Chapter 24
“I’m so glad you’re home.”
Britt stiffened as her mother smothered her in a big hug. When Mom pulled away, she looked uncharacteristically uncertain.
She also looked kind of terrible too, as if she hadn’t slept all night. Neither did I.
“Did you have breakfast yet?” Mom said. “I can whip up some chocolate chip pancakes. I know how much you love those.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You want some coffee then?” She went to the cabinet and took out a cup that said I’m not bossy, I’m aggressively helpful on the side. “I just made a fresh pot.”
“No thanks.” She set her purse on the table, then sat down. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Dad.”
Mom quickly moved to sit next to her. “It’s okay. I understand why you didn’t.”
“Really? I thought you’d be furious with me.”
“Oh, I was. But Laura helped me see the light. I’m still not happy about it, though.” She paused. “When were you going to
tell me?”
“Today.” She leaned her elbow on the table, her head falling against her hand. After Hunter left, Maude gave Britt the guest bedroom and offered her one of her smaller caftans to sleep in. “This one’s from thirty pounds ago,” she’d said, holding up a green and yellow one. “It will still be big, but it would be more comfortable than the dress.” But Britt had refused, too tired to think about changing clothes. Turned out she was too tired and emotionally exhausted to sleep too.
Mom sighed. “Well, I was going to tell you my secret today too. Remember that guy from last night?”
Britt frowned. “How could I forget? Is he your boyfriend?”
“No. He is—was—a friend.”
“Was?”
“Oh, Britt, I did something stupid last night. Really dumb.” She pushed back her light-brown bangs from her forehead. “I kissed
Max in front of your father.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear this—”
“That’s as PG-13 as it gets. The problem is, I don’t like Max that way.”
Confused, Britt asked, “Then why did you kiss him?”
“To get back at your dad. Which I didn’t need to do. It’s not like Daniel has spent the last twenty years pining for me.”
Britt wasn’t sure that was true. Anytime her dad brought up Mom, there was a twinkle in his eyes and a lightness to his voice.
“Anyway, I should have told you about Max. We went out a couple of times as friends.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Britt asked, surprised at the tiny prick of hurt she felt. She was so sure she couldn’t feel anything
anymore.
Mom looked contrite. “I didn’t think you could handle me being in a relationship.”
Annoyed, she said, “I’m not a child. I could have handled it.”
“I know. I’m sorry for treating you like one.” She sighed. “And for using you as an excuse. I’m the one who can’t handle it,
and that’s something I’m going to have to work through. Are we okay, you and me? We’ve got Savannah’s shower next Saturday—”
“We don’t.” Britt went to tug on her gloves, then remembered she’d put them in her purse. She couldn’t reach the hem of her
dress so all she could do was yank on her fingers under the table. “I’m not in the wedding anymore.”
“Oh, Britt! What happened?”
“She’s mad because I didn’t tell her about me and Hunter.” She couldn’t bring herself to say the full truth. Savannah had
a right to be mad at her, and during her sleepless night, Britt realized she had used her best friend’s anger as an excuse
to back out of the wedding. Her stomach twisted with remorse, but she didn’t know how to fix things with her.
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “What about you and Hunter?”
She pulled on her index finger so hard she almost knocked it out of joint. She had to tell her mother about him. Or at least
some things about him. “Hunter Pickett. We were dating—”
“You were dating him ?” Mom exclaimed. “Behind my back?”
“I-I didn’t want to tell you—”
“I had him in one of my classes years ago. He was trouble back then. Big trouble.” She sat back in her chair and huffed. “Well,
now I know why he was with your father last night. How did you meet?”
Uh-oh. And their conversation was going so well. “Online,” she squeaked.
“How many times have I talked to you about internet safety?”
“Mom—”
“Did he take advantage of you?”
“He’s not like that. We broke up because he lied to me.”
“That’s not much better.” Mom glanced up at the ceiling before leveling her gaze on Britt. “Why didn’t you tell me you were
dating someone?” She paused. “Were you ashamed of me?”
“Mom, please. Just listen. It’s hard enough talking about it.”
Her mother paused, then nodded. “Go ahead.”
Britt told her mother everything about how they met and the art lessons at K&B. “That was my project. Teaching Hunter how
to draw. And I didn’t tell you about him for the same reason I didn’t say anything to Dad or Savannah.” Her eyes began to
sting. Everything was so messed up.
