Six

I couldn't stop thinking about my visit with Kyle.

Seeing him was like opening the dam of feelings I'd been holding back ever since Izabelle told me he was getting back together with Ava. I wanted to blow off the appointment with my family, and run back to the hospital to finish the conversation with Kyle, but I couldn't let down Aunt Karen and Lindsay.

I barely had enough time to make it back to my apartment to shower and change before the appointment.

Slipping into a simple, black knit dress with sandals and pulling my hair into a low ponytail, I hurried knowing Aunt Karen was a stickler for punctuality.

I walked through the bridal shop doors right on time. They were, of course, waiting on me. One day I was going to arrive before them, unfortunately, I was sure I'd have to get wherever I was going a whole hour early for that to happen.

"Hi, Aunt Karen. Lindsay."

"It's nice of you to join us, Lucy," Aunt Karen replied coolly.

"Mom, Lucy is only a few minutes late." Lindsay smiled sympathetically.

Late? I glanced at my watch. Twice. I was not late! Opening my mouth to protest, I stopped when I noticed how elegantly they were both dressed and I glanced down self-consciously.

Lindsay, who looked like a model, was wearing slim black slacks, a snowy-white, wrap-around blouse, and ultra-expensive-looking heels. She'd adorned the outfit with diamond earrings, a flashy tennis bracelet, and the multi-karat, platinum engagement ring that Brandon had given her.

Aunt Karen looked like Lindsay's older sister with a trendy angled bob, and she was dressed in a sleek black dress that made my own look like I'd bought it from a discount store, which I had.

"Lucy, dear, you look absolutely...quaint," Aunt Karen waved a French manicured hand in front of my $19.99 dress. "Where did you get that dress?"

I told her.

Aunt Karen and Lindsay exchanged a look before they started laughing. "Oh no, Mother. I think she's serious."

Their dainty laughter vanished and both mother and daughter's expressions morphed into false sympathy. "If you and your father need money, we'd be delighted to assist. Helping the less fortunate is one of our virtues."

"No, but thank you," I managed with a straight face. "I know a few organizations that could use your help." I named a few of the ones I knew the church supported.

"We attend church services every Sunday, and make a very generous donation." Aunt Karen did not appreciate the suggestion. Her lips pursed, but her regularly scheduled cosmetic injections would not allow her to frown. Lindsay gave me a tight-lipped smile.

Aunt Karen told me the name of her megachurch and pastor, which I'd already known from her numerous social media posts.

"Stand up straight," my aunt snapped as the manager of the boutique approached.

I did as she asked. Unless I was willing to write off my mother's family, I had to pretend their disapproval didn't bother me.

My mother's twin brother, Parker, was vice president of a local drilling company, and he kept the family in a luxurious lifestyle with a mansion in a prominent community, fancy cars, vacations, and shopping sprees that cost more than my rent.

Dad said they had no appreciation for money, and that they couldn't really afford all of those things they bought. He'd be fine if we never saw the Fontaines again but he tried, for my sake, to get along with them.

When I was younger I didn't understand why Aunt Karen and Lindsay didn't like me. Dealing with them wasn't always easy especially when Lindsay was part of the group of kids in school that had made fun of Katie and me.

Dad and Katie didn't understand how I could always be nice to them, but it was because I understood something they didn't. Uncle Parker, Aunt Karen, and Lindsay were the unhappiest people I knew.

Not one of them ever laughed until they doubled over and tears filled their eyes. They rarely smiled and were never genuinely satisfied with any of the expensive things they had. Unlike Dad and I, they didn't appreciate the simple things in life and found no joy in anything.

When I was in the fourth grade I was assigned a hummingbird for my research project, and I dived into it enthusiastically, curious about the little birds. Dad bought us a feeder and I followed the recipe to make their food.

Not long after that, I'd pointed out a group of hummingbirds to Aunt Karen and Lindsay, but they'd dismissed the birds even when I'd told them how amazing they were.

"I cannot believe your father lets you waste your time watching a bunch of stupid birds," Aunt Karen scoffed. "Birds carry diseases, did you know that?" Her critical gaze slid distastefully over my dirt-stained jeans and messy hair.

Lindsay, who still looked like a little doll with her sausage curls and a lacy dress, glared at me with a small smile of satisfaction. "You look like a boy!"

Most parents would have admonished their kid for being rude, but Aunt Karen had laughed. "She does, doesn't she?"

Lindsay went to play in her room as her mother told her, but I stayed outside until Dad came to pick me up, and when I'd mentioned what had happened to him, he'd been mad.

I regretted telling him about it and felt guilty for betraying Aunt Karen and Lindsay. It wasn't as if I'd been upset by the incident. I knew I should have kept quiet. The lesson I learned that day carried me into adulthood. Some things should not be said aloud.

Dad rarely dropped me at their house again, and no matter how upset I was I never complained about them again.

Mama always said that Jesus would change a person for the better, and my cousin and aunt needed changing in the worst way. I'd bought them a Bible for Christmas and wrote Jesus loves you inside the cover.

