Secrets Told

by Allie Everhart

"Which is annoying, but in this case it could work to our advantage. I'll tell her at dinner. She'll be less likely to say no in front of everyone."

  "Henry may be the one saying no."

  "Not after we tell him how uncomfortable our couch is to sleep on."

  "It's not uncomfortable."

  "Kate," he says, waiting for me to play along.

  "Oh. Yeah, you're right. It's terribly uncomfortable."

  "I gotta go. I'll see ya soon. Love you."

  "Love you too."

  Setting the phone down, I stir my gravy just as it begins to bubble over.

  "Something smells good in here," I hear a familiar voice say.

  Smiling, I turn back and see my dad walking in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

  "I have a new client who lives about five minutes away. I couldn't be this close and not stop by to see you."

  He comes over and gives me a hug, being careful not to disturb my stirring arm. I turn the heat to low and place my spoon on a plate.

  "Are you going home after this?"

  "No. I have another meeting. Another new client who lives near here. After that I'll head home, unless you want to have dinner tonight."

  "Actually, I'm having dinner with Gavin's family. Did you see Henry out there?"

  "He's the one who let me in. We were talking before I came back here to see you. He's doing a great job on the tile."

  My dad met Henry at the cookout Henry hosted at his house on Memorial Day. They hit it off right away, which I knew they would. Henry reminds me of my dad in a lot of ways.

  "Why don't you come to dinner with us tonight?" I ask.

  "I don't think so. I'm sure Gavin wants time to talk with his grandfather."

  "He talks to him all the time. And besides, Henry will be here all week. Gavin will have plenty of time with him."

  "And Celeste will be there?"

  I sigh. "Unfortunately, yes, but she might be nicer if an outsider is there, which is another reason you need to show up tonight."

  He smiles. "If you insist, then yes, I'd love to come."

  It'll be good for my dad to go out. When he moved last year, he broke up with his girlfriend and hasn't dated anyone since, so now he spends all his nights either working or falling asleep in front of the TV.

  He puts his face over the gravy and takes a whiff. "Smells good. Reminds me of your mom's gravy."

  "It's based on her recipe. I just made a few tweaks." I pause, not sure if I should tell him this, but I probably should in case he runs into her. "So um...mom is coming here in a few days."

  "Oh yeah?" He steps back from the stove and folds his arms over his chest. "She hasn't been here for almost a year, has she?"

  "No. She always says she will but then I offer to go down there instead."

  "Is she flying up to see the restaurant?"

  "Not really. I mean, yes, she'll see the restaurant but that's not the reason she's coming." It's weird to be telling him this. It shouldn't be, given that they've been divorced for years, but still, I try to avoid talking about Allen with my dad.

  "What's the reason?"

  "She broke up with Allen. Well, it wasn't really her idea. He kind of walked out on her."

  My dad's brows furrow. "What do you mean he walked out on her?"

  "He found someone else and left her. Apparently he's dating the yoga instructor at his health club. That's all I know. Mom didn't want to talk about it."

  "Yoga instructor." He huffs. "What a cliché."

  "It is?"

  "You know how many middle-aged men I catch cheating with their yoga instructor?" He shakes his head. "Anyway, how's your mom doing?"

  "Not good. She's really hurt. She couldn't stop crying on the phone."

  "Asshole," he mutters under his breath. "He didn't deserve her."

  Even though they're divorced, I know my dad still cares about my mom. And I know he feels horrible for walking out on us years ago. Now I understand why he did it, but my mom doesn't and never will. He can't tell her about the secrets he discovered when he was a police officer and how those secrets could have put us in danger.

  I stir my gravy again. then turn the heat all the way off.

  "So how long is she staying?" my dad asks.

  "A few weeks, maybe longer. She rented an apartment from her friend."

  "Where's the apartment? Here in town?"

  "No. In New Haven."

  "New Haven?" His brows rise. "Where in New Haven?"

  "I don't know, but since you two will be in the same town, maybe you could have dinner sometime."

  "With our beautiful daughter?" He smiles.

