Lauren felt a grin tug at her lips. She'd actually thought the same thing herself over the past week.
“Unfortunately, people can easily take advantage of a generous heart.”
Lauren snapped her gaze at Judy.
“No, no. I don’t mean you, Lauren,” Judy said quickly.
“You mean the woman he built this house for?”
It was Judy’s turn to be surprised. “Debra was a nice girl. A little needy, though. She wanted much more than even Kyle could give.”
Curiosity won over Lauren’s pride. “Look at this house. How much more could she possibly have wanted?”
Judy leaned her hip against the counter. “All of him.” She sighed. “Debra came from a large family. She was one of eight and they didn’t have much. Attention was at a premium, I suspect. She liked Kyle’s generosity as long as it was focused on her. With her family being so large, Kyle had assumed family was important to her.”
“But it wasn’t?”
Judy shook her head. “She didn’t want family around—his family—and Kyle can’t live without it. Family is very important to him. He likes being in the middle of everything, doing things for people.”
That much was evident to Lauren. Since the moment she met Kyle Preston, he was doing things for her.
When she said nothing, Judy went on. "Kyle's heart is in the right place. I make no bones about the fact that I'm proud of what he's accomplished given his troubled childhood."
"He mentioned he came to live with you when he was twelve," Lauren offered. Part of her hoped to gain some insight into Kyle's past. Although he'd always spoken fondly of his adoptive parents, he had yet to speak of his life before he came to live with them. She was disappointed when Judy did not elaborate any further.
"Trusting didn't come easy for Kyle. At first, he did everything in his power to push us away. I know he was afraid of getting hurt again." Judy sighed as she bent down to pick up the blanket on the floor. Lauren followed and helped with the folding. "Then he did everything he could to win our approval, as if that would make us love him. He could never quite believe he already had our love."
Lauren knew those feelings well. Except she knew she didn't have her parents' approval. Their brand of tough love sent her out on the streets when she needed them the most. Despite the pain it caused, she'd give anything to get past the tension dividing them and have them back in her life again.
After dropping the blanket into the picnic basket and adding the empty thermos, Judy continued. "This is a beautiful house, but I don’t think he was ready to make such a move. He did it to please Debra.” Judy shrugged. “That’s just the way he is.”
Lauren felt a prick at her heart with Judy's words. After the afternoon they'd spent together, she let herself believe that maybe, just maybe she'd be able to allow herself to get close to Kyle. The kiss they'd shared just about rocked her world with its intensity. And she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't want more. Earlier, as she walked through the house that he built, she foolishly let her mind daydream about what it would be like if she and Kristen lived here as Kyle's family.
Well, now is the time for the old kick-in-the-butt reality check, girl. If what Judy said was true, and there was no reason for Lauren to believe otherwise, then Kyle was just being himself, doing what he always did. He was just trying to please her.
Judy hooked the picnic basket in her arm and walked into the dining area, inspecting the open design. The pungent fumes of Polyurethane and stain hung heavy in the air. "So this is what he's been working on so diligently this week." She waved her arm around the room.
Lauren had noticed the rooms were open, void of the walls that she'd seen in the original design. She didn't say anything about her suggestion to make the change. Like he’d done for Debra, had Kyle made this change just to please her? "I like how it makes the rooms feel," she said instead.
Judy gazed at her and smiled warmly. "I like it, too."
# # #
Chapter Seven
"I want the most beautiful one you have," Kyle said to the man mummified in a cold weather parka. He could barely see his face beneath the furry hood. "Just point me in the direction and I'll cut it down myself."
"I've still got a couple of thirteen foot Douglas firs in the back of the farm, right near the one you cut down last week." The salesman, who Kyle had known for years, was the owner of the tree farm.
"No, not that big. A seven foot tree, nice and full all around would be great." He rubbed his gloved hands together in an attempt to ward off the cold. It had been snowing off and on for the past two days. The trek up to the back of the farm would be too difficult with all the snow.
"We've got a whole farm of seven footers. Pretty ones, too. Just take your pick."
With saw in hand, Kyle plowed a fresh path through the snow in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Forty-five minutes later, he'd cut and purchased what he thought was just that.
He just hoped Lauren would be home, he thought as he drove over to her place to deliver it. He had attempted to call Lauren several times, but hadn't been able to reach her. Earlier in the week, he hadn't thought much about it when the answering machine picked up and he heard her pre-recorded voice suggesting he leave a message. By Thursday evening, he began to get the distinct feeling that maybe she was avoiding him.
Okay, so maybe he'd laid things on a little thick by commandeering her into dinner, hijacking her to go shopping, kissing her... He'd lay it on as thick as he could if he could kiss her sweet lips again.
Most men would bring flowers to court a lady, he thought as he removed the rope securing the freshly cut Christmas tree to the top of his Jeep. He'd save the roses for another time. Hell, he'd build her a whole rose bed out back so she could have fresh roses every day.
Today they were going to decorate a Christmas tree. He gripped the trunk in the center of the tree and pulled until the tree was on the sidewalk in front of Lauren's home.
As he dragged the tree beside him, he saw her car parked in the driveway. Good, no answering machines, no excuses. She's home.
