His Reason to Stay: In the Line of Duty, Book 6

by Cathryn Fox

  “The Easter Bunny is coming soon,” she said matter-of-factly as she shook the cards from the box. Ava continued to talk about all the chocolate and the things she wanted for Easter as they played. Eventually the pizza came and she packed her cards away.

  Thirty minutes later, Rachel closed the lid on the cardboard box, her heart catching as Kyle and Ava played thumb war. Ava squealed with delight as she pinned Kyle’s thumb. The normalcy of it all reminded her how much she wanted this, how her little girl deserved a father in her life. Maybe Sara was on to something. Maybe Rachel should see if things could work out between them.

  Kyle turned to her and his gaze narrowed. She shook her head to clear it and pasted on a smile. He pushed from the table. “I should probably get going.” He rolled one shoulder, and winced when he stretched his arm out.

  Ava mimicked him, and Rachel bit back a grin as her heart twisted. “You look like you pulled something. Maybe the tree house can wait.”

  “This isn’t from the tree house. It’s from the cot at Jack’s place.”

  Rachel wiped her mouth with her napkin, then reached for Kyle’s plate. She stacked it on hers. “Perhaps it’s time to consider staying at your parents’ place.”

  He turned his head so Ava couldn’t see him and mouthed the words, “No thanks.”

  Ava finished off her soda and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Mommy, why can’t Uncle Kyle stay here?”

  Oh, because she was in love with him, and having him under the same roof was too tempting…too dangerous. And of course there was always the fact that she shouldn’t be sleeping with a man she was keeping a huge secret from. And getting close to him, and him leaving like he did last time was a risk to both her and Ava’s hearts. But of course she couldn’t say any of that in front of her daughter.

  “Because, uh…”

  “He can sleep in one of my bunk beds.”

  He winked at Ava. “You don’t want me in your room, Ava. I snore so loud I shake the walls.”

  Ava giggled. “No, silly. We can put the bed in the empty room.”

  Oh, Ava, you are always so helpful.

  Her glance met and locked with Kyle’s, everything about him playing havoc with her body and heart. What if she came out of her room in the middle of the night and found him exiting the bathroom in his boxers? Would she be able to keep her hands to herself? How would he react if she touched him? Touch her in return, or run the other way?

  Find an excuse, Rachel. Find an excuse.

  “The bed is comfortable and it would save you traveling time every morning and night.”

  Well done.

  “Are you sure?” he questioned in a soft voice.

  She shrugged. “It makes sense.”

  Ava jumped up and started hopping around like a bunny. “Yay. Uncle Kyle is sleeping over.”

  Yay. Uncle Kyle is sleeping over.

  Chapter Four

  Like hell it made sense. He was clearly some kind of masochist, a total glutton for punishment. Standing on the front line weaponless would be far easier than sleeping under the same roof as Rachel and not being able to take her into his arms.

  Darkness fell over the city as he drove Jack’s truck through town, the key Rachel had given him after setting up the bed in the spare room burning a hole in his pocket. He took his time driving to his folks’ place, wanting to stay out late and return after Rachel and Ava had gone to bed. He followed the winding road leading to his parents’ house and pulled into the long, circular driveway. He parked and sat for a moment before he killed the ignition. He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror, scrubbed his hand over the whiskers on his jaw, and took in the dark circles under his eyes. The last time he’d been to the house was two years ago for his brother’s funeral. His mom had begged him to stay home at the time, but he couldn’t.

  He climbed from the driver’s seat, made his way up the walkway and knocked. This was his home, and he didn’t need to knock. Hell, he still had a key, but he always felt a little bit like an outsider. The door swung open and when his mother looked at him, tears filled her eyes.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Kyle,” she cried, and pulled him inside.

  He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. He went to pull away but she held him tighter and his heart squeezed. She’d lost one son, and him being overseas was hard on her. He wished he could make it easier on her, but returning home right now was out of the question.

