Kismet: A Serendipity Novella
Page 9
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.
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.
* * * * * *
About the Author
Carly Phillips is the New York Times Bestselling author of over 30 romance novels with contemporary characters and plotlines that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. Carly is a stay at home mom of 2 daughters (now almost old enough to read her books!), one soft coated wheaten terrier and a brand new Havanese puppy. She’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. More information on Carly can be found at www.carlyphillips.com. Around the web you can also find Carly at:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlyphillips
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Blog: www.plotmonkeys.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Excerpt from Destiny
About the Author