In hindsight, she was lucky he’d come out when he had. Because she realized now, if she’d taken his car, he would’ve reported it stolen. Then where would she and Noah be? If I’d been arrested, and Noah returned to Robert’s custody… She shuddered at the thought. Desperation really did make people do stupid things without thinking through the consequences.
She turned her thoughts back to the Colton Lawe man. As it was now, he’d get his wallet back as soon as she could repay the money. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long. A month at the very most—if she managed to elude Robert until her birthday.
“Wow, Ken, look at them all!” Noah’s exclamation jolted the silence.
Kendra hadn’t been aware they’d turned off the highway, but looking around now, she saw horses—lots of horses. She knew Joel Morgan owned a ranch, but she’d pictured cows. Or was it cattle? Was there a difference?
The entire picture of majestic mountains, bright white fences, and a shimmering river winding through the spring-green valley brought her a feeling of peace that was as surprising as her reaction to the naked man.
The peace, however, only lasted as long as it took for the driver to deposit them at the steps of the large house and leave with the last of their borrowed money.
Her stomach twisted uneasily, and she was thankful she hadn’t eaten much. They stood with their two bags at their feet, staring at the house. Kendra took a fortifying breath. With an arm around Noah’s shoulders, she marched them to the front door and rang the bell. Her hold on Noah tightened. As he looked up at her with concern, the door swung open.
Kendra stared at a tall, stunningly beautiful woman with a wealth of curly blonde hair. She was dressed casually, yet having grown up in New York with money, Kendra knew quality clothes when she saw them.
“Hi.” The woman’s voice held a note of polite curiosity. When Kendra just stood there, she added, “May I help you?”
Noah fidgeted, and Kendra instinctively held him closer.
“I’m looking for Jo-el.” Her voice broke and she took another deep breath. Straightening to her full five-feet-three inches—thanks in part to her three inch boot heels—Kendra cleared her throat and forced some backbone into her voice. “Is Joel Morgan here?”
The woman’s gaze swept over them before dropping to their bags. Kendra couldn’t blame her hesitation; she knew they looked ragged. But this ranch, and Joel Morgan, was their final hope. If he didn’t help them now…
Her gaze met the blonde’s. Compassion glimmered in the green eyes that studied her. Kendra guessed she missed little.
Finally, the woman said, “He’ll be home soon.” She extended a hand. “I’m Britt, Joel’s wife.”
Kendra discreetly wiped her damp hand on her thigh before grasping the woman’s slender fingers. “I’m Kendra, and this is my brother, Noah.”
“Nice to meet you both. You’re welcome to wait,” Britt offered.
They didn’t have much choice, so Kendra nodded and began to turn toward the bench on the porch. When the woman opened the door and motioned for them to enter the house, Kendra hid her surprise. The well-to-do people she knew—herself included—didn’t invite unkempt strangers into their homes.
“Come into the kitchen while I finish putting dinner together for later.”
Kendra accepted Britt’s offer of coffee, and Noah shyly beamed at the milk and chocolate chip cookies set down in front of him. After taking one, he slid the plate closer to Kendra in silent offering. The rumble of her stomach reminded her she was still hungry. She’d just raised one to her mouth when Britt spoke over her shoulder from the counter where she put a roast in a slow cooker.
“How do you know Joel?”
Kendra lowered the cookie, then set it on the table. Should she tell his wife or wait for Joel? Maybe this woman’s reaction would give her an idea of how he might react.
“My mother was Vivian Zelner…used to be Vivian Morgan.”
Britt fumbled the lid of the slow cooker. It clanked against the sink in the sudden quiet. Only after she righted the cover and wiped the counter did she face Kendra.
“So that would make you…”
“Joel’s sister—well, half. Noah too, half-brother, that is, not sister.” Kendra snapped her mouth shut to stop babbling stupid things that were obvious. This was harder than she’d ever imagined, and Britt wasn’t even the one she’d worried about.
Britt sat down at the table, staring at them both, looking dazed. “Joel doesn’t have a sister or a brother. We’ve been married eight years—I’d know.”
