Ed cut her off. “’Course I did.” He answered in his gruff manner. “I wanted to see you, darlin’ and tell you how sorry we all are about your mom.”
Now, the tears that had threatened to spill over, did. Two twin tears tracked down her cheeks. Knox knew it wasn’t for her mother, but instead for the shock and wonder that people so cared for her.
“Kayla’s so sorry she couldn’t come, but with the three kids—“
“No, it’s okay. She already called. I understand—“
Ed stopped her by holding on to both of her hands so that he had her full attention. “You are in all of our thoughts and our prayers, Maddie.”
Knox watched as Maddie nodded solemnly. Another fresh tear broke free and cascaded down her cheek.
Knox and Ed moved next to Maddie’s brother, Peter and offered their words of condolence. It surprised Knox to see that Peter was a slightly younger version of his father. In fact, if James Barrow’s hadn’t had a full head of salt and pepper hair, Knox would think they were brothers. He wondered if Peter took after his father in other ways, too. He knew Maddie didn’t have a close relationship with her brother, but beyond, he knew precious little.
As Knox and Ed moved toward the exit, he cast a quick glance back at Maddie and saw that she’d shored herself up as she robotically hugged and shook hands with the rest of the mourners. He let his gaze wander past Maddie and to that of her father. James Roberts had moved closer to his daughter and put an arm around her shoulder, which given their height difference, looked a little comical. That, however was not what drew his attention; instead, it was the look on Maddie’s face. Knox was betting that her father had never touched her before in such a way. Maddie was no fool to James Roberts and his endless methods of manipulation, but right now, under these circumstances, her face shone with childlike pleasure at her father’s touch.
xXx
“Well, that’s over.” Madeline said as she pulled her high heeled black pumps from her feet with a sigh of relief.
Knox studied her reflection in the mirror on the closet door as he pulled his tie free from his neck and gratefully unbuttoned the top two buttons of his starched white shirt. He’d kept a watchful eye on her all through the funeral and then at the luncheon that followed at the Roberts family’s prestigious country club. She’d seemed the very picture of a devoted daughter. She’d played the part so well that Knox had begun to question whether or not it was real. It was only when she’d slipped her hand in his and whispered ‘get me out of here’ in his ear that he’d known it was all an act.
Ed, Knox and Maddie had slipped through the crowd mostly undetected and headed back to the hotel. Knox had only nodded in his father’s direction before whisking Madeline up to his room. Now, as he watched her peel her stockings from her legs did he let himself relax.
Knox turned from the mirror and sat down on the side of the bed. “Are you hungry?”
“No. Not really.” She shrugged and stood up to pace the room. She’d never felt so restless; like she couldn’t escape her own skin.
“You didn’t eat much at the luncheon.” He crossed to her and ran his hand down her arm.
She shrugged again. “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay.” He released her and moved to the closet to hang up his suit jacket. He heard her come up behind him. He turned and saw her standing behind him.
“I know it’s probably inappropriate to comment on this at my mother’s funeral, but I’ve never seen you in a suit before.” She ducked her head.
Knox let out a little laugh. “I didn’t think it was appropriate to wear my tool belt.”
“You look great.” She whispered as she ran her hands down the smooth fabric of his crisp, white shirt.
He only raised an eyebrow. Everything about this situation was so surreal; so foreign. He wasn’t sure what to do, or what not to do. Fortunately, Madeline seemed to have a plan.
She stepped closer and inhaled the scent of him; he always smelled so good. It made her a little dizzy. She ran her fingers into his hair at the base of his neck and pulled him down until his lips met hers. She kissed him chastely and then again; deeper. She could feel his intake of breath as his chest was pressed against hers and then his hands were on her hips, commanding her, guiding her.
He moved to the bed quickly and let his fingers search her dress for the hidden zipper. He found it on the side and slowly pulled it down. Maddie stepped out of the dress and stood before him in only her black strapless bra and panties.
“God, I missed you.” He said as he reverently touched her skin.
Madeline watched as Knox closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She wondered what he must be thinking. Everything he’d seen today had been a grand show for the audience; none of it real. Well, except for her dead mother lying in an open casket. Maddie shook her head. No. She wouldn’t think of that now. Now, she’d be with Knox and let him fill up the giant, gaping wound in her soul.
Knox could feel the power coursing through her. Her muscles practically rippled with energy as she pulled him down on top of her. He knew she was using him to forget, and for right now, he was just fine with that. There’d be time for talking later. He relished in the sweet smell of her skin. He couldn’t resist running his hand along her chest and then flipping their positions so that she was on top of him. They came together; hard and fast. Words were not necessary as their bodies joined together in a primal dance that left them both breathless and drained.
Madeline lay spent atop his chest, panting and wheezing from the exertion. He too, breathed deeply, trying to regain his strength. Her hair spilled over him like a cascading waterfall and it smelled a little like funeral flowers.
Finally she moved over to the side of him and pushed herself up so that she sat up against the headboard. She pulled the sheet up and tucked it under her arms to cover herself.
