taken me a lot longer to become
successful if I’d had to support myself as well as build up the business, those
first couple of years.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I really can’t even imagine
losing my mom.”
“It sucked but it was a long time ago. My mom died a few
years ago, basically from cirrhosis.”
“She was an alcoholic?”
“Yes, but in a quiet way. Like I said, she wasn’t really
interested in raising a child, so she didn’t bother me much, we just happened
to live in the same house for a while. I left when I was sixteen. Sometimes I
only saw her once or twice a year, even though we lived fairly close.”
“Wow.” Valerie’s heart ached for the little boy he must have
been and the strong man he’d become.
“My father left my mother for a younger woman,” she blurted
out before her brain could quite catch up to her mouth. She slapped a hand over
her mouth in horror.
His brows furrowed. “Was it a secret or something?”
She put her hand down and smiled sheepishly. “No, nothing
like that, it’s just something I don’t talk about. Ever. Besides, we were
talking about you.”
“Why don’t you talk about it?”
“I guess because it hurt my mother for so long every time
she had to hear about him or talk about him, we just got in the habit of never
mentioning him.”
“How often do you talk to him, see him?” he asked, his hand
tightening around hers.
“Well, never. He left.”
She probably shouldn’t have been as fascinated by the play
of emotions across his face as she was. Anger, compassion, anger and something
she thought might be exasperation meant just for her. Anger.
“So, he didn’t just leave your mom. He left his family. He
was a…”
“Putz is the word we eventually settled on, though that’s
likely because I was ten at the time.”
“And that’s when you left Seattle?”
“Right. We decided we wanted a whole new start. Mom totally
left the decision up to me, said if I’d rather stay with the school and friends
I was comfortable with, she was happy to do that. We came down here for a visit
and I decided it was a good place to start over and pretend we’d never been a
family of three.”
“Did he ever say why he left?”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a cliché, I’m almost embarrassed
to say it, but he left her,” she paused when he squeezed her hand, “us, rather,
for his skinny, young secretary.”
“Ah ha.”
She glared. “Don’t you ah ha me like that.”
His look said “give me a break” but he didn’t open his
mouth.
Her shoulders, which she hadn’t even realized she’d
tightened, dropped. His free hand came up behind her hair to rub gently at her
neck and she relaxed even further.
“All right, fine. I’m sure that’s partly where my bias
against beautiful skeletons comes from. My mom was never what you would call
thin. But damn it, he knew that! She didn’t change on him, she was maybe a
little skinnier before she had me, but not much. What the hell is wrong with
him?”
Keith scooted his chair in closer and hugged her to him.
“I’m sorry. Some men are scum. Hell, some women are scum too. It’s the way of
the world, I guess.”
With a sigh, she leaned into him.
“Did you ever try getting in touch with him?”
“No. Not interested.” She took a drink of her coffee.
“Not even curious?” he asked.
“He’s not worthy of my curiosity or interest.”
“You’re right.” He kissed her forehead.
After a minute of quiet he took her chin in his hand and
turned her to face him again. “You know, I’ve never once dated someone I met on
a shoot.”
Shocked, she sat back. “That’s just so…surreal. I mean, an
attractive guy, gorgeous women, it’s hard to believe. But,” she stopped him
when he would have spoken, “I do believe you.”
Nodding, he relaxed. “I was also going to say that you’re a
gorgeous woman too.”
Unable to help herself, she rolled her eyes. “Passably
attractive, I’ll buy.
successful if I’d had to support myself as well as build up the business, those
first couple of years.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I really can’t even imagine
losing my mom.”
“It sucked but it was a long time ago. My mom died a few
years ago, basically from cirrhosis.”
“She was an alcoholic?”
“Yes, but in a quiet way. Like I said, she wasn’t really
interested in raising a child, so she didn’t bother me much, we just happened
to live in the same house for a while. I left when I was sixteen. Sometimes I
only saw her once or twice a year, even though we lived fairly close.”
“Wow.” Valerie’s heart ached for the little boy he must have
been and the strong man he’d become.
“My father left my mother for a younger woman,” she blurted
out before her brain could quite catch up to her mouth. She slapped a hand over
her mouth in horror.
His brows furrowed. “Was it a secret or something?”
She put her hand down and smiled sheepishly. “No, nothing
like that, it’s just something I don’t talk about. Ever. Besides, we were
talking about you.”
“Why don’t you talk about it?”
“I guess because it hurt my mother for so long every time
she had to hear about him or talk about him, we just got in the habit of never
mentioning him.”
“How often do you talk to him, see him?” he asked, his hand
tightening around hers.
“Well, never. He left.”
She probably shouldn’t have been as fascinated by the play
of emotions across his face as she was. Anger, compassion, anger and something
she thought might be exasperation meant just for her. Anger.
“So, he didn’t just leave your mom. He left his family. He
was a…”
“Putz is the word we eventually settled on, though that’s
likely because I was ten at the time.”
“And that’s when you left Seattle?”
“Right. We decided we wanted a whole new start. Mom totally
left the decision up to me, said if I’d rather stay with the school and friends
I was comfortable with, she was happy to do that. We came down here for a visit
and I decided it was a good place to start over and pretend we’d never been a
family of three.”
“Did he ever say why he left?”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a cliché, I’m almost embarrassed
to say it, but he left her,” she paused when he squeezed her hand, “us, rather,
for his skinny, young secretary.”
“Ah ha.”
She glared. “Don’t you ah ha me like that.”
His look said “give me a break” but he didn’t open his
mouth.
Her shoulders, which she hadn’t even realized she’d
tightened, dropped. His free hand came up behind her hair to rub gently at her
neck and she relaxed even further.
“All right, fine. I’m sure that’s partly where my bias
against beautiful skeletons comes from. My mom was never what you would call
thin. But damn it, he knew that! She didn’t change on him, she was maybe a
little skinnier before she had me, but not much. What the hell is wrong with
him?”
Keith scooted his chair in closer and hugged her to him.
“I’m sorry. Some men are scum. Hell, some women are scum too. It’s the way of
the world, I guess.”
With a sigh, she leaned into him.
“Did you ever try getting in touch with him?”
“No. Not interested.” She took a drink of her coffee.
“Not even curious?” he asked.
“He’s not worthy of my curiosity or interest.”
“You’re right.” He kissed her forehead.
After a minute of quiet he took her chin in his hand and
turned her to face him again. “You know, I’ve never once dated someone I met on
a shoot.”
Shocked, she sat back. “That’s just so…surreal. I mean, an
attractive guy, gorgeous women, it’s hard to believe. But,” she stopped him
when he would have spoken, “I do believe you.”
Nodding, he relaxed. “I was also going to say that you’re a
gorgeous woman too.”
Unable to help herself, she rolled her eyes. “Passably
attractive, I’ll buy.
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