The Mission Read online

  “Oh, it’s gorgeous!” Amanda’s smile was warm and slightly surprised, so there was no doubting the compliment was genuine. “You look amazing!”

  Serena glanced at herself in the large three-paneled mirror. She was medium height and medium size, with decent boobs and a bigger butt than she’d prefer. She did like her hair—dark red and wavy—but her hazel eyes and features were pleasant yet unexceptional.

  She usually liked what she saw when she looked in the mirror, but she wasn’t used to being blown away. So she froze at her reflection just then.

  She looked like a glamorous stranger in the sleeveless column dress in a vivid silk that seemed to shift between blue and green depending on the light.

  “Wow,” she said at last. “I do look pretty good.”

  “You look better than pretty good.” Ariana Kensington—usually called Ri among her friends—had gone to school with them too, and she’d opened this bridal shop last year. Not because she needed the income (her family was the wealthiest in Serena’s social circle) but because she’d wanted a challenge. To try something new. “You look stunning. That dress is perfect for you.”

  Serena’s cheeks warmed with pleasure as she peered at herself again, turning to check herself out from behind. Even her ass looked good. The deep curve looked lush and sexy. “Why haven’t I been wearing this dress all my life?”

  As the others laughed at that, Taylor stepped out of her dressing room. She was made like a model and always looked beautiful, so the dress was great on her too. The four of them oohed and aahed over their gorgeousness for a while until Ri had done the fittings for adjustments and they went to take the dresses off.

  Serena had been a bridesmaid several times, and none of the dresses chosen had been hideous. But none had been as perfect as this one. She couldn’t wait to wear it, and since she wasn’t a particularly fashion-conscious person, that didn’t normally happen to her.

  She was back in her regular clothes—black yoga pants, a fitted T-shirt, and a long green sweater—and sipping the champagne Ri had poured for them when her phone buzzed with another text.

  Keith again. This time he’d sent a photo of a cupcake and hot chocolate loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles he must have gotten for Eva.

  “Oh my God,” Serena muttered, staring at the sweets. “She’s not going to be hungry for the rest of the day.”

  When the others inquired about her comment, she showed them the photo. Then the earlier one Keith had sent.

  “That statue is in the town park,” Ri explained. “It’s the founder of Azalea. And the only place they could have gotten that cupcake in town is at the bookstore across the street. It just opened a few months ago, and they have some sweets and coffee drinks.”

  “The town is really growing,” Serena said. “When I came here before your store opened, there was hardly anything on this block except that diner and the laundromat.”

  “Yeah. We’re getting more businesses in. It’s kind of exciting.”

  Serena reached for her phone since Taylor was still holding it, staring down at the photo. Taylor relinquished it without hesitation, but she had a strange look on her face.

  “What?” Serena demanded.

  Taylor had a kind heart, but she also had a perpetually grumpy demeanor. And she wasn’t opposed to speaking her mind even if it was rude.

  “Keith seems pretty fond of your daughter,” Taylor said with slightly elevated dark eyebrows.

  Serena curled down her lips. “Of course he’s fond of her. Why wouldn’t he be?”

  “I’m just saying they look really close. Like he wouldn’t mind being her stepdad.”

  “Oh my God, don’t be ridiculous! Keith and I are just friends. We’ve always been just friends.”

  “But that could change, couldn’t it?” Amanda asked, putting down her champagne flute and leaning forward. “Are you sure you don’t want it to change?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I love Keith like crazy, but I don’t think of him that way. I never have. Besides, I’ve told you before. After the disaster my first marriage was, I’m not looking to get married again.” When she’d married her high school boyfriend, Scott, she’d thought she’d known him, but she’d been foolish and immature. She hadn’t realized that his laid-back demeanor was actually laziness and his flirtatious manner masked entitled selfishness. Since she’d gotten pregnant less than two years after they got married, she’d tried to work on the relationship and swallow down her pain and frustration. But two years ago, when she discovered he’d been cheating on her, she stopped running into a brick wall and got divorced instead.

