by Jenna Jacob
“We’d like to transport your mom to Marshalltown Community, but you can ride in the back of the ambulance with her if you’d like.”
“Yes. I’m not leaving her side.” Sky nodded vehemently.
“I’ll follow,” Greg Harris blurted out. “You’ll need a ride back home. Hopefully both of you.”
“I’m going with you, Greg,” Gran announced before glancing up at Kaitlin. “Can you handle Nina alone?”
“Of course,” she assured her. “I’ll pick her up and take her to Sharp’s for lunch, then bring her back to our house. We’ll do girl things…paint our nails, curl our hair.” Turning, she looked pointedly at Sky. “I’ll take care of her as if she were my own.”
Sky opened his mouth as if to argue before he snapped it shut. His brows slashed in an angry scowl. “Don’t tell her what happened. You’ll only scare her,” he scolded tersely.
“I’m not an idiot,” Kaitlin snapped.
“Fine,” he barked as he dragged a gaze up and down her body. “Change your clothes. for christ sakes. You can’t take her out looking like that.”
Affronted, Kaitlin sucked in a gasp and looked down at her apparel. She raised her head and shot him a scathing stare but managed to bite her tongue.
“If you go waltzing into Sharp’s looking like that, half the men in town will be drooling all over you,” Sky jeered in an acrid tone.
As if impossible, the tension in the room spiked even higher. Devin cleared his throat, drawing her attention.
“Hey, Katie. Nice to have you back home,” Officer Sharp greeted with a nod before darting a glance toward Sky, who stood shooting daggers at him. The cop pinched his lips together, struggling not to grin.
To her, it seemed they were sharing some sophomoric joke at Kaitlin’s expense. She refused to acknowledge Devin’s comment as Sky pinned her with an accusatory glare. Still seething from his crass clothing remark, she wondered how many chauvinistic suppositories he’d shoved up his ass for him to make such a rude comment.
Yes, he had every right to be pissy about their argument, but his jab about other men drooling on her sounded like plain old-fashioned jealousy to her. With a frown, she mulishly folded her arms over her chest and slammed Sky with a glare of her own. It was stupid, petty even, especially with Brooke lying on the living room floor writhing in pain, but dammit, Kaitlin couldn’t help it. Sky seemed to bring out the best and worst in her every time. She had to stop letting him push her buttons and quit reverting back to her old childish behavior every time he rubbed her the wrong way. After all, he was lashing out at her for fear of what was happening to Brooke. Dammit. Kaitlin didn’t know why she was always so ready to go on the defensive. He deserved better than dealing with her bitchy attitude.
As the EMTs secured Brooke to a gurney, Kaitlin waved good-bye to Gran and stepped outside. After hurrying across the road, she stood watching as the EMTs loaded Brooke into the ambulance. Sky climbed in behind her, but not before he shot Kaitlin a glance. Her throat grew thick when she saw the apology in his eyes. But the damage was done.
Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes, asshole, she scoffed inwardly.
Kaitlin waved to Greg and Gran as the big silver truck trailed the ambulance with sirens screaming. When the caravan was out of sight, she turned and hurried into the house and up to her room.
Stomping and seething, she peeled down her shorts and yanked the halter top off over her head. “If you go waltzing into Sharp’s looking like that, half the men in town will be drooling all over you,” she mimicked Sky’s words in a scalding tone.
“And what are you going to do about it if they did? Nothing. That’s what. I’ve got a newsflash for you, Sky Whitefeather…you can shove what I wear straight up your sexy ass. I don’t want or need your fucking approval. This is my life, you son of a bitch, and you’re smoking crack if you think you’re going to tell me how to run it.” Kaitlin railed at her reflection in the mirror as she tugged a designer sundress—the only matronly piece of clothing she wore aside from her power suits—over her head. Smoothing her hands over the material, she looked in the mirror and smiled.
The teal color made her green eyes pop. “I might just have a few drooling, anyway. What do you think of that, you asshole?” she taunted her reflection with glee. “Maybe I’ll take a few photos with my phone of them slobbering, or will a couple of napkins of saliva suffice as proof for you? Argh!”
Venting felt good…too good. She even felt a spring in her step as she hurried toward her Jag. It had been a long time since she’d felt in control of her life. Even though she was still worried and anxious about Brooke, the empowerment inside Kaitlin felt invigorating.
