Keeping Her Close

by Carol Ross

  Mia stopped walking. So Kyle stopped, too. She inhaled a breath, and he braced himself to hear exactly what he deserved. Which is not at all what happened.

  She faced him. “Kyle, I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Mia,” he fired back without hesitation.

  Through a sheen of tears, she sniffled and nodded. Her face erupted with a huge smile as she threw her arms around him. He hugged her close, and Kyle thought his heart might explode.

  Mia loosened her hold and stepped away but kept a loose grip on his arms just below his elbows. “I realized last night when I was talking this over with Jay that I don’t think I’ve ever said that to you before. You said it to me, but I’ve never said it back to you, do you know that?”

  He smiled sadly. It was after his dad’s funeral. He’d felt so alone with his grief and had finally realized just how large the void was between himself and Mia and what—who—had put it there. He’d said the words to Mia that day. But he hadn’t offered an apology to go with them. He hadn’t explained that he’d since realized how the strain between them had come to be. “I do know that. But, Mia, that’s okay. You had a lot of reasons not to say it. I should have—”

  “No! No, Kyle, I didn’t. That’s just the thing. I wanted to say it. I felt it. The fact that Bill didn’t love me had nothing to do with you. You were his son, and he loved you, and I’m glad he was good to you. It helped make you the amazing man that you are. But he deserves all my anger, not you. I should have talked about this with you a long time ago, but there’s always been this...distance between us.” Mia released him, and they started walking again.

  Kyle said, “I think Dad wanted it that way. In his mind, you were Mom’s and I was his.”

  “That’s exactly how I see it now!”

  “I was a terrible brother to you and son to Mom. My behavior was inexcusable. That was on me. I’m so sorry. All I ever cared about was my career, the next mission and my teammates in the military. I rarely came home. I justified my behavior with my sense of duty just like Dad did.”

  “I think you were exactly the brother and son Bill raised you to be. And don’t get me wrong, I admire your loyalty and your unwavering honor. I’m so proud of you and your career. You can ask Mom. When I heard you were getting out of the navy, I was cautiously optimistic that you’d feel like you’d fulfilled that. Then, when you came here to Pacific Cove, I let myself get excited. I thought there was hope for us to finally be a family.”

  “I want that, too. It’s why I came here. I know it took me way too long to see it.” Ironically, it was losing Owen and that brother-like connection they’d shared that made him realize how much he wanted his family.

  “Too long would be never. I was so happy you came here. But I didn’t know how to trust that feeling. I have to tell you that when you took the job with Dahlia, it felt like... It feels like you’re going into the military all over again. That conversation you overheard between Mom and me the other night was about that. About how I’ve been ‘unsupportive’ of your new career choice. But it’s only because I’m scared, Kyle. And not just because of the danger—I know you can handle yourself. And, no, I don’t want you to leave. But what I don’t want the most is for you to follow in Bill’s footsteps. I don’t want you to forgo the relationships in your life for the sake of your career. We want you here, and if that’s selfish, I don’t care. I felt like I had to say this because it’s been weighing on my heart. The circumstances of our childhood, including the way both Mom and Bill handled things, are as much to blame as we are.”

  Kyle agreed. “I’m so glad you did. But, Mia, I’m not career military like Dad. I got out for that reason. I want different things. I want...” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought.

  He glanced back down the beach. Everyone was enjoying the morning. Now barefoot, Harper had a hold of Delilah’s hands, swinging her around in the sand. Delilah giggled wildly, her unruly red curls loosening from her ponytail and fluttering in the breeze. Harper’s smile was radiant.

  Mia followed his gaze, and asked, “What do you want, Kyle?”

  He didn’t answer because what he wanted was complicated. He wanted to be like his dad in some respects but not others. He wanted a job where he felt useful, one where he could utilize his skills. But not one that would take him away from the family that he was just beginning to know.

  He wanted the truth about Owen, but he also wanted Harper.

  Getting out of the navy was supposed to simplify his life. Instead, it had created a whole host of new issues. One in particular felt truly insurmountable. How had it come to this, this impossible choice between his best friend and the woman he loved?

