Life After Perfect (3 page)

Mentally exhausted, he walked over to the Blue Skies Cafe. It was a straight shot, back door to back door, between the medical center and the diner. He’d walked it so many times that he knew where all the potholes and divots were in the gravel parking lot.

The oppressive heat made his shirt stick to his body, though it wasn’t even a fifty-yard walk.

In the diner, the sizzle on the flattop grill softened the conversations between the people already starting to fill the booths for supper. Ol’ Man Johnson gave Derek a wave and a nod.

“I’ll get my own drink,” Derek said grabbing a glass at the beverage station.

“Doggone right you will.” The hefty man toddled off toward the grill, his laugh like the howl of a beagle on the scent of a white tail. Nearly as wide as he was tall, he blocked almost the entire view of the long cooktop, though the smell of herbs and onions wafted up around him.

Without one complaint from the cafe’s owner, Derek could tell the poor guy’s gout was flaring up again. “If you’d stay away from that shellfish like I told you, you wouldn’t be hobbling around like you are.”

“Shrimp scampi. Worth every bite. It’s the special. There’s more. Want some?”

“Sounds perfect. Got any of those cheese grits?”

“You know it.”

And that was just about how ordering at the Blue Skies Cafe went for Derek every time. He rarely had to choose his order, just let Ol’ Man Johnson tell him what was cooking, or let Angie
decide.
His best friend from high school knew his likes and dislikes as well as he did.

Still, those shrimp and grits were hard to pass up. Derek figured Johnson had probably had a double helping to cause that gout flare-up, but Derek had to admit the guy was in good shape for someone easily ninety pounds overweight. Even his cholesterol was better than most of his patients who were on a prescription for it. Just goes to show you that you can’t always tell what’s going on internally from the outside of a person.

This diner was no different. From the tired turn-of-the-century storefront, you might expect a typical greasy spoon.

Not the case.

Ol’ Man Johnson’s daughter had gone to some fancy interior design school up in New York City, and he’d let her practice on his restaurant to help build her portfolio.

Over one summer, the Blue Skies Cafe had gone from leave-no-impression to y’all-come-on-back-now-and-set-a-spell. It proved that a little thing like ambiance could change the clientele. The light that streamed in the windows used to about blind the customers. His daughter solved that by contracting an artist out near Blowing Rock to do stained glass panels. As dividers between the booths, the panels diffused the rays through the colorful glass images like a church on Sunday. Almost heavenly, and that was exactly what a Food Network star had said about the food when he came in and sampled the Blue Skies Cafe’s signature dish—Carolina Beefalo and Browns.

No dish screamed Southern more than Ol’ Man Johnson’s CB&B. It included a small medallion of fresh beefalo cooked just to your liking. Yes, beefalo—a cross between a domestic cow and an American bison—grown right up the road on Criss Cross Farm, served with hand-sliced fingerling hash browns, and then married up with whatever fresh local vegetables were available that week. A picture next to the register flaunted the cafe’s Food Network episode and bragging rights.

Derek watched Angie serve supper like she had a hive of bees behind her. Her dark hair shone, and he knew she was flustered when she shoved it behind her ear. A tell. They’d been friends so long sometimes he thought he knew her better than he knew himself.

She whisked down the aisle toward the drink station, her expression transforming, her real smile appearing, as soon as she saw him.

“Good day?” he asked.

“Busy.” She set a water pitcher down on his table just long enough to push her dark hair back over her ear again, and nodded toward a booth at the front. “Cranky travelers.” She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead. “On top of everything, I had to walk to work this morning. My car took its last breath last night. I swear I can’t catch a break.”

“Why didn’t you call? I’d have given you a lift.”

“The walk was fine. That wasn’t the point. I’m just tired of everything always being a struggle.”

“What’s wrong with your car this time?”

She seemed to deflate before his eyes. “Who knows? I only just had the oil changed and the engine all checked out.” She let out a groan. “Let me get this lady’s Arnold Palmer before she has a fit. Seriously. If you can drink an Arnold Palmer, you can drink sweet tea. What is it with people?”

She rushed off, and it was only a couple minutes later when Angie slid Derek’s dinner in front of him. “Heard you saw Kelly Jo Keefer today.”

“I did. How’d you know?”

“I was over at Naomi’s this morning,” Angie said. “Kelly Jo is married to Todd Keefer.”

