by Laina Turner
He saw that troubled look flit across her face again.
“I don’t know,” she said abruptly.
“Do you have family to get back to; husband, kids?”
Again, an uncomfortable subject judging from the way she twitched in her seat. “I’m divorced—well, it’s not official yet, but the paperwork is filed and I’m just waiting for the finalization. Two of my kids are still in college. Nothing to get back to. I guess maybe I’m here to figure out my next move.”
So, she was divorced, Zach thought. He couldn’t help but be excited that she was newly single, though he realized that might be why she seemed to carry so much sadness. Not wanting to pry, he decided that asking about her kids seemed like a fairly safe topic, so he steered the conversation to them.
After what seemed like a few short minutes of chatting, Zach looked at his watch and was shocked to see that almost an hour had flown by, during which time their coffee had barely been touched because they’d been too busy talking. Once he’d asked about her kids, she’d completely lit up and spoke of them profusely. He could tell how proud she was of them.
“I hate to say this, but I need to get going,” he interrupted. “I have an appointment that needs me back in the office in ten minutes.” As Zach spoke, he realized that he really did hate having to leave. He had thoroughly enjoyed talking with her and wanted to continue getting to know her better.
“Well, go ahead and run along. I’ll get the check.”
“It was nice talking to you, Kate. Maybe we could do this again sometime.”
She seemed hesitant. “I don’t know,” she said softly.
“I understand. Thanks for the coffee, Kate. I hope you enjoy your time in Moonshire.” He gave her the most genuine smile he could, not wanting to let on that her less-than-enthusiastic response disappointed him. He decided that he’d have to find a way to run into her again.
As Zach headed down the street to his office, he couldn’t get Kate off his mind.
He was walking and thinking about her smile and her beautiful laugh when he stopped in his tracks.
It suddenly clicked why she looked so familiar.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed the name Todd Hamilton into his Internet search bar. He scrolled through the results until he found what he was looking for, a picture of Todd and his wife. The connection he had made was correct. Kate was Todd Hamilton’s wife.
He’d recognized her without realizing why because he’d followed the case and had seen pictures of Kate in the news. No wonder she was guarded, Zach thought. She’d had the media hounding her for quite a while, since Todd had been charged over a year ago.
Zach couldn’t deny that he felt an attraction toward her, and they definitely had a connection, but there was something else too—a protective instinct he felt every time he saw the guarded look in her eyes.
She had been through enough and deserved more than what he had to give. He decided that the right thing to do would be to put his feelings aside and not pursue her—though he just wasn’t sure that he could do that.
11
Kate watched Zach leave, and against her better judgment, she couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was. His button-down shirt was a vibrant turquoise color that set off his green eyes, and he looked even better than he had the first time she’d met him, when he’d been wearing white. His shirt was untucked over a pair of well-worn blue jeans that fit in all the right places. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his strong forearms. His build was lean rather than bulky, and he didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on his body.
Meanwhile, Kate felt the pressure to look as youthful as possible, something she believed plagued most women as they got older. Many of her friends who were dreadfully middle-aged felt similarly. The double standard kind of made Kate angry. In her mind, women in that stage of life needed to be celebrated rather than feel pressured to maintain their looks and figures from twenty years prior, or even worse, be cast aside for a younger version.
Kate had started to slide out of the booth to pay for their coffees and head home when her phone rang. As she turned it over in her hand and saw the name Bob Truman on the display, she cringed. Immediately anxiety shot through her body. While she wanted to remain positive, she found it hard to believe that he would be calling with good news. She’d lost that optimistic outlook long ago.
Bob was her personal attorney. He had worked tirelessly to try and separate some of the joint assets she and Todd held so that not everything would be subjected to government seizure. He’d been somewhat successful in securing her some funds to live off of early on, but she’d suspected that once the sentencing had come in, the situation would likely change. Even though she’d expected the day would come when Bob would have to deliver bad news, his call brought Kate a fresh feeling of dread.
Anticipating financial ruin had been bad enough. Actually knowing for sure that she was broke would be devastating.
Kate had made the same mistake that many married women her age had made before her—she had put her faith and trust in her husband. She’d witnessed several of her close friends making similar mistakes, and yet, she hadn’t managed to protect herself. Like so many who found themselves in her position, she thought that this kind of thing only happened to other people but would never happen to her. She’d thought that her marriage was solid, that it was built on honesty and trust. Kate had always believed in Todd—she’d had no reason not to. She’d trustingly, or stupidly, as she considered it now, turned a blind eye to their finances, confident in his ability to handle the money and to take care of their family. Todd had always given her all the cash that she’d needed, and their family had never wanted for anything.
