A Cosmic Kind of Love(52)

I grinned at his aunt, who was practically bursting with pride.

Staring out at the water, Chris ate but said nothing. I wondered how he felt about his time on active duty. What he’d seen. Who he’d lost. Then he spoke. “I enjoyed flying, but combat wasn’t for me.” He turned back to me. “So I applied to Pax.”

“Pax?”

“Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River in Maryland. I was there for three years, and I got involved in test-piloting for NASA. Miguel was the one who dreamed of being an astronaut. He was fascinated with space since he was a kid, and it rubbed off on me. When he died, having never pursued what he’d really wanted, I decided I’d try to make that dream come true for him. That’s what got me interested in the astronaut-training program, so I applied and was selected when I was thirty-one. Trained for three years and then went on my first mission, as you know.”

Awed and feeling like I’d done very little of significance with my life in comparison, I gaped at him.

Richelle laughed beside me. “Impressive and intimidating, I know.”

He frowned. “How? All I did was work hard. People work hard all the time.”

“Yes, but not all people are bona fide astronauts who live in space for five months.” I shook my head at him. “You’ve packed so much into your life, and you’re only thirty-five.” No wonder he was floundering now. He’d literally reached for the stars and achieved it. What came next? I suddenly remembered his confession. “And now you’re writing a book. I feel the desperate need to go home and reevaluate all my life choices.”

Chris narrowed his eyes. “You shouldn’t compare your achievements to anyone else. Look at your success. You’re excellent at your job, Hallie, and that’s why you work for one of the best event-management companies in the country. Never undervalue yourself.”

I softened my cheeky grin, moved by his praise. “Thank you for saying that. As for your book, you know I think it’s amazing.”

“I can’t believe you told her about the book,” Richelle murmured.

She and Chris shared a look I didn’t understand.

Eventually he shrugged. “Hallie knows to keep it to herself.”

“Did you tell your father about it?”

Just like that, it felt like Richelle’s words had conjured this wall between us and Chris. The tension radiating off him was palpable, and I knew from our discussion last night that things between him and his dad were awful.

And I thought my relationship with my parents was a mess.

As if on cue, my cell rang on the table beside my plate. I’d changed my ringtone Friday night to “Keep Moving” by Jungle, so it was pretty loud. It felt incredibly inappropriate at the moment. Seeing that it was Dad, I winced and muttered an apology before I left the table. I answered as I stepped away, hoping maybe the interruption would dissolve the tension the mention of Chris’s father had created.

“Hey, Dad, can I call—”

“You need to call your mother right now,” my father barked furiously in my ear.

In all the arguments I’d been stuck in the middle of, Dad had never spoken to me like that. My stomach dropped. “What’s going on?”

“Your mother and Jenna were drunk and toilet-papered our yard last night. This is beyond acceptable behavior, Hallie! This is intimidation! Miranda is in tears, Alison is mortified, and my neighbors are affronted. I can’t—”

“Dad, Dad, slow down. Are you sure it was Mom?” Of all the crazy stuff she’d done, I just couldn’t imagine her toilet-papering Dad’s yard.

“I saw her!” he raged. “I woke up because I heard them laughing, and when I went to investigate, they took off in that cheap lime-green monstrosity Jenna refuses to stop driving. I checked the security camera on the front door to make sure, and there was your mom, laughing it up and stumbling all over the fucking yard with rolls of toilet paper in hand.”

Oh my God.

“Dad, I’m sorry. That is ridiculous.” What was she thinking?

“It’s beyond ridiculous, Hallie. It’s criminal. Now you get on the phone to your mother and tell her to get her ass over here and clean this up, or I am pressing charges. She puts me through hell, and just when I’m getting back on track, she starts harassing my family? That’s not happening!”

I winced at him calling Miranda and Alison his family.

“Right. I’ll call her.”

He hung up on me.

Like it was my fault too.

Resentful tears filled my eyes, and I squeezed the bridge of my nose to stop them. My wrist throbbed, and I released the pressure with a hiss of frustration. Despite the stumble over Bandit, I’d been having the best weekend I’d had for as long as I could remember.

But, of course, my parents would ruin it.

A firm hand settled on my shoulder. “Hallie, you okay?”

The hair on my nape rose.

I turned to face a concerned Chris. “I have to call my mom. I’ll be two seconds.”

He nodded, a deep frown between his brows, but he returned to the table while my phone rang out. Just as I was about to hang up, Mom answered.

“So you remembered you were supposed to be here for lunch?” she snapped, her tone hurt.

What? “When? We didn’t make plans.”