“I wish we could leave tonight and go back to Colorado.”
Knox pushed himself up to sit beside her. “When can you come home?”
“Not sure.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I wanted to go back right away, but apparently I’m needed here. I don’t even know why.” She said with a dismissive flick of her wrist.
“What do you mean?”
“He said something about her will. I need to be here for that.”
“Can’t the lawyers handle it?”
“He asked me to stay. Said it was important.” She shrugged as she pushed up out of the bed, gathering her clothes as she went.
“I can stay with you, Maddie. If you want me to, I’ll stay until you’re ready to come back to Touchstone.”
She turned at the bathroom door and leaned heavily against it. “No, you should go. I have no idea how long he’ll drag this out.” She said softly, unable to meet his gaze. She knew if she looked too long into his dark eyes, he’d see just how pathetic and weak she really was. She’d tried to be the strong independent woman that she’d grown into in Touchstone, but when her father had insisted she needed to stay, she’d acquiesced with childlike obedience. It was a Pavlovian response that sickened her, but it was programmed deep within, nonetheless. She gave Knox a little smile and ducked inside the bathroom.
“Okay.” He answered simply. He didn’t know what was happening here inside this hotel room, but the wonderful, sweet, vibrant woman he’d fallen in love with in Touchstone was disappearing. He hoped it was only due to the stress and strain of losing her mother and being forced to endure her father’s presence, but he had to admit, it left him feeling deeply uneasy.
Chapter 10
“Hey boys.” Knox said warmly as he twin nephews practically tackled him in the doorway. He was greeted with shouts and giggles and then the feeling of both of them pulling him in separate directions begging for him to play.
“Taylor. Trevor.” Kayla barked from behind them with a stern voice. “What have I said about attacking people when they walk in the door?
”
Both boys released their death grip on their uncle.
“Let Uncle Knox come into the kitchen for a few minutes and talk to me. Then he can tackle you.”
Knox laughed as the boys whooped and hollered as they ran through the house and out the back door into the yard.
“Where’s everybody else?” Knox asked as he settled into the cushioned chair at the breakfast table.
“Sky’s next door playing and Ted’s working late.”
He could’ve sworn he heard an extra bite of hardness to her voice. “Everything okay?”
“Fine.”
Yep, there was definitely something going on there. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She said as she came around and sat down with him. “Here. Beer.” She tapped the back of his hand with a cold bottle. He looked at it and could discern from the color that it was a dark.
“Guinness?”
“Oh. Yeah.” She said absently. “I think he’s having an affair.”
Knox put the bottle down slowly. “What makes you think that?”
“I checked his phone log. He’s been calling the same number a lot.”
“Maybe it’s a—“
“It’s not a client.” She finished his thought. “He calls her at strange hours.”
“How do you know it’s a ‘her’?”
“I called the number from a payphone.” Her voice cracked.
“Shit.”
“I need to see a lawyer.”
“Don’t you think you should talk to him first? Maybe counselling?”
“I don’t know.”
Knox was about to say something, when his nephews came barreling back in. “Uncle Knox! Can you play now?” They shouted in unison.
Knox laughed as he stood up. “I’m ready boys. What’ll it be?”
“Hide and Seek!” Came the chorus from the twin six year olds.
“Great.” He smirked and turned to Kayla. “I’ll wear ‘um out for you. Which one is wearing the Ironman mask?
“Trevor. Taylor’s Captain America. I can’t wait for Halloween to be over. They won’t take those costumes off!”
Alright. I’m going in. Wish me luck.” He laughed as Kayla shook her head in mock disapproval.
xXx
Later that night, after all three of his sister’s children were tucked into their beds asleep, Knox finally crept down the hallway, willing it not to squeak. He loved them dearly, but he was bone-tired. He had no idea how Kayla handled them every single day.
Now, safely at the bottom of the stairs, he paused and listened.
“Kay?” He called softly.
“Here.” She replied in a semi-whisper. “On the porch.”
Knox turned and followed the path to the front door and out onto the wide front porch. It was dark now and the little bit of light spilling out from inside the house was not enough to guide him.
“I need a little help.” He said.
Kayla was up in a heartbeat, taking his hand and guiding him to the wicker chair opposite the one she’d been occupying.
“I opened a bottle of red. Would you like some?” She tried to inject casualness into her voice.
“Sure.” He answered and listening to the sound of her pouring.
“Here.” She touched the glass to the back of his hand.
She waited for him to speak, but in typical ‘Knox’ fashion, he was being tight lipped. Finally, she dove in.
“When are you going?”
“Going where?”
“Don’t be dense. To the institute.”
Knox exhaled; long and slow. He didn’t want to talk about this. Talking about it made it real. But he couldn’t hide from it either and if there was one safe person in the world with whom he could let down his guard, it was his sister.
“Next week.”
“Next week?” she squeaked in surprise. “I didn’t realize you’d already set everything up.”
“Yeah, well I decided to stop acting like a child and grab the bull by the horns. That, and the fact that I keep tripping over shit.”
“Have you told Maddie?”
“No.”
