Chapter 9 #3
“I own a landscaping company. It’s mostly lawn work, but I’m getting into helping my customers update their yards. Shannon
has helped me with a few designs.”
“You must have inherited your ability from your mother,” Ava said lightly. “Just be careful with the strawberries.”
Conversation got a little easier, and by the time dinner was over and they all retreated to the living room for coffee and
dessert, there were only occasional awkward pauses. At least that was how Victoria saw things. She couldn’t speak to what
her mother and Cindy were going through.
She had no idea why her mom had dragged them all together for the meal. Her dad had mentioned closure, but based on her mom’s
reaction to several things Cindy had said, there was only longing and pain—at least on Ava’s part. Victoria hop-stepped her
way toward the sofa and sat down, refusing to admit she was dealing with a whole lot of hurt herself. No way she was giving
in to emotion while in a crowd. Later, when she was by herself, she would think about watching her mom watch Shannon with
a combination of yearning and regret. Plus seeing Cindy and Shannon together had made her uncomfortable. No, she corrected.
That wasn’t the right word. Maybe envious was better. She and her mom had never been close—not like those two were.
She settled on the sofa and slid her crutches out of the way. Shannon walked over, paused, then offered a shy smile.
“So this is a little weird.”
Victoria smiled at her. “The weirdest.”
Shannon sat down next to her. “I didn’t know what to expect when my mom told me about the dinner.”
“If you didn’t totally freak and beg to be anywhere but here, there’s something wrong with you.”
Shannon laughed. “Not in front of my mom, but one hundred percent on the inside. What a bizarre situation. I keep looking
around, trying to imagine myself growing up here, and I can’t.” She paused and looked at Victoria. “Was it wrong for me to
say that?”
“What? No. Of course not.” Victoria had no problem with Shannon in all this. She’d been a baby when all the drama had occurred.
“I guess I never thought about it from your perspective. You’re about what could have been.” While she was in the what never was camp.
“It’s funny how much you and your mom look like Ava,” she said to distract herself. “I’m the one not like the others.”
Shannon looked from her mother to Ava, then back at Victoria. “I didn’t notice that before, but you’re right. We’re all tall,
blue-eyed blondes.” Her mouth twisted. “You get to be the sexy one.”
Victoria stared at her. “You’re kidding, right? You’re the ideal. I’m short.” She waved at her cast. “And limping.”
“Now, but the rest of the time, you’re the one everyone looks at. You have that energy.” She rolled her eyes. “There is no
way I’ll believe you have trouble getting guys.”
Victoria waved away the comment. “You’re right. Guys are easy.”
“Javiar seems interested.”
She didn’t bother glancing in his direction.
“It’s the stunt thing. Men don’t know what to make of it.
They’re intrigued and put off at the same time.
They like the danger and the fact that I’m not conventional, but they’re also worried I don’t have limits.
Some guys want that, and some guys avoid it.
To them, someone without limits is too unpredictable. ”
“So you’ve put thought into this,” Shannon said with a laugh.
“I have plenty of downtime when I’m working.” She didn’t mention her screenplay. Working on it and taking writing classes
had caused her to look at relationships differently as she tried to figure out why some worked and why some didn’t.
“Plus there’s the whole being a stuntwoman. There are plenty of men who don’t think it’s something a woman should be doing.”
She slapped her hand against her cast. “Of course, based on my recent mishap, maybe I should be agreeing with them rather
than fighting against the tide. But I can’t help it. I’m not a rule-follower.”
Shannon sighed. “All I do is follow the rules. Except with college. I didn’t finish.”
Victoria heard regret and maybe a little shame in her voice. “And yet the world keeps turning,” she said cheerfully.
“It does.”
Her dad walked over and turned a chair so he was facing the two of them, then sat down.
“How are you two, ah, women doing?”
Victoria shook her head. “You were going to say girls, weren’t you? We’re in our twenties.”
He winked at her. “You’ll always be my baby girl.”
“Nice save.”
“Thank you.”
Shannon stared at him, her expression intense. “You were going to be my father,” she blurted, then looked at Victoria. “Sorry.
That just came out.”
“Totally fine,” Victoria lied, feeling she instantly wanted to push Shannon to the other side of the sofa and yell that Milton was her dad and no one else’s. Not a mature or proud response, but one that was honest. A reaction to the situation, she reminded
herself. Milton’s love was the one constant in her world.
Her father smiled at Shannon. “This situation is a little strange for all of us, but I’m glad you came to dinner. It’s nice
to see you grown-up.” He paused. “Actually we never saw a picture of you after you were born. We only have the ultrasounds.
You look very much like your mother did when we knew her.”
“I hear that a lot,” Shannon said. “I guess my biological father’s genes couldn’t compete. So, um, Milton, what do you do?”
“I’m an executive at a major movie studio.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s not much to it, but
they insist on paying me the big bucks, so I stay.”
Shannon laughed and visibly relaxed. Victoria wasn’t surprised. Her dad had a way of putting people at ease. When she’d been
younger, with her friends running in and out of the house, he was the parent they all sought out. Ava wasn’t exactly a warm,
fuzzy person, but he could be counted on to keep things running smoothly emotionally and was the one who suggested the impulsive
ice cream run or trip to the zoo.
“What do you do, Shannon?” he asked.
The tension returned. “I work for my mom right now as her assistant. I went to college for a couple of years, but it didn’t
work out. I want to start looking for something more challenging. You know, maybe find my passion. But so far . . .”
Victoria had the strongest urge to shake her and tell her to stop being so self-deprecating. She hadn’t gone to college either and didn’t give a damn who knew it. Higher education wasn’t required for success or happiness.
Sure it was good for some, but not everyone. As for finding a so-called passion, she was pretty sure that was unobtainable
for most people. Better to figure out what made you happy and what you could tolerate doing rather than chasing the impossible
dream.
“You’re looking fierce,” her father said.
“I’m railing at the world, Dad.”
“That’s my girl.”
From across the room, her mother stood up. “This has been so wonderful. Thank you to everyone for indulging me. I think we
should all exchange phone numbers so we can stay in touch.”
Ugh. She meant so she could hang out with her favorite almost-daughter Shannon, Victoria thought, possibly more irritated
than she should be.
“No one wants to exchange their numbers,” she said aloud.
“Oh, I don’t know.”
That comment came from Javiar who was looking right at her. Victoria’s first reaction was a big fat no. But then she took
a second look and wondered if maybe she could use a Javiar-sized distraction in her life. She was always interested in her
next hookup, and if he even sort of knew what he was doing in the bedroom, maybe they could have fun together.
“Numbers it is,” she said and pulled her phone from her pocket.