He nodded.“Okay, I guess that rules out waterskiing for me.”Not that it was any great loss.He didn’t like it that much, anyway.
Mom said to Bella, “So, Bella, do you have plans for the vacation?Are you going to go away anywhere?”
“Away?”Bella looked confused.
Mom, no.
“You know, like going to stay at the beach over the summer.”Mom glanced at Kyle, ignoring theplease stopmessage he was trying to communicate.
“Um, I don’t think so.We don’t normally, do we, Mommy?”
Gen’s face was stiff as she sipped her drink, then shook her head no.
“Oh my goodness,” Mom murmured under her breath.“Don’t tell me the poor child has never gone away on vacation.Next you’ll be telling me she’s never gone to Disneyland.”
“Mom.”He was fairly certain that Disneyland was a solid no.
She tut-tutted.“I don’t know why I expected anything else.”
“Mom, please be gracious,” he said in an undertone.
“Iambeing gracious,” she whispered back.“Don’t you think it’s exceptionally gracious of me to deign to sit at the same table as the woman who openly loathes you?”
He glanced past her, saw Gen’s lips had compressed, the hurt expression on her face drawing fresh compassion for her.A peek across the table showed Minnie certainly did seem to fit Mom’s description.Her arms were folded, her eyes narrowed as they flicked from him to his mother then to where Bella was blithely talking with Kyle’s father.
His chest ached.This had obviously been too much, too soon.He’d been a fool to think this could work.
* * *
“I cannot believe that woman!”Mom hissed, after they finally said good night to Bella.“Who does she think she is?”
“Mom.”Gen closed her eyes.Thank goodness that was over.It had been two of the more excruciating hours of her life, doing her best to pretend that Philippa Tinker’s little slings and arrows did not hurt her.Wishing Bella had more nous than to simply announce whatever thought drifted through her mind.
Thanks to Bella the Tinkers now knew that they’d never gone on a vacation, which had no doubt prompted Philippa to announce that they’d like to take Bella to Kyle’s vacation home on Bainbridge Island.
“With your father, too, of course,” Philippa had added.
Of course.And ofcoursehe happened to have a vacation home on one of Washington state’s prettiest islands, the playground for the rich each summer.
To his credit, Kyle had looked surprised, which suggested this hadn’t been of his doing, so that was something at least.
And of course Bella had been excited, excitement which had deflated like a popped balloon when Gen had managed to assert enough parental authority to murmur a “We’ll see,” which was met with Bella’s instant groan and grumbled, “That always means no.”
This meant Philippa had flashed angry eyes at Gen, which she’d done her best to avoid, but it was exhausting trying to pretend she liked being belittled and made to feel inferior simply because money had always been scarce.
Lack of finance wasn’t a character flaw; rather, it could build character.One had to learn to be resilient, to value what one earned, to treat others—and possessions—with respect, and take nothing for granted.At least David Tinker, for all his wealth, was a lot nicer than she remembered.Gen had been surprised at the way that Bella soaked up his attention.But perhaps that was because she had grown up in a women-centric world, and appreciated the fatherly interest of a man.Bella certainly seemed to have bonded quickly with Kyle, but then that wasn’t surprising, as he’d always had that easygoing way about him.He was a good man, even if he’d been blindly optimistic about the outcome of today.
Her mom huffed to the sofa and sat down.“I knew how it would go,” she muttered.“I knew they’d try to throw their weight around, and that Kyle would try to bribe you by paying for that meal.”
“I thought it was a nice gesture.”Which was why she had agreed to it in the first place.She might’ve preferred a simpler venue—even Applebee’s would be a major step-up for Bella’s usual dining out establishment.Going out for fast food was rare, Taco Bell about as much as she could afford.
Mom shook her head.“And now that foolish vacation.”
Gen winced.She didn’t have the heart to tell Bella it was unlikely a stay by the beach could come true.Because while part of her truly did appreciate the offer, another part of her knew she didn’t trust the Tinkers enough yet for them to spend time with Bella without her.Especially when she hadn’t even let Kyle have time alone with Bella, even if she did trust him.And with Gen’s work continuing through the summer, it wasn’t like she could do as Kyle had suggested and take time off.In between work and studies, anything resembling her “time off” was already scheduled with plans to help at a mentoring program downtown at a free clinic.Still, a vacation was a nice idea.
“I think Bella will accept that it’s just too hard to manage.”Well, Gen hoped that anyway.Lately it seemed like Bella was taking tiny steps toward independence, with her comments that bordered on cheekiness.And while Gen had managed while Bella was younger, this sass as she grew older was a different kettle of fish.
She’d appreciated Kyle stepping in and quashing Bella with just a look, just as he had the other day with Bella’s cheeky request for a puppy.He might’ve been a dad for all of five minutes, but he seemed to have taken Bella’s measure, and knew exactly what to do and not do.