Familiar with the sticky door, he clutched the handle and yanked hard. "That gets fixed once and for all," he muttered as he struggled with the branches. Once he managed to pull the tree through the doorway, he dragged it up the three flights of stairs to Lauren's attic apartment.
* * *
Lauren pulled the afghan snug to her chest and shivered. No! she groaned. This was the worst time in the world to be getting sick. She'd worked a week full of overtime just so she could take some time off after Christmas to spend with Kristen. She shivered again and sneezed.
Kristen pulled a tissue from the box and handed it to Lauren. "God bless you, Mommy."
"Thank you, sweetie," she said just as she heard a knock at her door. She twisted her legs off the sofa and padded across the floor.
As she swung the door open, the cold breeze coming up from the hallway caused her to shiver. She closed her eyes and sneezed. Opening her eyes again, she frowned.
"Is there a person behind this tree?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am." Kyle's gloved hand weeded its way through the branches, pulling them down so Lauren could see his face.
"Kyle, what have you done?!"
"I brought you a Christmas tree."
"I can see that. But..."
He tried forcing the tree through the door with visible difficulty. The branches were just too wide. "But what? Did you already get one?" he asked, grunting.
"No."
"Great. When I couldn't reach you this week I thought maybe you were out getting one."
She sniffed, yanked a tissue from the box on the bookcase, and blew her nose. "I had to work late every day. I'm taking Christmas week off so that I can spend some time with Krissy."
Still struggling in the doorway, he said, "Good idea. Do you have a tree stand?"
Her lips lifted to a smile. She sucked in her cheeks to keep him from seeing her amusement with the si
tuation. "Yes, but there is no way that tree is going to fit in here."
"Sure it will," he said confidently. With exuberance he squeezed the tree through until he was in the living room. "When I was out at the farm, I could just envision this tree all lit up in the corner of the room. It's going to fit just perfect next to the..."
With her hand to her face, Lauren bit her lip and chuckled. Kyle thoughtfully inspected the corner on the other side of the bookcase and frowned.
"It's not going to fit," he muttered and propped the tree against the closed door.
"Exactly."
"It looked great in my head."
Kristen bounced over to Lauren's side and waved to Kyle. "Is it ours, Kyle?"
He crouched down to her level and rumpled her downy curls. "Sure is, scooter." He lowered his voice. "But it looks like we're going to have to perform some heavy duty surgery before it'll fit."
Kristen giggled.
Lauren sniffed and rubbed her watering eyes. "We planned on going out tomorrow."
"Doesn't look like you'll be going anywhere with that cold. How long have you been like this?" he asked, a hint of concern coloring his tone.
"It started yesterday. I think this is the worst of it. It'll pass." She waved her hand to make light of it, but Kyle just grimaced.
"I'm sure it will when you get some rest."
"I don't have time to rest. Look at this place." With a sweep of her hand gesturing to the room, she said, "Just a few days before Christmas and I haven't decorated the apartment."
"There is plenty of time for that tomorrow when you're feeling better. Right now, you're going to rest." He gripped her shoulders and twisted her around before leading her to the sofa. If she'd been feeling herself, she would've balked at his command. But given her current state, she had to admit she welcomed someone else taking charge. "Kristen and I will keep busy while you get some sleep."
"You don't need to take care of Kristen," she protested.
"You're the one who needs to be taken care of." He held up his hand when she began to protest. "What good is taking time off to be with your daughter if you get pneumonia, which is exactly what you'll have if you run yourself into the ground?"
"But-"
"I'm not taking no for an answer, so don't waste your breath. You need all you can get." He handed her the box of tissues and picked up the afghan, carefully placing it over her shivering body. It should have made her feel better, but it did nothing to dispel the chills causing her to shake.
"What will you do?" she asked. She plopped down on the sofa, plumping the throw pillow before laying her head down.
"We'll get out of the house for a while and leave you to sleep. Maybe we'll go shopping for things to decorate the tree. Or maybe stop by my parents’ so the kids can play." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Don't worry. She's going to be just fine."
Don't worry he says! That's pretty darn hard to do when for the past seven years her whole world revolved around this child.
Ten minutes later, after Kristen was bundled up warm, Kyle shut the door behind them. It was the oddest feeling she had ever known. There had always been noise and commotion of some kind in the apartment. But now, there was silence.
For the first time in years, Lauren was truly alone.
It was some time later, when she felt a cold hand against her cheek, that she realized she'd actually fallen asleep. Her eyes still heavy, she struggled to pull herself from slumber. When she lifted her lids, she was met by Kyle's worried gaze.
"You look awful." he murmured.
"Thanks a lot," she managed to say as she strained to focus on the room. Supporting the full weight of her upper body on her right arm, she looked around, ignoring the ache in her shoulders. She stopped just short of panic. "Where's Krissy?"
"Don't worry. She was having a good time with Julie." A smile tugged at his lips. "You should have heard the two of them plotting to arrange a sleep-over. I told her she could only stay if you agreed."
"We've never been separated overnight before." She pulled herself to a sitting position and groaned as her head bobbed back. Her whole body felt as if she'd been hit with a sledgehammer.