  Keith had been right that night she’d shown up at his door in tears. She’d been happier since her divorce than she’d ever been in her life.

  “I’m not even looking for a man,” she added since it was clear her friends were listening. “Seriously. I love my job and I love Eva and I love my friends and I’m really happy. Why mess it all up by shackling myself to another asshole?”

  Amanda cleared her throat. “Uh, maybe you could find one who isn’t an asshole this time?”

  Serena laughed at her dry tone. “I know there are men out there who aren’t assholes. I mean, Keith isn’t an asshole. And Robert seems like a pretty good sort.” She was referring to Amanda’s fiancé, and the mention made her friend’s face soften. “But it’s always a risk. I didn’t think Scott was an asshole when I married him, but he was. And I’m not going to do that to myself again. I’m happy now. I don’t need anything to change.”

  “And Keith doesn’t want it to change?” Taylor asked.

  “No. Why would he?” Serena frowned in confusion. “He loves me, and he loves Eva, but it’s like family, not like romance.”

  “Is he dating anyone right now?” Ri asked.

  “He’s always dating someone.” When she saw the surprise on their faces, Serena added quickly, “Not that he’s a player or anything, but he does date a lot. He has no trouble finding girls to go out with. I mean, he’s cute and nice and funny and has a good job. Girls are always into him. But he never dates anyone for more than a few weeks. I’m not actually sure why.”

  “Maybe he’s secretly in love with someone else,” Amanda said with a lilt in her voice.

  Serena flushed slightly—who wouldn’t?—but she was completely sincere as she said, “Oh, stop it. He’s not in love with me. Where are y’all getting this ridiculous idea anyway? I’m telling you. There’s never been anything romantic between us. We’re friends. Like family. Nothing else.”

  “If you say so.” Amanda didn’t look particularly convinced.

  “Stop making things up. Seriously. Keith isn’t into me. I really think he dates a lot because he wants to find love but can’t find the right girl. Once he does, I’m sure he’ll settle down. He loves kids, and he’s always wanted a family. I think he’s just making do with me and Eva until he finds the right one.”

  The words were said honestly, but Serena didn’t like the sound of them as they came out. It didn’t seem quite right. She and Eva weren’t just “making do” for Keith. The idea just felt wrong.

  “What kind of girl is he looking for?” Ri asked, clearly more willing to accept Serena’s statement as fact than the other two. “Maybe we can help. Have you ever tried to fix him up?”

  “I used to—back in college—when he was kind of reserved. But he’s not had any trouble finding dates for the past few years, so I stopped worrying about it.” Serena thought about it for a minute. “Actually, maybe that’s the trouble. He’s just clueless about the right kind of girl for him. Maybe I should help him.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want help,” Taylor said.

  “Well, I can try at least. I’m perfectly happy single, but I don’t know if he really is.” As the idea took shape in her mind, it felt more and more right. Almost a relief. Like when you manage to solve a riddle after hours of trying. “He’s having trouble finding the right person to love, so why shouldn’t I help with him it?”
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br />   Taylor shook her head and rolled her eyes but bit back whatever wry comment she was thinking.

  Amanda just laughed dryly. “I’m happy to help if you need some suggestions, but you better check with Keith first to be sure he actually wants to be fixed up. He might have his own ideas about his love life that don’t match with yours.”

  “He doesn’t seem to have any good ideas about his love life, but of course I’ll ask him first.” Serena clapped her hands a few times in excitement. “This will be fun. I haven’t had a good mission in a long time.”

  “Well, let us know if Keith is on board with this mission, and we’ll all get on the job,” Ri said with her wide, vibrant smile.

  “Thanks,” Serena replied. “If Keith’s history of dating is any indication, I’ll need all the help I can get.”

