Tina snuck a quick look at him and shook her head.
“No, thank you. Just stopping by to say hi. I have a meeting with one of our vendors in ten minutes. I just wanted to ask you, Kenny, if you’d like to join me and some friends tonight? Ralphie’shosts a ladies’ night on Thursdays—Cocktails and Karaoke. We basically go out, get wasted, and sing our little hearts out. It’s great fun.”
Sing?At the pub in town?
Smith couldn’t picture Kenna singing. He’d never evenheard her hum. Her face clouded and he knew she was about to disappoint his hopeful sister. But Tina should have known better than to put Kenna on the spot like this.
“I’m not a very good singer,” Kenna said, her voice filled with uncertainty.
Tina laughed and made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
“None of us are. And trust me, you can’t be as bad as my friend, Charity. The woman is amazing and talented in so many ways, but she regularly and readily admits to being ‘vocally challenged.’ And always insists on going last because—as she puts it—her voice will clear the room.”
Kenna laughed along with Tina, but she had a panicked, slightly trapped look in her eyes.
“It’s not so much the singing as the,um,performative aspect.Publicperformative aspect.”
Tina grinned.
“Ah, you mean singing in front of strangers? A few cocktails and you won’t even think about it.”
“Tina.” Smith inserted a note of warning into his voice. He didn’t want her pressuring Kenna into this.
Tina seemed to understand, and immediately backed down.
“I’m sorry, I’m the last one to force someone to do something soverypublic. I was scared shitless the first time I got up there. But I’ve discovered that nobody really pays attention to us.” She cleared her throat and her smile went even warmer. “Anyway, you really don’t have to sing, Kenny, but it would be lovely if you joined us anyway.”
Kenna slanted a furtive peek at him, her eyes troubled and unreadable. Maybe she wanted his help in dissuading Tina?
“Tina,” he began. “Kenna doesn’t usually…”
“I’d love to.” Her voice cut across his and he fixed his bemused gaze on her face.
What?
He assumed he misheard, but Tina’s excited reaction dispelled that notion.
“Fabulous! I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”
“Don’t you have to work tonight?” Smith asked his sister, not sure how he felt about this new development. With the impending divorce, he’d been fine with his family and his wife not getting along.
This new relationship the two women were starting to forge made him uncomfortable on so many levels. But he knew better than to verbalize that thought. He valued his life too much.
Tina rolled her eyes at his question.
“Ricardo knows what he’s doing. That’s why he’s my manager. My staff is extremely professional. They can handle one evening without Libby and me. So six-thirty, Kenny?”
“I’ll be ready. What should I wear?”
“It’s Ralphie’s, so no need to dress up. Keep it casual.”
Before her arrival in Riversend, Smith would have laid even money on the fact that Kenna didn’t possess a single shred of clothing that could be described as casual. But he hadn’t seen her in any professionally tailored suits or designer dresses since her arrival.
Now he couldn’t help but wonder what her interpretation of keeping it casual would be.
Tina excused herself shortly after that.
Leaving Smith and Kenna to sit and stare at each other in awkward silence.
