“Sorry. His girlfriend. She’s an Instagram influencer, I suppose you’d call it. No clue if she has a real job or if that’s it. Based on how often she posts, I’d say no real job. Kyle blocked me from his account, but I found her account early on and I don’t have a clue if she even knows I follow her with all the rest of the people that do, but it’s about the only way I can keep track of him these days.”
“You don’t like her. That’s pretty obvious.”
“No, I don’t. She treats my son like an accessory.” Mitch scowled. “Kyle deserves better.”
“There’s more to it than that, though. Isn’t there?”
Why was Harper so perceptive? How? He could only nod. “Yes. This young woman, Addison, she’s not the sort of person my wife and I ever imagined Kyle would be with. She’s fake.Right down to her eyelashes. He was raised to value the good in a person. To look at a person’s character and their actions. Not their perceived clout or the way they look. Which, in Addison’s case, is very plastic.”
Harper shrugged. “Maybe she is a good person. Maybe she does all kinds of charitable work that you don’t know about.”
He exhaled, hard. “If Addison was doing anything even remotely like that, you can be sure it would be all over her social media. She can’t have coffee without sharing it.” He shook his head. “Jeanie wouldn’t like her. She’d be kind to her, but this is not a woman she’d approve of. Especially not for Kyle.”
“Do you think that’s why Kyle’s with her? That it’s some kind of rebellion?”
Mitch didn’t see it that way. “I doubt it. He loved his mother. He was a mama’s boy, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. He adored her.”
Harper angled her head to the side. “Then maybe he’s with this young woman as a way of punishing you.”
Mitch sat in silence, letting a few seconds tick by as the truth of that statement sank in. “That might be more like it.”
“You don’t like Addison and it seems that’s something he would know. If he also knows you’re following her, then what’s happening online could be very deliberate. Although I doubt she’s tweaking everything she does in an attempt to irritate you, but then again…” Harper made a face. “People can be petty.”
“That they can be.”
“I’m sorry things with your son continue to be strained. I hope that changes for you. Soon. I know it weighs on you.”
“It does.” He made himself smile. “But the only person I can change is me. Maybe that’s really what I should be focusing on. You know what? Tell Willa she can post whatever she likes on social media. The odds of Kyle seeing it feel slim and, if he does, maybe it’ll shake him up enough to finally reach out to me.”
“You’re sure?”
He wasn’t. But things couldn’t get worse between him and Kyle. He nodded with more conviction than he felt. “Yes. I am.”
Chapter Eight
Frankie was thrilled to be headed to Lucas’s for dinner. Not only was he a fabulous chef with a beautiful house, but having Willa along to see all of that was the icing on the cake. Frankie was proud of her new friendship and wanted to bask in the glow that surrounded Lucas. Having her daughter be completely impressed with her didn’t hurt.
She’d picked out a bottle of white wine for them to bring, hoping it was a good accompaniment to whatever Lucas was serving. Harper had driven them in the golf cart to his house, Willa and Archie on the back seat. Willa was slightly goggle-eyed at the very prospect of dining here this evening.
When Lucas opened the door and greeted them with a big smile and warm hugs, Willa seemed to levitate. Of course, she’d met him before. But being invited to his house? In Willa’s words, that was next level.
“It’s so good to have you all here,” he said. “I love company. Come in and get comfortable.”
Scout stood behind him, her tail wagging wildly, her smile clearly for Archie.
“Go ahead,” Harper said, taking Archie’s leash off and giving him a pat on the backside. He scampered into the house. The twodogs took off, going out the open back doors and into the yard, where they raced around on the grass with obvious enthusiasm.
“Your house is really great,” Willa said.
“Thank you.” Lucas gestured toward the house’s interior. “Please, make yourself at home.”
They came in. Willa looked around, her eyes wide with curiosity. “This place is cool,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.
“So,” Frankie said. “What’s for dinner?”
“Straight to the food,” Lucas said. “A woman after my own heart.”
“What can I say—I like food.” Frankie set the bottle of wine on the counter.
