by T. L. Haddix
“I’ll only be a phone call or a letter away. And if you need me… we can come back.”
Kathy snorted. “It’s a three-day drive.”
“That doesn’t matter. Promise you’ll call?” Sarah stared at her hard.
Giving in, Kathy nodded. “I promise.” She sighed and looked back at the sand. “Think he’ll show up today?”
“I think so. How are things between you?”
“Okay, I guess. I’m a little surprised we haven’t seen each other since last Sunday, but maybe that’s normal. I mean, Daphne did have her baby after all, and he’s been really busy at work.”
Sarah frowned. “You’ve talked?”
“Yes. Every night.” A couple of those nights, they’d talked for hours. “I’m just worrying for no reason. I’m good at that,” she said drolly. “You may have noticed?”
“Now, Kathleen Browning, I know better.” Sarah winked at her and laughed. “We’ve not had a chance to talk about last weekend very much. You looked happy when we got home on Sunday.”
Kathy’d gotten back to the house shortly after noon, and by the time everyone came in, she’d had supper ready. She was very much Eliza’s daughter, as was Sarah, when it came to working out stress through cooking and cleaning, something Kathy had discovered over the last few months. They’d eaten well on Sunday night as a result, with leftovers lasting well into the week.
“I was happy. Am happy, I guess, and that feels so strange to say.” Kathy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I can’t believe I spent two nights at his house.”
“How was it?”
She stopped walking and stared at the waves, which were calm today. “I don’t have words to describe how it was. He showed me a side of myself that I never knew existed. He blew my mind, Sarah, with the way he treated me.” She glanced at her sister, a bit embarrassed but needing her perspective. “He didn’t demand anything from me, and he… he never put himself first. Not unless I pushed him. Please tell me you know what I’m talking about.” Sarah’s cheeks were red, and Kathy figured her own were just as rosy.
“I do. I couldn’t be happier to hear that. Did you enjoy things?”
Kathy laughed. “I don’t think ‘enjoy’ is the right word. I didn’t know a man could be so kind and strong at the same time. Or so wicked.” She covered her cheeks. “You would think he’s a straitlaced lawyer who goes by the book, and I guess in some ways he is, but my God, Sarah… and it wasn’t just the sex. He finds me interesting as a person. I still don’t know why.”
The smile that spread across Sarah’s face was sunny and bright. “Oh, sweetie, that’s easy. Because you are interesting. You’ve always been so much more than you’ve given yourself credit for. I wish you could see yourself the way we see you.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, look who’s here. We’d better head back.”
Kathy looked, some of her tension easing when she saw that Charles had joined Owen and Eliza. “I’m still not sure about dinner tomorrow. I don’t know if it’s fair to put him through that. I feel like I should apologize in advance.”
They’d all agreed to go to Roy and Nancy’s for Sunday dinner, and in a bold moment, Kathy had invited Charles along.
Sarah shrugged. “He’s going to have to have that trial at some point. Besides, from what I understand, he’s socialized with them in the past. Right?”
“Right.” Kathy groaned. “I hope it goes better than the first time Owen ate with us.”
They exchanged a grimace, though they both snickered. That Sunday dinner had been a disaster of epic proportions, with Owen and Randall butting heads quite explicitly over work, politics, and religion.
“If Mama could have, she’d have grounded you and Jack both,” Sarah said.
“He always was the ornery one.” Kathy winked, knowing full well that she’d been just as contentious as their brother.
They were still laughing when they made it back to the blanket.
“What’s so funny?” Owen said as he stood guard between a curious John and the ocean.
“We were remembering your first Sunday dinner with the family,” Kathy told him, smiling shyly at Charles. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Charles was unbuttoning the short-sleeved shirt he wore with his swim trunks. “Was it a funny dinner?”
Eliza glanced at Kathy then snorted. “Refereeing between Kathy and Jack nearly drove me to drink.”
