Page 46 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
Not wanting to give her further reason for anger, he kept a discreet distance behind her but followed carefully to be certain Krista made it to her car safely. The young woman hurried toward the southeast end of the square, the corner where the pub sat just off the main road. Parking was limited on meeting nights, the few spaces diagonally situated around the square all full, with the areas lining each road that stuck out like spokes on a wagon wheel equally packed. Krista must have parked in the lot on the opposite side of the Drunken Otter.
Streetlights illuminated the sidewalk as he followed Krista’s progress. He lost sight of her as she rounded the corner of the pub, and he hurried to catch up. When he reached the corner, he slowed, peered around the brick edge—and caught sight of Krista, several feet into the parking lot, a large figure looming in front of her.
Kirk.
Jamie cursed under his breath.
“What’s going on, baby girl? Why are you crying?”
Jamie wished the concern in Kirk’s voice sounded genuine, but he doubted too much. The man didn’t seem to give two licks about his family, so what was he doing now, here, with Krista? Maybe Jamie was wrong and the man really did care about his daughter more than himself.
Maybe.
Krista’s tears had turned into full-on weeping. “Mom…” She shook her head, choking on her sobs.
Kirk opened his arms, and Krista walked into them. Jamie straightened, prepared to walk away, until he heard the words…
“Your mother doesn’t deserve your tears.”
What the hell? What was Kirk saying?
“But she…” The rest of Krista’s words were muffled against Kirk’s chest, unable to reach Jamie where he stood.
Kirk patted Krista’s back, but there was something about the gleam in the man’s eye, evident even in the dusk, that didn’t reflect paternal concern. “Can’t you see, Krista? She’s just playing the whore with that man.”
Krista jerked backward out of her father’s arms. “What?”
Maybe sensing that he’d gone a step too far, Kirk sputtered. “Her focus should be on you, baby girl, not some rich guy trying to horn in on our family.”
“But…” Krista shook her head. “She’s not— Mom wouldn’t—” Tears thickened her words. “Mom’s not like that.”
Kirk rubbed his thumbs over his daughter’s cheeks. “She is like that. Why do you think I had to leave? Don’t you remember the Halloween costume? A saloon girl, of all things. Showing herself to every man that walked by.”
“It was just a dress,” Krista whispered.
Anger flashed in Kirk’s eyes, and Krista took another step back. “It wasn’t just a dress. You know that!”
Jamie tensed, ready to step in whether Krista would want him to or not.
“Mom’s not like that.” The words were firmer, more sure this time. “She’s a good mom.”
“She’s a terrible wife.” Kirk’s fists clenched at his sides, clear in the glow from the nearby streetlight. “Look what she did to our family.”
“What you did,” Krista said. “You wanted—”
So Krista did know about that. Before she could finish her sentence, Kirk interrupted with a harsh laugh. “Do you really believe that? Do you really believe I would even bring that up to my wife?” He slapped his chest. “Do I seem like that kind of guy, Krista?”
She hesitated, shook her head. “N-no,” she stuttered. “No, of course not.”
“No,” Kirk repeated. “I’m not. Whatever stories your mom spun up, they were likely to give her an excuse to go be with that guy.”
Jamie grimaced in disgust. Now he knew where Krista was getting fed all these ideas. What she believed about him didn’t matter, but if she could believe these lies about her mom… Disappointment weighed heavy on his chest, more so because he knew exactly what this would do to Iris, and he had to tell her. He had no choice. He wouldn’t keep secrets.
One final look assured him that Krista was safe in the parking lot with her father. He turned, leaving the two of them alone. The whole way back to the courthouse, he wondered what he would say to Iris. How could he explain what he’d seen, what he now knew: that it wasn’t just Krista she was fighting against. Kirk had his hand in this, and that was going to make the fight so much harder moving forward.
Twenty-Two
Iris tried to focus on the music blasting across the dance floor of the Drunken Otter. Lily and JD were doing a two-step nearby, with Claire and a few others joining in. But Iris found she couldn’t concentrate enough to make the steps come together. Giving a laughing Jamie a pat to his chest, she murmured a need to visit the restroom and left the dance floor.
