Page 77 of Dealing with Kate

“Yes.”

“Well, you forgive people you love. You forgive and forget, and they can regain your trust.”

“That’s deep, Loo.” She chuckled. “Oh, what have I done? He may have loved me yesterday, but he probably hates me now. He saved my life, and I threw him out. Well, I was in the process of throwing him out when you all showed up.”

“Wait,” Lucy said. “He rowed out onto the lake. In an aluminum boat. To save your butt. And you were about to kick him out?” Kate thought Lucy might blow a gasket, but she ignored the questions.

“What should I do? Should I go find him now? It’s after midnight.”

“It’ll keep till morning. Get some sleep and figure out what you’ll say. Then find him first thing tomorrow.”

“Okay. Yeah. Good idea.”

She hung up with Lucy and tried to sleep, but so many thoughts flooded her mind, it remained elusive. He’d offered explanations for his actions and apologized. Some of his excuses were pretty lame—I couldn’t find time to tell you I knew Chuck?—but if it was true he hadn’t hired her just to spy on her dad, and hadn’t known about the billboard…That left the eavesdropping, which his mother basically said she’d coerced him into. He did seem genuinely remorseful over that. Had she overreacted? Been overly sensitive? Could she forgive him? Probably, most likely, and yes!

Lucy called bright and early to say that Adam was at The Drip, hanging with the Three Amigos, and that she’d keep him there as long as she could. Kate slipped on a jacket and some shoes, stopped to buy a print copy of the newspaper, and got to town in record time.

Emma met her on the street just as she was about to enter The Drip. “Kate? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. What do you mean?” Kate asked.

Emma looked her up and down. “You look like you just rolled out of bed,” she said. “Your hair’s a mess, you’re wearing glasses, and what’s that on your feet? Tennis shoes? You’ve also got a little something on your…Oh, never mind. Where’s Luna?”

“Luna?” She blinked hard. “Oh my gosh, Emma. I forgot Luna.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so discombobulated.”

“Is it that bad? The power was still out after my shower, so my hair air-dried all crazy. And I barely slept last night, so my eyes hurt too much for contacts.” She tried to run her fingers through her hair, but they got stuck in the tangles.

“I take it you’ve seen theSunarticle.” Emma said.

Kate nodded. “I wanted to talk to Adam right away. Should I go home and clean up?”

“No. You look fine. It just surprised me, that’s all. I’m sure Adam won’t care.” She opened the door and let Kate precede her into the shop.

Kate made a beeline to Adam. She could feel all eyes on her and heard one of the Three mumble something about a hot mess. Holding up the paper, she asked, “Is this true?”

He stood and shrugged. “All of it. I love you, Kate Parker.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “How?”

He laughed. “I have no idea. I didn’t think I was capable, but you hooked me good. Everything about you. Your persnickety personality, your bossy, sassy attitude, your compulsive tendencies—all of it. Although, judging by the looks of you this morning, you may be willing to let some of that go.” He smiled. “Even all cattywampus, I love you.”

She glanced over to the Three Stooges, who were watching with rapt attention. Kate dug into her purse and pulled out a twenty. “I don’t know who I owe what, but I give. Whoever bet we’d get together wins.” She plopped the money on the table and turned back to Adam.

“I love you too,” she said, jumping into his arms and kissing him.

The coffee shop erupted in cheers, and the Three started passing around money. When Adam and Kate finally broke apart, Gene handed Adam a few bills. “Here’s your cut, son.”

Kate looked at Adam in confusion.

“You may have bet against us, but I knew better.” He winked. “I took the long odds.”

“You won forty bucks?” she asked.

“Oh, I won a whole lot more than that.”

EPILOGUE

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