“Hey, Jack. Jessie told me you were coming back.”

Katie looked at Monica with wide eyes. She shook her head and mouthed the words I’m not here.

“Ah, huh? Yeah.”

She listened to one side of the conversation and fished her cell phone out of her purse. Sure enough, there was a missed call from Jack’s cell.

“Ah, no. She’s not here. I told her she could stay here to keep out of your hair, but I haven’t seen her.”

Oh, good. Monica remembered to keep the men guessing about where Katie was staying. The last thing they needed was Jack or Dean showing up at Monica’s.

Monica and Jack chatted for a few minutes before she hung up.

“Now you have your brother and Dean checking up on you. This is gonna get sticky in a heartbeat,” Monica pledged.

“In college I dated three guys and one of my teachers and none knew about the other. I can handle two.”

“That’s because three of them were probably dating your roommate.”

“Probably.”

“A teacher…really?”

“He was super hot and fresh out of college himself.”

“Can’t complain about überhot.”

“What about you, Monica? How come you’re not dating? There’s got to be some hot doctors at the hospital.”

Monica curled her legs under her on the couch. It was late and they were watching a sitcom and eating popcorn. Savannah was awake and playful…sucking on her fist.

“I’m not all that interested. I don’t mind some hot, meaningless sex once in a while. But relationships? Naw. Not for me.”

“Not even a date?”

“Dating is harder than sex.”

She couldn’t dispute that.

“And before you ask…no. There wasn’t someone who screwed up men for me.”

“Oh, then what did? I know you don’t like girls.”

Monica tossed back her head and laughed.

Savannah jumped.

“Maybe I do.”

“Oh, hon…if you were into women, you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off this.” Katie ran a hand down the castoff T-shirt she’d borrowed from Monica’s closet after Savannah had spit up half her dinner. There were bags under her eyes for the first time in ever and she could use a trip to the salon. She looked like hell.

“You’re one confident broad.”

“Yes, I am.” They both laughed. “Really, why swear off men?”

“Have you met my mom?”

“You know I have.”

“We don’t get along. She’s dragged one man after the other into our lives. She’s never happy unless she’s shacking up with someone to give her life meaning.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way with you.”

“I know. The way I figure it…if you don’t get close, they can’t screw you up. I need to take care of myself financially and emotionally. I don’t want a man messing that up for me.”

“It doesn’t have to be that bleak.”

“Oh, yeah…have you forgotten our earlier conversation? If Dean were just a booty call, as you put it, then you wouldn’t be torn right now. It’s a problem because you care. I choose not to care. People at work are starting to call me the Ice Queen. I figure, what the hell, I’ll go with it.”

“Careful, Monica. That’s the path to being alone with a house full of cats when you’re seventy.”

“No, that means I’m in the red hat club with weekends in Vegas.”

Katie picked up a rattle and wiggled it in front of Savannah’s face. “What about kids?”

“I’m too young for my biological clock to tick.”

“Doesn’t mean it won’t…someday.”

“Someday isn’t today. Even then, you and Jessie have shown me you don’t need a man to be a mom.”

Katie’s thoughts turned to Dean.

No, but it would help.

Chapter Fourteen

“I’m flying home tomorrow,” Jack told her. “And I haven’t seen you here this entire week.” They were standing in the living room of the suite at the hotel. She’d made a point of showing up on what she knew was his last day in California.

Katelyn almost felt guilty for deceiving her brother…almost. “What’s the matter, Jack? Miss your kid sister hanging around and getting in your way?”

“It hasn’t been that way with us in years.”

“That’s because we don’t live under the same roof. If I was here cramping your style, you’d hate me within three days.”

“I’m a married man. You can’t cramp my style if my wife isn’t here.”

Katie lifted her hand. “Let me rephrase then, you’d cramp my style.”

The entire week had gone without a hitch. Jack had arrived and intervened between her and Dean at every turn. Each day she would make an appearance at the job site and then go back to the hotel long enough to pick up clothes and drop off dirties. Every night was spent at Monica’s with Savannah. So far, her brother and anyone else watching were clueless.

“I’m just saying that you don’t have to find another place to stay if you wanna come home.”

She pictured Savannah. “Home isn’t a hotel, Jack. I know it’s been like that for both of us most of our lives, but is that really any way to live? There’s something to be said for preparing your own meals and making your own bed.”