“Call Savannah,” Mom said in a gentler tone. “You two have been best friends since grade school. You can work this out.”
“I don’t know about that.” Tears fell down her face. Ugh, now her chest was burning again. “I didn’t want to tell her or anyone
else about Hunter. I just wanted to have something special of my own for a little while. To see what it felt like to be normal
for once.”
Her mom didn’t say anything, confirming what Britt had always known to be true. She wasn’t normal. She never would be.
“You aren’t together anymore?” Mom asked.
She shook her head, not missing the relief in her mother’s eyes, even though she was trying to hide it.
“How about we rent a movie tonight?” Mom said. “We can drown our sorrows in a good old nineties rom-com. That was the best
era.”
Did her mother really think that Britt wanted to watch a romance right now? “I’m going to my room.” She grabbed her bag and
shot up from the table.
“Britt,” Mom said. “You and Hunter... You weren’t serious, were you?”
I love you, Britt. His words, said in his melty deep voice and with so much sincerity that she almost couldn’t breathe, echoed in her mind.
Her heart went ice cold. “No, Mom,” she said, turning to leave. “We weren’t serious at all.”
***
After a long, sleepless night, Hunter found himself right back at his parents’. He sat on his bike, looking at the grand house
again. All night he’d grappled with what to do. Call Britt and try to talk to her again? No. She’d made it clear she didn’t
want to see him. Even now as he stared at the abundant tulips that lined the circular drive—something he hadn’t noticed last
night—his chest felt like a brick had been dropped on it. What he’d feared would happen had come true. She could forgive her
father and overlook his past. But she can’t forgive me.
He did call someone else, though. Andrew, his sponsor. After he left Maude’s, he called an Uber to pick him up at the end
of the block, then had the driver drop him off at one of the bars he used to frequent before his last illegal escapade. He
didn’t know the bartender, or anyone else in the place. He wasn’t focused on that either. There was only one thing he wanted,
other than Britt.
“Gin and tonic,” Hunter said as he sat on a stool. The place was off the beaten path, and even though it was Saturday night,
there were only a few people there. “Hold the tonic.”
The gruff bartender nodded and poured him two shots of gin, then walked away.
Hunter picked up the glass and stared at the transparent liquid. Sniffed it. All he had to do was down it in one gulp. Just to dull the pain...
He set down the drink. Threw some money on the bar and walked outside. His hands shook as he dialed Andrew’s number.
He answered it on the first ring. “Hey, Hunter,” Andrew said. “Haven’t heard from you in a while. How are things going?”
Gravel crunched under his expensive rental shoes as he paced. “Not good. Can you come get me?”
For the next two hours, he and Andrew talked over coffee at a twenty-four-hour pancake house, and by the time Andrew had dropped him off at his apartment, Hunter was set to rights. He still craved a drink, but he’d made too much progress to slide backward now.
Andrew had also reminded him of one of his steps—making amends. Something he hadn’t done yet with his parents.
He yanked off his helmet and hung it over one of the handlebars. No one around here would steal his helmet or his old bike.
They probably wouldn’t be caught dead with either one. He got off the bike and headed to the door. His parents were usually
home on Sunday afternoons, and he had to apologize for last night.
He shoved his hand through his uncombed hair and rang the doorbell. He probably should have showered and shaved before he
left his apartment, but once he’d made the decision to apologize, he didn’t want to put it off. When he didn’t get an answer,
he rang it again.
Finally, the door opened. Sue, his parents’ live-in cook, looked at him with surprise then blanked her features to neutral.
As always, she was wearing her chef’s uniform—a grayish-blue short-sleeved top with offset black buttons and black pants.
Their regular housekeeper must be off today.
She peered at him over silver-rimmed glasses. “Can I help you?”
While her expression was detached, he could sense her disapproval. “Are Mother and Father home?”
“Are they expecting you?”
“No.”
She glanced over her shoulder, then looked at him again. “I have strict orders not to let you in.”
He grimaced. “I was here last night for Father’s party.”
“I didn’t see you.”
“I didn’t go into the kitchen,” he said. “And I was only here for a short while.”
After she studied him for a moment, undoubtedly trying to gauge whether he was lying to her or not, her rigid demeanor eased a little and she opened the door all the way. “I’ll tell them you’re here.”
