Page 48 of Breathe
Chapter 18
“I’m sorry?”
Ellen just held herself back from gaping at the woman. She, and everyone she knew, had been brought up to avoid confrontation at all costs, especially with strangers. She wasn’t used to this kind of direct assault.
“All his girlfriends have used him for one thing or another,” Cat said with bite. “What’s your angle?”
It was so unfair, to both her and Kane, that Ellen began to get angry, and when she got angry, she found she was just fine with confrontation, no matter how much she’d wanted Cat to like her.
She drew herself up to her full height and glared at Cat just as hard as the older woman was glaring at her. “Why are you so angry with him?” she shot back. “You know he’s killing himself to keep that company going for you all, don’t you?”
Cat snorted, but her eyes slid away from Ellen’s. “Don’t pretend you care about the company after what you did the other day.”
Ellen had the knife in a death-grip. “Don’t you think,” she started, then realized she was on the verge of pointing it at Cat, and put it down, “that Kane asked me about that?” Shouted my walls down, more like.
“Kane has blinders on around women. I’m sure you ‘persuaded’ him the papers were making it up,” Cat sneered.
Linkin Park was screaming through the headphones. Ellen grabbed the cord and ripped it out of the iPod. Her hands were shaking. The worst part was that she herself had believed the same thing of Kane when she’d met him. “You don’t give him enough credit,” she said, squirming inside. “Or me, come to that.”
Cat shrugged. “I call ’em as I see ’em,” she said, which was a phrase Ellen hated.
“I don’t think you’ve ‘seen’ Kane for quite some time,” she retorted. “And don’t presume you know anything about me.”
The back door opened and everyone piled in, hearing the last of Ellen’s words, seeing the two women at battle positions on either side of the center island. “Oops,” said Megan, and Kane went to Ellen and put an arm protectively around her.
“Welcoming my girl to your home in your usual warm manner, Cat?” he said, and despite Ellen’s anger, a feminine pleasure ran through her at being so described.
Cat didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation in front of witnesses. “Megan, did you set the table yet?” she said.
Kane began to draw Ellen out of the kitchen. “I didn’t finish the—” she began, but perhaps retreat was best.
Kane and Ellen helped Megan with the table; they took apart Kane’s bouquets (leaving Thea’s intact), and Megan made pretty little centerpieces with them. She sent Ellen to the butler’s pantry to find candles, and when she stood up from rummaging in a low cupboard, Kane was right next to her, ready to pull her into his arms. She hugged him back as best she could with her hands full of candles.
“Just ignore Cat,” he said into her ear. “You won’t win.”
“I don’t want to ‘win,’” she said impatiently. “Why does she treat you like this? It’s totally irrational.”
“I’m used to it,” he said, giving her that heartbreakingly sad smile. “She’s had a lot to deal with since Mom died. Taking on the others, and the house... and now Thea’s going to be staying with her until she closes on her new place.”
“You’ve taken care of them too,” she insisted. “Why does she still treat you like you’re a teenager?”
He shrugged. “I dunno. It makes her feel better. Rather she take it out on me than Megan, or her kids.”
She dropped the candles back onto the counter and put her hand up to run it through the hair at his temple. “Everyone’s punching bag, huh?”
He turned his head and kissed her palm. “As long as I’m not yours.” Even the small feeling of his lips on her hand made her tingle. “Well,” he said, his voice lowering, “at least not anymore.”
They were in a very small space. Kane leaned back against the counter, and Ellen pressed against him, the memory of last night still fresh in every nerve, keeping him immobile so she could kiss him. Funny how one kiss from him could erase any worries she had; how all she could think about was his hands on the base of her spine and his thighs against hers.
“Don’t mind me.” Megan’s voice came from somewhere very far away. “I’ll just take these, shall I?” She reached behind Kane to get the candles. “Carry on.” She grinned and disappeared.
Ellen dropped her head onto his shoulder, blushing hard. His chest rumbled in a laugh that turned into a cough.
Ellen frowned at him. “Go back in the family room. I’ll make you a drink.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, grabbing her before she could leave. “Let her have space for a little longer. I’m going to give Thea her flowers.”
Ellen let him go and went into the family room herself, feeling a little at loose ends. But within a few minutes, Kane returned, leading Thea in and setting her up with pillows behind her back and on her lap, to support Benji. He stayed well away from the baby. He started to talk about the game, and Thea began to come out of herself; she obviously knew her football. Ellen let their words wash over her. Sitting on this giant couch with Kane and his family surrounding her, even with Cat radiating hate through walls, she could stay here forever.