  * * *

  KYLE AND MIA headed back to the others. Mia immediately went to check on George. Digging in the sand, the dog had unearthed a suspicious-looking pile of feathers that Mia feared was a seagull carcass. Kyle joined the castle construction, which was shaping up to be quite a fortress. From his spot on one side of the project, he watched Delilah sidle up to Harper who was now sitting cross-legged in the sand scrolling through photos on her camera.

  Harper wore a little smile as if she knew she was responsible for all the magic unfolding around them. It was possible he’d been a little hard on her about this photo shoot. He shouldn’t have made that comment about avoiding issues, either. She had a good reason for not easily trusting. And the truth was that he didn’t deserve her trust. Except that he could be that person she trusted. He wanted nothing more than to be exactly that.

  Delilah peered over her shoulder. “Josie lets me take pictures with her phone sometimes.”

  Harper looked up at her and widened her smile. “Does she?”

  Delilah nodded. “She’s going to take pictures at my dance recital.”

  “When’s your dance recital?”

  “Tomorrow night. I’m really good. You can come and watch me if you want.”

  “Thank you. I would love to see you dance. I’ll talk to your sister about it. Maybe I could take some pictures with my camera, too.”

  Delilah’s grin was the approximate size and brightness of the sun. Kyle really couldn’t blame her. Once Harper turned on her charm, she was impossible to resist. He was a grown man with an excellent reason to fend off her allure and he couldn’t seem to manage it.

  Harper asked, “Have you ever used a camera like this one?”

  “Nope.”

  “Would you like to try?”

  Delilah shrugged, but Kyle knew from experience that meant yes. Clearly, Harper got that, too, and patted the ground next to her. Delilah couldn’t sit fast enough, folding her legs at the knees and plopping onto the sand beside her.

  “See this part here?” Harper pointed at the viewfinder. Nodding, Delilah leaned in, hanging on every word. “You put one eye up to it like this and that’s how you see what you’re taking a photo of.” She demonstrated. “Now I’m going to take a photo of you, okay?”

  More nodding from Delilah, which was so completely cute. Kyle loved the way she did that, chin tucked under, with quick little bobs of her head.

  “Let me see that gorgeous smile. Got it!” Harper turned the camera over. “That turned out good. See?” She held it so Delilah could inspect the image. “You are very photogenic like your sister Laney. Now it’s your turn. You can take one of me.”

  “Dee, are your hands clean?” Josie called from the blanket where she sat chatting with Nora. “Harper, you might want to inspect those little paws before you let them touch your expensive camera.”

  Harper laughed while Delilah stuck out her hands for inspection, an action Kyle could guess she performed on a regular basis.

  “Ooh, I like your nail polish!” Harper said.

  Delilah grinned. “Once, Uncle Kyle let me paint his toenails.”

  Beside him, Dean guffawed while Levi snorted out a laugh. Kyle didn’t
care because Harper looked up then, her gaze colliding with his, soft eyes full of approval and uncertainty. He hated that he was responsible for that hesitation. He owed her an apology.

  Quickly, Harper turned her attention back to Delilah. Giving her hands a final squeeze, she released them and said, “These little grabbers look perfectly fine to me. Here you go.” Harper shortened the strap and placed the camera around Delilah’s neck. “This is so the camera is always right here when you need it. And in case it slips out of your hands it won’t fall on the ground. Or into the ocean.” Harper looked pointedly at Kyle. “As the case may be.”

  Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle as Harper moved around behind Delilah and crouched low. “Go ahead and put your fingers here...” Harper placed Delilah’s little hands accordingly and went on to explain how to make a box through the viewfinder take a photo. Kyle couldn’t bring himself to look away.

  “Enjoying the view?” Levi asked quietly.

  “Absolutely,” Kyle responded innocently. “The sunset is gorgeous.”

  “It’s ten o’clock in the morning, dude.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You are so far gone,” Levi joked. “I’m afraid you’ll never find your way back.”

