Something Blue

Chapter 24

Katherine

"So..."

Katherine felt heat scorch her cheeks and spread into her ears and down her neck. She kept her eyes on the potatoes she was chopping, refusing to turn and look Melissa in the eye.

"So, what?"

"So... don't act like I didn't just walk in on you trying to climb in that man's body through his mouth."

"Melissa!" she shot a glare over her shoulder and jerked her head pointedly toward the open doorway. Only a few walls away, Gabe was settled in his armchair with Isobel in his lap. She could hear the low rumble of his voice as he read, interspersed by the high-pitched chatter of the little girl's perpetual interrogative. If she could hear them, no doubt they could hear her, and hear Melissa's inappropriate comments.

"Oh, relax. They're distracted." Nonetheless, Melissa lowered her voice and moved a little closer, abandoning her bushel of half-chopped carrots to learn back against the table by Katherine's workspace. "Come on, now. You don't have to share all the little details. Just tell me the basics."

"The basics of what?" Katherine hissed.

"You kissed him, Katie! You're telling me you don't want to talk about it? You kissed him! You kissed Gabriel Townsend."

"I know who I kissed, Mel," she grumbled.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, how was it?"

Katherine studied her potatoes, thinking. Her reflex response, of course, was to tell her nosey friend that it was none of her darned business. But in truth she did feel a childish urge to talk in hushed tones and express all the nuances of her rapture. All this strange, giddy triumph was filling her chest, the pressure building until she wanted to run outside and scream into the wind, yelling her triumph to the clouds.

"As perfect as it ever was," she said quietly, unable to stop the smile from tugging at her lips.

Melissa gasped. "I knew it," she said, smacking her palm lightly against the edge of the table. "That old liar Josh said you were just friends when we were children, but I always knew better. You were running around with him?"

"Somewhat. Not that it was anything really indecent back then. Just kisses here and there, and silly plans for the future," Katherine agreed, unable to stifle the wistfulness of her tone. Things had seemed so simple, then. Before Jacob. Before Isobel.

As if hearing her thoughts, Melissa sighed. "I know it's none of my business, but... I couldn't help but notice Isobel's got real pretty eyes. They're a really distinct color..." She trailed off suggestively, and Katherine swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. She was sure the Tuckers had all guessed, but none had given voice to their suspicions and she was grateful for it. She felt as if Jacob would somehow hear if she said it out loud. Even when Gabe had asked, she hadn't said the words.

"Don't say it," she pleaded, closing her eyes.

"Okay, I won't," Melissa agreed, gently nudging Katherine's arm. "But Katherine... that kiss." Her voice turned a little wistful. "It kind of made me wish I had some forbidden paramour of my own. Or any pramour," she said dryly.

"You could have a hundred paramours if you'd just lower your impossible standards," Katherine said, grateful for the change of subject. Her friend had always been picky about the men who came calling, and had staunchly refused to set aside her dreams and independence for the sake of marriage and family. As far as Katherine knew, there was only one man she had ever set her hopes on, and he had proven stupid enough to lack interest.