Have Mercy - Christina Lee Page 0,91

all?”

Mom linked arms with Caitlin and me like she used to do when we were kids and she didn’t want us to get lost at the amusement park or some other family trip we’d taken. My dad would tell her she was being paranoid, and fuck, suddenly I wanted him to be here with us so badly.

When I made eye contact with Caitlin, it seemed she had the same idea, the pain in her eyes palpable. “Think Daddy witnessed me getting married from somewhere out there?”

“Of course he did,” Mom said with a watery smile.

“He would’ve liked the location you chose,” I said. “Though he might’ve argued a little that it wasn’t Jones Beach.”

Mom and Caitlin both grinned, no doubt recalling how passionate he was about his childhood haunts. We’d been dragged there too many times to count, and those were some of the best memories I had—shaking the sand out of my shorts, peeling skin from too little sunscreen across my nose… And suddenly I wanted to tell Kerry all about it and ask if he’d ever been to the beach. Damn, why couldn’t I shake the guy?

We walked a little farther down the beach, then turned to head back toward the house while Caitlin and Mom chattered on about the ceremony and what they’d packed for their honeymoon. We could see Tim in the distance, heading toward us, and Caitlin waved and sighed, acting like the happy bride she was.

“You seem distant,” Mom said, nudging me, likely because I hadn’t added much to the conversation. “You sure nothing’s bothering you?”

“No, I’m just…”

“Mooning over a cowboy.” Caitlin clamped her hand over her mouth.

“What is this about?” Mom asked, whirling toward me.

“Shit.” I narrowed my eyes at Caitlin, who looked apologetic. Then she greeted her husband, and they went on to the house, leaving me with Mom’s question hanging between us.

“Who’s the mysterious cowboy?”

I winced. “He’s really not very mysterious.”

She stared at me a moment as something seemed to click in her brain. “Kerry?”

My heart pounded in my chest as I nodded. Goddamn it. What the hell would Mom think of me hooking up with Kerry? But it had been more than hooking up, hadn’t it?

You mean something to me too.

“Oh, honey.” She gripped my shoulders. “I wondered after the way you responded to his gift, but then I dismissed it because…seriously, Kerry?”

I bit my lip, feeling like a little kid again. “Well, you did say he needed someone in his corner.”

She swatted me playfully, then sobered when she saw the look on my face. Why was this so hard to talk to my mom about?

“Does Sienna know?” she asked in a faltering voice.

“I think she suspects. We kept it on the down-low because he, well, he didn’t want to cause any more pain.” I pushed my hand through my hair in frustration. “It just happened, Mom. We got close and, well…he’s a handsome cowboy, what do you want from me?”

She chuckled. “Well, doesn’t this throw a wrench into the whole thing…”

“Nah, there’s nothing more to it.” I swallowed down my emotions. “We said our goodbyes, and I just need to move on.”

She studied me with a strange look on her face. “Are you sure?”

I shrugged, my eyes stinging a bit.

“Oh, honey.”

Just as she pulled me into a hug, my phone started blowing up with notifications. I’d forgotten I changed the setting on my phone last night so I wouldn’t be disturbed for several hours.

When I drew back and fished my cell from my pocket, I stiffened. There were several texts from Sienna. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Most likely, she’d responded in kind.

“Everything all right?” Mom asked, staring down at my cell.

“Yes, it’s just Sienna. We agreed to exchange photos. Me from the wedding and her from the grand opening.”

“That was today?” she asked.

“Tomorrow. I’m sure she’s just showing me all the preparations.”

“I’d like to see the photos too, if you don’t mind.” She threw her arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek. I should’ve known better than to think there was a way to get around my heartache, so I’d just plow straight through it.

30

Kerry

The grand opening went off without a hitch. I was standing near the door, helping usher customers inside, but the area outside was just as crowded. The petting zoo we’d set up for the kids might’ve been the draw, or it might’ve been just plain curiosity about the farm and the divorced couple running it, one of whom had come out of