Love in a Nutshell - Janet Evanovich [27]
Kate set aside the magazine she’d been leafing through. An article on “Ten Ways to Drive Him Wild” wasn’t what she needed to get Matt Culhane out of her head. Indulging in each of those ten with him might do the job. But she wasn’t going there.
Kate’s cell phone rang, and she jumped at the unfamiliar sound. She hadn’t received too many phone calls since her big move away from the city.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Katie-bug!”
“Dad?”
“I know it’s late, but I picked up this new phone today that does everything but clean the pool, and I wanted to be sure I had your number right.”
Her father sounded pretty chipper—about one double Manhattan’s worth was her guess. She could picture him sitting in a lounge chair out back of their Florida house, with the pool lights and stars shining. He was probably wearing his favorite navy cardigan and blue-and-white seersucker trousers. And Mom was probably inside pining for the days of wholesome television and good old-fashioned family values. Kate loved her parents, but it was like they’d just been freed from a 1960s time capsule.
“You’ve got the number right, Dad.”
But he’d never called it before, always opting for the landline when she’d lived back downstate. And she hadn’t heard from either her mom or her dad since that highly uncomfortable family dinner three months ago, when she’d had to admit how broke she was. Of course, she hadn’t called them since then, either.
“So as long as we’re chatting, I was wondering how … The Nutshell is?” her dad asked.
“The house is fine, Dad.”
“No issues with the plumbing? I know we’re due for a new septic system.”
“It’s all good,” she said.
“And that loose step on the way down to the beach?”
“I nailed it back down,” she fibbed.
Fact was, she hadn’t ventured to the water. All she’d done since she’d landed in Keene’s Harbor was focus on finding a job and nailing down her future. Beach walks had seemed like a luxury she hadn’t earned just yet.
“Well, that’s just great,” her dad said with more enthusiasm than the conversation warranted.
“Are you and Mom okay? There’s nothing going on down there that I should know about, is there?” she asked.
“We’re fine, Kate. Just fine! How’s the refrigerator?” he asked. “Do you need any help stocking it?”
They’d finally reached the real purpose of the call. Kate was glad no one was around to witness her embarrassment. The last time her dad had asked questions like this, her brother, sister, and their respective spouses had been watching. Kate had felt like the loser-girl on a reality TV show.
“I promise I have more than diet soda and shriveled-up apples in the fridge,” she said.
She still had that head of purple cauliflower, after all. But so long as she loaded up on the cheap employee meals at work, shopping was optional.
“Just checking. I know things have been tight.”
“It’s okay. I found a job.”
“Really? What are you doing?”
“I’m washing dishes and doing prep work at Depot Brewing.”
The line fell quiet for a beat.
“That’s great! It’s a tough job market out there. You should be proud. If you come up short, let me know and I’ll slip a care package your way. Just like your old college days.”
Ugh. Kate knew he was trying to be positive and supportive, but she was right back to feeling like the loser-girl. Kate wanted to be there for her parents, like her siblings were. Not the other way around.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m doing great,” she said. And it was true, if “great” could be defined as able to splurge on a fake cappuccino the next time she put gas in the Jeep.
“Just say the word, Katie-bug…”
She wouldn’t, though. Her parents were retired, and money didn’t grow on trees. They probably had a woefully out-of-date concept of how much money was needed to get the house in shape. But more important, Kate had something to prove. Not to her parents, but to herself. She could stand on her own.
SIX
On Friday night, Matt walked into Woodsmen’s Hall with a parent at each elbow. The crowded room was filled with laughter and the