Page 34 of Scores Of The Heart

“She’s good, Mom.”

She humph’s quietly. Mom doesn’t like the fact Angelique is ten years younger than dad, or the fact she shows cleavage, has high hair or the fact she’s a chatty, boisterous little thing.

I ignore any of Mom’s grievances, of course. Because Angelique has only been anything but gracious to me and Caitlin.

“I don’t know what he sees in her personally,” she sighs.

Mom has never had any interest in dating or re-marrying again.

“She’s a lovely lady,” Caitlin says. “And she loves Dad. Can’t you just be happy for them?”

She purses her lips and sips on her water. So much for her seemingly in a better mood.

“How’s things been for you, Mom?” I ask, trying to change the subject. “How’s work?”

“Busy,” mom says indifferently. “You know how it is, plus I’ve been helping with the local church fundraiser bake sale coming up.”

When Mom moved to Tacoma after the divorce, she quickly settled into the community through a new church and a new set of friends.

“That should keep you out of mischief.” Caitlin tries to make light of things too.

“Well, I do make the best baked goods this side of North America.”

We dig into our cob salads and thankfully Mom’s mind is off my dad and Angelique. I still don’t understand why she can’t be happy for him. I guess she really is still bitter about the divorce and the fact Dad moved on.

“Everyone knows how good it is,” I say.

She smiles and we enjoy the rest of lunch. It’s during our round of coffees at the end, when Caitlin has just finished her speel on what’s happening in the office front at the Seattle Times, managing to dodge too many questions about her and Liam.

The less said about that, to ensure Mom doesn’t get on her case, the better. As long as she doesn’t believe Caitlin is living in sin, then we might be able to make it to the end of lunch.

“So I was talking to Sheila the other day,” Mom says, just when I thought everything was going to be cool. My eyes flick up at her, then avert to Caitlin quickly.

Caitlin gives me that knowing look and sighs.

Here we go.

“Can we have one get together without bringing up Sheila, or anyone to do with my ex,” I say, placing my cup back on the saucer and checking my cell for the time.

My eyes bug wide for a second when I see a text from Tyler.

It flashes up on my screen and then the three second screen saver kicks in so I don’t get time to read it. Something knots in my stomach. Butterflies from the excitement of our kiss last night instantly emerge. I know I encouraged him, then again, I also stopped him in his tracks before we went too far. There’s no way he can be blamed for being too up front. I’ve never kissed a guy like that who hasn’t been my boyfriend.

I hear Mom’s sigh now and glance at her. She hates us messing with our cells at the table, so I try to at least be polite through one lunch and not look at it all the time. Though now I’m dying to read the text from Tyler.

“There’s no need to be rude,” Mom says.

I stare at her agog. “Mom, I’m not being rude! I don’t want to hear about any of the Hathaways or anyone from our old church. Why would I after all this time?”

“So you won’t be interested to know that Damon and Jessica broke up again.”

I feel the heat rise in my body. I thought all of that had left the building a long time ago, but she still knows how to get a rise out of me. Yep, he started dating Jessica after we moved to Seattle, and they’ve been on and off for years ever since. God knows who else he’s screwed in between behind her back. I’m sure if he did it to me, he’d do it to someone else, too.

“Correct,” I say, through gritted teeth. “I’m not interested in knowing any of it.”

“It’s in the past,” Caitlin says softly, for my sake. “Can’t we leave it at that?”

“I’m just saying I think he still holds his heart in his hands for Cindy. First love never dies.”

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