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“Yes, that’s me.” I glanced at Cal to see how he was handling the interaction. He looked pale.
“I’m Tracey,” she replied. “I live a couple of streets away. I’m sorry to interrupt when it looks like things were going so well.”
I cringed, and Cal slung an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.
“It’s okay,” he murmured.
“I brought cookies over,” Tracey said. “Why don’t I make hot drinks and we can get to know each other better?”
I glanced at Cal to see how he’d respond. This was his house and his mother, so I’d follow his head.
“Sure.” His smile was brittle, but he was less pale than before. “We’ll sit in the living room.”
“Sounds good. Would you rather coffee or tea?” Tracey asked.
“Tea, please,” I said, and Cal nodded in agreement.
Cal guided me down the hall and into a large living room with a matching beige lounge suite and a bare glass coffee table, which looked to have been recently polished. I swallowed, thinking how different it was from the pigsty I was living in. I sat gingerly on the sofa, relieved when Cal joined me.
Tracey came into the room carrying a plate of cookies, a set of coasters, and a pile of napkins. She placed the cookies in the center of the table with the napkins next to them, then she disappeared back into the kitchen and returned with three mugs. She arranged them on coasters on the table and sank onto one of the armchairs.
“So, where do you come from originally, London?” she asked, grabbing a cookie and using a napkin to catch the crumbs as she nibbled the edge of it.
“Christchurch. I grew up there and had never lived anywhere else until recently.”
She nodded. “Why the move?”
I reached for a cookie, then glanced at Cal and took a napkin too. With the state of the living room, I had to assume he didn’t like crumbs being dropped. “I wanted to open a dog shelter. There happened to be a piece of land here that had a newly built stable. I figured the riding treks could help fund the shelter.”
“That’s smart.” Tracey grinned at Cal. “It’s just like you to find a girl with her head on straight.”
I winced because honestly, that wasn’t me at all.
“You should see what she’s doing out there,” he said, not refuting her comment. “It’s coming along beautifully.”
I beamed. Okay, so maybe I did at least have some things sorted out. I liked that he saw me as being successful.
“I’d love to come for a look sometime,” she said.
“Whenever you like,” I told her. “I’m usually there, and I’d be happy to show you around.”
“That’s so lovely of you.” She sipped her tea and sighed in pleasure. “It must take a lot of planning and organization to get a place like that off the ground. I always knew Cal would end up with someone as organized as he is.” She laughed. “He had more than enough chaos growing up with me.”
My chest felt suddenly tight. Organized? Hardly. Was that the type of woman he usually dated?
I frowned. Back when I’d opened up to him about my insecurities, he’d told me I was his type, hadn’t he?
What, exactly, had he said? That I was sweet, funny, gorgeous, and any man would be lucky to have me. He hadn’t actually said I was his type, or that he could see a future with me. Maybe dating me was just a pleasant way to pass the time before he found a more suitable partner.
“What do you mean about chaos growing up?” I asked, knowing my voice sounded strained but unable to help it. I could feel Cal’s eyes on me, but I didn’t meet them.
“Oh.” She was clearly surprised. “Sorry, I thought he’d have told you. I’m an alcoholic.”
The tightness in my chest traveled up the back of my throat.
“I’m sober now,” she continued. “For the last three years. I wasn’t what you’d call gold star parenting material when Cal was a kid. God knows how many times he had to cook for himself or make sure the bills were paid and the housework was done because I’d been wallowing at the bottom of a bottle.” She sighed. “I wounded him so much with my poor behavior that he’s always dated women who are pretty much my opposite.”
My heart ached. Itached. Both for myself, and for the difficult childhood Cal must have had. He reached for my hand, but I shifted away. I couldn’t bring myself to hold his hand while I was processing the fact he apparently avoided dating women like me. What had changed his mind?Hadhe even changed his mind, or, as I’d wondered earlier, had this just been a diversion?
