“You told him we were coming?” She shot him a glare, which he responded to with a shrug of his shoulder.
“What was I supposed to do, Kelly? He’s still my boss. I had to tell him.”
She crossed her arms to try to convey her displeasure, but she didn’t blame him. Of course, he’d been in contact with Josh. He certainly owed her brother much more than he owed her. Josh had taken a chance on him and given him a job at the sheriff’s office. All she’d done was left him again and again. Besides, it didn’t matter if Josh found out about her return home in five minutes or a half hour from now.
They approached downtown Courtland, and Zeke parked the car in a spot on the street in front of the courthouse adjacent to the sheriff’s office.
She spotted Josh approaching the car and got out to greet him, not even bothering to unbuckle Brady from his car seat since it looked like they weren’t going inside to meet with him. She stared down her brother, ready to defend herself against what he probably thought was her putting herself in danger.
He shook Zeke’s hand and then pulled Kellyanne into a hug before holding her shoulders at arm’s length and studying her. Worry creased the lines around his eyes. “Are you okay? Really okay?”
His concern was genuine, and some of her irritation faded. “I’m really fine,” she assured him. Despite his meddling, she knew he loved her.
“Zeke filled me in on what’s been happening with you. I have to admit, I wish you’d called and told me.”
“What could you do, Josh? It wasn’t your problem.”
He sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. “Anything that places my kid sister in danger is my problem, Kelly. Don’t you forget it.”
She bit back a retort, knowing her brother was only looking out for her, but she still wasn’t going to agree everything in her life was Josh’s business.
“Zeke, I appreciate all you’ve done for my sister, but this isn’t your fight. My brothers and I will take over now. We’ll keep Kelly and the baby safe while we figure out who is behind these attacks.”
She stiffened as Zeke glanced back at her, and thought she spotted hesitation on his part. Oh no, please don’t leave me alone now, Zeke.
Finally, he spoke. “I’d rather stick close by, if you don’t mind, Josh. It doesn’t feel right to walk away now.”
Josh glanced between them as if he knew the history between them. But he couldn’t. She’d been so careful, and she was certain Zeke wouldn’t have told him. “If that’s what you want, we’ll take all the assistance we can get. In that case, why don’t you drive Kellyanne back to the Silver Star. I asked Lawson and Paul to meet me there after I finish up with a meeting I have scheduled. We need to talk about what’s been going on and how to keep her safe.”
“We’ll see you then,” Zeke stated before Josh turned and headed back toward his office. Zeke glanced at her from over the top of the car. “We should go.”
Before they could get back into the car, someone called his name. They both turned, and Kellyanne spotted a petite woman approaching them and waving at Zeke.
“I thought that was you,” she said. “Glad to see you’re home. How was your convention?”
“Joanne, hi.” Zeke glanced at Kellyanne and then back at the woman, and Kellyanne thought she saw sweat beading on his forehead.
Who was this woman who garnered such a reaction?
“I just arrived back in town.”
She shot Kellyanne a curious look and then glanced at the baby in the car. A frown formed on her face. “Looks like you had an interesting trip.” The friendly tone she tried so hard to convey didn’t quite reach her face, and Kellyanne noticed curiosity there.
Zeke’s face reddened. “Joanne, this is Kellyanne Avery. We drove back from Austin together.”
She reached out her hand to shake it. “Yes, I’ve heard of you. Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Kellyanne responded, noticing the way her eyes tracked to the baby through the car’s window.
“And who is this?”
“His name is Brady,” Kellyanne told her. “He’s my son.” She glanced at Zeke and made a snap decision. “Actually, he’s our son.”
Zeke’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t meant to blindside him with that revelation, but she suddenly realized they needed to keep Brady’s identity a secret in case someone came to town looking for the child of a murdered woman.
The shock on Joanne’s face nearly matched Zeke’s. She turned to face him before somewhat composing herself. “Well, congratulations to you both. When did this happen?”
Zeke pulled a hand nervously through his hair. “I just found out myself.” It wasn’t a lie, and Kellyanne couldn’t help the smirk that formed on her face.
“I guess your trip was more eventful than you’d planned, wasn’t it?” Joanne turned to hurry away, but then she looked back at Zeke. “We can talk later. I’ll see you at church on Sunday?”
He nodded and waved to her. Once she was out of earshot, he spun to face Kellyanne. “Why did you tell her that?”
Her amusement at the situation faded at the serious tone of his voice. “I don’t know. I just suddenly realized we needed to keep Brady’s identity a secret. What if someone comes looking for him?”
“You should have talked to me before you said that,” he insisted, climbing into the car.
She got in too. “You’re right, and I’m sorry, but we have to do whatever it takes to keep him safe, don’t we? I don’t know if it’ll do much good if the bad guys know who I am, but it couldn’t hurt, could it?” She saw he was struggling with this and was hurt at the implication. “It’s not so far-fetched that he could be our child, is it? You even wondered it yourself.”
