Her fucking joke of a father had turned off the portable heater before he'd zipped up his pants and walked the governor's wife to her car, so by now the studio was quite cold. The sweat poured off Kat's face anyway. /Thud/. Riley didn't want her anymore. /Thud/. She was three months pregnant. /Thud/. Her father saw her looking through the studio windowhe knew she'd seen everything. /Thud/. Kat's life was overshe was only sixteen and it was fucking /over/.

Stop! Oh God, child! Have you lost your mind?

The voice seemed to come from nowhere and every where at the same time, inside Kat's own head and from another world, and it took her a moment to realize her mother was standing over her back, gripping her forearm so hard it hurt, screaming in her ear. But Kat couldn't stop the swinging.

Katharine! Sweet Jesus, he'll kill us both. What have you done? Oh God, what have you done to his commission?

Kat's fingers loosened. The mallet fell to the concrete floor with a thump. She blinked away a stream of sweat from her eye and focused on what she'd done, but it didn't make sense to her at first. It looked like a bomb had gone off in her father's studio. Clay was everywhere, and smack in the middle of the goopy mess was a pink grapefruit, stuck like a pig in the mud. A box of cornflakes lay on its side, splashed with white globs of cottage cheese that had spewed from the broken container at her feet.

Slowly, Kat raised her eyes, noting her mother's horrified expression.

You dropped your groceries.

Sweet Jesus save us.

I've ruined everything, haven't I?

The spatula hit the kitchen floor, and Kat heard the clank of stainless steel against tile. She blinked. She was home, in her kitchen, in Baltimore. It was now, not then. She had made it out of there.

It's not that bad.

Kat looked up to see the most shocking sightRiley Bohland just out of the shower, all glistening olive skin and lean muscle, a white towel draped low on his hips, and a smile setting up residence on his handsome face. He walked toward her and scooped up the spatula.

Kat's mind scrambled to make everything sane and normal and squeeze it back into the present moment. She was in her Baltimore apartment. Riley had stayed here with her last night, and they'd talked until the sun came up. She would be moving back to Persuasion.

Icy panic had begun creeping through her veins.

I said you haven't ruined anything, Scout. The pancakes look great.

Riley planted a quick kiss on her mouth and rinsed the spatula in the sink, wiped it dry, and handed it back to her. Can I pour you a cup a coffee?

Kat stared at him. I'm sorry, what?

Coffee. Riley had reached into the cabinet for two mugs but stopped cold, his arm in midair. Are you OK?

Yeah. I'm good. Kat shook her head. Wait. No, I'm not. I remembered something. Just now. I was flipping the pancakes, and I remembered all the details from the day I left Persuasion. I Kat couldn't continue. She feared that saying any of it aloud would put breath and life into the events, making it real. Something so terrible…

Come here. Riley took Kat into his arms, pulling her up against his damp chest. She clung to him. She breathed in the familiar yet exotic smell of his skin and rubbed her cheek against his warmth. She felt Riley reach around her back to turn off the stove, then guide her to the living room sofa. Sit for a minute. I'll get us some coffee and you can tell me what you remembered. I want to hear everything.

Kat did what he said, not that she was capable of much else. Her head was swimming. She was shivering, but sweat was forming at her hairline.

Was what she saw in her mind real, or was she making it up? And if it was real, how could she have forgotten so much of it for so long? What else had she forgotten?

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Maybe if she thought hard enough she could force all of it out of hidingevery one of the little ghost memories that she knew lurked inside her brain, just waiting to be named.

Hey, Kat? Riley returned to the couch and stood over her, looking sheepish as he reached down to gently touch her cheek. I don't have a clue how you take your coffee.

Two creams and a sugar, right?

Madeline lifted the silver coffeepot and poured, keeping an eye on Matt during the whole maneuver. She'd made something she knew he lovedbanana-walnut muffinsbut he hadn't even taken a bite. The muffin just sat there on his plate, perfectly plump and golden, just waiting for the touch of his lips. He hadn't even noticed.

Madeline sighed. The women Matt dated had great boobs and/or flat abs.

Her best assets were her baked goods. If Matt couldn't even muster up excitement for her muffins, then she knew with certainty that he hadn't dropped by to ask her out again.

Madeline placed the coffee cup in front of him and plopped down in the opposite chair, unintentionally letting out a heavy sigh. Suddenly, she was exhausted at every levelphysically, emotionally, and practically.

Listen, Maddie. I'm here to tell you to stay out of Kat and Riley's business.

Madeline tried to sit as straight as possible, but all she wanted to do was slump over the table and rest her head in her arms, the way they used to do in kindergarten after they'd had their crackers and milk. She needed a rest time. She needed crackers and milk. Instead, she reached across the table, grabbed Matt's muffin, and immediately bit into its fluffy, sugary, oversized cap.

This was all because of Carrie. Riding shotgun on Carrie's ego trip had turned out to be a giant mistake.

Bits of banana-walnut muffin dribbled onto her shirt, but Madeline didn't brush them off. Who cared? It's not like she had to worry about looking nice for Chief Matt Bohland ever again. Besides, what was she thinking? Did she really believe that a young hunk like Matt would be interested in a divorcйe with kids? She'd always known better.

I like you, Maddie. We've known each other forever, Matt said.

Uh-huh. Madeline took another large bite. Honestly, these were the best damn banana-walnut muffins she'd whipped up in her life.

I've got to be honest with youwhat you did was way out of line.

She shook her head in agreement as she crammed the rest of the muffin through her lips. She realized she was going to choke unless she got some liquid into her as well. She reached for Matt's untouched coffee and slurped it down. You weren't going to drink that, were you?

Matt looked amused. Nope.

Good. Madeline drained the rest and put the empty coffee cup back on its saucer, right in front of Matt.

Matt sighed. So, you had no right lying to Kat like that, telling her that Riley was getting married when you knew he wasn't.

With one hand, Madeline wiped her face with the cloth napkin. With the other, she held up the flat of her palm to stop him from continuing. Let me make this easy for you, OK?

Matt frowned, sinking into his chair. That's all I needed to say, Maddie. There's nothing you have to make easy.

Aren't you going to tell me why you never asked me out again after those three dates? That I'm boring? That I'm a weak, self-serving small-town gossip? That I have so little self-esteem that I have to go around playing Carrie's brown-nosing errand boy?

Matt blinked at her in silence.

Carrie said if I got rid of Kat, she'd book rooms for a spring conference here in Persuasion, so I lied to Kat and told her Riley was engaged. Then I called Carrie's assistant to confirm, and found out there is no conference.

She bribed you.

And I fell for it.

Well, Maddie, you brought all this on yourself when you decided to tell Carrie that Kat was in town. You got her all stirred up.

Madeline laughed. Hey, let's be real. Carrie was a little?stirred up' /way/ before Kat got here, and believe me when I tell you that you don't even have a clue just how stir-crazy that chick has gotten.