“Thanks.” Hunter followed her inside but stopped in the foyer as she continued farther into the house. He didn’t see a single
indication that there had been a huge party the night before. Everything was spotless and pristine, like his parents’ houses
always were. He could remember living in a very modest house when he was little, but it was just as immaculate. Kirk and Payne
had always been neat and organized, while Hunter had been grounded numerous times for being messy. He continued to be, up
until his arrest. Being in jail had knocked the sloppiness right out of him.
His phone was in his pocket, and he resisted pulling it out. Last night he kept checking his messages, praying that Britt
had changed her mind and wanted to talk to him again. She hadn’t, and he didn’t want to be thinking about her right now. It
hurt too much. But he couldn’t stop either. He couldn’t turn off his feelings like a light switch. Painful confirmation that
he really loved her.
But once he was over her— if he got over her—he was never falling in love again. He was better off being alone than going through this misery.
The rhythmic click of his mother’s dainty heels on the marble floor thankfully brought him out of his thoughts. As she neared,
his stomach dropped at her ominous visage. She stopped a few feet from him. He didn’t have to suspect her disapproval. It
was all over her face.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here after disappearing last night,” she said, her harsh gaze meeting his. “You never even
told your father happy birthday.”
“I know. And I’m here to apologize—”
“Don’t bother. You never meant it in the past.” Surprisingly, her chin started to tremble. “Kirk and Payne warned me not to invite you, that you would be undependable as always. But I didn’t listen. I believed your father when he said tough love would work on you. I thought you’d changed. Sawyer—”
“What about Sawyer?”
She looked away.
“Mother,” he said, a cold sensation washing over him. “What about Sawyer?”
Her gaze returned, filled with self-righteousness. “He’s been keeping me updated on your progress . Which you’ve proven is no progress at all.”
He stilled, remembering when Sawyer had been on the phone and was cagey about answering Hunter’s innocuous questions. He’d
thanked someone for their generous check. It never dawned on him that it was from Mother.
More pieces fell into place. Sawyer’s constant interest in Hunter’s sobriety, which Hunter had thought was done out of friendship.
But it was only because his mother had bought him off. He’d always thought it was strange that Sawyer, whose parents were
almost as rich as his own, was fine living in a nondescript apartment and working second shift at The Warehouse. The same
shift Hunter worked. “You paid Sawyer to spy on me?”
“Yes.” Her lower lip quivered, but she remained defiant. “I had to know if you were okay. And I won’t apologize for it. The
only thing I regret is inviting you last night. Obviously, you’ve been hiding your true self from Sawyer.”
Hunter couldn’t believe this. Not only had she spied on him, but she automatically assumed he’d vanished last night out of
irresponsibility. His hands balled into fists at his sides. She was snapping to judgment without all the facts.
He was ready to bolt. He didn’t need this, and he didn’t need them. Five more steps and he’d be out of their super mansion and their lives... forever.
But his feet wouldn’t move. Deep inside, he understood his mother’s reaction, and up until this moment he’d never fully acknowledged
the damage he’d done to their relationship. In the past he’d always been too sloshed or hungover to take responsibility. It
was always everyone else’s fault things went south, even though it was his decisions that mucked everything up. He’d disappointed
her so many times, no wonder she was angry. She’d given him another chance, and he’d blown it.
Slowly he faced her, his fists loosening, his shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry,” he said, facing her. “I messed up last night
more than you realize.”
Her mouth tightened.
“But it’s not what you think. Sawyer’s right. I’m clean, sober, and since I got out of prison, responsible. I don’t ever want
to go back to jail again, and the only way I can stay out is to stay away from my vices. All of them.
“That woman you mentioned last night, the one you said looked like Audrey Hepburn?” At her nod he said, “She’s my girlfriend.
Was...”
“Daniel’s daughter?” Shock registered on her face. “How—”
“It’s a long story.” He swallowed. “She didn’t know about my family or my past. I hadn’t told her yet.”
“And she found out last night.”
“Yeah. It ended up being a mess, and she broke up with me.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, exhaustion from the emotional
merry-go-round he’d been riding for almost twenty-four hours finally settling in.
“Oh, Hunter.” She went to him and pulled him into her arms.
He leaned down and rested his chin on her slim shoulder. Despite the awkward height difference, he closed his eyes, soaking in her soothing embrace. When was the last time his mother had hugged him? For sure before he was a teenager. He’d started holding her at arm’s length back then.
“I’m so sorry.” She rubbed his back the way she used to do when he was little.
