name.”
My mother took Kacey’s hand in both of hers and shook vigorously. “Hillary Venable. You can call me Hil. By the way, honey, you’ve got something on your mouth.” She pulled a wadded tissue out of her coat pocket and reached for Kacey’s mouth. Kacey took a quick step back and wiped her mouth with her hand.
My mother shrugged and wiped her nose with the tissue. Kacey’s eyes followed it all the way back into the pocket, and I knew she was wondering if it had been used before.
“Barbecue?” my mother said. “I’m the worst with that. Always end up with it all over me.”
“We had wings for dinner.” Kacey let her arms fall to her sides. They stood looking at each other.
I usually can’t bear an awkward silence, but I was willing to ride this one out. I had plenty to occupy my mind.
My mother put both hands in her pockets. “So, are you two a couple?”
Kacey laughed out loud. “A couple of what?”
“It’s all right, honey. Live and let live, I always say.”
“Kacey is Simon Mason’s daughter. I’ve been living here for the past few months, since her father was killed.”
Kacey turned to look at me as I spoke. Her inattention cost her. My mother stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kacey’s neck. “Oh, you poor dear. I read all about your father and you. It was awful.”
Kacey’s eyes widened, and she looked at me as if to say, She’s your mother, aren’t you going to get her off of me?
“Simon was a great man,” I said. “And his daughter is pretty great, too.”
When my mother finally released her grip, Kacey backed away slowly, like a hiker who has stumbled onto a bear in the woods. She spoke rapidly. “Well, I’ve got to go study—test tomorrow. I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Venable.”
“Call me Hil.”
“Yes. It was nice to meet you, Hil.”
“The pleasure was all mine. You’re a real sweetheart.” Before my mother finished the sentence, she had already moved her eyes away from Kacey and was looking at the dining room chandelier.
As Kacey walked out of the room, her shoulders shook, and I knew she was stifling a laugh. We would have a lot to talk about before bedtime.
I put my hand on the step beneath me and pushed to my feet. “After all these years I don’t know what to say.”
“Why, you don’t have to say anything. I’ve just got so much to tell you about what I’ve been doing.”
I shook my head. “What you’ve been doing? How about what I’ve been doing? Since I was nine, remember?”
She took off her overcoat and draped it over her arm. “Of course, I want to hear all about that, too. Is there somewhere I can hang my coat? You keep it warm in here, don’t you?”
I took her coat and hung it in the entryway closet. “By the way, how did you find me?” I said.
“You were the one who found me. Your investigator friend called and told me you were looking for me. I asked him where you lived and decided to come see you.”
“Where do you live?”
“Southlake.”
“Southlake, Texas? You mean that you’ve been living twenty miles from me all this time?”
She waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be silly. I just moved to Southlake about a year ago. I married a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.” She winked. “I hooked myself a good one this time, honey. He’s a chemical engineering genius and a real big shot. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“You’re married?”
“Yes, and why I keep doing that, I don’t know. There just aren’t many men as good as your father, God rest his soul. Believe me, I’ve found that out the hard way.”
“So, you knew Dad was dead?”
“How could I not? It was all over the news. What a terrible thing. You were a real hero, though, shooting those men who killed your father. I was proud of you.”
“Those men tried to rape me, you know. Did you ever think it might be a good idea to come to the funeral, or to call me
My mother took Kacey’s hand in both of hers and shook vigorously. “Hillary Venable. You can call me Hil. By the way, honey, you’ve got something on your mouth.” She pulled a wadded tissue out of her coat pocket and reached for Kacey’s mouth. Kacey took a quick step back and wiped her mouth with her hand.
My mother shrugged and wiped her nose with the tissue. Kacey’s eyes followed it all the way back into the pocket, and I knew she was wondering if it had been used before.
“Barbecue?” my mother said. “I’m the worst with that. Always end up with it all over me.”
“We had wings for dinner.” Kacey let her arms fall to her sides. They stood looking at each other.
I usually can’t bear an awkward silence, but I was willing to ride this one out. I had plenty to occupy my mind.
My mother put both hands in her pockets. “So, are you two a couple?”
Kacey laughed out loud. “A couple of what?”
“It’s all right, honey. Live and let live, I always say.”
“Kacey is Simon Mason’s daughter. I’ve been living here for the past few months, since her father was killed.”
Kacey turned to look at me as I spoke. Her inattention cost her. My mother stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kacey’s neck. “Oh, you poor dear. I read all about your father and you. It was awful.”
Kacey’s eyes widened, and she looked at me as if to say, She’s your mother, aren’t you going to get her off of me?
“Simon was a great man,” I said. “And his daughter is pretty great, too.”
When my mother finally released her grip, Kacey backed away slowly, like a hiker who has stumbled onto a bear in the woods. She spoke rapidly. “Well, I’ve got to go study—test tomorrow. I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Venable.”
“Call me Hil.”
“Yes. It was nice to meet you, Hil.”
“The pleasure was all mine. You’re a real sweetheart.” Before my mother finished the sentence, she had already moved her eyes away from Kacey and was looking at the dining room chandelier.
As Kacey walked out of the room, her shoulders shook, and I knew she was stifling a laugh. We would have a lot to talk about before bedtime.
I put my hand on the step beneath me and pushed to my feet. “After all these years I don’t know what to say.”
“Why, you don’t have to say anything. I’ve just got so much to tell you about what I’ve been doing.”
I shook my head. “What you’ve been doing? How about what I’ve been doing? Since I was nine, remember?”
She took off her overcoat and draped it over her arm. “Of course, I want to hear all about that, too. Is there somewhere I can hang my coat? You keep it warm in here, don’t you?”
I took her coat and hung it in the entryway closet. “By the way, how did you find me?” I said.
“You were the one who found me. Your investigator friend called and told me you were looking for me. I asked him where you lived and decided to come see you.”
“Where do you live?”
“Southlake.”
“Southlake, Texas? You mean that you’ve been living twenty miles from me all this time?”
She waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be silly. I just moved to Southlake about a year ago. I married a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.” She winked. “I hooked myself a good one this time, honey. He’s a chemical engineering genius and a real big shot. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“You’re married?”
“Yes, and why I keep doing that, I don’t know. There just aren’t many men as good as your father, God rest his soul. Believe me, I’ve found that out the hard way.”
“So, you knew Dad was dead?”
“How could I not? It was all over the news. What a terrible thing. You were a real hero, though, shooting those men who killed your father. I was proud of you.”
“Those men tried to rape me, you know. Did you ever think it might be a good idea to come to the funeral, or to call me
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