anyway. Every time she was on Facebook, and when she walked into her room at the Kellers’ — always aware of the framed photograph on the floor under her bed, right against the baseboard, getting dusty.
She sat up and stretched as her mom knocked on the door and opened it. “Good morning.” She smiled. “Another Fourth.”
“Yes.” Bailey yawned and pulled her knees up close to her chest. She patted the spot on the bed beside her. “Come talk.”
Life had been so busy lately, between shows and rehearsals and her mom’s schedule with the kids and her writing. They hadn’t talked for more than five minutes in a week. Her mom stepped inside and took the spot next to Bailey. She breathed in deep and looked out the window. “Should be a hot one.”
“Always.” Bailey smiled.
“I was hoping you were awake.” Her mom turned to her. “I haven’t had a minute to tell you, but … Cody stopped by last week. Didn’t call … just drove up.” She smiled, and the sadness in her expression was clear. “It was nice seeing him again.”
“He stopped by?” Bailey sat up straighter. “That’s sort of a big deal.”
“I know.” Her mom managed a sheepish shrug. “Seriously every time we talked I didn’t think about it until we hung up. I hate that part about you living so far away. The everyday stuff falls through the cracks.” She angled her head. “I figured we’d talk longer this weekend, but now you’re here.”
The sick feeling hit her instantly. This was the day she needed to tell her mom the reason she was home. “Yeah. I have things to tell you too.” She tried to picture Cody dropping in. “So why’d he stop by?”
“He wanted to talk to Dad. About football and camp, drills … that sort of thing.”
“Hmmm.” Bailey’s heart felt raw and maybe a little jealous. “What about the boys? Did they see him?”
“They did. They played a little football out back, and then Cody stayed for dinner and he and your dad talked after that.”
Bailey hugged her knees a little closer and wrestled with her emotions. “Was he nice?”
“Very.” A sigh eased from her mother’s lips. “He misses the boys and us. And he misses you, Bailey. You have to know that.”
“Not really.” Bailey didn’t feel bitter, but she had to be honest. “He hasn’t called or texted.” She raised one shoulder and let it fall again. “How much could he miss me?”
“He asked about you.”
Bailey hated the way her heart jumped. “What did he ask?” She kept her tone neutral. Not that she wanted to hide her feelings from her mom. She wanted to hide them from herself.
“How you were doing, how the show was going.” Her mom smiled big, her eyes kind. “I told him you were doing great. The best dancer on Broadway.”
The sick feeling grew, and her mind raced. Cody had been here, at her house? For most of an evening? And he’d asked about her? She should’ve been here instead of making a fool of herself on Broadway. Then they could’ve taken a walk and figured out what went wrong. What really went wrong. Bailey waited. She didn’t want to ask her next question, but finally she couldn’t stop herself. “Did … he talk about Cheyenne?”
“The friend in the car accident?”
“His girlfriend, Mom.” Bailey’s voice was even, without a hint of sarcasm. “Did he mention her? Or did you ask?” “I didn’t ask.”
“So he mentioned her.” It wasn’t a question.
“Not really.” Her mom’s tone was gentle. “He told me they spent time together. That’s it.” Her mom had hesitated. “He asked about you and Brandon.”
Bailey felt her breath leave her for a second or two. “Okay.” She paused. “What did you tell him?” She didn’t like the idea of her mom talking to Cody. After how he’d treated her, she felt like she needed her mom on her side. There wasn’t room in the situation for her mom to be both Cody’s ally and hers.
“Don’t worry.” Empathy shaded her expression. “I said Brandon and you talk. Nothing more.”
“Good.” Bailey felt relieved. Of course her mom understood. “He could reach me if he wanted to.”
“You’re right.” Her mom looked like she wanted to say more, but she hesitated and the change in her eyes said she was switching topics. “So what’s new in New York?”
Bailey felt her heart drop to the floor. She’d dreaded this since Francesca’s talk with her, but now there was no better time to break the