Aunt Karen immediately set it aside without opening the book, but the look on Uncle Parker's face made me wonder. His haunted eyes found mine. "I miss her too," he'd told me later, and I knew he meant Mama.

"How are the wicked stepmother and stepsister?" Katie asked me when I got home.

"They aren't that bad."

Katie rolled her eyes and gave me an I-don't-believe-you-look. "You're too nice, Lucy. I can go with you when you pick up the dress."

"Thanks, but they're having the dresses custom made. I'll have to go to at least two more fittings. Something smells great, what are you making?"

Katie pulled something delicious-looking from the oven. "Homemade chicken pot pie."

It was my favorite and Katie usually made it when she thought I needed a pick-me-up. "You rock, Katie. But you shouldn't have. Aunt Karen and Lindsay were tolerable."

"They didn't bring up Brandon? I think the only reason Lindsay wanted him was because he was yours first."

"We went on two dates. He was never mine. Brandon and Lindsay are perfect for each other."

"Can't argue with you there. His family is rich, he's got a cushy job at Daddy's company, and Lindsay will make the perfect trophy wife."

We sat down in the living room to eat and she turned on the TV. "I hope they'll be happy together." I meant it. Lindsay and I might never be friends, but she was family. "What's going on with you?"

Katie waved a hand dismissively. "Forget me and my boring life. Tell me about your visit with Kyle."

I blinked in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"I ran into Ava at the grocery store. She mentioned seeing you on his floor."

I wasn't sure what to make of that. "Did she seem upset?"

"No, she mentioned it in passing and went on her way." Her eyes widened and her lips formed a perfect O as she drew conclusions that were far more interesting than what actually happened. "What's going on with you and Izabelle's sexy soldier brother?"

"Nothing. He's in the hospital, Katie." Rewinding the statement in my head, I realized how it might be taken. "Even if he wasn't in the hospital—"

"Just stop." She laughed. "I smell drama. You might as well go ahead and confess your sins before Izzy finds out and things get real."

My head fell against the cushiony headrest. "I thought he was asleep when I got there, but he was pretending. He didn't think I'd stop by if I knew he was awake." I saw read the question in her eyes. "I've been visiting him and leaving him things."

"What kind of things?" She wiggled her brows suggestively.

"You're not funny." Seeing she wouldn't let it go, I answered. "Boring things—pencils, sketchpad, flowers, a watercolor."

"How'd he know they were from you?"

"He knows I'm the kind of girl who leaves boring gifts." I swallowed, feeling giddy just thinking about Kyle.

"Oh. My. Goodness. Girl, you are glowing. I've never seen you look like that ever."

"He said he's not dating Ava. He suggested we could be friends."

Katie's expression was suspicious. "Friends that sometimes spend the night?"

"No, he's not like that."

"All guys are like that." Her gaze narrowed. "Hold up. He's not into the Jesus thing is he?"

I stiffened not liking how she said that, but getting upset or correcting her wouldn't change her mind. I leashed my feelings and prayed for the right words. "Yes. He's a follower of Jesus."

She rolled her eyes, reminding me of Izabelle. "So that's why you never slept with him. I wondered."

"There's nothing wrong with believing in Jesus or waiting until marriage," I defended.

Katie stared at me. "You're in love with him."

Even as I opened my mouth to deny it, I knew she was right. All the times I'd reassured her I was over Kyle, and that I was ok with him and Ava getting back together I'd been fooling myself.

Covering my face with my hands, I let it sink in. Even when I was fourteen, I'd felt something for Kyle that I had never felt for any other guy. At nineteen those feelings had intensified, and now, at twenty-two, they'd grown into something I was afraid to examine too closely for fear of having my heart split right down the middle.

"I didn't bring this up to hurt you, Lucy. It's just that I see the way guys look at you, but you'll never give any of them a chance because of Kyle."

"You don't need to worry. He promised to call. I'm fine," I promised her. "Remember the last time you worried I was pining over Kyle?"

She half laughed, half groaned. "Brandon," we giggled at the same time.

"You're never going to let me forget that disaster," Lucy complained.

"I'm never letting you set me up again, but I'm sure Lindsay appreciates your help."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Sarcasm dripped from the words. "So you're just going to wait around for Kyle to call?"

That was my plan. I thought about calling him, but I didn't want to seem overly eager. I was also afraid he'd say he changed his mind about getting back together with Ava.   "What do you think I should do?"

"Move on. Give some of those good guys a shot with you. I know I'm a hypocrite because I've got my own issues with trusting men, but you're not as messed up as I am. You've got a real shot at a happily ever after. Think of how green with envy the wicked stepmother and stepsister will be."

I wasn't interested in making anyone jealous, and even if it didn't work out with Kyle the last thing I wanted to do was try to find another man. My heart needed time to heal. "We're all broken, Katie. Some just hide it better than others."

She held up a hand. "You can try to fix me another night. Tonight's therapy is only for you."

We spent the night catching up and Katie talked about the guys she thought I should go out with. I listened, knowing Katie secretly yearned for the happily-ever-after she was trying to find me.

I asked God to help her find it.