Kathy was a little surprised that the discussion wasn’t making her uncomfortable, but aside from a twinge of conscience, she was fine. “Randall was an absolute horse’s ass that day. I wasn’t much better. I never did apologize to Owen.” She watched him chase John, who’d dodged neatly around his legs and was running as fast as he could, giggling the whole time.
Sarah nudged her. “He knows. He’s never held that against you.”
“Regardless of how that day ended up going, I’m hopeful tomorrow won’t be as big a mess.” Kathy looked at Charles. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
He slid his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“John David Campbell, come back here!”
They all turned, and the sight that met their eyes made a ripple of amusement spread through the little group.
“How in the world did this happen?” Sarah called through her laughter.
“He’s your son! You tell me,” Owen replied, shaking his head as he stalked the baby. John was holding his swim trunks in one chubby hand, completely naked as he ran up and down the sand. “God, I hope this doesn’t mean he’s going to be an exhibitionist when he grows up. How in the world did he get so fast?”
“The nude beach is two towns over,” Charles said. “Do we need to go there?”
Owen shot him a dirty look. “Funny.” He finally snagged John, who squealed and gave a belly laugh as Owen swung him in an arc. “Boy, what am I going to do with you?”
Eliza sighed as Sarah helped get the shorts back on. “Jack was like that. He ran around naked more than not when he was about three. It got so bad we just about couldn’t have anyone over. Ira was on the verge of taping his clothes to him. He never would have, not really,” she told a grinning Charles, “but he sure was tempted.”
As they settled in to eat, the childhood stories abounded, with neither Sarah nor Kathy’s dignity being spared. It was the perfect day, Kathy thought, with the shared laughter and company. She realized, as she giggled at something Sarah had said, that she’d had more good days than bad lately, a lot more good. If someone had told her a year ago that she’d be sitting on the beach and enjoying just being in the moment with her family and her lover, she’d not have believed them. As a matter of fact, she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Charles winked at her as he teased her mother, and Kathy smiled back. Even if he didn’t end up being in her life permanently, that man had been responsible for so much good that she’d love him forever for it. He’d saved her, no doubt about it. She literally wouldn’t have been sitting there if not for him. That he’d done what he had with no thought for how it would affect him, for what he’d be getting out of the deal, endeared him to her even more.
He was truly a good person, and Kathy knew he was too good for the likes of her. He deserved so much more than she could give him, but she couldn’t bring herself to let him go, not just yet, not even to save herself the pain later. Deep inside her, a glimmer of hope had developed, and she wondered if maybe, just maybe, someday she might be a good enough woman to be a proper mate to Charles Kelly. She didn’t know for sure about that, but she did know that he made her want to be a better person. She figured that was as good a place as any to start.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Charles was just as nervous as Kathy about the dinner at Roy and Nancy’s—not for himself but for her. Given what she’d told him about Nancy,
he couldn’t help but expect trouble. With any luck, nothing out of the ordinary would happen. He just didn’t expect that luck to hold. Things had been going too smoothly.
The dinner would be the first time he’d publicly presented himself to Roy and Nancy as more than a friend of the family. Charles liked the older man, respected him, and he was fairly confident Roy felt similarly about him. He would have hated to have that respect sullied by thoughtless words about his relationship with Kathy.
“Time will tell,” he told his reflection as he parked in Roy’s driveway. Owen’s car was already there. After taking some deep breaths and squaring his shoulders, Charles got out and hurried up the steps to the front porch. As the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, he rocked back on his heels and stretched his shoulders. “Guess there’s no time like the present to find out.”
“You’re nervous,” Owen stated. He and Sarah were feeding the babies before dinner, and he was slowly walking back and forth, Emma in his arms.
Sarah blew out a breath as she adjusted her hold on Ben, who was almost finished with his meal. “Do you blame me?”