  "Or just the two of you. Maybe you could share some of your cheating spouse stories. Make her feel like she's not alone."

  "I doubt that would help. Every situation is different."

  "At least she wasn't married to Allen. That makes things a little easier."

  "It's never easy when a couple breaks up, even in the case of infidelity. Ending things may be the right thing to do, but that doesn't make it easier on the person, emotionally."

  As he says it, I wonder if he's talking about him and my mom. Even though I was really young when it happened, I know their divorce was hard on both of them.

  "So what time is dinner?" he asks.

  "Seven. It's at a steak restaurant. I'll text you the address."

  "What do I have to wear to this place?"

  My dad dresses casual, even when meeting with clients. Like today, he has on dark jeans, a blue button-up shirt, and black boots.

  "You should probably wear dress pants and maybe a tie?"

  "I have pants in the car, and a clean shirt, but no tie."

  "Gavin could loan you one. Stop by our place after your meeting."

  He comes over and kisses my head. "I need to get going. Good luck with your gravy."

  "Bye, Dad."

  ***

  Later that night at the restaurant, after we're seated and everyone's reviewing their menus, Gavin leans over to me and says, "This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?"

  "It'll be fine," I whisper back, then give him a quick kiss.

  I look up and see Celeste watching us, but then she quickly looks down at her menu.

  The waitress stops by. "Can I start everyone with a cocktail?"

  Celeste purses her lips like she's willing herself not to order one. It makes me wonder if she's had a drink since being back from rehab. No one would know except her house staff and they'd never tell on her.

  My dad clears his throat and stares at the menu. He, too, has to resist the urge to order a drink.

  "We'll pass on the cocktails," Henry tells the waitress. He'd definitely have a drink if Celeste and my dad weren't here but he's being respectful and not ordering one.

  "How about some wine?" the waitress asks. "We have an excellent selection."

  Celeste grips her menu tighter. She used to always have wine with dinner. Lots of wine, as in a bottle or two just for her.

  "We'll pass on the wine as well," Henry says. "I think we need a few minutes to review the menu."

  "Certainly." She takes off.

  "You could've ordered a drink, Henry," Celeste says, keeping her eyes on her menu.

  "I don't need one," he says. "Besides, I've got a busy day tomorrow. Have to keep my mind sharp."

  "I can't believe how much you got done," I say to Henry.

  "It goes fast once you get started."

  Celeste turns to my dad, who's sitting next to her, and smiles. "Are you handy around the house?"

  He shrugs. "I suppose I am. I can make repairs. Lay tile. Do some basic electrical wiring."

  "I'd say that's more than handy." She smiles even wider and leans toward him. "I admire a man who can do that kind of work."

  Gavin chokes on his water, looking at his mom like she's lost her mind. I'm doing the same. Is Celeste hitting on my dad? Seriously?

  "Mom, did you decide what you're ordering?" Gavin asks, trying to get her attent
ion off my dad.

  "The salmon," she replies. "With asparagus."

  "But we're at a steakhouse. Why don't you have a steak?"

  "I'm not in the mood for steak." She leans toward my dad again. "What are you having, Craig?"

  He leans back, just enough to get some distance from her without seeming rude. "I'm having the ribeye."

  "Me too," Henry says, plunking his menu down on the table, his eyes on Celeste. "So, Celeste, have you been on any dates lately?"

  She straightens up in her seat. "That's none of your business, Henry."

  "It is if my grandson is going to have a new stepfather. I have to look out for the boy now that Niles is gone."

  "Gavin is a grown man. He doesn't need looking after."

  "I still don't want a new stepfather," Gavin says to his mom, glancing at my dad. How awful would that be? If Celeste and my dad got married, Gavin and I would be step-siblings! I shudder at the thought.

  "Gavin, don't be ridiculous," Celeste says. "I'm in no state to be getting married again anytime soon. I'm still grieving the loss of your father."

  "Doesn't seem like it," Henry mutters under his breath.

  Feeling the need to intervene, I say, "So I tested five new recipes today."

