Read Online You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert - Free Book Online Page A

I’ll call Alan and tell him to give his crap to someone else’s assistant. If he tries to pawn anything else off on you, let me know.”
    â€œThanks.” Brooke sounded at least somewhat comforted.
    Katherine finished unpacking, organizing everything just the way she liked it. She took her own advice and inhaled deeply, and dialed the vaguely familiar number for the first time in too long.
    â€œHi, Hazel. It’s Katherine. I’ll be over in ten minutes.” She exhaled. “Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing you too.”
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    â€œKitty Kat!” Katherine’s father answered the door with outstretched arms. She couldn’t help but cringe at the designation, and then feel immediately remorseful. Why was it that within seconds of being home, all of the guilt she’d so conveniently kept at bay for twelve years came charging back like a stampede of bulls?
    â€œHi, Dad.” She let him fold her into his embrace, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne. He looked different, older. A constellation of deep lines splayed from the corners of his eyes, and his salt-and-pepper hair had lost its pepper. Was that a slight limp?
    Katherine had almost driven by the house. She hadn’t remembered it being quite so small. After living in New York for over a decade, even Luella’s mansion appeared somewhat quaint—at least that’s what Realtors in Westchester would call it. The same way they called graveyards peaceful and teardowns “projects.” But yet there it stood. The same white facade, the same black shutters, the same cherry-red door. She was pleased her father hadn’t changed that. Walking inside, she couldn’t help but fixate on every little thing. The kitchen was still painted the same robin’s-egg blue, and the cabinets still boasted the same maple finish. The identical yellow porcelain napkin holder with hand-painted pink flowers still sat on the same round glass table. Same red shag carpet in the living room. And on and on. She half expected to find her old pink raincoat hanging on the same rusted hook in the mudroom.
    â€œKitty!” Hazel rushed down the stairs, wearing a bright purple apron, the one thing that did appear to be new. “Oh, my. Look how skinny you are! Look how skinny she is, Joe. Not one inch to pinch.”
    â€œShe looks perfect to me.” Katherine’s dad patted her back affectionately and began pulling her jacket off. “Let’s get you something to eat.” She felt a little awkward being fawned over. But there was no getting around it. As far as they were concerned, she was the pope. Or Barbra Streisand. Her dad had always had a thing for
Funny Girl
.
    â€œOh, I’m not hungry, thanks. I ate something at the hotel.” Not a lie altogether, but it was unlikely that they’d view half an apple as a suitable meal.
    â€œNonsense. I’ve made mini quiches and pigs in a blanket, and some of my special ginger cookies for dessert.” Hazel smiled nervously. Katherine knew Hazel wasn’t sure what to make of her. Unlike Hazel’s own daughters, Katherine didn’t visit. She didn’t have a husband or a family. She didn’t cook or own an apron. And she most certainly didn’t clean or vacuum. But, more than that, Hazel knew that Katherine was important—even without a husband or a family—she just didn’t know exactly why. Sure, there was some kind of high-powered job, but to Hazel that meant little more than the paycheck it resulted in.
    â€œI’ll just take a glass of water for now.” Katherine felt herself acting polite, as if her very presence might somehow insult them. Did most people have to try this hard around family? She wasn’t sure. There’d been a time when Katherine and her dad had a natural, easy relationship, but over the years there’d been a shift. It had probably started when she was