He gripped the steering wheel, and she realized she’d gone too far with that comment. He released a deep breath before he responded. “No, it’s not, but now you’ve dragged me into a lie. I’m not the same person I used to be Kelly. I’ve changed.”
“I heard. You go to church now.” She hadn’t missed that piece of information or the way Joanne had seemed to lay claim to him. And why did that bother her so?
“I’m no saint, and I know better than anyone that it’s not impossible for him to be mine. But I’ve been going to church and I’ve found God. How will I face my church members now with this lie?”
She’d felt something was different about him, and now it all made sense. “I didn’t know you’d started going to church.”
“Of course, you didn’t. You don’t know anything about my life anymore.”
That stung, but he was right. She hadn’t kept up with him. They hadn’t even spoken in more than a year before a few days ago. “I don’t know what’s been happening, but I know you, Zeke. I know your heart, and I’m sure anyone else that knows you knows you would never abandon your responsibilities. You would step up and be a dad to your son.”
“But he’s not my son, Kelly.”
But he could be.
She bit back those words. She was going to have to have a conversation with him about the pregnancy and miscarriage, but not now, not while this was going on.
“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable with this. You don’t have to do it.”
“I want to keep you safe. Truthfully, I’m more concerned with Brady’s and your safety than I am with my reputation. I just wanted you to know what was going on with me.”
“I’m glad you told me.” But she wasn’t really. She didn’t like hearing that Zeke had become a Christian. It felt like a betrayal somehow. Her family wasn’t the only thing she’d run from when she left home.
“Maybe you could come to church with me on Sunday?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not going to happen.”
“I don’t understand you sometimes, Kellyanne.”
“If you’ve become a Christian, I think
that’s great for you, Zeke, but it’s not for me. I’ve got enough people trying to run my life as it is. I don’t need God telling me what to do, as well.”
“That’s not really what being a Christian means.”
“I’d rather not talk about it,” she insisted. She was going to hear enough about God when she saw her family. She didn’t need it now too. “Please, just drive me home.”
Zeke looked like he wanted to say something else, but she turned her head away and studied the reflection in the window instead of engaging with him. Finally, he started the car and headed for Silver Star.
He accepted her demand for silence for several miles, but once they hit the highway, he spoke again. “I guess I just don’t understand why you’re so reluctant to return to Silver Star. If I had a family like yours, I’d be happy to see them.”
“I’m not unhappy to see my family, Zeke. I love them. But you have no idea what it’s like to be the youngest of six kids, and the only girl at that. Growing up like that made me careful about what I do and say. They were always watching me, telling me what to do and lecturing me whenever I made a mistake.”
“They love you, Kelly. They were just watching out for you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it, but having five older brothers, all of them in some kind of law enforcement, didn’t exactly make me the popular girl at school. They were so intimidating to the first boy I ever brought home, he never even spoke to me again.”
“Your family is great, Kelly. I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm.”
“It doesn’t matter what they intend. The results are always the same. Every time I come home, I feel like that little girl who has no control over her life. I feel like I’m suffocating. When I’m home, I seem to revert to that role. Everyone has an opinion about my life and how I should live it.”
She glanced at Zeke and realized that was why she was drawn to him. He was staunch and protective, but he didn’t make demands of her. He allowed her to be a part of the conversation. She knew he’d wanted to insist on her returning to Courtland, but he’d kept it to himself and let her reach that conclusion on her own. It had been the right choice, but it had also been her choice.
“Is that the reason you never brought me home with you?”
“Of course. I couldn’t risk letting my brothers run you off, could I?”
His jaw clenched. “I guess I understand that. I just wish you’d told me all this years ago. I thought...” He cleared his throat, and she suddenly had a terrible realization.
“You thought you were the reason I never brought you home to my family.”
He tried to shrug it off, but she saw the pain in his expression. “You always wanted to keep our relationship a secret. I thought maybe you were ashamed of me.”
“How could you think that?”
“I wanted to be your boyfriend, Kelly, but you kept me at a distance. I would see you and your family around town, and you acted like I didn’t exist.”
“That had nothing to do with you, Zeke.”
“You know I never had much in the way of family. If I had one like yours, I’d consider myself a blessed man. I guess I just can’t understand how you can treat what you have—the blessing you have—like something you need to escape from. You may have felt differently if you’d never had one.”
The choke in his voice tore at her. He’d had a difficult life being raised as an only child by a grandmother after his parents were killed.
She thought about his words as she watched the landscape open up and the familiar lands appear. She knew them all and most of the names of the families who inhabited them. Zeke looked at what she had and was jealous, but the truth was she was a little jealous of his life. He’d never had anyone watching his every move and critiquing it. He’d had all the freedom to come and go as he pleased and to make his own decisions. He might feel alone in his life, but she couldn’t help thinking he took his freedom for granted.
She knew she should be more content with her life. She loved her family. That was never in question. Each of her brothers held a special place in her heart, and she knew they all wanted the best for her. But their methods were sometimes questionable. They didn’t always let her make her own decisions. She didn’t know if that was just them being big brothers or if it had to do with their law-enforcement brains and training.
