Page 60 of That One Heartbreak

He cupped her face with his warm palm. “Don’t you get it yet? I’d do anything for you. Walking a couple of miles isn’t even a blip on the radar.”

Chapter

Seventeen

“Mom!”Ethan’s voice cut through her slumber.

No, no, no.Kate didn’t want to wake up. Didn’t want to leave the dream she was having about Marley. But the shouting continued so she reluctantly opened her eyes, groaning when she saw it was only seven in the morning.

“What is it?” she croaked.

“I don’t know. Grandma’s here.”

His words were like a cold bucket of water being dumped all over her face. “Grandma?” she said back. “She can’t be here. She’s in Des Moines.”

“Nope.” Ethan shook his head, running out of the room to watch what was going on outside. “She and Grandpa are climbing out of a taxi,” he shouted from the landing.

Kate sat up quickly, the movement making her dizzy. What were her parents doing here? Her mom and stepdad never gave any notice they were coming. “Are they at the door yet?” she yelled at him. “Let them in and tell them I’ll be down in five minutes.”

“Okay!” Ethan shouted back.

It took her three minutes to pull on her clothes from yesterday, frantically yanking her fingers through her hair, and run down the stairs.

And sure enough, her mom and stepdad were there in the kitchen. Ethan was talking a mile a minute about something he did in class yesterday.

She’d padded down on bare feet so they couldn’t hear her coming. It gave Kate a moment to try to compose herself. Her mom looked her usual glamorous self. Full make up, hair perfectly coiffed despite the early hour. Her designer clothes cut to fit her slender body.

Carlton – her stepdad – was the one who saw her first. “Kate,” he said, giving her a big smile. “It’s so lovely to see you. Sorry for arriving so early.”

She took a deep breath. “What a lovely surprise. How did you get here so early?”

“We were at a thing in DC,” her mom told her, fluttering her hand like it was a usual thing, just dropping in on her daughter after. “A fundraiser for Carlton’s alma mater. Thought we’d come see you all before we head home.”

Washington DC wasn’t exactly ‘dropping in’ distance. “Did you take a taxi the whole way?” she asked them.

“No, silly. We took a helicopter.” Her mom said it like it was a normal occurrence.

“You came in a helicopter?” Ethan asked. “That’s so cool.”

“It messed with my hair,” her mom complained. Then she looked at Kate. “Have you been sick? You look pale.”

“She fainted last night,” Ethan blurted out before Kate could say anything.

A look of concern washed over her mom’s face. “What caused it? Have you seen the doctor?”

“She just forgot to eat. That’s what Marley said. I cut my hand and it was bleeding and then she knocked out.” Ethan held out his bandaged hand. “Look.”

“Marley? Do I know her?”

Of course that’s what her mom would latch onto. “Why don’t you go get dressed?” Kate said to Ethan. “Wake up Addy and James. Tell them Grandma and Grandpa are here.” She looked at Carlton. “Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d kill for it.” He gave her a big smile.

“Or am I getting confused with the girl at the library?” her mom continued, as though nobody else had spoken. “Sharon, is it?”

“Shana,” Kate murmured, shooing Ethan out of the room. She grabbed the water carafe to fill up the coffee machine. “We only have cereal for breakfast if you’re hungry.”

“No thank you.” Her mom smoothed her skirt. “I’m watching my weight.”

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