Read Online Kismet: A Serendipity Novella by Carly Phillips - Free Book Online

no
surprises.”
    He grinned. “You’re forgetting I’ve seen you
at your worst. I also know you only act out when you’re feeling
jealous or threatened.”
    Lissa’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Yeah, well, maybe I was jealous. From the outside, it seemed like
Faith had it all. Even with her father in jail, she came back and
opened a business, immediately fell back in with her old friends
... and things were so difficult for me at the time ...” She
trailed off, thinking about Faith’s story. “I didn’t know how hard
it had been for her until the interview. Not that anything excuses
my behavior.” In fact, she’d punish her daughter if she ever
treated anyone the way Lissa had Faith.
    “Maybe you were afraid that since Faith had
returned, she’d take Kate away from you and you’d really be
alone?”
    Trevor’s perceptiveness took her off
guard.
    She was mortified he’d homed in on the one
thing she’d never admitted out loud—or even to herself. Faith’s
return home had threatened the life she’d built, but how had Trevor
known? It was so scary, how well he got her, and yet he wasn’t
running away as fast as he could.
    She didn’t understand it. Her life never
went the way she wanted and so she couldn’t begin to trust this
fragile thing they were building. Yet Trevor was persistent—with
his words, his understanding, and his gentle touch. Even now, he
maintained contact, his thumb rubbing circles over her wrist.
    “I’m guessing that didn’t happen?” he asked
gently. “Kate stuck around?”
    Lissa managed a smile along with a nod. “Of
course Kate ripped into me for how I treated Faith and she was
right, too. But Kate’s persistent. She just kept including me and
including Faith. We even did karaoke together at Joe’s.”
    Trevor grinned. “I’d have paid good money to
see that.”
    Lissa grimaced. “Not something I want to
repeat.”
    His expression sobered as he said, “But
Faith gave you that interview when she could have called on any
well-known reporter who’d have killed for her story. There must
have been a reason.”
    Lissa shook her head, still dumbfounded by
that. “To this day I don’t know why, but I’ll be forever grateful
that she did. Faith taught me about humility and forgiveness and so
many other things.”
    Trevor treated her to a warm smile. “That’s
what I admire about you—your willingness to admit when you’re
wrong. Sometimes it takes a while and you come around kicking and
screaming, but you do it and that takes guts.” He cleared his
throat. “So does having a baby at eighteen and living through a
hellish marriage.”
    Lissa blinked in surprise, a lump forming in
her throat. “Don’t go canonizing me. I’m still no saint,” she
reminded him.
    “Especially not in the bedroom,” he said,
his eyes darkening. And that quickly, serious conversation was
over.
    *
    Lissa and Trevor parted ways after
breakfast. Trevor decided to head into the office to get some work
done while Lissa went to her hotel room to begin working on the
article about him. In truth, Lissa suspected he needed time alone
as much as she did.
    Time to remind herself that despite how
easily they fit together when they were alone, life wasn’t about
living in a bubble and they had way too many obstacles between them
to think about a future. Back in her hotel, she settled in with her
laptop and began writing about Trevor Dane. The boy who’d pulled
himself up and out of Serendipity to become one hell of a man.
    By the time the evening approached, Lissa
had accomplished more than she’d hoped for considering her state of
mind, and she’d even managed to take a nap. She luxuriated in a
warm bubble bath and then pulled out the simple black dress
Trevor’s secretary had chosen for the dinner party.
    From the things Trevor had said and things
her research had indicated, Alexander Wittman was a big part of
Trevor’s life, his mentor as well as his friend. For that reason,
Lissa