So Right With You (14 page)

When Chloe had met Kali in the barn with the scarf and hat, she hadn’t thought about how the chemo had had the undesirable effect of causing Kali to lose her hair. It must be really hard on her. The teenage years could be a time when kids were most self-conscious. Losing one’s hair could definitely mess with one’s self-image, especially at that age.

Climbing out of the car, she met Kali and her parents at the end of the driveway. Kali’s father extended his hand.

“You must be Chloe. I’m Jeff, and this is my wife, Ellen. I hope you had no trouble finding the place,” he said warmly. His handshake was firm but friendly.

She smiled as he released her hand. “Not at all, your directions were perfect.”

From the dark circles under their eyes and the deep lines etched into their faces, she could see they were obviously under a lot of stress. It was understandable with five kids, one of whom had cancer.

Garrett had told her some of the family’s history.

Kali’s parents had always tried to make sure their kids had what they needed, even if they couldn’t afford it. When Kali had first shown an aptitude for horses, they had gotten second jobs, reduced their spending, held car washes and bake sales, and recycled, anything they could think of to raise money so she could participate. When it had become evident she was really good at it, they’d sought sponsors. It had hurt them almost as badly as it had hurt her when the cancer had struck, and her dreams for the Olympics were crushed.

Kali was displaying the impatience typical of a teenager. She kept shuffling her feet and darting looks at the car, wanting to get a move on. It was obvious she was looking forward to their outing.

“I should have her back in time for dinner. If we’re delayed for some reason, I’ll give you a call. Does six o’clock work for you?”

“Sure. That sounds fine.” Jeff gave his daughter a meaningful look. “Behave yourself.” Then he smiled. “But have fun.”

As Kali was about to climb into the car, she stopped and ran back to hug her parents. “See you later. Love you.”

Chloe’s eyes misted. It was nice to see the closeness between Kali and her parents.

Turning, Kali sprinted back to the car and scrambled in before Chloe could even start the engine. Her excitement was clearly evident.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Buckle up first.”

Kali reached for the belt to comply.

Putting the car in gear, Chloe pulled forward, did a U-turn on the block, and drove away.

Kali waved at her parents as they left.

“Where do you want to go eat?” Chloe asked.

“I thought we could go to the Grill.”

Chloe held in a sigh. She had a feeling the Grill was one of those greasy spoons kids liked to frequent. She had the feeling the menu was going to consist of pizza, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and not much else, nothing for someone trying to watch their weight like she was forever doing.

“When do you start winter break?” Chloe asked.

A silence descended in the car. Chloe waited it out.

“I don’t go to school. I’m homeschooled.”

“Oh. I didn’t know,” Chloe responded, taken aback.

“After I was diagnosed with cancer, practically all my friends vanished. Most of my friends were riders like me. When I got sick, it scared them. They saw how quickly I lost everything. It was like I had the plague or something, and they thought might catch it. Some of them tried to stick it out at first, but as I got sicker, it got too hard. Eventually they all disappeared. School was more of the same. I was the sick kid. Nobody wants to be around someone who reminds them of how fragile life can be. It seemed easier to be homeschooled. One of my teachers comes by with all my work. My friend Gabby still stops by from time to time. We’ve been friends forever. She’s got a boyfriend now, so I don’t see as much of her as I used to. She’s going to the winter formal with him.”

Chloe could see the wistful look in Kali’s eyes.

“That must be really hard.”

“It’s all right. I have my family, and going to the ranch helps.”

“And Josh,” Chloe added.

Kali blushed. “He doesn’t even know I exist.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.”

Kali gave her a surprised look. “You think he likes me?” Her voice had an excited tone to it.

“Ah, yeah. I think he does.” Chloe grinned widely.

Kali’s face glowed with happiness at the possibility.

*~*

When they reached the Grill, it was just like Chloe had expected, a diner done in a fifties style. She felt like the oldest patron. Most of the booths were jam-packed with teenagers. She was able to order a salad from the menu while Kali chomped down the typical teenage fare of a cheeseburger, french fries, and a Coke.

Like most teenagers, she chattered nonstop about everything from her favorite music to her favorite celebrities. Chloe simply listened and nodded. It was nice to see her so animated.

Finally, Chloe was able to get a word in edgewise. “I’m planning a party for Garrett,” she announced.

“What kind of party?” Kali fidgeted with her straw wrapper.

“It’s a fundraiser for the Foundation.”

“Can I help?” she asked.

“That’s why I mentioned it. I could really use an assistant. I was thinking if you were available, you might be able to help me. That is, if we can work it around your schooling.”

“Really?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Yes, really.” Chloe smiled.