“No. But I think she’ll be fine. She can handle this. You have to have faith.” He set Emma’s bottle down and wiped her face with a soft cloth. “Who’s the prettiest baby girl in the whole world? Sleepy, sleepy baby girl. That’s right. My Emma Jean.” He placed a kiss on her forehead ever so carefully and crossed to the portable pen that was acting as a temporary crib.
Watching him with their daughter, Sarah was overwhelmed with feelings. Chief amongst them was thankfulness, followed closely by love. When he moved from the playpen to the daybed where John was sleeping to adjust the blanket covering him, Sarah smiled. When Owen turned around, she handed him Ben’s bottle.
Owen swooped in and stole a kiss and the baby before she could get up. “We did good with these three, you know that?”
“I think we did. You’re a fantastic father. Have I told you that lately?” She touched his cheek, and he nuzzled her hand.
“Often enough.” He straightened, cradling Ben close. “I can’t imagine not loving them, not doing everything possible to protect them and make the world a safer place for them to grow up in.”
The look he sent her was complicated, and Sarah knew that as soon as they got back to their secluded home in Kentucky, he’d spend time running in the woods as one of the animals he could shift into—a deer or a wolf, depending on his mood. For some reason, she thought he might go for the wolf this time, which was the creature he changed into when he was struggling with his emotions.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded as he placed Ben beside Emma and made sure they were both cozy. “I’m just feeling introspective. Come on. Let’s go make the rounds.” He held out his arm.
Sarah gladly accepted, searching his eyes. “Want to talk about it?”
“No. There’s nothing really to talk about. Not here and not now. Maybe when we get home though. I’m just thinking about the past and things that are best left to wither to dust. I need to let the dead bury the dead, and I’m having a hard time doing that at the moment.”
Roy was just letting Charles in when they reached the foot of the stairs. Even as he greeted them, his eyes scanned the room until they landed on Kathy, who was seated on the couch and looking at a magazine with Nancy and Eliza. He visibly relaxed, and he smiled. Kathy glanced up and saw him, and she smiled back, her posture easing as well.
“Did you see that?” Sarah asked Owen.
“I did. Think he knows he loves her?”
“Mm, I do. I don’t think she’s figured it out yet, not in a tangible way.”
“There you are,” Roy said, coming in from the hall. “Charles, how’s your weekend going so far? Are you taking some time off?”
“Enough,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Roy slapped him on the shoulder. “You know you’re welcome here any time.” When the doorbell rang, he frowned. “Who in the world is that?”
Nancy crossed the room. “That’s probably Dorian. You remember, Jan’s oldest son? He’s just out of the Navy, and he’s unattached and doesn’t know a lot of people in town these days, and well… I thought it might be nice to invite him to dinner.” She went to the door, oblivious to the quiet chaos she’d left behind.
Appalled, Sarah stared at a flabbergasted Charles then Kathy. Her mouth open, she looked at Owen then back at Kathy. “Oh, dear. Surely she doesn’t mean…”
Eliza closed her eyes briefly, muttering, “Of course she does.”
As Charles went to Kathy, Roy took in the scene in an instant, and he gave a low curse. “When did this happen? Or am I reading things wrong?”
Nancy was still in the hall, chatting amiably with Dorian.
“It’s been building,” Charles said as he sat beside Kathy. He put his arm behind her, leaving his hand low on her back as she perched on the edge of the sofa. He gave her a reassuring smile, concern etched onto her face. “It’ll be okay.”
“Sure, it will,” Eliza said dryly from Kathy’s other side. She shrugged when everyone looked at her. “The law of averages has to be in our favor, right?”
Owen snickered, trying to stifle his laughter when Sarah shot him a dirty look. “I’m sure everything will be fine,” he hastened to say. “Sure.”
Nancy came back in, beaming as she introduced Dorian. “This is my niece Sarah and her husband, Owen. They’re leaving for Kentucky in the morning. My sister, Eliza, and my other niece… Kathy?” She frowned as she took in their closeness. “And… Charles?”
“How do you do?” Dorian said.
