Capture Me

by Sherry Kyle

  Kayla spiral curled her hair, put on makeup, and added false eyelashes, a layer of lipstick, and dangly earrings. She slipped into her sequined top, black skinny jeans, and four-inch stilettos—a little overboard for her group of female friends, but dressing up made her feel good. Polished. Put together.

  All she needed now was a mood adjustment.

  On the way out the door, she snagged the photo off the coffee table and slipped it inside her purse. If the right moment presented itself, she’d ask Chloe what she thought she ought to do. Or not do.

  Maybe tonight was about having a good time. An escape. A night to celebrate her best friend.

  Fifteen minutes later, Kayla stepped inside Chloe’s apartment and her mouth gaped open. This was no simple affair. Shiny silver, white, and pink balloons clung to the ten-foot ceiling, their curly streamers spiraling down. Round tables covered with brightly colored tablecloths, white china, and flower arrangements filled the room. Smooth jazz cooed from the speakers.

  “Hey, Kayla.” Chloe pulled her into a sisterly hug and then gestured to the beautiful space. “Nice, huh?”

  “I’d say, but I thought you were going simple this year.” Kayla removed her lightweight sweater and set it, along with her purse, on the bench inside the door.

  “You know me. One thing leads to another, and I get carried away. Actually, it’s Heather’s fault.”

  “Heather’s here?”

  “You’ve never met my big sister, have you?” Chloe linked arms. “She’s on the back deck. I’ll introduce you.”

  As much as Chloe talked about her sister, Kayla felt as though they’d already met.

  “I’m glad you came a little early. I wanted to talk to you about something …”

  “Me, too.” Kayla wanted to show Chloe the photo and tell her about Ashley. She’d kept the secret from everyone since she’d found out, and the silence was killing her. She had to tell someone, and Chloe was the most understanding and stable friend she had.

  Chloe pulled back the wispy white curtain and stepped out on the back deck, pulling Kayla behind her.

  An older version of Chloe sat on a bistro chair, a mug of something to drink between her hands on the small round table, her strappy sandals off to the side. “This party better start soon, because my feet hurt already. Oh, hey—”

  “Heather’s been running around all day. I couldn’t have pulled off this party without her.” Chloe leaned over and gave Heather a hug, squeezing her hard enough to make her shoulders hunch together. “Everyone should have a big sister like you.”

  “Okay, okay. Enough already.” Heather wiggled free and gestured. “This must be Kayla?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?” Chloe asked.

  “You’ve talked about her enough times, and she fits your description—auburn hair, porcelain complexion, and an amazing sense of style.” Heather lifted the mug to her lips, the lemon scent wafting through the air. “My sister tells me you like to design your own clothes.”

  “When she’s not too busy studying to be a doctor,” Chloe added.

  “A doctor?” Heather leaned back in her chair. “I’m impressed.”

  Kayla lifted her shoulders then let them drop. “If you only knew …”

  Chloe nudged her. “Hey, don’t spoil it. Heather’s pretty good at figuring people out. And she’s got the gift of encouragement. If I’m ever feeling down, she’s the person I call.”

  Jealousy crept inside and threatened to take over, but Kayla squelched it down before it would ruin her night.

  “Now if you’d only come to visit,” Heather said.

  “Chloe, I can’t believe you don’t go see your sister.” Kayla scolded, her tone harsher than she intended. Where did that come from? She should talk. Here she found out she had a biological sister and couldn’t come to grips with meeting her face-to-face. “So Heather, where do you live?”

  “Santa Rosa. I’d love to have you and Chloe spend the weekend some time. It’s only an hour’s drive.”

  For a minute, Kayla thought she was going to say Santa Cruz, the county where Kayla’s sister lived. She shook off the odd sensation. “Now that it’s summer break, Chloe and I’ll definitely come. Won’t we?” Maybe if she spent time with Heather, she’d discover if she was sister material.

