She handed him a message from his agent. Gus Carlisle had been in the loop from the start, and heartily approved of Kim’s work so far. “Congratulations, Iceman. You’re going to the press reception at the Pierre. It’s invitation-only, and you don’t get invited unless they’re dead serious about you.”
“I’ve waited my whole life for someone to be dead serious about me,” he said.
Although she knew the statement was meant to be lighthearted, it brought a lump to her throat. “The wait is over,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Kim loved this part of her job—watching someone’s dream come true. At that same time, she’d seen guys like this before, athletes with raw talent, who shifted from obscurity to notoriety overnight. Not all of them handled it well.
Looking through some of the press materials, he came across her CV. “You have a degree in broadcast journalism,” he said.
“You seem surprised.”
“From USC.”
“That’s right.”
“Why aren’t you broadcasting anything?”
“I am, in a way. When I train a client for the media.”
“No, I mean you. In front of the camera or microphone at least. Doing, I don’t know, sportscasting or color commentary. Don’t tell me you never thought of it.”
“I did some of that as an intern. Loved it, but I needed to make a living, and the PR firm offered me that.”
“And now…?”
“Now my mother needs me. I can’t go beating the bushes for some local affiliate in Timbuktu, competing with college interns.”
“Sounds like an excuse to me.”
She snatched the CV away from him. “Shut up and finish opening your mail.”
“I got a better idea.” He picked her up and swung her around, and planted a long and unabashed kiss on her mouth. When he let her go, she looked around to make sure no one was watching. They were keeping their as-yet-undefined relationship a secret. Not because there was anything wrong with it but because it was new, and fragile, like something that could blow away under the barest breath of scrutiny.
Avalon’s annual Winter Carnival culminated with a celebration at the fire hall. It was a fund-raiser, featuring local groups performing in a battle of the bands, dancing, food and wine. Kim went with her mother, Daphne and Dino. As she surrendered her coat to the coat check in the foyer, a lurch of apprehension took Kim by surprise.
“What is it?” her mother asked, handing over her wool jacket. In a new dress the color of a valentine, she looked particularly pretty this evening, flushed and bright-eyed. She really did seem to be thriving on her new life in this small town.
“Nothing,” Kim said. “It’s just…I take that back. It’s not nothing. It’s everything. It all matters so much,” she confessed. “I never expected that. I thought I’d come here and lick my wounds and then move on, but it hasn’t happened like that.”
Her mother touched her hand. “It happened the way it’s supposed to. And I’m very glad about that, Kimberly.”
Kim felt grateful for her mother’s quiet, steady support. It had been there all her life, but until recently, she hadn’t understood how vital it was. Bo Crutcher had not been her only project this winter. She had also made a commitment to her mother. They were closer than ever now, with a new level of intimacy and understanding that made Kim feel both brave and vulnerable at the same time. She decided to level with her mother.
“I haven’t been to any kind of party since my last night in L.A.,” she said. “I know this is completely different, but I just had a moment there.”
“An extremely unpleasant moment, judging by the expression on your face,” said Penelope. She threaded her arm through Kim’s. “Don’t worry. I’ll be your wing-man, dear.”
They walked into the party, side-by-side. At one end was a raised dais with a banner backdrop bearing a bold logo: O’Donnell Industries. The owner of the Hornets was the party’s sponsor, and it was instantly apparent that her mother was right—this was not like the kind of parties Kim used to attend. People were not posing and jockeying for position. It was almost a relaxed atmosphere. The old-fashioned hall had an enormous fireplace that lit the room with a warm glow. There were long tables laden with food, urns of coffee and hot spiced wine.
AJ was with some of his new friends from school. Kim recognized Vinny Romano, and Tad. They were hanging around the food table, elbowing each other and helping themselves to munchies. She caught his eye and gave him a wave. That smile of his was going to break hearts one day, just like his—
“Hey, Kim, over here,” Daphne said. “Come and meet my sisters.”
Emily, Taylor and Martha McDaniel were, respectively, aged nine, ten and eleven. “We miss you at home, Daffy,” said Emily, the youngest. “When’re you coming back?”
“Hard to say, Em. I don’t really have a plan.”
“Dad wishes you’d come home, too,” Martha pointed out.
“Then Dad should say something.” Daphne added, half to herself, “He won’t, though.” Then she brightened up. “But hey. We’re together tonight, and it’s going to be tons of fun.”
“Yeah,” Emily agreed.
“Kim’s new, so you’ll have to introduce her to people. Kim’s working with Bo Crutcher, that guy from the Hornets. She’s helping him become a famous baseball star.”
“Dad’s gonna teach us to watch baseball,” Taylor said.
“It’s pretty easy,” Kim told her. “I used to be obsessed with baseball when I was your age. Come to think of it, I still am.”
“You’re nuts,” Daphne declared. “Pretty much all sports fans are. I mean, why invest all that emotion in a team? It’s a sure way to get your heart broken.”
“There are lots of ways to get your heart broken,” Kim pointed out. She turned to the sisters. “Tell you what. Once spring training starts, I’ll watch some preseason games with you and we’ll be fans together, okay?”
All three sisters nodded vigorously. Daphne sent them off to wait for the battle
