Free No Knight Needed by Stephanie Rowe Page A

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    “How are you feeling?” Clare asked, her heart softening at the sight of her daughter all curled up on the couch.
    Katie shrugged, not bothering to look away from the television. “Fine.”
    “Really?” Maybe her daughter was fine, but to Clare, Katie looked so small and vulnerable under the big, fluffy blanket she’d apparently dragged down from her bed. She looked like a fifteen year old girl, not the woman she wanted to be.
    Not the grownup Clare was about to ask her to be. “I rented out the room.”
    “Mom!” Katie groaned and rolled her eyes, tossing the remote control on the couch with visible annoyance. “Again? I hate having people in our space.”
    “The money helps—”
    “If you need money, then don’t send me to MIT this summer.” Katie gave her a long-suffering look that was artfully accentuated by an expression of heart-melting pleading.
    As if they hadn’t had this discussion a thousand times already. “That summer program will help you get into college—”
    “I want to stay here.”
    Clare gritted her teeth. “I know you think you do, but trust me. You’ll love being away from here and it will help give you options—”
    “Trust you?” Katie set the bowl down with a thump that sloshed cereal all over the coffee table and the magazines strewn across it. “How do you know what’s right for me?” She folded her arms across her chest and slouched back against the pillows, clearly preparing to battle it out.
    Clare heard the thud of heavy, booted feet on her steps, and she hurriedly picked up several of the couch pillows and set them back on the sofa. “Katie, this isn’t the time to discuss this—”
    “It’s never the right time.” Katie lurched to her feet and faced Clare, hands on her hips. Her cotton pants were too low across her belly, and her zippered hoodie was getting a little snug across her chest. How much longer was Clare going to have any influence over her at all? Katie was quickly leaving behind girl and heading towards woman. “That’s why I went camping last night. I knew you wouldn’t let me go, but I wanted to be with my friends and do something for me instead of always having to work and study.”
    “Studying is for you! If I hadn’t had good grades, I would have had no options after Dad died.” Clare picked up the remote control and set it on the end table. Why was there so much stuff on the floor? She realized with dismay that the room looked cluttered and messy. How had she let it get this bad? “The fact I had great grades in high school enabled me to get into college and get my degree—”
    “So you could do what? Work on Sunday mornings at a job you hate, but still not have enough money to fix a leaky roof?” Katie flung up her arms in exasperation and rolled her eyes with a snort of disdain. “Wow, Mom, I can’t wait until I’m old enough for that—” She stopped abruptly and her mouth dropped open.
    Clare felt the unmistakable heat of a powerful presence behind her.
    “Am I interrupting?” Griffin’s deep baritone filled the room with a masculine warmth and a presence that had never graced these walls.
    Clare glanced back at him, embarrassed to be caught in a poor parenting moment. Griffin was leaning casually against the door, his jeans slung loosely across his hips, an amused smile making his dimple appear. His shoulders were so wide, he took up nearly the entire doorway, and his head almost reached the top of the frame. He radiated such presence, a man who owned his space and dominated the room. What had Clare been thinking, bringing him into her house? Into her private sanctuary where she didn’t have to worry about men or judgment? “No, it’s fine. We were just—”
    “Oh my God!” Katie’s face lit up, and she beamed at Griffin. “You’re here!” She raced across the room and threw herself at Griffin, giving him a huge hug. “Thank you for last night!”
    Griffin caught her, but the look of surprise on his face