Page 36 of The Perfect Catch

“Why aren’t you ready?” she asked, glancing around the room. I’d thrown all the clothes I’d tried on that morning all over my bed and the floor. She picked up several pieces and walked to the closet, pulling out hangers. “You need to get going if you’re going to be on time when he gets here.”

My insides froze, my stomach beginning a low simmer. “Who gets here?”

“Trent Jacobs.”

I frowned, grinding my teeth together. “Why would he be coming here? I thought you and I were supposed to do something together.” I tilted my head to glare at her, not feeling her sudden meddling into my love life. Especially when she’d been getting mad at me for even thinking about having a relationship and dating Dax.

“I thought you could attend the Rosemont Fall Dinner together. Your stepdad can’t make it because of work, and you can use our tickets and go in his place.”

“I don’t want to go with Trent, Mom. He’s a tool.” I spat out the last word, feeling it deep inside. Dax had never mentioned what Trent had said the day they’d gotten into a fight, but Serena had overheard someone say the fight started when Trent talked about Dax’s mom being an outcast to the rich community because she’d married Dax’s dad. If I’d have been in Dax’s shoes, I would have punched him too.

“He’s going to be here any minute. Just get dressed and go this one time for me, okay? It’s just a little thing, but I would hate to see the tickets go to waste.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, wishing I could just stay home and do nothing for the night. Or even better, head over to the baseball game and see Dax play again.

“I have homework.” I glared at my mother, the one who thought grades and activities outweighed all things.

My mom laughed and shook her head. “It’s a Friday night. You’ll have plenty of time to do your homework tomorrow. Now get dressed right now or you won’t be leaving this house until school on Monday.”

I scowled, thinking that over. If I was stuck inside, I’d miss Dax’s games. From the look on her face, there was no negotiating on this one.

“I’m going like this then,” I said, falling onto my bed. I was dressed in a pair of Bermuda shorts and a light t-shirt that I’d just realized from looking down had a hole near the hem.

I heard hangers scraping along the metal closet rod and knew I wasn’t going to get off that easy.

Her footsteps shuffled across my carpet over to my bed, and I closed my eyes, not in the mood to see what she’d chosen.

“Just put this on. We can work with your hair once you’ve done that.”

Cloth brushed my arm, and when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see one of the pieces from Serena and her mom’s collection.

I sat up, surprised. “You chose one of Serena’s pieces?” I stared at her, trying to close my mouth so the shock didn’t show.

With a quick shrug, she gave me a small smile. “Whatever the girl lacks in propriety, she makes up for with her stylistic choices. Hurry up and get changed.”

I wasn’t sure what caused me to move into the closet and change: my mother semi-complimenting a girl she’d shunned the day before, or the haze I was in.

I’d bought the lacy shirt a couple weeks before but hadn’t had a chance to wear it. It was definitely more fancy than school or the animal shelter would require. With a chambray color and a beaded neckline, it fit well.

I pulled on a cream pencil skirt and some wedges, preferring to not have to reenter my closet too many times in the next five minutes.

“Oh, Kate,” my mother said, clapping her hands together and then covering her mouth for several seconds. “You look absolutely stunning. Trent is going to have a hard time taking his eyes off you.”

Her comments threw me off, and the little high I’d felt at being dressed up in new clothes disappeared. “What about not dating, Mom? Why is Trent allowed but Dax not?”

My mother refused to meet my eyes, fussing with the sleeves of my shirt. “I’m not saying you’re dating Trent. But a guy can look even if you’re not dating.”

“What happened to not even looking at boys until I was in college? This is ridiculous!” Sourness invaded my mouth, and I thought about yelling more about all the inconsistencies in the “rules of the house” over the past few weeks. But I only had a few more months until graduation. I just hoped I’d hear back from some of the colleges on the border of Texas, or even in one of the surrounding states. If my relationship with my mother was going to survive, we needed more space.

And if I wanted to go to Dax’s game, I had to suffer through this dinner.

The doorbell rang, and I froze. Did I really have to go on a non-date with Trent Jacobs?

Chapter 27

Dax

I’d sent a few texts to Kate the night before, but she didn’t answer. It had been another late night when I got home from the game, and she was probably long asleep by that time.

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