"Whoa, lady. You're burning with fever. You're not going anywhere." He coaxed her to lie down before walking away. She heard running water and cabinets opening and shutting before he was by her side again. Handing her a glass of water and two pills, he said, "Take these. They'll take your temperature down and help with the aches."
She did as she was told and handed him the empty glass with a shaky hand. Her teeth began to chatter.
"I don't know about you, but I think it's a good idea for Kristen to stay with my parents tonight."
Closing her eyes, she shook her head.
He eased himself on the sofa. "You don't want her getting sick, too."
The tenderness in his voice told Lauren he knew how hard it was for her to be separated from Kristen.
"I...think you're right."
He nodded. "She can borrow some of Julie's clothes. They're about the same size."
Her eyelids fluttered and she felt a cold compress on her forehead. "What time is it?" she asked, shivering.
"About four-thirty." He pulled up the afghan and squeezed next to her on the sofa. His body pressed against the full length of hers.
"What are you doing?" She had no strength to protest.
"You've got the chills. I'm just going to use my body temperature to warm you until you stop shaking."
Her head fell against his chest and she closed her eyes. Immediately, her body relaxed when she felt his fingers stroked her head. The heavy thump of his heartbeat set a tranquil cadence and soon rocked her to sleep.
When Kyle heard Lauren's rhythmic breathing, he eased himself off the sofa, trying his best not to disturb her. Her hair clung to the beads of sweat on her forehead. Good, he thought with relief. That was a clear sign her fever was breaking. He kissed her head before reaching for the telephone and dialing his parents' telephone number.
After two rings, Will answered, "Hello?"
"It's me," Kyle answered. "Do you mind telling Ma it's okay for Kristen to stay the night?"
Will sighed. "Sure, no problem." The slight hesitation in his father's voice was cause for alarm.
"What gives?"
After another hesitation, Will said, "Your mother had a run in with Zoey this morning. She took off with Bruce afterward. When I heard the phone, I thought maybe it was her." He heard his father's breath distort over the phone line.
"Mom didn't mention anything when I was there," he said.
"It's not like this hasn't happened before. Zoey and your mother haven't exactly seen eye to eye lately."
"Did she say when she'd be back?"
"No."
"I'll go look for her," he said, already reaching for his jacket.
"No, no. That won't be necessary. It's still early. I'm sure she's just being sixteen." He paused a moment and added. "I just don't like seeing your mother worry."
Him, too, Kyle reflected. Despite the concern for his wife, Kyle knew this thing with Zoey was making his dad crazy. He ought to know. He'd put his parents through this sort of anguish more times than he could count.
"How's Lauren feeling?" Will asked, changing the subject.
He pushed his fingers through his hair and looked over at her. Although she was asleep, she seemed restless. "Worse than this morning. She's got a nasty fever. Aches and pains."
"Your mother's soup should help."
"Yeah, I'll warm some up for her when she wakes. Hopefully it's just the twenty-four hour bug that's been going around." His mind raced ahead to his sister. "And Dad?"
"Yeah, son?"
"You will call me if you can't find Zoey, right?"
"Don't worry. She'll be home."
Kyle sat in a rocking chair and watched Lauren sleep until the shadows stretched across the room. Lifting himself up, he flicked on the lamp and paced to the kitchen area. Hearing his stomach growl, he real
ized he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He simmered a potful of the chicken soup his mother had given him to bring over to Lauren and sat with a bowl of it at the kitchen table. He was just finishing when he heard Lauren stir.
As she kicked the blanket off, she turned her body to face him, the blanket falling to the floor.
"That smells good," she said, her voice groggy. "That can't possible have come from my kitchen."
Kyle chuckled as he pulled another bowl from the cabinet. "Mom sent it over. You must be feeling better if you're thinking about food."
She sat up and yawned into both hands. "Much. I'm starved."
"That's a good sign."
She started to stand, then fell off balance and landed back on the couch. "Whoa."
"Better not overdo it. I'll bring the soup over to you."
"Have I been asleep long?" she asked, combing her fingers through her hair as if she was suddenly self-conscious.
"A few hours." He handed her the soup bowl on a dishtowel. "The bowl is hot," he warned, joining her on the sofa.
"Thanks." She took a few spoonfuls.
As Kyle gazed at her, he noticed some color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were not as drawn. Apparently the sleep and aspirin had done their work.
She stopped eating, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. "I must look awful," she said self-consciously. "You look beautiful," he murmured.
"Liar."
"Who me?" he teased, placing his hand over his heart in a mock gesture. He felt his smile fade. "I'd never lie to you, Lauren."
Her eyes dipped and then looked back at him. Changing the subject, she asked, "What did you and Kristen end up doing this afternoon?"
He couldn't help but smile. Kristen had wanted to get something special for Lauren, so "the girls" went shopping while he stayed back at the house with Scotty. When they returned, Kristen proudly announced that she bought some "smelly perfume" as a gift.
"I hung out at the house."
"Did you finish yet?"
He shot her a puzzled look.
"The house. It looked pretty close to being complete last weekend. There can't be much left for you to do there."
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