Package Deal (10 page)

Kelly chugged the dregs of her ice water, hoping to freeze whatever body part was in spasm. Vocal cords, diaphragm? She had no idea and had never mentioned the problem to a doctor, despite suffering for years.

“I try to avoid spicy foods.”
Hick-up!
“
Oh my God!
I think it’s an allergy. Black pepper is the worst.” She wanted to crawl under the table, but didn’t of course, glancing instead at Steve’s water.

He pushed the glass toward her. “Go ahead.”

She drank most of it, hoping to drown the hiccups.

Both glasses empty, she sat for a minute without making a sound. Waiting. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew. That was terrible.”

Without warning, she hiccupped again, a high screeching sound. Steve’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Oh, come on,” she groaned. “Quick, hand me some sugar.”

Steve eyed her as if she were crazy but handed her two sugars. “What’s that going to do?”

“Some—”
Hick-up!
“
—
times it helps.” She tore open the pack and poured the contents into her mouth. When Steve’s expression became quizzical, she giggled mid-hiccup. “Appar—”
Hick-up
. She struggled to get the words out. “Apparentlyitsnotworking.” She rattled off the sentence so fast it came out one long word.

Their gazes connected, and they collapsed into such loud laughter it silenced the noisy macaw where he sat on his perch, head cocked to one side in bewilderment. Between snorts and giggles, Kelly hiccupped, and Steve choked into his napkin.

When at last she stopped, he switched plates with her. “Here. You eat the flounder. I’ll eat the Mahi Mahi.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I don’t think my stomach can survive another hiccup. My ribs hurt. ”

They fell apart again, holding their sides and stuffing their napkins in their mouths, ignoring the stares from the other tables. Time seemed to stop for the moment.

They survived dinner, made it through dessert, and relaxed over another glass of wine. Kelly’s thoughts flashed back to Ken’s reaction to her hiccups. It had embarrassed him, and he’d accused her of doing it on purpose. He was such a jerk.

Kelly and Steve stuck to small talk—safe and comfortable for Kelly. The wine and laughter magically dispelled any discomfort she was feeling, and she was at peace for the first time in days. The breeze off the ocean cooled, and a brilliant three-quarter moon rose over the ocean. It was late. The other diners had finished and left the restaurant, and Kelly and Steve had the patio to themselves.

She listed toward him, having drunk too much wine
.
“You’re a lot of fun, Steve McCarthy.” She couldn’t feel her face but knew she was grinning like an idiot. She bubbled with happiness inside, something new for Kelly.

“Me? You’re the one who started all the laughing. I didn’t do anything.” He met her halfway and brushed his lips feather soft across her mouth. “You taste like wine, sweet wine.”

He kissed her again, softly—barely a kiss.

Enjoying the feel of his lips, she pushed back all her old fears and gave in to the impulse. She leaned toward him to return the kiss, lips parted.

At the same moment, the macaw let out a loud
hick-up
, and croaked, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

They froze, and then crumpled into hysterical laughter.

Chapter Eleven

I
t was one harmless, little kiss, she told herself for the hundredth time. No tongue, no trembling, no heavy breathing, just one harmless, little kiss.

“Mommy, Mommy!” Lacy’s voice broke the mantra haunting Kelly for the past four days.

She glanced around and spotted Lacy zigzagging through a row of chairs surrounding the baggage carousels at the San Francisco airport. Kelly
pushed
past the passengers awaiting luggage and hurried to intercept her daughter.

Her heart melting with joy, Kelly whisked Lacy up into her arms. “I missed you, pumpkin.”

“I missed you too, Mommy.”

Kelly gave her a tight squeeze.

“Watch out for Skunk!” Lacy peered around her mother’s embrace at the rat, whose head protruded from the six-year-old’s pocket.

Kelly lowered her daughter to the floor. “What is Skunk doing here? Honey, rats aren’t allowed in the airport.”

Lacy frowned. “He missed you, too.”

Jill Wagner, barely five feet tall with her shoes on, edged up beside them, draping a familiar arm over Kelly’s shoulder. “Hey, stranger, careful with the kid. I’m watching her for a friend.”

Kelly lowered her gaze a few inches to Jill’s eye level. Playing along, Kelly grinned, “You watching the rat, too?”

Jill shrugged. “The kid’s hopeless.
Mi casa
, her
casa
.”

“Seriously, thanks for keeping the two of them for me. Lacy looks great, but you look haggard. What’s she been doing to you?”

“It’s not her fault. She’s been the perfect model of childhood.”

Kelly lifted one eyebrow. “Sounds like a cover-up story.”

“No. I got a wicked cold Wednesday and feel only slightly better than post mortem.”

Kelly took Lacy’s hand. “Then let’s get you home, and you can go to bed.” They merged with the crowd and headed toward the baggage claim area. “I’m really going to miss you Jill. Sure I can’t talk you into Daytona Beach?”

“It depends on how much
I
miss you and your shrimp.” She tussled Lacy’s hair. “Keep talking beach, though. I’m listening.”

