by Gina Wilkins
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
He hesitated a moment before drawing a deep breath and saying, “It’s Kyle Reeves, Shane.”
“Kyle? Well, I’ll be— It’s good to hear your voice again. How are you? I heard you found yourself some trouble over in the Middle East.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” Kyle appreciated Shane’s matter-of-fact phrasing. “But I’m doing okay. Almost back to full speed again.”
He figured it wasn’t much of a lie.
“Glad to hear it. Uh-you mind telling me why you’re answering Molly’s cell phone? Where is she, anyway?”
“She’s here with me. In Tennessee.”
Shane groaned loudly. “I cannot believe this. You mean she flew all the way to Tennessee just to—” “She didn’t fly, Shane. She drove.”
There was an ominous silence on the other end of the line. “She drove?”
“Yeah. She spent Thursday night in a motel in Memphis and reached my place in the middle of a storm yesterday afternoon. The weather was too bad for her to go out again, so I talked her into bunking on my couch last night.”
Braced for a brother’s misgivings, Kyle was mildly surprised when Shane seemed more annoyed by Molly’s long drive than by the fact that she had spent the night in a near stranger’s house. “I appreciate you watching out for her. I can’t believe she took off like that without telling anyone. Dad would lock her in her room for a month if he heard about this stunt.”
Though he had chided her himself for what had seemed like a somewhat reckless trip for a young woman alone, Kyle found himself tempted to defend her now. Shane talked as though Molly were a teenager rather than a grown woman of almost twenty-four. If this was the way her family treated her, no wonder she’d gotten so defensive in asserting her right to make her own decisions.
Which made it even more awkward for him to have to tell Shane about the accident. “She handled the trip just fine. But there has been a, um, problem.”
“What sort of problem?” Shane asked in audible trepidation.
“Molly fell through a rotten board on my porch. She’s torn a ligament in her ankle. It was just a bad sprain—no broken bones or anything like that,” he added hastily, thinking of the hardware that held his own shattered leg in one piece. “She has to wear a Velcro brace and use crutches for a few weeks, but she’ll be fine.”
“Is she in much pain?” Shane’s voice was very quiet, a bit too controlled.
“She’s fine. She’s napping now. The medications they gave her made her drowsy.”
“Damn, I didn’t need this right now.”
Had Shane changed so much? “It isn’t as if Molly sprained her ankle just to inconvenience you,” Kyle said stiffly.
He could almost hear Shane wince at the other end of the line. “I know. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m sorry she was hurt—even if I’m still kind of annoyed with her for taking off on this harebrained trip in the first place. It’s just that everything is pretty hectic around here, with Dad and Cassie being away and my youngest kid down with a bad cold. I guess I’ll have to come get Molly—or maybe I can send one of the uncles. Or maybe our cousin—”
“I’ll bring her home.”
During the surprised silence that followed Kyle’s blunt announcement, he had time to wonder what on earth had made him say that. He’d had no intention of offering to drive Molly back to Texas. But something about Shane’s attitude irked him. He didn’t like the thought of someone coming to collect Molly as if she were a runaway child. And since she couldn’t drive herself…well, that left it up to him.
“You’ll bring her?” Shane repeated as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly.
“Yeah. I’ll drive her car, then fly back. It’s the least I can do since she fell through my porch.”
“You’re sure that isn’t too much trouble?”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Kyle lied. “We’ll head out to morrow morning if she’s feeling up to it. I doubt she’ll be able to make the trip in one day, so we’ll probably have to stop in Memphis overnight.”
He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to make a drive that long without a break; his entire body would likely stiffen up if he tried. No need to mention that to Shane, of course.
“If you’re sure you don’t mind, that would be great,” Shane said in relief. “Any other time I’d be on a plane as soon as we hang up, but the way things are now…”
“You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll get her home safely.”
“I’m sure you will. It will be good to see you again, Kyle.”
Kyle shook his head in bemusement. Shane, as Molly had, acted as though there was no question that she would be safe with him. They continued to treat him as if they knew him well, even though it had been more than ten years since they’d last seen him. They had no idea of the things he had seen and done since he’d left the ranch—no way of knowing how those experiences had changed him.
“Yeah, well, I’ll keep in touch. Let you know our itinerary.”
“Thanks. Tell Molly I’ll talk to her later, okay?” “Yeah.” Kyle was tempted to order Shane not to yell at his sister when he did speak with her, but he supposed that was none of his business. Still, it griped him to think Molly would be chewed out for something that really wasn’t her fault.
It occurred to him that he was doing a lousy job staying detached and objective with Molly, as he had tried so hard to be from the time she’d shown up at his door. And now he had committed himself to chauffeuring her all the way back to Texas—back to the ranch he’d had no intention of revisiting for now.
It looked as though he was going to have to face his past again, after all. Ready or not.
Molly was a little embarrassed to awaken on the McDooleys’ couch and realize she had slept through lunch. Jewel quickly put her at ease again, assuring her that she knew what it was like to be temporarily overcome by the effects of medication.
Feeling much more clearheaded now, she reached for her crutches and hobbled into the kitchen with Jewel. “Where are Mack and Kyle?”
