by Rhian Cahill
James took his seat and pushed the tray around the table for everyone to grab their glass. “I know someone who works at the home Mrs. Newman is in. She said you guys have been in there together a lot lately. Said she saw you cuddled up in the visitors lounge one morning.”
“We weren’t cuddled up. I was comforting him after a particularly bad time with his mother. She’s not been well. I’d do the same for any of you.” Kelsey waved her hand to encompass the group. She didn’t want to go into detail about Marjorie’s condition. From what Bry had told her, nobody knew how bad things had gotten with her health, and Kelsey didn’t want to reveal too much of his personal information, but she also didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about her and her ex.
James shrugged. “Guess that explains it.”
Kelsey didn’t think he sounded all that convinced, but before she could say any more, Zac arrived. She was startled by the venomous look he threw her way. If looks could kill, she’d be six feet under. What the hell had she done? He’d been acting strange at recent get-togethers, and there was the weird vibe she’d gotten from him last Friday, but this was the first time he’d shown her any real outright hostility.
Coop leaned his shoulder into hers. “Ignore him. He’s being a prick lately.”
She glanced at Zac’s twin. “So I’m not imagining things?”
Coop laughed. “Hell, no. Watch this. I’ll show you it’s not just you he’s got a problem with.” He leaned over her to tap Shaye’s cheek. “Hey, hot stuff. We still on for later?”
Shaye’s smile and eyes were full of sexual innuendo as she moved closer to Coop, the two of them all but in Kelsey’s lap now. “Think you can handle me?”
“Oh, I’ll handle you all right.” Coop’s gaze dropped to ogle Shaye’s cleavage.
“For fuck sake.” Zac slammed his empty glass down on the table. “I’m not hanging around to watch this shit.”
Kelsey watched him storm off. Mouths hung open all around the table. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one shocked by Zac’s behaviour.
“See. Told ya.” Coop winked as he sat back in his chair.
“Did you just do that to piss your brother off?” Shaye asked.
“Yep.” A smug smile curled Coop’s lips.
“Why you—”
“Shaye,” Coop murmured.
To Kelsey’s surprise, Shaye sat back in her seat, mouth closed. Kelsey couldn’t believe Coop could silence Shaye so quickly. She’d seen the head of steam her best friend was building up. Normally, it took a good rant for Shaye to let it go, but Coop had managed to do what Kelsey had thought impossible, and by only uttering her name.
“Ah, is there something going on between you two we don’t know about?” Nikki asked, her gaze bouncing from Shaye to Coop and back again.
“Nope.” Coop picked up his beer and grinned. “Not yet.”
Kelsey was happy for the conversation to head in that direction. She leaned back in her chair and let her friends debate the Shaye-and-Coop development while she contemplated the situation with West. Now that she’d revealed so much of her inner turmoil, she wasn’t sure where they stood. She’d called him to let him know she’d arrived home safe. They’d spoken only a few words before hanging up, and neither had mentioned what had been said during their video call. Or after he’d come out of the house.
Her phone rang, snapping her to attention. Fear and excitement warred inside her. The possibility of West being on the other end of the call delivered conflicting emotions. Kelsey was worried their conversation had left both of them with a bad taste in their mouths. She certainly regretted revealing the depth of hurt he’d caused her in the past, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it now.
She scrambled to get her phone out of her bag before the call switched over to voicemail. Caller ID showed it wasn’t West but Bry on the other end, and Kelsey instantly got a bad feeling in her chest. “Bry?”
“Mum had a stroke,” he choked out.
“Oh, God, Bry. I’m sorry.”
“It’s bad. Can you—”
“Yes, yes.” She shoved her chair back and nudged Coop with her knee. “I’ll come right now.”
“Thank you, Kelsey. I don’t know what to do.”
Kelsey could hear the tears in Bry’s voice and quickly shuffled past the guys to get out. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“She’s in North Shore Private. Where Dad was.” His voice cracked, the last words were murmured in a desolate tone that squeezed Kelsey’s heart.
She didn’t know what to say. How to comfort him over the phone when there were no words that could make the situation better. “I’ll be there soon.” She hung up and dug in her bag for her keys.
“Problem?” James asked as she looked up at the group.
“Bry’s mum has had a stroke. I have to go. I’ll catch you all later.”
“Let us know if he needs anything,” Nick said.
“I will.” She turned to leave but Coop grabbed her arm.
Turning back, she found Coop eyeing her with concern. “Let West know where you’re going. Don’t let him find out from one of us.”
“Ah, okay.” Kelsey wasn’t sure why Coop thought West had a right to know where she was going, but as one of his best friends—and a close one of her own—she valued his advice and quickly tapped out a text as she rushed out of the pub to her car.
West dropped the phone in his lap as he watched Kelsey’s car wiz past. He’d just parked when he received her text and reading the words sliced him up in a way he couldn’t explain.
On way to Bry.