“That would be totally awesome.” Kali grinned.

Chloe had another idea that would make the event totally awesome, but she had to run it past Garrett first. “You about done there?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Harper Sheridan has invited us to her loft to see her work for her upcoming show. I don’t suppose you’d like to see it?”

“Are you kidding me?” Kali screamed excitedly.

“Well, no.” Chloe laughed.

“That would be so totally awesome.”

There seemed to be a hierarchy to awesomeness, and “so totally awesome” ranked supremely above “totally awesome” and “awesome.” Who knew? It was so totally awesome. Chloe smiled.

*~*

Harper lived in an industrialized area in the center of Houston. A more colorful vibrancy surrounded the streets in the nearby vicinity. With graffiti-covered walls from local taggers and street-corner musicians, the area was a considered a paradise for local artists. To the rest of humanity, it felt a little scary. That’s why Chloe tried to never visit Harper at night; seeing it in daylight was bad enough.

As they drew closer to Harper’s place, Kali became excited at the scenery around her.

“Oh, look at that one. It’s so totally cool.”

Chloe kept her eyes on the road. “Yeah. It’s great.”

As Kali continued to be excited about her surroundings, Chloe realized how very similar Kali and Harper were. Harper loved the area, too. She couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

Chloe parked her Prius in front of an old brick building. Harper’s loft was located on the upper floor. The bottom floor of the building was actually a bakery. Whenever Chloe came to visit, the smell of the baked bread wafted through the walls of Harper’s loft, making her hungry. She always ended her visit by stopping by the bakery. She wondered how Harper could stand the temptation.

“We’re here.”

Kali looked around her in awe. Her idol lived here. She sat for a moment, taking it all in. “Oh, this is way cool.”

Chloe reckoned “way cool” ranked somewhere in there with “totally awesome.”

She unbuckled her seatbelt. Kali did the same. Chloe led the way to a back stairwell and pushed the buzzer when she reached the top. The security system included both a camera and an intercom so Harper would always know exactly who was at the door. She had had it installed when the media had been at an all-time frenzy following her father’s arrest. Unbeknownst to most, she had also had a sprinkler system put in for the more-persistent reporters. It was amazing how much a deterrent being showered with water could be.

Pushing the button a second time, she spoke into the security panel. “It’s me, Harper. I brought Kali with me. Open up.”

Sometimes when Harper was immersed in her artwork, she wouldn’t hear the bell. This appeared to be one of those times. She had counted on that not being the case today. Guess not.

Chloe gave her a few more minutes but was about to give up. The doubtful looks Kali was casting her way prompted her to try again. Chloe pushed the intercom button again to speak and yelled, “Come on, Harper. Open the door.” She let out a huge sigh. “Sorry, sometimes Harper becomes totally absorbed in her work. She knows we’re coming. I don’t know why she doesn’t answer.”

This was proving to be embarrassing.

The door swung open, and Harper stood there, glaring. Having been interrupted while working, she wore her standard attire of spattered coveralls and work boots.

“Jeez, Chloe. What’s your problem?” she snapped.

“We rang ten minutes ago,” she answered, her tone dripping with irritation.

“Sorry.” Harper shrugged her shoulders and quirked her mouth. “I was working on my latest project. It’s really kicking my butt.”

Chloe nodded her head toward Kali to tell Harper to watch her language. “You knew we were coming,” Chloe scolded her.

“I know, but I just got a new idea and I had to go with it.”

Chloe released a heavy sigh. Harper was never going to change.

Kali stood staring at her idol, starstruck.

Harper finally noticed her. “You must be Kali. I’ve heard all about you.”

“You have?” Worry edged her tone. She looked a little down. It was hard to be always known as the girl with cancer.

“It always pays to know who your competition is. Chloe says you’re really good. So are you, kid?”

“Ah!” Kali was at a loss for words. She blushed.

“Did you bring your sketchbook with you?” Harper asked.

“Yeah,” Kali said.

“I’d like to take a look, if that’s all right,” Harper asked. Harper put her arm around Kali’s shoulders to bring her inside. “Let me show you what I’m working on. I’d like to see what you think.”

“Wow. Okay.”

Chloe was left outside as the door closed behind the two kindred spirits.

“Hey.” She banged on the door.

Harper peered out again. “Ah, sorry.”

“Yeah.” Chloe shook her head as Harper let her in.

*~*

Chloe sat on Harper’s futon, drinking a glass of water and petting Mr. Spazzers, Harper’s black cat, as she watched the two cohorts share their passion. They had been here for four hours. She felt like such a third wheel. They had become so wrapped up in their discussion that Chloe was convinced they’d forgotten she was here.

