by Judy Duarte
“Jeremy had to cut our date short last night, and since we weren’t able to stay long enough to eat dessert, he brought all of that by this afternoon.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Max slowly shook his head, still standing in front of the open refrigerator. “Don’t you think that’s a little over-the-top?”
Actually, she thought it was sweet. But it was clear that Max wouldn’t agree. So choosing not to argue, she ignored the fact that Jeremy’s visit and thoughtfulness had struck a raw nerve in her brother and asked, “Do you want some cheesecake? It’s really good.”
“I don’t want any of that stuff.” Max slammed the refrigerator door a little too hard. “I still haven’t figured out what that guy’s up to.”
“He just came by to see me, that’s all.”
Max chuffed and slowly shook his head.
“Obviously, you don’t like him.” Kirsten crossed her arms and braced herself for whatever unfounded objections Max might have. “Why is that? He’s an orthopedic surgeon. And a darn good one, from what I’ve learned by doing a Google search. On top of that, his family is not only well-known, but well respected in Red Rock. Have you ever heard of the Fortune Foundation?”
“Who hasn’t?” Max leaned against the refrigerator. “Those people think they own the town.”
If Kirsten had a violent streak and lacked self-control, she might have punched her brother’s lights out. As it was, she disposed of the old coffee grounds and rinsed out the carafe.
“Open your eyes,” Max said. “That guy’s just trying to snowball you, sis. And, apparently, it’s working.”
Kirsten shut off the water, set the clean carafe on the counter and turned to face him. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s just trying to score, that’s all. I heard that he’s only visiting in town. He’s going to be moving away soon, and then where will that leave you?”
Kirsten might be dating Jeremy, but that didn’t mean she would shut down her radar and jump into a relationship that wasn’t in her best interest—at least, not knowingly. She also knew that a lot of men weren’t looking for something permanent and long-lasting, that some of them only wanted sex. Shoot, she’d met a couple of them and had been disappointed enough times to take things slow and to be careful.
She was also fully aware of the fact that Jeremy would go back to Sacramento one of these days.
But she was a big girl and didn’t need her brother telling her what to do.
For Pete’s sake, his own radar had certainly been faulty or nonexistent when he’d first hooked up with Courtney. But rather than let him draw her into another argument that was sure to escalate without solving any thing, she decided to calmly end the conversation and put him in his place.
“Jeremy and I are friends,” she said. “But even if we were more than that, I’d like to remind you that this is my house and that I’m a responsible adult.”
Max’s face reddened and he pursed his lips. Kirsten had never seen steam come out of anyone’s ears before, unless it had been in a cartoon on television, but she wouldn’t have been surprised to see little cloudlike puffs coming out of her brother’s head.
What did he have against Jeremy?
The first time they’d met, Max had scowled all the way home from the medical center. And he’d clearly been a grump when she and Jeremy had left the house to go to Bernardo’s last night.
Now this. You’d think Max was a jealous boyfriend rather than an overprotective brother. And quite frankly, he was pushing her to her limit. If it weren’t for Anthony, she’d ask him to pack up and move out tonight. As it was, she bit her tongue.
But living with Max was so not working.
“You were out of line for entertaining him at the house when Anthony was in the next room,” he added.
“Excuse me?” Her voice rose a couple decibels in spite of her determination to remain cool and in control.
“You’re overreacting.” She blew out an exasperated sigh. “Anthony is an infant, and he was sleeping for most of the time.”
Again, she wanted to remind her brother that she was an adult. And that he was…
Heck, who even knew what he was. For a twenty-six-year-old man, acting mature seemed like a real struggle for him some days.
“Did you kiss him?” Max asked.
Before responding and putting her brother in his place, she took another calming breath, then slowly let it out. “That’s none of your business.”
He remained silent for a while, as though her words had finally sunk in. Then he said, “I’m sorry, Kirsten. You’re right.”
His acquiescence surprised her, and she waited for him to interject a “but” to the conversation.
Instead, he said, “I guess I was out of line.”
He guessed?
“It’s just that I don’t like to be reminded that you’re the responsible one, when I’ve been trying my best to find a job—any job. And to make matters worse, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
She sighed. “I know you do. Having another human being who is dependent upon you must be stressful, especially while you’re out of work.”
“It’s not just that…” He paused, as if trying to find the words to explain what was really bothering him and why he’d been lashing out at her and Jeremy.
“Then what is it?” she asked. Was her brother missing Courtney? Was he feeling badly that Kirsten might be involved in a budding romance when his own relationship with the mother of his son had fallen apart?
Finally, Max said, “I’ve got things to deal with that you wouldn’t understand.”
“Share them with me. Let me help. We’re family.”
He clammed up, refusing to elaborate any further.
She could have prodded him, she supposed. He was clearly bothered by something and lashing out at her because of it. But spending so much of her energy sympathizing with Max was getting old, and she was just plain tired of dealing with all the problems resulting from his bad decisions.
