LITTLE BIT STRONGER | A COUNTRY ROMANCE

Chapter Twelve

Josh winked as one of the kids came over to their table with plates of cake. "This one knows. Always hooks me up."

He ruffled the boy's hair and the kid shot him with a water pistol he had tucked in the back of his shorts.

The boy tore off running and yelled, "Worth the payback, Uncle Josh!"

"What did I tell you? Hell spawn." Kate loved it. "I wanted to see you again. I figured this would put you at ease. You got a big family, too. Neutral place. Less pressure."

"I appreciate that." Taking a deep breath, she added, "I'm sorry I've been in hiding."

"No need to apologize. I get it." He pointed with his fork at the women in his family huddled around the cake table. "You think those women didn't meddle after my divorce? Oh, they did. They must know a thousand women between here and Oklahoma City. Tried to get me to date all of them."

"That sounds exhausting."

"You have no idea. I'm the only boy, the oldest, with four sisters. There are countless women in my extended family. They were crazed harpies trying to set me up."

Jasmine lightly smacked her brother in the back of the head. "It might be true but you shouldn't say it, Josh."

"Forgive me, sister. Please don't hit me anymore."

Taking the chair beside Kate, she rolled her eyes. "He's always the victim." She seemed to reconsider. "Wait, we beat the hell out of him. Sorry for all those years of abuse, brother mine." She chuckled maniacally. "He wasn't allowed to defend himself. Only boy, always bigger. Our mama would have worn his butt out. All he could do was run. Seriously toxic looking back."

"He turned out okay," Kate remarked with a smile.

"He did. Bygones." She blew her brother a kiss and he pretended to bite it from the air. "How you doing, Kate?"

"I'm good, thanks. I think I consumed a week's worth of calories in the last hour."

Jasmine nodded sagely. "We don't skimp on calories around here." Resting her elbow on the table, she rested her chin in it. "I don't know if you realize but our boys go to pre-K together. I see you drop Caleb some mornings."

Tilting her head, Kate asked, "Is Tyler your son?" The other woman nodded. "Caleb talks about him all the time."

"They're best friends. I volunteer at the school a couple of days a week since the teacher strike. Your boy is the brightest in the class. He'll be reading in the next few weeks. It's obvious how much you work with him. You should be super proud."

"Thank you so much. I am proud of him."

As was always the case when her son was the topic, Kate fell into the conversation for a solid twenty minutes. It was nice to talk to another mom of a boy Caleb's age.

She didn't get many opportunities since the divorce.

It was hard to attend parent functions alone after years of having Brian with her.

"I want you to know that you aren't a subject of gossip." Kate lifted her eyes to Jasmine's. "I imagine...after a breakup, you might worry about people talking." She leaned closer. "The only words spoken were hoping you and Caleb were okay. You have my word on that."

Blinking against tears, Kate took a moment to process the words. Inhaling deeply, she whispered, "I-I was embarrassed."

"Oh, honey...I'm sorry." Jasmine gathered her for a hug and said softly in her ear, "Every woman worries about how the world will look at them. Men rarely do. No matter what happens with my brother, know you have a bunch of women here to talk to if you need it."