Harper had taken on a new role for herself, that of teacher, and Kali had become her apprentice. Harper was teaching Kali about subtle ways to use shading and light. The teenager was totally engrossed in what Harper was demonstrating.

Chloe wanted to yell, “Wax on. Wax off!” But she didn’t think they’d appreciate her comparing them to the
Karate Kid.

She could have felt a little neglected by the two. But having heard how Kali’s illness had impacted the girl’s life, she was more than happy to watch Kali enjoying herself. The teenager had had it rough.

It was getting close to time for her to be taking Kali home. She hated to interrupt. “Kali, it’s getting close to the time we promised your parents you’d be back.”

“Ah, man. That sucks. I was starting to get the hang of it.”

“If it’s all right with Chloe, we could order some takeout food before you go,” Harper suggested.

“Seriously? That would be so cool.”

“I have to call your parents first, since I promised I’d bring you home for dinner, but I’m sure it will be okay.” Chloe was looking forward to going home to Garrett, but it could wait. This was more important.

“Awesome,” Kali said.

Chloe called Kali’s parents, and of course it was okay. They were happy to hear she was having a good time. She also called Garrett to let him know she was running late. He said he would catch dinner with a friend. So much for her plans to seduce the man.

They ordered Chinese food. It was after eight before she dropped Kali off. She was finally headed home.

Garrett had wanted to spend the day with Chloe, but she had made arrangements with Kali and Harper. Left to his own devices, he had decided to seize the opportunity to be with his best friend, Craig, a friend since kindergarten.

At one time, it had been three of them. Kenny Brockett, Craig Wallis, and Garrett had been inseparable. They had gone to school together, followed by college, and had even started a business together in Austin. Everything had changed when Garrett had walked in on his fiancée, Pamela, with Kenny.

For a while, he had had no connection with either Craig or Kenny. At first, Craig had tried to maintain an uneasy friendship with both, which hadn’t sat well with Garrett.

Recently, he had reconnected with Craig, despite this conflict. He couldn’t blame Craig for keeping his connection with Kenny. He really had no choice. Kenny was his brother-in-law by marriage. Craig had married his childhood sweetheart, Lisa, who happened to be Kenny’s little sister. It made the whole situation rather awkward. Garrett and Craig had decided by mutual decision that for the sake of their friendship, it was best to avoid any mention of Kenny and Garrett’s ex-fiancée. This strategy seemed to work fine for the most part for both of them.

They had decided to pass the day playing golf at the Westbrook Golf Course, an exclusive club. For the first time, Garrett’s game was completely off.

He had known it from the first hole when he’d scored par fourteen and shot the ball into the woods nearby. When he went to hit the ball out, it had struck a tree and became lost.

From there, the game continued on a downhill slide.

At the fifth hole, his ball landed far short of the mark in the sand pit.

At the twelfth hole, he swung the club and landed the ball in the water obstacle.

They were at the last hole. The ball was only a few feet from the pole and Garrett was determined to hit it in. It was an easy shot. Even a beginner should be able to sink this one.

Garrett swung the club, and his shot hit the pole and bounced away.

“Damn,” he swore. “I almost had it.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t make that shot.” Craig shook his head in disbelief. “Your head’s not been in the game all day. What’s up?” He looked at Garrett, waiting for him to respond.

For Garrett to have one of these major errors occur during a game was unusual. For it to happen four times, his head was definitely elsewhere. He’d been thinking about Chloe.

“You’re right, man. My head’s not in it. I’m playing for shit. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry on my account. I’m finally beating you at something. I never thought I’d see the day. It’s been a long time coming. But what’s throwing your game? Is it work? It might help to talk about it.”

Craig was a good friend. He was the type of friend who would be there no matter what. Garrett knew he could trust the man with his life. He decided to trust him with his heart.

“No, not work. Not exactly. You remember Chloe?”

“Sure, your administrative assistant. Cute. Redhead. Hey, isn’t she engaged or something?” Craig asked.

“Was,” Garrett answered.

“Oh.” Craig shot him a surprised look.

“Found him cheating on her with her friend,” Garrett added, his expression grim.

“Ah, that’s tough.” Craig shook his head.

“Anyway, she’s staying with me.”

“Really?” Craig tilted his head to the side. “So you have a woman problem. You sleep with her yet?”

Garrett was silent.

“I take that to mean yes.” He stared at Garrett for confirmation.

“Ah. Yeah,” Garrett admitted.

“Not going well? Girl’s getting attached?”

“I wish. Not exactly.” He looked down.

“Huh.”

“Yeah,” Garrett said.

