Leo stared off at nothing in particular as that familiar burning sensation threatened behind his eyes. “I don’t know if I can. She was it, Reese. Her soul connected with mine on a level I’ve never experienced before.”
“Then you have to find a way.”
Leo’s eyes cut to his brother where he still sat on the edge of the bed. He looked tired. Happy, but tired.
Were Leo’s own decisions wearing on his brother, too?
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Reese shrugged. “Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Sometimes things aren’t as they first appear to be. Jane says the wedding date hasn’t been set. She thinks Kat is dragging her feet on the whole thing, and who could blame her?”
Dragging her feet.
Did that mean Leo still had a chance?
He gripped the back of his neck and stared up at the ceiling. “I’ve tried, Reese,” he whispered. “She won’t take my calls. She screens everything with this area code except Jane’s number and she’s no help at all. I thought we were supposed to help out our family.”
Reese chuckled but sobered the second Leo leveled him with another scowl. “Look, all I’m saying is that until she’s married, you still have a shot. Things have cooled down. Maybe Noah would let you use his plane to head out to New York and plead your case again. Who knows? Maybe Kat is just as miserable as you. And if that’s the case, I can’t think of a single father who wouldn’t want to help his daughter find happiness even if that meant letting her live a life halfway across the country.”
“Really?” Leo didn’t want to hope. He didn’t want to feel the warmth of it curl around his heart and offer him anything he couldn’t reach out and grasp onto tightly.
“Really.” Reese sighed as he got to his feet. “Just because she’s avoiding your calls doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to talk. Take it from me. She might very much want to talk but she doesn’t know how to tell you that she’s feeling just as lost as you are.”
Leo scoffed. “Serenity has sure turned you soft.”
His brother grinned. “Serenity has given me everything I could have ever wanted out of this life. I’d be nothing without her. And if that’s how you feel about Kat, then I suggest you stop moping around and start making a plan. Nothing is impossible.”
Leo waited until his brother had shut the door behind him before he reached for his phone again. He considered sending Kat another message then thought better of it. Reese was right. He needed a plan—a good one. He knew men like Mr. Jerris. The guy thrived on the power he had. Leo just needed to get through to him in order to have a chance with his daughter.
He just hoped that he wouldn’t be too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Kat stared at the calendar.She wasn’t sure how long she’d been zoning out, but by the time a call rang through on her office phone, she was out of sorts.
She wasn’t sure what triggered the memory. There was no telling how it managed to pop up out of nowhere. One year ago today, she’d met Leo Chambers for the first time. She could recall the day so clearly it was like she was reliving it.
Snatching the phone from the cradle, she cleared her throat. “Kat Jerris speaking.”
“Kat! Oh, good, I caught you.” Jane’s voice was unmistakable. Was it Kat’s imagination? Or did she sound nervous?
“Is this about the therapy center? Is something wrong?”
“No. And yes. I think.” She made a disgruntled noise and her voice was muffled as she spoke to someone else, but Kat could still make out the words. “I can’t believe you let him do that.”
The man she was speaking to was harder to understand. The only clipped words Kat could understand were ‘didn’t know’ and ‘idiot’.
“Jane? What’s going on?”
The woman on the other end of the phone blew out an exasperated breath. “I’m so sorry Kat. This is all Noah’s fault. I wanted to take care of this without involving you, but honestly, I think it’s best if you know.”
Kat could feel her own frustration growing at this point. “Well, spit it out already.” She had too much going on today to have to deal with cryptic statements like the ones Jane was offering her. That moderate headache that had started in the back of her skull was morphing into something much larger and out of control. She had to remind herself to remain calm for the sake of her business reputation. “Whatever it is,” she said evenly, “I’m sure we can handle it.”
There was a pregnant pause. Jane was clearly less willing to believe Kat at this point.
“What’s going on, Jane?” Kat attempted again.
“It’s Leo.”
