Things Remembered Read Free Page A

said. She was still feeling put-upon by Grace but past the point of needing to vent.
    Bill grabbed a piece of lasagna noodle as it left Jason’s fork and headed for the floor. He put it on the corner of his plate without missing a beat in the conversation. “What kind did she get?”
    â€œA BMW.” The sporty one Karla would have liked to have for herself but couldn’t fit into her budget.
    Pausing midbite, Heather said, “Wait a minute. I thought she said she needed you with her to negotiate the deal. Aren’t those the cars they sell at a set price?”
    Karla nodded, knowing what was coming, wishing she could head it off, feeling as foolish as she always did when Grace managed to manipulate her into doing something she knew better than to do.
    â€œDon’t tell me she talked you into buying it for her.” Anger created twin red circles on Heather’s cheeks like some 1920s makeup artist gone crazy with rouge.
    â€œThere’s no way I would let her do that.”
    â€œThen what?”
    Reluctantly, Karla admitted, “I cosigned the loan.”
    Bill put his napkin on the table and sat back in his chair but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to, his actions said enough.
    Heather took a drink of water and sat for several seconds with her jaw clamped tight. It appeared that she, too, was going to let the news go without comment. Then it was as if the frustration had nowhere to go but out. “God damn it, Karla—” She glanced at Bill and then the kids. “I’m sorry,” she said to Jamie, “I shouldn’t say words like that. No one should. Not ever.”
    She wasn’t so distracted by the swearing she didn’t finish. She glared at Karla. “Grace is never going to grow up if you don’t stop dancing to her tune. You either back off and let her learn to depend on herself or she’s going to turn into an emotional cripple.”
    â€œAll I did was cosign. She made her own down payment.” Minus the thousand dollars her trade-in didn’t cover, which Karla had insisted was a loan, not the early Christmas/birthday present Grace had suggested.
    â€œWhich means if she stops making payments you either make them for her or lose your own credit rating,” Heather said.
    â€œThat’s not going to happen.”
    â€œDid she say why she needed a luxury car when all the rest of us get by with practical?”
    Karla knew the answer wouldn’t satisfy Heather, but gave it anyway. “She needed something she could count on to get her to auditions and to make her look successful.”
    â€œAnd you bought into that?”
    â€œHer auditions are all over town. Some days she has half a dozen and might as well not go as be late.”
    â€œAll those auditions and no jobs. Wouldn’t you think she’d at least have had a commercial by now?”
    â€œShe doesn’t go out on commercials.”
    â€œOh? And why is that? Too good for them?”
    â€œShe’s afraid they’ll typecast her.”
    â€œWhat about all the famous people who got their start in commercials?”
    Bill reached over to wipe sauce from Jason’s chin. “I think we’re going to let the two of you work this out by yourselves.” He reached for Jason and said to Jamie, “Come on—let’s see what we can find to watch on television.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Bill,” Karla said. “You don’t have to go. We’ll behave.”
    â€œThat’s all right. I shouldn’t have brought up the car, but I think the two of you have a few other things that need to be worked out, too.” He smiled, leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “If you’re still talking to each other when you finish, I’ll take you over to Monterey to check on the sea lions.”
    When he was gone, Karla got up and started clearing the dishes.
    â€œLeave them,” Heather said.