Holly shook her head. “Damn, men can be so loving to their kids but shits to the women in their lives. I lucked out when I met Darren, but all my exes are assholes.” She grabbed Belle’s hand and stared at her. “Harold was a fucking idiot to have cheated on you. You’re a great mother, and you were a fantastic wife—don’t ever forget that. It seems like the more you do for a man, the more he takes advantage of you.”
Belle squeezed her friend then smiled weakly. “Thanks. Okay, poor-little-me conversation is over.”
“Just remember that Emily is having a hard time because she’s missing her dad and doesn’t know how to deal with it. Add being a teenager on top of it, and it has to be tough for her. Remember back when you were her age. It sucked, right?”
Belle shrugged. “My parents were very strict, so for most of my life with them, I felt like a caged bird with clipped wings. I would never cuss them out or even think of shoving them against a wall. I give Emily what I never had—freedom. She can go out with friends, go on dates, and listen to whatever music she likes. But she still resents me. I don’t know what to do.”
“The problem is, as much as you didn’t have any freedom, you’ve given too much of it to Emily. She needs more supervision. With you working so much overtime, Emily can do whatever the hell she wants, and you’re not around to watch her. Some kids need more supervision and a man in the house.” Holly leaned back in her chair. “You know, if you want to diffuse the tension, maybe it’d be better for Emily to come and live with me and Darren until the end of the semester. We’re just talking five months. It’d give her a chance to miss you and Ethan, plus it’d give her more structure. You could have quality time with Ethan. It’d ease up the tensions in the house.”
Belle stood up and placed her coffee cup in the sink. It was sweet of Holly to try and help her out, but how could she let her daughter live away from her? She loved Emily so much, but it did bother her that she’d been so aggressive the previous night. Belle hoped it was an isolated incident, but Emily hadn’t apologized to her earlier in the morning when she’d left for school.
“I know this is a hard decision for you. I’m just trying to help. I’ve always gotten along fine with Emily. I’m worried about you because I’ve never seen you this tense. You’re more stressed out than you were when Harold died.”
“Things are rough right now. It isn’t all Emily. Our financial situation is always on my mind. It seems I never have enough to pay everything at the end of the month. I feel awful that I can’t take the kids on a trip, or even to a fucking movie.” Belle pulled her shoulders back. “But I know things will get better. Life has a way of turning out great when we least expect it. It’ll all be good.”
“I hope so. Just think about what I said. The offer is open any time.” Holly walked over to the back door.
“Thanks. I will. I’ve got to get to work. We’ll talk soon. Thanks for listening.”
Holly smiled and left out the back. Belle ran upstairs to change into her uniform then headed to Ruthie’s Diner.
Throughout her shift, she looked out the pass-through window, watching for Banger, but he never showed up. A knot formed in her stomach. Why hadn’t he come? Maybe she shouldn’t have rebuffed him the last time she’d seen him, but she knew his type—he was a man looking for a good time. If she didn’t have all the crap going on with Emily, she may have been interested in having some fun with Banger. But the way her life was, having fun wasn’t an option.
A gust of icy wind wove its way into the kitchen. Belle rushed over and looked out to see who’d come into the diner. When she spotted an elderly couple, her heart sank. I’m acting like a fool. So what if he doesn’t come in? He probably has several women he’s playing. I have enough going on that I don’t need to be obsessing over a playboy biker.
She put the final touches on a three-layer chocolate raspberry fudge cake.
“Mmm… That sure looks good.” Jerome gave her a wide grin, exposing the gaps from his missing teeth.
She smiled warmly at her colleague. Jerome was the other cook for the diner. He was a sweet man around her age, although his deep wrinkles and blotchy skin made him appear much older. He was a reliable employee, and Belle loved him for that, especially when her feet ached from standing for nine or ten hours.
“Try a piece. I prepped everything for tonight,” Belle said as she grabbed her purse and coat.
“Should be a quiet night since they have a rodeo over at Rutger’s barn.”