Page 24 of Second Dance
Before I could answer, she’d drifted back to sleep. That was the last real conversation we’d ever had. She’d passed away a little over forty-eight hours later.
Now, I set her photo back on the island. “Wherever you are, my love, I hope you’re resting easy. We’re okay. Just like you said we’d be.”
I heard voices coming from downstairs, telling me the kids were home. I put on a pair of socks and then went to join them in the kitchen. By the time I got there, Peter had already pulled out the leftover lasagna from last night’s dinner and was in the middle of cutting a large chunk for himself. Bella was in the pantry, rummaging through the snack drawer, coming out with a bag of chips.
“Hey, guys, how was the movie?” I opened the fridge to pour myself a glass of wine.
“It was stupid,” Bella said. “With a whole bunch of car chases.”
“I loved it,” Peter said. “How was your night?”
I hesitated, unsure about how much to say. “It was nice.”
“Where were you?” Bella crinkled her nose, as if she smelled something bad.
“Well, I did a thing,” I said. “As we’ve already discussed, I put my profile up on a dating site, per Sonya’s instruction. And I went out with a woman tonight. Someone I knew from a long time ago. Coincidentally, she’s here in Willet Cove.”
Peter, who knew this, stayed quiet.
Bella stared at me, her cheeks paling. “What? What do you mean, someone from a long time ago?”
“A woman I used to date when I was still in college. She moved west and we lost touch.”
“So you were just catching up, then?” Bella asked, pointy chin jutting in my direction, brown eyes wary yet hopeful that I would agree.
“Yeah. Just catching up. But I’m going to see her again. Tomorrow night.” I drew in a breath and held it, praying Bella would not lose her temper.
I shouldn’t have. Because she did.
“You’re going on a second date? Who is this person?” Bella asked, her voice raising an octave.
“Her daughter’s friends with Annie—from your soccer team,” I said. “Grace Horton.”
“The one in the play?” Bella asked.
“Yeah, that’s her,” Peter said, clearly trying to help me out. “Her mom’s actually her aunt. Grace’s real mom died when she was a baby and Gillian adopted her.”
“When Gillian was only nineteen,” I said. “I was about to start my last year of college, so, obviously, we broke up. Our lives were headed in very different directions. And it had just been a summer romance type of thing.”
“Wait a minute. She just turns up here?” Bella asked. “That seems like too much of a coincidence. Is she following you? Hoping to get your money?”
“She’s been here for fourteen years,” I said. “So I don’t think she followed us here.” I pushed aside my irritation, knowing this must be hard for Bella.
“Dad, you can’t trust her,” Bella said. “All of these women are going to throw themselves at you because you’re rich. You have to be so careful. I mean, this Gillian person, what does she even do for a living? I bet she’s some single mom on food stamps.”
“First of all, your mother was single and on government assistance when I met you guys,” I said, unable to keep my temper in check. “So you be careful before you throw aspersions on anyone struggling. Especially a single mother.”
Bella looked down at the floor, a flush crawling up her neck.
“Second of all, Gillian happens to run a very successful business and does not need financial help.”
“What kind of business?” Bella asked in a small voice.
“She owns Grace and Motion,” I said. “The dance and Pilates studio.”
“We’ve walked by there a bunch of times on our way to the coffee shop,” Peter said.
“I know where it is,” Bella said, snapping like a cornered turtle. “And I’ve seen her in there teaching. She seems like a total snob.” A scowl replaced her recent chagrin. “Do you know what I mean, Peter?”