He figured something had happened with Bry’s mother, but with so few words and no real meaning behind them, no one would blame him for thinking the worst. The jealousy and anger that filled him each time Kelsey dropped everything to go to Bry only left him feeling like a jerk. But he couldn’t help his reactions even knowing the state of Bry’s mother’s health. West opened his door, but he didn’t get out. Suddenly spending a few hours at the pub with his friends held no appeal.
Not without Kelsey.
He couldn’t really afford the time away from work either. He’d spent the day sorting out the details for the next few weeks, but he had to be realistic and accept it was possible his second kitchen would be out of action for months. The insurance company wasn’t sending anyone out until late next week, and until then he couldn’t touch the charred mess. Reaching over, he grabbed the door and slammed it shut. A night at home surrounded by paperwork wasn’t exactly the most riveting Friday evening, but West could think of only one thing more interesting, and that wasn’t an option.
West started the car, but before he left he sent a text to Coop, letting him know he wouldn’t be turning up. He’d reversed out of his spot and was pulling out of the parking lot into traffic when his friend called.
Activating the integrated phone system with the button on his steering wheel, West answered. “Hey.”
“Is she really the only reason you were coming?” Coop asked.
“No. Yes.” West checked over his shoulder before changing lanes. “I wasn’t coming until you dropped your not-so-subtle hint that Shaye was dragging Kels out.”
“You know where she is?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Do you know what happened to Bry’s mum?”
“Stroke.”
“Ah, shit.” West could totally understand why Kelsey had gone running off to Bry now.
“Yep. And from what James has just been telling us, it seems that good old Bry has been keeping mum about Mum,” Coop said.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“James knows some woman that works at the home where Mrs. Newman is. She told him that the junior Mrs. Newman has been there with her husband in recent days and that the senior Mrs. Newman is not doing well and hasn’t been for a while.”
“Why the hell would he keep that from us?” West asked as he turned off the main road onto a side street. The conversation was getting too distracting to be navigating through traffic at the same time. He spied a parking spot about fifty metres down and pulled into it.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen Bry more than two times in the last few months. He’s skipped our usual Friday drinks for weeks.”
West thought about it for a moment. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen him in over a month.” He’d heard him though. Loud and clear through Kelsey’s phone. Twice.
“Wonder what’s up with that? It’s not like there’s an issue between him and Kelsey that would be keeping him away. They’ve never had any issues.”
“If what James said about Bry’s mum is true, then her condition might be the reason.”
“Okay, we’ve danced around it long enough and you completely ignored my husband comment. Are you okay with Kelsey running off to him?”
West sucked in a breath. “Why wouldn’t I be?” If Coop knew something he didn’t…
“So you know she’s not just standing beside him?”
“What?” West had no idea what his friend was talking about, but he wanted details. Fast. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Coop sighed. “This friend of James said she saw them in each other’s arms in the visitors lounge at the home.”
Whoa. That he wasn’t okay with. West’s brain told him Kelsey would never be with Bry after being with him, but his heart was a whole other story. It ached along with his gut as acid churned in his stomach.
“I’m taking your silence to mean this is news to you.”
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.” There had to be.
“Oh, there is. And for what it’s worth, I believe her.”
West waited but Coop didn’t elaborate any further. “Well don’t leave me in the dark, man.”
“She said she was comforting him after a bad episode with his mother like she would any one of us.”
“And you believed her?” He trusted Coop’s judgment.
“Yeah. I also think Bry is taking advantage of Kelsey’s generosity. She’s always been the bleeding heart among our group.”
“Yes, she has.” West scrubbed his fingers back and forth on his forehead. “I get why he would though.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to like it,” Coop said.
“Oh, I definitely don’t like it, but what can I do about? I can’t exactly tell her not to go.”
“No. I guess not.”
West closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat. For long moments, neither of them said a word, only the faint crackle of the open phone line filled the car. He should hang up and head home. “Listen, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Want me to come over?” Coop asked.
A bark of laughter left West’s throat. “What? This little deep-and-meaningful isn’t enough? Now you wanna come hold my hand too?”
Coop laughed. “Nah, I was actually thinking I wouldn’t have to pay for my beer at your place.”
“Ha! Think again. My fridge is still full of the case you brought round Monday night.”
“Actually, Zac paid for that.” Someone yelled Coop’s name in the background. “Okay, I’m being summoned by a hot chick. I have a feeling this is going to be my lucky night.”
“At least one of us is getting some,” West murmured.
“What?”
“Nothing. Catch ya later.”
“We still on for tomorrow? You want me to look at the kitchen, right?” Coop asked.
West had forgotten he’d asked his friend to give him an estimate on repairs. “How ’bout we leave it until next week. The insurance guy isn’t coming until Thursday, and I can’t touch it until after he’s been and given his seal of approval for the claim to go through.” Not that he needed the insurance money to pay for the damage, but he paid his premiums so he may as well get his money’s worth.
“Ring me when you know when.”
