Courting Katarina. Carol Steward

turned away, and he noticed something in her ear. He looked again.

      It couldn’t be. I thought she was joking. He felt like a total fool.

      “Katarina.” He looked around and realized he didn’t want to bring her hearing impairment up in front of everyone and embarrass her further. “Let me walk you and Ricky to your car.”

      Once they were out of earshot, he gathered his courage. “You must think I’m a real heel.”

      Katarina looked puzzled. “Now, why would I think such a ridiculous thing?”

      “I—I didn’t realize,” he stammered. “You… I asked if you’re deaf. I didn’t know.”

      She tipped her head, concealing her right ear. “Oh. That.”

      “That.” He paused, hoping she would elaborate. She didn’t. “I’m sorry.”

      Ricky reached the car and climbed in. After Katarina buckled his seat belt, she closed the door and turned to Alex. “I didn’t take any offense to the comment. It’s my own fault. The hearing aid is such a bother in large gatherings.”

      The silence stretched uncomfortably between them as Katarina walked around the car and opened her door, then started to get inside. He hurried toward her before she could get into the car and leave.

      “What about pizza tomorrow night? I don’t want to break my promise to Ricky.”

      Looking up as he approached, Katarina studied him openly. “Ah yes, and it appears you never break your promises, right?” Her mouth turned up at the corners. “I plan to catch every word of this story.”

      Alex’s heart skipped a beat at her blatant teasing. “There’s nothing more to tell. Adam and I agreed long ago that we don’t want to be caught.”

      “I didn’t mean to imply anything. Just sounds like a story that needs to be told…one day.” She slipped into the car and started the engine.

      Alex stared after her until the car’s taillights disappeared in the distance.

      How long had it been since he’d had dinner with a woman? Never mind that she was engaged, and way too young for him. This isn’t a date, he reassured himself.

      No matter how many times he repeated the sentence, something inside told him otherwise. He recalled Kevin’s final advice. “May as well give in now.”

      Not on your life, Kevin. No bouquet’s going to determine my future.

      Chapter Five

      Katarina scanned the want ads for an apartment where she’d have room to live, make dolls and still manage to save enough money to expand her fledgling company. The designing was going really well, yet she needed to get settled and hire help to keep up with the demands of Kat’s Kreations.

      She recalled Ron’s long-term plans and tried to ignore the shiver that went up her spine. “You need to sell your designs to a company that can put your name all over the world. Let them do the production,” he’d insisted, followed by, “Dream big if you’re going to dream at all.”

      Yes, she wanted her business to be successful, but he made it sound so…cold. These were more than dolls—they were her heart and soul. More than simply business. Surely once they married and he transferred to a Colorado branch, he’d see that. Even Alex seemed to understand, and he hardly knew her.

      Katarina turned back to the baby doll she’d been dressing before she’d started searching the want ads for an apartment. She adjusted soft ruffles on the velveteen skirt, ran her finger over the delicate porcelain nose and gazed into the baby doll’s soft brown eyes.

      This is what she truly loved, making something that would bring a smile to someone’s face the same way each doll did her own. She couldn’t deny there was a certain amount of excitement in the idea of seeing her own creations in stores across the country. Selling her designs surely didn’t mean she’d have to stop making them, too. And thanks to Alex’s comments yesterday, hope had blossomed within her again. She dreamed of the day when a children’s version of Kat’s Kreations collectable dolls would be available in toy stores throughout the country.

      Ricky and his friends burst into the kitchen, mud caked on their knees. “Can we have a drink, Auntie Kat?”

      “Sure, go wash your hands.” She circled an ad, then pushed the newspaper aside and poured three glasses of cherry juice for the boys. The clock above the fireplace chimed three. “Another hour. What do you say we go to the park before I take Jacob and Chad home?”

      They cheered. She gathered the boys, loaded them into the huge plastic wagon and pulled them down the block. Even after an hour of swinging, sliding and playing space station on the monkey bars, the boys complained when it was time to leave.

      “I want a ride in the wagon,”

      Ricky whined. Ricky had been a handful all day. When she awoke, he’d already tried to fix himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast and spilled milk all over the floor in the process. While cleaning it up, she’d heard a crash upstairs, and had found him exploring the top of his closet.

      “Uncle Alex is coming for pizza tonight, isn’t he?”

      Katarina’s heart beat a little faster. She mumbled a confirmation. Her cheeks warmed. Alex MacIntyre was the last person she wanted to see today. He reminded her of a fantasy no man could ever live up to. Mr. Right was an illusion. Reality had burst her hopes of ever finding such a trustworthy man. Over and over again throughout the past twenty years of her life she’d learned that opening her heart only led to pain. First her father, then her fiancé. Stable and predictable didn’t look so bad after all.

      Why did I have to promise Ricky he could see Alex again today?

      Kevin and Emily would be home tomorrow, and Katarina had yet to find a place to live. Emily would try to talk her out of moving, but she realized newlyweds didn’t need a houseguest. A new family required time to bond.

      Besides, Katarina longed for her own independence, as well. Katarina wanted the freedom to come and go as she pleased. And with her business, she needed room to spread out without imposing on anyone else. She certainly didn’t need to worry about who could be getting into it.

      When she’d agreed to stay at Emily’s house, neither Kevin nor Ricky were a part of Emily’s life. Not that Katarina disagreed with their decision to have a quick wedding. That wasn’t the case at all. In fact, it was the best solution for everyone.

      Even from the beginning, Katarina had never meant to stay more than a few weeks, until she could find a small place of her own.

      Kat turned into the driveway, surprised to see Alex waiting on the porch with a pizza box.

      “Looks like you wore him out,” Alex said, smiling.

      She grinned. Ricky was sprawled across the wagon. One leg was tucked into the wagon, the other dangled over the edge. “You mean finally wore him out.” She parked the wagon and reached for Ricky.

      “Here, you take the pizza and open the door. I’ll carry him.”

      Before she had a chance to argue, Katarina had accepted the box and Alex lifted Ricky into his arms. “Where do you want me to lay him?”

      Annoyed at how easily she’d let Alex take charge again, she unlocked the front door and pointed to the sofa. “I doubt he’ll sleep long.”

      Katarina continued into the dining room, still upset with herself for not being more assertive. How could she make it clear to Alex MacIntyre that she wasn’t some helpless female who needed a man to take care of her? I have a hearing impairment. I’m not disabled. Katarina shoved the newspaper to one end of the table and dropped the pizza in the middle, then went to get dishes.

      “Ricky’s settled. Can I help?”

      Katarina spun around. “Do