Sisters in Bloom

by Melissa Foster

  “Don’t be. I’d take you into the office and ravish you in a heartbeat if I thought we could get away with it.” He nodded toward Michelle and Alyssa, heading their way.

  “Tell me quickly.”

  “Not much to tell. He likes her. He’s worried about dipping the pen in the company ink, but besides that, he seems to really like her. And Rusty, which is a big plus.”

  Danica smiled as Michelle approached.

  “Ready?” Michelle asked as she sidled up to Danica. “Hi, Blake.”

  “Hey there. Having a good summer?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” She blushed and then said, “I’m really sorry about everything that happened at the dance.”

  “No sweat,” he replied. “Really, as far as teenage fights go, that falls on the tame side.” She noticed Alyssa tapping Michelle, giving her an I-told-you-so look. Once again, Danica was comforted by how close Alyssa and Michelle had become.

  Blake put his hand on the small of Danica’s back. “See you later.”

  Michelle talked a mile a minute as they headed for the parking lot. “Alyssa said I didn’t really need to decide, that I should just be good friends with all of them until I definitely want to be more with one of them.”

  “How do you think they’ll feel about that?”

  Michelle shrugged. “I’m not sure, but Alyssa said that guys like when girls are hard to get, and not to act snotty or anything, just to keep being nice to all of them.”

  She watched Michelle process her own words. She turned her head one way, then the other, and shuffled her feet. Then she lifted her trusting eyes toward Danica.

  “That might work, right? I mean, I have kissed Chase, but that’s all I did.”

  “Michelle, take them out of the equation altogether. Does it feel like the right thing to do? To you, I mean, not to Alyssa or the boys.”

  “Kinda. I feel bad for Chase, but I also feel bad every time I see Rusty or Brad, so I guess it doesn’t feel any worse than it does now.”

  They climbed into the car. Danica knew such a scenario wouldn’t work with adult men, and she had her doubts about it working with teenagers. “Will you tell them that you’re just friends with all of them?”

  “I haven’t gotten that far yet. But I can tell you this. When I saw you with Blake, in the store, I knew that that was what I wanted.” She smiled, her eyes full of hope. “He looks at you like he can’t breathe without you. You do the same with him.”

  Danica felt a flush of color heat her cheeks. Is it that obvious?

  “I don’t have that with any of those boys yet. I want that.”

  Chapter Fifty

  Danica avoided talking to Sally for most of the day. She had to tell her about Rusty’s motivation being chivalrous rather than being driven by his father’s honor. She didn’t want to break his confidence if she didn’t have to, and she still held out hope that Rusty might come clean to his mother himself.

  Right before closing time, Danica visited the basketball courts, which she found empty, the balls all stacked nicely in the bin. She headed to the game room, stopping cold at the sight of Gage’s enormous body flat against the wall as he peered into the game room. She stifled a laugh as she sidled up next to him.

  “Who are we spying on?”

  “Rusty and Sally.”

  “Rusty’s here?”

  He nodded toward the game room. She peeked around him and saw mother and son, sitting side by side on the floor next to the pool table.

  “Oh, thank goodness,” she mumbled.

  Gage shot her a questioning look.

  “What? Why are you spying anyway?”

  Gage smiled. “Just wanna make sure they’re okay.”

  She nudged herself against him to get a better look. “Me too.”

  Sally looked up and they both jumped back, then hurried back down the hall.

  The door clicked open behind them. Thinking fast, Danica pretended to talk about next week’s schedule. “So, what do you think? Two basketball classes or one?”

  At first Gage looked at her like she’d lost her mind; then he saw Sally heading toward them, Rusty right behind, hands in his pockets, eyes trained on the ground. “Oh, yeah. I’m not sure.”

  “Meeting? In the hallway? Uh-huh,” Sally snipped as she passed, though the smile on her face told them she was onto their eavesdropping ways.

  “I’m gonna talk to her.” Danica watched as Gage met Rusty halfway down the hallway, put his arm around him, and the two of them headed out the back doors.