For as long as she could remember, she’d been both mother and father to him, a role that was slowly wearing her down, especially since Max had such a bad attitude about anything she did or said to help him—unless it was handing him cash in silence.
She would have to resort to tough love again, which had worked well in the past, but now there was the baby to consider.
It was comforting to know that Max had taken on the responsibility of fatherhood, but that didn’t stop her from worrying.
As much as she’d tried to convince herself that he was able to handle the baby on his own, she had to admit that she had her doubts.
At a quarter to noon the next day, Jeremy was reviewing an X-ray of an elderly patient. He tried to focus on the scans before him, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help thinking about Kirsten and wondering if she’d like to have lunch with him.
They had a date tomorrow night, something sure to surprise her, but he wanted to see her sooner than that. So he picked up his cell phone and gave her a call.
She answered on the second ring, and when he told her what he had in mind for today, she said, “Lunch sounds great, but Max is out job hunting again, and I’ve got Anthony.”
“Then why don’t I bring the food to you?” he asked.
He could almost hear the smile in her voice. “I’d like that, Jeremy.”
“How about turkey sandwiches?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll have beverages to choose from, some fruit and…” She laughed. “Well, don’t bother picking up dessert, either. I’ve still got leftovers.”
Twenty minutes later, Jeremy took a midday break from the clinic and showed up on Kirsten’s front stoop with the lunch he’d picked up from the deli.
She’d been expecting him, so it was no wonder that she’d applied a coat of lipstick and had brushed her hair to a glossy shine. But it was her bright-eyed smile that did him in, reaching deep into his chest and turning him inside out.
As she ste
pped aside to let him into the cozy living room, he spotted the baby in a stroller.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
“If you’re up for a walk.” There it went again, that smile and that single dazzling dimple, and he realized he’d be up for just about anything with her.
“There’s a community park about a block down the street,” she explained. “And the sun’s out today. Why don’t we take a walk and have a picnic?”
“Sounds like fun.”
And Jeremy hadn’t had fun in ages.
“I’ve got some iced tea and goodies packed and ready to go.” She reached for a cooler that was on the floor, next to the sofa.
“Here, let me carry that.” He took the handle from her. “You’ll have your hands full with the stroller.”
As they left the house, and she locked the door behind them, he let her direct him to the park. February weather could always be a little iffy, but she’d been right. It was sunny today. And he could see why she’d want to get out of the house.
“What would you have done if I didn’t want to picnic?” he asked.
Her blue eyes glistened. “I figured a man who liked surprises wouldn’t mind eating in the park.”
Once he’d reached adulthood, Jeremy had never really liked surprises, at least not until meeting Kirsten. For some reason, he found himself thinking about things that would be new, fun and exciting. But there was no need to let something like that out the bag. Besides, he didn’t care where they had lunch, as long as they were together.
They walked several blocks to a small grassy area that wasn’t much more than a playground with a couple picnic tables, but it would do. And since it was a school day, they had the place to themselves.
Kirsten parked the stroller next to one of the tables, in the shade of a tree. Then she set out their meal: the sandwiches, fresh fruit, iced tea and cheesecake. Since Jeremy only had an hour before he had to get back to the clinic, they took their seats and began to eat.
It was easy to talk to Kirsten, who was a good listener. And before he knew it, he was telling her about his morning, about an elderly patient with a broken hip and a boy who’d fractured his arm during morning recess.
She leaned toward him as he talked and listened intently while he shared details that might be boring to someone else.
As the sun shone down on them, as a cool breeze whispered through the leaves in the trees, he realized it would be nice coming home to someone like her every day. But it had only been days since they’d met, so it was way too soon to be thinking about things like commitments and the future. And for that reason, a change in subject was in order.
“How’s your brother’s job hunt going?” he asked. “Does he have any interviews scheduled?”
“I’m afraid he hasn’t had much luck at all.” She set down her sandwich and reached for an apple slice.
Jeremy couldn’t say that he was surprised. A man’s attitude had a lot to do with finding a position with a solid company.
“I might be wrong,” he said, “but your brother seems to have a big chip on his shoulder.”
“You’re right about that. He really hasn’t been a happy person for a long time.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure it has to do with the bad choices he’s made, but he won’t do anything to correct them. And to make matters worse, he seems to think that I look down on him.”
It would be hard not to, Jeremy thought.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Kirsten said. “I love my brother and want the best for him. But he seems to have a little gray rain cloud following him all the time. And he can’t seem to steer clear of it.”
“He’s old enough to know when to get out of the rain,” Jeremy said.
“I know. I just wish he would work as hard as I did to overcome the strikes we had against us while growing up.”
“What kind of strikes?” Jeremy asked, sorry to hear that Kirsten’s childhood hadn’t been as happy as his had been.
“Our dad left home when I was fourteen.” She glanced down at her half-eaten sandwich, then back to Jeremy. “It was tough on me, but Max was only twelve at the time, and he took it especially hard. He acted out as an adolescent, getting into more than the usual amount of trouble, and eventually, he dropped out of school.”
