Kyle rested his palm on top of theirs and gently squeezed. “That’s all I can ask.” He let a long sigh escape. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m famished. Is everyone ready to order? I bet Little Dan and Danielle could gum a big huge steak.”
Dan’s kids laughed and a new sense of peace seemed to filter down from the heavens. You’d be damn proud of your children, Dan, damn proud.
After several days, he was ready to head toward the forty-ninth state. Sam, his bodyguard, had been pissed for leaving without him. He told Sam to take some time off and be with his family. Family, that word had a new depth and a powerful meaning. He’d been able to visit with Aaron and Kat’s spouses. They understood the bond between the twins and the unified spirits warmed his heart.
He had called the private detective agency and had them follow Lisa. Once aware of Lisa’s activities, conclusions could be drawn and he could come up with a plan of action. Had she seen a doctor to initiate prenatal care? Or was she still partying and calling his and Shelby’s breakup a win?
He tapped the speed dial. “Hey, Jude, doing okay?”
“Fine. You?”
“Been better. I wanted to give you a heads-up, I’ve contacted the PI’s—”
“I know. They’ve already talked to me for my take on the situation. I’m glad you’re being proactive.”
“I have a plan for my life and I’d like it to include Shelby. I want to give both of us some time, maybe even have proof from the detectives about Lisa then I’m heading to Texas. I’ll keep you updated.”
“And I’ll call you if my group comes up with anything.”
Kyle cleared his throat. “I didn’t know you hired…Thanks, man. That means a lot.”
“I’m still your big brother, and will always look after your six.”
“Love ya’, man.” Kyle leaned back in his chair and smiled. Jude did believe him and was covering his ass.
****
Shelby awoke and showered. Dressed in her jeans and sweater, she ate breakfast and headed down Interstate Fifteen. She purchased a map in Idaho and outlined a trip through Utah and Arizona. After Flagstaff, she would head home on I-40. Her love of national parks and the outdoors were going to be the balm to sooth her soul and there were plenty on this route.
She had called her sisters so they wouldn’t worry. She thanked Alessa for taking Annie back home and Joni for all of the work she did. Joni had questioned Shelby’s last request thinking she’d lost her marbles. Maybe she had, but she wanted to remember yesterday forever. Her savings account would have to be reconciled on a monthly basis. The lesson would arrive like clockwork, a constant reminder that she should have heeded the curse and that there are no second chances at love.
Both sisters had squawked at the idea she’d be inaccessible for the next couple of days, but they understood her need to be alone.
A week had gone by and she was doing better every day. She stopped at an overlook, sat on the hood of her car resting against the windshield. Her gaze panned the massive mountains of rock and the long valleys. An epiphany righted her senses. She now understood how insignificant her existence was compared to the overall juxtaposition of Mother Nature. She gasped as the moments of truth overwhelmed her to a point of reckoning.
The choices she had made were hers alone. She wasn’t angry at Kyle or Lisa. If her life had brought them together, she accepted it. She wished it could have happened earlier, but in reality, she didn’t have control over Lisa, Kyle, the fate of the First Realm or the curse.
Her cell phone jingled. A text message flashed on the screen from her late husband’s daughter with a video attached. She tapped and viewed her six-year-old granddaughter sing and dance “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. She smiled. Now, that’s what her life was all about. She scrambled off her SUV. It was time to go home.
****
Shelby’s day began as a typical Texas July morning. The sun blazed and the UV index climbed higher with each hour, Shelby tied the wide-brimmed hat under her chin and slipped into knee-high rubber boots to fix a water leak. She had turned the bivalve off earlier so the ground should be a little dryer for her next job. Grabbing a shovel, the bucket filled with all the transitions, plastic pipe, cleaner and glue from the tool shed, she marched to the horse’s trough.
The mares were Tim’s. He loved riding. Her fear kept her from sharing more time with him. She shuddered. Damn her trepidations.
Her cell rang. She placed the tools on the ground. Al’s name splashed on the caller ID. “Hey. What’s going on?”
“Wanna get together for a cup of coffee? Rev our engines.”
“I can’t. I have to fix a water pipe leak. But thanks for asking.”
“Where?”
“The horse trough or thereabouts. Not sure exactly, but I’m about to find out.”
“Ah. OK. Maybe another time. Do you need help?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll take a rain check on the caffeine train. Everything going well at the office?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kyle tensed and waited while patting Annie on her head. From the fresh scent emanating from Annie’s coat, Aunt Alessa must have had her groomed today.
Alessa grinned. “Everything here is terrific. Talk to you soon.” She lowered the phone to the cradle. She’s at home. You’ll find her near the stables or thereabouts repairing a water break.”
Kyle smiled wide. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
“Dude, you owe me for a couple…Kyle?”
He stilled.
“Make her happy.”
He nodded. “That’s my aim.” Or he’d die trying. He spun and left.
****
Kyle found Shelby digging. With every shovel full of mud and water, she sank deeper into the mess. The horses ears perked then sniffed the air, their gazes landed on him. They were beautiful animals.