  “Sally, wait.” Danica hurried to her side and cornered her in the break room. “What’s going on?”

  Sally poured out the coffeepot and began scrubbing it like it had ground-in coffee stains—which it didn’t.

  “Sally?”

  Sally shook her head. Her eyes welled with tears.

  “Oh, God. What happened? What can I do?” She took the pot from Sally’s hands and set it in the sink, then led Sally to one of the two metal chairs beside a small round table.

  Sally tried not to cry. Her lower lip trembled, and every time she opened her mouth to speak, she cried harder. Danica passed her a handful of napkins.

  “It’s okay. Take as long as you need.”

  Sally shook her head, dabbing her tears with the napkins. “It’s just. Rusty. And Gage.” She brought her fisted hands to her eyes, elbows resting on the table. “Oh, God.”

  “Sally, what is it? What happened with Gage and Rusty?” Danica’s mind went all sorts of places it wouldn’t normally go. Had Gage hurt Rusty? Did they have an argument? She couldn’t fathom the thought.

  She shook her head again. “Rusty likes Michelle. But Chase likes Michelle. And Rusty punched Brad because of Chase liking Michelle. To protect his friend, you know?”

  I should have told her.

  “And Gage. Goddamned Gage,” Sally continued.

  “What did he do? Sally, I’ll get rid of him. If it’s a choice between you or him, there’s no question.”

  “It’s not that. I like him, Danica. I mean, I really like him.”

  Now she was really confused. “So, what’s the issue?”

  “I can’t date Gage. Rusty likes him. Can you just imagine if Gage and I started dating and Rusty got pissed off about it? The one person he trusted would be gone from his life. He talks to him. He and Gage are like this.” She crossed her fingers.

  Why did every relationship have to be so complicated? Sally’d already gone through the torture of losing her spouse. She’d finally allowed herself to feel something for someone else, and her happiness was hamstringed by her son’s recovery from his father’s death. Like me. I’m finally happy, and I’m afraid of rocking the boat with Kaylie.

  “As right as it is to protect those we love, we have to look out for our own happiness. No one else will do it for us.” Danica should be giving herself the same advice.

  Sally’s jaw dropped. “So, I should forgo Rusty’s happiness for my own? What kind of therapist were you?”

  “That’s not really what I meant. Have you talked to Rusty about Gage?”

  “Not in so many words. He said he really likes him, and that he trusts him. Trusts him.” Her eyes implored Danica to understand.

  “I know. I get it. What did he say about Michelle?”

  Sally explained again what Danica already knew. “I feel so bad. It wasn’t Michelle he was texting. It was Chase. He didn’t want to tell me.”

  “But he did. He told you, Sally, and you know how big that is.”

  Sally nodded. “I can’t help him with the whole Michelle thing, but I can stay away from Gage.”

  “Gage,” Danica said with a sigh. “Give it time and space. It will probably work itself out one way or another. If you’re drawn together, then you are. That’s how it goes. And I think Michelle will fix that whole mess. She kinda likes them all.”

  “All three?” Sally laughed a little despite her tears.

  Danica nodded.

  “Can you imagine b
eing a teenager again? I wouldn’t want it for anything in the world.” Sally wiped her tears.

  “Me either.” Danica was glad that Rusty had told his mother about why he’d hit Brad, but she hated knowing that Sally felt as if she couldn’t act on her feelings with Gage. “Give the thing with Gage some time. Kids are fickle. Maybe next week Rusty will have another person he trusts.”

  Sally rolled her eyes. “Do you even know my testosterone-laden, nonverbal son? He grunts. He doesn’t talk. But apparently he talks to Gage.”

  “Give it time. That’s all I’m saying.” Danica heard Gage and Rusty in the hallway outside the break room. “Speak of the devil.”

  Sally wiped her eyes, and Danica reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. “Beautiful,” she whispered with a wink. She hugged Sally and, together, they walked into the lobby, where they found Gage and Rusty standing side by side, eyes on Sally.

  “Mom, is it okay if I head over to Michelle’s? Can I take the car?”

