Page 33 of Nothing to Fear

Shit. She dropped her eyes. Why did he do that? Yeah, they could have a relationship, sure. In what kind of relationship did a girlfriend not have her boyfriend’s number? If he couldn’t trust her with that, what else was there? So much for not doing things that way. With that kind of barrier, what more could there be?

Dougie and Astor ran up to their mother, each with a stream of paper.

Alice caught both with a smile and kissed each of them.

“Thank you, sweethearts.”

The younger boys went to join the older ones. The four moved aside, two left, two right, giving their mother privacy to read the scores.

“We have a clear winner in our Breckenridge face off,” she said and raised an arm. “Congratulations, Luxe Leathers!”

The triumphant brothers rushed to the others to jeer their counterparts.

It wasn’t right; she shouldn’t be relieved they hadn’t won. Yet when Alice announced the winning team would be treated to dinner in an exclusive city restaurant, Breckenridge family included, relief definitely prevailed. Some of the family or all of them? That might be a sight to see.

“Now we have an excuse to get drunk,” Yvette said. “We suck at bowling.”

“Enjoy yourself.” She swept her purse from a nearby seat. “See you Monday.”

TEN

“FATE IS LAUGHING at me.”

It didn’t help that was the first thing Jacob did on that Sunday too. “You think so?”

“Even you’re laughing!”

“Sorry,” he said, flattening the amusement in his tone. “Tell me what happened.”

“No, I don’t want to now,” she said, tucking the cordless phone between her ear and the pillow. She’d chosen the bedroom for tonight’s call. “You’ll have to live in wonder.”

“I want to know.”

“You tell fate to call me, ask that question herself.”

“Fate is female?”

“Well, she’s not male, that’s for sure. You know any guy who can pay such close attention to other people’s lives and remain catty at all times? Female. Not a nice one. She doesn’t speak for us all, but, yeah, definitely female.”

“Okay. And she’s laughing at you?”

Because believing that was the easy way out. “I’m blaming her, but it’s all me. The signs are there, the red flags, and I’m ignoring them.”

“Red flags about what?”

The concern in his voice was so genuine, she forgave his earlier slight.

“Do you believe we’re all destined to find one person?” she asked.

“I hope not.”

Curious. “No?”

“What if fate deals you or your other a bad hand? How do you know that vehicle accident you passed doesn’t hold your other half’s corpse? Kids die young, accidents and illness can befall us at any time. You could be out there looking for a guy who died of scarlet fever when he was eight?”

“Do people still die of scarlet fever?”

“I have no idea. The point’s the same.”

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