“Does she know?” Craig asked.

“Not yet.”

“How does she feel about you?”

“Not sure. She’s referred to us as roommates.”

“Ouch! Roommates? Ah, is that like friends with benefits?” Craig laughed.

“It’s not funny,” he grumbled.

“How serious are you?” Craig eyed him with concern.

“Very.”

“Wow! I’d never thought I see the day Garrett Nolan was hung up on a girl. I don’t think you were this hung up on Pamela. By the way, since we’re opening up and everything, I don’t know how to tell you, but…”

“What?” he snapped.

“I thought you should know Kenny and Pamela are expecting.”

“Good for them.” There was absolutely no malice in his response. Frankly, he couldn’t care less. Since falling in love with Chloe, he had come to a few home truths. First, as much as he cared for Pamela, he had never been in love with her, at least not like he was with Chloe.

For another, he had never been able to express his feelings without holding back as he could with Chloe. And last, Pamela had tended to like their sex vanilla.

Perhaps that’s why she’d chosen Kenny over him. Kenny was as straitlaced as they came. That’s why their cheating had taken him by surprise. It was the last thing he would have expected from either of them. It seemed they had actually made a love connection. He supposed that made the betrayal a little easier to swallow.

Currently, his thoughts revolved around a little redhead who had his insides tied up in knots. As much as he was trying to get closer, he could feel her slowly drawing away from him. Why? He hadn’t yet figured it out. That’s what was bothering him. He wasn’t sure if she needed more time—after all, she had just broken it off with her fiancé—or if she was unsure about their relationship.

Craig eyed him thoughtfully. “Wow. You really are crazy about this girl.”

“Yeah.”

“My advice? Don’t wait too long to tell her. Women can be funny that way. Need reassurance from the guy,” Craig said.

“What are you becoming? A girl?”

“Don’t knock it. I’ve been with Lisa long enough to have learned a few things.” He smiled in a self-deprecating way. “Mostly the hard way. But hey, it’s your decision.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If you weren’t in such a sorry state, I could be gloating about this whole beating-you thing,” Craig said, smiling.

“Shut it.”

As they were leaving the golf course, Chloe called, explaining that she was going to have dinner out. Garrett felt even more put out, so Craig took pity on him.

“Why don’t you come home with me tonight? I’m sure Lisa and the kids would love to see you.”

“Maybe I will,” Garrett agreed.

“Good.”

*~*

When he got to the house, Lisa greeted them at the door. “Ah, Garrett, it’s good to see you.” She chewed her lip. She looked nervous. Something was wrong.

“Everything all right, Lisa?” Garrett asked.

“Yeah. Sure.” She gave a twisted smile. “Why don’t you go into the family room and see the kids? I’m sure they will be more than happy to have their Uncle Garrett here tonight,” she said. “Craig, can I see you in the office for a moment?”

Yep. Something was definitely up. Garrett thought. It looked like Craig was in trouble.

*~*

As soon as the door closed behind them, Lisa lowered her voice and said, “Kenny and Pamela are due any minute now for dinner. They’re excited about getting their first ultrasound results and want to share it with us.”

“Damn,” Craig swore.

“Yeah, exactly. What are we going to do?”

“Maybe it won’t be as bad as we think.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Actually, Garrett’s in love with someone else. I think he’s over Pamela. I told him today they’re having a baby. He seemed fine with the whole thing.”

“Really?” she squealed.

“Yeah. Keep your voice down, he’ll hear you.”

“Who’s the girl?” Lisa asked, ignoring him.

“You remember his assistant, Chloe?”

“The pretty redhead?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“She’s staying with him, if you know what I mean.” Craig raised his eyebrows.

“Seriously? I thought she was engaged,” Lisa said.

“They broke up.”

“So you really think he’s going to be okay with Kenny and Pamela being here?”

“Yeah.” Craig nodded.

“We probably should tell him to make sure,” she said.

*~*

Garrett went into the family room to see Craig’s and Lisa’s three kids, ranging in age from four to nine. The four-year-old, Corey, hurtled across the room. He grabbed Garrett’s legs and plopped onto his shoes.

“It’s robot man,” he yelled.

Often, when Garrett came over, Corey liked to pretend Garrett was a robot and ride around on his shoes. Garrett thought it was a good thing he was a big man. Corey had practically plowed him over in his excitement.

Garrett humored the boy by continuing around the room, making robot sounds while Corey rode around on his shoes to his heart’s content.

Caitlyn, the precocious only girl in the family, turned and said, “Leave him alone, Corey,” in a tone much more mature than her six years.

“But it’s fun.”

