Page 46 of The Summer that Changed Everything
As they migrated to the dining table, Kira started asking Ford about his business and other aspects of his life, and he was glad for the change of subject. As she’d said, there was no reason to get hung up on the past.
“Where did you meet Chet?” he asked after they’d eaten their salads and she was ladling the soup.
“He came to my yoga class,” she said. “I’m an instructor during the winter.”
“I thought it would be an easy way to get in shape,” Chet explained. “But... damn! Have you ever tried it?”
Ford laughed. “I’ve gone to a few classes. I prefer to run and lift weights, but I’ve seen it do incredible things for a lot of people.”
“I never could catch on to it!” Chet laughed with him. “I tried and tried.”
“He wasn’t enjoying it, but he kept coming back because he was interested inme.” Kira wore a fond expression as she lookedat her husband. “I thought he’d improve eventually, but it just wasn’t his thing.”
“Fortunately, once I got her to go out with me, I didn’t have to go back,” he said, “because then I had what I wanted.”
She leaned conspiratorially toward Ford. “I didn’t care if he could do yoga. I was drawn to his warmth and sincerity. He was the nicest guy I’d ever met. Besides, I’ve always had a thing for redheads.”
“You two are very lucky to have found each other,” Ford said.
Chet reached over to squeeze his wife’s hand. “I couldn’t love anyone more.”
Ford felt a twinge of envy. The lack of love in his own marriage had made every day a difficult grind. He believed he’d loved Christina in the beginning. But their relationship had turned toxic so quickly—and that toxicity had eaten away at those tender feelings until they’d been obliterated. As hard as he’d tried, he couldn’t seem to reverse the downward spiral. It only got worse, and yet he’d hung on as long as he could, hoping something would change.
As they continued to talk and laugh and eat, a sense of loss swept over Ford—for what could’ve been. Had Christina been willing to get counseling or help him make changes, or he’d married someone more compatible with him, maybe he’d be as happy and in love as Chet was. Then he’d be excited to be welcoming his first child into the world instead of dreading the terrible battle it would incite between him and his soon-to-be ex.
The evening drew to a close almost before he knew it. By the time it was over, he was convinced Chet had it all. He didn’t have the financial success Ford had, of course, but he had what mattered most.
“Kira’s great,” Ford told Chet as they walked to the door. “You two are perfect for each other.”
Kira had been cleaning up in the kitchen while they visited after dinner. She’d said she wanted to give them some time aloneto catch up. But she came to the door to hand him a paper plate with a big piece of cake to take home with him and say goodbye.
“Thank you. Dinner was delicious,” Ford told her. “It’ll be my treat next time. I’ll grill. Or I’ll take you all out somewhere that’s friendly to babies.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Ford started to leave, then remembered why he’d contacted Chet in the first place. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, catching them just before they closed the door. “Can I get Darren Clark’s contact info from you?”
Chet looked crestfallen that Ford had mentioned Darren again, but he nodded and reluctantly pulled out his phone.
14
It was another hot night. But Lucy was feeling better overall. She hadn’t heard from Reggie, and although she didn’t want to allow herself to lean on Ford, she felt safer knowing he was close by. Besides, she’d slept with her windows open last night without incident. That somehow made her feel more confident doing it again.
She glanced at the bat that was now leaning against the wall in her bedroom. There was a chance it wouldn’t help her—not if Reggie broke in and was on top of her before she could grab it—but she was probably letting her imagination run away with her. Surely, he wouldn’t gothatfar. She’d watched too many true crime shows, trying to better understand her father—and begun to think almost everyone was dangerous.
With a sigh, she rolled over to go to sleep—but heard a knock at the door.
“It’s me!” Ford called out immediately.
She couldn’t believe it. Was he going to make a habit of showing up at her place after dark? she wondered as she put her clothes back on and went out to let him in.
Cracking open the door, she peered at him. “What’s going on?”
He was holding a plate covered with tinfoil with one hand, the other was shoved into the pocket of his faded jeans—jeans that fit him far too well to go unnoticed. “Just checking on you.”
She wasn’t his concern, but she was grateful. She knew she had enemies. “I was... in bed.”
He gestured toward the closest window. “Are you giving up on locking everything?”
