Twin spots of color chased across Natalie’s cheek-bones. “You think throwing money at me is going to fix this?”
“Not at all. I think refunding your money is the least I can do to compensate for my part in what happened. I’m sorry the security detail I hired was unable to intercept the intruders. I contacted the authorities this morning, and they informed me that the young men on the boats received an invitation from an unidentified woman. They’re continuing to look into it in the hopes of pinning down precisely who extended the invite, in case you wish to pursue the matter. The boaters involved have volunteered to recompense your guests, as well as the gondola company, for any damages incurred.”
“That will certainly help,” she reluctantly admitted. “And the sprinklers? That mistake is one hundred percent your fault.”
Catherine inclined her head. “I accept full responsibility for that. I promise you, I double-checked to make sure they’d been disengaged for the evening. I can’t explain how they were switched back on.”
“I can. You’re incompetent.”
“Natalie,” Gabe said softly.
“Well, what other explanation is there?” she retorted defensively.
“I can think of three. One, there was a power interruption and the device returned to its default setting. Two, someone accidentally changed the time. Or three, someone did it deliberately as a prank.” He paused to allow that to sink in. “There were a lot of youngsters there last night who might have considered it quite a lark to have the sprinklers go on in the middle of the party and watch the mayhem from a safe distance.”
Natalie sat up straighter, her eyes flashing. “Are you accusing someone in my family?”
“I’m not the one making accusations.” He let that hang. “I’m simply pointing out that there are alternative explanations.”
“Catherine’s initials were on the checklist as the one responsible for resetting the sprinklers. I saw them there myself.”
“Which means she did reset them. Why else would she have initialed it? Twice, I might add.” Natalie fell silent at the sheer logic of his question. He pressed home his advantage. “You’d have more cause to point fingers if it hadn’t been checked off because then you’d know she’d overlooked it.”
Natalie dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “And the tent going up in flames? We could have lost our house. People could have been seriously injured, or worse.”
“Your daughter tripped over the line anchoring that corner of the tent. I saw it happen. I’m sure if you ask her, she’ll admit as much, especially since she twisted her ankle as a result and your son-in-law had to carry her to safety. There is no negligence here, Natalie. It was a simple, unforeseeable accident.”
“On the other hand,” Catherine inserted, “the point of hiring an event planner is to foresee the unforeseeable and take precautions.”
Gabe turned on her. “In hindsight, what could you have done differently to prevent those accidents from happening? You’d already checked the sprinkler system. Twice. That section of the lake was posted and patrolled. And the tent was securely anchored.”
Natalie released her breath in a sigh. “All right, all right. You’ve made your point, Gabe. I don’t see how Catherine could have possibly foreseen any of those eventualities. I wish she could have, but I like to consider myself an honest and fair woman. And honesty and fairness compel me to admit that no one could have anticipated such a bizarre string of events.” She looked at Catherine, this time without the anger coloring her expression. “Thank you for returning my fee and for your apology. Up until all hell broke loose, the event was brilliantly planned and executed.”
Catherine stood. “I appreciate your understanding. I’d say I look forward to doing business with you at some point in the future…” She offered a self-deprecating smile. “But I have a feeling I might find a cup of that lovely coffee poured over my head.”
Natalie managed a smile as well. “Good try, my dear, but there’s little to no chance of my being quite that forgiving.”
Catherine shrugged. “It was worth a try.” She held out a hand. “Thank you for taking the time to see me.”
“You can thank Gabe for that. I’m not sure I would have agreed if not for him.” Her gaze swept over him, filled with pure feminine appreciation. “For some strange reason, it’s impossible to say no to the man.”
Catherine released a sigh of exasperation. “So, I’ve discovered,” she murmured.
After leaving the Marconi residence, Gabe handed Catherine a business card for a transportation firm, along with the key to his apartment. “I’ve made arrangements with this company to move your belongings over to my place. Just call them when you’re ready.”
“I won’t have that much,” she protested, as they headed back toward the city. “Just a couple of suitcases.”
He pulled onto the floating bridge that spanned Lake Washington and negotiated smoothly around oncoming traffic. “I want you to feel like you live there, not like you’re a temporary guest.”
“I am a temporary guest,” she retorted. “The only one who doesn’t realize that is you.”
He didn’t bother to argue. But when he pulled up in front of her apartment complex, he parked the car and exited at the same time Catherine did. He followed her across the sidewalk and up the stairs leading to the vestibule.
“You don’t need to come in,” she informed him over her shoulder. “I’ll call the moving company if that will satisfy you.”
One look at his set face warned that she wouldn’t get rid of him that easily. “You’d rather have this discussion out here on a public street?” he asked with painful politeness.
“In all honesty, I’d rather not have this discussion at all,” she replied.
“I’m afraid that’s not one of the options available to you.”
She hated when he donned his business persona. There was no opposing him. “I’ve agreed to your terms. What more do you want?” He simply stood and stared, and she released her breath in an irritated rush. “Fine. Let’s go inside.”
She led the way, choosing to take the steps to her second-floor apartment, rather than the elevator. She paused at the appropriate door and unlocked it. “Would you like a cup of the coffee Natalie didn’t offer us before you leave?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?”
Her mouth quivered in amusement. “Something like that.”
“No, what I want is to clarify a few things.” He paced through the confines of her tiny living area, studying first the view, and then her furnishings. “Cozy.”
“I don’t require a lot of space.” She dropped her keys in a green blown-glass bowl on a table near the front door. “Probably because I don’t take up anywhere near as much room as you.”
He turned. “Sometimes I forget how small you are. It must have something to do with that strong, passionate personality of yours.”
The compliment knocked her off-kilter, and she didn’t want to be off-kilter. She folded her arms across her chest. “Do you really think it’s going to make the least difference to our relationship whether I move two suitcases’ worth of possessions into your place or two truckloads? Possessions won’t keep me there. Not when our relationship falls apart again.”