She was glad he didn’t press the issue. His daughter, Leanne, and her husband, Dan, had two young kids. Dan, a software sales manager, traveled extensively. Jack thought his son-in-law a good man, but Jack had confided in Alicia that his main worry was that Dan was poised to repeat Jack’s own gravest mistakes. Jack had only just graduated medical school and started his residency when Leanne, his only child, was born. Long hours meant he saw little of her, and it was a regret that haunted him still. He hoped his grandchildren would not suffer the same fate as their mother: an absent father in their formative years.
“That’s great, Jack. Don’t spoil them too much, though. Your daughter will not be pleased.”
He rubbed his hands together and belted out a movie-villain laugh. “Ha-ha-ha-ha. I shall spoil them rotten. Rotten to the core.” Talking about his grandchildren always put him in a great mood.
“You really need to work on your evil laugh,” she teased.
“Come on. That was epic.” Then his expression turned serious. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
Alicia almost forgot her resolution this morning. Jack’s announcement about Kat had thrown her off balance.
“I’ve been thinking about getting a job.”
He raised a brow. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that. Is Tillerson Brenner laying off lawyers?”
“Very funny, Jack.”
“I’m serious. You live in Weston, and your husband makes piles of money. Why do you need a job?”
How could she make him understand? By his reaction, it would be no easy task. But talking to Jack presented an opportunity for a practice run before she pitched the idea to Eliot.
“Jack, I haven’t earned a penny of my own since I married Eliot. Although he’s proud of the life he provides for his family, I need to do this for me.”
He tapped his lips with an index finger, pondering her statement. Then he said, “I think I understand where you’re coming from. You want to contribute to your family in a different way from what you’re used to and also gain some independence at the same time. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“I’d love to help you out, Alicia—although it would pain me, and everyone here, to lose you—but we don’t have any openings in the Needham office right now.”
“That’s okay. But if anything pops up, please keep me in mind. It could be part-time. That way, I can still volunteer here.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jack began to make his way to the door but turned back, his eyebrows furrowed. “Alicia, you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to, but are you sure everything is okay at home?”
“Yes, Jack. Everything is fine. Our twentieth wedding anniversary is next week, and I guess it got me thinking about my past, and my future. Although I’ve managed to raise strong, independent daughters, sometimes I don’t feel that way, personally.” She couldn’t believe she was confessing this to Jack. What had gotten into her?
“You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished,” he said gently. “Job or no job. You raised two incredible kids. Eliot’s career has flourished in no small part to your contributions.”
As the door closed behind Jack’s retreating figure, she murmured, “Sometimes I wonder if it’s enough.”
CHAPTER 4
Alicia would never forget the scorching summer day, four years ago, when she met Katalina Torres DeLuca. When Alicia had answered the door, she’d done a double take at the stunning, Latina bombshell who stood at the entrance.
“Took you long enough to answer the door,” Kat had said. “I’m melting into a puddle out here.”
Alicia had liked Kat instantly, despite the envy rising up from the pit of her stomach. Kat was a breathtaking incarnation of the actress Eva Longoria in crisp, white denim shorts that emphasized her tiny waist and long, shapely legs, paired with a snow-white linen top. Her raven black hair cascaded down her back in voluminous waves. Alicia had no idea how Kat got her hair to behave in that heat.
But the most interesting accessory on Kat, Alicia observed that day, wasn’t the white Birkin bag that hung from her slender wrist or the five-inch Italian wedge sandals on her feet. The two things that intrigued Alicia the most were Kat’s warmth and confidence.
She had introduced herself and mentioned that she and her husband, Richard, and their son, Maxim, had just moved down the street. Kat hadn’t waited to be invited in. She had simply breezed past Alicia and headed for the living room, leaving a trail of expensive perfume, a scent Alicia recognized, in her wake.
Shaking the past from her head, Alicia brought her focus back to the present. Since Kat had had still not responded to Alicia’s messages, she had decided that the element of surprise would be the only way to get facetime with Kat. Alicia didn’t want their friendship strained over a misunderstanding. But in order to move on, she needed to hear Kat’s reason for placing her hands where they didn’t belong, and so Alicia had come calling.
Late morning sunlight streamed through the large windows. A flat-screen monitor, a family photo, multiple files, and notebooks rested on a sleek executive desk. The pleasing aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted throughout the room. Kat had spared no expense in her office space, down to the Persian rugs on the floor and expensive paintings on the wall. They were the perfect complement to the numerous plaques peppered around the office. KTM Creative Edge, a full-service digital marketing agency, whose clients included some of the most recognizable brands in the country, was also an award-winning company.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Alicia said in a clearly accusatory tone.
Kat flinched, then angled her body away, as though shielding it from Alicia’s accusation. “I can’t anymore, can I? You’re here.”
Kat sat behind her
