Read Online Katia's Promise by Catherine Lanigan - Free Book Online Page A

and chutzpah, you would have walked right up to her and asked.”
    Austin glared at Daisy. There were times when Daisy’s bossiness was cute and almost welcome. But at this moment, as he struggled with painful memories, Daisy’s practical, take-charge pep talk was annoying. “So you recognized her?”
    She shook her head. “I never saw her before today. But I know about her. You and your mom told me. After that reaction of yours, I figured it out for myself.” She put her hand on her hip. “As if I would call the cops. That’s your answer for everything. The trash man is late. There’s a Jehovah’s Witness at the door. The pool man didn’t show up. ‘Daisy, call the cops!’ If I had a nickel...”
    He stuck his hands into his pants’ pockets. “I’m pretty predictable, aren’t I?”
    “Down to the minute. I like that about you.” She smiled fondly.
    “I just wish I knew what she was doing here. How did she get in? Did you see her come in?”
    Daisy shrugged. “I didn’t see half of them. Once I opened the door, it seemed to be a steady stream of folks. I don’t know very many of them, except the mayor—I voted for her. Miss Crenshaw and Maddie. Katia seems to know them pretty well.”
    “Really? They’re much younger than Katia. I doubt she would have known them from school. Do you think Katia has been friends with them long?”
    “I couldn’t tell you, but they seemed awfully close, chatting during lunch and all.” She studied Austin. “Aren’t you curious where Katia’s been since she left?”
    He raked a hand through his hair. “You bet I am. And that is the first question I’m going to ask her. Among a thousand—”
    “Chicago.”
    “What?”
    “She’s been living in Chicago. At least until now. She’ll be living here in Indian Lake soon, so you can ask her all the questions you want.”
    Austin was aghast. How was it possible that his housekeeper, who had never met Katia before today, already knew more about her than he did? Austin chided himself. Daisy was right. If he’d had the pluck to face Katia down, he would have found out all these things and possibly more. But he’d retreated; at least, that was what it would look like to Katia and the rest of the townspeople.
    There goes Austin McCreary, slipping into his shell again
.
    For years, Austin had used his reputation as a recluse to serve his own purposes. Austin didn’t like people poking into his business or his personal life and asking a lot of questions he didn’t want to answer.
    The underlying problem was that Austin himself didn’t have the one answer he needed. Had Katia ever loved him, and if she had, why would she have left?
    Austin felt that his adult life had begun that day at LaGuardia. He’d been abandoned, and he’d felt adrift all this time. She’d left a dull ache in his heart that had never completely gone away. It was his pain that told him he’d found true love with Katia. She hadn’t been just a high school romance. What they’d had was real and he knew he’d never find it with anyone else.
    He didn’t know how to respond to the simplest questions, the kind people ask at parties and gatherings, because they always brought back memories of Katia and the plans they’d made for a future together. “Are you married? Do you have children? How’s your business?”
    Though he replied with platitudes, the true answers were troubling, even to him. “I’m not married. She left me. I don’t want children except with Katia, but I can’t forgive her for leaving me. I hate my business. Running my father’s company is boring and unfulfilling.”
    In truth, Austin felt as if he was sleepwalking through his life. Being numb to his heartbreak was his only coping skill.
    But today, Katia had come back. He had to give her credit. She didn’t slink around town, find a place to live, get a job or whatever it was she was here for and then let him find out she was in town. She’d rushed right in.
    She’d come