The Parent Trap

by Lee McKenzie

  The woman in the leather jacket rushed to take a look. “You’re right, Jasmine. It’s gorgeous! Lindy, what do you think?”

  The three conferred on the dress and agreed Margaret must try it on. Sarah was settling the woman and the dress in a fitting room when the door chime sounded again. Four more women strolled in and waved to Jasmine and Lindy, each of whom already had several garments slung over an arm.

  Sarah greeted the newcomers and offered to start a fitting room for the other two while they browsed. So much for a quiet Tuesday afternoon, she thought, hoping Juliet’s little guy would be well enough to stay with his grandma so his mom could come to work.

  But an hour later, after ringing up purchases for all the tour bus customers, including the teal-blue grandmother-of-the-bride dress, and thanking them for shopping at To the Nines, there was still no sign of Juliet. Sarah slipped into her office, took several thirst-quenching gulps from her water bottle, and checked her phone. She had a text message from Casey, reminding her about soccer practice after school, and a voice message from Juliet. Alexander had an ear infection and was still running a fever and she needed to stay home with him. Sarah texted her back, assuring the young woman that she needed to stay home until her son was feeling better, and that everything at the store was under control. If there was one thing she was used to doing, it was managing on her own.

  * * *

  JON BLEW THE whistle for the kickoff and watched two team members rush for the ball. He’d called this a practice but he really just wanted to meet the girls and check out their skill level so he could start assigning positions. A number of them had been playing for several years and demonstrated a lot of potential. Several were new to the game but already showed promise, and several more would need a little extra coaching.

  This was the part of the job he loved best. He didn’t believe in tryouts at this level. As far as he was concerned, a willingness to play was the only prerequisite for being on the team. Rather than leave weaker players sidelined, though, he encouraged the more experienced players to work with the newer ones, and share their knowledge and love of the game. It was the best way to promote a positive team spirit, and invariably each girl was a better, stronger player for it.

  He’d started coaching girls’ teams when Kate was little, always with the thought that someday she would play, too. That day had never come, and he knew now it never would, but that was okay. He wasn’t one of those parents who forced kids into activities they didn’t want to do, and he had always encouraged Kate to explore as many new things as she liked. Recently that had dwindled to two main interests—drawing and photography. She excelled at both and he was proud of her for that, but he sure wished she would devote the same passion to academics. Last year he’d had to hire a tutor to get her through the year. The divorce plus having her mother leave the country had hit her hard, that was a given. Now he hoped the change of scene and some new friends, especially kids like Casey, would influence her in a way that he hadn’t been able to.

  Speaking of Casey, he watched her streak down the field with the ball, which sailed into the net in spite of the goaltender’s aerodynamic attempt to make a save. She swung around, grinning widely, blond ponytail flying, fist pumping the air. He blew the whistle and jotted “forward” next to her name on the team roster on his clipboard. Then he waved them all into a huddle in center field.

  “Great job today, everyone. I’ll post the lineup outside the girls’ locker room tomorrow afternoon. Our next practice will be after school on Thursday.”

  “Is that when we find out if we made the team?” a girl by the name of Melissa Merriweather asked.

  “Everyone’s already made the team.” That announcement generated a loud cheer and a round of high fives. “On Thursday we’ll also vote for a team captain and an assistant captain, so between now and then I’d like you to think about who you’d like to nominate.”

  “When’s our first game?” a girl named Alycia asked.

  “The schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, but it won’t be for a couple of weeks. That gives us lots of time to practice, work on some plays, build some confidence. Any other questions?”

  There weren’t.

  “Then I’ll see all of you on Thursday.”

  Some of the girls set off toward the school gym at a leisurely pace; others ran ahead, Casey in the lead. The girl was an incredible athlete. After Saturday night pizza, Sarah had talked about her daughter’s career aspirations, which were impressive for a kid her age. He had no idea what their financial situation might look like, but he would make a point of mentioning to Sarah that she and her daughter should keep athletic scholarships in mind. If the girl could get her undergraduate degree funded and still planned to pursue higher education, she’d be set.

  He flipped through his notes as he followed his team back into the school. It had been a good first practice and he looked forward to working with these kids this year. In his office, he sat and put his feet up on the desk, crossed them at the ankles and wove his fingers together at the back of his head. His first day at Serenity Bay High had exceeded his expectations. It was a good school, the kids he’d met so far were great, and from the few glimpses he’d caught of Kate throughout the day, he’d been encouraged to see her talking with other students, mostly Casey and several others.

  With any luck she’d be willing to have a conversation about it over dinner tonight, the kind where she would talk without him having to feel as though he was conducting an interrogation. There had to be a first time for everything, right? Of course there was.

  * * *

  SARAH SAT AND EASED tired feet out of shoes that had stopped feeling comfortable several hours ago. What a day. It had flown by, but her to-do list was still almost as long as it had been that morning. Half of the new handbags still had to be unpacked and entered into the computer inventory, and the window display was still in total disarray.

  “On the plus side,” she reminded herself, “you’ve made record sales for a Tuesday, and that is always a good thing.”

