Fireside by Susan Wiggs (autobiographies to read .TXT) 📕

each other. For AJ’s sake, he needed to make a go at being a family, making a clean break with Kim. Seeing him now merely flayed an open wound, but she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. The camera loved him. The press loved him. The fans loved him. And why not? Why should the rest of the world be any different from Kim? She couldn’t help herself and neither could anyone else. She wondered what his life was like now. Had he and Yolanda gotten a place in New Rochelle or Larchmont, perhaps? Had their two years of cohabitation started? Did AJ finally have the family he’d dreamed about?

She shook off the thought and focused on the broadcast. Bo looked as though he’d been born to play this game. The long-limbed grace of his windup and delivery inspired the announcer to declare that he was poetry in motion. It was wonderful to watch him play baseball, in the way it was wonderful to watch a gifted dancer. The sight of him made her heart skip a beat.

The report cut to the game’s end, with a clip from the clubhouse. Kim couldn’t suppress a smile when he said something straight out of her playbook: “I got one job to do—make it so the team has a chance to win. It worked today.” He sounded as genuine and natural as he was in person.

“You’re a lot scarier on the mound,” the interviewer noted. “Is that where the nickname Iceman came from?”

“I’m not trying to be scary. Just doing my job.”

“What about your personal life? Wife? Girlfriend? Family—”

Bo offered his trademark grin, the one Kim had once explained would never fail him, so long as he let the smile reach his eyes. “My friend, there’s a reason it’s called private life. And hey, thanks for coming out today. See y’all around the ballpark.” He effectively ended the interview without seeming to be rude.

At least she knew he was doing all right, and there was some measure of satisfaction in that. By the time she’d left L.A., her ideals had been muted. She’d learned to lie and spin for the sake of the client. The refreshing thing about Bo was that he was completely genuine, with a good story, and she was proud to have helped him shape it. She tried to feel a sense of accomplishment, but it was thin, and fleeting.

Kim reached across the counter and snapped off the TV. It was time to stop lying to herself. She wasn’t okay. Not even close.

The morning of the wedding dawned cool and blustery, yet the air was sweet with the promise of spring. The cake had just been delivered by the Sky River Bakery and Kim found herself alone in the kitchen, admiring the colorful fondant icing that coordinated strangely with the color scheme of the house.

She fixed a cup of tea and sipped it, hoping the day would warm up enough so she could wear the party dress she’d picked out for the event. She could hear the sounds of people elsewhere in the house, getting ready for the big day. The rented tables and chairs had already been set up, and friends and neighbors were bringing the food, potluck style. Bo’s former band—with a new bass player named Brandi—would be playing the music.

And just like that, her thoughts circled around to Bo Crutcher again. Maybe a time would come when she would wake up and her mind wouldn’t go there, but today wasn’t the day.

She heard the thud of a car door slamming and glanced at the clock. Another delivery? Or—

The kitchen door opened and a whirlwind burst in.

Kim dropped her mug into the sink, unable to believe her eyes. “What are you doing here?” she asked, already feeling the tears well up.

“Surprise!” AJ was grinning from ear to ear. “I bet you’re surprised to see me.”

She flew across the room and hugged him, loving the sturdy feel of him in her arms, the grassy boyish scent of him. She’d missed him more than she’d thought possible. More than…She stepped back. He looked like a different child, bigger, stronger, more vibrant and assured, his eyes sparkling with an inner light she’d never seen before. “I can’t believe it! What’s going on?”

“We came to Avalon to live,” he said. “My mom and I—it was Bo’s idea. He fixed everything. Everything!”

“Oh…” Despite her joy at seeing AJ again, her heart plummeted. She’d only just begun to believe she would survive what had happened, and now this. What was Bo thinking, bringing the woman he’d married to live in this town? Did he really mean to torture her like this?

“He said he’d go crazy missing me if we stayed in Texas.” AJ’s smile turned shy. “And I’d miss him. Really bad.”

“How about you, pretty lady?” Bo asked, walking through the door, his tall frame seeming to fill the entire room. “Did you miss me, too?”

Kim stood transfixed, feeling as though all the air had been sucked out of her. She clutched the back of a chair, needing to steady herself.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Bo said. “Dino wouldn’t hear of me missing his wedding. Besides, we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He made a gesture with his head, and AJ responded instantly, scampering out the door.

“He looks wonderful,” Kim said, finally finding her voice. “I’ve never seen him so happy.”

Bo nodded. “He needed his mom. You and I were right about him needing her more than anything. And, Kim, about that—”

“Yes, about that.” She was trying not to freak out, but he looked incredible, standing just a few feet away. She found herself staring at his arms, his hands, his mouth. Oh, she was so not over him. “I can understand you wanting him to live closer to New York. But here, Bo?” Her voice broke on a note of anguish. She couldn’t imagine what it was going to be like, meeting Yolanda, both women knowing