His Unexpected Return--A Fresh-Start Family Romance

by Jessica Keller

  Shannon sucked in a breath. “You didn’t tell Rhett?”

  “Rhett’s wedding is a month away. I want him to be able to be excited about that without anything tarnishing it. Especially me.” He rolled his shoulders and switched to the slower lane of traffic. “So that’s what I’ve been hiding. Now it’s your turn.”

  Shannon set the bag of M&M’s in the cup holder. They rattled together as the truck rolled down the highway.

  She crossed her arms and looked out the passenger side window. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Show me your arms.” Wade jerked his chin toward her sweatshirt.

  “What?”

  “Don’t play dumb.” Wade had always been able to tell when Shannon was keeping something from him and likewise. They’d laughed about it when they were younger, calling it their twin minds. But Wade couldn’t laugh now because he was almost certain of what she was hiding, and the thought of someone hurting his sister made his gut roil with a sick feeling. “The sweatshirt. You’re covering bruises,” he said quietly. “Am I wrong?”

  She kept her gaze trained out the window. Her shoulders curved inward. “I want to leave him.” Her voice was so small it was difficult to hear even though they didn’t have the music on. “I’ve wanted to for a while.” She finally turned toward Wade. A tear slipped down her cheek and it took everything inside of him not to jerk the truck to the side of the road and toss it into Park so he could hug his sister. That...or turn the truck around and hunt down Cord Anders. It was so tempting, but he knew getting his sister to talk about it would do more to end the situation than confronting Cord ever would.

  Wade’s friend Preach had left an abusive relationship at one point and they had talked at length about his past when they were stuck together for months working on the same yachts. Preach had said the thing that made him see the light was others seeing value in him, not people bad-talking the woman he had been in love with. The second the put-downs started, the victim wanted to defend the person, defend the choice they had made in being with that person.

  Wade had witnessed Rhett confront Shannon about Cord a few times, asking her if Cord thought he was too good to come around the family, telling her Cord was controlling her. Each time, Shannon shrunk away from the family for the rest of the day. Wade didn’t want that.

  He needed to tread carefully. God help me.

  Shannon needed to be encouraged and empowered, not condemned.

  “How long has he been laying hands on you?”

  “This has been the worst time.” Shannon pushed up her sleeves, showing a patchwork map of purple, greenish and yellow-brown bruises. “I’ve started trying to stand up to him. Trying to leave him. But he gets so enraged when I tell him no or don’t agree with him. The more I try, the more violent he’s gotten.”

  Wade sucked in a sharp breath. He couldn’t hold in his outburst. “He should be locked away for that.” He needed to steady his anger. “Shannon, I love you and I would love to see you being treated with kindness and decency by a man who values all the things that are amazing about you. I would love to see a guy who trips over his own feet when he’s around you because he’s so into you he can’t think straight. I love you and I’m really worried about you. I’m worried about what will happen if you’re ever alone with him again.”

  “What if there isn’t a guy like the one you described out there? What if no one ever sees me like that?”

  He wanted to hug away her hurt so badly, but he knew that wouldn’t make everything better like it had when they were kids. He wanted to tell her that plenty of good men would line up to date her if she was available, but empty promises wouldn’t help. She needed sound reasoning. Wade glanced her way. “Better to be alone and know your value than have it dictated by how someone else treats you, don’t you think? It can’t feel good when he treats you like this.”

  “Of course it doesn’t.” She jerked down her sleeves. “But he was around. He was there when no one else was. Rhett and Macy are together and they’re so perfect. Cassidy has Piper. Boone’s got his family. Mom is... She’s lost a lot of the time, Wade. I can’t go to her. I can’t count on her for companionship.” Shannon pulled her knees up onto her seat and hugged them to her chest. “I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered. “I’m so tired of feeling like I’ve been left behind.”

