Kate's Vow (Vows) by Sherryl Woods

Author:Sherryl Woods [Woods, Sherryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460340080
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

So much for that exhilarating mood she’d been in when she’d left David, Kate thought regretfully. She stifled a groan and plastered a welcoming smile on her face instead.

“Hello, Mother,” she said, dropping a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Brandon. You look terrific, but what on earth are you two doing here? Last I heard you were headed for Florence or Paris or someplace.”

Brandon shrugged, his sharp gaze studying her intently. Kate detected no anger in the look, just worry.

“Your mother seemed to feel we were needed here,” he explained.

“But why?” Kate asked guiltily. “We just talked, a little over a week ago. Everything’s fine here.”

“No, it is not,” her mother said. Those blue eyes of hers sparked indignantly. “You and Ellen are on the outs, and I want to know why.”

Kate regarded her with dismay. “She called and told you that? Why would she deliberately set out to ruin your honeymoon?”

“She didn’t deliberately set out to do anything. I called. She was upset. Penny got on the phone and with some urging on my part, she finally explained why. I had no idea you and Ellen were quarreling, and over my marriage of all things.”

Kate poured herself a stiff drink, then glanced at them. “Want one?”

Brandon shook his head and looked at her mother. “Lizzy?”

“No,” she said impatiently. “I want to know what is going on between my daughters.”

When Kate remained stonily silent, Brandon stood up and walked over to where she was staring out the window, her back to the room. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them away, praying he wouldn’t see them. As much as she wanted to dislike Brandon Halloran, it seemed he wasn’t going to let her.

“Kate, you know I’d do anything in the world to make your mother happy, but this is one thing I can’t do. You’re the only one who can tell her what’s wrong and what we can do to help. I hope you will,” he said so gently and with such genuine compassion that Kate felt like a spoiled brat for hurting them. How had she allowed things to get so out of hand? Had she secretly wanted her mother to come home as proof she still cared? Lord, she hoped she wasn’t that selfish.

She sensed that Brandon had gone back to her mother’s side, heard a low murmur of conversation and then the sound of her front door closing.

“Darling,” her mother said quietly.

Kate turned and saw the look of anguish on her mother’s face. She saw something else as well: understanding.

“Darling, I know you’re feeling left out,” she said, proving that with a mother’s intuition she had guessed what was at the root of Kate’s uncharacteristic behavior. It also explained why she had turned up here, rather than at Ellen’s. “What can I do to show you that you are still very much a part of my life and of this family?”

Tears spilled freely down Kate’s cheeks.

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