Looking back, it made her sad to realize how dependent she had let herself become. Most of her spending had been for the kids or for the family as a whole. She’d never been one for fancy clothes or other extravagances, although she had owned them. But she never desired them because she’d never needed to, and in retrospect, she realized she’d taken them for granted. She had taken their entire lifestyle for granted. Though she had earned a college degree in teaching, she had never taught a day in her life. She had met Todd in college and married him right after graduation, settling very quickly into the role of housewife and mother. If it wasn’t so upsetting, she would laugh at what a complete stereotype she was during her marriage without being aware of it.
A small savings account that her parents had left her was the last of the joint assets that Bob was trying to save for Kate. There had been a question of whether she would be able to keep it or if she would have to forfeit it the way she’d had to let go of every other asset in order to help pay restitution to Todd’s victims. She knew that Bob was calling to tell her the answer to that question and she was afraid that it wouldn’t be the answer she hoped to hear. She knew she couldn’t ignore him, as appealing as that might be, the problem was not going to just resolve itself.
“Hey, Bob,” she answered, trying to muster up some cheerfulness. She knew that it wasn’t his fault that her soon to be ex-husband was a cheat and a liar and that she had been a stereotypical, naïve housewife.
“Hey, Kate. How’s your vacation going?”
“Nice and relaxing,” she replied, drumming her fingers on the table to try to curb her impatience. She wanted him to hurry up and tell her what he had to say. “I take it you have some news for me?”
“I’m sorry Kate,” he said, and she could hear the heaviness in his voice on the other end of the line.
She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, now knowing for sure that he had bad news.
“They’re taking it, aren’t they?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this.”
Kate’s head pounded. While she hadn’t really expected the decision to be in her favor, she felt like the outcome was unfair. She had long ago been absolved of any wrongdoing, and since the authorities didn’t suspect her of colluding with
her ex, she didn’t understand why they couldn’t let her keep something so that she’d be solvent. Okay, well, she did understand it, but that didn’t make it easier for her to accept. Todd had scammed people out of so much money that even once everything they’d owned had been liquidated, it still wasn’t enough to satisfy all the restitution he had to pay. She assumed every little bit helped, even her small savings account.
The money that Kate had been living on had been coming from that small savings account. Her parents had left the account to her when they’d died, and because of that, Bob had hoped that the government would decide to let her keep it. However, Todd’s name had been added to the account, which, she chided herself, was another stupid move on her part because it meant that the government considered it fair game.
Kate knew she needed to get off the phone before she had a complete breakdown, which she didn’t want to happen in public. She thought she’d accepted that this might be the final outcome, but the way that her tears threatened to spill down her face suggested that she hadn’t been fully prepared for the news.
“It’s not like we didn’t expect it,” she tried to say nonchalantly, as if it didn’t matter, not wanting Bob to hear how upset she was.
“There is one positive,” he offered. “There is a little bit of money that was left in the college fund that the government isn’t taking.”
Kate tried to laugh, but it came out as a weird snort. “Even though Chelsea already graduated from college, TJ is a senior and Kellie has a full ride scholarship? That’s the one account that isn’t needed for the original purpose it was intended, and that’s the only one they don’t take?”
“Sometimes this stuff doesn’t make sense. If your kids don’t need it, maybe they can sign it back over to you. It doesn’t have nearly the same amount as the other account, but at least it could be something. There’s more than enough to cover TJ’s remaining time at college and still have money left over to help you rebuild your life.”
“I don’t want their money,” Kate said, and she knew that she sounded like a petulant child, but she couldn’t help it. She found the rationale of the government to be so frustrating.
Bob sighed. “Kate, I hate to say this, but you’ll need it more than they do. Take some time and think about it. There’s no deadline for making a decision. You’re already on the account, and once I send you the documentation that states that you have access to that account free and clear, no one is going to care what you do with it.”
Kate knew that he was right, but as a mom, she felt she should be taking care of her children, not the other way around.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m sorry if I don’t sound more grateful.”
“I understand. I wish I could’ve given you a better outcome.”
“I know. It’s not your fault. You did your best.”
“I’ll send you the papers as soon as everything is signed off. Speaking of signed off, I received the official notification from the court and my paralegal put the notice in the mail today, but I might as well tell you. Your divorce is now final.”
Kate was surprised at how this news just rolled right off her back. Maybe because she already felt divorced and had for a while. Still though, shouldn’t she feel something after all those years together?
“In the meantime, if I can help you with anything else, don’t hesitate to call.”
Kate nearly laughed. She wouldn’t have the money to pay him even if she needed his help with something. She’d only been able to pay him using the funds that would no longer be at her disposal. They said their goodbyes, and she hung up the phone.
“Is everything okay?” Claire stopped by the booth to ask.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Kate said. She plastered on a smile, not wanting to explain further because she wasn’t sure she would be able to control her emotions. The last thing she needed was to burst into tears in her friend’s diner.
“Good. I thought you told Zach about the insurance, and he said something to upset you.”
