Almost Home Part 19

"Now, why would I know that? Do I look like the kind of woman who asks a man such private questions?"

"Well..." Again, Katherine had no idea what to say.

Zach finally helped her out. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and stuck it in Veronica's cleavage. "To apologize for my friend's poor choice of words," he said. Then he pulled out another hundred. "Now, I'm guessing a lady such as yourself would probably have heard a few things over the years."

"A few," Veronica admitted, clearly appeased. "But sometimes it's difficult to remember."

Zach pulled out another hundred. "Will this help?"

She tucked the money down her shirt. "Now, you know your daddy never liked any loose ends, Zach. He made sure of that early on."

"That's what I thought."

"So he had a vasectomy?" Katherine asked.

Zach sighed. "Katherine."

"I'm sorry. I didn't get the same script you and Veronica did."

"I like her," Veronica said unexpectedly. "I'm glad she's not your sister." Veronica walked over to the candy display and picked up a package of condoms. "Do you need a room to go with these?"

"He most definitely does not need a room," Katherine said, outraged by the proposition. She stalked to the front door.

"I guess not," Zach said with a dry smile. Veronica took the money out of her cleavage and handed it back to Zach. "You know you don't have to pay me for information, honey. I was just having fun with you."

"I know. But keep it anyway."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Veronica pressed the package into his hand. "I have a feeling you might need these later," she said, eyeing Katherine.

Zach kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks. Take care of yourself."

"You, too, Zachary."

Katherine slammed the door as they left the hotel.

"What's got you so steamed?" Zach asked.

"Do you seriously think I'm going to help you use glow-in-the-dark condoms any time soon?"

Zach started laughing as he looked down at the package in his hand. "Mm-mm, might be interesting."

"That woman is outrageous. And you, you practically buried yourself in her b.r.e.a.s.t.s."

"Jealous, Kat?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't care what you do."

"Well, at least you're not my sister."

"Thank G.o.d."

"Of course, that opens the door to other possibilities," he said with a laugh.

"In your dreams." She climbed into his truck and slammed the door.

Zach got in more slowly and set the condoms on the seat between them.

"You can throw those away," Katherine said.

"I don't think so."

"We're not-"

"Who said anything about you and me?"

She sat back in her seat, feeling as if there were smoke coming out of her ears. She was angry, annoyed, jealous. The thought took her by surprise. She was not jealous. She didn't care what Zach did. His personal life was his personal business.

After a moment, she picked up the package of condoms and placed them in her purse.

Zach sent her a curious look. "What are you going to do with those?"

"Throw them away."

"In your purse?"

"They're disgusting."

"What's really bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me."

"Really? You look pretty hot and bothered to me." Zach leaned over in his seat. "What are you thinking about?"

She was thinking about him and a very vital piece of his anatomy encased in a bright green glow-in-the-dark beanie. She started to smile, then to laugh, breaking the tension between them.

Zach grinned back at her. "I don't want to know."

"Do men actually like those?"

"Beats me. They're not my usual brand."

Her laughter stopped abruptly at the gleam in his eye. "Don't get any ideas. Just because we now have condoms doesn't mean anything."

"The condoms didn't give me any ideas. You did."

"Me?"

"Yes, you, innocent little seductive you."

Katherine felt her heart begin to pound against her chest. "Zach, maybe we should go home."

"My thoughts exactly."

"I mean you to your home and me to the hotel."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

"It sounds safe to me."

"And that's important?"

She thought about his question. "I think so."

"You don't sound sure," he said, but he started the truck and shifted into drive.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore," she replied as they headed down the street. She'd come to Kentucky to find her father, but she seemed to be finding a lot more than that.

Chapter 12.

Katherine felt too unsettled to say anything more, and Zach remained quiet, concentrating on weaving his way through the city traffic. She'd grown up in and traveled through cities far bigger than Louisville, but after having spent the week in Paradise, Katherine felt the streets were now too rushed, too crowded, too noisy. She was ready to go home-to the valley that had stolen her heart. Or was it to the man who had stolen her heart?