  “Who is it?” he heard his father ask from the den.

  “Reg…” his mother said though the tears. “It’s…”

  “It’s me, Dad,” Kyle called out.

  His father came into the room, a huge smile on his face as he held his hand out. Kyle shook it, then his mother ushered him in to the sitting room. He dropped down onto the leather sofa, and his mother hovered over him as his father went to the bar to pour them both a drink.

  “When did you get in? How long are you home? Look at you. You’re in need of a shave and a good night’s sleep. How about some tea? I can make us a pot.”

  “No, I’m good, Mom. You don’t need to wait on me.” He leaned forward and braced his arms on his knees. He darted a glance around the room. Nothing much had changed in the two years since he’d been home, except, of course, James was no longer with them. He gestured to her favorite chair. “Have a seat. Relax.”

  With a big smile on her face, his mother sat, and his father came back and handed him a tumbler with a splash of bourbon in it. He swirled it and took a swig. It burned down his throat.

  “I’m home until after Easter,” he began, sidestepping her first question.

  “That’s only two weeks.” His mother steepled her fingers, but behind her smile he could see the worry. She wanted her son home. He couldn’t blame her, and someday he’d stay. When the time was right.

  “We opened the cottage,” she said. “We’ll be heading down next week. You’ll come, of course.” She looked around. “Where are your clothes? Are they still in your truck? Reg, why don’t—”

  He held his hand up to stop his father. “No, my clothes aren’t with me.”

  His father sat in his recliner, took a swig and zeroed in on him. “Why not, son?”

  Kyle braced himself for the lecture “I’m taking care of Ava this week.”

  The smile fell from his mother’s face and her eyes widened. “Ava. What is this all about? Why would you be taking care of Ava? She has a sitter.”

  He shrugged, brushing it off like it was nothing. “The sitter’s kids have chicken pox, so I told Rachel I’d take care of Ava while I was home.”

  “So you’ve been to see Rachel already?” Her brow pulled together, her body stiffening. “How long have you been home?”

  “Not long. I wanted to see Ava.”

  His mother crossed her legs, her lips pinched to a thin line. It wasn’t his intention to hurt her by not coming to see her first, but every visit ended in a fight. Either with them begging him to stay or telling him he wasn’t living up to his potential. As his mother glared at him now, he could already feel a disagreement coming on. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache.

  His mother lifted her chin. “I could have looked after Ava if she needed a sitter. It’s best that you don’t spend—”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I don’t mind and it’s time I got to know Ava better, don’t you think?” His folks exchanged a look. “What?” he asked, his stomach tightening with unease as something in their look told him they knew how much he loved Rachel.

  “You’ll be sleeping here though, correct?” his mom asked, her words rushed. “In your old room. It’s exactly as it was when you left. I haven’t changed a thing.”

  “No, I’m going to stay at Rachel’s place. She has a spare room.”

  His mother’s hand went to her chest, her look appalled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he darted a glance to his father, who was unusually quiet.
“Why not?”

  His mother lifted her chin. “Think of how it would look, Kyle. What would people say?”

  “I don’t care how it looks, Mom, and I don’t care what people say.” He raked an agitated hand through his hair. “I’m staying at her place because it’s convenient and easier to take care of Ava.”

  His mother’s nose went a little higher. “Is Ava really the one you’re taking care of?”

  What the fuck! Anger cut like shrapnel. Christ, he hadn’t even been home two minutes and she was starting in on Rachel. “You didn’t just say that, did you?”

  Her face went poker straight, her shoulders square—a practiced pose. Despite the composed demeanor her voice was elevated when she said, “She tricked one boy into marrying her. I won’t let her trick another.”

  “Tricked?” Kyle jumped to his feet. “She didn’t trick James into anything. He loved her, and she loved him. Now Rachel is single handedly raising your granddaughter and doing a hell of a good job. If you feel anything for her it should be respect and admiration.”

