A Match Made In Heaven Ch. 02

Vic Valentine didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed at the angry young woman standing outside of his door. He guessed from the key in her hand that she was Aimee’s prodigal niece, finally come to claim her inheritance. He also guessed from the look of shock and confusion on her face that she hadn’t been paying much attention at the will reading, nor during the two years since. Although Vic had spent much of the past two years building up an intense dislike of the woman, whom he had never met, he had to admit that even in her current state, she had an attractiveness that made his natural male instinct rebel against that inclination. Still, her aunt had adored her, and she had refused to visit, even refused to visit the home her aunt had left for her. Vic had had a deep admiration and respect for Aimee Blanchard and he wasn’t going to let her negligent niece off the hook easily. His initial instinct to dislike her won out.

The roguishly hansom blond reached a hand out to her. “Welcome to my home, would you like to come in?”

The brunette seemed confused. She checked the address on the door, and then the one in her hand. Finding that they matched, she resumed being irritated rather than confused. “Whatever is going on here, I do not find it amusing!” she snapped. “This is my late Aunt’s house, and the property of me. Just what are you doing here.”

“You must be Katherine then,” he said easily, his hand still outstretched. “I’m Vic, Vic Valentine. I was a friend of your aunts, and I have been the caretaker since her death. It was all spelled out in the will, but I’ll explain it to you again if you’d like to come inside and calm down some.”

The suggestion to calm down didn’t seem to set well with the woman on the doorstep, but she entered the house grudgingly. “You can hardly blame me for being upset. I expected an empty house.”

Vic could feel his jaw tightening. “I can blame you. “How long has it been since the house became yours? You could have at least taken the time to find out what was becoming of the place.”

“Look, I don’t know you and I don’t need a lecture, either. The fact is, the house belongs to me, I’m here now and your services will no longer be needed.”

Wow, Vic thought, this woman is a piece of work. He had no idea why she needed to be so rude. Her aunt had been such a delightful woman, obviously Katherine was nothing like her. “So your staying then?” he said in a cold flat voice.

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but I will be staying here until I take care of some business, and then I will be selling the house.”

“What! Selling it, you can’t-”

“I assure you I can, Mr. Valentine. I have no use for a house in California. My home is in Michigan and I will be staying there, where people are sensible and civilized.”

Vic didn’t know whether to be offended or to laugh. Sensing that the latter would irritate his new guest more, he chuckled in an admittedly patronizing way.

“I fail to see the humor.”

“The humor, Miss Banks, is that you make too many assumptions. I am not going anywhere. Your aunt appointed me as a live in caretaker and this is my home.”

“Well sir, I’m sorry to hear that. Because I am here now, it belongs to me and I planned to stay here while I’m in town. Clearly we can not both stay here, so I am afraid you will have to go.”

Vic looked her square in the eye and said, quite simply, “No.”

Her color was rising now, “No?”

“That’s right. No.”

“Didn’t you hear anything I just said?” Vic found himself amused by the flash in her eyes. For a moment he found himself wanting to grab her like a hero of an old movie and kiss her hard, if only to shut her up.

“I heard what you said,” he replied calmly. “But you can’t just throw me out. I have rights and I’m not going anywhere. You could go somewhere else or you could stay here. It’s your choice. But I’m staying.”

“This is insane!” Katherine exclaimed. “We can’t both stay here!”

“Why not, there’s plenty of room.”

“I don’t think a mansion would have enough room for the both of us,” she stormed. “Besides, I have values.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It has everything to do with everything. I do not stay overnight in houses alone with men. It’s just not done.”

Vic could not believe his ears. Was she from Michigan- or the Dark Ages? “Give me a break! It’s not like I’m going to take advantage of you. I can barely stand to talk to you.” The ridiculousness of this conversation was really getting under his skin.

“That is certainly not the point. I would never let you touch me in that way. It simply wouldn’t look right.”

That last statement gave Vic cause to laugh- and laugh and laugh. “Look right?! To who?” he managed to choke out between guffaws. Clearing his through he added, “No one around here know or cares who you are spending your nights with.”

“And that is just what is wrong with this place. Far to morally lax. The point is, I would know and I certainly care. I have certain standards of conduct, and I uphold them no matter who is watching.”

“Good grief,” Vic sighed. “Do you always talk like this? I can’t believe that you are related to Aimee. I’ve never met anyone as uptight as you.”

Katherine flared. “I am not uptight!” she insisted. “You however are incredibly rude. I simply cannot believe your lack of decency.”

“Well, I’m sorry I offended you, miss,” he said snidely. “But you’re just going to have to put up with my boorishness unless you’ve got some other place to stay. You have no grounds to toss me out without notice and I don’t have anywhere else to stay tonight, so I guess your stuck with me.”

Katherine could feel her entire body filling with frustration. He was impossible, simply impossible. There was nothing whatsoever that she could do about this situation at this moment. She was stuck. And she hated that. She hated backing down too. She looked around for the first time to see a spacious open air living space. The kitchen was an island design directly across from the living area and opening out to a huge deck. There seemed to be no inside walls anywhere on the ground floor. Katherine spotted the stairs to her right.

Despite her 24 years of life and her view of herself as a rational mature person, Katherine Banks, sensing that she had lost the argument, tossed her adversary a disdainful look, stamped a foot and ran off, rather childishly up the stairs and out of the room containing that hateful man, Vic Valentine.