“Will do.” His phone beeped signally an incoming call. “Gotta go, someone’s trying to call. It might be Kels.”
Before Coop could say a word, West tapped the screen on his phone to drop their call and pick up the new one.
“Hello.”
“West?”
“Kels? You okay?” She sounded anything but okay, and when he heard her sob he bolted upright in his seat. “What’s wrong, baby? Where are you?”
Her sobs echoed through the car for long minutes and West felt powerless to help her. He couldn’t even drive to her. He didn’t have a clue where she was.
“S-she’s gone.”
“Tell me where you are and I’ll be there.”
“I. Bry. He’s devastated.” Never mind Bry, West could hear the devastation in her voice.
“Tell me where.”
“I don’t think. Hang on.” Sound was muffled and West figured she must have covered the phone with her hand for a moment. “I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Kelsey! Don’t you dare hang up without telling me where you are.”
“I’ll call you later. Promise.”
“Dammit. Stop shutting me out.” West slapped his palm on the steering wheel.
“I’m not. Bry’s not in any condition to see anyone right now.”
“What about you?” Who was going to support her through this?
“Later.”
The connection cut off before West could get another word out. He slapped the wheel again. And again. Pain radiated up his arm, but he didn’t care. Frustration and anger burned a hole in his gut and the throb in his hand and wrist gave him something to focus on other than Kelsey’s latest mixed signals.
If she didn’t want him, why had she called? And what the hell was he supposed to do—to think—when she reached for him and pushed him away at the same time?
Chapter Thirteen
Kelsey let the car roll to a stop at the kerb. She switched off the lights and engine and sat in the dark, staring through the passenger window at the house. There wasn’t a light shining in any of the windows, causing her to second-guess her decision to come here for the millionth time. It was after one a.m, and West was obviously asleep. In the end, her need for comfort made her grab her purse and climb out of the car. The last few hours had been a hellish nightmare. Doctors and reports and a soul-sapping sorrow she’d never felt before. Marjorie might not have been her mother, but the woman had given Kelsey more maternal love than she’d received from anyone else in her life.
She stumbled on the uneven path as she made her way to the house, the street light didn’t illuminate this far into the yard and without a porch light to guide her, Kelsey took extra care not to trip on the steps. But when she reached the door, she hesitated, turned around and stared at her car. What if he wasn’t home? What if he was and wouldn’t let her in? She’d never needed anything the way she needed West’s arms wrapped around her right now. Eventually, the desperation to feel connected clawing at her insides won out over her fears and she spun back around and pressed the doorbell.
The bell echoed on the other side of the closed door and she held her breath until she heard footsteps rushing over timber floors. When the door opened to reveal West in nothing but a pair of low-slung boxer briefs, Kelsey didn’t know if it was exhaustion, grief or the naked masculine perfection in front of her that rendered her speechless.
Thankfully, West didn’t need words to know what she wanted. What she needed. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Pulling her inside, he closed the door before wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She gave in then. Let her purse drop to the floor at their feet and her tears fall to his chest. Kelsey had no idea how long they stood there. How long the wretched sobs racked her body. But when West slipped an arm
behind her knees and lifted her up to cradle her against him, she was relieved—grateful that he was taking care of her when there was no way she could.
Without a word, he walked through the house to his room. Kelsey clung to his neck when he lowered her to the bed and tried to pull away. “No.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He brushed his fingers down her cheek. “I just want to get you something more comfortable to sleep in.”
She let her arms slip from around him and fall to her sides. “I should go home.” Her protest was weak. She didn’t have the strength to walk out to her car never mind the desire.
“You wouldn’t have turned up on my doorstep at this hour if you wanted to go home,” West said as he pulled the second drawer on his dresser out and grabbed a shirt. He came back to the bed and held out his hand. “C’mon, let’s get you out of those clothes. Do you want a shower?”
For a split second, she thought about it. Thought about trying to wash away the smell of death that seemed to be clinging to her, but with her eyelids drooping and her arms and legs feeling as though they were weighted down with lead, Kelsey figured she’d end up in an exhausted pile at the bottom of the shower if she tried. “No.”
“Okay. Straight to bed it is.”
West undressed her with a minimum of fuss, and before Kelsey could come up with another feeble argument about going home, she found herself surrounded by the softest T-shirt she’d ever touched. He helped her beneath the covers before crawling into the bed on the other side. Kelsey wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t for West to pull her against him, his chest to her back, and just hold her. His comfy shirt wasn’t the only thing she found herself enveloped in.
His warmth seeped through her skin to heat the cold that had settled in her chest since she’d arrived at the hospital to discover she was too late. He didn’t ask questions—didn’t press for any details—and Kelsey was so grateful to not have to relive those horrible moments if only for the rest of tonight.
She focused on his steady breathing, the beat of his heart against her spine. With each puff of air, each pulse of blood, she sank deeper and deeper into exhaustion, knowing that everything would be okay because West had her.