  A thick feeling filled the back of Wade’s throat and his eyes burned. Shannon had always been the most extroverted of the Jarrett siblings. She needed interaction, needed people in order to thrive. He put himself in her shoes over the last few years and it wasn’t pretty. Alone, stressed with no one to lean on, desperate for anyone to be around. No wonder she had latched onto Cord when they had met. At first, his controlling ways had probably felt like care—as if someone cared enough to tell her what they thought about what she was doing. She had probably been frantic for any type of friendship, and once she had realized he wasn’t the best choice for her, she had probably been in too deep and hadn’t had anyone to go to for help.

  If Wade had never left, could he have saved her from all the pain she was experiencing?

  She wouldn’t have been desperate for connection if he had stayed. If he had still been around to be her best friend. Yet another consequence of his selfish choices.

  A sharp pain went through his chest.

  “You won’t be alone. I’m here, Shannon. You don’t have to be alone anymore.” He would help her break free of Cord. He would do whatever he had to in order for her to be safe and thriving again.

  “You’re here for treatment, Wade. Not for us.”

  After all they had discussed, her accusatory tone took him by surprise. Her words stung.

  “What?”

  “You said yourself that after the doctor found the abnormality, you researched and Houston had good doctors. That’s what brought you home,” she said. “Not us. Not a desire to make things right with your family.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “If you didn’t have a medical issue, would you have come back? Be honest.”

  He wanted to say that the articles about a tornado destroying Red Dog Ranch would have been enough. And certainly stumbling upon his father’s obituary had been a huge wake-up call. But would he have returned or would he have read those things and figured they were better off without him? He’d had the thought enough times to know the truth.

  Everyone was better off without him.

  It had been his mantra for so long, it was hard to shake. But the conversation with Shannon proved that wasn’t exactly true.

  “I don’t know,” he muttered.

  “Well, I do. You’re here for you. Not for us.”

  “The cancer scare might have been what brought me here.” He glanced her way, catching her eye for a second before looking back at the highway. “But it’s not why I’m going to stay. I’m staying because I love you guys and I was an idiot for so many years and I’m never walking away from the people I love again.”

  Silence stretched between them for ten miles of road. Wade was afraid it might stay that way until they reached Houston.

  Shannon finally broke it. “Wade?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m scared. Of Cord. Of leaving. Of what will happen.”

  Wade reached across the divide and took her hand. “When we get back to town, would you be willing to go to the police department? You need to file a report. There needs to be a record of Cord’s behavior and then, if you are willing, we can call Cord and you can tell him it’s over.” He wanted her to take action while her mind was set against Cord. Abusers were so good at manipulating their victims, he didn’t want Cord to have a chance to mess with her emotions ever again. “I’ll stay with you the whole time. Every step of this.”

  “I’ll do it. File a report.” She nodded. “I’m ready. Honestly, I think I’ve been ready since the tornado.” She h
ugged her stomach. “I feel so stupid that I’ve let this go on for so long. How did I let this happen?”

  “Don’t judge yourself in this moment.”

  “It feels impossible not to.”

  Wade tapped the steering wheel. “Today isn’t the finish line to who you will become. Okay?”

  Her smile was timid. “For you either.”

  He rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest, emotions and thoughts pulling it tight.

  He would never leave his family again.

  Chapter Seven

  Cassidy heaved her backpack onto her kitchen counter and shoved a travel pack of wet wipes, two more small bags of Goldfish crackers and a tube of antiseptic cream inside. Most of the ranch staff, Cassidy and Piper included, had eaten a light supper of chipotle honey chicken skewers at the dining hall an hour ago but snacks were always a good idea.

  Wade and Shannon hadn’t been at dinner. It was the second night in a row they had missed it after saying they might be there. First, the tacos last night to celebrate Piper’s cast-free status and then tonight. Should she text Wade—ask if he needed something to eat before they headed out? Cassidy pushed that thought away. Wade was a grown man who could take care of himself. He hardly needed her fussing over him. If he hadn’t eaten something before hiking, that was his problem.