Kendra’s face grew warm as her defenses rose. “I only found out about him when my mother died.”
“His mother is dead?”
Kendra reached for Noah’s hand under the table. It had been a very hard time for both of them, but especially for Noah. “She had cancer.”
“I’m so sorry,” Britt said softly.
“It’s okay, it was—”
“Mom!”
The back door slammed and a small boy ran into the kitchen, his hair the same golden color as Britt’s. Britt rose from her chair, pointing in the direction he’d come. “Cody Morgan, get those barn boots back in the mudroom.”
Cody appeared chastised until he spotted Noah and the cookies. Boots forgotten, he reached forward and snitched a cookie from the plate. “Hi, I’m Cody.”
Noah looked at the boy as if he had two heads. “I’m Noah.”
Half the cookie disappeared into Cody’s mouth by the time Britt admonished, “What do you say, young man?”
“Please, Mom?” Crumbs flew from his mouth. Melted chocolate smeared the corner of his precocious grin.
She rolled her eyes, then relented with a strained smile and suggested, “Why don’t you show Noah the barns and share the cookies with Colton?”
Kendra’s hand bumped her coffee cup. Dark liquid sloshed onto the smooth walnut wood of the table. Reaching for a napkin to wipe the spill, she forced herself to relax. Surely, it was a coincidence; Colton was probably a common name out here in the country. Fate wouldn’t be that cruel.
Cody made short work of emptying the cookie plate. “He called earlier and talked to Dad. He’s coming late so I’ve been feeding the horses.” He turned to Noah and, around the half cookie he’d stuffed in his mouth, asked, “You wanna help?”
Kendra opened her mouth to say no, but Noah answered first. “Okay.”
She blinked in surprise. Noah was a true bookworm; loved learning new things, but shy of his own shadow.
Clearly Cody Morgan was not. Clutching the cookies against his chest with one hand, Cody used the other to drag Noah toward the door by his sleeve. Her mother’s letter had said Joel had two sons, and Kendra wondered about the other one. Was he older or younger? Just like his out-going brother or more like Noah?
“Cody, be careful,” Britt called. “Feed over the stall doors.”
“Aww, Mom—I’m old enough—”
“Cody.” It was warning enough to elicit grumbled compliance as the door banged shut behind them. Britt turned back to Kendra. “They’ll be fine.”
She nodded, taking a sip of coffee to calm her tattered nerves. “I’m sorry to just spring this on you.”
Britt smiled briefly. “I don’t think there’s any way to not spring this on someone. When did your mother pass?”
“Two years ago.”
Britt’s brows rose. “And you’re just coming now?”
The slight accusation in her tone put Kendra back on the defense. “There’s a lot you don’t know. He never came looking for us, either.”
Britt sat up straighter. “Your mother left Joel and his dad when he was eight-years-old. He never heard from her again. No phone calls, no birthday cards, no Christmas presents—nothing. Why would he look for her, let alone you or your brother?”
Kendra lowered her gaze to her cup. A latent feeling of guilt for not contacting Joel prior to today mushroomed with his wife’s righteous indignation. But before she could reply, t
hey heard the back door open again.
“Boots off at the door,” Britt called firmly.
Kendra heard a smothered chuckle. Britt’s gaze flew to Kendra’s as she shot to her feet. “That’s Joel.”
Kendra set her coffee down before her trembling hand dumped it all over her lap. She twisted toward the door and waited for her first look at the half-brother she’d come to meet. To beg for help, if need be.
He walked into the kitchen—tall, dark and handsome—boots and all. Britt had moved to stand in the center of the kitchen, and his gaze focused on her. “What exactly did you have in mind for my punishment?” he asked in a deep, suggestive tone. “If it’s really bad, maybe I’ll go get them dir—”
His words died when he caught sight of Kendra sitting at the table. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as a result of his words—until she met his golden gaze. Then her nervous humor faded as quickly as the color disappeared from his face. Britt stood next to her husband, a supportive hand resting on his arm.
