soon as she saw him.
Bunny worked the counter today while Kelly and two other waiters manned the main room. Kelly sensed Bunny’s stare before she looked up to see a blonde woman talking to Bunny follow her gaze in Kelly’s direction. Kelly stopped dead in her tracks.
Helen Thompson. Kelly hadn’t seen her in seven years, but she’d know her anywhere. Dressed in business professional casual with a navy sheath, gold rope choker that was probably real and her hair scraped into a perfect French twist, she held Kelly’s gaze until Kelly acknowledged that she recognized her. Helen then sat on the stool at the counter to wait.
Kelly finished pouring coffee for the women at the table and excused herself, working her way to the counter. She could guess what Helen wanted.
“Helen.”
“Hello, Kelly. I know this must be a surprise.”
The women shook hands. “A surprise, yes, but we were in need of speaking, so I am glad to see you. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation, she led Helen to the family booth by her office. Bunny followed with coffee and a plate of Kelly’s favorite almond cookies.
Bunny gave Helen a harsh look before pouring their coffees. “I know who you are. I recognize you from the Doyle interview. I don’t like how you dragged my friend into your little fight. Cheap shot.” She looked at Kelly. “I wouldn’t share your cookies with this one.”
Kelly laughed. “That’s enough, Bunny. Can you ask Jake and Kristin to spread out and cover my station for a bit?”
She turned her attention to Helen. Lifting the plate, she said, “Cookie?”
Helen glanced in Bunny’s direction. “No, thanks.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. If Bunny was really irritated she wouldn’t have brought the cookies at all. Take one. They’re excellent with coffee.”
Kelly broke a piece of the cookie and munched it, giving herself a chance to pull her wits together about this woman sitting across from her. She was determined to stay cool despite the fact that she’d been angrier than a nest of hornets when she’d first heard Doyle’s interview. It took a few days for her to become okay with the fact that Helen had an accusation out on Campbell that needed to be addressed. That was her business. Kelly hoped that Helen hadn’t pointed the finger at Kelly as much as Doyle built the scenario on his own. Guess it was time to learn the truth.
“I must say Bunny voiced the exact question I wanted to ask. Why did you drag me into your story?”
Helen put the untouched cookie on the plate holding her coffee mug. “That’s why I’m here, Kelly.”
She frowned. “Explain.”
“On one hand, I’m compelled to apologize, but on the other, I’m not. Once I saw the photos of your son, I understood why you quit working for Madeline.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “What I want to know is why you haven’t pressed charges?”
Kelly sat rock still. She did not want to be pulled into this debacle, let alone admit the truth she’d never spoken aloud before Doyle’s interview hit the airwaves. Now her circle of confidence was extremely small. She wanted to keep it that way.
“I have nothing to say, Helen. I left Madeline and the girls for my own reasons.”
Helen sipped her coffee, black. “I don’t believe you, Kelly. I knew you for three years. Your dedication to those girls showed how much you enjoyed your job.”
“How did you know that?”
“Because when Madeline sat down with me to discuss hiring a new nanny, she was perplexed about why you bolted—because you did bolt. The night before, all was well. You helped put the girls to bed and retired for the evening. Next day, you were gone before noon. Madeline couldn’t understand why you’d given up so much, when you seemed so happy with them.”
Kelly’s throat tightened. When she’d left the Campbell’s she never looked back. Never called. Never sent cards to the girls. Nothing. She simply disappeared.
“I feel awful that I never explained myself to them.”
“So, why would you do that if you didn’t have the same problem with Buzz that I had?”
Kelly sipped her coffee. She needed something hot to burn the ache running down her throat. “You’re charging Buzz with sexual harassment, yet you plastered me all over the screen as Campbell’s lover. I’m not so sure I understand the justice you served me, Helen.”
Color rose in Helen’s cheeks. She was a striking woman. Slender, clear skin. Lovely blue eyes under