“No, not at all,” Kate said, not mentioning that she hadn’t told him yet.
She knew that prolonging it wasn’t going to help matters, but they’d been having such a nice conversation. Plus, she’d been too busy pondering how good he looked in that turquoise shirt to think about the small fact that he was soon going to find out that she was a deadbeat without car insurance. To make matters worse, she was also dead broke. It took all of her willpower not to scream and stomp her feet in frustration.
If Zach were to find out before she told him, it would make her look as if she were hiding something and that the accident hadn’t simply been a boneheaded mistake. She needed to tell him, but not today. She couldn’t handle it today. She crossed her fingers, hoping that the next day would be soon enough.
12
Kate walked into Evan’s Bar that evening to meet Claire and some of her friends. She hadn’t wanted to go out, but Claire hadn’t stopped telling her how much better she’d feel if she let off some steam. Hoping her friend was right, she scanned the room and saw Claire waving to her from the back table. She was sitting with three other women.
Kate made her way over and Claire indicated that she should sit in the empty chair that already had a glass of white wine in front of it.
“Sorry I’m a few minutes late, ladies.”
“All good. We just got here, and the waiter just put down your wine. I figured you could use it after the day you’ve had,” said Claire, who had come directly from the diner.
“Thank you.” Kate smiled gratefully and took a sip of the crisp, refreshing Pinot Grigio.
“Let me make the introductions,” Claire offered. “Kate, this is Libby, then Melissa, and Hilary. Ladies, meet Kate, my oldest friend from all the way back in college.”
Everyone said their hellos and Kate took another sip of her wine. She was starting to relax and feel better about her decision to join them. Claire had been right—sitting at home and wallowing wouldn’t have done her any good.
It was better to wallow with friends and wine.
“Claire explained why you’ve come to visit us in Moonshire,” Libby offered first. “I’m so sorry about what you’re going through, but I hope you enjoy yourself here. Do you think you might end up staying?”
Kate took a deep breath before answering. “I honestly don’t know. I haven’t started to think long-term yet, and the reality is that I need to find a job sooner rather than later. I guess right now, if I can find a way to support myself, my preference would be to stay. I know that will probably be harder in a smaller town, especially when I have absolutely no skills.” Kate gave a self-deprecating laugh. It was hard for her to admit her deficiencies out loud, but she knew that she would have to embrace her obstacles in order to overcome them. Which sounded much easier than the execution would be.
“Kate is actually a great photographer,” Claire announced to the group. “I told her that she should start her own business as a professional photographer.”
“That’s a great idea,” Hilary said.
“Claire is overstating my talents. Plus, and don’t take this the wrong way, but even if I was a great photographer, do you think there would be enough business here since it’s such a small town and all?”
Hilary nodded emphatically. “Absolutely. There hasn’t been a photographer in town since Bill Reinhart retired and moved to Boca Raton, and that was what? Six years ago? Melissa?”
Melissa nodded. “We have a high school here, and while it’s not that big, the kids need senior pictures every year and they all go to neighboring towns to get them done. It would be great to have someone local.”
“Not to mention, you could take family pictures of tourists to capture their beach or vacation moments,” Claire added, jumping on the bandwagon.
“Plus, you can charge them double,” Hilary said with a laugh.
“Okay, even if what you’re saying is true, I’m just an amateur hack.” Kate shrugged. “
It’s always been a passion of mine, but I’ve never done any actual photography except of my family. Certainly not anything professional. I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“You’ve got talent. The rest you can figure out.” Claire pulled out her phone and went to her photos app. “Here are some of the pictures that Kate took on the beach.” She handed her phone to Libby. “You guys be the judge of whether or not she has talent.”
Kate sat there feeling extremely nervous as the ladies passed around Claire’s phone and looked at her pictures. She hadn’t even known that Claire had put them on her phone but felt proud her friend had liked them that much. Even though Kate didn’t think she was some great photographer, she also never had anyone specifically looking at her photos to critique them. It was a little nerve-wracking.
“Okay, the suspense is killing me. Say something!” Kate finally exclaimed.
“These are gorgeous, Kate,” Melissa said, as Libby and Hilary nodded in agreement.
“You guys don’t have to say that. Honestly, what do you think? I have thick skin. I can take it,” Kate insisted, while secretly hoping they were telling the truth. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle some constructive criticism, but it would feel nice to hear something positive for a change.
“Kate, you need to stop this whole lack-of-confidence thing. This is not the Kate I know,” Claire admonished in a stern, but not unkind, manner. Kate knew that Claire was right. Her confidence had been lacking of late. She could add it to the list of things she felt she needed to work on.
“You guys really think they’re good?” she asked again timidly, to which they all nodded.
“Plus, you can practice. Do a few photo shoots for free as you’re figuring things out. That would also be a great way to drum up business,” Libby said.