He stared at Kendra as if he’d seen a ghost. Her heart pounded against her ribs as the silence stretched.
Finally, Britt said, “Joel, this is Kendra Zelner.”
Joel blinked and looked at his wife, then back to Kendra. “You look exactly like…”
He murmured as if speaking to himself, but she nodded anyway. Removing the photo from her pocket, she slid it across the table. “You look like him.”
He stepped forward to pick up the picture. A brief flash of pain crossed his features before his expression became shuttered. “That’s my dad, Jack.” He handed the picture to Britt and started toward the sink.
“Jack,” Kendra repeated softly. “Mom didn’t give a name.”
“Mom?” He spun around. “No. That’s not possible…you’re a cousin…or niece—”
Kendra shook her head in denial, her mouth dry. This was a complete shock to him. Like it had been to her when she’d read her mother’s letter the afternoon she’d died. She wished she hadn’t kept her promise to open it only after her mother passed. This might have been easier two years ago with her help. Since then, her cowardice had equaled her mother’s. She hadn’t had the nerve to meet him—was only here now because she had nowhere else to turn.
Joel looked at Britt in astonishment. “I have a sister?”
“And a brother,” Kendra added. “Well, half-sister, half-brother. His name is Noah, he’s eight years old.”
“He’s with Cody in the barn,” Britt said when Joel looked around the kitchen.
He seemed to have lost direction and sat at the table. Kendra watched several emotions play across his face. Confusion, anger, and dare she hope—joy?
“How old are you?” he asked.
“Twenty-four.”
He remained silent for another few moments. Kendra wished she knew what to say, but nothing came to mind.
“Where is she now?” Joel asked. The words seemed wrung out of him, as if he hated to ask but couldn’t hold back the question.
Just as much, Kendra dreaded giving the answer. “She died of cancer two years ago.”
His gaze swung to his wife, and Kendra could see that the news hurt. She was surprised by the urge to reach out and comfort him, but didn’t know what he’d do. It was Britt who offered support, clasping his hand as she stared into his eyes with silent understanding.
Kendra felt a tug in her chest. She’d never been witness to such a clear, strong bond of love. The only time she’d come close was the certainty she’d felt when she’d left everything behind to keep Noah safe from Robert—and she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Joel refocused on Kendra. “So, tell me about you. Where do you live? What do you do? What brings you here now?”
She hadn’t expected the subject to arise so soon, but maybe it was better to get it out of the way. She took a deep breath and held his gaze with difficulty, only to have her nerves attack in full force. “Funny you should ask that.”
His expression grew wary and Kendra almost didn’t continue. Hard as it would be, she wished she could skip what came next and figure out some way to fend for herself. But with Noah foremost in her mind, she forged ahead. “We need a place to stay—just for awhile—until we can get on our feet.”
Joel’s eyes narrowed. “I distinctly remember the man Vivian left with had money—a lot of money. Where’s Daddy now?” In spite of the glimpse of pain earlier, now his contempt for both of her parents was palpable—as was his suspicion.
“He died when I was sixteen,” Kendra said. “Noah’s all I have left.”
And if you don’t help, we have nowhere else to go.
She leaned forward in earnest, scared he’d toss her and Noah out on their backsides. Glancing at Britt, Kendra knew she had to somehow convince the both of them. “I know us showing up here is a shock, and I’m sorry. I don’t expect any handouts, I can work. I’ll get a job in town, or I could help out around here—whatever you need done. Please.”
She hated the desperation that crept into her tone, especially when she saw the doubt in his eyes. He was going to say no, she knew it. Her pulse picked up speed. Her throat seemed to shrink. Her fingers clenched in her lap. Tears stung her eyes, but she willed them away. Now was not the time for one of her panic attacks.
“Maybe she could pick up some of Todd’s duties,” Britt suggested.
Both Kendra and Joel’s gazes swung to her. Britt smiled softly at Joel, and after a moment of silent communication, Joel turned back to Kendra. “Can you handle horses?”
She opened her mouth to say no, but quickly changed her mind. She’d seen The Horse Whisperer, how hard could it be? “Of course.”
