The Almost Wives Club: Kate by Nancy Warren Read Free Book Online

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    “At least tell me where you are. She’s going to kill me if I don’t have something for her.”
    A string of dolphin fins emerged at once, looking like bunting. “I’m really sorry you got dragged into this. But at least it will be over when the wedding’s officially cancelled.”
    “Um, I think the wedding’s still on.”
    “What?” She must have shrieked for one of the surfer kids turned to stare at her. “But I returned his ring. I was pretty damn clear that I was breaking the engagement.”
    “Your mother was kind of doing this hysterical rambling thing. She said something about telling people you have strep throat. Kate, she confirmed your booking for the day before your wedding.”
    “Okay.” She blew out a breath. A family with small children arrived. The kids all carried brightly colored plastic buckets. “Tell her I’m heading to Phoenix.”
    “Phoenix? Nobody goes to Phoenix.”
    She smiled. “Exactly.”

Chapter Five
    Kate wasn’t a movie star; she wasn’t royalty. She’d believed that all she had to do was tell Ted she wasn’t marrying him and get on with her life. Apparently, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
    Even as she went to put her phone away it began ringing. It was Ted’s special tone. They’d made a custom ring out of the John Mayer song that had been playing when he proposed. Now the notes made her sick. She let the call go to voice mail and then wiped her phone.
    It was almost brand new. Ted’s office had a plan and he’d put her on it. She rose and walked to where the surfers were packing up. “How were the waves?”
    “Amazing. But we gotta head back for work. Which sucks.”
    You could track cell phones. She thought about giving the kids her phone but didn’t want anyone thinking they stole it. She decided to put it in the courier instead. She found a UPS outlet and sent her phone, after some deliberation, to Miami. Maybe they’d hire the lying PI from Seattle to trace it and he’d follow her phone all the way to Miami. That would make her happy. Except, now, she wished she’d sent it to somewhere a lot farther away and more dangerous.
    Then she treated herself to breakfast on the pier and decided that she was going to have to get more serious about hiding out, at least until the wedding had truly been cancelled.
    She got back on the road, still heading south. She could be in Mexico in a few hours.
    She called Lissa on a pay phone outside a liquor store. When she identified herself, Lissa said, “No, you can’t have your car back. Finders keepers.”
    She smiled. “Are you kidding? I love your car.” She glanced at the faded blue paint, blistered in a couple of spots with rust. “It’s got personality.”
    She chuckled, deep in her throat. “You are seriously deranged, you know that, right?”
    “Look. You’re a counselor and you do great work with the girls. Could you counsel me?”
    “Seriously? You want me to give advice to Miss Perfect?”
    “Miss Perfect? Is that how you see me?” She was a mass of insecurities and contradictions.
    “That’s your nickname with the girls. You didn’t know?”
    She sighed, realizing that she’d presented an image the world that wasn’t close to true. “No. I didn’t know.”
    Lissa’s voice changed, it softened. “Okay, I’ve got fresh coffee and I’m sitting down. Prepare to be counseled. But I’ll tell you what I tell the girls. I don’t do ‘poor me’ and I don’t care if you’re a victim. Show me what you’ve got. How are you going to stand in your own power?”
    “You tell that to the girls?”
    “Damn straight. You think you’ve got it tough?”
    Kate felt instantly ashamed. “No. I don’t. I’ve been blessed with so much, I shouldn’t even be wasting your time. I’m sorry.”
    “Whoa, not so fast. Just because you’re a rich, entitled white chick doesn’t mean you don’t have problems. So, spill.”
    She took a deep breath. “I’m a coward.”
    “So? We’re all cowards