All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [13]
Panic seared through her as her thoughts returned to that time in the woods. “Dear God, no.” She stood, squeezed her eyes closed, and searched every crevice of her mind to remember whether she’d had the necklace anytime since that dreadful night. Again, nothing.
The doorbell rang and Kennedy nearly jumped out of her skin. Who would be visiting this time of morning?
The bell rang again and its sound was followed by an insistent, but melodious knock. She calmed immediately at the sound of that familiar rap, and even managed to smile.
She wasn’t disappointed when she opened the door and saw her best friend. “Hey, Wanda,” she said.
“Hey, girl.” Wanda limped into the apartment without waiting for an invitation, which was the norm.
Kennedy frowned at the heavy cast on her friend’s foot as she closed the door. “What happened to you?”
“That damn dog, Levi, is what. I tripped over him while cleaning the house. I don’t know why I agreed to let Reece have one.” Wanda eased onto one of the dining-room chairs, ignoring the way it creaked beneath her hefty weight. “I swear, that mutt doesn’t do anything but piss all over my carpet and chew up what little furniture I own.”
Kennedy laughed as she dashed into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee. “Why don’t you just take him back to the pound?”
A cigarette magically appeared in Wanda’s hands, soon followed by the customary billow of smoke. “I’d love to, but every time I even think about it, he looks up at me with those big, sad, brown eyes and I find myself forgiving him for another smelly stain or rip on the sofa.”
“I don’t believe it. You’re puppy whipped.”
“What? That’s not a real diagnosis.” Wanda’s face twisted with disdain as she reached to flick ashes into the only ashtray in the house.
“Sure it is. Levi has you wrapped around his paw and you know it,” Kennedy teased, grateful for the opportunity to laugh and forget her troubles.
“You know, there’s an upside to me being in this cast.” A slow smile crept across Wanda’s lips, and her eyes got a mischievous glint.
Kennedy smelled a rat and proceeded with caution. “Like what?”
“Like I met this wonderful doctor. You’re going to just love him.”
Kennedy quickly held her hand out in front of her friend’s face like a wall. “Forget it.”
“Hear me out.”
“No.”
Wanda extinguished her cigarette, but not her prepared speech. “Come on, come on. This man is perfect for you. Now, I don’t want to alarm you, but he is a little older.”
“How much older?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“Age is nothing but a number.”
“How large is this unimportant number?” Kennedy shook her head when she realized what she was saying. “Forget that I asked. It doesn’t matter, my answer is still no.” She stood and returned to the kitchen to finish making the coffee.
“Girl, what are you waiting for?” Wanda called after her. “Prince Charming isn’t going to just pop up and ring the front doorbell. And Lord knows that you never go anywhere to meet any eligible bachelors, so I’m giving you a hookup.”
Briefly, Kennedy remembered the sinfully attractive detective she’d met at work. She smiled and then quickly erased the expression. “My Prince Charming is currently in Pre-K.”
Her friend shook her head. “You’re going to turn Tommy into a mama’s boy.”
Kennedy’s mouth fell open in shock. “That’s not true.” Yet, her guilt increased with the accusation. She returned to the table and offered her friend a cup.
“Oh, yes, it is, and you know it.” Wanda’s expression turned sympathetic. “Look, don’t get me wrong. At times, it’s sweet how you dote on him, but how fair is it for you to hang all your hopes and expectations on a four-year-old? Face it, you need a man.”
“Why do all married women think that single women need men to make them happy?”
“Because they do.”
“They do not.”
Wanda lit another cigarette. “Don’t forget that I do have some experience with singlehood. I wasn’t born married, you know.”
“You could have fooled me.” Anyone who knew Wanda and Walter Overton knew that