“Todd? I hadn’t made the connection.” The distance Derek had been trying to force between him and her case suddenly got harder. “Man, I haven’t seen Todd since we watched him play ball in the minors. It’s been a while. So they’re back in town?”

“He’s not. They were living in Tennessee when Kelly Jo got the news that her cancer had metastasized to the liver. She came to live with Naomi so Todd wouldn’t watch her die. She thinks she’s doing him some kind of favor.” Angie folded her arms. “I’m not sure if that’s the craziest or the most unselfish thing I’ve ever heard somebody do.”

Derek remembered the day that Laney took his hand. Her words had barely been more than a whisper when she’d said, “Seeing the anguish in your eyes every time you look at me is worse than the pain of dying.” That had just about killed him. Even the memory weighed heavy on his chest.

Kelly Jo hadn’t been looking for any miracles or promises of hope today. She’d accepted what was in her future, but still, hours after she’d left, he couldn’t forget her. He knew from experience what was ahead of her. It wasn’t going to be pretty.

“She might be doing Todd a favor.” He suddenly wasn’t very hungry. “Watching Laney’s decline was the worst part of all. It gives you such a helpless feeling.”

She sat down and reached across the table and took his hand. “I know you still miss her.”

“Every day.” He held her gaze. She’d been a great friend through Laney’s illness. “There’s nothing Todd can do to change it. If it’s what Kelly Jo wants, who are we to say it’s not the right thing.”

“It just seems so unfair.”

“Cancer doesn’t fight fair, Angie. You know, when Laney turned that last corner, there was nothing else that could be done. I knew it. She did too. It was a damned death sentence, yet even with the combined experience of all of my colleagues, we had no way of knowing just how long she’d have. There’s nothing you can do but wait, and sadly no way to make the days good enough to matter.”

“Can’t you help Kelly Jo?” Emotion and hope hung on her expression. “Somehow?”

He cast his glance toward the front door. “Kelly Jo is in that stage now, Angie. She’s dying, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. All we can do is buy her calendar time, not quality time. She’s already figured that out for herself.”

“But what about Todd? It’s unfair that she’s shut him out of her life. I told her that just because she left, it doesn’t mean a switch turned off for him. He’s still suffering. Missing her.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s in a living hell right now.” But Derek knew Todd would be in a living hell either way. There were lots of days that Derek wished he had the memories of the Laney who was all beauty and confidence. Instead, the images of her dying right before his eyes remained at the fore . . . blocking the beautiful memories. You just can’t erase those. But then he couldn’t have left her side. Didn’t until her last breath. Wouldn’t have for all the money in the world.

“She doesn’t let anyone come visit her.” She grabbed his hand and held it. “Maybe you can share something with her that will make her realize it’s okay for Todd to be a part of it. Or something. I don’t know. I just want something good for her. And him. I want him to be okay.”

“Your heart knows no boundaries. I love that about you.” But he knew there was no making things okay for Kelly Jo or for Todd. He knew exactly what Todd was feeling.

“But . . .”

“But this is a personal decision for them. What we think is right may not be right for them. We have to respect that.”

“I hate it when you’re practical.” She looked out the window. “I just feel so helpless.” She turned and looked at him. “And Derek, I feel helpless for you, too. I hate seeing you so sad. Your life didn’t end.”

“I know.” He cleared his throat. “I’m okay, Angie.”

“Okay is just okay, and that’s not good. I just want to help,” she said. “You and Kelly Jo. It shouldn’t be so hard to help people you care for. Kelly Jo used to love my chicken salad, but she couldn’t even eat it last time.”

He leaned forward. “Taste buds change,” he said.

She turned and looked at him. “Is that code for something?”

“No. You said you wanted to help Kelly Jo. When the cancer is that far along, with all the treatments she’s been through, her taste buds have changed. Things she never much liked might suddenly taste good. A lot of my patients say things like tomato soup and sauces are very palatable. You might try something like that. Couldn’t hurt.”

“I would have thought that tomato soup would be way too harsh on her stomach.” She smiled. “Tomato soup. I’ll try it. Thank you.”

“It’s not going to change the end game, Angie.” He tilted his head to the left and then to the right. Every muscle in his neck crimped and pulled. “She’s dying.” It sounded crass. He knew it, but it needed to be said.

Angie threw a towel over her shoulder. Her eyes glassy, she touched her nose with her other hand, like that would somehow stop the tears. “That’s what she said to me, too.”

“Say it,” he said.

