I had taken her out to dinner a few times, simply to have her dress up and enjoy herself.

I found myself wanting to be affectionate with her. It felt natural to hold her hand, drop a kiss to her brow, or brush a caress over her lips—and not always when we were in public. She often pressed a kiss to my head when heading upstairs, and there were times I slipped my arms around her for a hug or dragged my lips over her soft cheek in thanks for dinner or to say goodnight. They were actions without thought—all simply a part of being with her now.

Maybe tonight, I’d surprise her. Offer to take her out if she wanted. We could drop by, visit Penny, and take her some decadent treat she loved—or we could order in. Afterward, I could relax, she could watch one of the shows she liked, or we could watch a movie. Maybe a quiet night would help ease my head.

I’d ask her what she wanted.

I still liked seeing the surprise and confusion cross her face when I offered her the choice.I opened the door, hearing voices. I recognized them both, and smirked. Jenna was over—again.

“Katharine, sweetheart!”

Hurried footsteps headed my way and she came around the corner. She looked unusually frazzled. I was used to seeing her calm and was surprised when she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me close.

“Are you okay?” I murmured into her ear.

“Jenna is frightened of storms—Adrian is away. She asked if she could stay here until the storms break.”

The warning behind her words hit me.

“Your room?” I asked, worried.

“Yes.”

I drew back. “Is it . . . ?”

“All ready, yes.”

“Okay.”

“I–I didn’t—” she floundered.

“It’s fine.”

I walked ahead of her, pulling her behind me. “Hey, Jenna.”

The woman I was used to seeing flitting around, enthusiastic and vibrant, was curled into the corner of my sofa, looking anything but vibrant. She was pale and looked scared to death.

“I’m sorry, Richard. Storms terrify me. With both my parents and Adrian away, I didn’t know what else to do. The house is so big when he’s gone.”

I sat beside her and patted her leg awkwardly. “It’s fine. I’m glad you came.”

“Katy said you had no plans I’m interrupting?”

“No. In fact, I have a headache. I was looking forward to a peaceful night at home. We’ll sit it out together, okay?”

She clasped my hand with her shaky one. “Thank you.”

I stood up. “No problem. I’m going to change and grab a shower.”

“I’ll bring you some Tylenol,” Katharine offered. “You’re rather pale, Richard. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“It’ll pass. I may grab a nap.”

“I’ll bring a cold compress, too.”

I went past her, stopping to drop a grateful kiss to her head. “Thank you—that will help.”

Upstairs, I peeked in her room, not having looked while she was redoing it. There had been some delays with the furniture she ordered, so the room took longer than she had planned, only being finished this week. There was a bag on the floor I assumed was Jenna’s. The room was complete, looking like what Jenna would think was a guest room. Empty. None of Katharine’s personal possessions were scattered around. She had added a bookshelf and unpacked her few boxes, the knickknacks and books filled the shelves. A new chaise lounge sat in the corner, a small table, and lamp beside it. Some of Penny’s watercolors adorned the walls. I pulled open the dresser drawers and closet, seeing they were empty, aside from a couple of boxes stored in the closet. The bed was made up with the new linens she had bought. It was staged well.