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He shook his head. “I think you need to see him. I think you’re going to.” He nodded his head firmly. “Yeah. You’re gonna see him. You’re gonna do it for me.”
She closed her eyes, knowing she would do whatever Vinnie told her to do, but even so, she knew it would be almost too painful to bear.
Vinnie glanced into the back seat, and Ang followed his gaze. She felt sorry for the man who lay back there. Vinnie had wrapped the duct tape awfully tight around his wrists and his ankles and his head so it covered his mouth. She didn’t know how Vinnie got him to meet a hundred miles from Big Falls along a deserted stretch of road in the middle of the night, but as Vinnie was constantly telling her, she didn’tneedto know every little thing. He’d made a phone call, and two hours later the man was there and Vinnie was ordering him around at gunpoint.
He looked miserable back there, face red, hands turning almost blue, eyes watering. “It’ll be all right,” she told him. “We’ll be there soon.”
CHAPTERFIVE
Kara had catalogues spread out on the dining room table and was trying very hard to focus on her excitement over her new business. Unfortunately she was failing. Despite the child-size furniture, swing sets, sandboxes and various educational toys and games lining the pages in full vivid color, she couldn’t seem to focus on anything but her impending dinner with Jimmy Corona and his adorable son.
She’d been focused on that all day and was still no closer to knowing how she should approach the evening. As a date? It felt more like a nerve-jangling audition.
“I’d rule out that mini-trampoline, sis. Too dangerous.” Kara looked up to see Selene looking over her shoulder at the catalogues. She smiled up at her and tried not to let her inner turmoil show too much, though hiding emotions from Selene was next to impossible. “There’s this big room on the ground floor with double doors that open into the backyard,” she said. “That’s going to be the main focus. I want to make it almost magical for the kids. But educational and safe, too.”
Selene nodded, pushing her silvery blond hair behind her shoulders and crossing the kitchen to the large range. She flipped on a burner, set the teapot on. “I’m making tea. You want a cup?”
“Sure. What kind?”
“Chamomile. You’re a nervous wreck.” She said it with a quick glance over her shoulder and a wink. “I looked for you in your room. Looks like a fashion show exploded in there.”
Kara rolled her eyes. “I was trying to decide what to wear to dinner tonight.”
Selene took two china cups from the cupboard, dropped a pair of her homemade teabags into them, then turned to face Kara. “I guess that depends. Is it a date or just a casual thing?”
Kara thinned her lips. “I wish I knew. I mean, I guess it can’t really be adatedate, since Ty will be there.”
“Oh, that doesn’t mean much.” Selene lowered her head. “Edie said Jimmy kissed you this morning.”
Kara stood up, bumping her chair back so the legs scraped noisily over the floor.
“Relax, sis. You know you can’t keep a secret in this family. So what kind of kiss was it?”
“What... whatkindof kiss?”
“Yeah. You know, was it a peck or a slow, dreamy kiss? Or maybe a hot and hungry one? Was your mouth open a little? Any tongue involved?”
“Good grief, Selene, knock it off.” Kara sank back into her chair and pressed her palms to her hot cheeks.
Selene giggled and turned to the now-steaming pot to pour water into their cups. “It sounds to me like tonight’s a date.”
“Maybe it is, but what I’d like to know is why.”
Carrying a cup in each hand, Selene came to the table, set them down and took a seat. “You don’t know why he would kiss you?”
“I mean why now? He never gave me a second look in high school.”
“Well, you’ve changed since high school.”
“That’s just it. I haven’t changed. Not at all.”
Selene frowned at her. “You know that’s not true.”
“It is so. I’m the same girl. I look better, that’s all. Edie taught me how to dress, gave me hair and makeup tips and endless lectures on posture and grace. But inside I’m the same.”
Pressing her lips tight, Selene shook her head. “You are so wrong. You’ve changed in a dozen ways, Kara. On the inside, where it counts. You’re not so painfully shy anymore. You’re more confident, more sure of yourself, more comfortable in your body. You’re starting your own business, you’re stronger than ever before. You’ve stopped hiding your light under a bushel, as Mom would say.”
Kara thought it over and finally nodded. “Okay, so maybe I’ve changed a little. But when I’m around him, I revert right back to that babbling, clumsy nerd I was before.”
