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He could see that stung. She was a lonely, weak woman, but at some point, she had to stand up for herself and do what was right. It wasn’t something he could do for her, but maybe he could give her a nudge in the right direction.
“I’ll have to think about it,” she said. “He’s good to me, and if he wins the mayoral race, I’ll be the first lady of New Bern.”
“There’s a lot more to loving and respecting someone than simply feeding and housing them. Also, I don’t know what he’s told you, but there’s not a chance in hell that he wins this race. It’ll be interesting to see how eager he is to get married after that.”
The look on her face said maybe he’d gone too far. He pulled her into his arms.
“I know I usually do whatever you want me to. I’ve enabled you, and I’ve let you talk me into things I didn’t agree with because I love you and want what’s best for you. That’s exactly why I can’t support this relationship. You deserve better. You need to believe you deserve better.”
“Maybe,” she said.
Not sure whether his mom would ever change, he could only do so much. She’d been dependent for a long time. Adam had played into that by giving her everything she needed. Maybe it was time for some tough love. God knew he couldn’t watch her throw her life away with this loser.
“I gotta go. Think about it. I’ve asked Kate to find something affordable for you that I’m willing to co-sign on.”
“I’ll consider it.” She sighed.
At that point, he gave up. She would either find the will to be self-reliant or not, but it wasn’t something he could talk her into. Wasn’t something he could give her or force her to find. It could only come from within, and if she didn’t want it, she didn’t want it. It was hard to watch, and he disagreed with it, but he was done chasing his tail over it.
“I love you, Mom. But I can’t watch you do this to yourself. Your place in Jacksonville is untouched. You could go back there till we find you a house here. Call me if you change your mind.” He opened his car door, kissed her cheek, and left.
He drove home, racking his brain on how to make things right and clean up this mess.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Kate rushed from the auditorium shocked, embarrassed, and hurt, but above all, pissed. Adam had been using her to get to her father the whole time. She should have known.
Fuming in a way she never had before, Kate got into her car and peeled out of the parking lot. Halfway down Trent Boulevard, she slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt in the middle of the road. The driver behind her laid on the horn and swerved into the next lane to avoid rear-ending her. She stared in disbelief at a billboard ad for Chuck’s campaign. His happy little family, including Adam and Duke, mocked her from fifty feet up.
Her blood boiled. His mom’s fiancé was her dad’s opponent. And he hadn’t thought to mention that? Before he hired her, before he kissed her, or before he slept with her? All that time together, and he’d never said a word. She’d been such a fool. And now, her dad would pay the price.
Under the anger, a gut-wrenching pain festered. A vise gripped at her heart, making it hard to breathe. She thought she was falling in love, and he’d just been using her for information. How could she have been so stupid? The betrayal and anger threatened to overwhelm her. She put the car in drive and made it home just in time to break down.
“Oh, Luna. I’m such an idiot.” She held the dog tight, crying into her fur. Luna licked her tears and tickled her face with her whiskers. It made her chuckle. “I knew he would be trouble. I knew I should have listened to my mind and not let him weasel his way into my heart.”
Kate’s phone rang repeatedly, but she ignored it. About thirty minutes later, she heard a knock at the door, and then it opened, and her sisters poured in.
They were here to cheer her up. She wasn’t ready for company, but they wouldn’t leave anyway, so there was no point in asking them to.
“Just so we’re clear, which seats am I avoiding?” Lizzie said.
“Lizzie, hush,” Emma said, easing down next to Kate and hugging her.
“How did I know you’d come?” Kate said.
“We didn’t want you drinking alone,” Lizzie said. “And after tonight, I assume there will be drinking?”
“Not everyone drinks away their problems,” Lucy said.
“Thank God I have a bar full of patrons every night who don’t feel that way.” They all chuckled.
“Is Dad mad?” Kate asked.
“No,” Lucy said. “He says it’s all a misunderstanding, and the truth will come out eventually. He doesn’t seem too worried about it.”
“Why didn’t he just explain it, then?” Kate asked.
“Who knows,” Lucy said. “Dad’s a big boy though. He knows what he’s doing. You heard the auditorium. Even after old Chuck threw out the accusations, and Dadadmittedthat he’d said those things and wouldn’t explain them, no one believed a word of it. Especially not Mom.”