The teenage years could be tough, Jeremy realized, even under the best circumstances.
“Our mom had to work two jobs to support us, so I looked after Max and helped him pick up the pieces of his life.” Kirsten rewrapped the untouched half of her sandwich and put it in the cooler. “Well, at least I tried to.”
Jeremy had a feeling she was taking too much personal responsibility for her brother’s failures, and he hated to see her do that. Unable to help himself, he reached out and placed his hand on her forearm. “Max is a big boy now, Kirsten. And as much as you’d like to, you can’t keep bailing him out.”
“You’re right. But I also know what he’s been through in the past, so it’s hard not to be sympathetic.” As her gaze met Jeremy’s, he could see the very heart of her in those expressive blue eyes.
Did Max have any idea how lucky he was to have Kirsten in his corner? Jeremy wasn’t so sure.
“When my mom died in a car accident five years ago, Max was just getting his life back on track. He’d started attending the adult school, planning to get his GED. But after the funeral, he turned to his friends for support.”
He read into what she was really saying; Max had turned away from Kirsten.
“My brother didn’t always choose the right friends,” she added. “And as a result, he just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. Of course, it was nothing terrible. But he partied too much on weekends and couldn’t keep a job.”
“So you’ve been keeping him afloat ever since?”
Jeremy asked.
“For the most part. We received a moderate, wrongful-death settlement after the accident, which was enough for me to put a down payment on my house and to stick some money away for a rainy day. But Max blew through his share. Three years ago, he asked me to loan him money for a car.”
“Did you?” Jeremy asked, hoping she hadn’t.
“I had to. How was he going to keep his job without one?”
“But he didn’t keep it,” Jeremy said, connecting the dots.
“No, he didn’t. So he couldn’t pay his rent, either. And since I’d cosigned on his lease… Well, I had to help out with that, too.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I finally had enough and told him he was on his own.”
“How did he take it?”
“All right, I guess. He hooked up with a girl named Courtney—Anthony’s mother—and for a while, everything seemed to be on the uphill swing.”
“So cutting him off actually helped?”
“Apparently so. When he and Courtney split up, I expected him to go off the deep end again, but he didn’t.”
“He kept his job?”
She nodded. “Like I told you before, he really enjoyed working at the feed store. He has a thing for horses and animals. So the layoff hit him hard, and I know he’s hurting because of it.” She glanced at the stroller, where the baby napped in the shade. “And now there’s Anthony to worry about.”
Maybe so, but Jeremy could see the writing on the wall, even if Kirsten couldn’t. Max needed to make his own way for a change.
“The weird thing is,” Kirsten said, “my brother needs my help, but at the same time, he resents it.”
Jeremy wondered if Max had finally turned the corner, if he would settle down once he found the right job. He hoped so. It sounded as if Kirsten could use a break.
“What about you?” he asked. “You mentioned being out of work, too.”
“Yes, but that’s just temporary. I’ve never had trouble finding or keeping a job. I’m good at what I do, and I’ve got a great résumé and letters of recommendation, so it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” he said, thin
king about the clinic and the Fortune Foundation. “I have plenty of connections in town. Maybe I can talk to someone and put in a good word for you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “That’s nice of you, but I really want to get a job on my own merits. It’s important to me.”
He had to admire her for that. And he couldn’t help studying her from across the table, amazed how the sun shine highlighted the golden strands in her hair, how it picked up flecks of green in her pretty blue eyes, making them almost turquoise in color.
If he had the rest of the day at his disposal, he might have enjoyed more time with her, but as it was, he glanced at his wristwatch instead.
“You know,” he said, “I’m going to have to call it a day. I need to get back to the clinic.”
Kirsten stood, gathered the leftover food and placed it back in the cooler. “Do you have a full schedule this afternoon?”
“Not that I know of, but that can change from minute to minute.” Jeremy tossed the used napkins into the trash receptacle, then gripped the handle of the cooler. “Thanks for suggesting that we have a picnic. It’s been a long time since I’ve done something like this.”
And even longer that he’d enjoyed kicking back and just being with a beautiful woman.
“A change in routine keeps life interesting,” she said.
His mother used to say things like that. In fact, that was one reason she’d let her sons go to Texas each summer and spend time on the Double Crown Ranch with Ryan and Lily. She had wanted them to have an opportunity to experience another way of life and to gain a broader perspective.
As Kirsten pushed the stroller toward the sidewalk, Jeremy joined her, and they made their way to the street on which she lived.
It was a short walk to the house, yet Jeremy found himself walking slower than he ought to and talking about a memory he’d had while exploring a swimming hole he and his brothers had found near the ranch.
“One day, we decided to go skinny-dipping,” he said. “But a couple girls, who’d come with their mother to visit Lily, found us and ran off with our clothes. We stayed in that water until we turned into prunes and had no choice but to go home naked.”