He didn’t seem disappointed to see Charles and Kathy sitting so close, and Sarah had to wonder if he’d had any idea what he was walking into. He was a handsome young man; she’d concede that point to Nancy.
“Well! I believe dinner is ready,” Roy said with a hearty laugh. He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s eat.”
As they took their places around the table, Nancy’s frown grew. When she saw Charles taking the seat beside Kathy, she opened her mouth. Before she could say a word, however, Eliza had her by the elbow.
“Excuse us for just one moment, please. I think we need to check on dessert.” Eliza utterly ignored the dirty looks Nancy shot her and tugged her into the kitchen with relentless determination.
Charles hurried to fill in the conversational gap. “So, Dorian, Nancy said you’ve recently left the Navy?”
“Yes, sir. I was in for eight years.” He glanced at Roy. “I remember coming here to play with Oscar when we were just little tykes. How’s he doing these days?” Oscar was Roy and Nancy’s son.
“He’s doing well. He and his wife just had their second child. They’re down in Louisiana. He works for a machining shop that supplies parts to the oil rigs in the Gulf. What are you planning to do now that you’re out of uniform?”
Dorian sent an appreciative look at Kathy then turned back to Roy. “I’m not sure. I have a lot of friends who’ve headed to Louisiana and Texas. There’s some good money to be made down there from what I’ve heard, and it sounds like the work might be right up my alley. It’s just me, so I’m free to go wherever I want. It’s liberating, really, after having been so tied down for so long. It’d be an exciting life if one were so inclined.”
As Sarah was seated beside Kathy, across the table from Dorian, she’d seen the heat in the glance the young man sent her sister’s way. She had to revise her opinion—he might just have been aware of Nancy’s intentions after all. Charles’s presence seemed to be keeping Dorian in check for now, but that glance… that had been bold.
Kathy sighed quietly as Roy and Dorian talked about the opportunities in the Gulf. She exchanged a look with Sarah.
“You look ready to bolt,” Sarah murmured as she settled her napkin in her lap.
“I have my running shoes on,
and I’m not afraid to use them,” Kathy confirmed. But she sat up straight, squaring her shoulders, and for all the world, she looked as though she was ready to do battle, not flee.
Eliza and Nancy came back in, each carrying a dish. The maid Nancy had hired for the evening was behind them with more. Eliza set the mashed potatoes down, and then she took her spot beside Dorian.
“It looks scrumptious as usual,” Roy said. “Thank you, dear.”
“Of course.” Nancy’s smile was tense. “Let’s eat, everyone.”
Most of the meal went smoothly enough, but when the main dishes had been cleared away and the cheesecake was brought out, things turned.
“Do you ever get up to Virginia or Kentucky, Dorian?” Nancy asked.
He shook his head as he accepted a coffee refill. “No, ma’am. Well, we put in at Norfolk on occasion, but that was about it.”
“Hmmm. We’ve been talking about making the trek, Roy and I. We both grew up in Perry County over in Eastern Kentucky, you see, and we try to get home at least once a year. I’m hoping Eliza and Kathy will join us this time. You lose yourself if you don’t visit your roots, I believe.”
For several seconds, Sarah felt as if the entire room froze then jumped back into focus like a bad film at the movie theater.
Kathy very carefully laid her fork down and pushed back her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, I need some air.”
And without looking at anyone, she left the room, heading into the kitchen. A moment later, the sound of the back door opening and closing echoed through the room.
Dorian scooted his chair back, but Charles was on his feet first. “Don’t bother. She’s spoken for.” He buttoned his suit jacket, and his jaw ticked as he straightened his cuffs, staring hard at Nancy the whole time. “This stops right now, right here, this evening. This quest to get Eliza and Kathy to return to a place that hurts them both… I know you enough to believe you truly mean well, that you honestly think you’re helping. But all you’re doing is pouring salt on a wound that isn’t yet healed and may never be, and that’s a cruel quest you seem determined to pursue. Please, Nancy, stop. Excuse me.”
