here she was months later,
starting her life over but still rushing Tess out for school, she
thought, grateful things were finally looking up.
She and Tess ate a quick breakfast, after
which Kelly dropped off Tess and headed to work. Another thing for
which she owed Richard Kane, her job, working for him as a
paralegal, in downtown Serendipity.
She stopped, as she did daily, at Cuppa
Café, the town’s version of Starbucks. Kelly had worked hard all
her life and she’d learned early on to save, but her entire day
hinged on that first cup of caffeine. It had to be strong and
good.
Kelly stepped into the coffee shop and the
delicious aroma surrounded her, instantly perking her up as if she
were inhaling caffeine by osmosis.
She was pouring a touch of milk into her
large cup of regular coffee when a familiar woman with long, curly
blond hair joined her at the far counter.
“You’re as regular as my grandma Emma wanted
to be,” Annie Kane joked.
Kelly glanced at her and grinned. “I could
say the same for you.”
“Good point.” Annie laughed and raised her
cup in a mock toast.
Small-town living offered both perks and
drawbacks. Running into a familiar face could fall into either
category. Kelly and Annie frequented Cuppa Café at the same time
each morning and they’d often linger and chat. If pressed, Kelly
would say Annie was the closest she had to a real friend here, if
she didn’t count Faith Harrington, Ethan’s wife.
Annie was Richard Kane’s daughter, though
from the pictures on Richard’s desk, Kelly noticed Annie looked
more like her mother than her dad. From the first day they’d met at
her father’s office, Kelly had liked this woman.
Kelly took a long, desperately needed sip of
her drink.
“So what’s your excuse for being up so early
every day?”
“Routine keeps me young,” Annie said.
Kelly rolled her eyes. “You
are
young.” She looked Annie over, from her slip-on sneakers to her
jeans and light cotton sweater. “I bet we’re probably close to the
same age.”
“I’ll be twenty-seven next month,” Annie
said.
“And I’ll be twenty-seven in December.”
Annie raised her cup to her lips, and Kelly
couldn’t help but notice her hand shook as she took a sip.
Kelly narrowed her gaze but didn’t comment
on the tremor. Instead, she dove into cementing her life here in
Serendipity. “Listen, instead of quick hellos standing over coffee,
how about we meet for lunch one day?” She was ready for a real
friend here, someone she could trust and confide in. Kelly adored
Tess, but a fourteen-year-old hardly constituted adult company.
“I’d like that!” Annie said immediately.
“Let me give you my phone number.” As she reached into her purse,
her cell phone rang and she glanced at the number.
“Excuse me a second,” she said to Kelly.
“Hello?” she spoke into the receiver.
Kelly glanced away to give Annie privacy,
but she couldn’t help but overhear her end of the conversation.
“I’m feeling better, thanks. Yeah. No you
don’t need to stop by. I called the plumber and he said he’d make
it to the house by the end of the day.” Annie grew quiet, then
spoke once more. “I can afford it and you don’t need to come by.
You weren’t good with the pipes when we were married,” she said,
amusement in her tone.
Some more silence, then Annie said, “If you
insist, I’ll see you later,” she said, now sounding more annoyed
than indulgent.
She hung up and put the phone back in her
bag. “My ex-husband,” she explained to Kelly. “He thinks because I
have MS I need his constant hovering.”
The admission caught Kelly off guard and she
felt for Annie, being diagnosed so young. Richard liked to talk
about everything and anything when he was in the office, but he’d
never mentioned his daughter’s disease. Kelly didn’t blame him for
omitting something so personal. In fact she was surprised Annie had
mentioned it at all.
“I’m sure you noticed my hand
starting her life over but still rushing Tess out for school, she
thought, grateful things were finally looking up.
She and Tess ate a quick breakfast, after
which Kelly dropped off Tess and headed to work. Another thing for
which she owed Richard Kane, her job, working for him as a
paralegal, in downtown Serendipity.
She stopped, as she did daily, at Cuppa
Café, the town’s version of Starbucks. Kelly had worked hard all
her life and she’d learned early on to save, but her entire day
hinged on that first cup of caffeine. It had to be strong and
good.
Kelly stepped into the coffee shop and the
delicious aroma surrounded her, instantly perking her up as if she
were inhaling caffeine by osmosis.
She was pouring a touch of milk into her
large cup of regular coffee when a familiar woman with long, curly
blond hair joined her at the far counter.
“You’re as regular as my grandma Emma wanted
to be,” Annie Kane joked.
Kelly glanced at her and grinned. “I could
say the same for you.”
“Good point.” Annie laughed and raised her
cup in a mock toast.
Small-town living offered both perks and
drawbacks. Running into a familiar face could fall into either
category. Kelly and Annie frequented Cuppa Café at the same time
each morning and they’d often linger and chat. If pressed, Kelly
would say Annie was the closest she had to a real friend here, if
she didn’t count Faith Harrington, Ethan’s wife.
Annie was Richard Kane’s daughter, though
from the pictures on Richard’s desk, Kelly noticed Annie looked
more like her mother than her dad. From the first day they’d met at
her father’s office, Kelly had liked this woman.
Kelly took a long, desperately needed sip of
her drink.
“So what’s your excuse for being up so early
every day?”
“Routine keeps me young,” Annie said.
Kelly rolled her eyes. “You
are
young.” She looked Annie over, from her slip-on sneakers to her
jeans and light cotton sweater. “I bet we’re probably close to the
same age.”
“I’ll be twenty-seven next month,” Annie
said.
“And I’ll be twenty-seven in December.”
Annie raised her cup to her lips, and Kelly
couldn’t help but notice her hand shook as she took a sip.
Kelly narrowed her gaze but didn’t comment
on the tremor. Instead, she dove into cementing her life here in
Serendipity. “Listen, instead of quick hellos standing over coffee,
how about we meet for lunch one day?” She was ready for a real
friend here, someone she could trust and confide in. Kelly adored
Tess, but a fourteen-year-old hardly constituted adult company.
“I’d like that!” Annie said immediately.
“Let me give you my phone number.” As she reached into her purse,
her cell phone rang and she glanced at the number.
“Excuse me a second,” she said to Kelly.
“Hello?” she spoke into the receiver.
Kelly glanced away to give Annie privacy,
but she couldn’t help but overhear her end of the conversation.
“I’m feeling better, thanks. Yeah. No you
don’t need to stop by. I called the plumber and he said he’d make
it to the house by the end of the day.” Annie grew quiet, then
spoke once more. “I can afford it and you don’t need to come by.
You weren’t good with the pipes when we were married,” she said,
amusement in her tone.
Some more silence, then Annie said, “If you
insist, I’ll see you later,” she said, now sounding more annoyed
than indulgent.
She hung up and put the phone back in her
bag. “My ex-husband,” she explained to Kelly. “He thinks because I
have MS I need his constant hovering.”
The admission caught Kelly off guard and she
felt for Annie, being diagnosed so young. Richard liked to talk
about everything and anything when he was in the office, but he’d
never mentioned his daughter’s disease. Kelly didn’t blame him for
omitting something so personal. In fact she was surprised Annie had
mentioned it at all.
“I’m sure you noticed my hand
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