Page 22 of Dreaming of You

"What about your parents, grandparents? Are they together?" she asked curiously.

"I only have one grandmother left, and she's been married three times. My mother has been married twice, and my father is on his fourth marriage. His brides keep getting younger and younger."

"Wow, that's a lot of marriages."

"And weddings. Each and every one of them has spent a great deal of money to have the perfect day, only to end up with an imperfect marriage."

"Again, you're generalizing."

"Not when it comes to my family. Apparently, the Foxes are not cut out for marriage."

"Maybe it's more about picking the right person than the right wedding venue."

"I'll give you that. What about your parents? What's their story? Have they been as happily married as your grandparents?"

She frowned at his question, not really wanting to answer it, because it would just add fuel to his fire when it came to weddings and marriage. "Do you want more pizza? There are a few slices left."

"You don't want to tell me about your parents. Why?"

She didn't like the knowing gleam in his eyes. "I just thought you might still be hungry. I was being a good host."

"They're divorced, aren't they?"

"No, they're not divorced."

"Really?" Surprise ran across his face. "Then why did you hesitate to answer the question?"

She really didn't need to tell him her life story. But for some reason it was difficult to look away from him. "My parents aren't divorced, because they were never married. My mom got pregnant. My dad hung around until I was born and then he took off. He said he couldn't be a father. He didn't want me in his life."

Barrett's humor faded. "I'm sorry, Kate."

She shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I never knew him. How can you miss something you never had?"

"Some men aren't cut out to be fathers. I'm sure it wasn't personal to you."

"When your father rejects you, it feels personal."

"He didn't know you."

"He didn't want to know me. Anyway, that's their story."

"Are you close with your mother?"

"No. She also wasn't cut out to be a parent. She's a singer, and she has been in and out of my life—mostly out. I lived with my grandparents from the time I was six until I went to college. They raised me. They're the people I count on."

"Do they live here in the city?"

"No. They're in Berkeley. They have a small house in the hills. It's not much, but it has a great view of the city. I used to sit on the patio and think about one day living in San Francisco and having my own business."

"It all came true."

"Yes. Dreams can come true. And marriages can last. My parents didn't even try, but my grandparents are great role models."

He smiled. "You're clearly an optimist."

"And you are clearly not."

"Sometimes optimism is unwarranted. You need to be realistic, and I'm not talking about love and romance right now."

---