Sway (18 page)

all this shrill noise about how I wasn’t their kind

and all that shit. He told her she was wrong. He

said it multiple times. She brought up the wife. She

doesn’t think I’m like her either.

The sick realization that they were

going to have to argue when they got

in private made her stomach roil.

Clearly there were things, she

realized as she held back from saying

it all, that she had been feeling and

burying.

He helped her up and she allowed

him to lead her to where his car was

parked.

“Her name was Kelsey. We were

both young. I’d known her practically

from childhood. Her mother and mine

were friends. We dated and it

seemed natural to marry her. To get

started on life as an adult. I was just

a little older than you now when we

got married.”

She said nothing as he drove to her

place.

“She drank. We all did of course.

But she liked it more than I did. It got

worse over the years until I would

wake up and wonder what the fuck I

was doing with my life. She said she

wanted kids, but with her drinking, I

doubted it could happen. I didn’t

think she could give it up for nine

months. Her health was on the

decline as well. She passed out every

night. Started drinking at noon and

never

stopped

until

she

lost

consciousness.”

He pulled into her driveway and

followed her into the house. She hung

his coat and toed out of her shoes.

Bending to untie his boots because it

was what she did.

“You’re nothing like her.” He

caressed

her

cheek

as

she

straightened. “You’re smart and

strong. Compassionate and giving.

You’re inherently grounded in who

and what you are. She never had that

sort of confidence.”

They moved to her bed and she

curled up, readying to listen to the

rest. “I wanted a divorce. Nearly ten

years we’d been together. My parents

urged me to stay and try to work it

out. My mother reminded me what it

would cost if I moved first.” He

shrugged one shoulder and she really

hated his mother.

“Why would your mother say such

a thing? You should want your

children to be happy.”

“She’s old school. One simply

doesn’t walk away from a marriage.

Not without trying to make it right.

And in her own way, she was correct

about the scandal it could have

caused and the price of it. I mean,

Jonah, my older brother, went

through an ugly, very public split

with his wife just last year. She took

off, leaving him and their daughter

behind. It was a big topic of gossip

for months. My mother is averse to

such things. To her, a reputation is

part of what you own and build.

Kelsey came from a good family. To

my mother, these things are integral.”

Which is why Gwen was so

horrified by Daisy’s very presence,

she wagered. Their kind meant

affluent and most likely white.

He smiled at her but there was

sadness at the edges. “So I asked

Kelsey to get into therapy.”

He took her hand, latching his

fingers with hers. She wanted to

soothe and pet. Wanted to rage about

his mother and her selfishness. But

she made herself listen because that’s

what he needed.

“It didn’t last very long. It wasn’t

even a month before she started

missing therapist appointments. I

tried to talk to her about rehab, but

she dropped her best bombshell yet;

she was pregnant.”

Oh, this got worse and worse. She

squeezed his hand.

“But as I said, we weren’t having

sex so it wasn’t mine. A friend does

family law and I went to him that next

day to get things in motion to file for

divorce. Prenup or not, I had to be

free of her. I did urge her to quit

drinking for the baby’s sake, but she

ignored that. Two nights later, she

drove the wrong way up an off-ramp

on the viaduct and hit a car head-on.

She was killed instantly as was the

baby she was carrying.

“And then it wasn’t about the shitty

excuse for a human being I’d

married. Overnight everyone just

pretended she was a saint. Pretended

she hadn’t been sleeping with so

many other men she didn’t know who

the father was. Pretended she hadn’t

been totally able to kill the person

she ran into, though thank God she

didn’t. Overnight she was the love of

my life and everyone expected me to

play along. And I guess I did.”

“Hence the tattoo.” She understood

him so much better now. Understood

those words on his arm were his way

of making sure he never forgot the

truth he lived even when everyone

else wanted him to.

He nodded.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that

instead of supporting you, all you got

was grief.”

“I’m sorry you had to hear about it

from someone else. I should have

told you myself.”

“Yes, you should have. But I

understand why you didn’t.”

“I apologize for what you had to

deal with tonight. Not everyone in my

family thinks like that.”

“But some do.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Yes.

Some do. But as time passes, less

and less.”

There was more she should have

said. But all she wanted to do was be

with him. It made her weak, but it

was true either way. So she snuggled

into his body and he held her with a

sigh of his own as he kissed her

temple.

She didn’t believe he thought the

same way his sister-in-law did.

He said he was sorry for what

happened and she believed that

totally. He’d never disrespected her.

So she let it go because she was

being irrational and silly and they

could talk about the other stuff at

another time when she wasn’t tired

and on the verge of tears.

“So that’s the story.” She finished up

the saga of the stupid fight she’d had

with Levi two weeks before. She’d

told Mary, but hadn’t filled in all the

others so Jules pounced on her right

as they’d begun tying their aprons.