  “Okay, enough.” His father put his glass down and stood. He walked over to Kyle, placed his hand on his shoulder and Kyle prepared for the backlash. Instead, his father said, “It’s good to see you, son. Go take care of Ava, and bring her by the house. Maybe we can all get some fishing in at the cottage while you’re home, and you know we’d love to have you, Rachel, and Ava join us here for Easter dinner.”

  Kyle looked at the man who’d been so hard on him over the years, and took in the fine lines bracketing his tired eyes. There was a sadness on his face he hadn’t seen before, a real sorrow that tugged on Kyle’s heart. The loss of James had been hard on them all.

  “I didn’t come here to fight.” The mellowing of his father had drained the battle from him. But he’d be damned if he was going to let anyone say anything bad about Rachel.

  “Why don’t we all talk later, after we’ve all had a good night’s sleep?”

  Mom stood and smoothed her hand over her hair. “Give Ava a hug for us.”

  “I will.” He followed his father to the front door and was about to leave until his father cleared his throat, the way he always did when things were about to turn serious. Perhaps he hadn’t softened after all.

  “You don’t have to go back, you know.”

  Kyle gripped the back of his neck, understanding the conversation had shifted from Rachel to the military. “It’s my job. It’s what I signed on for.”

  “You know I always wanted you to come work at the firm with me.”

  He laughed, but it came out sounding strangled. Truthfully, he was happy to watch James take that corner office and fulfill his dreams. But deep inside he felt a little envious, a little left out. James and his dad had grown closer, sharing many inside jokes. Kyle wanted to be a part of it all—to have his own corner office. Heck, he dabbled in the market for fun, and made a load of money. But he’d slacked in school and stayed out of the spotlight.

  “Doing what? Sorting mail?”

  “You’re still young, Kyle. Young enough to go back to school and get a degree.”

  “I’m not James.”

  “No you’re not, and I’m not asking you to take his place, if that’s what you think.”

  Maybe not. But is that what his mother thought when it came to Rachel and Ava? That he could just step in and take over where James had left off. He would never do that. He turned and opened the door. “I have to run.”

  “Think about it, okay? And be sure to bring Ava to the lake. We don’t see her enough.”

  He left and hopped in his truck, too keyed up to head back to Rachel’s place. Perhaps he’d join the guys at Sky Bar for a drink before he gathered his gear at Jack’s and hit the sack. Pulling back into traffic, he headed in the opposite direction. The parking lot was fairly quiet on Monday night, but he was sure he’d find a comrade or two inside to shoot a game of pool with him and take his mind off his trouble for a while.

  He walked through the entrance and the second he stepped foot in the dimly lit establishment his mind went back to the night Rachel had come through these doors looking for him. He pushed the events that followed from his mind and zeroed in on Matt and Caleb playing pool. Laughter erupted as Matt sank the eight ball and grabbed the five-dollar bill from the table. Kyle sauntered over.

  “Kyle,” Caleb said when he saw him.

  Matt laid his cue on the table and pulled him in for a hug. “Hey, buddy, when did you get home?”

  “Yesterday,” he said, and Matt raised his hand to gesture the waitress to bring another round, then focused back on him.

  “How the hell are you, man?”

  “Good. Things are good. How about you?”

  In typical army doctor fashion, Caleb looked him over. The last time the two had seen each other was at James’s funeral. “You’re looking good,” Caleb said. A beat passed and then, “How are your folks?”

  “They’re doing well. I was just by to see them.” He laughed to make light of the situation. “You know Mom, always trying to get me to move back home.”

  In a teasing manner, Caleb put his hand on Kyle head and gave a push. “Worried about her baby boy.” Then the smile fell from his face. “Have you seen Rachel?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Actually I’m babysitting Ava while I’m in town.”

  The two guys exchanged a look. “What?” Christ, did everyone know how he felt about Rachel.

  The waitress came with their drinks and he took a huge swig, downing half the bottle in one drink.

