He was immediately concerned and wondered if something else (something terrible?) had happened with Rosie. Hell, how much more could one woman take?
Trying to put on a smile and keep the worry off his face, he opened the door for her, struck again by how fragile she looked, and how tired.
She had definitely lost some weight since he first met her back in April, and her clothes had now started to hang on her limply. He knew that she was unaccountably stressed about all that was to come, and now he had the overwhelming desire to pull her close, give her a hug and insist that she eat a big meal.
Not for the first time, Declan wished he could snap his fingers and make all of this go away so that Kate’s life (and Rosie’s) could return to normal.
And then he had the guilty thought that if that were possible, he would never have met her.
Momentarily shaken by the flood of confusion he was feeling, Declan found himself relieved when Kate spoke, interrupting his internal dialogue.
“Hey there,” she said with a weary voice, “I could have come to the office—I was just in Glencree. You didn’t have to come all the way over here; I’m sure you’re busy.”
“Well, you happen to be a very important client,” he said, teasing her a bit, which earned him a small smile. He hoped that his tone might lighten the mood. “Here, let me help you with the groceries,” he offered, heading to the back of the Astra. “And good on you for taking my suggestion.” He loaded up his arms with bags and refused Kate’s help. “No worries. You go ahead and unlock the door. I think I’d need to have my man card revoked if I couldn’t carry a few measly bags from the car.”
Pleased to hear her chuckle, he followed her dutifully into the house. Kate went about opening doors through to the kitchen and Declan hoisted the bags, placing them somewhat clumsily on the countertop.
She started rifling through the shopping and then suddenly paused. “Declan, I have to tell you something.”
He had been about to help her empty out some of the shopping, but stopped to meet her gaze. Something in her tone indicated that she was about to give him some bad news.
“I ran into Madeleine Cooper,” she blurted. “And I tried to talk to her.”
Declan felt his stomach drop ever so slightly. So far, there had been no major missteps with this case on their side. No embarrassments, no talking out of turn, no public faux pas. Unlike the Coopers, who had been at the helm of many.
However, he vowed to remain levelheaded and simply asked Kate to tell him what had happened. When she’d finished, he nodded thoughtfully.
OK, so it wasn’t the best thing to have happened, but it wasn’t the end of the world, either. Kate was seriously beating herself up about the situation, though, and he didn’t want her being hard on herself. There was no point.
“Did anyone happen to see the exchange?” Granted there was no gag rule when it came to plaintiffs and defendants talking to each other in public, it was just something he wouldn’t necessarily recommend in the midst of pending proceedings.
Kate nodded. “Just Christine.”
Declan looked perplexed. “My cousin?”
“One and the same.”
Sighing heavily, he couldn’t resist a smirk. “Is there ever a situation that Christineisn’tinvolved in?”
Kate chuckled, but there was something a bit hysterical about her laughter, and Declan chalked it up to feeling overextended and worn-out.
All of a sudden then, her stomach released a loud gurgle, causing them both to stop and look at each other—only to resume their laughter a moment later.
“All right, seriously, Kate, you need to eat. Your stomach is begging for some attention.” He poked through the remainder of the bags on the counter and seemed to decide on a course of action. After removing several items, he pointed to his client. “Now, you just sit. Leave this to me.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, amazement in her voice as she watched him remove his suit jacket and begin rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. He reached up around his neck to loosen his tie and then eagerly rubbed his hands together.
“It’s not what I think I’m doing, Kate. It’s what I am doing. I’m cooking you lunch—a proper meal—and I’m going to sit here and watch you eat all of it. OK?”
She grabbed a stool at the countertop and crossed her hands in front of herself dutifully. “I assume I’m being billed for this?” she asked sweetly.
Declan, who had since located where Kate stored her pots and pans, turned back to her with a twinkle in his eye. “Jokes. She’s making jokes now,” he said. “Very funny, Ms. O’Hara.” He put a saucepan on the stovetop and then began opening up more cabinets.
He saw her cast a quick glance over what ingredients he had arranged on the counter. “I’m assuming you are making spaghetti, which means you are going to have to eat it with me, because no one only makes a single serving of spaghetti. And if you are looking for the chopping board, move two cabinets down. Toward the back.”
Following her instructions, he mouthed a silentThank you.“My own kitchen isn’t quite as complex,” he admitted.
“Well, you are a bachelor, don’t forget.” Kate smiled, relaxing a little.
