a boa constrictor wrapped around his neck headed their way “—I’m taking lunch now.”
“You would.”
“She’s a little jewel,” Jaci whispered as they made their way out of Santa’s Pet Station.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure her heart’s made of stone.”
The kitchen was empty, and Kyndal was glad for the privacy. Most of the employees ate at the fast-food places in the area. Occasionally, someone else brought lunch, but not often.
“So what did Mom think about being a grandma?” Jaci opened the can of soup as Kyndal got the bowls out of the cabinet.
“She cried.” Kyndal felt her voice about to break, so she concentrated on filling the bowls and getting them into the microwave. “Telling her was more difficult than I expected. She was shocked. Even more so when I told her the father was Chance. She wants to come home, but they don’t have the money to make the trip.”
Jaci’s eyes narrowed. “Did she ask you for money?”
“Yeah.” She filled Jaci in on the specifics of what her mom and Lloyd had been doing. Rehashing the conversation took away Kyndal’s appetite. She put the bowls on the table, stirring hers to cool it. “I had to turn her down.” The spoonful she took seemed to solidify in her mouth, and she forced it down. “It was the first time I’ve ever done that, and it felt so horrible. But I had to. Things are going to be expensive, even with Chance helping out so much.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Kyn. You did the right thing. She’s got to stop using you. Now’s a good time.”
Jaci’s reassurance confirmed Kyndal’s feelings. She had to stop being an enabler or her mom would never learn to take responsibility.
Wow! The baby was already bringing out her strength and resourcefulness. The second spoonful went down more easily as the zesty flavor of the minestrone woke her taste buds and her appetite. Suddenly, she was ravenous. How could she throw up and then eat less than an hour later?
“You’ll come to our house for Christmas, then.”
Jaci’s command didn’t leave any room for argument—not that Kyndal would ever have dreamed of turning her down. “What would I do without you, Jaci?”
A shadow darkened her friend’s face, and she dropped her eyes. “I dunno. Maybe have an uneventful life as a photographer at Shop-a-Lot?” She paused to slurp up some soup. “So, will Rick be in town for Christmas? Do you think he and Denise would want to come to our house?”
“Maybe.” Rick had become one of Kyndal’s favorite people. He was so darn genuine. But the jury was still out on Denise. She had such a pretentious air…and her voice grated on Kyndal’s nerves.
“Has Chance been naughty? Cause this nice stuff is getting boring.”
Over the past four weeks since Thanksgiving, she and Chance had found a peace that was tentative at best. A current of underlying tension was ever present, making her feel as though she was in a perpetual tango.
When old feelings started to churn to the surface—like every time he touched her—she would avoid him for a few days to let things cool down. But avoiding him was getting to be difficult. He would surprise her at work and take her to lunch. He called her every night to check on her, and sometimes came over to spend the evening. She could say no, she supposed, but she didn’t want to. She practically lived for the next time she’d see him.
And that was a very bad thing.
She reached for the salt, but changed her mind. “He’s going to the doctor with me tomorrow.”
“I’m glad he’s being so supportive.” Jaci laid her spoon down, and her sad look sent a chill down Kyndal’s spine.
“What is it, Jaci? What’s wrong?”
Her friend’s bottom lip trembled. “I shouldn’t be telling this, but I know you won’t say anything. Stuart left Julia last week. She told me this morning.”
“Oh, how horrible.” Tears sprang up in Kyndal’s eyes. “How can he do that to her with what she’s going through? And right at Christmas. That’s just evil.”
She took a drink to help a bite of cracker go down. “Isn’t it odd?” She spoke more to herself than to Jaci. “In a world where everyone’s supposed to be unique, there seems to be an inordinate number of men cut from the same cloth.”
“You said it, sistah. But thank God there’s not two of Bart.” Jaci dabbed her nose. “One’s all I can stand at a time.”