Page 8 of Reluctant Chemistry

“Not poke my nose in where it didn’t belong. Dillon was,isa jerk, but it wasn’t my place to tell her.”

“Look, that boyfriend of hers isolated her not only from her friends but also from her family as well. So don’t be too hard on yourself.” Her mother’s expression softened. “You know what else Hannah told me?”

“No, what?”

“Anna was at Dillon’s place the night she died. She stormed out on them after an argument, and he was waiting for her on his motorcycle at the curb. Hannah and Tom were worried sick. That was the last time they saw her alive.”

“But…do they think he had something to do with her death?”

“No. It wasn’t his fault, and as a mother, I’m so thankful for that. Imagine how much harder it would be for her parents if he had. It was just her time, I guess.”

“I still don’t get it. How can sudden death syndrome even be a thing?” CeCe sat at the island, the orange juice sitting forgotten on the counter. “Life’s really screwed up at times, don’t you think?”

“It can be. Sometimes, it’s best not to think too deeply about things.”

“But how do you make your mind hush when it doesn’t want to listen?”

“Distraction. Remove yourself from one moment and enter another.” Andrea stood and walked over to the freezer. She pulled out a carton of ice cream and popped it in the microwave for a few seconds. “Eat ice cream.”

“Do you ever miss Mitch’s dad?” CeCe knew little about her mother’s first husband, only that he’d died in an accident when Mitch was a toddler.

Her mother slid the carton and a spoon toward CeCe. “It’s been over twenty years. Memories fade. But I do still think of him.”

“What was he like?” CeCe scooped the spoon around the melted sides.

“Gentle. Handsome. A lot like Mitch, actually. And that’s unsettling sometimes, seeing him in our son. After he died, I slept in Mitch’s room every night for weeks—too scared to be alone. At the time, I thought I’d never love again.”

“So he loved you? Really loved you?”

“He did, and he was very affectionate. Some women hate that, but I loved it. Norman was furious when he found out I was pregnant, but Nicholas stood up to him. He made it clear that if he had to choose, he’d choose me over his father.”

CeCe had only met Mitch’s grandfather a few times, and she’d never warmed to him. “He was weird, that Norman guy. I hated it when we used to drop Mitch off at Lime Tree Hill.”

“Yes, he wasn’t exactly the ideal father-in-law. Even so, I had nothing to do with him for years after the accident.”

CeCe ate another spoonful of ice cream, savoring the tangy taste of passionfruit and coconut on her tongue. “Do you think souls can hear us when we talk to them?”

“I certainly hope so. Otherwise, I’ve wasted a whole lot of words and breath speaking to Nicholas.” Andrea grabbed another spoon from the drawer, dug into the ice cream, and popped it into her mouth. “Yum. This is good. Anyway, how are you getting on with Travis? Is he leaving you alone?” She helped herself to another spoonful.

“Yeah, and I’ve deleted our song from my playlist, so that’s a start, right?” She returned the lid to the ice cream and slid the carton across the island. “You’d better put this away, or there won’t be any left.”

“I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but I’m so proud of you. You’re a good kid.”

“Thanks. But I’m still making mistakes and gathering regrets.”

“Aren’t we all.” Her mother’s expression softened as she opened the freezer. “I miss Anna too. She was a beautiful wee soul.”

An unexpected rush of emotion set CeCe’s cheeks on fire. “The Burger Shack’s jukebox played ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ tonight. She loved that song.” She moved to her mother’s side and kissed her on the cheek. “Right, I’m off to bed. See you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Night.”

In her room, CeCe undressed and lay on her bed, the melody of ‘Tennessee Whiskey’playingin her head. The French doors to the veranda stood open, the sheer curtains stilled by the unrelenting heat.

Hot Chopper Guy.He might be a little old for her, but that didn’t stop the chemical reaction. And when it came to chemistry, did age matter? Just because she’d never dated an older guy didn’t mean she shouldn’t. Every time she’d looked at him yesterday, hiseyes had held her in suspension—a new and not unwelcome sensation.

She grabbed her iPad from the nightstand and Googled his name. At first, there seemed to be nothing much to see. But as she scrolled down, a Luka O’Leary appeared under a link for the Rata River Equestrian Center. She opened the website and studied their home page. Was this where he worked?

According to theAbout Uspage, the Clifton Falls center was a family-run business headed by a Vanessa O’Leary. Although she looked too young to be his mother, the picture might have been photoshopped, as was often the case on promo pages.

---