  “We’ll see …” Chloe hedged.

  “Chloe doesn’t want to run into David.” Heather took another sip of her tea. “He still lives around the corner from me and works for his dad’s construction company.”

  Kayla furrowed her brows. “David, as in your old high school flame? I thought you were over him years ago—”

  “Enough about my love life, or lack of one.” Chloe tucked a strand of curly brown hair behind her ear and toyed with her earring.

  “Okay, we’ll leave you alone.” Kayla held up a hand. “Is there anything I can help you with before the party?”

  Chloe’s eyes brightened. “Yes. Come into the kitchen, and I’ll show you what needs to be done.”

  Kayla smiled at Heather and followed Chloe inside. “You said there was something you wanted to tell me?”

  They nearly ran into Jeremy as he whipped around the corner from the kitchen, carrying a chilled bottle of something sparkly along with two goblets.

  “I thought this was an all-female party.” The words slipped out, and instantly, Kayla regretted them.

  The hurt in Jeremy’s eyes was evident, but he quickly composed himself and handed the glassware to Chloe. “Thought you might want something to drink before your guests arrived.” How cozy. Is this what Chloe wanted to tell her. That she was interested in Jeremy?

  “But you’re not staying, right?” Kayla should’ve tried to keep the panic from her voice, but she couldn’t help it. She needed to have one night where she could let her guard down.

  “Kayla,” Chloe whispered and tossed her a hard stare. Like keeping her voice down could prevent Jeremy from hearing her when he was less than two feet away. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to tell you. I switched things up a bit and invited more people—some guys.” She leaned in. “If I’m ever going to get over David, I need to put myself out there, right?”

  So much for having a relaxing evening.

  Chloe cut into her thoughts. “You know what? I think I can handle things in the kitchen. Why don’t the two of you enjoy a glass before the guests arrive?”

  So her best friend wasn’t interested in Jeremy after all.

  With everything that had been happening lately, Kayla didn’t have a chance to tell Chloe about the rift between them. Her friend was only trying to be kind, but it placed Kayla in an awkward position. Jeremy, too.

  “You don’t need me to hang any more lights? Blow up any more balloons?” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders.

  Chloe pointed at him. “Hey, you’re the one who got the time wrong. If you hadn’t shown up early, I wouldn’t have put you to work.”

  Heather came into the room. “Okay, sis. What else needs to be done?”

  “See, I’ve got my help.” Chloe wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulder. “Go out on the deck, you two. It’s a beautiful night.”

  “Shall we?” The tentative glint in Jeremy’s brown eyes pulled her in. If he could put aside how she’d treated him the last week, she could spend a few minutes alone with him. For Chloe’s sake.

  “All right. One glass.” She led him outside and chose the chair closest to the door in case she had the urge to escape. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

  “You don’t need to be nervous. I don’t bite.” Jeremy opened the bottle and poured the liquid evenly in both goblets. A few drops landed on the table.

  “Who’s nervous?” Kayla motioned to the spill. Her mouth twitched, trying to hold back a smile. Jeremy was always fun to tease.

  “Apparently I am.” He wiped the wet spots on the table with a napkin then handed her a glass. He lifted his high. “To being halfway done with school. Four years down, four to go. Of course, there’s residency tr
aining …”

  Kayla clinked his glass without saying anything. She took a sip and allowed the cool liquid to linger in her mouth and slowly go down her throat.

  A few minutes of silence passed between them. Kayla took another sip.

  “I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Collins the other day—”

  She covered her mouth to prevent spewing all over the table. She swallowed hard. “What’d you talk about?” Her voice squeaked.

  “The summer intern program.”

  “He chose you? That’s awesome.”

  “I never said that.” His tone lowered.

  Kayla bit her lip. “So who did he choose?”

  “Didn’t say. I wanted him to know how much it would mean to me—”

  “You’re the smartest guy in the class.”

