Page 27 of All I Want for Christmas

That wasn’t the right tactic to take with Neely Kate. Her father would have likely had her killed had he known of her existence when she was a kid, and her mother had abandoned her when she was twelve. She didn’t want to have anything to do with either one of them. So color me astonished when Neely Kate said, “I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll talk to him.”

I barely held back my gasp of surprise.

Betsy rushed forward and grabbed Neely Kate’s hand. “Thank you so much.”

“Like I said, I can’t promise anything,” Neely Kate hedged.

“But trying is something,” Betsy said, then she gave me another glance. Her face was neutral, but I was pretty sure I saw a flash of anger in her eyes, which I was positive was a jab at me for not agreeing to try to convince Joe to talk to her.

Betsy shook Neely Kate’s hand a few times, then dropped it and reached into her purse. She pulled out a business card and shoved it at Neely Kate. “This is where you or Joe can reach me.”

Neely Kate took the card and glanced down at it then back up at Betsy.

Betsy tilted her head, studying Neely Kate for a moment before she said softly, “I can see a bit of Joe in you.” Then she gave her another smile and walked out the door.

Neely Kate and I watched her leave, then I turned to her. “Are you really gonna try to convince Joe to talk to her?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe?” Her eyes pleaded with me. “What if she really has changed? Maybe Joe should give her another chance.”

“I don’t like it,” I said, walking over to her desk and reaching for the coffee marked with my name. “I don’t trust her.”

“So, you don’t want Joe to talk to her?”

“I want Joe to make the decision he feels comfortable with, whether it’s talk to her or not. I don’t want him to feelpressuredto talk to her. Besides, she took an entirely different stance on Saturday. She barely claimed any responsibility for any of what happened in his childhood or how she treated him and Kate. I don’t believe she’s seen the light. She’s just changed tactics.”

Neely Kate pursed her lips, staring out the windows that overlooked the square. Betsy was already out of sight. “All I know is, if my mother showed up and put this much effort into seeing me, I’d see her in a heartbeat.”

While I understood why she felt that way—her mother had literally abandoned her and deeply damaged Neely Kate’s psyche—it bothered me that I suspected Neely Kate wouldn’t meet with her out of curiosity’s sake, but because she still needed her mother to love her. Something I was pretty sure Jenny Lynn Rivers was incapable of.

Part of me was worried that deep down, Joe felt the same way.

What a mess.

CHAPTER TEN

NEELY KATE

On Tuesday night, I told Jed I had an early client meeting the next morning and asked him to take Daisy to daycare. I also warned him I might have to work late. I felt guilty that he didn’t give a second thought to saying yes. He trusted me implicitly and I knew I was betraying that trust.

Tell him.

Part of me knew what I was about to do was wrong, but I also knew he’d never agree to let me try. I didn’t know why, but despite Carter’s insistence otherwise, I was sure Skeeter could do something, even if I had no idea what that something was.

So, I kissed my baby and my husband goodbye, then drove to meet Carter up in Magnolia. I’d insisted on meeting there, because the last thing I needed was someone finding my abandoned car and thinking something had happened to me.

As I drove to the rendezvous spot, I used my voice to text to tell Rose that I was taking a mental health day. I’d considered telling her that Daisy was sick, but since they went to the same daycare, she’d likely see her there. I only hoped she didn’t run into Jed.

Carter was waiting for me in the grocery store parking lot, standing next to his car with a phone pressed to his ear. Heseemed in the middle of a tense conversation when I pulled in, but he hung up after I’d parked and started to get out of my car.

“Ms.Carlisle,” he said with a tight grin.

“Cut the crap, Carter,” I said. “I’m nervous enough without you starting things.”

He chuckled. “If you’re so nervous, then I suggest we call this whole thing off.”

“No,” I said, harsher than I’d intended.

But he didn’t seem bothered by it, grinning ear to ear as he gestured to his car. “Then let’s get this party started.”

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