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“No.” She threw her hands in the air. “What is it with you two?”
“Then I’ll come pick you up. No drinking and driving.”
She pointed at the empty glass on the end table. “You’ve been drinking.”
“Fine.We’llcome pick you up.” He motioned in my direction, but refused to look at me.
He’d become a professional at pretending I wasn’t there.
She jangled her keys. “I’m going now. I won’t be late.” She crossed the room and kissed my cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too. Have fun.”
She kissed Kane’s cheek and grinned. “You should have fun since you’ll have the whole house to yourself.”
She disappeared, and he stood staring after her. Penelope could be like a hurricane, but she was a good girl.
After a moment, without a word, Kane disappeared too.
I wasn’t used to being on my own. Maybe more so now that Penelope was grown and living her life independent of me.
But the empty feeling wasn’t because my daughter had chosen to spend the evening out with friends. I’d never had many—not really—and I wanted her to.
My problem was Kane.
Hadn’t it always been?
I wasn’t going to pretend like when it came to him I had no feelings anymore. I might not know exactly what they were, but stuffing them into a box I pretended didn’t exist wasn’t the best way to go about it.
He wants nothing to do with you.
The thought hurt. I was tired of all these pent-up emotions. Of the secrets. And having no one to truly talk to. All of it was eating away at my insides and soon there might be nothing left.
I’d been part of making the mess, but I was a victim of it too.
There was only one person who had an inkling of understanding.
I pushed out of the chair and in the direction of the man determined to avoid me. I halted in the doorway to the kitchen.
Kane stood at the sink, the tea kettle in his hand.
“How much do you fill this up?” he asked gruffly.
“How much tea do you want?”
He turned on the tap and let it run. I crossed and turned it off before he overflowed it. He set the kettle on the stove. I turned on the burner.
“What happened to questions over whiskey?” I leaned against the counter and folded my arms.
“She might need me to come get her.”
My heart twisted. The urge for a drink had to be strong. Even I could use one about now. But he’d chosen tea. For Penelope. In case she needed a ride home.
He’s a good man.
“She’d appreciate that.” Why couldn’t I say what I meant? ThatIappreciated his consideration.
He stared straight ahead, over me. Like I wasn’t there.
