“Praise the Lord,” Rona muttered.
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to,” his administrator said with a sickly, insincere smile. “And while you’re up there, see if you can find your humor.”
Katie woketired and generally pissed off with the world the day after she’d finished things with Cubby. She’d done this to herself. She should never have let him back into her heart and life, never have slept with him and experienced what it was like to be with the man she loved on an intimate level. But this was her fault not his. She’d thought she could handle it and hadn’t been able to.
She spent most of the day brooding, which didn’t help, but got a good rage going over the injustice of Cubby not loving her back. He had to feel something for her, she reasoned, surely after what they’d shared he cared for her a little.
“No, Katie, he doesn’t,” she said loud enough to reach all corners of the houseboat and beyond. “Wake up, girl, and move on!”
When Macy arrived and demanded that Katie, who had already decided to give the party a miss, go with her, she agreed, simply because she was done with her own company, and brooding over the thick-headed sheriff of Lake Howling.
They spent two hours at Macy’s house, one playing with Billy, and one getting dressed in a ridiculous outfit, which she then tried to remove several times, only to have Macy yell at her. When Billy’s sitter arrived, Katie was seriously thinking of making a run for the door, where she would then scurry back to the houseboat and lock the door before pulling out candy and binge eating her entire stash.
“Right, you,” Macy said, pointing a finger at her. “Get in my car now. We are going to the party, and I don’t want to hear any more of your complaints.”
“I don’t want to go,” Katie whined.
“Don’t care.”
“You’re forceful for a little person, you know that?” Katie said five minutes later as Macy backed down her drive.
“It’s something I’ve worked on, but I think it’s coming along, don’t you?”
“And then some,” Katie muttered.
They drove into town and found a park up the street from the Howler, after several passes up and down the street.
“It’s busy.”
“Some of these cars will be people arriving for the Hot Foot,” Macy said.
“I forgot about that. Day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yup, and you’re entered, so you need to start thinking about how you’re going to win.”
“Sure, no pressure then.”
“I’m not sure when you became such a whiner, but we’re going to work on that, Katie McBride.”
Katie watched Macy get out, but her legs refused to move so she stayed seated.
“Get out of the car, Katie.” Macy came round her side and opened the door.
“I just feel weird dressed like this, Macy.”
“You look hot, so get out, or I’ll get your brother to haul you out.”
“All right, already. Gee, you’re bossy.”
Macy smiled. She looked like a doll dressed in a bright pink mini dress, long white boots, and a blonde wig. Her eyelashes were fake and she wore blue eye shadow and pink lipstick.
“I know it. Now get out here, McBride.”
Katie did as she was told, gripping Macy’s hand and feeling ill at the prospect of seeing Cubby again.
“I haven’t worn a dress this short in my lifetime; plus it’s so tight, I’m scared it will split if I bend over.”
