Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1)
Melinda Leigh
Chapter One
Friday 9:00 p.m.
Tonight’s celebration felt as hollow as Lee’s confidence. Anniversaries were a big deal, especially this one. A little more than a year ago, Lee hadn’t thought he and Kate would make it to their ten-year milestone. He should be happier, but he couldn’t shake the nag of betrayal.
He should have told her.
Actually, he should have discussed the situation with her before committing. Her stake in the outcome was as large as his, but this wasn’t the first decision he’d made solo.
The raw March wind whipped across the stucco facade of La Cusina. Stepping down from the brick stoop of the Italian restaurant to the sidewalk, Lee steered his wife around a patch of ice on the asphalt. Her high heels were sexy but precarious on the slippery spots. Although he probably shouldn’t worry. As a former nationally ranked figure skater turned coach, Kate spent as much time on ice as on solid ground. They walked past the bank and the bakery, both closed.
“Maybe next year we can do more than dinner for our anniversary. Wouldn’t a cruise be perfect? Aruba, Jamaica . . .” He hummed the first line of the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo.”
“I’m happy to get out to dinner.” Kate leaned closer, using his larger body to block the wind. Spring didn’t come early in upstate New York. “How many times have we had dinner out since Faith was born? Oh, yeah. None. If Carson had been this difficult, he’d be an only child.”
Their six-year-old had been born easygoing.
“It’s her elaborate plan to weaken us into submission so we’ll give her anything she wants.” Their sweet four-month-old turned into a wailing banshee when the sun set. But they both knew the baby wasn’t the only reason they hadn’t had a date night lately.
“Sleep deprivation is an established form of psychological torture.” Despite her banter, Kate’s laugh sounded forced, as if she was just going through the motions of tonight’s celebration.
Lee’s chicken marsala took a quick spin in his gut. Kate had been quiet all night. Was she simply worried about the baby or was she unhappy for some other reason? He’d logged too many billable hours these last few weeks. They’d barely seen each other. Paranoia dug its fingernails into his heart. He didn’t want to lose his wife. Those nights he’d slept in the guest room eighteen months ago were the loneliest of his life. He’d been isolated. Kate wasn’t just his wife. She was his best friend.
They turned the corner and set off down the side street where he’d parked the car. Mature trees lined the quiet lane, their branches hanging over the sidewalk. On a bright summer day, the shady canopy was quaint, but on a frigid and dark night, the added shadows shifting with the wind were unwelcome. Lee tripped over a slab of concrete pushed above the sidewalk by shallow tree roots. Kate caught his arm and held on until he sorted his feet under his body. Typical. Even handicapped by three-inch heels, his athletic wife was his supporter.
“Thank God for Julia.” Kate reached into her pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and glanced at the display. In her other gloved hand, the Styrofoam takeout box of lasagna crackled as she shifted her grip.
“Any calls?”
“No, but we’d better get home. The poor girl is probably ready to scream after a couple of hours of Faith’s howling.” Kate pocketed her phone.
Their teenage neighbor had been a savior as the last few months had passed in a sleep-deprived blur.
“I know.” Lee sighed. Their big night out was over. Back to the ear-splitting reality of a colicky infant, but he’d take it. Their marriage had gone through a rocky patch. They’d come through it, and if he made partner, everything would be all right. If being the key word. Their entire future rested on him being chosen for partnership, and the weight of the decision he’d made this week sat on his shoulders like an anvil. Had he let ambition ruin his marriage?
He needed to tell Kate soon about the case he’d taken. Refusing the Hamiltons hadn’t been an option. He couldn’t look those parents in the eye and say no, especially with his gut telling him the situation was more complicated than it appeared. After two days of inquiries into the case, he was even more disturbed. But controversy didn’t necessarily translate into popularity. In a small town, there was such a thing as bad press. The lawsuit could affect his chance for partnership, and he wouldn’t be the only one in the line of fire. Everyone in Scarlet Falls had a heated opinion. With the investigation centered on the rink where Kate coached, she was sure to be embroiled in the fallout.
He glanced sideways at her profile, her expression unreadable in the darkness. Would she stand by him? Without Kate’s steadying presence, Lee feared he couldn’t succeed.
On the bright side, a win would all but guarantee him the partnership. Frank Menendez, the new associate, wasn’t shy about lobbying for the promotion. Lee needed an edge over his ruthless competition. The case was a gamble, but given what he’d discovered, the odds of winning were in his favor. He just had to have faith and work hard. Then everything would be all right.
He wasn’t going to tell Kate tonight. She was already stressed. He hoped her tension was all about the baby and not a replay of their marital strife. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to ruin their anniversary. He was going to let his wife enjoy as much time as possible before he brought more worries crashing down on their family.