I Love You Again by Kate Sweeney Read Free Book Online Page B

yet.”
    “So they’re dating?” Roz asked absently while checking the register.
    “I’m not sure what you call it after only two weeks. Is it dating?”
    “It was with you and Kit.”
    Roz ignored the truth in Bess’s statement. “Are they…?”
    Helen raised an eyebrow. “Are they what—doing the horizontal mambo?”
    Roz cringed; Bess hid her smile.
    “Kit may tell me a good deal, but I highly doubt she’d tell me that,” Helen said with an evil chuckle. “I cannot believe Dale showed up here.” She laughed outright then. “And Kit had no clue. I wanted a birthday surprise for Kit, but I didn’t want her to have a stroke. She’s fifty, you know.”
    “Of course I know.” Roz angrily stapled the receipt and jammed it into the drawer.
    “And I wanted something special for her birthday. So I told Dale—”
    Roz’s mouth hit the floor. “You told her about me and Kit?”
    “Good God, no. That’s none of my business,” Helen said indignantly. “I would never interfere.”
    “Since when?”
    “Don’t be rude.” Helen chuckled then. “Dale was not part of the weekend.”
    “But you’re enjoying this nonetheless,” Roz said.
    “Well, of course. It’s a delightful twist. One has to see the humor in this.” Helen looked from Roz to Bess. “Doesn’t one?”
    “No, one doesn’t.” Bess sighed. “Helen, this is an evil thing to do to Eddie,” Bess said, shaking her head. “Let me buy you a drink.”
    “It’s an evil thing you did to everyone, Helen,” Roz said sternly.
    “I did nothing to that sky jumper. She came here on her own accord. And what’s the difference? You’re over Kit, and she’s over you. Right?” Helen asked.
    “Right,” Roz said.
    “You need to work on the conviction in your voice, dear. This is an absurd situation between you two, and I have had enough of it. It will be resolved this weekend. Before I die.”
    “You said that earlier,” Bess said.
    “You see? I’m repeating myself already.”
    “You’re not dying,” Bess continued. “Not yet—”
    “I will be someday.”
    “Helen…” Roz started.
    She waved her hand in the air. “Have that nice young boy take our bags to the rooms.” Helen slipped her arm through Bess’s. “Now about that drink.”
    As they walked away, Helen called over her shoulder, “Very nice grand piano, Roz. I didn’t know you played.”
    Roz stood alone at the desk staring at nothing in particular. She looked up when Mark came bounding down the stairs and noticed for the first time the small piece of toilet paper stuck to his chin. Roz was just grateful he didn’t cut this throat. The way things were going, she might ask to borrow the razor…
    “Oh, darn it, where’d Miss Adams go?” he asked breathlessly, looking past the desk in full search mode; he practically sniffed the air.
    “Oh, will you shut up and take that luggage to the suite?”

 

    Chapter 4

    Kit stood by the window in Dale’s room, which overlooked the back of the lodge. The late afternoon sunlight sparkled, looking like a million diamonds on the creek below. With the Rockies off in the distance, it was a beautiful setting. She couldn’t believe Roz owned all this, and she never knew. The sudden urge to kill her mother and Bess was overwhelming. Why would they do this?
    “Hey, Kitty Kat, they have little soaps in here…”
    With her question answered, Kit sighed deeply and turned around.
    “Surprised?” Dale whispered.
    “A lot of places have decorative soap.”
    Dale laughed. “Seriously. Are you surprised I’m here?”
    “Oh, you’ll never know.”
    “Good. Your mom didn’t include me in the planning, so I hope she doesn’t mind I invited myself. She told me what she was going to do, and she wanted to surprise you for your birthday. And I take it you were. I know you were shocked, but you really looked like you were going to faint.”
    Kit thought she might be having an aneurysm when she rubbed her temple. “My mother told you