Dune Road Read Online Free PDF Page A

been heartbroken. She said that for both of them, but particularly for Keith, having their best friends break up was like losing a friend, and Keith had to grieve.
    Charlie understood, though. She had liked Adam, but after they split up she confessed she could see that they weren’t perhaps a great match. Adam was very caught up in working on Wall Street, and all the trappings that came with that. And Kit? Well, Charlie realized that the labels and the jewels weren’t her, and Charlie knew how unhappy Kit was, living in the huge house.
    Things had been a little awkward for a while with Keith because Kit knew he still saw Adam—had lunch with him regularly in the city. And although she and Adam had approached their separation and subsequent divorce determined to be friends, ironing out the finances and custody agreement was so horrible that for a time Kit actually hated him.
    Her first priority was to protect the children and she had hoped that she and Adam would be able to come to an amicable arrangement, but Adam’s lawyer, the Rottweiler, as she came to call him, was so aggressive that she is convinced to this day he deliberately made things as contentious and awkward as possible, dragging the proceedings out far longer than was necessary, in order to get more money.
    They are friendlier now. Adam is dating up a storm in New York City, which Kit thinks should bother her more, but in fact she is grateful she does not have to spend time going to the smartest, trendiest restaurants any more, and grateful for her quiet life in Highfield.
    Perhaps it was simply that they married too young, she realizes now. They met at twenty-three, married at twenty-five, long before they knew who they were going to grow into, long before they knew whether they were going to share their journey or find that when they came to a fork, they would both choose a different direction.
    There had been many forks in their marriage, and many different directions chosen, but Kit had never thought seriously about the possibility of leaving because the idea of being on her own again, of handling this life all by herself, was not just overwhelming, but terrifying.
    True, Adam had never been around very much during the marriage, and for most of the time, particularly during the week, she felt like a single mother, but that wasn’t the same as actually being a single mother, having to deal with everything herself, not having any support when the going got tough—and there were times when the going certainly got tough.
    The class finishes and Tracy bows her head in Prayer Pose, then looks at each of the women in the room intently. “Namaste,” she says to all of them in turn.
    “Namaste,” they say and bow their heads in reply.
    “So? ” Tracy gives first Kit then Charlie a hug. “Anyone for a smoothie? ”
    “Love one,” they both say in unison, turning to one another and laughing.
    “I saw in the paper that Robert McClore’s giving a talk tonight,” Tracy says, as they walk out of the yoga studio and up the stairs toward the smoothie bar. “I thought I might go. You’ll be there, right? ”
    “Thanks for reminding me! ” Kit turns to Charlie. “I meant to ask you. Is Keith around tonight? Can I borrow Amanda?” Amanda is the wonderful Brazilian babysitter who moved into Charlie and Keith’s house six months previously, and has changed their lives.
    “Where’s Edie? ”
    “Pilates tonight.”
    “Oh damn. The kids have sleepovers and Amanda’s going out. I’m so sorry. What about Adam? Do you think he could take the kids? ”
    “I don’t know.” Kit sighs. “Adam’s so busy sowing his wild oats he doesn’t tend to be around any more than he needs to be, and certainly not at the last minute. But you’re right, I should try.” And she reaches down into her bag and brings out her cell phone to send him a text.
    “I can’t believe we’re finally going to meet your reclusive boss,” Tracy says with a smile as they sit down