“I heard.” It was such bullshit. She was a single woman in a relationship with a single man. She wasn’t breaking any laws. “I’m sure Chelsea’s not sorry.”
John was quiet for a moment, then tilted his head. “Don’t be so sure of that. She’s been dealing with some changes since her visit with you.”
“Changes?”
“Yes.” This was tough for him, and Kate almost felt bad. Almost. “The restraining order was a good wake-up call, for one. David’s attorney also called our attorney. Chelsea knows she crossed the line.”
Kate shook her head. It wasn’t like any of Chelsea’s epiphanies were going to help her.
“I also know that I’m just as responsible. I let her entitled attitude continue unchecked.” He took two steps in her direction and stood very straight. “I’m very sorry about everything that’s happened. It was inexcusable.”
Kate appreciated his honesty. She knew well enough that parenting mistakes were the hardest to admit to. It couldn’t have been easy for him to admit he’d raised such a toxic individual. They lapsed into an awkward silence, and he brought a stack of files to the table where she was packing a box.
“She got a job.”
Kate’s head snapped up. Could she have heard him wrong? “Excuse me?”
“Chelsea. I told her if she didn’t get a job, I was going to cut her off.”
“Seriously?” Kate was stunned. Completely stunned. “What is she doing?”
“Working for a media relations company. She’s enjoying it. It’s a lot of administrative work, but they’re tapping into everything she knows about trends and such.”
“That’s good. She’s a bright girl; I’m sure she’ll do well if she puts her mind to it.”
More silence, and then he looked at her with such a lost expression, her heart hurt for him. “When her mother left, I guess I felt I had to make up for everything she didn’t have. I made a lot of mistakes.”
That was something Kate could relate to. Thinking about her situation with Laura, mistakes and parenting seemed to go hand in hand. “Too bad there’s no manual for being a parent. We do our best, I guess.”
“Are you happy? Burke is treating you well?”
“Very well. In that regard, I’ve never been happier.”
He grinned and nodded. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”
*
Laura was exhausted from play rehearsal. She groaned when she noticed her mother wasn’t home yet. That meant dinner was hours away. All she wanted was food and some Advil before attacking her homework. It had been two weeks since she lost Jack, and it still hurt so deep, Laura didn’t know if it would ever go away.
She told him not to call her. The other night after he found out about Tyler’s trade, he needed her and she wanted to help. But talking to him, knowing they weren’t going to be together, tore at her heart, and something possessed her to tell him to leave her alone. Why prolong the inevitable? He wasn’t hers, he wasn’t going to be. She had to cut him off. Laura expected Jack would move on pretty quickly. Wherever they went, girls looked at him. He was gorgeous and famous, and she was nobody. He’d be fine.
Laura couldn’t even look at any one else. A really cute guy in her Psych class had been kind of flirting with her, and wanted her to come hang out this weekend, but she said no. She had her recital, her grades needed to come up, and her heart was still in pieces. No boys for her. Not for a while.
Pressing the code on the keypad by the garage, Laura entered the house, dropped her backpack and coat in the laundry room, and jumped when she walked in the kitchen and saw her father at the kitchen table, having a bowl of soup.
“Dad!” She grabbed her heart. “What are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you. I thought we could have dinner together and try to work out all that ‘stuff’ that happened on New Year’s Day.” He stood and took two steps toward her. He looked fine, but she wondered if he hit his head or something. That had to be it. Maybe he had a head injury and that’s why he was acting crazy.
“Oh, ah, I don’t know,” she said. “Aren’t you supposed to call first?”
“Honey, I’m concerned about what’s going on here with your mother and the hockey player.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know if this is a good place for you. I mean, living here, with him here all the time…”
Was he serious?
“Dad, you really shouldn’t be here when Mom gets home. She’s still getting some mood swings and… you know… woo hoo.”
“How is she feeling?” A distinct chill in her father’s voice told her he wasn’t sincere. He asked because he had to.
“She’s better, most days. She and David are pretty serious.”
“Yeah, well. I’m only concerned about you, and what being around your mother and her lover is doing to you.”
Laura was dumbfounded. “You cheated on her for ten years. You abused her, tried every which way to get me to hate her, and told me Marie was more my mother than Mom. Do you actually expect me to buy this crap? You’re worried about her doing what? Setting a bad example for me?”
“Laura, I don’t want to argue. I have a right to be concerned.”
“No, Dad, you really don’t.”
“You’re my baby. You always will be.” He smiled sweetly. Laura had no clue who this man was and what he’d done with her father. It was creepy.
“You know what? You’d better go home and call if you have anything to talk to Mom about.”
“Maybe if I stop by tomorrow…”
“Do you have a death wish? In case you didn’t notice, David doesn’t like you and he won’t let you near us.”
“I’d like to see him try and stop me.”
That sounded like her father.
“Dad, he nearly crushed you when you came here after Christmas. I don’t think he’s worried.”
“Laura. I want you to come home with me. I don’t want to lose you.” Now he was resorting to guilt. God, she couldn’t keep up.
“Go home, Daddy. I’ll come over Friday and I’ll talk to you then. We can go out to dinner, okay?”
There was noise at the side door, along with two female voices, and Laura knew it was too late.
*
“Jules, didn’t I tell you once that the bad days always managed to get worse?” Kate dropped her keys on the counter. “What are you doing here, Richard?”
“I wanted to see you. We need to talk about things. About your situation.”
“My situation?” The last thing she wanted to deal with was Richard. Part of her wanted to threaten him with a visit from David; but at her age, she really didn’t want to have to resort to that kind of adolescent posturing. She was tempted, though. “I’ve had a shitty day, and the last thing I need is you in my kitchen. Get out. Don’t come back. I’m going to take a bath.”
Just as she was about to leave the room, his arm shot out and he grabbed her hand. “Don’t you walk away from me. I want to talk to you.”
Kate looked at his hand on her arm and for a split second, she felt the old terror. But just as quickly, it left her. Now it was anger—deep and dark, that filled her. This man was not going to terrorize her again.
“Take. Your. Hand. Off. Me.”
Her voice was low, quiet, and she could only assume how it sounded to everyone else in the room. If she had a weapon, Kate had no doubt that she would use it. Stunned by her reaction, Richard froze. His face, his body, everything froze in place. Except for one thing. He moved his hand, which found its way back to his side.
“Sorry,” he said. “Can we talk?”
Kate stared at him. “Your lawyer can call mine. We can talk through them. Now leave.”
“This is not over, Kate.” Richard retrieved his keys from the table.
“You’re right,” she said. “It’s not. But trust me, you’re going to wish it was.”
*
David dropped his bag when he walked into the bedroom. Kate was asleep, curled up on her side, clutching one of his pillows. His pillows. He smiled as he thought about how they had become part of each other’s lives. How they’d each laid claim to closet space and a certain side of the bed, and it felt just right.