They headed, arm in arm, for the parking garage.

At eight-thirty that evening, Jill came downstairs to help with the packing.

“Enter at your own risk,” Kelly warned.

Jill closed the door and headed straight for a box of tissues on the cluttered kitchen counter. “God, I hope I never have to move.”

In the corner of the room, half hidden by the growing clutter of boxes, ballerinas in flowing pastel gauze pirouetted across the television screen on public television. The soothing music calmed Kelly when her surroundings were cluttered and chaotic.

Everything from the kitchen cabinets had been packed, and the resulting dozen or so half-filled boxes made the simple task of crossing the living room a challenge for even an Olympic hurdler.

“It’s even worse than I’d imagined.” Jill shook her head in mock horror. She glanced around. “Where’s the kiddo?”

“She’s already asleep. I think the mess got to her.” Kelly stopped what she was doing and rested her hands on her hips. “Do you think I’ll have all this packed in time for the movers?”

“Sure. I’m here to help. We’ll have it done by tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait till this nightmare is over.”

“Well, let’s get to it.” Jill grabbed a box.

“If you feel as lousy as you look, you probably ought to go to bed.”

“If I needed a mother, I’d go home. Hey, guess who came by looking for you Tuesday?”

Wearing a roll of tape like a bracelet, Kelly locked her gaze on Jill. “I give up.”

“Ken.”

Kelly stopped packing and stiffened. “My Ken?”

“That would be the one.”

Her mood soured. “You’re kidding? He came here?”

Jill’s features hardened.

“What did he want? Jeez, I hope Lacy didn’t see him. I don’t want her upset.”

“Lacy was downstairs playing with Melissa. She wasn’t even around. Good thing, because he was fighting mad about you taking him back to court.”

Kelly clenched her jaw to control her anger. When she spoke, her tone was cool. “What did the bum say?”

“He threatened to countersue, claiming you didn’t need his money and were harassing him. He asked where you were.”

Kelly’s fingers tightened around the roll of tape she held. “Did you tell him we were moving?”

“No. I thought you should be the one to tell him. He came in for a cup of coffee.”

“You let the enemy in?” she shouted, her jaw twitching with anger.

With a startled expression, Jill backed up and almost fell over a box. “I didn’t invite him in,” her voice trembled. “He…he just sort of walked in. I was hoping maybe I could help, Kelly.”

“Help? Are you kidding?” She was so mad she wanted to spit—until she noticed Jill’s intimidation. In all the years they’d known each other, Kelly had never raised her voice at Jill. Wilting, she realized she sounded like a maniac.

“God, I’m sorry, Jill. I know it’s not your fault.” Her mind raced, and she squeezed back tears.

“It’s okay, Kel. Take it easy. I don’t want you having a heart attack.”

“Right. Sorry. But how dare he approach my best friend. It’s just like him to try to come between us. I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up here. I haven’t seen his face in
two
years.”

“He calmed down after a few minutes, and we talked sensibly about it like two adults. He acted as if he knew nothing about it. As if he’d been blind-sided.”

Kelly simmered. This whole thing with Ken had her riding a roller coaster of emotions.

“I tried to talk to him,” Kelly said, “but he wouldn’t listen. I called him one day, you sat right beside me, Jill. Don’t you remember? He kept telling me the same thing he told you.
W
hen
I told him it
was
his responsibility to help support Lacy—because he helped make her—he almost came unglued. I’m sure you’re no stranger to the male martyr routine.”

Jill rolled her eyes. “Intimately familiar. Remember the married guy at the office who kept asking me out, always crying about how horrible his wife treated him?”

“I do.” Kelly gave her head a shake. “I also remember you dated him for two months.”

Jill gave a sheepish shrug.

Kelly had never understood how Jill could even consider going out with a married man. She’d accepted Jill’s decision but never condoned it. Women needed to stick together, not stab each other in the back. Besides, Kelly figured any man who cheated on his first wife more than likely would cheat on his second wife, and third, and so on.

“Oh well, water under the bridge.” Jill clapped her hands together, and her voice took on a soothing edge. “You’re a great mom. I hope I do half as well if I ever have a kid.”

Kelly met Jill’s gaze. “Thanks. Promise me, Jill, if Ken Pearson ever shows up here again, you’ll tell him to get lost. I never dreamed he’d drag you into this.”

“I promise.” She blew her nose again. “Oh, yeah. Ken wasn’t happy about his visitation rights either,” she added between blows.

“Visitation rights?” Kelly’s voice cracked, but she was too tired to keep up the anger. “He’s had visitation rights all along and hasn’t seen her in over four years. I think he forfeited those rights when he quit seeing her. He doesn’t care about visitation rights. He’s just trying to make me look bad to you. Honestly, Jill, Lacy wouldn’t know her father if he walked through the door right now.”

Kelly tucked two crystal candlesticks in the box and closed the flaps. “I’ve got more important things to worry about. I can’t waste any more of my energy on Ken Pearson,” she said and meant it—at least for now.