Page 62 of Dreaming of You

"Can I just say again how sorry I am that I introduced you to my mother?" he asked.

"I'm sure we just caught her off guard. When she saw me, she realized that there was going to be awkwardness with Vanessa, and she didn't know what to do about it."

"That's no excuse. I'm going to talk to her about it tomorrow."

"You don't need to do that, Barrett."

"I do need to do that," he reiterated. "My mother needs to understand that she has nothing to say about my life, and she needs to treat anyone I bring over to her house with respect. Otherwise, I won't be coming over."

"I just don't want to come between you."

"Trust me, this conversation is long overdue."

"I'm sure she wants the best for you."

"What she thinks is the best. She's always been controlling, but I have to admit she shocked me tonight. She's never been that overtly obnoxious. It was embarrassing."

"Well, you can't pick your family. God knows my mother is no prize. She's not snobby, but she's flaky and unreliable. She likes to chase whatever shiny new penny catches her eye. And she doesn't think much about the consequences of any of her actions. She's a very selfish person, although she would never describe herself that way. She thinks she's amazing and other people just don't understand her creative mind."

"Other people like your grandparents?" he asked.

"They are definitely at the top of the list. The three of them don't get along, and my mother has never expressed any thanks to her parents for raising me."

"Lance mentioned he wasn't sure if he should call your mother when Bess got hurt. He was rattled about it. But in the end, I think he decided not to."

"Which was the best decision. Although, she might not have come even if she knew."

He heard the bitter pain in her voice and had a feeling Kate had been hurt a lot by her mother. He hated that his mother had done the same thing to her. She didn't deserve to be hurt by anyone, much less two women who weren't even in her league.

"Did your grandmother come home today?" he asked, wanting to ease the tension on Kate's face.

She nodded. "Yes. She's doing really well. She really does bounce back fast from any adversity."

"That's great."

"I'm very relieved. It could have been so much worse. I'm trying to convince them not to get a new car, since their old one is out of commission, but I'm not sure I'll succeed. I know they don't drive the freeways anymore, and this accident wasn't their fault, but I still worry."

"It's hard to give up the freedom that driving brings," he said.

"I know, which is why I haven't pushed. They're both in good mental shape. I just don't know how good their reflexes are. Anyway, I'll go see them sometime this week and talk about it with them." She set her empty wineglass down. "What do you have going on the next few days?"

"I have a mediation that will probably take most of tomorrow and then some meetings later in the week. What about you?"

"I have a busy schedule, too. A lot of brides start shopping now for summer and fall weddings. I have a couple of bands to listen to, some venues to visit, florists to talk to, wedding dress designers to interview, and of course cakes to taste—my favorite part of the job."

He was amazed at all the different details she had to deal with. "You must have built a good network of vendors by now."

"I have, and most of the time I use them, but sometimes brides want something different or someone of their own choosing. I'm sure if I get Candice's wedding, I'll be using her mother's vendors. And that's fine. I can work with anyone." She paused. "But what I'm most excited about this week is Friday night's bridal shower for Jessica and Maggie. It's a couples' shower, so more of a party than a traditional shower. It has been awhile since we've all gotten together."

There was affection in her voice and a wistfulness in her gaze. He suspected Kate was a very loyal person. Once you were her friend, you were a friend for life. "That sounds like fun. I didn't know there were couple showers."

"It's all the rage. Just like the couple favors."

"Right. I forgot about those. Do you have weddings next weekend, too?"

"No, but I am working a bridal fair on Saturday."

He shook his head in bemusement. "You weren't kidding when you said your schedule was packed. And I have to say it sounds like more fun than mine."

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