After arriving at the church, she found Dorothy Patterson—choir director of the Presbyterian church for the past three hundred years—or so it seemed. She recognized Kaitlin immediately and smiled. Nina saw her, too, and raised her hand high in the air, waving excitedly. Kaitlin returned an overzealous wave of her own and chuckled.
As Nina hugged the little girl playing next to her, Kaitlin quickly explained to Dorothy why she was picking up Nina instead of Brooke. The old woman paled and quickly squeezed Kaitlin’s hand vowing that not only would the entire congregation be praying for Brooke but that plenty of food would be delivered to the Whitefeather home.
Great! The single women of Connor would be clambering all over themselves to bring Sky their goodies. The idea of a younger, firmer casserole patrol made her see green. It was bad enough watching Grace stare at him with big, sappy doe eyes; the thought of watching women throw themselves at Sky made her stomach clench. Though he’d assured her there was no love connection between him and Grace, Kaitlin knew there had to be more than a dozen in town he had shared a connection with.
What the hell am I doing here? I don’t need this shit in my life. Why don’t I just leave now?
It wasn’t like Kaitlin had planned to exhume her relationship with Sky or perform CPR on the past to bring it back to life…only apologize. Last night, he’d caught her at a weak moment. Six months without sex had taken its toll, and she’d given in to her cravings. But it had been an earth-shattering, toe-curling, completely satiating, major mistake. So what if all the single women of Connor wanted to drop to their knees before him? She preferred to stand on her own two feet so she could kick him in the balls.
Right. Keep telling yourself that, a little voice in the back of her head taunted. You’d drop to your knees again in a heartbeat, and you damn well know it.
“What are you doing here, Miss Katie?” Nina asked, tugging the hem of Kaitlin’s dress, dragging her out of her musings. “Did you come to play with the kids?”
“No, sugar. I came to pick you up and take you to lunch. Would you like that?”
She nodded and grinned excitedly, then sobered. “Is Daddy coming with us?” she asked, scanning the parking lot for Sky.
“Not today. It’s just us girls,” Kaitlin answered with a reassuring smile.
“I’m sorry, Katie,” Dorothy interjected timidly. “But you’re not on our list of custodians. I’m afraid I can’t let you take her.”
“Oh, I forgot. Sky told me to tell you: rainbow.”
Dorothy smiled and nodded. “Ah, very good. That changes everything. Nina, it’s perfectly fine for you to go with Katie today. You two girls have a wonderful lunch.”
“Yippy,” Nina cried as she jumped up and down excitedly.
Kaitlin didn’t have a car seat, and though Sharp’s Café was only a block and a half away, she drove extra cautiously with Nina in the backseat. The thought of hitting another car or a fire hydrant with Sky’s most valuable treasure made her palms sweat. She actually exhaled in relief once she’d parked the Jag in front of the café.
“Your car is purdy. Where’d ya get it?” Nina asked, eyes wide as she unbuckled herself and climbed through to the front seat.
“Thank you. I bought it in Chicago.”
“When I get big, I’m gonna drive,” she proudly anno
unced. “Do you want to see the pitcher I drewed for Daddy? It’s ’apposed to make him smile. He yelled at me at breakfast this mornin’.” Nina’s lips curled down in a frown. “I was scareded cuz Daddy never yells, ’specially at me. Gramma said he was mad cuz the fence got broked, but I think sumthin’ else made him mad. That silly ol’ fence gets broked all the time and he never yelled at me cuz of it a’fore.”
Kaitlin’s heart sank. Had Sky taken his frustrations out on Nina? Dammit. Why had she lost her grip and gone off the deep end this morning? Nina’s crushed feelings were all Kaitlin’s fault.
“I’d love to see the picture you made for him,” she answered, feeling two inches tall.
Nina held up the colorful image of two stick figures. One short and one tall, both adorned with long black hair, wearing big red crayon smiles and holding hands in a field of corn—at least Kaitlin thought the crude green scribbles were corn. A big yellow sun, wearing a wide grin, took up most of the corner of the page. A watery smile curled on Kaitlin’s lips as maternal longings tugged at her heart.
“Your daddy won’t be able to stop smiling once he sees this. It’s beautiful, Nina.”
