Page 22 of Hearts Like Hers

But in fairness, it was time to be honestabout what she could, and could not, offer.

* * *

Autumn knocked three times on the door of thedownstairs unit Kate had rented but didn’t have to wait long. Kate opened thedoor in low-slung dark jeans and a red sleeveless top that was form fitting andsleek and showcased a more dressed-up version of Kate that Autumn had yet toencounter. Wow. She took note of the small four-leaf clover on a silver chainaround her neck. She’d seen it on Kate before. The necklace was simple, andbeautiful.

“You look great,” she said, trying for casualas she breezed past Kate into the apartment. It wasn’t her first time insidethe unit she and her friends had nicknamed the Love Boat, but it was the firsttime she’d been inside since Kate had taken residence. Those were Kate’s bookson the coffee table and her groceries in the fridge. Behind that bedroom doorwas where Kate slept. It was as if her presence had overtaken the place forAutumn, making her see it anew. “I see you’ve settled in.”

Kate glanced around. “I have. Yeah. It’s anice apartment. Lucky to have found it.” Autumn was acutely aware of Kate’sgaze as it swept over her form, making her unusually self-conscious.

“What?”

Kate shook her head. “You’re out of your workclothes.” In fact, she was. She’d dashed from the shop early and had taken theround trip to her house in West Hollywood just so she could look nice fortonight. She’d selected a forest green sundress and paired it with a pair offlat, yet overly strappy, brown sandals. She loved the overly strappy part andthe way the leather wound around her ankles.

“I can’t show up in my apron. I have to keepyou on your toes.”

Kate smiled. “You don’t have to work too hardfor that. I promise.” There was a shyness in the way she said it, which onlyperpetuated the intrigue. Kate was steady and sure when it came to her ownflirtations with Autumn but seemed on her heels and, dare she say, nervous whenit came to the effect Autumn might have onher.It was an unusual combination, but one Autumn didn’t mind a bit. The give andtake of the playing field felt wonderfully balanced, not to mention charged tothe hilt.

“Where to tonight?” Kate asked, dipping herhead and flashing those hazel eyes.

“Well, I was thinking. How do you feel aboutstars?” Autumn placed a hand on her hip.

Kate paused. “Celebrities? I’m not sure I knowthat many by name, but I hear LA is full of them.”

“That part is true. But I’m talking about thecelestial kind.”

“Oh. Those I know a lot more about.” Kateseemed to relax at the clarification.

“Perfect, then I know just the place you needto see. Follow me, Lieutenant Carpenter. I’ll drive.”

Half an hour later, they pulled into theparking lot of Griffith Observatory just as the sun snuck from the sky, leavingthe horizon heathered in fading pinks and purples. The property was perchedhigh on a slope of Mount Hollywood in the midst of scenic Griffith Park. Thevantage point offered not only a striking glimpse of the sunset butbreathtaking views of all of Los Angeles below. It really was an excellent spotto introduce Kate to her city and all its too-often-unrealized beauty.

“Oh, wow,” Kate said, staring in awe at thesurrounding landscape. From the perimeter of the property, LA twinkled below inpreparation for the impending nightfall. They approached the railing and lookeddown, taking a moment to just absorb the vast landscape, the lush hillside, andthe City of Angels below. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a view like thisone.”

“Because there’s nothing else like it.”Autumn pointed across the mountain at the pièce de résistance.The air was hazy, but you could still make it out. “Look right through there.See it?”

Kate attempted to follow her gaze. “Not sure.What am I looking for?”

Autumn moved closer, placing her almost cheekto cheek with Kate as she directed her focus. “Right across the top of my hand,in the distance. Do you see it?”

Kate took a quick inhale. “Would you look atthat? It’s the Hollywood sign. In person!”

Autumn laughed quietly, their proximityunbroken. She enjoyed every minute of their crisp crackle of chemistry and theheat that moved from Kate’s body to hers. “It’s saying ‘Hey, welcome to La-LaLand.’”

Kate laughed and straightened, turning herbody toward Autumn but not moving from her space. “That’s amazing. I wonderedif I’d catch a glimpse of it before my stay here ended.”

“No choice. It’s on the mandatory LA visitorlist.” Autumn drank in the gorgeous views all around her, the horizon, the artdeco building capped off with stunning domes behind her, and her even morebeautiful companion right next to her. She decided she liked her evening verymuch. She rested her forearms on the railing and looked out. “I used to come uphere when I was a teenager and think about all of the amazing things I wasgoing to do with my life regardless of what my mother said. Somewhere along theway, I stopped coming. Now I’m wondering why.”

“Your mother was difficult?”

“Big-time. Still is. She qualifies life basedon the two M’s: men and money. Neither of which I found much interest in,leaving her horrified and letting me know it every day.”

“That’s awful.”

Autumn shrugged. “There are worse things inthe world than horrified mothers.”

“I guess so. What about the rest? The hopesand dreams. How did they work out?” Kate asked. “Did you do all the things youplanned for yourself?”

Autumn took a moment with the question asregret snaked up her spine. “I didn’t, actually. I got caught up in theday-to-day grind, no pun intended, and a lot of those dreams fell by thewayside. It’s depressing, honestly.” She looked out over the expanse of hercity and wondered about the future. Her future.

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