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“Hi, Cass,” Cathy said with a big welcoming smile on her face. “How are you?”
“I’m good. What about you?”
“Good, too. I’m helping my cousin sell some of her jewelry pieces. Would you like to buy something for you and Kyra?”
“Oh”—crap—“I wasn’t planning to buy anything but food and drinks today.”
“Come and see,” Cathy encouraged.
I glanced at some of the pieces. They were gorgeous. The beading was delicate and intricate. A brown beaded necklace with a small ballerina slipper charm caught my eye. “I think Kyra would love that one.” I pointed to it. I saw another necklace that had purple, green, and gold beads and a fleur-de-lis charm. It made me think of New Orleans. “Oh, and I will have to take that one, too.” I smiled.
Cathy complimented, “Good choices.” She placed them in a small paper bag for me. I paid, then shoved the bag into my bootie bag. “So, are you bummed you can’t hang out with Ray much today?”
I groaned.
“Look, I’m sorry for butting into your business a while ago. I just really like you, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. You seem like a smart and strong woman. I guess you talked to him?”
I nodded. I knew I wasn’t going to tell Cathy anything. She’d admitted to being a gossip, so why would I confide in her?
“Well…” She paused, and then the question I knew she was going to ask came out. “What did he say?”
I smiled. “Cathy, I really like you, too, but I can’t tell you that.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders sagged. “I understand.”
I nodded.
“So are you two dating?”
I thought about it for a bit, then just went for it. “Yep.”
“Well, good for you,” Cathy said. “See, you are a strong woman. I don’t think I could do it. Date Ray. I mean, I could do him, but…” Cathy’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Omigosh. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. I’m so embarrassed.”
I laughed and placed a hand on Cathy's shoulder. “It’s okay, Cathy, really.”
“Are you sure? He’s your boyfriend now. I don’t want to offend you.”
“Not offended.”
She let out a relieved sigh, then continued, “What I meant was, I wouldn’t be able to date someone like Ray in our town. It’s too small, and too many people try to get in your business. No one thinks the two of you should be dating. Ray could be your father or maybe even grandfather, for crying out loud.”
I bit my tongue. “I could tell you how wrong you are, and spout a bunch of clichés about how age doesn’t matter, but I’m not going to. Why worry about what other people think? Who really cares? I know how I feel. Ray knows how he feels, and that’s all that matters.”
Cathy’s eyes widened. She stared at me for a while “Good for you. Good for you.” She nodded.
A new customer approached the tent and asked to see a necklace. “I see you’re getting busy. I’ll see you later.” I was grateful for the out.
She nodded.
I turned and ran smack into my ex-husband. Shock, disbelief, and then pure anger fueled inside me. “Dex! What are you doing here?”
“Dad!” I heard from a distance. Max rushed toward Dex and leaped into his arms.
“Hey, Max!” Dex shouted and lifted Max into his arms, kissing him on the cheek.
I could see Kyra near the stage with a group of her friends. She looked my way. Her eyes grew round and her mouth dropped open when she realized her father was here. She immediately closed her mouth and clinched her teeth, squinting her eyes at him. Dex didn’t see the fire his daughter was directing at him.
“Mel and I are visiting the Los Angeles area with some of her friends for the next couple of weeks. Max told me about Kyra’s performance, so I thought I’d stop by.”