“She’s dying.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she choked against them.

“It’s okay. Tears are okay, Angie. It’s sad as hell.”

She tore the ticket off of her pad and slid it under his plate, then got up to go back to work. “I hate it when you’re right.”

Derek pushed the shrimp around his plate. They were good, but the last one he’d eaten seemed to be still sitting in the middle of his chest.

He tossed his payment and tip on the table and walked out.

What were the odds that two guys who played high school ball together in the same small town would lose the loves of their lives to the same cancer? It wasn’t geographical. Neither Laney nor Kelly Jo was from Boot Creek, but it had happened and there wasn’t a thing he could do to change the outcome.

Chapter Three

When Katherine opened her front door, the last person she expected to see in the middle of a Thursday afternoon was Peggy Allen. Unlike the others in the neighborhood, Peggy was a housewife, but between her volunteer work, time at the club, and social calendar, she worked harder at not working than any of them. Too bad it didn’t pay a salary.

“Hey, Peggy.” Katherine stepped back from the door, but Peggy’s normal beauty queen smile was missing. “Everything okay?”

“Not by a long shot.”

“Come in.” Katherine motioned Peggy inside. “Coffee?”

“If you have some already made, and it isn’t any trouble.”

“I’m working from home today,” Katherine said. “Just made another fresh pot.” She motioned Peggy inside, but the woman who was usually as effervescent as the fizziest champagne wasn’t sparkling and that made Katherine nervous. After spending the week with Bertie, the last thing she wanted to hear was more bad news.

The two of them walked back to the kitchen. Katherine grabbed the coffeepot, glancing out the window at the behemoth brick house next door. The grandest in the neighborhood, Peggy and Tucker Allen’s house was just as flashy and loud as he was.

“Something’s wrong,” Katherine said. “I can see it all over your face.”

Peggy hiked herself up onto one of the counter-height barstools at the granite island. “Before you say anything, I want you to hear me out. All the way out.”

“Okay.” Katherine poured the coffee into two tall blue and white mugs. “You’re scaring me.”

Peggy took a sip of coffee and then sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I know Tucker is cheating on me,” she blurted out, then opened her eyes and looked at Katherine.

Katherine knew she should look surprised. But she wasn’t. “I—”

“Let me finish.” Peggy held her hand up like a traffic cop. She looked like she’d practiced this speech in the mirror and committed it to memory, and any interruption might mess her up. “I didn’t mean to put you in a weird position yesterday at the funeral. You know, when I said I’d want to know if Tucker had been unfaithful.”

Katherine took a sip of coffee, hoping the hot liquid would soothe the burning that had just started in her gut. Guilt. Remorse. Whatever it was, it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“I’ve known for a while. I mean he was always a flirt, and that was embarrassing at times, but it’s how he won my heart initially. And when we’re alone, he acted like the sun rose and set on me. He still does, only now I know it’s all just a big game to him.”

Defeat hung over her friend like a dark cloud. Unlike Peggy and Tucker, Katherine and Ron had met and fallen in love as teenagers. They’d grown up together. They’d never flirted with other people. But then Tucker and Ron were different as night and day.

“I thought I was special.”

“Oh, Peggy. You are special. Don’t let him ruin your self-esteem.”

Peggy’s chin trembled. “I believed he loved me. I believed . . . with all of my heart . . . that he’d never cheat on me. Maybe I just needed to believe that. I don’t know. Maybe he gave me all he was capable of giving. I’d convinced myself that the flirting was innocent and those little extra ego strokes were kind of the fuel that kept Tucker going.”

Oh, he was getting stroked. Katherine held her tongue, but a million thoughts were flying through her mind. How does a woman
not
know when the person who is sharing your home, your life, your bed . . . is carrying on with someone else?

Flirting was one thing, but that guy never turned it off. And it wasn’t cute. He got right into your personal space.

Maybe it was a blessing Peggy asked her to just listen because the thoughts running through her mind right now were probably not as supportive as the ones Peggy needed to hear. None of those “look at the bright side” comments like
at least now you know
seemed appropriate or helpful.

Katherine walked over and grabbed a box of tissues from the small table in the hall and put them between them on the island.

Peggy plucked one from the box and like a switch had been triggered, a single tear spilled down her cheek. “Shaleigh has been helping me for weeks. We’re getting all of our ducks in a row. I’m filing for divorce.”

“I’m so sorry, Peggy.”