“Knox—“
“She’s got enough on her plate, Kay.”
“I’m pretty sure she’d want to know!”
“I don’t want her rushing back to Colorado just to watch me leave.”
“Fair enough, but I still think you should tell her.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“Stop. I’ll deal with it.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He said as he sipped his wine. A comfortable silence fell over them.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She finally spoke.
Knox could hear the melancholy note in her voice. “You’re tough, Kay. You’ll get through this and I’m here for you.”
“I know.” She answered voice now full of emotion. “Same goes for you, ya know.”
He swirled his wine in his glass. Kayla watched him carefully and could practically see the thoughts swimming around his head.
“Knox?”
He looked up and into the blurry image of his sister.
“You should tell her. It’ll hurt her if you don’t.”
“I will.”
“Why are you waiting?” She asked gently.
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She nodded, knowing that for now, that was as far as she could push him.
xXx
The next morning, Knox rose from the guest bedroom at his sister’s house and listened to the cacophony of sounds that came with getting three children up and ready for school. He tiredly scrubbed his face, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of attention he’d receive from his niece and nephews. He had his hand on the doorknob when he chickened out and decided a nice, long hot shower should be the first order of business and maybe by the time he was done, they’d be all but out the door.
He stood under the spray and let Kayla’s advice play back in his mind. He knew he needed to talk to Maddie about…stuff. He cursed at himself. He still couldn’t even admit it, even when he was the only one in the room. What a coward. Well, he’d better get over it, he thought. He was leaving next week for six months to live in Littleton, at the Colorado Center for the Blind.
Knox told himself he was giving Maddie space to deal with her family and everything back East, but the truth was, he was avoiding facing this…telling her the truth. Now, he shut the water off with a hard snap and dried himself off quickly. He was disgusted and embarrassed by his actions.
He threw on yesterday’s clothes and emerged from the bedroom.
“We’re almost ready to go. If you want breakfast, grab it quick and get in the car.”
“Yes ma’am.” He smiled at his sister. He dodged a swinging backpack and a fairy wand on his way to the kitchen where Kayla had left a plate of muffins and a travel mug of coffee on the counter for him. Bless her, he thought as he took a long swig, hoping to wake himself up fully.
“Knox! Let’s move it!” He heard her call from the front porch. He stepped outside into a blissfully bright morning that meant a little extra visual clarity for him. He quickly descended the steps and jumped into the passenger seat of her SUV before she sped off to drop her brood at their various schools.
“Uncle Knox?” Taylor called from the backseat.
“Yeah?” He said around a huge bite of his muffin.
“You said you’d help me build a birdhouse.” Taylor said as he slumped against the window.
“I will.”
“But mom said you’re leaving…” he trailed off.
Knox shot a look at his sister who only returned his glare with her own.
“I am, but I’ll be back. Don’t worry.”
“But, will you still be able to build it?”
&
nbsp; Knox was undone by the sad tone in his nephew’s voice. Obviously Kayla had given them the scoop on where he was going and why.
“Yeah, bud. I’ll still be able to build it, but I think the point was for you to do it.”
“I can do it.” He piped up.
“Uncle Knox?” Knox rubbed his forehead to try and stave off the increasing pounding.
“Yeah, Trev?”
“You said you’d practice my times tables with me.”
Knox smiled. “I will.”
“When?”
“I don’t know…maybe we can do it over the phone.”
“Yeah? Can we Face Time?”
“I guess.”
Knox slumped down in his seat, relieved to have the inquisition over, at least temporarily. As he waited in the car for his sister to drop off the kids, he rubbed his temples in a useless attempt to stop the banging inside his skull.
“What’s wrong?” Kayla asked as she climbed back into the car and pulled away from the curb.
“Nothin’.” He turned to look out the passenger window.
“You know why your head hurts, right?”
“Yes, Dr. Freud.” He mumbled.
“Sorry.” She answered, but without any actual remorse in her voice. Knox decided to keep quiet for the rest of the ride, lest she convince him to call Maddie right here, right now.
Finally, she pulled into his driveway and cut the engine. He climbed out quickly.
“Knox!” She shouted through the open driver’s window. He stopped and turned.
“Just...”
Knox was undone by the hesitancy in his sister’s usually bossy voice. “Just tell her I love her and miss her, okay?”
Kayla didn’t wait for an answer as she backed out of his driveway and roared away. He’d been pissed at her a second ago, but she had a way of reminding him her heart was as big as she was small…and it seemed they’d all been touched by Madeline Roberts.
Knox stalked inside and proceeded to pace for a good half an hour before finally grabbing his phone and calling Madeline. Kayla was right; he did need to tell her. After all, he’d be gone for a long time and she deserved to hear it from him. He wasn’t going to presume that she’d wait for him or rush home…or anything. In fact, he’d assumed, in his pessimistic half of his brain, that this would probably be the end of things between them. She was in New York dealing with…whatever she was dealing with. Maddie had been seriously close-mouthed ever since they’d parted ways at the airport and that had left him feeling uneasy. And now this. It was much more likely they’d separate than stay together.
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