Maggie elbowed Zane. “Gideon is removing the garter. You should see if you can catch it.”
He shook his head. “No way.”
But when Miss Alice and Ruth began recruiting the single men to come up, Kim’s dad appeared at the table. “Come on, Cody and Zane. That includes you.”
“How about you, Dad?” Kim asked him.
“Ruth has threatened me within an inch of my life if I’m not in the front of the group. But I’m not standing alone. If I have to, you two can, too.”
Groaning, Zane rose, bent down and whispered to Kim, “You’re gonna owe me.”
Five minutes later when Gideon shot the garter into the cluster of single males in the middle of the large room, Kim tried to follow its projection but lost sight of it as a few men fled the garter while a couple dove for it. Her father didn’t move, and it landed square in the middle of his chest. With his slow reflexes, he barely caught it before it fell to the floor.
Ruth laughed and kissed Kim’s dad on the cheek. Bright red flooded his face.
As Zane and Cody made their way back to the table, Kim’s dad said, “Now it’s the single women’s time. Come on. I want every female over the age of eighteen up here.” He looked straight at Maggie then Kim.
Zane stopped behind Kim’s chair. “Let me help you up.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I’m fine right here.”
He scooted the seat back from the table. “Give me the pleasure of escorting you up there.”
Kim’s father snapped the garter on the upper arm of his jacket then homed in on Kim. Standing, she ignored Zane and cut the distance between her and the single women gathering. Kim positioned herself between Susan and Maggie.
Kathleen turned her back on the group of women and tossed the bouquet over her head. It came right for Kim. She stepped back as Susan jumped in the air and caught the flowers.
Maggie sidled closer to Kim. “I noticed you got out of the way of the bouquet. I thought you and Zane were getting serious.”
“What gave you that idea?”
“Oh, let me see—” her cousin tapped her chin with a finger “—the kiss last Saturday night or the one on the stage. That didn’t look like two people who weren’t interested in each other.”
“Okay, I care about him. Is that what you want to hear?”
“Why so defensive?”
“Because I don’t want to care about Zane. My track record with men isn’t too good, and he was one of the men.”
“Then you’d better stop kissing him because, honey, you’re only getting yourself in deeper each time you do. You’ve never been a woman who does anything lightly, and that includes kissing.”
Over Maggie’s shoulder Kim noticed Zane heading for them. “Shh. He’s coming.”
But what her cousin said never left Kim throughout the rest of the reception. By the time she stayed to clean up with Maggie, Cody, Susan and Zane, she felt more confused than ever. How could she trust her judgment after what had happened between them?
As the reception hall began to look like it had before the wedding, Kim slipped out of the room and went into the sanctuary. Taking a seat on the back pew, she stared at the cross hanging above the altar. I need help, Lord. I don’t know what to do. Can You help me?
* * *
“Another week and your upstairs will be finished,” Zane said as he applied the last of the polyurethane finish to the hardwood floor in her dad’s bedroom, backing himself out of the doorway. He peered up at Kim a few feet behind him and noted the wet clothes and hair. “Is it raining?”
“Yes, it started about five minutes ago. Just enough to get me wet while I ran to the house.”
“It’ll probably take a little longer for this to dry, then, but your dad should be back in his own room in a few days.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that.”
Zane rose, putting the roller on top of the empty can of finish. “Maggie told me he went to see Cody today. How’s the counseling going?”
“Each week he’s getting better.”
“Where is he?” Though Keith Sommerfield no longer left the room when Zane appeared, they weren’t friends, either. When around the man, Zane felt like he was constantly being assessed, and he wasn’t quite sure what Kim’s father thought of him now.
“He’s in the game room. He’s telling the kids about how successful the neighborhood sweeps were a few weekends ago. Next he’s going to ask me to pat him on the back.”
“I don’t know about you, but he deserves it. The election is next Tuesday, and Ruth is way ahead of her opponent in the poll the newspaper ran.”
Kim grinned. “Yeah, I know. He told me that all the way to Cody’s office.”
Thunder rumbled in the air. Zane glanced toward the open window across the room. “I’m glad there’s an overhang, but we’ll need to keep track of the direction the rain is falling. I’d rather not have to walk on the floor until it’s dry, but if it changes, I might have to close that window.”
“I didn’t realize it was going to rain today. It was sunny when I took Dad to see Cody then went grocery shopping. Now that our roof is fixed, I’m not as obsessed with the weather.”
“Living dangerously?”
“Yup. Left the house without an umbrella.”
Zane sniffed the air. “Ah, coffee. Maggie must be making some more.”
Kim scanned the hallway. “Where’s your dad?”
“AA meeting. He’d planned to come back after it if it’s not too late. Sometimes they go out to eat afterward.”
“I feel guilty. He’s here when I leave in the morning for school and stays until it’s dark. I can’t get him to stay for dinner. A few times he’s taken some food with him.”
“And I have appreciated it. Delicious.” Zane led Kim toward the game room.
“The first room I want renovated downstairs is the kitchen.”
“Then that’s what Dad and I will tackle first.”
“When are you leaving for Nashville and the meeting with the Christian Assistance Coalition?”