She shrugged. “I’m not so much hurt as I’m just downright pissed off. I’ll start over, and I’ll do it with half his stuff. That’ll be the least he can do for me after making me a fool in front of everyone.”

“You’re no one’s fool.”

Peggy rolled her eyes with a reassuring grin. “It’s an expression, Katherine.” She snickered, but the pain in her eyes wasn’t a joke. “I’m fine. If you want to worry about someone—worry about Tucker. He’s going to pay for this the rest of his life. I’m going to make damn sure of that.”

“Well, Shaleigh is the best.” Even if Katherine thought she could have talked Peggy out of it, there was no reason to. In good conscience she couldn’t say anything nice to soothe the situation about Tucker, because she just wasn’t that good of a liar.

Peggy would be better off without him, and not one person in Preakness Heights would feel sorry for Tucker when they heard. She was older than Katherine by at least ten years, but she wouldn’t have any problem finding someone else. That is, if she even wanted to. How does someone get over that kind of betrayal?

Peggy leaned her face into her hands.

“It’s okay,” Katherine said, scooting around to her friend’s side. But it wasn’t okay. It was wrong in so many ways, and although it wasn’t a surprise, the truth of it felt heavy on her heart. Her own tears fell, and her voice shook. “Peggy, you don’t have to put on a strong face here.” She was so lucky to not be walking in Peggy’s shoes. Or Bertie’s for that matter. Even if Donald hadn’t been cheating on Bertie with another woman, he was taking her money and keeping secrets. What was the world coming to when the person you committed your whole life to wasn’t even faithful with that precious gift?

The two of them hugged and Peggy’s hot tears reminded Katherine that even those that seemed to be the strongest around you needed someone on their side. Bertie. Peggy. Even her sister had been feeling dejected after her recent breakup. After her divorce she’d dated a few guys, but having a toddler made it hard, and more often than not those dates didn’t result in much more than a second and final one.

“Aren’t we a pair,” Peggy said, looking in their reflection of the glass front cabinet and running her fingers under her eyes to whisk away the mascara now streaking her porcelain skin.

Katherine plucked some tissues from the box and handed half of them to her friend. Both dabbed at the tears, and then Katherine stepped over to the cabinet and took down a bottle of Baileys. She didn’t bother to ask, just tilted a splash into each of their mugs. “Shaleigh is the best divorce lawyer in the city. You’re in good hands,” Katherine said. “I’m so proud of you, Peggy. You seem to be handling this with such grace.”

“Thanks. I don’t feel very graceful,” Peggy’s voice squeaked at the end like she was losing air.

“Oh, honey.” Katherine pushed the concoction in front of her. “Drink up.”

“Leave the bottle out.”

“You got it.” Katherine sat back down. “But I have to ask, did you really not suspect a thing?”

“Not a thing.” Peggy took a slow, deliberate breath. “Until I got the email asking us to rate our visit to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.”

“I love that place,” Katherine said. Good memories. She and Ron had been several times.

“I’ve never been there,” Peggy said.

“Oh.”

Peggy’s wedding rings sparkled, but they spun on her finger. Now that Katherine looked closer, Peggy had lost some weight. Probably the stress of it all. “I called the hotel and got them to send me over the registration. It was Tucker’s signature, all right, and his dealer tag on the valet records.”

“Ouch.”

“That was just the beginning. The deeper I dug, the more there was. It’s just so humiliating.”

Katherine shook her head. What do you say to comfort someone? It was awkward in so many ways and mostly because what she really wanted to say was good freakin’ riddance to that jerk for hurting her friend. But being a good friend, she wanted to try to at least be supportive either way. “What did he say?”

“Tucker? I haven’t even talked to him about it.”

“What if it’s a mistake?”

Peggy lowered her chin and shot her a look. “Seriously?”

Katherine wished she had something nice to say, something that might help diffuse things for her friend.

“It’s no mistake,” Peggy said. “Trust me. I’ve dotted i’s and crossed t’s on this. Shaleigh’s tracked down more on him since that first little dribble of information. She has a team of investigators she can pick from. She just picks up the phone, and days later you have more details than you ever wanted to know. Besides, does any man ever come clean when you ask him about something like this?”

“I guess not.”

“Right. Men deny it or beg for forgiveness. I don’t want either, frankly. Shaleigh said there’s no sense in letting him know we’re on to him until we have everything squared away. Then he won’t have time to hide assets or screw me over in any other financial way.”

