“I’ll be right back,” Julie promised.
Kelly settled in at the table and pulled out her laptop and client files. The sound of traffic along the busy street was muffled by the tall stucco walls that surrounded the back and side walls of the garden and café.
“Hey there, Kelly,” another familiar voice called.
Kelly looked up to see Father Figure Burt walking through the garden, heading her way. “Hey, Burt. Want to join me for a cinnamon roll?”
“Don’t tempt me, Kelly,” Burt said as he walked up. “I’m trying to stay on my diet. Mimi and I both. We slipped a few times when we were in Denver. Found some new restaurants.”
“You and Mimi deserve to ‘slip’ every now and then, if you ask me,” Kelly decreed in her best executive tone. “Both of you are far too good.” Kelly gave Burt an enigmatic smile as she pushed her files and computer across the table. Julie was headed her way with a newly filled coffee mug.
“Here you go, Kelly. Can I get you anything else?” Julie slipped her waitress pad from the pocket of her summer pants.
“Matter of fact, you can bring me one of those yummy cinnamon rolls,” Kelly said. “And bring two forks, would you, please? I’m trying to corrupt Burt.”
“Oh, Lord,” Burt said with a sigh and shook his head. “Believe me, Kelly, neither Mimi nor I need any encouragement to corrupt our diet plans. We’re quite capable of doing that ourselves.”
Julie gave a little laugh. “All right. One cinnamon roll and two forks coming up. Can I get you some coffee to go with that, Burt?”
“Oh, why not? It looks like I’m going to need it. Kelly’s in a rare mood. I’ll need the extra caffeine.”
“One bite won’t hurt,” Kelly tempted again.
Burt eyed her over the table. “That’s the problem, Kelly. One bite easily leads to another and another.”
“Have you and Mimi been doing your cardio workouts on the treadmills? That’s the best way to compensate for a sudden caloric intake,” Kelly said then took a deep drink of Eduardo’s dark brew. Black Gold.
“Mostly every day. So we are being pretty good with that. But at our ages, we have to watch the food and do the exercise. Can’t do one without the other, or the pounds stay on.” He eyed Kelly with a devilish smile. “You and your friends are getting a free ride now because you’re in your thirties. You work out regularly, and you can eat all the pizza you want as well as French fries and ballpark desserts. But wait a few years, and you’ll notice the pounds take longer to come off. And you have to work harder, too.”
Kelly pondered Burt’s advice. “Sage words. I’ll store them away for future reference,” she said, suddenly remembering something she wanted to ask Burt. “Changing the subject, has Jennifer talked to you and Mimi about Cassie’s mother, Tanya?”
Burt’s amused smile disappeared. His entire visage changed. Frown and worry lines that were obscured by a smile only moments ago were plainly visible now. “Yes, she and Pete spoke with us early this morning before the café opened.”
“What do you think about it?” Kelly deliberately held back more of her response. She was more interested in Burt’s reaction.
“I have to say I wasn’t entirely surprised. It’s not unusual for a young woman in Tanya’s situation to suddenly decide she wants to get to know the child she’d placed in a relative’s care years ago. Usually it happens when the child becomes a teenager, and the mother realizes that the baby they’d walked away from is nearly grown up. I’m sure it’s a shock to Tanya.”
Burt’s thoughtful response gave Kelly pause. She realized her first reactions had been entirely emotional, based on what she assumed were Tanya’s selfish motives.
“You’re kinder in your comments than I was when Jen told me,” Kelly admitted. “I confess I haven’t had many good thoughts about Tanya’s announcement. Cassie’s created a life here, and she’s surrounded by people who love her and care about what happens to her. I guess that’s what upsets me. Tanya thinking she can simply walk in and yank Cassie away from all that on a whim.”
Burt gave Kelly a fatherly smile she recognized. “That’s understandable, Kelly. I feel like that, too. But Pete and Jennifer have to be fair to Tanya and honor her wishes. Especially now that they’re going to file for custody. After all, she is Cassie’s birth mother.”