  Jeremy shrugged, his shoulders hunched over in defeat. “I don’t get it. I’ve worked hard all year and thought I’d proven myself over and over again. A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve said I got it in the bag, but something changed. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “What did he say to you?”

  “Not much. He told me to focus on my studies and to stay away from the female med students. It’s not like I’ve dated all of them. Why do you think he would say something like that?”

  My mother. “Jeremy …”

  Chloe poked her head out. “Okay, you two. I need Kayla to help me greet the guests. You’ll have plenty of time to chat. I sat you next to each other for dinner.” She winked.

  No, this night was going to be far from relaxing. A gallon of ice cream at home and a stack of movies sounded better with each passing minute.

  Kayla pasted on a smile, stood, and followed Chloe inside, her thoughts and feelings a jumbled mess.

  24

  “You’re brilliant.” Ashley leaned in to Bryan as they walked down her childhood street. They turned a corner once they came to the neighborhood park.

  Bryan kissed Ashley’s cheek. “More like desperate. How else was I going to get you alone? If I know anything about teenagers, they love money. Having Madi keep an eye on Drew’s girls so he can watch the football game works for everyone. The girls are happy, and so are Drew and your dad.”

  “Like I said. Brilliant.” Ashley smiled.

  Bryan squeezed her hand. “Best of all, I like to see you happy.”

  “Definitely.” She nodded. “What about you?”

  “Being able to spend time with my favorite girl makes me the happiest man of all.” He grinned.

  Dare she hope his agenda for the evening included a proposal?

  Each time she’d seen him in the last couple of months, underlying tension filled the air, as if he had something on his mind. She batted her eyes at him. “Enough to want to make it official?”

  Bryan shook his head. “You know I want to make it special—”

  “What’s more romantic than an evening stroll?” Ashley gripped his arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Lord, what’s holding him back?

  “Since you put it that way …” Bryan swooped her in his arms, leaned her against a tree, and kissed her soundly.

  Did that mean he was ready to ask her to be his wife?

  She gave in for a moment, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. “Bryan, it’s not quite dark.” She giggled. “What about the neighbors?”

  “Maybe they’d like to see a young couple in love. Might give them ideas.” He laughed.

  “We are in love, aren’t we,” Ashley wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him close for another kiss.

  His hands roamed down her sides. “How’d you end up with a guy like me?” His voice was low and husky.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I felt sorry for you.” She teased, trailing her finger down the side of his jaw. “You had the same lonely look in your eye as the dogs in the shelter.”

  Bryan’s jaw dropped, and his brows drew together. “That hopeless, huh?”

  “No.” Ashley backtracked, keeping her tone light. “You just needed someone to give you female attention.” She winked.

  Bryan’s body went rigid. His shoulders stiffened, and his expression changed. He pulled away then, grabbed her hand, and tugged her beside him down the street. “C’mon. Let’s keep walking.”

  Not the reaction she’d wanted. Did she go too far? She only meant to tease him a little. Now silence threatened to ruin their time together.

  Truth was, Bryan was known to have a hard time committing to someone. Everyone in the singles group at church had warned her when they first dated, but soon after, people accepted them as a couple, encouraging their relationship along.

  “Bryan, is there something else bothering you?” She didn’t want to press, but if there was any chance that they’d ever make it to the altar, he’d have to trust her with his heart.

  Bryan released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Ash, you’re too good for me.”

  “That’s the best you can do? We both know that’s not true. What’s really bugging you?” Her tone was firm now.

  He let out a breath. “We haven’t spent time together for so long. Can’t we just enjoy the evening? I want to take a break from everything and hold your hand. Is there something wrong with that?”

  “No, of course not. As long as you’re not keeping anything from me.” She wouldn’t let him pull away.

  “What would I be keeping from you?”

  “I don’t know.” Ashley shrugged a shoulder. “You’ve been distant lately.”

  “You know teaching is a more than a full-time job, and with Madi and now Tanner, yeah, I’ve been a little busy.” His voice held an annoyed tone.