“Wednesday.” Maggie poured some coffee into a mug and turned toward Zane. He walked straight for it, arm outstretched. “I’m in your debt, Maggie.”
“No, the fact that I’m getting my own bedroom back far outweighs a cup of coffee.”
“Not when you didn’t have your quota for the day.”
“Where’s Dad?” Kim chimed in to ask of Maggie. “I didn’t see him go to his room.”
“Anna is on the gallery watching the storm move in. He went out to see if she was all right.”
“Is something wrong?” Kim started for the door to the outside.
“She came home from Polly’s a little while ago and didn’t say much. Just went out onto the gallery.”
“She must be in front since I didn’t see her when I got home.”
Zane hung back with Maggie, sipping his coffee. “I’ll stay here and wheedle a dinner invitation out of Maggie.”
As Kim left the house, Keith entered, his gaze pausing on Zane for a few extra seconds before he grinned at Maggie. “I could use a cup of coffee. It’s getting cold out there. The wind is whipping up, but I can’t get Anna to come in.”
Maggie stood in front of a cabinet selecting some spices, and Zane moved to the pot to fill a mug. He held it out to Keith.
Keith stared at the coffee, not making a move to take it. Zane wasn’t sure what he should do and started to place it on the counter and join Kim on the gallery when Keith finally reached for the mug, his hand shaking.
Keith took it, cradling it between his hands. “It’s been a long day. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
“Other than a few finishing touches, your room is done. Once the floor dries completely, you’ll be able to move back into it.”
“I know a young man who’ll be happy to have his bedroom back to himself.” Keith eased down into a lounge chair.
“Uncle Keith, Brady has enjoyed sharing his room with you.”
Keith snorted. “Poppycock.” After taking a sip of his drink, he swept his arm toward the couch and looked at Zane. “Rest. You’ve been working since early this morning. What are y’all going to do next?” He leaned forward and glanced around. “Where is your dad?”
Zane was grateful for the sturdy sofa, because the shock almost knocked him over. He drank some of his coffee to cover it as much as possible.
“He’ll be back soon. He had a meeting to go to.”
“I’m impressed with his work. I told him that yesterday.”
“He thinks this place is beautiful. Dad loves old buildings.”
“So do I. There’s so much history in them.”
Lightning flashed followed by a boom ripping through the air. Zane flinched and gripped his mug tighter. “The storm is getting worse.”
Keith grinned. “But we don’t have any leaks. That’s something to celebrate.” Relaxing back, he crossed his legs and asked again, “What are y’all going to do next?”
“Finish up with the guest bedroom then move to the downstairs.”
* * *
Out on the gallery, Anna yelped at the sound of thunder and jumped back from the railing.
Kim put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You’re usually not this quiet, especially if something is bothering you. Hon, what’s going on?”
Anna didn’t say anything.
Kim searched the darkness, trying to discern her expression, but the shadows hid it. “Maybe I can help you.” A streak of lightning lit the encroaching night, brought on early by the black clouds of the storm. Kim glimpsed Anna’s dropped head, her hair falling forward to conceal her face. She gently squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “You’re scaring me. What has happened?”
“Nothing. I’m fine,” she mumbled in a voice that denied each word.
She didn’t have to see Anna’s face to realize tears were near the surface. “Did you have a fight with Polly?”
“No.”
“Someone else?”
Silence greeted that question.
Kim wanted to fight her child’s battles for her but knew she couldn’t—that in the long run that wasn’t the best thing for Anna. She needed to learn to do it herself. But that didn’t mean Kim couldn’t support her every step of the way. “Sometimes talking about a problem helps you to see a solution.”
Her child’s sigh overrode the noise of the rain beating down on the house. “A couple of girls came over to Polly’s to play today. One was Lily.”
That right there said a lot. Lily was the only cousin whom Anna couldn’t get along with. “What happened?”
“I try to put up with her because Polly likes her, but she’s mean.”
“As hard as this can be at times, you need to ignore what she says.”
“Polly asked about when I’d get my old bedroom back. That led to talk about the house being fixed up by Zane. One of the girls said we were lucky to get him to do the work. Her dad loved what he had done for them. Lily wanted to know when I’d finally get a daddy. She said that my father didn’t want me and left. Maybe Zane would, too.”
Kim heard each of her daughter’s words but couldn’t respond. Instead, they thrust her back to the day that Scott had left. Or rather the day he’d left a note on the refrigerator telling her he was divorcing her, and his lawyer would contact her about it. She visualized the words on the paper and the feelings she’d experienced washed over her again—the shock, the grief, the anger, the humiliation of her husband walking out on her.
“Mom?”
Her daughter’s voice pulled her back to the present, and she realized she’d gripped Anna’s shoulder so tightly her hand ached. She loosened her hold and stepped around in front of her daughter. “Did she say anything else?”
“She told me she’d overheard her mother and grandmother talking about how sad it was that my father didn’t want children. That was why he left you. Am I the reason?”
A bolt of lightning in the distance illuminated Anna’s face enough for Kim to see the sad droop to her eyes, the shiny gleam in them. She pulled her against her and encircled her in her embrace. “I’m the reason, not you. Never you.”
