Kismet

She stopped, as she did daily, at Cuppa Café, the town’s version of Starbucks. Kelly had worked hard all her life and she’d learned early on to save, but her entire day hinged on that first cup of caffeine. It had to be strong and good.

Kelly stepped into the coffee shop and the delicious aroma surrounded her, instantly perking her up as if she were inhaling caffeine by osmosis.

She was pouring a touch of milk into her large cup of regular coffee when a familiar woman with long, curly blond hair joined her at the far counter.

“You’re as regular as my grandma Emma wanted to be,” Annie Kane joked.

Kelly glanced at her and grinned. “I could say the same for you.”

“Good point.” Annie laughed and raised her cup in a mock toast.

Small-town living offered both perks and drawbacks. Running into a familiar face could fall into either category. Kelly and Annie frequented Cuppa Café at the same time each morning and they’d often linger and chat. If pressed, Kelly would say Annie was the closest she had to a real friend here, if she didn’t count Faith Harrington, Ethan’s wife.

Annie was Richard Kane’s daughter, though from the pictures on Richard’s desk, Kelly noticed Annie looked more like her mother than her dad. From the first day they’d met at her father’s office, Kelly had liked this woman.

Kelly took a long, desperately needed sip of her drink.

“So what’s your excuse for being up so early every day?”

“Routine keeps me young,” Annie said.

Kelly rolled her eyes. “You are young.” She looked Annie over, from her slip-on sneakers to her jeans and light cotton sweater. “I bet we’re probably close to the same age.”

“I’ll be twenty-seven next month,” Annie said.

“And I’ll be twenty-seven in December.”

Annie raised her cup to her lips, and Kelly couldn’t help but notice her hand shook as she took a sip.

Kelly narrowed her gaze but didn’t comment on the tremor. Instead, she dove into cementing her life here in Serendipity. “Listen, instead of quick hellos standing over coffee, how about we meet for lunch one day?” She was ready for a real friend here, someone she could trust and confide in. Kelly adored Tess, but a fourteen-year-old hardly constituted adult company.

“I’d like that!” Annie said immediately. “Let me give you my phone number.” As she reached into her purse, her cell phone rang and she glanced at the number.

“Excuse me a second,” she said to Kelly. “Hello?” she spoke into the receiver.

Kelly glanced away to give Annie privacy, but she couldn’t help but overhear her end of the conversation.

“I’m feeling better, thanks. Yeah. No you don’t need to stop by. I called the plumber and he said he’d make it to the house by the end of the day.” Annie grew quiet, then spoke once more. “I can afford it and you don’t need to come by. You weren’t good with the pipes when we were married,” she said, amusement in her tone.

Some more silence, then Annie said, “If you insist, I’ll see you later,” she said, now sounding more annoyed than indulgent.

She hung up and put the phone back in her bag. “My ex-husband,” she explained to Kelly. “He thinks because I have MS I need his constant hovering.”

The admission caught Kelly off guard and she felt for Annie, being diagnosed so young. Richard liked to talk about everything and anything when he was in the office, but he’d never mentioned his daughter’s disease. Kelly didn’t blame him for omitting something so personal. In fact she was surprised Annie had mentioned it at all.

“I’m sure you noticed my hand shaking earlier, and if we’re going to be friends, you might as well know,” Annie said as if reading Kelly’s mind.

Kelly met Annie’s somewhat serene gaze. Obviously she’d come to terms with her situation. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Hey, if I go MIA one day, at least you’ll know why.” She shrugged, as if the notion were no big deal.

Kelly didn’t take the other woman’s confidence or situation as lightly. “Well, if you ever need anything, just let me know.”

Annie smiled. “Thanks. But I think my ex will always be around to handle things,” she said through lightly clenched jaw.

“That could be a good thing,” Kelly mused, “having someone at your beck and call when you need something.

“Not when you’ve told them you want to be independent,” Annie muttered. The frustration in the other woman’s voice was something Kelly understood.