“I talked to Izzy.” He nodded and sat down and picked up the first file. “She said you and that girl are done. I suppose you think you’re doing her a favor by leaving her.”
“We are. And I am. Do you have a stack of these I could work on for a while? I’m not ready to go back to the hotel.” The files were moved away from him, and he looked at Ray. “I don’t want to do this right now. I’m sort of…I’m a little raw.”
“Yeah, being in love will do that to you.” He only nodded. “So you finally figured it out, did you? That you love her? Took you fucking long enough. What did she say when you told her?”
“I didn’t tell her anything. What would be the point? I’m no good to her any more than I am to myself.” He reached for a file and it was moved again. “Look, you can tell me how you were right all along. How much of a bastard I was, compare me to my father. I’ve certainly done enough of that today. But right now I’m in no mood for you to do it. Tomorrow will be better.”
“You’ll never be ready for someone to tell you that you’re making the biggest mistake of your life by letting her go.” The files flopped down in front of him, but he was jerked from the chair by Ray pulling him up by his shirt front. “But you ever compare yourself to that fucking murderer again and I will take a switch to your ass. Do you understand me?”
Steele nodded. He was a grown man and all he wanted to do was to be held while he cried his eyes out. Ray pulled him to him, held him tightly until Steele felt the walls come down. He hung to the man, clung to him like he was his only hope of surviving as he sobbed out his misery. And right now, he felt like he was drowning in it. When he was finished, he was handed a box of tissues and left alone. Steele felt like he’d been given a great gift only to have had it snatched away.
“Oh Aster, what am I going to do now?”
Chapter 6
There was really no reason for her to go back to the house. She had all her things; she’d even brought her backpack. It was empty, of course, but it was rolled up in her bag. But she had the driver take her there. She wanted to say good-bye to Izzy.
“He called me to tell me you were leaving. Do you have a place to go?” She didn’t but nodded. “Don’t lie to me, child. I need to know you’re going to have a roof over your head. And that you’re not going back to that hell hole they found you in.”
“I don’t.” Izzy nodded and handed her an envelope. Kari opened it and put it back on the table when Izzy wouldn’t take it back. “I can’t take this from you. I wouldn’t let him give me anything, and I won’t you either.”
“You’ll need a first month’s rent and deposit. I know you don’t have it. And Steele will never know.” She nodded and looked at the envelope. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you, darling?”
“Yes.” She didn’t look at her as she continued. “I know that I’m not his type. I’m nobody’s type really. I’m a girl that was left on the side of a road that nobody wanted. I know now that my parents are dead, but nothing more. I’m also a panther. Who the hell wants a panther as a mate?”
“I would imagine that Steele wouldn’t mind if you were a snake. He’s in love with you too.” Kari said nothing. “You don’t believe me. You don’t have to tell me you don’t. I see it all over your face. You don’t think anyone would love you. Why?”
“I don’t believe in much of anything right now. I just needed to come and tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for me. I don’t know where I’ll be, but I’ll think of you often.” Izzy wiped at her face, and Kari felt her own tears fall. “No one has been nice to me like you have been. I don’t know what I would have done without you here all this time.”
“Don’t go, Kari. He’ll come back here and the two of you can work it out.” She shook her head and stood up, the envelope still on the table. “You’re not going to take this, are you? You’re going to make an old woman worry.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a cat, remember? And we always land on our feet.” She failed miserably at her attempt of a joke. Kari moved toward the door and turned back. “Thank you so much for everything.”
Kari wanted to walk through the woods again, just once more to see the yard and maybe have a quick run one more time. She set her things near the garage out of the way and made her way to the little cemetery. She’d been there twice since the first time and felt comforted by it for some reason. As soon as she entered the little gate, she knew something was different. And she nearly left but for the pull she felt to the stranger’s headstone. William J. Pike.
“I will show you myself if you’d not have a hysteric.” Kari moved back from the headstone and looked around. “It’s me, child, Billy Pike.”