“Goodie.” She grinned. “Where is my Gramma and Daddy at?”
Kaitlin took a deep breath. With calm compassion, she told the little girl that Brooke had a bad tummy ache, and that Sky had taken her to the doctor. Suddenly, big crocodile tears filled the little girl’s eyes. Kaitlin nearly panicked, but instead, she threaded her fingers with Nina’s and gave her little hand a gentle squeeze.
“Gramma Brooke is going to be just fine. You’ll see,” Kaitlin promised, hoping it wasn’t a lie. “Let’s go inside and get some lunch. What would you like to eat?” she asked, steeping her tone in overexcited exuberance.
“Cheesy burgers and French fries,” Nina replied as she bounced in her seat. Either the promise of a greasy cheeseburger or Kaitlin’s vow had wiped the little girl’s fears away. “Daddy don’t let me have Coke, ’cuz he says I bounce off the walls ’nuff, but I can have a Sprite.”
“Then Sprite it is. And maybe if we’re not too full, we can get some ice cream.”
“Ice cream? I love ice cream,” she squealed with delight.
Kaitlin laughed as she released her seat belt. “Me, too.”
~*~
In the waiting room, Gran sat poised on the edge of her seat, hands clutched in what looked like perpetual prayer, while he and Greg paced the aged linoleum floor. The pungent scent of rubbing alcohol burned Sky’s nose and turned his stomach. He glanced at the clock on the wall once more and issued an inward curse. Each minute dragged by like an hour, and he was climbing the walls. After they’d waited forty-five interminable minutes, a nurse appeared and ushered the three of them back to a small trauma room.
The sight of his mother lying on the white padded table, eyes closed, and a sickly pale hue over her normally bronze skin brought a lump of fear to Sky’s throat. Adrenaline and anxiety melded and hummed not only in him but radiated off Gran and Greg as well.
“Mom?” Sky whispered as he tucked her hand in his.
Brooke opened her eyes and gave him a gentle smile. “I’m okay, honey. They gave me some pain meds. I’m a little loopy but feeling much better.”
“Do the doctors know what’s wrong?”
“No, not yet. They took me down for an x-ray and a sonogram, but I haven’t heard if they found anything or not. I’m just glad the pain is gone. It’s a huge relief.”
“You gave us one hell of a scare, honey,” Greg stated, still visibly shaken. “I don’t want to see you in that kind of pain ever again. It damn near killed me.” He moved toward the foot of the bed, staring warmly into Brooke’s eyes.
His mom’s expression softened, and a rose hue blossomed over her cheeks. A bashful smile curled her lips as if simply looking at Greg had lifted her spirits. The longer the two stared at each other, the more Sky sensed their obvious affection. He felt as if he’d been shot through some cosmic wormhole.
Whoa. No. What the hell? How long has this been going on? And why the fuck haven’t I seen it until now?
“You didn’t have to come.” Brooke’s soft voice held a hint of embarrassment.
“I most certainly did,” Greg replied, staring compassionately into her eyes.
Sky noted the low, seductive tone in the other man’s voice. Christ, I’m going to need bleach for my fucking ears.
Greg cupped Brooke’s ankle and began gently strumming his fingers over her skin.
Great. Now I need some for my eyes. This can’t be happening. I’ve been reading people for years. How the hell did I miss this? How did I not know they were…god, don’t say it…lovers. Too late.
A blush darkened his mom’s cheeks at Greg’s touch. An ugly beast roared to life inside Sky. His body tensed, demanding he protect his mother. As if sensing Sky’s slipping grip of sanity, Gran reached up and squeezed his arm. Without uttering a word, the old woman gave him a look of warning before easing alongside him to smile down at Brooke.
“Hopefully they’ll have some answers soon,” Gran encouraged as she bent and kissed her cheek.
“It’s wild,” Brooke started. “When I came in here, the pain was unbearable, but now I’m only sort of achy…tender. Like when I took that soccer ball to the stomach when you were in eighth grade, Sky.” As she raised her head, Brooke held his gaze. He saw a plea for understanding and acceptance shimmering in her brown eyes.