His eyelids stung, and he knew if he didn’t let go, he’d start to cry and that was the last thing he wanted to do, period.
He carefully moved out of her embrace. “That’s why I left last night. I had to explain everything to her... including my
past.” His chest felt hollow. “I should have been honest with her up front.”
“Yes, you should have.” She started twisting her diamond solitaire, something she always did when she was uneasy. “And I shouldn’t
have spied on you. Or at least I should have let you know that I asked Sawyer to look out for you. Don’t be upset with him.
He didn’t want to. But I can be very persuasive.”
“I’m sure the money helped,” he said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone.
“From what I understand, he’s using it to pay for college. He didn’t want to ride on his parents’ coattails. His mother said
he’s always been independent and different from the rest of their family.”
“Sounds familiar.” He managed a slight smile. “Is Father home? I want to wish him a belated birthday.”
Mother smiled and put her arm around his waist. “He’s in his study. I told him you were here, but that I needed to talk to
you first.”
They walked to the other side of the house where the study was. When Hunter stood in the doorway, his father got up from his
desk. Immediately Hunter engulfed him in a huge hug.
“Happy birthday, Dad.”
He hugged Hunter tightly. “Thank you, son.”
When they parted, Hunter grinned. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
***
Three weeks after the Picketts’ party, Daniel was waxing their cars again. More than ever, he was grateful for their air-conditioned
garage. The July heat was brutal, and today’s temp was supposed to reach ninety-five degrees. Even though he’d lived in Texas
all his life, he never liked the summers.
He was almost done waxing the Jag when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, expecting it to be Arthur. Since he and Lila had
reconciled with Hunter, the man had been in a nonstop good mood. Just last week Daniel had joined them for a round of golf
at the country club. The lines between employer and friend were starting to blur, and Daniel was okay with that.
Still, he had to wonder if Arthur had noticed Hunter’s underlying melancholy. Daniel didn’t know him well, but maybe he was
attuned to it because he and Hunter struggled with addiction, and he knew what it was like to lose someone you loved because
of it. Then there was the awkwardness of Daniel being Brittany’s dad, although Hunter didn’t seem to hold it against him.
None of that seemed to affect his game either—he’d easily blown out both his father and Daniel on the course.
But Arthur’s name wasn’t on his phone screen. Amy’s was.
Daniel frowned. Brittany must have given her his number, since he and Amy hadn’t talked since the night of the party. Before
it went to voicemail, he quickly answered it.
“What took you so long?”
He sighed at her sharp tone. “Hello to you too, Amy.”
She paused. “Sorry. You don’t understand how difficult it is for me to call you.”
Oh, he had a good enough idea.
“Have you talked to Britt lately?” she asked, still sounding edgy.
“A few times. Just texts, though.” He set the waxing cloth on the cart.
“There’s something wrong with her, Daniel. She won’t talk to me. She spends all her time in her room or her studio and she’s
barely eating. She hasn’t uploaded a video in weeks.”
Daniel had noticed that too, but he wasn’t completely familiar with his daughter’s posting schedule.
“I wouldn’t have called you, but it’s your boss’s son’s fault she’s like this.”
“Ba— Amy...” Wow, he’d almost called her babe . When they were married, he’d used that endearment more often than he’d called her by name. “She’s nursing a broken heart.
Give her some time and space.”
“You don’t know her like I do,” Amy snapped.
He prayed for patience, knowing that barking back at her would end the conversation. While he didn’t like that Brittany was
suffering, at least Amy was speaking to him. “You’re right. I don’t.”
“We have to help her,” she continued. “I... can’t stand to see her like this.”
“Me either.” And he was concerned. “I’m new to this father thing, Amy. I’m not sure what to do.”
She didn’t answer, and Daniel thought she might have hung up on him. Then she said, “Meet me for supper tonight at Harvey’s.
And no, they don’t have karaoke anymore.”
He frowned. “I haven’t sung karaoke since our divorce.” Too many embarrassing memories. And they were all on him.
“Maybe together we can come up with a solution. Six thirty sharp. Don’t be late.”
“Okay,” he said, and she ended the call. She didn’t exactly hang up on him, but she didn’t say goodbye either.
Daniel picked up the waxing cloth and returned to work on the Jaguar. He had approximately five hours before meeting Amy.
Hopefully that would be enough time to come up with something to help his daughter.