  KEITH LEANED BACK IN a comfortable armchair, sipped his black coffee, and watched Eva Holly make her way through the ridiculously over-iced cupcake. The girl was only seven, but the amount of sweets she could pack away was genuinely impressive.

  He’d known Eva from the day she was born since he’d been friends with Serena for so long. Eva was as much a part of his life as anyone was—in fact, he was closer to her than he was to his own family, who’d always cared too much about their money and social position to treat other people as human.

  He still did his duty with his family. He made regular attempts to connect with his parents and older brother and assortment of cousins. But so far none of those attempts had led to more than a distant civility, so he’d much rather think of Eva as family than anyone he shared genes with.

  Eva had her mother’s thick, wavy red hair but had brown eyes instead of hazel. She also had more pronounced freckles than Serena, and she had a scar that slashed through her right eyebrow from a fall out of a tree when she was five.

  “Why are you staring at me, Uncle Keith?” she demanded, wrinkling her little nose in disapproval.

  “Was I staring? I didn’t mean to.”

  “You were. What were you thinking about?”

  He tried to answer the girl’s questions honestly, but he wasn’t about to try to explain to the complicated nuances of his relationships with his family. So he said lightly, “I was thinking about you.”

  “Why were you thinking about me?” Eva was smart. She read a lot and thought a lot and often came up with surprisingly astute conclusions about the world. But she was also a seven-year-old and sounded like one at the moment. Just a little whiney.

  “Because you’re sitting right in front of me. Who else should I be thinking about?”

  “You could think about you.”

  “Not much to think about me.”

  “I think so,” she pronounced, her brown eyes wider and rounder than ever. “You can think about what you’re going to have for supper tonight. And you can think about what you’re going to buy me for my birthday. And you can think about how you’re gonna help Mommy fix her doorknob.”

  “What’s wrong with your mommy’s doorknob?”

  “It fell off!” She made a dramatic gesture to illustrate the calamity. “It went plop, right onto the floor, and then rolled under the bed!”

  Keith couldn’t help but chuckle. “That does sound bad. Couldn’t she get it back on?”

  “No! She tried. And tried and tried. But it wouldn’t co-op-or-ate, she said. Then she said a bad word.”

  Keith tried to contain his amusement but didn’t succeed. “That sounds like quite an ordeal.”

  “It was. Quite an ordeal.” She spoke slowly, clearly trying words out for the first time. “She said Mr. Milner would take forever to send someone to fix it but that you could probably fix it.”

  “I can give it a try for sure.”

  “You can fix everything. That’s what Mommy says.”

  “I’m not sure I can fix everything, but I can probably handle a doorknob.”

  “You fixed my bike.”

  “I did fix your bike.” The bicycle repair had been done more than two years ago now, but Eva had never forgotten it. She still brought it up all the time.

  “And you fixed Mommy’s computer. And remember when we had a flat tire and had to park on the side of the road? Mommy called you and you came to fix that too.” Eva nodded proudly, clearly convinced that she’d silenced any debate on the issue. Glancing down, she looked surprised to discover she still had one more bite of cupcake in her hand. She popped it into her mouth, smiling as she chewed.

  Keith stifled another laugh but wasn’t entirely successful.

  “You shouldn’t laugh at me,” Eva told him, her mouth still full of cupcake.

  “I’m not laughing at you.” Before she could argue, he added, “I’m laughing, but not at you.”

  “It’s mean to laugh at people.”

  “But it’s not mean to laugh around people. That’s what I’m doing.”

  She peered at him suspiciously before she relented. She slurped down some more of her now lukewarm hot chocolate and wiped her mouth on a napkin. “I’m done. Is Mommy finished yet?”

  “I don’t know. She hasn’t texted to say she’s ready, so she’s probably still busy with dresses.” Keith glanced down at his phone.

  “I want to see Mommy in the bridesmaid dress. I bet she looks beautiful!”

  “I’m sure she does.”

