Page 179 of This Bitter Sweet Temptation
“And why would I do that?”
“Because. They’d love to meet her.”
“No point in them meeting her, Kit,” I lie, backing onto the road. Best we get this over with. “Don’t think she’ll even be back here after New York. She’ll want to get home. You know that.”
I hate that I sound so harsh.
But fuck, no fantasies. This has to be over.
“But she likes us!” Kit chirps. As if that should be enough.
“Of course she does.”Of course she likes you. “But that doesn’t mean she can pause her life to hang out with us. That’s not how it works.”
Kit sighs sadly. “It could, though, if you’d just let it…”
I hold in a sigh of my own, counting my blessings that my parents aren’t far.
“Kit,” I say gently. “When you’re grown, things get weird. Cleo has a life and so do we. I know you’ll miss her, but it’s better if she gets back to living, right?”
“Well, yeah.” She pouts. “But why can’t she live a little more of it with us?”
“She doesn’t want to,” I mutter.
“You’re wrong. I think she does. You just won’t let her.”
I go quiet for a minute.
I have to try not to let my frustration flare.
“It’s just not possible. Don’t know how to explain it more than that. It was nice having her around, but it was work. One last job for Mr. Blackthorn and his granddaughter. End of story.”
“Ooo-kay. If you say so.” Kit snorts, thoroughly disgusted.
That makes two of us.
To my relief, I turn down my parents’ road. Kit abandons her interrogation to gush over a dog we pass, thank God.
As I pull up outside the house, the blinds in the window swish. Dad’s already moving, opening the door before we head up to them. Mom leans heavily on her cane behind him.
My gut clenches.
I hate burdening them all the time when my mother’s mobility gets shakier by the month, but I don’t have a choice right now.
I have to jettison that jeweled horror.
If I want to bring us home, if I want to be the dad Kit deserves again, I have to get rid of it.
“Hey, Kit-Kat.” Mom holds out her arms and Kit runs to her, falling into a bear hug.
Even at her age, she knows better than to grip too hard.
My stomach twists again.
“Thanks for taking her,” I say, leaning in and kissing Mom on the cheek. “I appreciate it.”
“Don’t be silly, Holden! We’d be bored to death without our favorite granddaughter.”
“Youronlygranddaughter,” Kit says with a laugh.
