The Best Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

the clients who weren’t important enough to impress her father. Or Joel.
    “It didn’t help that we left on a trip—”
    “Sorry. It was insensitive of me to mention your father’s death after the day you’ve had.”
    “No,” Kate waved her chopsticks for him to stop, “no problem.” She searched for a new topic and stabbed at her food. Despite events surrounding her return, she felt at ease sitting here with Luke. But she shouldn’t. With their past and learning her father had died, she should...
    But it had been eighteen months since she’d seen her father. The flight back to the states had given her time to adjust to her new truth. Her father had never loved her, and no matter how hard she worked, she would never gain his respect. Her evidence of that fact was the speed with which he accepted Joel into the law firm.
    Kate bit back a surge of emotion trying to erupt from her throat. If only...her father had given her half the welcome, he bestowed on Joel. But that was her old life.
    She stared at the carton in her hand. “What is this?”
    “Chicken Pau—” Luke looked up with a frown. For long seconds he studied her skill using the chopsticks, and then he stared at the containers of take-out.
    “I’m sorry, Kate.” Slashes of color tinted his cheeks. “I wasn’t thinking. You must be tired of this kind of food.”
    Kate waved the chopsticks. “This is nothing like what I’ve been eating.” She aimed a bite at her mouth and gave him a teasing look as she chewed. “No bugs today. But we survived on rice.”
    Luke put his carton down and leaned against the back of the sofa, sending her a rueful look. “I can’t believe I did that.”
    “Don’t worry. This tastes nothing like what I’ve been eating.” Kate munched on a noodle. “I suspect my system will revolt in a few hours from all the food additives, but this is delicious.” Then, brow wrinkled, she returned to an earlier topic. “I seem to remember you loved living in Brentwood.”
    Luke reached for the carton with a sudden renewed interest in the food. “I did, once.”
    Brentwood was an upscale neighborhood popular with young professionals. “Joel wanted us to buy a house there, but we settled for a larger house for less money.” Why would Luke give up his place in the exclusive area?
    Kate glanced at the empty walls, and looked back at Luke, wheels turning in her head. What happened to Luke’s art work? The only reason she could imagine him making such a drastic change gave her a jolt. “Is the firm in trouble?”
    Luke’s glance jerked in her direction. Putting his carton down on the coffee table, he said. “I wasn’t going to bring this up so soon. You need a chance to readjust. Get over the shock of Roger’s death and the jetlag.
    “I’m fine, Luke.” Kate lifted a shoulder. “Three days of clinging to life in the top of a tree helps put things in perspective.”
    “Do you want to talk about...Roger,” Luke clenched his fists, dreading her response, “or anything?”
    “Tell me. Is the firm in trouble?”
    “I wanted to give you time to adjust, but now that you asked,” he shifted to the edge of his chair, “the answer is yes.”
    Kate’s spine stiffened. Luke’s reluctance to give her bad news was commendable. But she had a sinking feeling her plans to leave the firm behind wouldn’t be the news he wanted to hear.
    “What happened? Did the firm lose clients after…I…while I was gone?” She still had trouble referring to her absence in a casual tone. But wearing her emotions on her sleeve would make it harder for everyone to take her seriously. It would make her goal of independence harder to achieve, and make Luke feel guilty. Joel wouldn’t care. He’d left her for dead. But Luke would blame himself for her bad luck.
    “I’m happy to have you back, Kate. You know that.” Luke ran a hand around the back of his neck. “But, to be honest, considering the business, your timing couldn’t be better.”