“You’re right, of course,” Kelly said begrudgingly. “I’m only thinking of Cassie and Pete and Jennifer.”
“And us,” Burt added as Julie walked up to them.
“Here you go, Kelly. One cinnamon roll and two forks.” Julie placed the yummy-looking homemade pastry on the table and two bundles of napkin-wrapped silverware.
“Thanks, Julie. This looks delicious as usual. And smells divine,” Kelly said, sniffing the cinnamon-and-cloves aroma that wafted up from the warm pastry.
“Ohhhh, Lord,” Burt said with a sigh. “I feel my resistance crumbling by the second.”
“Go on, Burt. One bite won’t hurt,” Julie tempted before she left to check on other breakfast customers.
Kelly unwrapped the knife and fork and gently sliced into the tender glaze-topped cinnamon roll. She lifted a scrumptious-looking bite to her mouth and savored. “Ummmmmmmmm.”
Burt laughed softly and picked up his silverware.
• • •
Kelly tabbed through the spreadsheet columns that filled her laptop screen. Don Warner’s newest Denver development project was already generating expenses. Revenues would not appear for many more months. Kelly was glad she’d been able to convince Warner to establish an extra account to ensure there were enough funds to cover these early developmental costs on new projects.
Her cell phone jangled, jarring Kelly out of her numbers-induced trance. She picked up the phone sitting beside her laptop. Lisa’s name flashed. “Hey there. Are you coming over here to enjoy the summer greenery outside? It’s after one o’clock.”
“No, I won’t get there, Kelly. I’m over here at the university in the outdoor café at the student center plaza. Nancy came up to me after our class, and she was really concerned about her father. Last night he went to see Nancy’s old boyfriend, Neil, and, well . . . apparently their meeting didn’t go well.”
“Really? I thought you said her father was a counselor for AA and for some other local agencies.”
“Yes, he is. But Nancy says her dad must have lost his temper because he came back to their house all upset. He’d gone into Neil’s favorite bar over in Old Town to talk to him. And apparently instead of talking reasonably, they had an argument. I’m trying to get the rest of the details from Nancy. She’s really upset. Crying about Neil, and crying about her dad. She’s in the restroom now, wiping the smeared makeup off her face from all the crying.”
“Crying about her dad? Why? Just because he lost his temper? I’d lose my temper at that sleazeball Neil, too.” Kelly took a deep drink of coffee.
“Not just that. Nancy thinks her dad started drinking again. She says he got home really late. And he was talking differently, the way he did before he quit drinking. And she could smell it on his breath.”
“Uh-oh. Not good, not good at all.”
“That’s for sure.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to counsel Nancy.”
“I’m doing my best. I told her I’d be glad to take her to the women’s health center next to the university. That way she can register and start educating herself on prenatal care and make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner. She should have a checkup to make sure there are no health problems that could worsen with pregnancy. Like early-onset diabetes.”
“Oh, boy, that’s excellent advice. It sounds like she’s definitely keeping the baby.”
“Yes, and she’s very serious about nutrition. So that’s good.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember everything that Megan was doing when she was pregnant w
ith Molly. All the vitamins and minerals and healthy foods. I swear, I don’t think she had a slice of pizza until after Molly was born,” Kelly said with a laugh.
“You’re right. Listen, I see Nancy coming back to the table. I’ll see you tonight at the game. Six o’clock.”
“You got it. See you then. Give Nancy my best.”
“Will do,” Lisa said before her phone clicked off.
Kelly looked around at the lunch diners, eating, talking, and relaxing in the balmy August afternoon. Checking her mug, Kelly decided to work inside for a little while. Her previously shady table was now fully in the sun, and sun glare on her laptop screen was annoying. Gathering up her laptop and client files, Kelly headed for the back door of the café. She might as well put in an order for iced coffee while she was passing through.