  “I can drive you home,” Gage offered Sally.

  Sally looked at Danica, and Danica recognized a plea for rescue when she saw one.

  “I can take her,” Danica offered. “I need to head that way anyway.” She watched Gage’s brows draw together. Sally dropped her eyes and went to her desk to grab her purse and turn on the answering machine.

  “Uh, okay.” Gage turned away, but not before Danica saw the disappointment in his eyes.

  “Give her a little time,” she urged when she caught up to him.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Kaylie set candles on the patio table, atop her favorite summer tablecloth, the white one, speckled with flowers and bees. She hummed one of her songs and moved her hips to the music, thinking of the meeting she’d had with Mr. Thompkins, the rep from Benton Records. He’d been more interested in the songs she’d written than in the band itself. She’d watched Alex’s jaw drop when he mentioned Kaylie also considering a solo career. She’d been quick to nip that idea in the bud, but now, hours later, the idea buzzed around inside her head like a hummingbird, strong and undeniable.

  She went inside and took the roast and potatoes from the oven. A rush of pride ran through her at the beautiful meal she’d prepared. She felt like a real wife, whatever that was. A pain seared through her lower back. Kaylie dropped the pan on the stove and leaned on the edge of the counter, rubbing her stomach and breathing in long, low breaths, as she’d been taught. If the Braxton Hicks contractions were only a prelude to labor, she’d definitely opt for an epidural.

  “Kaylie?” Chaz called as he came in the front door.

  The contractions subsided as he entered the kitchen, looking as fresh in his khaki pants and powder-blue shirt as he had that morning, though the brightness had left his blue eyes.

  “Is something wrong?” Kaylie reached for the roast.

  “I’ve got it,” he said and took it from her hands. “I’m fine. Where are we eating?”

  “Outside.” She carried the salad and potatoes out to the porch. “Just set the roast there.” She pointed to a hot plate she’d set in the middle of the table. “I’ve got to get the salad dressings and glasses.”

  “I’ve got it. You sit.” He pulled out her chair and she settled into it, thinking maybe she’d misread whatever she thought she’d seen in his eyes.

  Chaz set the glasses on the table beside the salad. “This looks amazing. You must’ve had a great day. I have to admit, I was worried when you didn’t call after the meeting.”

  “I was going to call you, but then I thought I’d just tell you in person instead.” She searched his eyes again. Kaylie lifted her water glass. “A toast.”

  He lifted his glass. “Good news?”

  “To us,” she said, and clinked his glass. Kaylie took a gulp of water. “Chaz, they want me. I mean, they really want me. But I don’t think they really want the band.”

  He squeezed her hand. “They’d be crazy not to.” He pulled his hand from hers and put a piece of roast on his plate. “So, you’re taking it, then?”

  The way he asked, not quite short or clipped, but something in his voice gave her pause. “I haven’t decided.” She really hadn’t, but she’d expected a little more excitement from him—maybe even a gushing compliment or two—and the disappointment stole a bit of her thrill. She put salad on her plate and continued to explain how bad she felt for Alex and Trey. “I didn’t really know what to do, so I just said that I wanted to hear about representation for the group. Poor Alex. If you could have seen him. I mean, Trey didn’t look too happy either, but Alex.” She shook her head. “I kinda felt like he blamed me, which I know is silly. I mean, he did all the work. He sent out the inquiries and everything. It wasn’t like I went looking for Benton Records.”

  “Kaylie.”

  She saw in his eyes that he had something to say, and the drawn-out silence had her thinking that maybe she’d done something wrong by not calling him after the meeting. She’d wrestled all afternoon with her feelings about the opportunity, and she’d wanted to figure out where she stood before seeing where he stood on it, even though she knew it would be a joint decision. She’d spoken to Danica, but Danica was completely neutral, just as Kaylie had counted on. Now that she was about to find out exactly what he thought, she wished she could plug her ears and make childish noises so she didn’t have to hear it. She could tell by his tone that he wasn’t exactly overjoyed, but wasn’t it her turn? He had a career. She supported him, no matter how often he had to travel. Couldn’t he do the same for her? She felt herself getting revved up and told herself to calm down. She rubbed her belly, and her confusion returned. Do I really want to do this?

