“I was going grocery shopping.”
He laughed. “Hey, so was I. Do you want to go together?”
When Chance opened the car door and she slid inside, she glanced up at him and smiled. “Why not? It just might be fun.”
Later that evening as Kylie finished getting dressed for dinner she thought that grocery shopping with Chance had not only been fun, it had been educational as well.
He had known what fruits were in season, he made sure she checked the expiration date on everything she purchased and he advised her to stay away from the generic brands, claiming there was a difference in taste.
And she had discovered that they liked the same foods, and the same flavor ice cream. In fact, they had almost argued about who would get the last half gallon of chocolate-chip cookie dough until one of the store clerks assured them there was a case in the back.
After their shopping adventure he had brought her home to unload her groceries and indicated he would return around seven to take her to dinner. It was almost seven now and she was ready.
Kylie smiled as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a dress she had purchased earlier that year when she had attended her father’s retirement party. Her mother had complimented her on how good she’d looked in it, and now she hoped Chance shared that same opinion. She was just about to add strawberry lip color to her lips when the phone rang. She quickly picked it up. “Hello.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Tiffany! I’m glad you called. How’s Disney World?”
“Disney World is fine but I think Gramma had too much of Mickey and Minnie for one day. Me and Gramps are going to leave her at the hotel and go to Epcot later. How was the ball last night?”
Kylie was surprised her daughter remembered anything about the ball. “It was nice. Your godmother’s committee did an excellent job.”
“Was Marcus’s father there?”
Kylie raised an eyebrow, wondering why Tiffany wanted to know. “Yes, he was there.”
“So you saw him?”
“Yes, I saw him.”
“Was he with someone?”
Kylie refused to answer that. “Tiffany, why are you asking me questions about Marcus’s father?”
“Oh, just curious. Marcus and I talked before I left and he’s concerned that his dad doesn’t date much.”
“It’s not the end of the world for a person not to date, Tiffany.”
“I know and that’s what I told Marcus since you don’t date, either. Okay, Mom, I got to go, Gramps is waiting for me. Talk to you later.”
“Okay, sweetheart, have fun and tell Mom and Dad hello.”
After she hung up the phone Kylie decided to cover all her bases in case Tiffany hit up her godmother for answers about the ball. She quickly picked up the phone and dialed Lena’s number. “Don’t be surprised if you receive a call from Tiffany asking questions about last night’s ball,” she told her friend.
“What kind of questions?”
“Like who Chance was with.”
Lena chuckled. “He was with you.”
“Yes, but I prefer her not knowing that, Lena.”
“Sure, if that’s the way you want it.”
“It is.” Something in Lena’s voice made Kylie wonder if her friend was all right and she decided to ask.
“No, not really. I met this gorgeous man last night at the ball. He asked me out and I turned him down.”
“Why?”
“Kylie, you know the score. Do you know how many times I’ve been dropped, sometimes even before the first date, when the guy finds out Mom and I come as a pair.”
“Not all guys will make a big deal out of it, Lena.”
“Yes, but I’m tired of trying to figure out those who will and those who won’t. I don’t plan on dating for a while.”
Kylie frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Lena chuckled. “Looks who’s talking.”
“My situation is different and you know it. I don’t date because I prefer not to. You want to date but you’re afraid to.”
“I am not.”
“You are, too.”
“Okay, so maybe I am. What’s wrong with me protecting myself against heartbreak?”
“You don’t know that will happen for sure. And if a man doesn’t want you because you care enough to see to your mother’s welfare, then screw him.”
“Umm, speaking of screw…where did you and Chance disappear to last night?”
Silence pulsed over the line for a brief second and then Kylie said, “He took me home.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And why do I think there’s more to this story?”