Shelby was covered in muck from her lovely head all the way down her delicious body. Her hat tied to the fence fluttered in the breeze. He shook his head. His love for her had grown more over the past two months. Together, he’d hoped they would wage the battles and the curse. He refused to surrender their relationship to an old man’s bigotry or an asinine woman like Lisa.
“Did you find the break yet?”
Shelby jumped. “No.” Her chin rose as she took a deep breath and gazed off into the horizon.
He chuckled. “Looks like you could use some help.”
She jabbed the shovel back into the mire. “I can handle this.”
He softened his voice. “Shel, it’s not a sign of weakness to accept my assistance.”
She twirled to face him. “What are you doing here?”
At least she didn’t have any hate emanating from her eyes. Sadness, fear, joy—all of it swirled in the hazel depths. He placed his booted right foot on the bottom rail of the pipe fence. “I came to see you.”
She glared at him. “You should be with Lisa and your unborn child.”
“I chose to be with you.”
“Pressley, I’m disappointed in you. Your baby needs you as well as your name.”
“Shel, you have mud all over your face.”
“People in your circles pay big money for facials. I’m sure Lisa’s had a few.” She held her palm up. “I was out of line.” Her voice lowered. “And don’t call me Shel.”
Kyle laughed. “None of my friends get mud facials, let alone laced with horse manure.”
Shelby exhaled. “I told you before I was country. Not my favorite job but I don’t mind it. By the way, I appreciate you handling my boxes when I issued call tags for them.”
His heart skipped a beat. “You already had your things sent back here?”
She drew her eyebrows together. “You didn’t know?”
“No. Hilda must have handled it. I haven’t been home since…” He didn’t want to say the words out loud.
“Where you’ve been is none of my concern. Next time you talk to her, thank her for me.”
“I’v
e been traveling the Pacific Northwest for a while. And for your information, if there is a baby and it’s mine, I’ll handle the responsibility. But I won’t marry Lisa. The private investigator’s report stated she hasn’t been to a doctor or bought any prenatal vitamins. Her venue has been one party after another, no nesting or preparation of any sort for starting a family.”
“I knew in my heart that you’d take care of your child. That was never the roadblock—I’m assuming you said your piece, Pressley. It’s time for you to leave.” Her eyes misted and she yanked the shovel out of the thick mud.
“I’m not going to desert you when you need my help.” He climbed over the fence and hefted both legs to the side, clearing the top rail.
“Pressley, don’t.”
His boots landed and splattered the quagmire.
Ooze hit her T-shirt and she glowered. “What part of no don’t you understand?”
“Maybe by the time we’re finished with this project, you’ll be calling me by my given name.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance, Pressley. Before you get any more mud on you, I suggest you get in your truck and leave.”
Kyle grabbed the shovel from her hand. “You don’t have any rings on.”
“I don’t wear any jewelry while I’m doing ranch work.” She visibly stiffened. “Is that why you’re here? To get your ring back?”
“Baby, it was merely an observation.”
She put her hand up again to stop him and tugged the shovel out of his hands. “I’m not in possession of it. Talk to your lawyer, he should have it. I sent the blasted thing with a notarized packing slip. I’m sure I have the proof of delivery in my files. You see, I’ve already been accused of burglary and attempted murder. I don’t want to travel that road again. If her eyes were knives, he would have been cut to shreds. “You need to leave, now.”
“Lindbergh didn’t tell me you sent it back. What he did mention was that you reimbursed all the money that I spent on our wedding. He double checked the bills. You paid them all.”
“Penitence.” She shoveled the sludge. “Penitence for being so stupid.” Then she slung it and growled, “Now, get…out.” She hefted another and snarled, “I said go.” The third throw landed her butt in the muck. The shovel fell to the side and her hands grabbed more and threw it at him. She clutched again catapulting the mixture hitting him on the chest.
He stood unmoving waiting for her anger to subside. He deserved everything she was dishing out. Hurt. Rage. Disappointment. And horse shit. His heart broke to see what he had done to the love of his life.
She finally resigned. “Please, go.”
He picked up the shovel and didn’t respond. She wasn’t giving him an inch. He had a long way to go with her. Nor he guessed did he deserve any latitude, but he would find the right way to reach out to her. Maybe he would take a bit longer than necessary to find the leak.
She worked right beside him, not talking but handing the necessary items to finish the job. His hands held the pipe while she swabbed the cleaner. He wanted to kiss her. Her lips beckoned him to taste her sweet mouth.
“Pressley, what do you need?”
He cleared his throat. “The glue and transition.”
He mopped the adhesive over the plastic, slid the conversion in place and applied the few seconds of pressure. “Okay. In a couple of hours, we’ll turn the water back on to make sure we have a good seal. Let’s go clean up.”
Kyle waited for Shelby to finish rinsing off the caked mud with the garden hose. He offered to help, but she had refused. She held the spray nozzle toward him and he stepped into the water allowing her to assist. He continued to watch her clean his boots and jeans. Her ministrations were damn near given with care.
“I’m glad I was able to help. I didn’t think we’d ever find it.”
Her gaze met his. There was affection in them. “Thank you.” Then her stomach rumbled. “I’m famished. What about you?”
