Life's Next Chapter by Sarah Goodman Read Free Book Online Page A

grocery shopping, so when I can, I do my bulk shopping at Costco. It cuts my visits to the neighborhood market down a lot, since frequent trips to the store aren’t feasible with little kids. But, I’m sure you and your girlfriend don’t have to worry about that.”
    What girlfriend? “I’m sorry, did you just say girlfriend?” I ask, utterly confused.
    Realizing what she said, her eyes widen and she bites her upper lip, obviously trying to think of a way to change around what she said. Sighing in defeat, she looks down at the counter and mumbles, “I said, ‘I’m sure you and your girlfriend don’t have to worry about that’.” She turns away, embarrassed.
    “Kate, I can assure you I don’t have a girlfriend…I don’t have many friends who happen to be women.”
    She turns back around, eyes watering, and walks right past me into the family room to check on the girls. For once, they are sitting still, on the couch, watching Brave . A few minutes go by and she walks back to the kitchen, her eyes dry. “I’m sorry, Luke, your personal life is none of my business. I’ve hired you professionally, and we’ll talk professionally. What I said was out of line. Please accept my apology.”
    I give in to the urge and walk over to her, placing my hands lightly on her arms. “Kate, no need to apologize. I’m just confused as to why you would think I have a girlfriend. Especially since I’ve been doing everything I can think of to get you to notice me. I don’t want to keep our conversations professional; I want to get to know you personally .” Her beautiful blue eyes look up at me, completely bewildered.
    “The girl with the yellow car, she’s not your girlfriend?”
    FUCK ! The elephant in the room has just taken center stage. Gathering my courage, I gently pull her to the kitchen table and indicate she should sit. Then I pull a chair out and sit down across from her, face-to-face. Taking a deep breath, I memorize the woman in front of me because what I am about to say could be the last time I see her beautiful face this close to me. Here it goes, “Kate, the girl with the yellow car is my…daughter.” I wait for it to sink in; I know it’s a shitload to take in. She’s looking down at her fingers.
    “How old is she?” Kate asks, her voice barely audible.
    “Danika is seventeen, she’ll be eighteen in December.” I whisper.
    “How old are you?” She looks up at me, tears in her eyes again. I knew this would be too much for her.
    “I’m thirty-six, my birthday was in June.” I can see she’s doing the math.
    “Is she the reason you went into the Army?”
    I grab her hands and lace my fingers with hers, just wanting to feel her touch. “Mostly. I was already thinking about it; I wasn’t that academically oriented in high school, so I didn’t have scholarships or colleges lined up. Then a month before graduation my high school girlfriend, Danielle, told me she was pregnant. Danielle wanted to keep the baby; she talked about marriage and a home, but I knew I couldn’t provide all that with the part time job I had.”
    Kate looks so torn. I don’t know if she is mad, hurt, embarrassed, or what. “I’m so sorry to throw this out at you. I completely understand if you want me to leave and just continue on a strictly professional level.”
    She raises her head, looks at me with her amazing smile, and places her hand on my cheek. “Why are you sorry? I’m the one that feels like an ass, thinking your daughter was your girlfriend.”
    “Were you jealous thinking I had a young girlfriend, or were you jealous thinking I had a girlfriend at all?” I tease, my freed hand playfully squeezing the place at the top of her knee on a hunch that she’s ticklish there.
    “NO!” She cries in indignation, but I don’t believe her, so I pulse my fingers, tickling her more.
    “Say it…I know you were. I can see it in those beautiful eyes of yours.” I pulse my fingers faster as I tease her, all while