I Love You Again by Kate Sweeney Page B

lies.” He pointed to his temple and winked. “I called my buddy.”
    Helen laughed along with him. “I’m glad Roz has you as a friend. I’ll worry less now. And I think Bess could use a man like you in her life.”
    Stan laughed. “I don’t even know her.”
    “But you’re attracted nonetheless. We’re only here for a few days. You’ll have to get a move on, young man.”
    Stan shook his head. “At least let me finish my dinner.”
    ********
    Across the dining room, Kit watched her mother chatting away with Stan. “She’s up to no good.”
    “This is great pasta.” Dale looked up from her plate. “Who?”
    “My mother,” Kit said, still watching them. “It’s positively Machiavellian.”
    “I have no idea what that means,” Dale said, concentrating on her dinner.
    Kit turned her attention to Dale and watched while she ate. She was going to explain but decided against it. Honestly, if “Mood Indigo” confused Dale, Machiavellian would surely undo her, and Kit truly didn’t have the strength. She’d been on the verge of exhaustion since she first saw Roz.
    “Your mom is okay. She just wants to see you happy, I guess. Here, have another glass of champagne.” She took the icy bottle out of the bucket and poured another glass for both of them.
    “Thanks.” Kit picked at her food; she’d lost her appetite when she saw Roz, and it hadn’t come back. She laughed inwardly, this would figure—her only way to get into shape was thinking of Roz. She glanced at Dale, who had just finished her plate of pasta.
    “Dale, we need to talk,” Kit said, setting down her fork.
    Dale winced and sat back. “I know. You’re pissy because I made reservations without telling you.”
    “ Pissy ? No, I’m not pissy . I was surprised by my mother, and I suppose by you, too.”
    “I shouldn’t have come?”
    “No, no, it’s fine.” Kit looked up to see Roz standing by the bar looking from table to table. When their gazes met, Kit’s heart started that familiar quick beat. Roz smiled slightly, then walked behind the bar. Kit looked back and found Dale watching her.
    “Okay. Something’s going on here. You and your mother seem way too familiar with the owner of this place.”
    “There’s something I have to tell you. I do know Roz. We all do. You see, Roz and I…”
    “Roz?” Dale asked. “You’re on a first-name basis?”
    Kit tried to gauge how she would continue. “We’re…um…a little more than that.”
    “How little?”
    “A lot little. We, you see, we…”
    “Don’t tell me. You were lovers?” Dale asked, leaning forward.
    “Well, yes, but—”
    Dale laughed. “That’s not such a big deal. Hell, Kitty Kat, me and Sandy at the skydiving place were lovers a while back. Well, actually, it wasn’t that long ago. Anyway, that’s no big deal. Boy, if I had to avoid all the women I had sex with…”
    “We had a ceremony and a relationship for almost eighteen years,” Kit blurted out. “She’s my wife. Well, I guess ex-wife.” She hated that term. Just to say it out loud had her stomach roiling.
    Dale had the glass of champagne to her lips and did the quintessential spit-take. She let out a deep cough; the champagne bubbled and spewed out of the sides of Dale’s mouth.
    Kit winced and leaned out of the way of the spray. She nervously glanced around the dining room and noticed—of course—her mother with eyebrows raised, a smirk on her face, and a song in her heart, Kit had no doubt. Helen nodded as if she knew what had transpired between them. Bess had her hand to her mouth, stifling a guffaw of laughter; Kit could see her face turning red from the effort. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Roz.
    Mark quickly was at Dale’s side, who was still coughing. Mark sharply rapped Dale on the back, nearly sending her off her chair. He looked at Kit. “Is she choking?”
    “No. Except for the ruptured vertebrae, she’ll be fine.” Kit offered the napkin, which Dale snatched out