  She sipped some more water and was debating whether or not to force her feet back into the shoes when the doorbell jangled.

  “And here we go again.” With shoes on her feet and a smile on her face, she returned to the front of the store. Jonathan’s daughter stood there, looking both hesitant and curious.

  “Kate. Hi.”

  “Hi, Sarah. I hope it’s okay I’m here. My dad and Casey are at soccer practice or something, and you said it was okay for me to drop by.”

  “Of course it’s okay. You’re welcome anytime. Casey sent a text to remind me about the practice this afternoon.”

  “It seemed like a good time to check out your store.” Kate took a careful look around, then seemed to zero in on the window display Sarah had dismantled that morning.

  “Sorry about the mess,” she said. “My assistant had to stay home because her little boy is sick. I’ve been here on my own all day and it’s been super busy, so I haven’t had time to redo the display.”

  “Oh.” Kate’s gaze lingered on the undressed mannequins, as though she had something to say.

  “How was your first day at Serenity Bay High?” Sarah asked.

  “It was good. Casey and I have two classes together, and she introduced me to some of her friends.”

  “That’s good. I’ll bet it’s a lot different from the high school you would have attended in the city.” Reminding her about the school and friends she hadn’t wanted to leave behind was the wrong thing to say. What was she thinking? “I mean, I hope it’s different in a good way.”

  Kate shrugged. “School’s school.”

  Sarah recalled something else Jonathan had said on Saturday night after the girls had gone upstairs.

  She’s going through a...I don’t know...a phase? At least I hope it’s a phase.

 
He might be right, but Sarah suspected he had a tendency to overreact to his daughter’s attitude, and Kate knew exactly what she needed to do to push his buttons. So instead of reacting to the girl’s dismissive comment, Sarah changed the subject.

  “I still have lot to do before I leave this afternoon. A shipment of handbags came in today and I haven’t finished unpacking them yet, and then I still have to do the window displays. Why don’t you take a look around? The younger styles are on this side of the store,” she said with a wave. “Accessories—belts, scarves, handbags—are here in the center and the more mature styles are on the opposite side.” Old-lady clothes, as Casey referred to them.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a store that caters to both,” Kate said.

  “Small towns generally don’t offer a lot of shopping options, so I decided it made good business sense to provide them.” And she was glad she’d gone with her instincts, because it had paid off in spades.

  Kate briefly surveyed the racks, but then her gaze strayed back to the mannequins. “Can I help with the window? I mean, I’ve always wanted to do one.”

  “Oh. Really?” It seemed odd that a fourteen-year-old would rather work than shop. Casey had mentioned that their new neighbor wanted to work in the fashion industry, and the girl definitely had a sense of style. Her off-the-shoulder sweater, skinny jeans and heels created a eye-popping combo. Not exactly typical for the average SBH student, but the clothes suited her to a tee and she wore them with quiet confidence and enough flair to make people notice. And probably turn the heads of every boy at school, she thought, including the seniors. Maybe her father had good reason to worry.

  “You are welcome to tackle the window, but are you sure you wouldn’t rather look around? You can feel free to try things on, if you’d like.”

  “I’d rather do the windows. And if you hate them, I’ll put everything back.”

  Sarah laughed. “You go right ahead. And you have great taste, so don’t worry about whether or not I’m going to like them. I’m sure they’ll be great.”

  Enthusiasm brightened Kate’s eyes. She swung her bag off her shoulder and glanced around as if looking for place to put it.

  “You can put your bag in my office,” she said. “But before you do, you need to let your dad know where you are and what you’re doing, okay? I don’t want him to worry.”

  Her eyes dimmed, but she took out her phone and tapped out a text message on her way into Sarah’s office. She returned, still looking at the screen, nodding. “He says it’s fine.”

  “All right then, let’s get to work. I’ll bring my laptop and the new inventory out here so I can work at the sales counter in case you want to ask questions.”

  They both went to work, Sarah keeping an eye on the girl, amazed by the transformation. Kate moved purposefully from rack to rack, choosing items, holding them up together, changing her mind, returning a scarf, sweater or jacket to a shelf or rack, selecting something else. Her focus was intense and her choices were bang on. When she was finished, one window had a youthful, spirited feel to it. The other was as chic and understated as any of Sarah’s more mature patrons. Somehow Kate had picked up on exactly who her customers were, even though no one had come into the store while she dressed the mannequins and staged the windows.

  Sarah shut down her laptop, put the last of the handbags on the display rack, and joined Kate at the windows “Great job. This looks incredible.”

  For the first time since she’d met the girl, she saw what she felt was a genuine smile. “You really think so? Thanks!”

  “Let’s take a look from the sidewalk.”

  In front of the store, Kate pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and snapped a couple of photos.

  “Does your store have a Facebook page?” she asked.

  “No, I’ve never taken the time to set one up.” And never saw the point to having one.

  “I can make one for you. Is it okay if I take some pictures inside the store?” Kate asked as they went back inside.

  “Of course. Photograph anything you like.”

