“Oh well, I’m sure he’s very nice. I had mistaken him for someone else.”
Kaitlin gave me a strange look and then untied her apron. “Right.” She hurried out, and when she got to the front, the older man gave her a fatherly smile and then bought a slice of pie for the road.
Liza came into the kitchen where I was watching out the order window. “Well, I guess that mystery was solved. It was Kaitlin’s father.” She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Oh well, better safe than sorry, right?”
“Right, and I feel like such an idiot. I think this paranoia is going to make me crazy.”
“You’ll be all right. You’re just shaken from the phone calls. I tell you what, when we get home tonight, we’ll stay up and watch a movie and have a little wine to calm our nerves.”
“I think I’m going to need something stronger than wine.” I let out a long breath and grabbed the ketchup refill. I made my way around filling the bottles and thinking of all the horrible things Nick had done to me.
Aside from throwing me down the stairs, and making me lose our baby, he’d once slapped me so hard he made my nose bleed, and that was for cooking his dinner too early. It had gotten cold, and he said it was unfit to feed a dog. I’d learned to time things just right, to make sure I put things in to warm, and never served him a cold meal again. There were countless other times; many other bruises and nosebleeds; many other stupid reasons.
It was no wonder I was paranoid.
CHAPTER 9 – CHANCE
I’d just finished my workout when Austin called, and the guy was in his usual chipper mood. “How’s it hangin’, man?”
“Do you really want to know?” I almost said to my knees, but I liked to shake it up a bit.
“Not really. How’s life treating you?” The guy had been my biggest source of strength and friendship over the years, and I wasn’t sure where I’d be without him.
“I’m good. We have a long weekend and Star’s out of school for the next week.”
“Sounds exciting. I’ve been going to the bridal shop with Lola three times a week, and I’m about to poke my eyes out if I have to see one more dress.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to see the dress before the wedding day?” His fiancé’s lack of tradition had me worried.
“Oh no. I don’t get to see her dress, just the fifty others she’ll go through until she chooses the dress. Trust me, I’ve already tried to use tradition just to get out of it. The lady that works for the shop felt so bad for me the other day that she baked me cookies for fuck’s sake. And, we’re on a first name basis. Her name is Hilda, she’s been making dresses since the Kennedy’s, and her baking skills are wonderful; hell, I might marry her.”
I laughed and went to the fridge as he continued, but I was out of my sports drinks. “Looks like I’m going to have to finally break down and go to the grocery store. I have an order I’m finishing up, and then I get to ship it out. I’ll need snacks for the late nights.”
“That sounds like the life. Lola’s got me on a diet for the wedding. She says if she’s got to go on a diet, so do I. I don’t know what the hell she’s worried about, every dress in that shop looked like it was made for her. Hilda asked her to do some modeling.”
She was a gorgeous girl, but she had nothing on Dream.
“Well, I screwed things up with the hot tutor. She came over the other night and not only did Star spill soda all over me, but I’m pretty sure Dream saw the boner I was sporting.”
Austin belted a teasing laugh. “That’s right, man; show her the goods.”
“Yeah, it was pretty fucking bad. I had to shower, and she cut the visit short after some mysterious phone call. I ended up being short with her. It’s probably best. I don’t want Star to get attached to someone who’s only here because I’m paying her to be.”
“That sounds pretty pathetic, man. What happened to the smooth operator that I used to run with. You’d have the girls eating out of your hand.”
And then I’d met Becky, and my life was ruined.
“Yeah, I’m way off my game, but then, you’re about to married, so who really has it worse?” I chuckled, and he made a sound of displeasure.
“Well, shit. I hate to cut this short, man, but Lola’s ready to go to the nail salon. She’s making me get a pedicure.”
“Tell her to at least give you your balls back for the wedding.”