  Kyle didn’t argue. But he felt the words as they uncovered a truth that he’d been keeping deep inside of him.

  Levi emptied another bucket of sand on the castle’s foundation as Dean instructed.

  Dean patted it in place. “Grandma Nora said she’d help shape the top into something supercool.”

  “Like a mermaid?” Kyle asked.

  “Oooh! Gross!” Dean cried with the type of disgust that little boys excelled at. “No, like a battle station.”

  “Oh, of course, a battle station. What was I thinking?”

  “I don’t know,” Dean said with a headshake as if Kyle’s suggestion was indeed completely pathetic. “Do you think she can make a battle station?”

  “I’m positive she can,” Kyle said. A retired art teacher, Nora could create in just about any form or medium imaginable. Pencil, paint, charcoal, woodworking, it didn’t matter. Since moving to Pacific Cove, she’d taken up sand sculpting and had already proven herself to be one of the finest around. Her team, the Sand Bandits, had placed in two categories at the Sandtastical Expo, a prestigious sandcastle competition, last year.

  Dean’s mouth formed a slow thoughtful frown. “Uncle Kyle, you should get some sand in your bucket. See, the way Levi does it?”

  Kyle chuckled. “Levi thinks you might be an architect someday, but I’m guessing a construction boss like your brother Jay.”

  Dean nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I think I’d like to be the boss.”

  Levi laughed. “You will make an excellent boss, kiddo.”

  Kyle looked around and enjoyed the moment: the sound of the sea mixed with laughter, the feel of the warm sun on his skin and the cool, gritty sand between his fingers. The conversation with Mia was working through him, making him feel things. Realize things. Being here with his family suddenly felt different, right and...comfortable. The tension he’d been carting around eased a bit more.

  His gaze found Harper again. He told himself it was his job to keep an eye on her. Not that the task was ever a hardship. He thought about Levi’s earlier comment. Leave it to Levi. The kid had pretty much nailed how he felt about Harper with one simple observation. It was true; if Kyle was lost in Harper, he didn’t want to find his way back. Not if it meant giving her up. For now, he could keep her close, but how in the world could he find a way to keep her like that forever?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “HARPER, ARE YOU absolutely certain you want to do this?” Josie asked Harper the next evening, handing her a program and staring earnestly into her eyes.

  Mia had texted, asking that everyone meet outside the gym at the high school fifteen minutes early for Delilah’s dance recital. Harper and Kyle were early for being early, and Josie had already arrived because Delilah had to be even earlier for group photos.

  Harper studied the booklet. “An Evening Dance Showcase,” she read out loud. “What a lovely title. I adore the ballet.”

  “Hold up,” Josie said, hands up, palms out. “Harper, this is not the ballet. Don’t let that title in that fancy font fool you. This thing lasts like three hours and is essentially organized chaos. A veritable menagerie of tulle and satin.” Josie added a helpless shrug. “Don’t get me wrong—I love it. But one of those little tutu-wearing whirling dervishes is mine.”

  Laughing, Harper reached out and squeezed Josie’s forearm. “Josie, please relax. I rarely do anything I don’t want to do.”

  “I feel like Dee put you on the spot.” She’d invited Harper at the photo shoot.

  “She’s six years old. Do you honestly think a six-year-old could talk me into doing something I don’t want to do?”

  “Wait, you’ve met Delilah, right?”

  The two women shared another laugh.

  Harper said, “Besides, I’m no stranger to dance recitals. Ballet is about the only thing I was ever good at that can be considered at all athletic.”

  Kyle gave her a curious sidelong glance. “You were a ballerina?” he asked, his brown eyes dancing with mischief. Harper was glad to see it. After yesterday’s photo shoot, he’d been quiet for the rest of the afternoon, which had lasted all evening and into today. Not that he’d been visibly angry, just...broody. Harper considered apologizing, but she wasn’t sorry. She felt bad that she’d upset him, but the family pictures had been the right thing to do. And everything she’d said to him was true.

  “I was.”

  Josie waved at Nora, Mia and Laney, who were all walking across the parking lot. Lagging behind them were with Jay, Levi, Craig and Dean.