Sky’s emotions were all over the map. The boy inside wanted to throw up at the thought of Greg slamming and sweating all over his mother, while the protective son wanted to pound Greg into the floor. But the grown-up within scoffed at his ridiculous emotions and didn’t want to do anything to fuck up his mother’s happiness. As long as Greg treated her like a queen, then they had Sky’s blessing. But if Greg ever hurt his mom…they’d never find the body. Sky smiled and gave her a wink of reassurance.
“Ugh. Don’t remind me,” he replied as he stroked a hand through his mom’s hair. “I felt like crap for a week for hurting you.”
“You shouldn’t have.” Brooke shook her head. “It was an accident.”
“Yeah, but you’re my mom. Anything or anybody hurts you…I want to tear them limb from limb.”
Yeah, that was real subtle, asshole.
“Is there anything we can get you?” Greg asked, paying little heed to Sky’s intended threat.
“Only a hall pass out of here,” she answered with a weary smile.
“I think we can arrange that for you,” a young doctor announced as he waltzed into the room. “I’m Alan Zeller.” He extended a hand to Sky and Greg.
After they both shook the doctor’s hand, Sky peered down at the man. “Did the tests show anything?” he asked, struggling to keep the anxiety from his voice.
“Nothing conclusive, but thankfully we’ve ruled out appendicitis,” the doctor explained with a satisfied nod, focusing all his attention on Brooke. “We did discover a couple of large fibroid cysts on the outside of your uterus. I think the excruciating pain you experienced might have been an additional cyst bursting. It’s quite uncomfortable.”
“Are these cysts serious?” Brooke asked. Sky didn’t miss the quiver in her voice.
“Not usually, but it would be a good idea for you to schedule a visit with your OB/GYN. Follow up with him and see if he thinks they need to be removed. I’m sure you don’t want to go through this again.”
“No. I don’t. I’ll definitely follow up with him. Thank you, Doctor.” She smiled as Sky, Greg, and Gran all exhaled in relief.
“You’re welcome. You’re free to go home, but I want you to rest today and tomorrow. Ease back into your normal routine over the next week.” The doctor arched his brows, emphasizing his instructions.
“We’ll make sure she does,” Gran vowed sternly.
“Damn right we will,” Sky seconded.
After writing a prescription for pain pills, the doctor left the room. Sky knew his mom hated ho
spitals, and by the time the nurse had given Brooke her discharge instructions, she’d grown surly and impatient. But once inside Greg’s truck, her attitude sweetened immensely. Sky and Gran sat in the back seat, and the dually tires hummed loudly over the county road, making it impossible to hear a word of the conversation between his mom and Greg.
Though he wanted his mother to be happy, he still struggled to wrap his head around the fact that she and Greg were…involved, at least to some degree. A million questions circled his brain.
Gran gently patted his hand. “We’ll get your mom settled in, go up to the house, get Nina, and talk there.”
Did he want to talk about his mom’s sex life? Hell no. “Thanks, Gran, but I’m not sure I want to know the details,” he mumbled.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” she quipped with an ornery grin.
Sky rolled his eyes, then turned his gaze out the window. He wondered how Nina and Katie were getting along. Of course, it was just his luck that he’d be forced to see the little redheaded demon again when he picked up Nina. It was as if the planets and stars had aligned to make his life a living hell. Why else would his best-laid plans to ignore Katie constantly turn around to bite him in the ass? Or was this some kind of omen? Aside from locking himself in a closet and throwing away the key, it was virtually impossible to keep from crossing paths with her. There was no other choice—Sky would feed off a diet of sexual frustration and unrequited love until she left again.
He shook his head in disgust. The glory days were long gone. She wasn’t his girl anymore. Fine. So be it. He’d thought he’d come to terms with that fact long ago. Unfortunately there was more heartache for him to digest. Great. It was time to man up. His mother and daughter needed him far more than Katie ever had or ever would. Besides, there wasn’t room in his life for a prickly, scarred ex-lover who made him ache for something he could never have again.
He knew it was too early to twist open a beer or toss back a shot of tequila, but that’s exactly what he wanted to do—find a little liquid fortification to take the edge off. Of course, if he weren’t ignoring Katie, he’d snatch her in his arms, carry her to the tree house in Gran’s backyard—their secret love shack from the past—and drag her beneath him one more time. That would do a hell of a lot more than alcohol to smooth out his day.