And whispered, “Hale.”
Chapter 5
Hale stood alone in the crowded room, gazing up at the painting that hung above the fireplace. Kat remembered the look in his eyes when she’d told him it was a fake, the way he had come alive. She tried to compare the boy in the Superman pajamas to the young man in the dark suit, but whatever spark had been lit the night they’d met had gone out. She tried not to think that his rightful owners had somehow tracked him down and stolen him back.
“Hey, Scoot.”
The redheaded girl stepped toward him.
“Nat!”
Hale smiled and threw his arms around her, and it was like he didn’t notice Kat at all. And maybe he didn’t, because he just asked the other girl, “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think?” she challenged. “Dad told me about Hazel.”
“But…I thought you were in Switzerland.”
Kat watched the girl tilt her head and choose her words. “Switzerland didn’t exactly work out. Neither did France. Or Norway.”
“Three schools?” Hale asked.
“Well, technically, five schools—three countries.”
“Impressive,” Hale said with a nod, and Kat honestly thought he meant it.
The girl reached to straighten Hale’s tie. “It’s good to see you, Scoot.”
“You too,” Hale told her, and Kat didn’t know what to make of this girl who was calling him Scoot and straightening his tie and making him smile.
“Sorry! I’m so rude,” the girl said. “I have to introduce you to my new friend, Kat. Kat is—”
“Oh, I know who Kat is,” he said.
Kat just whispered, “Scooter?”
“So you two do know each other.” Natalie crossed her arms and eyed Kat with new interest.
“Natalie’s an old friend,” Hale explained. “And, Nat, Kat is…”
“New,” Kat said. “I guess I’m the new friend.”
“I didn’t know you were coming,” he told her.
“Surprise,” Kat tried, but Hale didn’t look amused. “So, how do you two know each other?” she asked.
“My dad’s the family lawyer,” Natalie explained. “Before him, my grandfather was the family lawyer. And before him…well…you get the picture. So I was kind of always around. Scooter here took pity on me, made friends with the help. He always was the family rebel.” She intertwined her arm into his and pulled him closer.
“You say rebel. They say massive disappointment.…”
“You know, I was just thinking about the time with the good china and—”
“Aunt Olivia’s Pekingese,” Hale said, then broke into laughter. Natalie joined in. And Kat kept on standing there watching, utterly on the outside of the joke.
“So, Natalie,” Kat said, “are you back in the States for good?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Natalie shrugged and changed the subject. “What about you two? How’d you meet?”
Kat couldn’t help herself. She glanced at the painting above the fireplace, but Hale seemed immune to nostalgia.