Page 105 of Getting it Right (Addy's Rollercoaster)

“What’s going on?” Claire glanced back and forth between Kyle and me. “Aunt Addy, did you know Kyle’s dad?”

“Yes, I knew Collin.” I noted I wasn’t the only one knocked off balance. Claire’s light brown eyes were wide behind her lenses. “Collin was the one I told you about this morning. The one I thought would be my forever.”

Claire glanced at Kyle. “Only he wasn’t.”

“No.” I pressed my lips flat. “He wasn’t. He married Kyle’s mom.”

“Why?” Claire asked, her gaze back on me. “What happened? What went wrong?”

My niece took a seat at the table by me. Kyle moved behind her, placing his hand on the back of her chair. She swiveled to place her hand on top of his. Her touch seemed to soothe him like Barry’s soothed me.

“What didn’t happen, you mean.” My tone turned bitter as my mind went to the past. “Drugs. Greed. Betrayal by friends, manipulation by others.” Martin was the key manipulator, though his sister had her share in it. “I learned that those outsiders we let into our tight group of friends should never have been let in.”

“I’m sorry. That sounds terrible.” Claire put her free but injured hand on top of mine. And the thought hit me hard that my niece formed a bridge—between the past that I represented and the present that she and Kyle did.

“It’s over and done. The past is unchangeable.” Refocusing on my sweet niece, I pasted on a determined look, but inside I wished, I wished so hard for a second chance that would take away the curse of Martin from my life. “I try not to dwell. Your mom and I both do. It’s best not to, or you can never really move forward.”

I attempted a smile, hoping she took my advice to heart. I wanted Claire and Kyle to succeed where Collin and I had failed, but Southside wasn’t a place where dreams came true. It was where they went to die.

“Yes, that’s true,” Claire said. “But I’d like to talk more about this.”

“Perhaps another time.” I glanced at Kyle, wondering what he knew about the past. “I didn’t realize this morning who your boyfriend was. With you two together, it seems like another chance.”

“A chance for what?” Claire asked.

“A chance to redo the past. To get it right. I don’t want to interfere with that by bringing my old history into it.” I pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. “Don’t let anyone come between you. Be honest with each other. Don’t just share your hopes and dreams, combine them. Okay?”

Sadly, a redo wasn’t an option for Barry and me. I slid my hand out from under Claire’s, picked up the ice pack, and gently set it on her hand.

“Okay,” Claire said, her brow creasing.

I knew she was thinking over what I’d shared. I hoped she decided my advice was sound, that my advice would be enough that the past wouldn’t repeat itself. But hope wasn’t reliable, so I added one more important thing.

“Good, honey.” I gave Claire and then Kyle a pointed look. “And don’t ever do drugs.”

Kyle’s expression hardened. “I’m not my dad.”

“That remains to be seen.” I studied him a moment, tilting my head. “My niece is obviously into you and you her, but you need to take better care of her than you have been.” My last point, an important one about the bullying made, I stood and returned to what I knew I could always rely on. “I need to get back to work.”

I went to the kitchen and changed out the freezer part. I didn’t allow my mind to wander to Barry—well, not too much. When I returned to the main room and settled behind my bar, I started polishing glasses while pretending I wasn’t eavesdropping.

“Kyle could play his guitar.” Claire gave him a hopeful look.

I went instantly alert. Kyle had a guitar? He played it? Could it be Collin’s?

“You said you would.” My niece gave her boyfriend a pleading look.

“I did.” Kyle stood. “I’ll go get it.”

“I’ll come with you.”

Claire stood too, and she had an anticipatory look in her eyes I recognized. They were going to do more back there than just retrieve his guitar. Missy knew it too, and she rolled her eyes.

“Chad and I will wait here. But don’t take too long,” Claire’s friend did air quotes, “getting his ... guitar.”

“Only as long as it takes to get it.” Kyle put the moves on Claire, sliding his arm around her slender waist.

She liked having his arm around her. Her expression turned dreamy.

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