Page 34 of The Mating Frenzy
He nodded, still not looking at her. “Best friends. She was younger. So sweet. She had the most enchanting voice and loved to sing anddance.”
A lump clogged her throat. She remembered the night her father died, how empty and lost she’d felt, and yet she’d been the one to hold it together because her mother had fallen apartcompletely.
“She loved the cold, the snow, dancing in the snowflakes as they fell down around her. Sometimes I fall asleep and dream of her, and then I wake up happy because I’ll see her again, and then I remember. I’ll never hear her laughter, or tease her about burning dinner, or watch her dance in thesnow.”
Kieran stared at the table. “We took care of each other from the day we lost our parents and other siblings. Always. And now she isn’t around for me to worry about, to listen for her coming through the door at night. It took a long time to get used tothat.”
Tears burned in the back of her throat. She’d felt the exact same way about her father. She had learned to cope, accepted the loss and moved on. But her mother was another matter. Her mother seemed incapable of pushing past the grief to liveagain.
“How did you do it?” Ella patted his hand and then swallowed more wine, hoping it would chase away the stinging in her throat. “How did you learn to work past thegrief?”
“You never forget it, or get over it. You get through it, one day at a time. I resolved to live for my sister’s memory, to accomplish something that would make herproud.”
A project. That’s what her mother needed. A big project in her father’s memory, to honor him. “Yes. That’s why a lot of people create memorial funds, or donate to worthy causes. Maybe my mother needsthat.”
“Tell me,” heurged.
For the next few minutes she told him about her mother’s lack of ambition, her exhaustion and how she seldom wanted to leave the house. “She got a new job, but her creep boyfriend made her late for the first day, so she got fired.” Ellasighed.
Kieran frowned. “You should not be bearing the financial burden alone, Ella. Your mother needs toassist.”
Usually she’d never been impulsive, but something urged her now. “Would you come to dinner at my house tomorrow night and talk with my mother? I think, no, I know, you could encourage her to finally work past hergrief.”
Maybe that would convince her that El Creepo isn’t the solution to herloneliness.
“I would behonored.”
Hearing him agree lifted a tremendous burden off her shoulders. She’d had friends in the past, but with her hectic schedule and no social life, those few friendships had vanished. Maybe having someone else talk to her mother would convince Nellie that she didn’t need a man to complete her life. Especially someone as scummy asStan.
“My mom has a boyfriend. I don’t think he’s a good influence.” Her voice wobbled. “There’s something about him that makes me feel like he’s covered inslime.”
Kieran’s gaze sharpened on her. “He bothers you? Tellme.”
Ella talked about Stan, how he’d come into her mother’s life a year ago. “It was really odd. Mom had finally gotten her act together, and was getting ready to move us to Tennessee. She got a terrific job offer there, and I had applied and been accepted to the university. And then while she was downtown, getting groceries, she met Stan. Forget the move, forget everything. He’s been in and out of mom’s life, and mine sincethen.”
Leaning back, he drummed his fingers on the table. Ella blinked. His nails almost seemed…sharper. Claw-like.
Ridiculous.
“This Stan, does he come back into your lives just as it seems your mother is getting this so-called acttogether?”
Ella smiled at his way of referencing it. Perhaps he’d lived overseas and was unfamiliar with American colloquial speech. Then her smile dropped. Stan did have a habit of vanishing when her mother really needed him, when she’d fallen apart and found her bed and sleep more appealing than facing theworld.
“Yes.” Ella sighed. “Mom told me this afternoon she’s finally gotten a job. And then suddenly he showedup.”
Kieran tilted his head, as if listening to someone in the distance. “I will come to dinner tomorrow night, Ella. And perhaps your mother should invite this Stan so I may meethim.”
“Not a good idea. The more he’s around her, the worse she slips back into her badhabits.”
“I will be present. You will have nothing to worry about. Trustme.”
Trust came in small doses, increasing with actions that proved the person was trustworthy. Kieran had given her reason for this date with his valiant action back at the restaurant in standing up to the creep who’d groped her. But one act did not convince her that he was a knight in shining armor. She didn’t believe in men rescuing her, anyway. But a talk with her mother? That wouldsuffice.
“Call Stan. Invite him and tell him to arrive after me. It will give me time to converse with your mother, assess what her troubleis.”
Gaze mesmerizing, he looked straight at her, almost hypnotizing her. Ellanodded.
She ran through her schedule in her mind. If she worked from nine to four tomorrow at Harvey’s and got the extra hours, she could take the night off from the restaurant. Call in sick. Ithappened.
“Tomorrow night, show up at 6 p.m.” She glanced down at the little gold watch her father had given as a present on her 16thbirthday. She laughed. “I mean, tonight, since it’s aftermidnight.”
Ella gave him the address, hoping her mother would clean the house so it wouldn’t look terriblyshabby.
Kieran lifted her hand to his mouth and gently kissed her knuckles. “Fear not. I shall be there, fair maiden. With greatanticipation.”
His grim smile proved oddly comforting. “And I shall be prepared to deal with whatever maycome.”
