“Why don’t you get settled, call your dad, and then meet me out on the porch and we’ll talk before dinner?” Katherine suggests, laying my suitcase on the four-poster bed in the guest room.

“Sounds good.”

After a quick talk with my Dad, I get Snuggles’ cage settled by the window, give her some fresh water and food, put all my clothes in the closet and dresser. and my makeup and hair products in the small adjoining bathroom.

I meet up with Aunt Katherine on her private porch that overlooks the water where she has a plate of crackers, cheese. and fresh fruit waiting for me with a fluted crystal glass of water with a twist of lemon.

“Spoiling me already?” I tease with a grin, taking a seat beside her at the small bistro table. “All of my favorites.”

“Of course,” she smiles. “I have to tell you, it’s so strange to see you driving your own car. You’re growing up too fast.”

“My dad says the same thing.”

She nods. “I’m sure he’s having a hard time with it. How has he been?”

“Good. Working on the new album. They’re going on tour in the fall. He wants me to go with him.”

She grimaces. “I’m not sure you should be traipsing around with all those men, Kenzi, and sleeping on a bus. Even though they’re your uncles, there’s going to be roadies, and fans, all sorts of strange people. You’re a beautiful young lady who needs privacy.”

“I’m not sure I’ll go. I have to think about it.”

“Is he still visiting Ember?” She asks, staring down into her cup of Earl Grey.

“Every weekend when he’s not touring.”

Nodding, she shakes her head in disbelief and takes a sip of tea. “Let’s not talk about that,” she says. “I want to have a great time and focus on you. Tell me how was your prom? I got the picture you texted me, and you looked absolutely gorgeous.”

I place a slice of cheddar onto a wheat cracker and take a bite before answering. “Do you want the truth or a happy lie?”

“The truth. What happened?”

I sigh and eat the other half of my cracker before I tell her about the disaster that was my prom and then the aftermath of getting teased by half my class for bailing on one of the hottest guys in our school and being nicknamed the slutty prude.

Aunt Katherine touches my hand. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. What a bunch of jerks. I really wanted you to have the best time and have good memories. What’s wrong with kids these days?”

“I don’t know, but it really sucked. Thank God Toren came to get me that night. Please don’t tell my father, he doesn’t know I had a crappy time. I told him it all went okay.”

“I promise I won’t tell him.”

“Thanks. It will just upset him, and I can’t do that to him. He has so much on his mind already.”

“You can’t always protect him, Kenzi. I know your intentions are in the right place, but he’s the adult, not you.”

“I know. But you know how he is. He’s so sensitive, and he takes it hard when I’m upset like he thinks he could have somehow prevented it from happening. And then he wants to try to make it better.”

“Trust me, I know how he is. He’s the most empathetic man I’ve ever met in my life, but someday he’s got to come to grips that he can’t fix things for everyone. Your dad is like this…mysterious guardian angel. He always has been.”

I laugh affectionately at her description. “Yeah, he kinda is,” I gaze out at the water for a few moments. “So what about you? Anything new? Are you seeing anyone?”

“Actually, yes. I’ve been seeing this guy named Thomas for about three months. He’s been divorced for eight years and has a daughter. She’s ten years old. I’ve only met her once because we’re trying to take things slow, but she’s really sweet. Very shy.”

“Oh wow!” I exclaim, surprised at the news. “I’m so happy for you! Where did you meet him?” Katherine has been single for a long time. About five years ago she went through a bad break up after she found her then-fiancé cheating on her. I remember her having a very hard time getting over the pain and betrayal of that.

“Believe it or not, he stayed here for a week. It’s not often I have single men staying here alone, so at first I was a bit leery of him. Then I found out he had just lost his mother to cancer, and he wanted to spread her ashes in the water, so he stayed here to kinda get his head together. We hit it off right away,” she grabs her cell phone that’s laying next to her teacup. “Here, I’ll show you his picture. He’s really good looking.”