Motioning her into a chair at the table, Jewel helped her prop her injured foot on another chair. She then walked over to the stove, removed the lid from a large pot and scooped soup into a bowl. “Mack’s taking care of a little problem in one of the motel rooms. Kyle’s gone back up to his house to pack a bag.”
The food Jewel had set in front of her looked delicious, and the aromas rising from it were inviting enough to make Molly’s mouth water. She was suddenly starving. Picking up her spoon, she scooped up a bite of the homemade beef and vegetable soup, repeating absently, “Kyle’s packing?”
“Yes.” After setting a glass of iced tea and a plate of corn bread muffins on the table for Molly, Jewel settled into another chair with a cookie and a glass of tea for herself. “He’s planning to drive you back to Texas tomorrow in your car. He figured it would take a couple of days to make the drive tolerable for both of you.”
She took a sip of her tea, then added, “He’s bringing your bag with him when he comes back. I told him you might as well both spend the night here and then leave early in the morning after a good breakfast.”
Jewel had managed to draw Molly’s attention away from the food. “Kyle’s driving me home tomorrow?”
Nodding patiently, Jewel smiled. “He knew you wouldn’t be able to drive in that bulky brace. You have to get back home somehow, so the logical thing is for him to drive you, then fly back here. I believe your brother offered to send someone for you, but Kyle told him that wasn’t necessary.”
“Wait.” Her head swimming, Molly set her spoon on the table. “Kyle talked to Shane?”
“Is that your brother?”
She nodded.
“Then, yes, he did. Your cell phone rang while you were asleep and Kyle answered, in case it was an important call. He told your brother what had happened, and they made the arrangements to get you back home.”
Her jaw tight,
Molly muttered, “Did they?”
“Now, honey, don’t go getting all chippy,” Jewel ad vised in a motherly tone. “I’m sure you’re used to making all your own decisions, but in this case, it was necessary for Kyle to make the arrangements.”
Actually, she wasn’t accustomed to making her own decisions, Molly thought glumly. Which was exactly the problem. Shane was in the habit of treating her like a kid, but she hated having put herself in a position to cause Kyle to think of her as someone who needed a keeper.
Making this trip on her own might have been a teensy bit impulsive on her part, but it had felt really good to be completely on her own for a couple of days. She’d been an adult making her own way without anyone telling her how or when to do anything. Then she’d had to ruin it all by falling down during her theatrical exit from Kyle’s cabin.
“What’s wrong, Molly?” Jewel was studying her face with uncomfortably sharp perception. “Do you not want to make the drive with Kyle?”
“It isn’t that. I like being with Kyle—it’s just that— well, I’ve really messed things up. He didn’t want to go to Texas, and my brother didn’t want me to come here to badger him about it, and now both of them are going to be annoyed with me for interfering with their plans.”
“You’re in the habit of letting your brother tell you what to do?”
Though pride made her want to deny it, Molly sighed and nodded. “I let everyone tell me what to do. My brother, my parents, my aunts and uncles. Everyone.”
“Why is that, do you think?”
She shrugged. “It’s just as you said. Habit. My brother is fifteen years older than I am, so I was literally the baby of the family. My father’s the overprotective, take-charge type. It was just easier, for the most part, to let them tell me what to do than to argue with them. Besides, I know they always have my best interests at heart. It’s just—”
“It’s just that you’re of an age now where you’d like to be seen as a mature adult with a brain of her own.”
“Exactly.” Molly smiled gratefully at the older woman. Jewel chuckled. “I have four older brothers, the eldest of whom is nearly twenty years my senior. I know all about being bossed around and overprotected.”
“I guess you do. So—how do you get them to stop?”
“Stop letting them get away with it,” Jewel said sim ply. “You listen respectfully to your father, thank him for his advice, then do what’s best for you. As for your brother—you tell him to put a sock in it.”
Molly laughed and picked up her spoon again. She’d had her share of arguments with Shane, but she had never used the words “put a sock in it.” She was rather looking forward to doing so.
“That said,” Jewel went on, “I think it’s a good thing that Kyle’s taking you home. He hasn’t left that cabin for more than five months, except to come down to town occasionally to see us and the doctor, and pick up a few supplies. Visiting some old friends will give him something new to focus on for a little while.”
“But he had already chosen not to visit those old friends,” Molly reminded her. “I didn’t realize quite how serious he was about his refusal until I asked him myself.”
Jewel was silent for a moment, seeming to consider her next words. “In this case, I think it’s Kyle who needs a little prodding for his own good. I’ve been worried about him lately. He spends too much time alone with his painful memories. When he isn’t by himself, he’s with me and Mack. He needs to spend some time with someone closer to his own age. Someone with energy and enthusiasm, who’ll challenge him and argue with him and distract him, the way you have.”
Molly grimaced. “Well, I’ve argued with him. And I suppose I distracted him when I fell through his porch. But I’m not sure I would say it’s been good for him….”
“I would,” Jewel countered firmly. “There was more animation in Kyle’s face today than I’ve seen in a long time. Since the last time he was here with Tommy, maybe.”