“We patched things up, but there’s

some unspoken stuff between us.”

Daisy made sure everything on the

tray she was getting ready to carry

out looked pretty before she shifted it

to rest on her arm.

“I don’t like it. This bitch needs to

be punched. How dare she call you

names? She doesn’t even know you.”

Jules glared at her a moment.

“She doesn’t. And it’s not like I’ve

been at family events for her to get to

know me. So there’s that.”

“There is that.” Jules agreed. “And

also, this unspoken stuff. Baby, you

know that’s not a good thing, right?”

“I can’t go into that right now.

Let’s get this stuff out there. Then we

can complain about my boyfriend and

his dumb family when we get back.”

She cruised through the party, an

event she’d actually helped land for

Mary. The woman throwing the event

was a friend of a friend and when

she’d bumped into Daisy at a party in

Seattle a month before, the topic of

catering and parties had come up.

Turns out, her parents were getting

ready to celebrate their fortieth

wedding anniversary.

When she’d broached the subject

with

Mary,

Mary

had

said,

“Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays,

that’s all catering bread and butter.

You better bet your ass I’m thrilled to

do this job.”

She passed around tray after tray

of gorgeous food as she visited with

the guests. Not inappropriately of

course, but people did like to chitchat

here and there at a happy event.

The evening sped by and she was

glad tomorrow morning wasn’t a

gallery day. She’d have time to work

on a new piece she’d been mulling

over for the last few months.

She even had a coffee date with a

gallery owner who’d picked up her

card at that auction Levi had given

them out at. He was interested in

talking to Daisy about a possible

show in the early fall with two other

up-and-coming local artists.

It was nearing midnight when

they’d finally finished cleaning up

and getting all the gear packed back

into the catering truck. She headed

home and discovered Levi had left a

few messages for her on her cell.

He had court first thing in the

morning so she’d return his call when

she woke up.

And then she paced. A lot.

She got dressed again and went for

a drive to see if the light was on in

Gillian’s office. Mary was out cold,

but Gillian often worked late a few

nights a week.

The light was on and she tiptoed

up to peek carefully. She didn’t want

to barge in on Gillian and Adrian

getting hot and heavy. Though it

wouldn’t be a chore to see Adrian

Brown naked and giving the business

to someone. Mmm!

Feeling a little better, she nearly

left before tapping, but did it anyway.

Gillian started and looked up from

her work. When she recognized

Daisy her face lit and she motioned

her to the front door.

“You could have called.” Gillian

opened the door to admit her.

“I didn’t want to wake anyone.”

Gillian hugged her. “Miles is off

with Adrian for some Brown male

fest thing. He’s got the rest of this

week off from school.”

“Well, considering how pretty

those males are, that’s not a bad

place to be.”

“You know, I met you first when

you weren’t even ten yet. I’ve known

you a long time. We’ve both done a

lot of growing up over the years.”

Gillian took her hand and they went

to sit on the couch. “You’re the most

well-adjusted, emotionally centered

twenty-four-year-old I’ve ever met.

But you’re upset. I’ve been meaning

to ask you and I haven’t because life

keeps getting in the way. But you’re

always there for me. Tell me.”

So she poured it all out.

When Gillian laughed at the end, it

was rueful. “I’m so sorry I’ve been

so caught up in all this wedding,

renovation and life stuff that I’ve

neglected to see how upset you are.”

“Don’t apologize for having a life.

I love that you’re so busy and happy

with all this stuff. Seeing you with

Adrian gives me hope. You know?

He makes me happy, Gillian. Not

Adrian, though he’s nice to look at.

Levi.” She buried her face in her

hands. “I’m in love with him. And I

shouldn’t have allowed it because

we
are
from two different worlds.”

“Oh, sweetheart, so what? I’m

going to marry a rock star. Me.” She

took a deep breath. “Different isn’t

always bad. You’ll keep him on his

toes. I imagine a man like him is used

to people just sort of following

whatever he says. You won’t do

that.”

She laughed, unable to help

herself. “Not in most things, no. The

thing is…” She blushed and blushed.

“When it comes to sex stuff I do.

Obey him and stuff. It’s so hot and it

feels right and I know people will

think it’s weird and maybe it is. But I

like it and he likes it and so

whatever.”

It was Gillian’s turn to blush.

“I’m sorry for embarrassing you.”

Daisy was perilously close to a

giggle.

Gillian laughed then. “Don’t be

sorry. We’ve been friends a long

time. You didn’t embarrass me. You

said you liked it, he likes it too so

that’s really all there is to it. You’re

both adults. I’m glad you’re happy

with your sex life. And I’m thrilled to

hear you’re in love.” She smiled at

Daisy, squeezing her hands. “But I