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Remember that? What was that supposed to mean?
She loved this town, too, she really did, but sometimes she wished she lived somewhere a little less intense.
Her cell phone buzzed. She had an appointment with a client in less than thirty minutes to show a house over on Ocean Avenue. Hopefully this wasn’t a cancellation. She glanced a
t the screen. It was worse than a cancellation.
“It’s my mom,” she said.
“I’m late for a city council meeting,” Pilar announced, sliding out of her chair.
“Me too,” Shea said, quickly following Pilar’s cue. “Um, not that I’m on the city council, but I’m sure that I’m late for something.”
Frida jumped up from the table. “Look at all those customers waiting!”
“Cowards,” Kitty muttered under her breath as she watched the three of them scrambling for cover. Not that she blamed them. Her mother was like a category one hurricane waiting to be upgraded at a moment’s notice. She might have been divorced from Kitty’s father for two and a half decades and happily remarried, but she still considered Alan Burke her ex in every sense of the word.
“Hi, Mom!” Kitty said, forcing as much enthusiasm as possible.
“Oh, darling, how are you?” Her voice held just the right amount of sympathy to make Kitty cringe.
“What do you mean? I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to pretend with me, sweetie. Your dad and I had a long talk last week. I know all about it.”
“You and Dad talked? To each other?” As far as Kitty knew, her parents only communicated through her.
“We made a special exception. Your father called me last week to tell me all about his wedding and his plans to include you as the best man.” Her mother audibly shuddered. “It’s ridiculous, of course, but that’s your father for you, and it’s the thought that counts, right?”
“I’m really happy for Dad, Mom.”
“Oh, Katherine, I always knew you were a special child. You’d fall off your bike and never shed a tear. Who does that? But it’s all right, it’s me. Mom. You can let it all out now. I won’t judge you.”
“Good to know. But what exactly am I supposed to let out?”
“Your anger! Your frustration! You’re a beautiful, intelligent young woman and all your friends are married with children except you. And now, your geezer of a father is having an elaborate wedding at the age of sixty-five. It’s just all so…unfair! I know you have to pretend around everyone else, but not me, hon. I’m here for you. So, go ahead.”
Kitty was speechless. For one thing, she was in public, so there wasn’t going to be any letting out of any frustration. Even if she had any. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice low enough that Betty Jean and the rest of the Gray Flamingos curiously glancing her way wouldn’t hear what she was about to say.
“Mom, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But I’m thrilled that Daddy is getting remarried. And it’s not an elaborate wedding. It’s just a small family thing. As for myself, like you said, I’m a beautiful, intelligent young woman, thank you very much for that. If marriage and kids are in my future, then I still have plenty of time.”
“Oh, Katherine, you did know I was lying about the young part, didn’t you?”
“Bye, Mom. We’ll talk next week.”
“But—”
Kitty hung up before her mother could say anything else. Good grief!
She stood up from the table and smoothed down her lime green pencil skirt. She was a professional, and she had a client to impress and all sorts of important things to take care of today. She wasn’t about to let herself get rattled by a phone call from her mother!
She glanced around the crowded café to see most of the patrons looking at her with…what? Curiosity? Sadness? It was true, the past few days had been…confusing. But she wasn’t jealous of her own father, for God’s sake! Because how messed up would that be?
Kitty put on her bravest smile, raised her chin, and walked out the door.
CHAPTER SIX
There were times in a man’s life when he realized he had to step up to the plate. To grow a pair, so to speak. Steve thought he’d encountered those times before. Like when he’d decided to join the army. Or when he’d taken a chance and started his own company. But all that had been child’s play compared to what was happening at the moment.
