ChapterOne
Katlyn Andrews arrived in Denver to little fanfare. Her father met her at the airport, greeting her with a quick hug and a light kiss on the cheek. “Great to see you, sweetie. Welcome home.”
“Hi, Dad. Nice to see you, too.” Kat swallowed hard and tamped down the flutters in her stomach.Home?She tossed her red felted purse over her shoulder then stopped as she realized her dad was staring at her and about to get mowed down by people swarming around baggage claim. “What’s the matter?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just that you look like a teenager. I can’t believe you’re all grown up and living in New York City.” He lifted her suitcase. “You ready?”
“Sure.” She followed behind as he led the way to the car.
“You can use this car while you’re home.” He opened the trunk of the small SUV her parents kept as a third car. “I’m sure you’ll want to go over to Nana’s place and see some friends. I’ll drive my Beemer.”
“But Dad– Mom said I could have the Beemer.”
He jerked his head toward her, eyes narrowed. “What?”
Kat let out a hoot. With a grin, she climbed inside.
“You got me.” Her dad laughed, closing the car door. “That was good.”
“Don’t worry. I know better,” Kat assured him. “Hope I can remember how to drive.”
“I think it’s like riding a bicycle. It’ll come back to you. Weather’s supposed to be nice, so you shouldn’t have to drive in the snow.”
“Yay.” She looked forward to driving again, but not on snow-packed roads. That’s what subways were for. Snow was only good for staying inside by the fire with a chai latte and a good book.
Her dad pulled the car onto the highway, and silence settled between them. Kat gazed out the window at the familiar peaks of the Rockies in the distance. Two years since she’d seen those. The landscape hadn’t changed much. She didn’t expect anything else had, either.
“So, you doing okay?” her dad asked tentatively.
She glanced over and couldn’t help feeling that her dad was a bit of a stranger. He seemed tense, unsure what to say. “I’m fine, Dad.”
“Do you need any money?”
Whoa. She wasn’t expecting to go right to the money conversation. Better to have it without her mom around, though. The cost of frames for the upcoming gallery exhibit came to mind, and she gave a wry smile. “I wouldn’t turn any down. But, yes, I’m doing all right, as long as you and Mom don’t mind helping with the apartment a little while longer.”
“We don’t mind at all. You know we helped Christopher and Elizabeth with cars and insurance after they graduated. We want you living in a safe place.”
Kat didn’t need or want a car in the city, so her parents had been willing to pay a similar sum toward her living expenses instead. Her siblings had followed long-established career paths, and both still lived nearby in Denver. She nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”
At twenty-eight, she hated taking any assistance, but New York City was expensive. The art studio space she shared with other artists cost as well. Kat wanted to be financially independent—to reach that level of success. More than a few times, she’d considered moving to one of the less expensive boroughs, but her commute time would double. Besides that, while her dad wanted Kat in a safe place, her mom wanted her daughter in a place that wouldn’t embarrass her.
With a little luck, Kat could wean herself from their help soon. She wanted to cut the cord but not before she had a good-sized nest egg to fall back on.
When her dad turned the car down Sycamore Lane, Kat sucked in a deep breath and twisted her hands in her lap. Could she handle a whole week here? A week of being invisible? If it got unbearable at the house, she supposed a sleeping bag on Nana’s floor wasn’t out of the question. In fact, a slumber party at Nana’s sounded like a fabulous idea. Seeing Nana Kitty was the main reason for coming home for Christmas, after all. She couldn’t wait to see her grandmother and inspect this new “senior living” complex. She hoped that wasn’t a euphemism for nursing home.
“How’s Nana doing, Dad?”
“Oh, Mom’s fine. A little slower maybe but getting around all right.”
“Then why did she have to move out of her house?” The thought of Nana losing her independence chilled Kat, and guilt gnawed at her. Kat swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat.Dear Nana Kitty.Her house had been a refuge for the small, forlorn girl Kat had been as a child. Nana was always there with a hug, a smile, words of encouragement. Nana was the one who’d never missed school plays, recitals, and art shows.
“This makes things easier for her,” her dad said. “Someone else does the cooking and cleaning and home maintenance. And a nursing staff is on call twenty-four-seven.”
Those all sounded good, but Kat wondered if her grandmother wanted to move from her longtime home. Nana was always so gracious and careful with her words that sometimes it was hard to know her true feelings. Well, Kat would see for herself soon enough.
Her dad pulled the car into the drive, and Kat glanced around the orderly yard and house. Everything looked as neat and trim as always. The tall white columns that flanked the brick steps up to the two-story colonial shone in the winter sun. The only surprise was an older model black SUV already parked there.
“Who’s here?”
