Kate's Vow (Vows) Read Free

many movie set designs have you worked on in the last six months?” She didn’t wait for his reply. “I’ll tell you. Four. That’s more than you did in the past two years.”
    “I’m building a reputation. I’m in demand. You should be grateful. It allows me to pay you an exorbitant salary to keep this office running smoothly.”
    “You’re hiding.”
    “Dorothy!”
    To his deep regret, she ignored the warning note in his voice. “I will not shut up. I have watched you hiding out in this office long enough. It’s time to start living again. If not for your sake, then think of Davey.”
    David ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, I know you mean well, but I have to handle this the best way I know how.”
    “By working yourself into a state of exhaustion? By ignoring your son?” she said.
    “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
    The unfamiliar feminine voice, filled with derision, cut into their conversation.
    Startled, David turned to stare at the slender, dark-haired woman standing in the doorway. Her wide-set eyes were flashing fire. Her mouth, which no doubt would be described as lush by advertising standards, had taken a disapproving downturn. She was wearing one of those power suits, dark and businesslike. A flash of hot pink silk at the neckline teased suggestively. He doubted she realized the provocative effect. She struck him as the type who would have disapproved of it.
    He completed his survey and decided there wasn’t a hint of vulnerability to soften all those hard edges. All in all, she was the kind of woman he genuinely disliked on sight. The exact opposite of Alicia, who’d been warm and gentle and compassionate, all soft curves and femininity.
    “Who the hell are you?” he demanded ungraciously. “We’re closed.”
    “Then you should have locked the door,” she shot right back, clearly unintimidated by his lack of welcome.
    He headed for the door to the workroom. “Dorothy, take care of this. I’ll be in back,” he said, retreating from the woman and from the unsettling effect she was having on him.
    The woman looked ready to leap into his path. Dorothy, damn her, was practically racing for the opposite door.
    “See you,” his assistant said. “Like you said, we’re closed. It’s the weekend and I’m out of here.”
    “You’re fired.”
    She beamed at him. “In that case, don’t forget to clean the coffeepot before you go. You know how you hate it when it gets all cruddy after sitting all weekend.”
    Poised in midflight, David stared after his traitorous assistant. Then he regarded the unexpected visitor suspiciously.
    “Are you a reporter?” There had been a lot of them lately, trying to sneak an advance look at the designs for
Future Rock,
which was being touted as the most ambitious futuristic drama since the advent of all the
Star Wars
films.
    “No.”
    “If you’re looking for a job, I don’t have any available. Dorothy handles everything around here.”
    “Then I don’t envy her,” the woman retorted sympathetically.
    David dealt with snippy, feminist women like this all the time, women who’d had to claw their way to the top of a sexist entertainment industry. Normally he gave as good as he got. Today he was simply too worn-out to try.
    “Lady, obviously you have some sort of ax to grind,” he said wearily. “Get it off your chest and leave me alone. I have work to do.”
    “Don’t we all,” she countered. “I’ll bet mine is less pleasant than yours.”
    “Then I suggest you get it over with and leave us both in peace.”
    An odd expression, mostly anger, but touched by sadness, flashed across her face then. David suddenly began to wonder if it was going to be so easy to find peace again, once she’d said whatever was on her mind. He was bothered by a nagging memory of what she’d said when she walked into his office. It had been something that suggested she knew more about him than a stranger should. A reference to Davey?
    “I’m