Either way, it hurt her to realize how she’d unintentionally hurt Zeke with her behavior.
What a mess you’ve made, Kelly.
She braced herself as Zeke turned the car into the entrance and under the sign that announced the Silver Star Ranch. Zeke pulled up close to the house and parked. The dogs barked and darted for the car, and, as usual, she felt the pull of familiarity as she glanced at her childhood home. She’d loved growing up here, but each time she returned, she felt like that thirteen-year-old girl under her family’s rule.
The front door opened, and her mom and dad exited the house, followed by her brothers Lawson and Paul and their wives, Bree and Shelby.
Her mother spotted her and rushed out to greet her, wiping her hands on her apron. “Kellyanne, we weren’t expecting you.” Her expression changed the moment she saw the bruises on Kellyanne’s face. “What happened?” she asked, pulling Kellyanne into a hug. Kellyanne caught the scent of her mother’s face cream. It always reminded her of home.
“I’m fine, but there is a problem, and we felt it would be safer to come here than to stay in Austin.”
Her mother frowned and glanced at Zeke, who had removed the car seat and Brady from the back seat of the car. “Is that a baby? Kelly, why is Zeke pulling a baby from your car? For that matter, why is Zeke with you?” Exasperation mingled with the worry on her mom’s face, and she saw the rest of her family shared her concerns.
She unlocked the buckles and pulled Brady from the carrier, holding him against her chest. “Everyone, this is Brady.” They all stood stunned for a moment, and Kellyanne knew they were thinking Brady was hers and she hadn’t told them. They weren’t far from the truth, but she quickly filled them in. “Brady is my friend Lisa’s son. She died a few days ago. Now he’s in danger, and I’ve promised to keep him safe.”
Zeke stepped up beside her. “We’ve promised to keep him safe.”
She saw her family’s relief, but it gave her an indication of how they might have reacted to her really being pregnant. They would have been shocked, just like they’d been now with Brady, but they would also have been understanding and forgiving, just as they’d all forgiven her brother Miles for his deceptions a few years ago when he’d brought Melissa and her son, Dylan, home and claimed she was his wife. They’d all fallen in love with her and Dylan only to learn that she was his witness and not his wife. Thankfully, things had worked out, and Melissa and Dylan were now truly a part of the family, but the secrets Miles had hidden from them had stunned the family.
Now she was following in his wake. Would they offer her the same forgiveness? Sure they would, but not before they lectured her about her choices.
Her sister-in-law Bree hugged Kellyanne, rubbed Brady’s head and looked at him with an awestruck expression. “He’s beautiful.” Her own belly was round with her and Lawson’s first child, Kellyanne’s soon-to-be first niece.
“He is, and he’s such a good baby. I used to watch him sometimes when Lisa needed to go out, so I’ve become very attached to him. Now it seems I’m all he’s got.”
Lawson stepped forward. “Hold on. Something isn’t right. Zeke, how did you get involved in all this?”
Zeke’s face reddened, but he stepped up. “I went to see Kellyanne when I was in Austin for the law-enforcement conference. I was with her when she found her friend murdered.”
Everyone gasped. “Murdered?” her mother cried out and gasped, clutching her chest. “Lisa is the woman who lives next door to you, isn’t she?”
Lived. “Yes, she d
id.”
“A murder in your building?”
Zeke interjected. “The detective in charge doesn’t believe it was a random killing. They believe she was killed by Brady’s father because of something she knew.” He looked at Kellyanne, and she understood from his glance that this was the time to tell them everything.
“Lisa left me a voice mail message stating she was going to confront Brady’s father. She said she’d hidden evidence of their affair. We believe whoever Brady’s father is murdered her to keep her silent.”
“What do you know about this man?” Shelby, Paul’s wife, asked.
“Almost nothing. She didn’t tell me his name. All I know about him is that he’s someone of influence, and if anyone finds out about the affair and Brady, it could ruin him. Zeke and I tried to do some investigating, but it hasn’t worked out. Once I realized Brady was in danger, I knew I had to get him out of town to keep him safe.” She tickled him under his chin, and he giggled, sending darts of love through her. “I can’t believe anyone would try to harm him, but I’ve seen it firsthand.”
“What about this evidence Lisa claimed to have?” Lawson asked her.
“She claimed to have a flash drive with evidence, but we haven’t found it.”
“So maybe the killer took it with him after he killed her?” Bree suggested.
Zeke shook his head. “Maybe, but if he did, then why would he still want Kelly and Brady? They’ve both become targets since this started, and we’re no closer to discovering why. That’s why we thought it would be safer to leave Austin and come here.”
“We’re glad you did,” her mother said, putting her arm around Kelly’s shoulders.
Lawson agreed. “You’re definitely safer here.”
Her father reached out to Zeke and shook his hand. “Thank you for keeping her safe and for bringing her home. I’m glad you were in town when all this happened.”
“I’m glad too. I’m sure Josh never expected this when he sent me to that conference. Unfortunately, I missed most of the classes I was there to attend.”
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