  For the next few minutes, Kate wandered around the store, eyeing displays, angling her phone this way and that. Then she must’ve checked the time.

  “Omigosh, I seriously have to go. I need to be home before my dad gets there. I, um, told him when I texted him that I’d be home before he was. So he’ll...he might worry if he gets there before I do.”

  “I’ll be closing the store in half an hour,” Sarah said. “If you want to wait, send your dad another message to let him know when you’ll be home. You can get a ride with me.”

  “Oh. Thanks, but that’s okay. I’ll walk.”

  Sarah was tempted to say half an hour shouldn’t make a difference, especially since walking uphill in those shoes wasn’t going to be easy. Not your place, she reminded herself. Kate was now as anxious to get home as she’d been to help with the shop windows, and that parent-child relationship was none of her business. There was something she could do, though.

  “You’ve done a wonderful job and your help means I won’t have to stay late tonight. How would you like to pick out one of these new handbags?”

  “You mean I can take one? Like, for free?”

  “Yes, you’re welcome to take one, and no, it’s not free. You’ve already earned it.”

  Wide-eyed, Kate surveyed the new inventory. “I really like this one.” She ran a hand over a large black-and-white DKNY logo tote.

  “Then it’s yours.”

  “Oh, wow!” Kate surprised her with a hug. “Thank you so much. I’ll get my bag out of your office and then I’d better get going.”

  Poor kid, Sarah thought, as she watched the girl leave the store, her own bag slung over her shoulder and her new one tucked inside a To the Nines shopping bag. There was a big hole in that girl’s life, and it seemed to her it was a gap only a mom could fill. Not that Sarah could replace Kate’s own larger-than-life mother, but she could be there for her with a female perspective and an understanding shoulder to lean on from time to time. And since Jonathan had all but admitted to being overwhelmed, he would probably be okay with that.

  She turned her attention back to the task of closing up the store for another day. Although it had started as something of a disaster, it had turned into a good day after all, and now it was almost time for some real mother-daughter time.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ON THE WAY home from school, Jon swung by the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. He’d had a very good day and he hoped Kate had, too, so he decided to celebrate with one of her favorite meals.

  He wheeled a shopping cart through the produce section and selected fresh tomatoes, parsley, basil. He knew there was garlic in the pantry, but onions? Better buy a few in case they were out, and the makings for a salad, too. He moved on to another aisle and chose a package of whole wheat penne, a nod to Kate’s current healthy eating kick.

  “Jonathan? Hi.” That was a familiar voice.

  “Sarah, hi.” Her silky pink shirt, almost an exact match to the blush on her cheeks, and the slim navy skirt were as runway perfect as they’d been that morning. She’d shed the jacket, though, and a small cream handbag dangled from her shoulder on a gold chain.

  “How was your first day?”

  “Good. It was good. I think it’s a great school.”

  “It is, isn’t it? How was soccer practice?”

  “It went very well. There are some excellent players on the team, and your daughter is one of them.”

  She smiled as only a mom could. “I’m very proud of her.”

  “Are you picking up things for dinner?” he asked, changing the subject before it segued from her daughter to his. He wanted to talk to Kate and hear firsthand about her day before he had to answer questions about her or discuss how she w
as settling in.

  “We’re going out for burgers tonight, but I needed a few things for breakfast this week.”

  He glanced into the basket she had on her arm. Frozen waffles and a box of breakfast cereal that promised very few calories while delivering a boatload of vitamins and minerals. A quart of skim milk.

  “What are you making?” she asked. “Whatever it is, it looks healthy.”

  “Spaghetti with marinara sauce, salad, garlic bread. It’s one of Kate’s favorites.”

  “I can see why. It sounds delicious.”

  She was a great mom who had an enviable relationship with her teenager but didn’t know how to cook. Give him a handful of ingredients and he could whip up a meal, but he couldn’t figure out how to connect with his daughter. The irony didn’t escape him, but he had a feeling it was going to haunt him, especially given Sarah’s cool demeanor. Since this wasn’t the place to launch into an apology, he decided to use the marinara sauce as way to open the door. He would make extra, and after dinner he would run a container of it next door. Would she think he was being pushy? Desperate? He hoped not.

  Sarah’s phone went off and she pulled it out of her handbag and read the screen. “We’re out of microwave popcorn so I need to pick that up. Good to see you, and I’m glad everything went well today.”

  “Thanks.” He watched her walk briskly down the aisle. At the far end, she stopped to chat with someone. He realized he was still staring at her legs and pulled himself back to the task at hand. Dinner. He surveyed the contents of his cart and set off for the dairy and bakery sections for Parmesan and French bread. He liked to start from scratch whenever he could, but there was no time to bake bread. A whole loaf would make a lot of garlic bread, so he’d wrap up some of that and take it over to Sarah’s with the sauce.

  Seriously? You need to get a life and stop worrying about feeding the family next door.

  Twenty minutes later he had made it through the checkout and driven home and was in the kitchen unpacking the groceries. Back in the city, the rush-hour commute alone would have taken way more time than that.