White-Hot Hack (Kate and Ian #2)(12)
“I’d love to.” A lingering restlessness remained, as if she hadn’t quite shaken her anxiety. A walk was just what she needed.
“Give me ten minutes to finish up.” He kissed her and pulled a cookie from the bag, taking a bite of it as he walked toward his office. “Excellent cookie,” he said over his shoulder.
Kate sat down at the island, opened her laptop, and scanned her e-mail. Jade had sent a message with several attachments showing different pieces of furniture for Kate to look at. She made her selections and sent a cheery message back, telling Jade how pleased she and Ian were with the way the house had come together.
Audrey had sent some pictures from a couples’ weekend trip to Vegas that she and Clay had gone on with Paige and her husband. They looked like they were having a great time, and Kate would be lying if she said she didn’t miss her friends. She would write a nice, long response when she and Ian returned from their walk.
Kate smiled when she scrolled through the remaining messages and spotted a response from Helena to the e-mail she’d sent that morning.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Dear Kate,
It’s always so wonderful to hear from you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I hope you had a great birthday and are getting out more. I know you said things were better and not to worry about you, but I still do.
The food pantry is doing well. The new director is every bit as dedicated as you were, and we even have a bit of a surplus right now. We’re in good shape as we head into the colder months. Do you remember how worried we were last year at this time?
Forgive me if I’m being insensitive, but I can’t help but think of Ian and how much he helped us. I hope that someday you’ll meet a man just like him. Someone who is kind and generous and will light up your face the way he did.
Take care, Kate.
Love,
Helena
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Hi, Helena,
Please don’t worry about me. I’ve found that keeping busy really helps. I love my new job, and I’ve made some friends who enjoy going to Sunday brunch as much as I do. Mimosas for everyone! I’ve also been helping Kristin and Chad with the preparations for their New Year’s Eve wedding. And last weekend my mom and I celebrated my birthday by visiting a local winery. I’ve attached a picture so you can see for yourself how much fun I’m having.
I’m so happy to hear the pantry is doing well, and I’ll never forget how worried we were in the days before Ian made his first donation. Yes, he did help us, and you’re not being insensitive for hoping I’ll meet a man like him someday. I really do think I will. It’s just a feeling I have.
It’s always so wonderful to hear from you.
xoxo,
Kate
She scrolled through the pictures on her computer and selected one of her and her mother on the wine tour that they’d asked the guide to take. They were sitting at an outdoor table, both smiling, glasses held aloft. She cropped the picture so Helena wouldn’t see the limo parked in the background, the one with the sign on the side that said Virginia Wine Country Tours. Then she attached it to the e-mail and hit Send.
CHAPTER SIX
Almost every night Kate would pour a glass of wine, turn on some music, and try out another new recipe, and when dinner was ready Ian would join her and they’d sit down together at their new kitchen table. He rarely worked past seven, and after they finished eating, they spent their evenings much the way they had in Minneapolis: watching TV or a movie. Talking and cuddling. Thankful just to be in each other’s company.
That night they were having Phillip and Susan over for dinner, and she’d decided on a menu of Caesar salad, creamy risotto, seared sea scallops, and roasted brussels sprouts. Kate had made the meal once already, and since Ian had raved about it, she felt confident serving it to guests.
“This is delicious, Kate. You’ve become quite an accomplished cook in a very short period of time,” Susan said when they were halfway through dinner.
“You have no idea,” Ian said. “She makes it look easy too.”
“Thank you, but not all my attempts have been a success. The roast I burned set off every smoke detector on the main floor, and it took days to get rid of the smell. I’m still not sure what went wrong.”
“How was your visit with your mother?” Susan asked.
“It was wonderful. She was so excited to see the house.” Kate and Diane had spent a whirlwind four days together. They’d shopped for additional household items—especially for the kitchen—and in addition to the wine tour, they visited a museum, checked out a few new restaurants, walked into every single establishment on Washington Street, and spent an entire day sightseeing in DC. At the airport, Diane tearfully hugged Kate and told her she couldn’t wait to return for Thanksgiving.
“How are things coming along with your company, Ian?” Susan asked.
“I’m starting to think I picked the wrong name for it.”
Susan’s forehead creased in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Succedo is one of several Latin translations for succeed. I think it would be a stretch for me to claim any kind of success at this point. Since I’m supposedly dead, I can’t use the Privasa name or rely on my reputation, which means I’m just another hacker who’s thrown his hat into the security ring.” Ian had told Kate how disappointed he was in the slow growth of the company.