Joel and Britt shared a longer moment of silence. Finally, he said in a cautious tone, “Okay, then, you can stay.”
Relief flooded through her just as Cody bounded through the back door with Noah on his heels. They skidded to a halt in front of Joel, and Noah’s blue eyes bounced from his sister, to the man Cody had just called Dad, and back to Kendra. She held out her hand, and Noah came to stand beside her.
Cody talked a mile a minute. “Noah said you’re his brother, Dad, but that can’t be true. Grandpa doesn’t have any other kids—does he?”
After a quick look at Britt, Joel explained the situation to Cody, who gave a gleeful laugh. Looking at Noah, he said, “That means you’re my uncle.”
His enthusiasm garnered smiles from everyone, though Noah’s was hesitant. Especially when Joel trained his gaze on him and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Noah.”
Noah hesitated, having retreated back into his shell in the presence of the adults. Kendra leaned forward to whisper, “He won’t bite.”
“Shut-up, Ken,” he mumbled, his ears turning red. She hid a grin as he accepted Joel’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Joel chuckled. “We’re brothers, Noah, call me Joel.”
Noah gave a shy grin. “Okay.”
“The horses are fed, can we go play now?” Cody asked.
Joel looked askance at Kendra, and she nodded. She smiled when Cody called her brother Uncle Noah on their way back outside—though it was barely discernable through their giggles. She couldn’t believe how well this was turning out. They’d met their brother, and he was nice, Noah and Cody had formed an instant bond—which would be great for Noah, and there was no way Robert would find them here before she turned twenty-five in a month.
Maybe the last few weeks were a blessing in disguise.
Just before the door slammed behind the boys, Cody called, “Dad, Colton’s here!”
Chapter Two
Kendra knew Britt was saying something, but all she heard was a loud buzzing noise in her head as she watched Joel head out the back door. Then individual voices.
“Sorry I couldn’t talk earlier,” he was saying. “What the heck happened?”
A deep chuckle set her stomach churning. Oh, God. Oh, God, no. Frozen in the chair, she listened to the abbreviated version of her theft fro
m the victim’s point of view.
Colton Lawe. Fate was that cruel.
He finished his story as the back door creaked open. “So there I am, running down the sidewalk, and my damn towel falls off—”
“You chased her in your towel?” Joel asked with a laugh as he re-entered the kitchen.
Another laugh from Colton. “Yeah, I know. Anyway, I’m standing there stark naked, when she turns around—”
Sudden silence told her not to count on the laugh meaning bygones would be bygones. She fought the urge to get up and run. Where could she go? One thing for sure; once Joel found out she’d stolen this man’s wallet, he’d never let her stay. She’d read his mistrust earlier and couldn’t blame him. There’d be no way to explain what she’d done, either.
Well, she could explain, but it wouldn’t help. If she told him her other half-brother was trying to kill her and Noah, he’d either think she was crazy—like the cops in New York—or he’d contact the local police and news of their whereabouts would get back to Robert through his best friend, Jeremy, at the NYPD. Their lives depended on Robert not finding them.
All she could do was face the music and hope for the best. Maybe, at the least, Joel would let Noah stay. She’d be okay with that.
Drawing in a deep breath, she forced herself to face the men. A jolt rocked through her when she first met Colton Lawe’s gaze. From where she sat, his large size dwarfed the room—he was an inch or so taller than Joel even. Then again, at her height, everyone was tall.
A panicked urge to giggle at the ridiculousness of her thoughts was caught at a twitch of her lips, and she cast her gaze down from Colton’s. Wrong direction, considering she instantly pictured him standing on the sidewalk without his towel. Her gaze bounced straight back up to find his face as red as she imagined hers burned.
“It was cold this morning, too, wasn’t it?” Joel’s joke broke the silence.
Not cold enough. Oh, God, what was she thinking! Kendra spun around in her chair to avoid Colton’s scrutiny, certain her face was flaming now.
“Joel, knock it off,” Britt admonished, though there was a smile in her voice.
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