“I think that’s enough for now,” Garrett said. His feet were becoming numb from the exertion.

Corey climbed off and resumed playing with the dinosaurs and blocks. He was using large dinosaurs to knock down a city block in their imaginative play.

“Uncle Garrett, come see the picture I drew of Aunt Pam’s new baby.”

Garrett’s stomach tightened a little bit at the six-year-old’s innocent outburst, but it was not the earth-shattering news it might have been even a few weeks ago. Garrett was truly over the whole Kenny and Pamela mess.

Garrett went over and looked at the picture. It showed three figures in it, one much smaller than the other two. He figured that must be the baby. “Nice,” Garrett said.

Caitlyn beamed at the compliment.

“Hey, Connor,” Garrett said, acknowledging the remaining Wallis kid, who was totally engrossed in a computerized game, battling space aliens.

“Hi,” Connor said, without even looking up.

Lisa and Craig came into the room. From the guilt-ridden expression on their faces, Garrett figured he was about to receive some bad news. Besides, as he had left the entryway, he’d heard Craig swear behind the closed office door.

“Garrett, we thought you should know Kenny and Pamela are due any second,” Craig blurted.

Before Garrett could decide what he planned to do about the situation, like make his escape, the doorbell rang.

“Sorry, dude. I didn’t know when I asked you.”

The doorbell rang again.

Lisa looked nervously at the door. “I need to answer it.”

“It’s fine,” Garrett said.

Lisa turned to look at him one more time to make sure before heading for the front door.

“Hi,” Kenny and Pamela said excitedly, entering.

“Hello,” Lisa responded, less enthusiastically.

“We’re so excited. We have to show you the pictures from the ultrasound we took today.” It was Pamela’s voice. He hadn’t heard it in five years.

“The baby looks like its beautiful mother,” Kenny said.

“The picture isn’t that clear. Kenny was so excited he made us stop at the baby store and order furniture. It’s starting to feel real for us. It’s hard to believe in a few months, we’ll be parents.”

“Is everything all right?” Kenny asked.

“Umm, Garrett’s here.” Lisa shot a look at the other room.

“He’s here.” They both looked in the direction she had indicated.

“Yeah.” Lisa shrugged.

“Do you want us to go?” Kenny asked.

“No.” Lisa let out a sigh. “He knows. Let’s have dinner, like we planned.”

“Are you sure?” Kenny arched a brow.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Kenny and Pamela answered together, looking uncertain.

*~*

Lisa entered the room first with Kenny and Pamela following. Garrett noticed they were holding hands in a united front, obviously nervous. They hadn’t seen each other since the breakup. Kenny had grown a trimmed beard since then. Pamela’s blond hair was a little longer, and she was beginning to show a slight baby bump.

“I understand congratulations are in order.”

Kenny blinked. “Ah, yeah.”

“You look good, Pamela. Pregnancy seems to agree with you.”

“Thanks.” She smiled slightly.

They both looked like they had entered some alternate reality. The last time they’d seen Garrett, there had been a lot more tension, to say the least. It had been the day Pamela had moved out to be with Kenny.

After everyone got over the initial uneasiness, dinner was surprisingly enjoyable. Having spent most of their lives together, the men shared stories from their youth, including a few from their college years when Pamela was with Garrett. Although Kenny and Garrett might never be the friends that they were before, they were both trying to reestablish a connection and put the past behind them. Pamela sent Garrett a few apologetic glances for her role in breaking the two friends apart and for breaking Garrett’s heart. He smiled, accepting her attempts.

As they were helping to clear the table, Kenny asked Garrett, “Can I speak with you outside?”

“Sure.”

After they left to go out to the yard, Kenny took a few minutes, staring down at the canyon, deep in thought.

“I wanted to let you know that we never meant to hurt you. I never got the chance to tell you how truly sorry I am about what happened. I can’t say I’d do anything different. I really do love Pam, but I am sorry.”

“I know. I didn’t feel it at the time, but I’ve come to realize Pam and I weren’t right, not like you two are. I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Thanks, man.” Kenny smiled.

“I think it’s time to put the past behind us. So hey, you’re going to be a dad.”

“I know can you believe it?”

“It’s great, man.”

They looked over at the sliding door. Lisa, Pam, and Craig were trying to look like they weren’t watching.

“I think we have an audience,” Garrett said.

“I guess they were expecting we might fight.” Kenny glanced back and smiled.

“We still could.” Garrett winked. “I think I could still take you.”

“No way, man. I’d like to put all that in our past. I’ve missed our friendship.” He held out his hand.

“Me, too.” Garrett shook it.

After a few more minutes spent reconnecting, they walked back inside.