“I…” She took a deep breath. “IstoppedbecauseAdamconfusedme.” Another deep breath. “Hesaidyouliedtomeonpurposeanddidn’tconsiderme,” another breath. “afriendotherwise

youwould’vetoldmeyouweredatingMasonKade,butnothatIblameyouwithJessicaandLydiaandallthatcrap.”

My fingers let loose, and I was ashamed to see there were white finger prints on her arm. “You’re an idiot? You know that, don’t you?”

She gulped and hung her head. “I’m starting to think that.”

“I didn’t tell you about Mason because I don’t trust anyone. You can’t blame me for that. I caught Jeff cheating on me, then found out that Jessica had been screwing him for two years, and to make it worse, Lydia knew about it. My other best friend covered for them. You showed up, and we were only friends for two months before this shit’s hit the fan again. Can you blame me for not telling you?”

She gave me a sad look.

I narrowed my eyes and clipped out, “And Adam’s talking to you? You’re listening to the guy that used you because you were the only one I was talking to? Really? Come on, Becky. I know you think Adam Quinn is this great guy, but he can be really low and dirty if he doesn’t get what he wants.”

“I know.” It came out like a whimper.

“Do you?”

Then the doorbell rang again, and I let loose with a string of curses. “It’s the pizza. Hold on.”

But it wasn’t the pizza.

CHAPTER TWO

“Malinda Decraw?” I blinked in shock. Mark’s mother stood on my doorstep with a covered casserole in her arms. She wore a red coat with a red scarf draped and knotted in a fashionable way. She had her long brown mane of hair with gentle curls swept over one shoulder. As she stood there for a moment, she rubbed at one of her jean-clad legs and stomped her feet in black boots.

“Hi, Samantha!” She held out a hand with a warm smile and brushed some of her long brown locks over her shoulder. “Could I come in?”

“Uh, sure.” I took two steps back, still dazed.

She came inside and rubbed her arms over her coat. “Oh, hello, Rebecca. How are you dear?”

Becky came forward with strained features. As Malinda kissed her on the cheek, she looked at the floor. “I’m good, Ms. Decraw. How are you?”

“It is quite chilly, even for January. Don’t you think, Rebecca? I have to say, I’ve gotten to know your mother a bit more from the Country Club and find her delightful. You must tell her.” The warmth Malinda oozed made me take a step back. It was immediate and seemed heartfelt. Her eyes twinkled a bit as she spoke to Becky, who seemed shy all the sudden.

“I will. I know she really likes you too.”

Malinda’s cheeks were pink and she pressed a hand to her neck as a gushing laugh bubbled forth. “Oh dear. Have I overwhelmed you? Laura told me that can happen sometimes. How is your friendship with Adam going along? He comes over all the time now for dinner. He’s such a charming young man. I couldn’t be happier for the two of you.”

“Wait—what?” I turned to Becky and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you and Adam dating?”

She stood frozen. The blood drained from her cheeks.

“Goodness, no.” Malinda laughed again and placed a gentle hand to my arm. “Laura and I have grown quite close. She’s told me all about Rebecca’s feelings for Adam. I approve, whole-heartedly. But I’ve never been a fan of some of Mark’s friends. Some of those girls are so aggressive and provocative. I say a girl should remain a girl, at least while in high school. She can go crazy in college. That’s the time to find herself. Rebecca, sweetheart, mum’s the word with me if you do have a few wild nights in college. I won’t tell a soul.”

I swung between the two and knew I must’ve looked as a scarecrow. “Huh? The two of you are close?”

“Oh, heavens, Samantha. I completely forgot why I came over.” She chuckled again and the sound filled the air. Dimples appeared in her flushed cheeks. “I live across the street. I wasn’t sure if you knew that. I’m so glad you and Mark have become friends, but I wasn’t sure if you were aware of where we lived. I know David hasn’t wanted to bother you with that information yet. You know how he is; he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on you. He thinks you’ve been through so much, but I keep telling him that you seem like a tough girl. You’ve got a clear head on your shoulders, and you’ve got oomph, if you know what I mean.”

Becky giggled behind her hands. When she saw my glare, she turned away. The laughter didn’t stop.

Malinda’s hand fluttered through the air, as if she were drawing a picture. “I’ve been so curious to see the inside of this home. An artist owned it before your father bought it, and I heard he renovated some of the rooms. I’ve been bursting at the seams for any little excuse to come over, and when David told me you’d be my neighbor, I was just tickled pink.”

The Kades lived two houses down. “I’ve been your neighbor for a while.”

“Oh.” She flapped her hand at me. “That doesn’t count. James Kade may have kept the house, but Helen was the one who owned it. That woman’s never been a neighbor, if you know what I mean. I had hoped for a little bit when Mark mentioned that he met Logan Kade at a football camp, but I knew not to get my hopes up too high. The Kades don’t let anyone in that home, and I mean anyone. I’m no dummy. Then when your mother moved in, pfft! I knew those gates will forever be locked up now, certainly now that David and I hope to get married.” She stopped suddenly and pierced me with her gaze. “You do know that, don’t you, darling? I wanted Mark to whisper that bit in your ears. David wants to wait, but heavens to pieces, I have no intention of waiting. I’ve been eyeing your daddy for a long time. When Mark told me the coach was splitting from his wife, I celebrated that night with my girlfriends and a little Mr. Merlot. If you know what I mean?” She giggled and her cheeks got pinker.

I’d never spoken to David’s girlfriend, but this wasn’t what I expected. She remained in the background the few times I saw them together. Since the settlement agreed that I could spend time with him, it’d only been the two of us at the old house. When Mark told me that he thought his mother and my father were going to get hitched, I hadn’t known what to say so I’d never spoken of it to David. Now that I heard confirmation that they hadn’t, I relaxed a bit. But from the determination in Malinda’s eyes, I knew the man who raised me was already spoken for. I wasn’t sure if David knew it was for the rest of his life.