Kismet

Like Annie, Kelly didn’t need or want a man who felt the need to take care of her. She was determined to be smart and self-sufficient, the opposite of her mother in every way. No matter how many obstacles life threw in her way. And unfortunately, there were more to come. Utter humiliation loomed in the not-so-distant future courtesy of a man she’d once loved. The affair was long over. The fallout was not. Kelly could handle the mess. Her younger sister could not. And Kelly did not want Tess exposed to gossip and innuendo just as the teenager was doing well and making better choices. Kelly only hoped the distance between Manhattan and Serendipity would spare Tess when trouble hit.

“Men just don’t get us women, do they?” Annie asked, a welcome interruption from Kelly’s troubling thoughts.

Kelly shook her head and sighed. “No, they do not.”

“Firsthand experience?” Annie asked.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Kelly frowned, the memory of spending the last year getting over having her heart and trust betrayed, still fresh.

“I’m sorry.” Annie blew out a long breath. “I don’t know about yours but my ex means well. He just takes the word ‘responsibility’ to the extreme.”

Kelly swallowed hard. “And my ex-boyfriend took the word ‘commitment’ way too lightly.”

“Excuse me,” an older man said, indicating he needed to get to the counter so he could pour milk into his coffee.

“Sorry.” Kelly stepped out of the way and with Annie, walked toward the exit.

“So how about I call you at my father’s office later today and we’ll exchange phone numbers and make lunch plans?” Annie asked.

Kelly nodded. “Sure. That’s fine.”

They parted ways and Kelly headed toward Richard’s office in the center of town. The buildings stretched along the road, stores on the main level, small apartments above, like hers over Joe’s Bar. The small town appealed to her coming from the overcrowded city with tall buildings and too many people.

Using her key, Kelly walked into the office of the man she credited for helping to save her sister and her family. “Richard?” she called out.

No answer.

The small office was empty. Obviously she’d beat him here which was unusual. Richard was an early-to-the-office, late-getting-home kind of man, though his wife had been trying to get him to work fewer hours, maybe take in a partner to lighten his load.

Kelly settled in to her desk in a small room with a window that she appreciated. She already knew which case she had to work on and what she needed to do today, but she pulled out her calendar anyway. As part of her work routine and a way to make sure she never forgot an assignment, Kelly glanced at today’s date and the list she’d made on Friday before leaving work for the weekend.

Seven P.M.— parent-teacher conference for Tess.

Which she was attending with Dare since Ethan was away. Better Dare than the other Barron brother. The one she’d deliberately put out of her mind since the kiss on Saturday.

And what a kiss it had been.

Kelly prided herself on her poker face but she still wasn’t sure she’d pulled off being nonchalant after Tess interrupted them. Her sister had sulked all the way home but hadn’t mentioned what she’d seen, nor had she brought it up the next day. If Tess wasn’t going discuss it, neither was Kelly.

And considering she hadn’t heard a word from Nash, neither was he. Which bothered her. A lot.

Sure, she’d been a little tipsy and a lot aggressive, but she’d felt his body heat and obvious reaction firsthand. He’d obviously liked the kiss, but he’d been hard to read afterward.

She told herself she shouldn’t care what Nash thought or felt. She’d learned from her mother’s choices and her own past not to rely on anyone but herself. So though she might be attracted to Nash, his feelings on the subject didn’t matter. Even if he was equally interested, a brief affair would be disastrous because it would hurt Tess. And short term was all Kelly would let herself believe in from now on.

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