Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,91
Katy went to Marianne’s to pack for her flight home.
The next two months were spent in a flurry. Thanksgiving came and went. Alex was home on holiday break and helped her pack up the house. He was, as always, supportive of his mother’s decisions. He was hoping she and Ryan would work out their differences.
Katy finished ordering everything for Angie’s hotel. The only thing left to do was be there when it was time to get ready for the opening and make sure everything went smoothly, and Chloe had already agreed to give her the time off to go to Iowa.
“Ryan can suck an egg,” was Chloe’s reply when Katy reminded her that Ryan would be her boss.
One night in early December, the phone rang. It was Angie. “Hey, Katy.”
“Anything wrong?” Katy asked.
“No, everything is right on schedule. I won’t need you for a few months, but I had a great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Michael is going back out to Dallas for a few days and I was thinking about a trip back home for a few days while he’s gone. I’d like to hang out with Mom and discuss the wedding. Would you like to ride down with me? You could visit your folks. We can get some holiday shopping done and there’s a place I want to see.”
“Actually that sounds great. I need to get down and see Mom and Dad before I move.”
“Really going through with it, huh?”
“That’s the plan. Where’s the place you want to see?”
“Remember the old Sheraton Hotel over in French Lick, and the dome that was all run down and empty for years?”
“Yes, I vaguely remember that.”
“Someone bought all that and renovated both hotels. I hear the Dome is gorgeous. I saw pictures in one of my casino magazines. They’ve built a casino between the two hotels. I would love to see what they’ve done with the place.”
“That would be fun. Yes, I’ll go. Just tell me when and where to meet.”
They made their plans to meet and drive to southern Indiana together the following Tuesday. They would stay until Saturday and then drive back home. Katy was looking forward to getting away and to seeing her parents. She had told them her plans. They told her they hated to see her move even farther away, but felt it was good she was doing something for herself after all these years. It’ll be good to see them, she thought.
The trip was all Katy could have hoped for. The visit with Jackie and with her own parents was delightful. She was able to complete her Christmas shopping while there, and had even won a little money at the casino. Angie had been right about the Dome. It was beautiful. It was sad saying goodbye to her parents, but they promised to fly out for a visit once she was settled.
Christmas was a quiet affair. She and Alex had dinner out and exchanged gifts afterward. The house was pretty well packed except for the things she used on a daily basis. A lot of her excess furniture had either been put in storage for Alex to use later or had been sold. The house was on the market, and the day after Christmas an offer was made. Katy and Alex accepted the offer, and in thirty days Katy would be homeless.
She called Marianne, who immediately began the search for an apartment for her friend with the help of Chloe. They were able to secure an attractive two bedroom apartment for her not far from Marianne’s house.
Katy’s friends and neighbors in Chicago had thrown a party in her honor. She had said her goodbyes as they all wished her well on her venture.
Things had gone too smoothly, too quickly, Katy thought as she packed the last suitcase. The furniture she was keeping and the boxes were already on their way to Texas. She would be driving the car out with the rest of her things. Alex was driving out with her to help her get settled over the weekend, before he had to fly back to school. She looked around the bedroom one last time.
It was time to turn the keys over to the new owners, a young couple, much like she and Bill when they had bought this place. Her thoughts wandered to the day Bill had brought her here for the first time. They had been so happy as together they had planned their future. She could almost see him standing in the middle of the