Dr. Phil spoke up. “And, Hope, did you sit down with Ryan and work out this budget, or was it foisted upon you?”

Hope nodded. “Ryan did the budget on his own. There is no room for good shoes in that budget.”

The audience laughed.

“A woman’s got to have good shoes, Ryan,” Dr. Phil said. “Rule number one.”

He turned toward the camera. “You can read more about how to find a suitable mate in Dr. Kate’s book Finding Mr. Right-for-You.” There was a close-up of her book cover, then Dr. Phil continued. “All right, next we have a blended family who can’t seem to blend.” He looked at Hope and Ryan. “And you thought blending two was tough! We’ll be right back.”

After the show, Kate slid into the black limo for her trip to the airport. In the back of the car, her nerves still jangled. It had been an exciting experience, and she felt giddy with energy. She’d already celebrated with Pam, Chloe, and Ronald in the green room, but now that she was away from the moment, she wanted to share it with a friend. Before she would have called Bryan, but who did she call now?

Anna? No, her former assistant was out of town with her new job.

Her dad? She considered it a moment, then took out her cell and dialed. It rang and rang before going over to voice mail, and she hung up.

She had to tell somebody. What good was exciting news if she had no one to share it with?

She dialed Lucas’s shop, and when Ethan answered, she asked for Lucas. As she waited, she second-guessed herself. Would he find it odd that she’d phoned him when she’d see him at the airport in several hours? Why should he even care how the show had gone? It was her career, her book. In a matter of months, she’d be nothing to him but a name on the divorce papers.

Shoot, why did I call him? Maybe I should hang up. Kate pulled the phone from her ear.

“Hello?”

She put the phone back. “Hi, it’s Kate.”

“Hey!” He sounded happy to hear from her. “How’d it go?”

Kate relaxed a bit. He didn’t seem confused by her call. “It went very well. Quick, but good.”

“All your worries were for nothing. I knew you’d do great.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t the one on national TV.”

He chuckled, and she realized she missed the warmth of his laugh. “That’s why I make furniture and you give interviews.”

She sighed, the excitement of the morning giving way to something calmer.

“Where are you now?”

“In the back of a limousine.” The driver turned onto the freeway and accelerated.

“Aren’t you special. How was the hotel?”

“Gorgeous, accommodating, and pristine. You could have eaten off the floors.”