“You’re right. You really do gossip, don’t you?” I asked bitterly.
She rubbed my shoulder a bit. “I’m sorry. I just think you should know before you get your heart broken.”
Too late. I stood and brushed off imaginary dirt from my denim shorts. “I just remembered I need to call Kyra’s dance instructor about something. If you’ll excuse me…” I reached down and grabbed my purse.
“Oh, of course,” Cathy said. She shifted so I could pass by her in the bleachers.
I’d lied, of course. In reality I went into the bathroom and cried, then I walked out into the parking lot and sat in the van. I hid there for the duration of the practice and sent Max a text to let him know I would be in the car when he was done. There was no way I was going back in there to face the other moms. No way.
I didn’t really think through the idea of hiding from other moms and the town. I still had to face people during Kyra’s recital that night. At least the recital was in a dark theater, so no one could really see me unless they tried really hard. I have to say that I was super proud of Kyra’s performance. She did a lyrical solo, a group jazz performance, and a group hip-hop performance, all of which she’d learned in less than a month.
I hadn’t heard from Ray since our date on Wednesday night. I thought maybe it was because we were both busy, but I started to wonder if it was more than that. Maybe he had other dates. We went on one date, so it wasn’t as if I could assume we were suddenly a monogamous item. I had no right to get upset that he’d slept with his son’s
fiancé. Or did I? Yes, I did, because in his words, Ray sleeping with his son’s fiancé made me question his character and who he was as a man.
I tried not to think of Ray. I needed to focus on Kyra and her moment. Tonight was all about her and her star performance.
While I was waiting outside one of the theater dressing rooms with Max by my side, one of the other moms came up to me and said, “Honey, you should watch your back if you think Ray will be faithful. That man couldn’t keep it in his pants if his life depended on it. And besides, he’s way too old for you.”
“Mom?” Max asked, worried.
“Don’t worry, Max. Some people feel they need to comment on things that don’t concern them,” I said, a little louder than necessary.
The woman huffed and stalked off.
I thought it was a small victory, but another mom muttered loud enough so I could hear, “You should listen to her.” The woman shook her head and left with her daughter.
“Great,” I said.
“Mom, are you okay?” Max asked.
“I will be,” I replied. Because I don’t have a choice.
Chapter Seven
Ray had left me a couple of voice-mail messages and a few text messages throughout the day on Sunday. I successfully avoided them all. On Monday night, Max had his basketball game at the rec center. There was no sign of Ray, even though his grandson played on one of the courts next to Max’s game. I admit I was disappointed. Even though I was cautious of Ray, I was still intrigued and still very much attracted to him. I was a female. What could I say?
While I was watching Max play, I began to think of the other firefighters who had taken time on their day off to remove the brush surrounding my house. I hadn’t said a proper thank-you. My mom had raised me better than that. I knew I should bake them cookies and take them a card. I nodded to myself. Yep, that’s what I’m going to do. Bring ’em cookies. I sat up straight in the bleachers at the thought.
Max’s team won the game. I took him out for ice cream to celebrate. Kyra had spent the night at the house of one of her dance buddies. She would be dropped off in about an hour. “Does Kyra really have to come back?” he asked as he licked his chocolate-chip ice-cream cone.
I laughed. “Yes, Max. Your sister has to come back. We want her back, right?”
“Pssst,” Max said but giggled. “It’s still summer. She could stay another night, couldn’t she?”
“Knock it off, Max,” I said as I took another spoonful of my mocha almond fudge.
“Fine.”
“Wanna help me make chocolate-chip cookies for the firefighters who helped us?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said, still licking his ice cream. He paused for a beat, then asked, “You aren’t sure you trust Ray, huh?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He nodded. “Grown-ups are dumb sometimes.”
I frowned, “Max!”