“I could go for something.”
She shut off the spigot. “I suppose you have a change of clothes?”
“Always.”
“Go get them. You can shower in the guest bathroom. After we get cleaned up, I’ll fix a sandwich for us.”
Shelby trotted off not waiting for him. He smiled at her sexy ass swaying with each step. She had invited him into her house. A good feeling skittered into his soul and he wanted to roar and beat on his chest. Maybe, there was a chance, howbeit a long shot, but it looked like he had some odds in his favor.
After his shower, he stepped into the dining room. Her eyes traveled from his wet hair to his bare feet, lingering at his midsection. His cock twitched.
She sat at the table and lowered her gaze to her plate. “Smoked turkey sandwich with chips and iced tea.” She pointed to his place setting opposite of hers.
“Looks great. Thanks.” At least she invited him to share her table. She could’ve shoved the food in his hands and told him to leave. Things were definitely looking up.
“You said you took in the Pacific Northwest. Where did you go?”
He took a long drought of his tea then set his glass down. “Seattle, Victoria, then on to Alaska.”
“Flew with Garrett?”
“Drove to Seattle. Chartered a plane to catch some of Alaska’s port cities.”
“I bet your trip was beautiful.”
“Very.”
He consumed another lengthy drink. “What about you? What have you been doing?”
She lifted her finger to ask for a moment and swallowed hard.
He nodded.
“Nothing.” Shelby slid her plate to the side.
About to pop the last bite in his month, he held onto the remnants. “Will you forgive me?”
Her gaze glared. “That’s why you’re here?”
He didn’t want to break the contact. “Some of it.”
She fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. “We’ve been here before. You shouldn’t have driven all this way to ask me. I’m not angry with you.”
“Are you saying you do then?”
“If that’s what you need to get back to your life and raise your child, yes.”
“Yes, what? I want to hear you say it out loud.”
“Pressley, I forgive you.” She grabbed her plate and rose. “There you’ve got it. It’s time for you to leave.”
As she walked passed him, he touched her arm. She stopped.
“Thank you, Shel.”
Her eyes misted, sadness had crept into them. She dropped her gaze to focus on her feet. “Not a problem. I’m glad I could give it to you.”
He stood, closing the distance between them and placed both hands on each shoulder. “That’s just a start of why I’m here.”
Backing out of his light grasp, those hazel orbs shuttered. She turned and headed toward the kitchen.
He followed then angled his hip against the counter to watch and wait for her decision to either throw him out or talk. Of course, he needed more than forgiveness and dialogue to address their problems. He had to convince Shelby their relationship was worth the effort to work through the doubts, difficulties and overcome their major obstacles. He wanted her, here and in Sacred-Spring. Damn, he craved her touch and her love.
She’d had taken his plate from him then shoved the remaining items in the dishwasher. “Would you like to go outside? I have a picnic table and benches under the tree. It’s nice this time of day.”
“Sure.”
Beneath the towering red oak, he gambled again. “What did you do afterwards?”
“Afterwards? Ah, my thoughts weren’t there. I came home.”
His stomach bounced. Home—damn, he wanted her to think of his house as her home. Every muscle tensed, he had to know more. “I heard Alessa left Garrett’s place soon after and she was back before you were, so where did you go?”
“Idaho, Utah, and Arizona.”
“Did you stop and see anything?”
“Several national parks.”
“Which ones?”
“Why do you want to know? I may not be angry with you, but I’m still hurt. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out that you had just been with Lisa in New York when you came here. Asking me to marry—you had the gall to—Damn you.” Shelby sighed. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I take full responsibility.”
She shook her head as though she didn’t agree with him. The lines on her face relaxed. “Well, I don’t remember all the places I stopped. I guess I shifted into a self-defense mode. Maybe I self-induced a hypnotic trance to get through the emotional upheaval. I don’t know.”
“What do you remember?”
Her gaze met his. He recognized the minute Shelby’s resolve bounced back.
“I spent a lot of time by myself, Pressley.”
He traveled down a precarious road, but the more she talked about what had happened, the possibility existed, he could rebuild their relationship. “What made you decide to come back hom—here?”
Shelby smiled. From her back pocket of her blue jeans, she retrieved her smart phone. “I saved it.” Tapping her way to the library of videos, she handed the cell to him. “This was the message that led me back.”
He grinned as he viewed the little girl sing “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. “She’s cute as a button.” He handed the mobile back to Shelby.
She nodded. “Yes, she is.” Shelby’s back straightened, the grip she still had on the device whitened her knuckles. “You’ll be making your own memories shortly.”
“I don’t think she’s pregnant.”
“Pressley, why would she lie?”
“That’s a question I can’t answer. But—”
She raised her hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”
He stopped his line of reasoning and proceeded on another. “Will you give us another chance?”
Her lips thinned to a fine line. “Pressley, there will never be an us.”
Gravel sprayed Shelby’s back. A car skidded to a stop beside the table. Four doors swung open.
Kyle squinted from a white arc of light. A gun. He rose and grabbed Shelby, placing her behind him.
Walking Into Her Heart (A First Realm Novel) Page 28