  With a growl, she tucked three protein bars into the bag not ten seconds later. They were the mint-chocolate-flavored bars, which she had learned a few days ago were his favorites. Simply so he didn’t pass out. She couldn’t exactly carry him if something happened. That’s the only reason she was letting those things take up space in her pack.

  Maybe if she repeated it quickly three times, it would be true.

  “Sunblock,” she mumbled and took off toward the bathroom to find a fresh tube. She came back with sunblock, lip balm, more Band-Aids and a hairbrush. “Who goes hiking in the heat of summer? Honestly.”

  “I do, Mom! We’re going to have so much fun. I love to hike. Don’t I?” Piper danced around in the living room with a purple ribbon in her hand. Cloudstorm trailed her, pouncing and nipping at the end of the ribbon.

  “You’ll love it, sweetheart.”

  Cassidy halted her preparations to take in her daughter’s joy. Why had she held off on giving her a cat for so long? The responsibility was helping Piper thrive. Piper had started waking up earlier than normal to feed the cat and give him fresh water. She patiently brushed him every day and kept her room straight because she said Cloudstorm liked it better that way. She snuggled with him and talked to the cat as if he was a best friend.

  Cassidy still stood by what she had told Wade—he couldn’t buy Piper’s love or favor. A beloved pet wouldn’t erase five years of his not being there. But having Cloudstorm wasn’t too bad. Especially when he curled up on Cassidy’s lap on the couch each night after she put Piper to bed, purring like a tiny lawn mower. A content little ball of fluff warming her during the time of day when loneliness usually struck the hardest.

  Deep down Cassidy knew she would have probably never let Piper have a cat. Because pets had a special way of winding themselves around a person’s heart, but they didn’t live as long as their humans did. Loving a pet almost guaranteed a very hard goodbye down the road. It had been silly and cowardly. Piper had Sheep, after all. But ponies were known to live into their thirties if not forties. More than likely Piper would be grown by the time she had to say goodbye to her beloved little horse so that hadn’t triggered Cassidy as much as the thought of a cat had.

  Selfishly, Cassidy hadn’t wanted to let another living being into her house, into her heart, only to go through losing them. Even a small cat. She had faced too many losses in her life. First Wade, then her parents kicking her out of their lives, Mrs. Jarrett starting to fade and Mr. Jarrett’s sudden passing had hit them all hard. There was also Rhett, who had left the ranch without saying a word a few years ago and Boone and his family had moved away last year. Cassidy knew she couldn’t keep people or relationships the same forever—people grew and changed. But it seemed like everyone moved on from her so easily. No one besides Piper truly needed her or stuck around for her. The Jarretts were the only family she had and all of them seemed to be slipping away.

  How are my two favorite ladies?

  Wade had included her in that statement. Cassidy Danvers. The girl who was so easy to walk away from. But he had always had a way with words. She couldn’t put too much stock in little things he said in passing.

  “Will Daddy be here soon?” Piper scooped Cloudstorm up like a baby.

  Cassidy checked her watch. If he had forgotten about them, he would get an earful from her.

  He better keep his word to Piper.

  “Soon, baby.”

  Thinking of him made her pulse kick up. Cassidy wasn’t certain if it was because she was frustrated with his missing dinner last night after Piper had been looking forward to seeing him. Or perhaps it was the memory of his hand on her leg in the car and the way he looked at her as if whatever Cassidy was saying was the most important thing happening on the planet in that moment.

  The night last week outside her home when she had wanted to kiss him rushed to the forefront of her mind.

  Both reasons.

  She was frustrated with him for getting their daughter’s hopes up and frustrated with herself for still being affected by him.

  When her doorbell rang, Cassidy pawed through the bag for the third time, checking to make sure she had full changes of clothes for both Piper and herself. Piper bounded to open the door and flung herself into Wade’s arms. He spun her around once and then dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

  “Good to see you, buddy.”