  “Nothing,” they both said.

  “She needed a sitter, and from the looks of things, a man around the house.”

  Caleb eyed him.

  “I mean the place is falling apart, and she’s so busy she doesn’t have time to call anyone in to fix the place. I thought I could help out while I was home.” What the hell was he doing? They didn’t ask for an explanation, so why did he feel the need to give one. He was acting like he was guilty as hell for something. He turned his attention to the table. “Who wants to play?” He grabbed the rack and pulled the balls from the corners.

  “Me.” Matt’s cell phone pinged and he pulled it from his pocket. “Never mind. Change of plans.”

  He took in the wide smile on Matt’s face. “Your grandma? How is she?”

  “She’s great actually. But I’m talking about Sky. She moved in to Gran’s place with me.”

  Kyle’s head came back with a start. “You and Sky?”

  “Yeah. Me and Sky. I’m the luckiest fucking guy in the world.”

  Caleb laughed and placed his beer bottle on the edge of the pool table. “About fucking time too,” he said, like the two were in on some secret. “I couldn’t handle any more of his moping.”

  Matt laughed. “You’re channeling Gran.” He put his cue away and finished off his beer. He put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “The wedding is in June. I’d love it if you could come. Bring Rachel.”

  “I’m leaving at the end of April.”

  “I’ll send the invite anyway.” His hand fell away and a seriousness fell over Matt. “It’s good to see you, buddy. It’s good to have you home.”

  A lump gathered in his throat. He was tired of running and it did feel good to be home. He missed his time with the guys. He missed his brother, his parents…Rachel. And now with Ava drilling out a special spot in his heart, he was going to miss her too. “Thanks, and congratulations on the engagement. Sky’s a great girl. You’re a lucky guy.”

  Matt smiled and went quiet for a moment, like he was remembering something from long ago. “Listen, next weekend we’re having a backyard barbeque. A celebration of sorts. Come by. I know everyone would love to catch up.”

  “Not much to catch up on.”

  “Garrett, Gemma and their kids will be there. Charlotte is around the same age as Rachel’s daughter.”

  “Ava,” he said, his heart warming as he thought about her precociousness.

  “So, you�
��ll come? It’ll be nice for the kids to get to know one another.”

  “We’ll see. I’ll have to check with Rachel.” It was true, it would be nice for the kids to get to know each other, and Rachel didn’t look like she’d had any kind of adult fun in a long time. Like she’d said, when she wasn’t working, she was with her daughter. It might do her good to get out with people her own age. “Wait, what’s the celebration for?” he asked.

  Caleb put his hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Our buddy here passed his MCATs and will be starting med school in the fall.”

  “You’re kidding me?”

  “Nope,” Matt said. “I got a girl to take care of now.” He waved his phone. “And if things go according to plan, me and Sky will be filling Gran’s house with kids. So I need to get the hell out of here now. She needs me.” He winked. “If you know what I mean.”

  Matt James. Field ambulance tech turned doctor. He never thought he’d see the day when Matt grew up. Christ, the last he remembered, Matt was still eating peanut butter from the jar. “That’s great, Matt. I’m proud of you, buddy.”

  “What about you?” Matt asked. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do when you get out?”

  “Not really.” If his father had it his way, however, he’d have a nice corner office in Dad’s downtown sky rise. Going back to school wasn’t out of the question. He’d considered it over the years, but it was always something for later down the road. Unlike Matt, he didn’t have to make any adult choices. He didn’t have a family depending on him, and didn’t see that happening anytime soon. While he was sure he’d enjoy investment banking, he and his dad got along about as well as two cats in a duffle bag. Then again, Dad seemed to have mellowed a bit over the years.

  “Catch you guys later.” Matt turned and hurried toward the back entrance.

  Kyle shook his head. “What the hell happened since I’ve been gone?”

  “You mean with everyone getting married and having kids?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”