  He totally missed the point. Yes, he was busy because of his work and new responsibilities, but she wasn’t talking about those things. He’d been emotionally distant, like he was afraid of something. Better to squelch the fire before it got out of hand. “I get it, honey. I do.”

  “What am I doing?” Bryan cupped her shoulder. “Of course you get it. You’re the one keeping an eye on Madi right now. Have I told you how much I appreciate what you’re doing for her?”

  Was she making a big deal out of nothing? “No, you haven’t.” She smiled. “But you can tell me again.” She placed a flirty lilt back in her voice.

  “Thank you, Ash.” He kissed her temple. “I hope Susan gets it together soon so we can get back to our normal lives.”

  That was the most optimistic he’d been in a long time. “I hope so, too.”

  They stopped and watched the sunset. Brilliant reds, pinks, and oranges streaked the sky. Her emotions swirled around like the cirrus clouds. Once Madi went home for good, she’d tell him about the photo—about the possibility of having a biological sister. No need to add more stress to whatever was on his mind.

  Until then, she’d capture any amount of alone time she could with him. He was a good man. A godly man. A man afraid of committing himself to her, but her man just the same. At least for now—and hopefully forever.

  Once darkness settled over them, they walked back to the house, their steps in sync. Before going inside her parents’ home, Ashley wrapped her arms around his waist and placed a gentle kiss on the side of his jaw. “Honestly, I think you’re the one who’s too good for me.” She slipped inside before he could say another word.

  Bryan knocked on the door of Pete’s home, a duplex on Kennedy Drive in Capitola. The row of homes on the street had been built in the late sixties, giving them a similar appearance. Pete’s dog barked on the other side of the door. Shouldn’t be long now before his friend answered.

  Instead, Shelly, Pete’s wife, greeted him. “Bryan, what brings you by?”

  “Sorry it’s late. Is your husband around?” Ten o’clock wasn’t late by some people’s standards, but Pete usually went to bed early. Bryan should’ve looked at his watch before now.

  “He should be home any minute. I sent him down to the store for ice cream.”

  He glanced at Shelly�
�s flat stomach. No sign of pregnancy. He quickly looked her in the eye, embarrassed for where his mind had gone. “What flavor?”

  “I left that up to him.” She beckoned him in with her hand. “You can join us for a bowl.”

  “Really, Shell, I should just go home.”

  “Nonsense. You’re already here. Seriously, he should be home any second. I bet he’s pulling into the driveway right now.”

  College days were a lifetime ago, yet standing beside Shelly made it feel like yesterday. They’d dated for two years before she’d broken his heart. Her explanation never suited him, but he’d moved on. She had, too. He never harbored ill will against Pete, one of the most likeable guys at church, and in some respects, they had the same personality. At any rate, they’d become friends. Bryan could count on one hand the times he and Shelly had been alone over the years, and it was still awkward to this day.

  She gestured to the couch. “Have a seat. Want anything to drink?”

  He positioned himself in the corner cushion of the sofa. “No, thanks. I just came from Ashley’s parents’ house. You know, Sunday night dinners.”

  Shelly sat opposite him on the love seat. “I think that’s so cool. Everybody should have a close, big family.”

  “Most of the time it’s awesome, but it gets a little tricky on holidays now that all of her siblings are married.” Now, why did he bring up the subject of marriage? He’d planned on talking with Pete about his fears, not his old college sweetheart.

  “You should join them. Marriage is amazing—hard work, but wonderful.” She averted her eyes. Apparently, she felt a little awkward in front of him, too.

  “Out of curiosity, why did you break up with me on the night I proposed?” Did he just put a voice to the question that kept him up late at night? He definitely had moved on from the cute blonde who captured his heart in his early twenties, but if she could break up with him when he finally got up the nerve, so could Ashley, and at this point, he wouldn’t be able to take it. No one could take Ashley’s place.