  Piper flexed her arm to show off a muscle. “Look.”

  “Wow. That arm is looking strong already.” He moved her to his hip and crossed the room to where Cassidy was rearranging her bag. “Is it okay with you guys if Aunt Shannon joins us tonight? She really wants to see the sunset at Enchanted Rock. We haven’t been there since we were kids.”

  “I’ve never been,” Piper said loudly. “Not ever.”

  “Well, you won’t be able to say that for much longer,” Wade said.

  Cassidy relaxed her shoulders. Having Shannon with them eased any awkwardness there might have been with the three of them going out as a family. She snapped empty water bottles to the sides of her bag. They would fill them at the fountain when they got there instead of risk them spilling in the car. “We’d love to have Shannon along, wouldn’t we, Piper?”

  Piper had her arms looped around Wade’s neck. “Fine with me.”

  Wade winked at her. “Good, because she’s in the car waiting for you.” Piper wiggled out of his arms and raced outside.

  “Here.” Wade reached for the backpack. “I can carry that.” He heaved it onto his back with an exaggerated groan and pretended to stumble a little under the weight. “What did you pack in here? My guess is bricks. You’re planning to build a house at the top, aren’t you?”

  Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Stuff we need.”

  Wade’s left eyebrow rose and the ever-present quirk in his mouth looked close to breaking into a smile. “The trail to the top is only a half mile.”

  “Up a ridiculously steep incline, if I remember correctly. Some of it’s near vertical.” Cassidy shoved a hair tie onto her wrist and then another one in case Shannon needed one or if she lost the first one on the climb. Her daughter’s hair was already tightly bound in her usual double braids. “Piper is almost five and she’s got a lot of energy, but you better be ready to lug her at least half the way up and most of the way down.”

  “Almost five,” he repeated softly. His near-smile completely fell away from his handsome face, making him look so downcast, so lost. “I don’t even know when her birthday is. I can’t believe I haven’t asked that yet.”

  Eve
ry cell in Cassidy’s body wanted to reach out and comfort him. Touch her fingertips to his cheek and wipe away his hurt. It wasn’t his fault, not this. Still, her desire to reach out to him made no sense. She shoved her hands into her pockets.

  “Two weeks from tomorrow.”

  Wade nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  “Will you?”

  “Cass, we have got to—”

  Cassidy’s voice trembled as she barreled ahead. “Because she stood by the doors of the dining hall for most of supper last night watching for you and you never came. Today she looked for you all day and you weren’t around. We can’t do this each time. I won’t let her spend her life waiting for you.”

  Like Cassidy had.

  Wade grabbed hold of the backpack’s straps, the muscles in his arms bunching. “I said I’d try. I didn’t say I’d for sure be there. If I had promised to be there, nothing would have kept me away. I don’t understand why this is such a big issue.”

  “She’s young, Wade. She can’t mince through meanings like that yet. To her, try means you’ll do everything you can to be there.” Cassidy pressed a hand to her temple. “It’s stuff like this that worries me. You not following through. Her little heart strung along.”

  His mouth opened, closed, then, “That’s not fair. I’m guilty of a lot in my life but not following through with Piper isn’t one of them and I don’t plan for it to ever be.”

  “Where were you?” She knew she had no right to ask, but she asked anyway. Wade was keeping something from her. That much was clear.

  “I was doing something really important.”

  “Your child is really important.” Cassidy jammed a finger against the top of the counter a few times as she made her point.

  “I know, Cassidy.” Wade threw his hands up. “Believe me, I know that. You guys are the most important people in my world but I care about my family too.” He swept a hand in the direction of the big Jarrett house. “So if one of them needs help, I’m going to help them. Especially if I can do so without breaking my word to you or our daughter, which is what I was doing when I skipped dinner yesterday. Today too, actually.”