He nodded, unsure what else to say. Then Hildy began to speak again—loudly—and his attention was arrested by the sound of his own name.
“You know where you went wrong with Cas?” she was saying. “You expected him to be exactly like you. You were so busy with that, you never gave a second thought to what he wanted. Like you did with me!”
“Oh, didn’t I?” Max bellowed. “Didn’t I sponsor his racing, year upon year? He’s had a fine time of it, living it up at the track. I indulged him in everything he asked for!”
“He didn’t need to be indulged. He needed to be supported, encouraged in a direction that was right for him! The poor lad’s a mess.”
Max snorted. “He’s fine.”
“He’s got the self-esteem of a snail,” Hildy said angrily. “Or can’t you see that? All he knows is that he’s no good at any