  My dad smiles at me. "I can attest that the gravy was a winner. What else did you make?"

  I tell them about my recipes, then how the renovations are going and what else needs to be done. Then Gavin talks about his job but doesn't mention his work for the senator, knowing my dad hates politicians even more than I do.

  Dinner continues and Celeste gives my dad more attention than anyone else at the table. She's definitely flirting with him, but why? He's not at all her type and he'd never date someone like her.

  "We should probably call it a night," Gavin says after we've had dessert. "I have to be up early to catch the train."

  "And I've got a long drive," Henry says, setting his napkin on the table.

  "It's too late for you to drive home," Gavin says to him. "You'll stay with Mom tonight."

  "What?" Her head whips to Gavin. "He can't stay with me."

  "Why not? You've got all those empty rooms and you're only twenty minutes away."

  I see the panic in her eyes and her lips twitching. "He—Henry doesn't have things. He can't stay overnight."

  "Actually, I packed a bag," Henry smiles at her. "Just in case I decided to stay for the week."

  "The week?" she says in horror.

  "Kate has a lot that needs to be finished," he says. "I offered to help her out."

  "I'm so grateful for the help." I grin, loving that this is causing Celeste so much grief. But really, what's the big deal? Like Gavin said, she has a huge house. Why can't her father-in-law stay there?

  "Should we be going?" Henry says to Celeste. "I'll follow you there."

  She sighs. "Fine." She turns to my dad and smiles. "Call me about Friday."

  Friday? What's Friday? Did I miss something?

  "Let's go." Gavin is standing now and helps me with my chair.

  We say goodbye to everyone and leave the restaurant. In the car driving back to our place, I say to Gavin, "What's going on Friday?"

  "I don't know. What do you want to do? See a movie?"

  "I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about my dad and your mom. Why did she say she'll see him Friday?"

  "I'm not sure. Something about a friend of hers needing his services."

  "What friend?"

  "I don't know. I couldn't really hear. It was when you were telling my grandfather about the new windows at the restaurant."

  "Is there really a friend or is she making it up to have an excuse to see my dad?"

  "Kate." He smiles and reaches for my hand. "Relax. Nothing's going to happen."

  "Didn't you see what was going on? Your mom was totally hitting on my dad!"

  "She's always been that way. She flirts with men to get attention. My dad used to hate it."

  "But this is my dad. He's not at all her type. Why would she want attention from him?"

  "I don't know. After spending months in rehab, she's probably desperate for attention of any kind. She's been wanting attention from me too. She keeps asking me to come over or take her to dinner. She's just lonely, hanging out by herself all day in that big house."

  "But now she'll have Henry there." I laugh. "I can't believe you suggested that. When you mentioned it earlier, I thought you were kidding."

  "I know my mom doesn't want him there but she needs to get over it. It makes no sense for him to get a hotel or sleep on our couch when she has all those empty rooms."

  "You think they'll fight?"

  "Probably, but whatever. It'll be good for her to not be all alone in that house. And my grandpa can let me know if she's..." he takes a breath, "you know...."

  He doesn't even want to say it. He doesn't want to bring up her drinking. He wants so badly for his mom to get better.

  "I don't think she is," I say, reaching over and gently rubbing his neck. He gets so tense whenever this topic comes up. "She seems really good. She looks healthy. I don't see any signs that she's drinking again."

  "I know. I just want it to stay that way." He turns into the parking lot for our apartment. "In the past, it hasn't stuck."

  "Same with my dad, but look at him now. He hasn't had a drink in years. The same thing might happen with your mom."

  When we get up to our apartment, he's quiet as we get ready for bed. Earlier tonight, he wanted to rush home to be with me but it seems he's no longer in the mood. That's fine. I'm tired and I don't want to do it when his mind is on his mom and her drinking.

  I'm less concerned about her drinking and more worried about why she's so interested in my dad. Why was she flirting with him? What is she up to?

