bile, she eased into the kitchen. Angela was already making coffee.
“Look in the refrigerator for some cream cheese, would you, honey?”
Kate was going to kill Ryan; that’s all there was to it. Biting back the curses she wanted to mutter, she made her way to the gigantic stainless steel refrigerator and fished out cream cheese. When the coffee was done, Angela poured two mugs, then brought them and a plate of bagels to the table.
Kate sank into the chair beside her. The caffeine was the only thing that settled her nerves.
“Ryan tells me you’ve been having some trouble with Julia,” Angela said, sipping her drink.
Kate planned to have a chat with Ryan about the things he liked to tell. She shifted in her seat. “Some. This isn’t easy on her.”
“No, I don’t imagine it is. She was very young when you left. It was hard on both of them.”
Curiosity got the best of Kate, and she bit her lip, wrapping her foot around the leg of the chair. “Did Julia and I get along?”
“Oh, of course you did.” Angela smiled. “You were very close. Julia isn’t upset with you, honey. You have to understand that. She’s just afraid of going through all that again.”
“I would think most kids would be thrilled to have a parent back. But she’s fighting me every step of the way.”
Angela patted her hand. “Things were very hard for her. Ryan didn’t handle your leaving well.”
When Kate’s brow wrinkled, Angela eased back in her chair. “He loved you very much, more than he probably should have. Losing you broke him. He walked around in a daze for at least two years. I don’t honestly think he would have made it through without Julia.”
Kate’s eyes slid shut. If she weren’t already falling for Ryan Harrison, that one statement would have pushed her right over the edge. Her chest tightened until she was sure she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
“I think Julia’s afraid of what will happen to him if you decide not to stay,” Angela said softly.
Kate looked down at her coffee. Wisps of steam poured off the hot liquid. “I don’t know what’s going to happen there. I can’t make any promises either way. Ryan and I…” She lifted a shoulder and dropped it in defeat. “We haven’t made any decisions. But I’ll always be around for Julia. That will never change.”
Angela was silent for a minute, watching her speculatively. Finally, she reached for a bagel. “Ryan told you Michael’s not his real father, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
Angela brushed her hair away from her face. “It’s not a surprise you two haven’t gotten around to family stories yet. Michael and I met in college. We fell madly in love, had this wild affair. But he joined the military, and we broke up. I met Kevin Harrison, Ryan’s real father, after Michael left. We got married, and a year later, Ryan was born.”
Her voice softened as she looked down into her mug. “Kevin was a wonderful man. That’s where Ryan gets his blond hair and blue eyes. And he adored Ryan.” She sighed. “He died in a car accident when Ryan was two.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
Angela waved a hand. “It was awful when it happened. But then, a few months later, Michael came home. And it was as if we were still in college. Like no time had gone by at all. Wild chemistry, an unexplainable connection.” She smiled Kate’s way. “I’m sure you know what I mean.”
Heat flushed Kate’s cheeks again.
“Anyway,” Angela went on, “Kevin had only been gone a few months, and here I was, madly in love with another man again. I didn’t know what to do about it. I mean, back then especially, a widow was supposed to grieve for a respectable amount of time before moving on. Not me. No, ma’am. I jumped right into bed with the first man that came along.”
Kate couldn’t stifle the laugh that bubbled out. She covered her mouth with her hand, realizing how insensitive she was being.
Angela chuckled and set her mug down. “Exactly. Insane, right?”
When Kate glanced over, Angela clasped her hand. “Not really. Not when you think about it. God gave Kevin to me so we could make Ryan. He was a gift, one that I cherish forever. And when it was time for him to go, God gave me Michael. He knew exactly what Ryan and I needed. It doesn’t mean I didn’t love Kevin any less, just in a different way. Sometimes