  “Don’t you think Mommy is the most beautiful woman in the world?”

  It was an innocent question, but a little too on the nose for Keith’s comfort. He cleared his throat as he hefted himself to his feet and extended a hand to help Eva up.

  She got up willingly after counting the amount of tip he’d left on the table.

  He was congratulating himself on escaping from the awkward question as they stepped out onto the pleasant sidewalk that lined the few blocks of Azalea’s downtown area, leading down to the park they’d visited earlier.

  Their timing was perfect. Serena was across the street, standing in a huddle with her friends. They were clearly finished with the dress fitting, and after she’d said her extended goodbyes, she’d be on her way over to the bookstore where they’d been hanging out.

  From across the street, Keith saw her eyes flit over in their direction. Her face warmed as she saw them, softening in a way that made his heart skip a few times.

  Then Eva said in an unfortunately loud, shrill voice, “You don’t think Mommy is beautiful, Uncle Keith?”

  The other women glanced over, clearly hearing the dismayed question.

  “Of course I think she’s beautiful,” Keith replied quickly. “You know I do.”

  “Yes, but you didn’t say so.” Eva’s lower lip stuck out as she gave him a narrow-eyed glare. “You’re supposed to say so.”

  “I’m saying so now. She’s the most beautiful mommy in the world.”

  This was clearly what Eva wanted to hear. She beamed up at him and reached to take his hand. “I think so too!” She finally noticed her mother across the street and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Mommy! Mommy! Are you done? Uncle Keith says you’re the most beautiful lady in the world!”

  Keith rubbed his eyes with one hand and groaned.

  KEITH HAD BEEN IN A good mood all day, but he wasn’t on the ride back to Richmond.

  He was trying to be reasonable and mature about the situation, but he felt like grumbling and couldn’t hide his scowl.

  After about twenty minutes, Serena gave him a light poke on the arm. “Stop pouting.”

  “I’m not pouting,” he replied coolly, giving her a look he was sure would reflect his current mood. “But you can’t expect me to be happy that you’ve suddenly decided to interfere with my life.”

  “I’m not interfering with your life. I want to help you. There’s no reason for you to get huffy about that.” She glanced into the back seat, but Eva was listening to music with headphones and was clearly unaware and uninterested in what they were discussing. “What’s the big deal?”

  “The big deal is that I’m capable of ma
naging my own social life. If I wanted help finding a date, I’d ask for it.”

  “I know you don’t need help finding a date. You clearly have those coming out of your eyeballs. I’m trying to help you find love.”

  “If I needed help with that, I’d ask for it too.”

  “But you do need help. When was the last time you dated someone for more than a month?”

  Keith arched his eyebrows and didn’t answer.

  “Tell me. When? It was college, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he admitted.

  “How on earth do you expect to find someone to marry and start a family with if you don’t give any woman more than a couple of weeks of your time?”

  “Who says I even want that?” He wasn’t a particularly private person—not with Serena anyway—but some things went very deep. This was one of them. And when something went deep, he had trouble putting it into words.

  “Don’t you?” Her eyes looked green in the afternoon sun, and they were fixed on his face whenever he glanced away from the road to check her expression. “You used to want that. I assumed you still did. Are you saying you don’t want a family anymore?”

  Her tone wasn’t challenging, proving she’d believe him if he told her he’d changed his mind. But he couldn’t lie to her like that. So he said gruffly, “I haven’t changed my mind.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  He knew the answer. The same answer that had been tripping him up for way too long.

  He couldn’t find anyone else that he loved and wanted the way he did Serena.

  For a long time, while she’d been married to someone else, he’d convinced himself he’d gotten over his adolescent feelings. That someone else would appear and replace her in his heart. But then her marriage had fallen apart, and she and Eva had moved in next door to him. And he’d had to admit reality—to himself if no one else.

  He was never going to get over her.

  He’d love Serena forever. And if he could only love her as a friend, then he’d spend his life single.