  Chapter Nine

  Gavin

  "How's she doing?" I ask my grandpa, keeping my voice down so my co-workers don't hear. Henry's stayed at my mom's house for two nights now, and every morning I call and check in with him.

  "She's fine," he says. I can barely hear him above the sound of power saws and hammers banging.

  "Can you go somewhere quieter?"

  "I'll have to go outside if you want quiet. And there's a crew out there too, working on the sign."

  "It's gotta be quieter than where you're at."

  He goes outside and the hammer sounds are replaced by street noise, which is a little quieter.

  "So what do you mean by 'fine'?" I ask. "Did you see her last night or did you stay in your room?"

  "I saw her on my way to the kitchen. We spoke briefly and that was it. She was in a hurry to go somewhere. She didn't say where but she was dressed up more than normal."

  "And she didn't seem like she'd been drinking?"

  "No. I don't want to get your hopes up, Gavin, but I think it might stick this time. She seems to be preoccupied with something and whatever it is, it's keeping her mind off the desire to drink."

  "And you haven't seen any bottles lying around?"

  "I looked around the house after she left last night and didn't see anything."

  "Did you check in her bathroom? She used to hide bottles behind the towels in the linen closet. Or under her sink."

  "Gavin, I'm not going to spy on your mother. Doing that doesn't help her. If she truly wants to get better, she has to do it herself. And I think she's doing that. I honestly think she hasn't touched the stuff since she's been back. She looks better than I've seen her in years."

  "I think so too. I'm just worried something will happen to make her go back to it."

  "There's nothing we can do about that. We just have to hope she stays on the path she's on. Gavin, I should get going. I've got a lot to get done."

  "What are you working on today?"

  "Kate has me hanging pot racks in the kitchen. After that, I'm not sure. She's got a list a mile long."

  "Thanks again for all your help."

  "It's my pleasure. And spending all this time with your
girlfriend has me liking her even more. You need to marry that girl, and soon."

  "She's not ready for that. She's told me that a million times."

  "Then at least give her a ring. Go to that jewelry store where I got your grandmother's ring. They have the best variety and it's family owned."

  I smile. "Already went there."

  "You got a ring?" He sounds surprised.

  "Got it in May. I was going to ask her but then she got busy with the restaurant and I decided to wait."

  "When are you going to give it to her?"

  "I'm not sure yet. I at least want to wait until the restaurant is open."

  "You kids and your obsession with waiting for the right time. Right time to get married. Right time to have a kid. Right time to get a house. There is no right time. Just do it and don't look back."

  I chuckle. "I'll take that into consideration. I really need to go before my boss yells at me."

  "Speaking of bosses, mine's coming this way and she looks ornery."

  I hear Kate laughing in the background. "I'm not ornery. I came to tell you I brewed a fresh pot of coffee if you want to come inside and have some while we go over the list."

  "Let me say goodbye to your husband and I'll be right in," he says.

  She laughs again. "He's not my husband. Hi, Gavin!" I hear her yell. "Love you!"

  "Love you too," I say, but she can't hear me.

  "We'll talk later," Henry says.

  "Yeah. Bye." I end the call and see Jett in the hall coming toward my cubicle. I'm at my regular office, not the campaign office, so I'm surprised to see him here.

  "Gavin," he says, smiling. "I need to talk to you. Let's grab a conference room."

  Why does he want to talk to me? And why do we need a conference room? Why can't he just tell me here? Did I do something wrong?

  "Is this about the website?" I ask when we're seated in the conference room.

  "No. It's about your future on the campaign." His smile is gone and he's very serious now. Maybe I screwed up and he's firing me. If so, part of me would be relieved because my work on the campaign is bad for my relationship with Kate. But the other part of me is really starting to like what I'm doing and wants to keep working on it.

  "What about it?" I ask.

  "I want you to be more involved. So far, you're doing a great job and really making a difference. The website is getting more traffic and we're seeing more interaction on social media, especially among the younger demographic. The team you've been working with at the office says you're smart, a hard worker, and have good ideas. You're a born leader, Gavin. That was clear to me when I met you and it's even more clear now."