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since Lucy doesn’t go to Peyton’s school, it might work. Maybe they’ll click. Maybe—”
    “And maybe not, Ross. Don’t count on anything when it comes to preteen girls. They’re at that almost-grown-up stage. Their hormones are raging, and you never know what you’ll get.” So much for keeping her mouth shut.
    Ross studied her in silence. “You’re right.”
    She relaxed her shoulders. “It’s hard not having a wife who’s gone through all the puberty stuff making it easier to talk with Peyton. Now it’s something you’ll have to do, I’m afraid.”
    “I know. I dread it.”
    She reached over and rested her hand on his. “Let’s do this. Make plans with her, and then let me know how she’s accepting the idea. Any thought about how you’ll celebrate?”
    “She wants to have dinner at Benihana.” He angled his head. “Been there?”
    “No, but I’ve heard of it. Lucy would enjoy it. All the knife tricks and watching the chefs cook. Plus she loves shrimp.”
    “Then that settles it.”
    His silly expression lightened their previous conversation,but what he said hadn’t. Too many things were left unsettled. The more Kelsey thought about Lexie’s concern, the more real it became. She didn’t need reality. Kelsey longed for a bit of fantasy in her life.
     
    Ross’s attention slid from the chef’s flashing knife to Lucy’s gleeful applause. Peyton had quieted as she sized up their guests. He had no idea what she had on her mind. The girls were opposites. Peyton’s dark hair, the color of his and usually tied back in a ponytail, today hung in curls around her shoulders. Lucy’s shorter blond waves bounced with her animation. She spoke well and directly, not afraid to show her enthusiasm while Peyton’s personality had slipped into a bottle with a tight cork. The situation disappointed him.
    Peyton’s attitude didn’t help her relationship with Lucy, either. He overheard Lucy ask her mother why Peyton was so unfriendly. Ross slithered into silence, his frustration roping him in knots. Before he sank deeper, he refocused on the chef as he set out the sauces for the meat and shrimp.
    Frustration turned to guilt. He’d noticed Peyton watching Lucy and her mother with longing written on her face. She missed her mom. She’d been six, and the loss had overwhelmed them both. How could he be a mother, too? He leaned closer to Peyton. “Did you like the soup and salad?”
    She shrugged. “It was good.”
    “Look there.” He motioned to the grill. “Here comes your favorite.”
    She eyed the shrimp. “I like steak better.”
    Pressing his lips closed, Ross gave up. When she was in a snit, nothing pleased her.
    The chef stood over the scorching griddle, juggling his spatulas, flipping severed shrimp tails into his tall hat, then flicking a grilled shrimp onto Lucy’s plate. Her eyes as blue as her mother’s opened wide while she giggled and attemptedto pick up the shrimp with chopsticks. It fell, but she only laughed and tried again.
    The chef glided past them, mounding the shrimp appetizer onto each attractive dish before he pulled out a knife the size of a machete and chopped and grilled zucchini and bean sprouts.
    “Dad, why didn’t he flick a shrimp onto my plate?”
    Ross’s heart constricted, hearing Peyton’s disappointed voice. “We’re not finished eating yet, sweetie, and Lucy is clapping and showing her appreciation. Maybe that’s why he picked her.”
    “But it’s my birthday.” She lifted her shoulders up to her ears and let them fall.
    His frustration and guilt multiplied. Despite her illness, Peyton had to learn that she still had to deal with people of all kinds. He’d tried to teach her that showing appreciation encouraged people to respond in a positive way. Sometimes he even cringed at her lack of gratitude when he went out of his way to show her his love in a special way. Weighted with helplessness, Ross wondered if Peyton would have been different if Ruthie had