“Like what? To love you in sickness and health?” She laughs, throwing her head back like she’s just delivered a hysterical joke. “I’ve taken care of you after you got food poisoning—you’re not exactly a model patient!”
I roll my eyes. “Let’s change the subject,” I say, stabbing my eggs with my fork and ignoring my mom’s look as I sprinkle them with salt. “What about you?”
“What about me?” She pops a blueberry into her mouth.
“Do you ever think about getting back out there?”
“Please.” She shakes her head forcefully. “I’m perfectly fine on my own.” She arches an eyebrow, which reveals no wrinkles in her forehead, the skin tight from her last Botox injection.
“Are you though?” I press, and watch her fidget in her chair. She’s never been one to delve into emotionally heavy topics, preferring to keep the conversation more superficial, much like her Facebook feed. This is wonderful! Look at me! I’m so happy! But in person, I could easily detect the underlying sadness in her that often bordered on bitterness.
“Will you stop—of course I am! I’m retired and living quite well after some savvy stock market investments. Thank you, Google!” She laughs. “Not to mention, I’m in the best shape of my life. Have you seen these guns?” She curls her bicep. “But most importantly, I’ve got you. What more could I possibly need?”
Love? Happiness that’s real, not manufactured?
“What if the perfect man came into your life? Wouldn’t you be open to the possibility of a relationship?”
My mom’s eyes mist with tears, but she looks away quickly, and when her gaze returns to me, she’s composed again. “After the broken heart I suffered, I prefer a life where my happiness isn’t up to someone else.”
“I’m not saying you have to get married again, Mom—or even fall in love—but you’re not even up for having coffee with someone?” I ask, thinking that I could wish for her to meet a nice guy—to give her what I know she’s just too scared to do on her own.
“It’s never just coffee, honey,” she says, shaking her head. “Now back to you. You’ve got a great thing with Max—a guy that a thousand women would line up around the block to be with. The romance and the fire and all that stuff you wish he’d written in his vows—those aren’t the things that ensure you’ll grow old together. Just because he’s not Robert Frost doesn’t mean he’s not the right guy for you. Learn from my mistakes, Kate. Don’t take your relationship for granted, because one day he could be gone. Or worse, he could end up in the arms of someone else.”
The truth of her words strikes me hard. I think of Courtney and her big day at Max’s company. Her new job that I’m indirectly or directly responsible for, despite my best efforts to keep her away from Max. My mom was right, I needed to hang on to him. But I couldn’t get the word Ruby had used out of my mind—fate. Because what I really needed to know was why the universe had sent me on this journey in the first place—and there was really only one way to find out. I had to stop using magic and let fate take its course—no matter what the outcome.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“What the hell?” I say as Liam pulls up to the curb in a jet black convertible Porsche.
“What?” he says with a broad smile as I slide into the passenger seat. “It’s just a car.”
“What happened to Frank?” I ask, referring to the white Ford Explorer I had helped him pick out and name almost ten years ago. “Frank Ford” had always had a special place in my heart, never so much as blinking a headlight when I threw up all over his backseat after my twenty-fifth birthday party in Venice Beach.
“Don’t worry, Frankie is just fine—he’s resting comfortably in my garage. This baby is just a loaner.”
“Let me guess. From Nikki?” I blanch as I say her name. Had she made Liam feel like Frank Ford wasn’t good enough to be seen in? I feel offended for Frank and Liam.