She cast a quick glance at Zach, wondering why she was so attracted to him, not just physically but emotionally. He wasn't the kind of man she usually went out with it. Most of her dates had been easygoing, no mood swings, no grumbling, no big obsessions. They'd been average, run-of-the-mill, boring men.

But not Zach. No, he wasn't dull. He had an exciting body, a sharp mind, a dry sense of humor, and a pa.s.sion that drove him. She liked that about him. Winning the Derby was a huge dream. There were so many odds against him-against anyone, for that matter. But he wouldn't quit. He wouldn't let the bad odds or the naysayers change his game plan, shift his dream.

With the exception of her search for her father, she couldn't remember going after anything so determinedly. She'd changed her plans for college when Mitch.e.l.l asked her to go to his alma mater. Her plans to become a florist had transformed into a job at her stepfather's firm. Even her condo had been chosen by her stepmother, and wanting to please, Katherine had gone along with the purchase. How had she ever let all her dreams die so easily?

She wouldn't give up her dream of finding her father. She'd see this one to the end, no matter what she discovered. This time she would go for broke. At least then maybe she could look at herself in the mirror with some sense of pride.

A commercial blared on the radio, and she and Zach both reached for the k.n.o.b at the same time, their fingers colliding, the brief touch setting off another heat wave in the truck.

"I'll get it," Zach said.

Katherine put her hand back in her lap, feeling like she'd gotten her fingers burned. Zach was like a bright burning flame that attracted her and scared her at the same time. Talk about giving up part of yourself to please someone else. She had a feeling Zach would take everything from a woman, and she couldn't let herself get involved with a man like that. Somehow, someway, she had to be independent, to be free, to think for herself and act on her own and pursue a dream that captured her imagination and fired her soul. She wanted to have something to invest herself in, the way Zach had done with Rogue.

Zach fiddled with several stations before shutting off the radio completely, the quiet in the truck enshrouding them in a cloak of intimacy. Katherine felt unnerved by the simple silence and rolled down the window, letting a cool breeze blow through the cab of the truck.

"Warm?" Zach asked.

"A bit." She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, shifted her body, and stretched her arms out in front of herself.

"What's wrong? You're fidgeting more than Rogue."

She couldn't begin to answer that question. Her insides were a tumbling ma.s.s of emotions. She settled for something fairly easy and basic. "Do you think your father will back off?"

"He won't have a choice." Zach didn't sound completely confident, and she wasn't rea.s.sured when she saw his hands clenching the steering wheel.

"Are you going to tell him we saw Veronica?"

"He'll figure it out. She's probably already told him by now."

The man certainly seemed to have quite a communications network. "Well, at least I can cross him off the list. That leaves me with Justin, J.T., Jimmy Callaway ... so far."

"For your sake, I hope it's not J.T."

"What's between the two of you anyway?"

"Stanton Farms has been beating J.T.'s stud farm in just about every area of compet.i.tion."

"So it's a business thing?"

"Not totally."

"Are you going to make me beg for more information?"

He tossed her an irritated look. "You're annoyingly persistent."

"Just answer the question. What's between you and J.T.?"

"Crystal."

It wasn't the answer she'd been expecting, nor was it a topic she thought they'd be discussing. Now that the name had been tossed into the ring, she wasn't quite sure how to proceed, and judging by the scowl on Zach's face, he wasn't happy he'd answered her question.

"Crystal is your ex-fiancee?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes."

He didn't say anything more, and Katherine sighed. "Are you going to explain?"

"Crystal's father, William Macintyre, and J.T. were in business together for many years. Once Crystal and I began seeing each other, she convinced her father to disa.s.sociate himself with J.T. and board his horses with me. It wasn't just a financial blow. It was a personal one as well. J.T. saw it as a betrayal. I would say that my wedding day was probably the happiest day of J.T.'s life."

"Why did Crystal leave you at the altar?"

He checked his rearview mirror, then changed lanes.

"If it's too private, you don't have to tell me," she said.

He sent her a small smile. "As if that would make you drop it."