“I guess there’s something to be said for that.” Katherine pushed her coffee aside. “I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

“Me, too.”

“Were you happy? I mean before you found all this out?”

Peggy wrinkled her nose. “I was happy enough.”

What did that even mean? But then maybe all people settled a little when things got comfortable. “Maybe now you’ll find real joy.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if I even have the energy for all of that.”

“You’re too young to just throw in the towel. I know it’s hard to even fathom now, but maybe things will be better. New doors and all of that.”

“Yeah. All of that. It seems like a lot of work to start over,” she said. “Tucker isn’t perfect, but we’ve been together so long that it was easy. Comfortable. Maybe that was part of the problem. I’m thinking alimony for a good long time will make me feel better. Then we’ll see how things go.”

Guilt weighed on Katherine’s heart for suspecting and not saying anything to her friend, but she’d always thought Peggy must not have wanted to see the truth. It seemed so easy to see from the outside. “It’s not you who’s broken, Peggy. It’s him. You know that. Right?”

“Absolutely, and this could be so much easier if I moved out, but I can’t. I haven’t worked a real job since college. Besides, I worked with the architect on that house,” she said pointing toward their home just across the lawn. “I handpicked every color, every tile—every decision that went into this house was mine.” Peggy gazed out the window. “That is my house. He needs to be the one to leave.”

The front door slammed, and the jingle of Ron’s keys hitting the hall table stopped Katherine and Peggy’s conversation.

“I better go,” Peggy said, opening up the balled-up tissue to dab at her eyes again.

Ron walked in and stopped, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, to what do I owe this pleasure? Two lovely ladies in my kitchen at the end of a hard day.” He smiled and kissed Katherine on the cheek as he walked by to get a cold bottle of Coke out of the refrigerator. “Drink anyone?”

“No, I’m just leaving.” Peggy forced a perfect smile.

“Don’t leave on my account,” Ron said.

But Peggy was already hightailing it to the door. Katherine followed her. “Please let me know what I can do,” she whispered. “Anything.”

Peggy reached out for Katherine’s arm and leaned in. “Tucker will get the papers at work tomorrow morning. Watch for any fireworks over at my place tomorrow night. He’s not supposed to come back to the house, but I’m a little worried about his reaction. Shaleigh arranged for someone to come pack up all of his things during the day. I have no idea where they’ll take them. His office, maybe.” Her words held a tension Katherine had never heard before.

“I will keep an eye out. You don’t think he’ll do anything crazy, do you?”

“Probably not. Everything else will settle in good time. Thanks for letting me bend your ear, and Katherine . . . I understand your not telling me.”

Only Peggy saying it was okay made Katherine feel that much worse.

She walked inside and closed the door. Leaning against it, she wished she’d been a better friend.

She stepped into the downstairs bathroom and used a cool washcloth to repair her makeup damage from the tears she and Peggy had shared. She picked up the new lip color she’d just purchased and swept it onto her lips.

When she walked back into the kitchen, Ron was nursing his drink.

“You worked from home today?”

“Yeah. Figured it’d be easier if Bertie needed anything.”

“You look pretty. New lipstick?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I like the color.” He leaned closer and kissed her.

His kisses still sent shivers of desire through her.

He pulled back and smiled. “That color makes your mouth look sexy.”

It was probably the tears that made her mouth look sexy. Her lips always swelled when she cried, but she took the compliment anyway.

“What’s up with Peggy? She looked upset.” He lifted his drink to take a sip.

Katherine leaned her arms across the island. “She is. Tucker’s cheating.”

He paused, and then took a big swig. “Well, I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything. You know how he is.”

“Yeah. I know how he is, and I’ve never said anything to Peggy.”

“What was there to say? Your husband feels up all the women in town? It doesn’t mean anything. He’s just overcompensating by being overly friendly.”

“There’s more to it. Don’t you think that’s obvious? I mean even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then,” Katherine said. “Maybe if any of us had half the guts to tell him to keep his hands off, he’d have quit acting like a jerk before anything happened.”

“Or not. It’s just who he is. Peggy had to have known that when they got married. They’ve been married forever. All I’m saying is there could be more to it.”

She regretted mentioning it to him now. What was it? A guy code. She wasn’t about to get into it with Ron tonight. Sometimes it was like no matter what she said, or what side she took, he was going to argue with her. Usually it was when he was tired. Tonight, it seemed he was in one of those moods.