Family Man

stuff is good. A dog wouldn't lie about a thing like that.”

    At ten o'clock that evening Luke made his last move on the chess board and reluctantly got to his feet. He looked at Katy, who was sprawled on the couch with a cookbook. “Guess I'd better be on my way.”
    She put down her cookbook and stood up quickly. Her eyes searched his. “Yes. Well, thanks for sampling the new pesto sauce. I'll see you in the morning.”
    Luke gazed at her, all too aware of the sensual hunger gnawing at his gut. “Right. See you in the morning.” He leaned down and kissed her right on her soft, unsuspecting mouth.
    He heard her tiny gasp and saw her glance quickly at Matt. Did she really think he was going to pretend there was nothing between them just because her brother happened to be in the room? Luke wondered. He was willing to honor her wishes to be discreet, but Katy might as well learn that he had no intention of hiding their relationship.
    Before she could recover, Luke was halfway to the door. “Come on, Zeke. Time to go home.”
    Zeke rolled to his feet, picked up his dish, and trotted to the door.
    Matt stood up suddenly, his gaze shifting from Katy's flushed face to Luke's. “I'll walk with you partway,” he said. “I feel like some exercise.”
    Luke held open the door. He had a hunch he knew what was coming. “All right.”
    Katy came to the door. Her cheeks were bright with warm color, and her eyes were anxious. Luke gently closed the door in her face.
    Matt was silent for a long moment as they walked toward Luke's cottage. Luke said nothing, giving the boy time to gather his thoughts.
    “I've been wondering if you and Katy are like—well, you know—interested in each other,” Matt finally said.
    “Yes,” Luke said calmly. “We are.”
    There was a short, tense pause. “No offense, but you aren't exactly her type. Know what I mean?”
    “No.”
    Matt did not seem to know quite how to handle that roadblock. “Well, it's just that she thinks Gilchrists are sort of difficult.”
    “Your sister can be as difficult as any Gilchrist.”
    Matt digested that and tried a new tack. “Look, I don't want her to get hurt again, okay? It was bad enough when that Atwood jerk dumped her to marry Eden. It wasn't that I thought Atwood was good for Katy. He wasn't. I never did like him. But Eden didn't even say she was sorry or anything.”
    “You're trying to tell me that you don't trust anyone with the last name of Gilchrist?”
    Matt hesitated. “I didn't mean that exactly.”
    Luke came to a halt and turned to face Matt in the cold moonlight. He could see the earnest concern in the younger man's expression, and he understood. “It's all right, Matt. I'll take care of her.”
    Matt studied him closely for a long moment. Whatever he saw in Luke's face apparently satisfied him. “Okay. I just wanted to be sure, you know? I mean, she's my sister.”
    “I know. Good night, Matt.”
    “Good night.”
    Luke turned and walked on toward the lights of his cottage. Zeke paced beside him to the front door. Luke let himself inside and went to stand at the window overlooking the darkened ocean.
    He knew that he had just given Matt a promise and a guarantee. Promises and guarantees were commitments that extended into the future.
    The future . Once again he was being wrenched out of the safe, comfortable present and forced to look ahead.
    He realized as he gazed out into the night that although he still did not have a clear vision of his own future, he knew now that Katy Wade was very much a part of it.
    She alone gave it whatever form or substance it held for him.

CHAPTER

TWELVE
    T he phone rang just as Katy was getting ready to leave the cottage to walk to the mansion. She glanced outside, noticed it was raining, and grabbed the receiver and an umbrella at the same time.
    “Katy?” Maureen's voice sounded heavy with undertones of doom and despair.
    “What's wrong, Maureen?” Katy put down the umbrella. Something told her this was not going to be a quick call.
    “I've discovered for certain that Eden is seeing Nate Atwood again.”
    “Oh, no. How did you find out?”
    “A client saw her with him. She asked me if they were reconciling. Katy, you have to do something. Justine will never tolerate this. And we both know he'll only hurt Eden again. You have got to stop him.”
    Katy sank slowly down onto the arm of the sofa. She massaged her temple, trying to think quickly. Gilchrists frequently went off