Molly wasn’t so sure she’d have described Kyle’s mood that day as “animated.” Irritated, maybe. A little frazzled by everything that had gone wrong—from her unannounced arrival in the middle of a storm to the accident that had delayed her departure.
“How long have you known Kyle?”
Jewel smiled reminiscently. “Almost six years. He and Tommy knew each other even longer than that, but it took a while for Tommy to talk Kyle into coming home with him for a visit. Mack and I liked him immediately. He was so polite. So appreciative of every little thing we did for him.”
She gave a soft sigh. “He and Tommy were such good friends. Connie said it was strange that they were opposites in so many ways, and yet still so much alike in others. Tommy thought of Kyle as the brother he always wanted growing up.”
“Who’s Connie?”
“She was Tommy’s girlfriend. He was planning to propose to her the next time he came home. Had it all planned out just how he was going to do it. But…well, it didn’t work out that way. She moved to Nashville recently to start a new job and make a new life for herself.”
“I’m so sorry, Jewel.” Molly’s eyes burned with tears she barely managed to blink back.
Jewel took a sip of her tea, her gaze unfocused, as if she were seeing into a rosier past. And then she gave herself a little shake and spoke briskly again. “After Tommy’s funeral, Mack flew to Germany to be with Kyle in the hospital. To be honest, there was a time when it didn’t seem as though he was going to make it. He was hurt so badly. Mack hesitated about going at first—he thought I needed him here, but I had good friends from my church and community to turn to for support, and Kyle had no one. I couldn’t bear knowing that he was there alone, with no one to sit beside him and watch out for him. And I knew he must be grieving almost as deeply as we were.”
She set her cup down, speaking a bit more briskly. “When Kyle was well enough, Mack asked him to consider coming here for his recuperation. Kyle was a little hesitant at first—he seemed to think it would be painful for us to have him here—but Mack convinced him that we needed him as much as we think he needed us.”
Deeply touched by the story, Molly could only swallow hard and push her empty soup bowl aside. “My parents would have gone to him, if they had known. They always thought of him as one of their boys.”
“It’s a shame he didn’t keep in touch after he moved on. He always had such fondness in his voice on the rare occasions when he talked about the ranch. I asked him once why he didn’t make more of an effort to stay in touch with his foster family, and he didn’t really have a good answer. He seemed to think your family had moved on with their lives and wouldn’t be particularly interested in hearing from him.”
“He was wrong. But I suppose it wasn’t entirely his fault. Maybe Mom and Dad should have made it more clear to him that they wanted him to stay in their lives.”
“It’s because I’ve known Kyle so long and so well that I think he needs to go with you tomorrow,” Jewel said with a nod. “He’s slowly making peace with his future, making decisions about what he wants to do—but I think perhaps he needs to make peace with his past, as well. He should be reminded of the good times, rather than dwelling on the unhappy memories.”
“I was still pretty young when he left, but he seemed happy enough while he was there. He seemed fond of my parents, and they cared very much about him. None of us understood then why he stopped calling and writing and visiting. He wasn’t the only one who failed to stay in contact after he left, but losing touch with him seemed to really bother my mother. I guess that’s why I was so determined to get him to change his mind about attending the party.”
“When is the party?”
“Next Saturday. A week from tomorrow.”
“Mmm.” Jewel pursed her lips. “I suppose it would be difficult to detain him there for that long. But at least he can visit with your parents while he’s—”
Molly shook her head. “My parents won’t be back until the night before the party. They’re on
a cruise to celebrate their anniversary. The party is going to be a surprise. They don’t even know I’ve seen Kyle.”
“Oh.” Jewel sighed. “Well, maybe visiting this time will make it easier for him to come back someday. Not that I want you to keep him there permanently, of course,” she added with a slightly self-conscious laugh.
Molly couldn’t help but smile at Jewel’s unwitting repetition of her husband’s words. “I don’t think that’s anything you need to worry about. Kyle seems perfectly content here.”
Jewel stood and began gathering dirty dishes. “Would you like a brownie? I made them yesterday.”
“I’d love one. Thank you.”
Jewel set a plate of brownies within Molly’s reach, then asked a bit too casually, “So you enjoy being with Kyle?” Molly frowned. “What do you mean by that?” “Nothing,” Jewel assured her with an expression that was much too innocent to be credible. “Just asking.”
A door closed noisily in the front of the house, followed by the rumble of men’s voices.
“Sounds like the men are back,” Jewel said unnecessarily, turning toward the doorway with a smile of anticipation.
“Brownies?” Mack said, his gaze zeroing in on the plate of sweets. “Got any coffee to go with that?”
“I’ll make you some.” Jewel turned toward the counter, asking over her shoulder, “Herbal tea, Kyle?”
“Sounds good.” He was studying Molly’s face, which felt suddenly flushed for some reason she couldn’t have fully explained. “You doing okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”
He touched her shoulder as he passed her chair, to ward the empty chair beside her. It was a very light touch, perhaps intended as a bracing pat to reassure her that everything was under control. There was no way he could know that fleeting contact had just stolen the breath from her lungs, leaving her shaken and flustered and trying desperately to hide it.
What, she asked herself in shock, was that?
Chapter Six