“But he left right after I was born,” her daughter said, pressed against Kim’s chest.
“He didn’t love me. He had someone else.” She didn’t want to explain the whole mess to Anna, at least not until she was older.
“But he never calls me, never comes to see me.”
If she could get hold of Scott right now, she’d give him a piece of her mind for putting her in this situation. “He didn’t want children. That’s true, but it really had nothing to do with you. He wanted to be free of any kind of obligation, and children are a big obligation. When I became pregnant with you, I’d hoped he would change his mind because I wanted you very much. More than I can say in words.” Kim leaned back and framed Anna’s face in her hands. “I love you more than you can imagine. Papa Keith loves you. Maggie and even Brady. We’re your family.”
“I’ve been afraid to talk about him. I know when I’ve said something about him, it has bothered you. But I have questions.”
Zane’s words about forgiveness and letting go of the past inundated Kim. Because she hadn’t, her daughter had been afraid to talk to her. That wasn’t right. Please, Lord, help me to let this anger toward Scott go. I’m too tired to fight it anymore.
“I’m sorry, hon. You should never be afraid to ask me a question. What do you want to know? I’ll tell you what I can. You have a right to know.”
“Where’s Daddy?”
“I don’t know. Even when his mother lived here, she wouldn’t say anything about where Scott was. No one in the family will say anything. Any connection I’ve had with your daddy is through a lawyer.”
“Is that why they don’t do much with me?”
“You go over to see them on holidays.” The light came on in the bedroom with the window right behind them, giving Kim enough glow to see Anna’s expression—one of a child in pain. She felt responsible.
“But they never really say anything to me.”
Kim clenched her jaws together until she could control what she said to her daughter. “They didn’t talk to you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“They did. But like I was a stranger.” Her shoulders slumped. “I guess I was. My daddy didn’t really accept me so why should they?” Tears coursed down her cheeks.
A fierce sense of protectiveness overwhelmed Kim. She embraced her daughter in a tight hug. “That’s their loss. You’re special, and they can’t change that.” She held Anna as she sobbed against Kim’s chest.
Kim felt her life was crumbling as she listened to her daughter’s sorrow. How could she forgive a man for doing this to his daughter?
Slowly Anna’s crying subsided, but she still clung to Kim. Staring into the darkness, she noticed the rain had lessened. This storm would push through and move on to another place. She wished life’s problems would disappear as easily.
“I love you, Mom. I’m not gonna let Lily’s words bother me anymore.” She pulled back.
Kim fingered Anna’s hair out of her face. “When you start to feel down about what Lily said, just remember how important you are to us.”
“I’m starved. What’s Maggie fixing for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go in and find out.” Kim hooked her arm around Anna, and they headed for the door into the game room.
“I got the last laugh today with Lily. I beat her at one-on-one. She’s always bragging about how good she is.”
“Where did y’all play?”
“Broussard Park. They have the best courts.”
“It has the best view, too.” Kim opened the door, and they entered the house.
Laughter filled the room. She came to a stop and stared at her dad, Zane and Maggie laughing together at the other end where the couch and lounge chairs were. Before she could remark on the unusual sight, Zane looked up and snagged her gaze. He w
inked and motioned for Anna and her to join them.
“You should hear the stories your father is telling about you and Maggie as little girls.”
“Stories? What kind?”
“That time you went deep-sea fishing and fell into the water trying to reel your fish in,” Maggie answered, swiping the tears from her cheeks.
“That’s not funny.” Kim set her fist on her hip. “I could have drowned.”
Her father pooh-poohed her remark. “You can swim like a fish. What was so funny was you wouldn’t let go of your fishing rod. Even in the water you were determined to bring your catch in.”
“Sure. I’d saved my money for a whole month to buy that rod—state-of-the-art fishing gear. Just to set the record straight, I did bring in my fish. It was a small shark.”
Anna’s eyes rounded. “A shark? You were in the water with a shark?”
“It was maybe two feet long. But sharks love to put up a fight. Even small ones.”
“Papa Keith, where were you?”
Her father tried to stop chuckling, but it took a moment to compose himself even to answer Anna. “I ran to get the life preserver to throw to Kim.”
“Why didn’t you jump in to save her?”
Maggie’s laughter increased. “Because at that time Uncle Keith couldn’t swim.”
Anna’s eyes grew even bigger. “You couldn’t swim?”
“I can now. You’ve seen me. But back then, no. I used to be scared of the water.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Seeing Kim in the water and knowing if I went in after her, I would make things worse. Right after that, I took swimming lessons and slowly overcame my fear of swimming.”
Anna plopped down next to Zane on the couch. “I can’t imagine not swimming. I love to.”
“Well, so did your mom—which that day was a good thing since I wasn’t very useful in rescuing her.”
“You got the life preserver.” Maggie rose and started across the room toward the kitchen area. “Which is how she managed to bring the shark in. She held on to that thing and reeled the line in until you could gaff it.”
“Yup and we had shark steak that evening. Some of the best I’ve had.” Her dad relaxed back against his chair and finished the last swallow of coffee.
Love Runs Deep (New Beginnings Book 7) Page 15