“It’s notabout just any kid. It’s about them. The children in the system who needsomething stable, who need love—we can give them that.”
“For howlong? Until someone else decides our time is up? I can’t do it. I don’t want tofall in love with another child only to have her torn away from me.”
“I know itwas difficult. Letting Elle go hurt me, too. But now we know what to expect,and we just have to tell ourselves it’s for the kids. We can help each otherthrough anything.”
“Please,Casey, I can’t.”
Caseyclenched her jaw. “You can. You just won’t.”
“You’reright—I won’t.” Tears spilled unrestrained down Jacqueline’s cheeks. “LosingElle—I won’t survive something like that again.”
By the time Jacqueline reached her father’s house, fresh tearsfollowed the tracks of her memories. She hadn’t completely replaced the ghostof their most recent kiss, but she had succeeded in resurrecting the sickfeeling that had been ever-present in her stomach after their breakup. Tendrilsof anger, resentment, and pain curled around her heart, like a rogue vine ofkudzu, threatening to smother every other emotion. Mission accomplished.
*
Casey returned to the porch carrying three beers, only to findKendra standing there by herself. Jacqueline strode away from them on thesidewalk like a woman on a mission.
“She’s been acting strange lately,” Kendra said.
“Huh, maybe work stress?” Casey didn’t think Kendra picked up onthe false, overly high tone of her voice.
She handed Kendra one of the beers and gestured to the rockingchairs. After setting the spare drink on the small table between them, shepushed the balls of her bare feet against the floor to set her rocker inmotion.
“Maybe. I think it’s more than that. She’s handled work stuffbefore, though this latest snafu was a big one. But she’s been distracted andkind of—sad.”
Casey didn’t say anything, though she was dying to ask aboutJacqueline’s work problem. Kendra had gone on as if she’d assumed Jacquelinehad told her about it, so she must not have confided in her about their mostrecent issues. Casey had visited Teddy twice in the past week and even gottenhim to walk to the corner and back as he’d promised. But she hadn’t seenJacqueline at all. Avoidance was Jacqueline’s modus operandi in the face ofconflict. But this time, Casey wasn’t too eager to confront their mistakeeither. She’d been short with Nina all week, but even through two apologies,she hadn’t confessed about the kiss. Now, it seemed like too much time hadpassed. The sin of omission would be nearly as great as the originaltransgression.
Kendra shifted to her favorite topic lately. “I’ve picked out thebridesmaid dresses, and I think you’re going to love them.”
Casey grimaced. “I wanted to talk to you about that. I’m soflattered that you asked me to stand up with you, but—would you be terriblyhurt if I declined?”
“What? Are you afraid of the dresses? Because, I swear, I didn’tpick something ugly just to make me look prettier.” She feigned flipping herhair. “Frankly, I don’t need to do that. I’m going to be radiant.”
“I was thinking that maybe I could do your pictures.” Casey lovedKendra and Gavin and was thrilled to see them take the next step together. Butbeing a bridesmaid just wasn’t her thing. She didn’t want the attention, andshe certainly didn’t want to stand next to Jacqueline during a wedding. Shecould just imagine the looks she’d be getting from Nina, whom she’d informedthat attendance was not optional. She refused to go stag to the wedding becauseNina wanted to be a baby about Casey’s history with Jacqueline. They were twoforty-year-old women, for God’s sake; they both had a past. Now she wasn’t sureit was a good idea, but she’d made such a big deal that she couldn’t change hermind.
“I’m not inviting you to my wedding and then making you work.You’ll be a guest.”
“Or a bridesmaid.” Which, to her, felt like work.
“You’re going to look gorgeous in this dress. Nina will thank me,I promise.”
“I don’t even think of it as work. Do you really want to spendall that money to hire the second-best wedding photographer in town when youcould have me, for free?”
“When you put it that way…”
“Consider it my wedding gift. I’d really love to do this for youtwo.”
“Okay. You’re relieved of bridesmaid duty.”
“Thank you.” Casey faked an exaggerated sigh. Nina wouldn’t bethrilled that Casey wouldn’t be sitting next to her during the ceremony. ButCasey really did want to give Kendra and Gavin some great photos to remembertheir day.
*
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” Casey said as soon as Nina walkedthrough the door to her office that afternoon. She looked away from the photosshe’d been editing. She’d been trying to finish them before Nina came to takeher to dinner.
“Well, it’s all going to have to wait, because I have the bestnews.” Nina curled over the back of Casey’s desk chair and wrapped her armsaround her neck. She kissed Casey’s cheek, and then Casey turned to meet herlips. “No distracting me. I got a call from our realtor today. And she foundthe perfect house for us.”
“Perfect?” Casey turned back to her computer screen, clicking tothe next photo.
“This place is amazing. Four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, ahuge kitchen.”
“Sounds big.” They’d disagreed from the beginning on exactly whatthey were looking for. Every listing Nina brought her seemed larger than thelast. When Casey questioned whether they should spend that much money, Ninaassured her that she could afford it. But Casey didn’t want to be a kept woman.
“It is. It’s so spacious. And the realtor says it’s going to goquick, so we need to look at it tomorrow morning or we could miss it.” Ninagrabbed the back of Casey’s chair and spun her around to face her.
“I can’t tomorrow. I have a shoot scheduled.” She unlocked herphone and flipped through her