Climbing the wooden steps to the original front door of the café, Kelly paused to notice again the forgotten cement pathway that wound around the side of the sprawling beige stucco red-tile-roofed farmhouse turned knitting shop. Back when her aunt and uncle owned the farmhouse decades ago, there were only two long wooden tables nestled in the greenery. And only her uncle’s truck and her aunt’s car parked outside the stucco walls surrounding the patio garden. Now several cars were parked along the back and the sides of the café and the Lambspun shop. Customers.
Spotting Jennifer, Kelly waved her mug and placed it on a nearby tray stand. “When you get a chance, can I have an iced coffee fill-up, please?”
“We’ll take care of it,” Jennifer said as she balanced a loaded tray on her hip. “Cassie’s in the main room putting away a new yarn order that just came in.”
“Oh, good. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days,” Kelly said as she walked toward the corridor that led to the center of the shop and the main room with its long library table. She saw Cassie as soon as she entered. A large pile of multicolored yarns were stacked at the end of the library table. “Hey, Cassie, you’re helping Mimi with the latest yarn shipment, I hear.”
Cassie turned quickly and gave Kelly a big smile. Kelly noticed again how the young fourteen-year-old girl’s face was slowly changing. Subtle changes, moving from childhood to adulthood. Childish plump cheeks slimming down.
“Hey, Kelly. I’m adding this new shipment to the last ones left in these yarn bins. It’ll be a little tight, but there’s nowhere else to put them.” She picked up two more slender oval-shaped skeins and wedged them into the top of one of the yarn bins.
Kelly settled into a chair nearby and took out her laptop and client files. She intended to finish the almost-completed expense worksheet, but first she wanted to grab this quiet moment when she and Cassie had the main knitting room all to themselves.
Julie appeared then with Kelly’s mug. “Iced coffee, Kelly. We’ll leave a pitcher for you up front if you like,” she said, placing the mug on the table.
“That’ll be great, thank you, Julie.”
“No problem,” the waitress said as she sped from the room. Back to the customers.
Kelly relaxed into the chair and took a long cooling sip of iced coffee. Black and strong. Just the way she liked it, either hot or cold. She waited until Cassie had finished with the entire pile of yarns before she spoke. “Are you ready for tonight’s game? Most of us will be there. Lisa said Greg will be at a student friend’s thesis party, so he’ll have to miss it.”
“Yeah, we’re ready. I think we can beat Arvada this time,” Cassie said as she plopped herself into the chair not far from Kelly’s. She dangled one long leg over the side of the chair.
Teenage sprawl. Kelly recognized it from all the years she’d coached teenage girls’ sports teams. And from her own memories of herself growing up. Gangliness gradually gave way to coordination. Arms and legs moving together smoothly. Or would be. Everyone matured differently.
“I think you guys can do it,” Kelly agreed, then paused for a moment. “Jennifer told me that your mom, Tanya, wants you to come down to Denver with her for a weekend.” She watched Cassie’s face for a reaction.
Cassie glanced down and picked up some yarn fibers from the table. “Yeah. Pete says my mom really wants to see me before the school year starts.”
“Well, the championship games are this weekend, but the following weekend is free. So I guess you’ll go then, right?”
Cassie gave one of those inscrutable teenaged girl shrugs. Inscrutable to all except those who remembered their own teenaged years. “Yeah,” she said, fingering the bright red fibers of a silk scarf another knitter had left on the table. Halfway finished, it was still luscious.
“It sounds like your mom wants to have a chance to spend some time with you. You’re growing up so fast.”
A partial shrug this time. “I guess,” Cassie said, picking up the red yarn and running her fingers across the stitches.
Kelly paused, then said quietly, “Were you kind of surprised she asked?”
This time Cassie’s voice changed. Still examining the red yarn, she said simply, “Yeah.” One word. But Kelly could distinctly hear the unspoken message in her tone. Well, yeah! It’s about time.
Kelly took a sip of iced coffee while she chose her next words. She set the mug on the table and leaned back into the chair. “I don’t think I ever told you this, Cassie, but my mother walked out on my father and me when I was five months old.”
Cassie’s head jerked up, and her big blue eyes stared at Kelly. “What! Are you serious?”
