My hand jerked involuntarily.
“Ow!” He pulled out of the handshake.
“Sorry.”
Bear shook out his hand. “No problem. Listen, I’m really glad this isn’t going to be a problem for you because I am in serious lust.”
“You know she’s still married, right?”
“I can work with that. She’s in the process of a divorce, so I’m in the clear, ethically speaking. Hell, this works to my advantage. If he’s been an asshole, she’ll be more receptive to kindness and compliments. I can work with that, too. I kissed her goodnight, and she all but melted in my arms. Trust me, I’ll be hitting that very soon.”
I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t thinking. One minute, I was standing there, listening to Bear, and the next, my fist was in his face. I never made a conscious decision to punch him. My fist was working on its own.
Bear staggered back a couple of steps—tough bastard—rubbing his jaw. “What the?—”
“Leave her alone.” Enraged, it took all my self-control not to punch him again.
“What is with you? I’m supposed to keep my hands off her just because you had a crush on her when you were ten? Screw that. You don’t date. I do. And I cannot wait to sink into that one.”
I was very close to beating him. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this angry. I shook out my arms and turned my back on him, leaving before I did something that’d get me arrested. “Don’t talk about her like that. And leave her alone!”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, but thanks for stopping by, Chief.”
As I slammed the front door, I heard him laughing. Bastard.
It was a testament to how much Katie messed with my head that it wasn’t until I made it back to my office and slammed the door that I realized Bear had just been baiting me. Damn. I had it bad. And Bear knew.
I tried to put Bear, Katie, and that punch out of my mind so I could work, but I kept hitting a wall, a Katie-shaped wall. The attraction was still there, but that was all it was. I barely knew Katie, then or now.
I needed to get my head screwed back on right. I wouldn’t go down that road again. All I had to do was think about those people who’d come to town for the wedding, staring at me with sympathetic eyes, to put it back in perspective. No more damn rings and caterers, designer dresses and reception halls. It was bullshit, and I’d already been burned once. Katie wasn’t mine and never would be. If it wasn’t Bear, it would be someone else, and as much as I hated to admit it, Bear was a good man who would treat her well.
Until I could think about dating a woman without breaking out in a cold sweat, I had no business starting anything. Maybe someday I’d be ready for another woman in my life, but it wasn’t now. Of course, by the time I was ready, Katie would probably be married to Bear, with a couple of kids. The thought made my chest ache.
Chapter Twelve
Kate
I walked up and down Main, looking for a job. Any job. It was the off-season for Bar Harbor. Every place I tried told me to come back in the late spring, when they’d be hiring and training for summer. How the hell would I survive for seven months with no job?
Mom’s check arrived by FedEx’s one-day delivery, thank goodness. I cashed it immediately. I’d planned on opening a bank account with it, but I wanted to be able to do that with Gallagher as my last name, not Cady. The woman at the bank was kind enough to tell me where I had to go to file the paperwork for my name change. I also figured it would be good to contact my lawyer again—maybe she could expedite the process.
I stopped at a small bookstore that was bursting at the seams. Everywhere I looked, there were books shelved and displayed. The narrow walkways had people browsing, which I took as a good sign. Maybe books were a steady, year-round business.
I went straight to the counter where a lovely, middle-aged Black woman sat on a stool, going through what looked like a book catalogue. She wore a burnt orange sweater, and her reading glasses were on a glass bead chain in rust, brown, orange, and gold. She was autumn personified.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” I tried to look my most responsible and trustworthy.
She glanced up. “Hello, dear. Can I help you?”
I kept my voice low. “Yes, ma’am. Are you by any chance hiring?” I tried to keep the desperation out of my voice, but judging by her expression, I don’t think I managed it.
She gave me a sad smile. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid you’re going to have a hard time finding a job around here at this time of year.”
I nodded. “That’s what I hear.”
“You might try the Bar Harbor Inn,” she suggested. “Sometimes they’re looking for housekeeping.”
“I appreciate the suggestion. I’ll try there.” I gave a little wave and walked out. Well, I did know how to clean. I continued down the street, looking in shop windows.
