Page 40 of Second Time Around
Chapter 8
Kyra found room for the last bunch of carrots in one of the Carver’s Center’s mismatched refrigerators. The kids called Mondays “veggie day” with varying degrees of enthusiasm because in the morning, Kyra made the rounds of local grocery stores, which donated fresh produce that hadn’t sold over the weekend. She would sort through it, choosing things that would last another day and cooking the rest before it wilted. In her opinion, these were the most interesting meals of the week because they required creativity to entice the kids into eating them. And they allowed her to stretch her food budget. Thank goodness she’d helped her old boss with ordering at the restaurant back in Macungie. He’d taught her how to combine inexpensive ingredients to make food that tasted gourmet.
Today she was making veggie pizzas. Turn anything into a pizza and the kids would fall on it like ravening wolves. She had dumped her piles of vegetables in the sink and begun to wash them when Emily Wade walked in with her habitual mug of coffee.
“Oh, good,” Kyra said. “I have your jewelry to return. It was perfect for the party. Made me feel like a million bucks.”
“I’m so glad.” Emily settled on a stool at the island. “Tell me about the party. Was it fun?”
Kyra dried her hands on a dish towel as she considered how to answer that. “Not fun, but fascinating. For one thing, we flew up therein a helicopter.” She slid onto a stool opposite Emily’s. “Of course you’re probably accustomed to traveling like that.”
“Not really. It still seems extravagant to me.”
“The farm Will grew up on is amazing. Horses and formal gardens and a swimming pool. He has a golf cart that looks like a Ferrari from when he was a kid.”
“It’s hard to imagine that kind of life,” Emily said. “Max didn’t grow up rich.”
“I don’t think it was as magical as it looks. There’s a lot of family tension.” Kyra made a wry face as she thought of her own mother. “Of course, we poor families have plenty of that, too. But it kind of depresses me that all that beauty and breeding doesn’t make people behave better.”
“What about Will? Did you enjoy his company after all these years?” Emily watched her over the rim of her mug as she took a sip.
Kyra swallowed a laugh. She’d enjoyed him all right. “We got along so well that we’re having dinner together—alone—tonight.”
“I’m so glad. Sometimes the second time around is better because you have a shared history.”
“You would know.” Emily had met her fiancé, Max, eight years before, when he was a newly graduated PhD working as a civilian consultant with the Marine Corps. But she’d been happily married to another man then, and Max had never let on that he was in love with her—Emily had no idea. But Emily’s husband, a captain in the Marines, had been killed in action four years ago, so when she and Max reconnected last Christmas, he had wooed her into marrying him. Everyone at the center felt Emily deserved to be happy, and Max certainly did a good job of that.
In fact, he was slated to be officially inducted as a director on the center’s board next week, and Kyra was planning a splurge buffet of special hors d’oeuvres to celebrate.
“What do you think of Will now?” Emily asked. “Has he changed?”
She thought Will had an incredible body and very skillful hands, but that wasn’t appropriate to share with her boss. She flattened her palms on the stainless steel countertop. “I’d guess it’s a little like your Max. I knew Will when he was a college student. Now he runs a billion-dollar company. That kind of power and responsibility has to change you, but I don’t understand in what ways yet.” She shrugged. “Being at a large party with people you’ve never met before isn’t the best venue for getting to know someone better.”
Emily smiled. “I’m glad you’re giving him a chance.”
“I feel like it’s more that he’s giving me a chance.” Kyra shook her head. “He’s handsome and rich and charming and smart. He could have any woman he wants.”
And a woman he didn’t want. Petra still threw a shadow over Will, whether he acknowledged it or not.
“But he chose you to take to a family party. That says something.”
“It says that he wanted someone undemanding so there would be no extra stress.”
“I don’t think that’s the only reason he asked you,” Emily said. “But I’ll let you figure that out for yourself.”
Kyra jumped off the stool. “Let me get your jewelry. That way I won’t be nervous about losing it any longer.”
She retrieved the velvet bag from the half-empty cereal box in the pantry where she’d stashed it, checking that all three pieces were still there.
“I appreciate your trusting me with these,” Kyra said, as she placed the bag carefully on the counter beside Emily.
“Feel free to borrow them any time.” Emily dropped the bag in her blazer pocket and stood. “Diego says Shaq’s new diet is a success. Thank you again for cooking for a whole new species.”
“It wasn’t much of a challenge as far as taste buds go. That dog will eat anything. But I’m happy that it helped his digestion settle down.”
“You’ll probably get more requests for custom dog food.” Emily looked concerned. “Every kid thinks his or her dog is special.”
“I don’t mind since the dogs don’t complain about the menu,” Kyra said. “I’m already working on how to get canned pumpkin by the case because Diego says it would help all the K-9 Angelz.”