  “What is it that you want? Not Alex or Trey. Not what Benton Records wants. What does Kaylie Snow want?”

  Why did she feel like she was about to cry? Damn hormones, screwing with her again. Was he really asking what she wanted, or was she missing some hidden way of telling her that he didn’t want her to do it?

  “Honestly?” she asked.

  He nodded, smiled. “Of course.”

  “I know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I’m excited to finally realize my dreams, so I think I want to do it.” She watched him nod and reach for her hand. She had promised honesty. She had to deliver. “But there’s another side of me that doesn’t want to make a decision until after the baby’s born.”

  She saw relief in his eyes and wondered what it meant. Did he not want her to take the job? She knew he would never tell her not to take it. This had to be her decision.

  “Will they let you wait?” he asked.

  Goddamn it! Why was he so damn supportive? Why were his eyes so emotive? He was making her decision even more difficult. Kaylie felt a knot form in her lower back, and she rubbed it while she answered. “Yes. They’ll wait for another couple of weeks.”

  He nodded.

  “I kind of think that you don’t want me to take it,” she admitted.

  “It’s not that. I’m happy for you. This is what you’ve worked so hard for.”

  “Then what is it? You were relieved when I said I hadn’t made a decision.”

  Chaz nodded, poked at his food, then turned back to her. “Yeah, I was, but not because I didn’t want you to take it. I just think you made a smart decision by waiting until you see how you feel after the baby is born, that’s all.”

  Kaylie saw something else, some untold thing in his eyes, and she felt it like a bubble between them. “Chaz, just tell me.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.” He wrinkled his nose, the way he always did when he was keeping something from her. The slightest little wrinkle, like he had an itch.

  Kaylie supposed it would be understandable that he didn’t want her to take the opportunity, but she just wished he’d tell her already.

  They finished dinner in silence, and Chaz retreated to his office.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Danica answered her cell phone on the second ring. “Chaz?”

  �
�Hey, Danica.”

  “Did you dial my number by mistake? Blake’s on his way home.”

  “No, I wanted to talk to you.”

  Danica sat down on the living room sofa. “What’s wrong?” Chaz had never sought her out before, not even when he and Kaylie were having such a rough time over that Carmichael woman.

  “I need to bend your therapist ear, but before I do, I need to know that you won’t rat me out.”

  What now? “Chaz, I’m Kaylie’s sister, so if you’re going to tell me that you cheated on her, or unload some other guilt that’s just as bad, please don’t, because I can’t keep that secret.”

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  She listened to him breathe deeply.

  “If you knew something that would really hurt Kaylie, but you also knew she should know, then would you tell her?”

  “I gotta tell you, Chaz, you’re scaring me.” Danica clenched the phone tightly. Whatever he had to say, she’d better find out so she could be there to catch Kaylie when she fell. “Okay, I guess the answer is yes, I’d tell her if she needed to know.”

  “You know how she got that record label offer?”

  “Yeah, she met with them today. It went really well.”

  “I know. She didn’t call me after, and I knew that was because she was still really wrestling with it. Well, it turns out that Lea Carmichael owns Benton Records.”

  “Yeah, and…” Danica shot to her feet. “Oh, shit. Shit. Really? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, and I’m not sure what to do. If I tell Kaylie, she’ll think I’m saying that her songwriting and singing isn’t good enough for Benton Records to want her, or something like that.”

  “No, she won’t. She’ll understand.” Danica wanted to believe her sister would understand, but she knew better. Kaylie’d had one thing on her mind this afternoon when she’d called after the meeting. Pride laced her every word. She’d finally accomplished what she’d been striving for, and it was vindication for all the years she’d felt like she’d been living in Danica’s shadow. Before Chaz could say a word, she stopped him. “Wait, she will. You’re right. I mean, after a while she’ll see it clearly, but at first she’ll blame you.” She paced.