Kelly nodded. “Absolutely. My dad said my mom left a note saying that she didn’t think she could handle taking care of a baby anymore. She was afraid of being a bad mother, so she left.”
Cassie stared, then finally said, “That’s . . . that’s awful.”
Kelly gave an inscrutable shrug of her own. “You know, I didn’t think about it much when I was growing up. My dad was great and adored me. And Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim did, too, so I never felt a lack of love. And when I looked around at other friends’ families, I saw a lot of divorced moms and dads. So it was okay.”
“Did you ever hear from her?”
Kelly shook her head. “Never. My dad didn’t mention her again, and neither did Aunt Helen nor Uncle Jim. There weren’t any other relatives around, so they were my entire family as I grew up.”
Cassie glanced out into the room. “Kind of like Grandpa Ben and me.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m telling you. Not everyone grows up in a family that has a mom and dad and the kids. There are all sorts of families out there. Different shapes and sizes.” Kelly smiled. “You had Grandpa Ben as your parent for many years, and now you have your uncle Pete and Jennifer as your parents.”
Cassie looked back at Kelly. “And you had your dad.”
Kelly nodded. “Yeah. And you also have your mom. She may not be there all the time, but at least she cares enough to want to see you.”
Cassie looked out into the room again. “Yeah, I guess.”
“My mother never showed up at all. So you really are lucky, Cassie.” Kelly gave her a grin.
Cassie eyed Kelly. “I wonder if she ever regretted leaving you guys.”
Kelly shrugged again. “We’ll never know. Hey, who knows? Maybe I was a really ugly baby,” she teased.
Cassie’s eyes popped wide. “Are you kidding? You’re beautiful, Kelly!”
Kelly threw back her head and laughed. “Ohhhh, such flattery!”
Cassie shook her head. “You couldn’t have been an ugly baby. Impossible.”
“Well, maybe I had too many stinky diapers.”
Cassie laughed out loud at that.
“I’m glad you’re able to babysit Molly later tonight. When is your team getting together? You guys need to celebrate your wins.”
“We’re going to wait until Saturday night.” Cassie placed the luscious red scarf back on the table.
“Hey, if y
ou guys win against Arvada tonight and then win the Saturday game, you’ll be unbeatable going into Sunday,” Kelly said with a grin.
Cassie laughed softly, long leg dangling over the chair arm. “Ohhhhh, yeah. That would be sweet.”
Six
“Great game, Cassie,” Marty said as he stepped down from the bleachers. “That was a sharp double to left field. Brought in two runs.”
Cassie smiled over a spoonful of chocolate ice cream that was dripping into the plastic cup in her hand. “Thanks, Marty. Are you ready to head back to your house? Megan will be looking for us.” The spoonful disappeared into Cassie’s mouth.
Kelly stepped down from the bleachers and glanced around the darkening sky. The bright lights illuminating City Park ball field had already turned on as the summer sun slid behind the mountains. “Knowing Megan, she’s probably pacing the floor right now.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Marty said with a chuckle. “Okay, Cassie, grab your gear and we’ll go to the car. Luckily I found a parking space right across from the swimming pool.” He jangled his car keys.
“Don’t worry about her gear,” Pete said, standing behind Cassie. “We’ll take it back to our house. We’ll be picking Cassie up from your house after we leave Kelly and Steve’s tonight.”
“How’s your dad doing, Pete? I’ve been meaning to ask,” Lisa said as she rose from the bleacher row and stretched.
“He’s doing about the same, which is always good news. The nurses tell me he’s getting physical therapy every week, but we don’t really see any improvement. At least I don’t see it. What about you, Cassie?” Pete turned to his niece.
Cassie swallowed another bite of chocolate before answering. “Grandpa Ben looks just about the same as he always does when we go down to see him. He sits in his wheelchair and watches television and reads magazines.” She looked away. “It’s kind of sad.”
Pete patted her on the shoulder. “Yeah, I know it is, honey. But at least he’s still with us. We can be grateful for that.”
“For sure,” Jennifer said from the side of the bleachers, which were rapidly clearing out.
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