  “How long?”

  “Twelve years.”

  “Twelve years! You were a ballerina for twelve years? How did I not know this?”

  “I have no idea, you’ve seen my bare toes.” Years of dancing en pointe had taken a toll on her feet.

  “Are there photos?”

  “No,” she lied.

  “So if I ask your dad, he wouldn’t be able to produce a single photo of you with your hair in a bun and wearing a fluffy skirt and dance gear?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Harper tried not to laugh. “And for your information, we don’t wear gear. Those fluffy skirts are called tutus. Which are worn, along with leotards, tights, slippers and pointe shoes. Gear,” she joked, “is for hooligan-type sports like football and hockey.”

  Kyle’s grin was about a mile wide. “I don’t believe you about the photo. And I’m so happy right now that I may have a line on my own pictorial gem. Possibly even a counter in case I’m ever blackmailed with unseemly photos.”

  “Go ahead and try,” she bluffed. “Not a single photo exists.” That’s because there was an entire wall of them. Including a few that were definitely worthy of a little blackmail.

  “You made it!” A delighted Nora approached and wrapped Kyle and then Harper in huge hugs. Harper tried not to squeeze her too tight, but there was something singularly wonderful about a hug from Nora Frasier. Harper had never met anyone who conveyed as much joy and love as this woman did. Josie was next. Laney and Mia followed suit until greetings were exchanged all around.

  Laney said, “Uncle Kyle, I want to show you something real quick.” Laney produced her phone. “What do you think? Is this possible? Or is this like CGI?”

  Kyle watched the martial arts video mash-up, and said, “Bogus. Can’t be done.”

  “I knew it! Thank you. I just won a bet.”

  “Hey,” Nora said to Kyle, “that reminds me. It’s a total bummer you’re not going to be living here on a more permanent basis. Coby asked me if there was any chance you’d want to teach a class at the studio. Bring in more male clientele.”

 
Harper was momentarily distracted by the vision of Kyle teaching yoga. She didn’t know about more male clientele, but the place would be jam-packed with enthusiastic single women. An irrational spike of jealousy bloomed inside of her at the idea of perky Mandy making eyes at him from the front row.

  The guys approached. Kyle whispered something to Levi that made him laugh, and Harper could see the admiration in the teen’s expression.

  A radiant Mia said, “Okay, now that we’re all here, Jay and I have an announcement.”

  Harper pointed at the entrance. “Would you like me to wait inside?”

  “No, Harper, stay. It’s not a secret. Or at least it won’t be in a minute. I realize yesterday would have been the perfect time to do this, but I wanted to wait until my doctor’s appointment this afternoon to confirm. And since it’ll probably be a week until our next gathering and Kyle will be gone by then, we decided tonight would work fine. I’ll have to tell our tiny dancer after the show. But we’re excited to share the news, so here goes... I’m pregnant. Jay and I are having a baby.”

  Laney squealed. Nora let out a happy scream. More hugging ensued. Nora and Laney both cried and hugged each other.

  Nora said, “I’m finally going to be a grandma. I can’t believe it.”

  “I like Nana Nora,” Laney said. “Or Nano! Or something. You’re too cool to be just plain grandma.”

  “Oh, you sweet girl,” Nora said, and hugged Laney again.

  “How far along?” Josie asked. “Let me tell you right now that we are throwing you the baby shower I never had as an expectant big sister.”

  That produced more laughter.

  “Due around the middle of November. Kyle, I hope you can make it home for Thanksgiving or the holidays so you can meet your new little niece or nephew.”

  “I’ll make sure of it,” Kyle said, and Harper wondered if everyone else could see how touched he was by Mia’s words.

  More questions were asked. Harper took it all in and felt honored to be a part of such a joyous occasion. Telling her “family” she was pregnant would constitute an audience of exactly one. Which was okay, of course. She wouldn’t trade her dad for a thousand relatives, but she’d like more of them because this was unbelievably fun. She loved Kyle’s family almost as much as she loved him.