by Gina Wilkins
This was her refuge when she needed time alone, her place to plan and dream and unwind. It wasn’t the room she’d slept in as a child; that one was downstairs, close to the master bedroom. She had moved into this room—the one that had been Shane’s before he’d built his own house next door—after she’d received her degree in Houston and had moved back home full-time while she looked for a permanent teaching position.
She had needed that transition from her childhood. While her family still occasionally treated her like “little Molly,” at least she thought of herself as an adult.
She glanced down at her braced foot, wiggling her toes inside her soft white sock. Starting tomorrow, she was supposed to start exercising her ankle, rebuilding strength and mobility, and she had been advised to see her own doctor in a few days to check the progress of her healing. Within a few weeks, she would be completely back to normal, with no physical evidence of her time with Kyle.
Only she would know how much she had changed on the inside.
Pushing herself to her feet, she moved gingerly toward the door. She heard Shane and Kyle talking as she reached the stairs. She looked down to see them standing at the bottom, Shane completely at ease, Kyle a bit stiff. Though she didn’t realize she’d made any noise, Kyle seemed to sense her presence, his gaze meeting hers as he glanced up.
His expression didn’t change, and she made sure hers didn’t, either—but something passed between them, anyway. Whatever it was, she hoped it had bypassed Shane’s usually acute radar.
Kyle started up the stairs, pausing in front of her. “We thought you might need help getting down the stairs,” he said, holding out an arm.
Touched by the courtesy, she braced a hand on his arm, using him to support the weight on her right foot as she descended the stairs. Shane handed her the crutches when she reached the bottom. “You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked, looking down at her foot. “We can give Joe a call—I’m sure he’d be happy to take a look at your ankle.”
“Tonight? Don’t be silly. That isn’t necessary.” Their cousin Brynn had married an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Joe D’Alessandro. Molly had no doubt that Joe would see her—or even make the hour-long drive to the ranch if Shane called him—but there was absolutely no need.
“We’ll call him tomorrow, then,” Shane conceded. “Stop fussing. It’s just a sprain.”
Correctly reading her tone, he backed off. “Are you hungry?”
“I could have a snack.” She thumped toward the kitchen, downplaying the awkwardness of her injury as much as possible.
Fortunately, she thought a few minutes later, awkward silences were rarely a problem when Shane was around. While she tended to babble to fill such moments, she didn’t have to resort to that as they sat around the kitchen table, eating the ham and cheese sandwiches and potato salad Kelly had sent for them. Having already dined, Shane had a cup of coffee while they ate, chatting with the comfortable ease that came so naturally to him.
“So, Kyle, you’ve got a place in the Smokies now. My dad and I went through there years ago, back when I was a kid. Before he even met Cassie. I remember it being really beautiful there.”
“Prettiest area I’ve ever seen,” Kyle answered simply. “First time I visited there, I knew I would live there someday. Just never thought it would be so soon.”
Molly remembered him saying there was nothing left for him in Texas, but maybe she hadn’t realized quite how permanently he had settled in Tennessee. Had she harbored some faint, secret hope that he would decide to stay here on the ranch with her? If so, how foolish of her.
She had known from the start that her time with Kyle was temporary. He had certainly made it clear enough that he wanted nothing more.
Though her appetite had dissipated, she finished her meal while Shane skillfully drew a few more remarks out of Kyle. Only when she noticed that Shane was starting to give her a few searching looks—probably in response to her uncharacteristic silence—did she make an effort to join the conversation. “How are the boys?”
A quick frown crossed her brother’s face. “They’re doing okay, I guess.”
“What’s wrong?”
Looking a bit rueful that he hadn’t done a better job of hiding his concerns, Shane replied, “It’s Jacob again.” Now it was Molly’s turn to frown. “What’s he done?”
“No, it isn’t him. It’s his father. Gene Hayes.”
“Oh, no. Don’t tell me he’s shown up again.”
“Yeah. He crawled out from under a rock during the weekend. Showed up drunk on my doorstep demanding that we turn his son over to him. Kelly had the phone in her hand to call the police when he finally decided to leave on his own—but I’m afraid he’ll be back.”
“He was driving drunk? Shouldn’t you have turned him in for that?”
“Someone was driving him. A woman—she stayed in the truck, so I never got a good look at her.”
“There’s a restraining order against him. He has to leave Jacob alone.”
She watched Shane and Kyle share a look before Shane murmured, “Yeah, well, sometimes restraining orders aren’t enough. Especially when you’ve got an aggressive drunk with no respect for or fear of the law.”
“Does Jacob know his father was here?”
“No. Kelly and I decided not to tell him.”
Molly glanced at Kyle, who was chewing the last bite of a brownie while listening to every word they said. “Jacob was taken away from his father almost a year ago,” she explained for his benefit. “The man is a mean, abusive, irresponsible alcoholic. When he was brought here a few months later, Jacob still had old bruises, poorly healed broken bones and slight hearing loss from being repeatedly hit in the head. He flinched every time anyone came close to him, and he suffered from nightmares. He was several years behind other kids his age educationally because his father hadn’t bothered to send him to school on a regular basis. He’s much better now, though he still has plenty of emotional healing to do.”
“How old is he?”
“He’s fifteen. He’s crazy about Mom and Kelly and seems fond of me, but he’s still a little skittish around Dad and Shane and Memo, even after almost two years.”
Kyle nodded. “Makes sense. He’s used to male authority figures using him as a punching bag.”
“Exactly.”
“What about his mother?”
“Gone,” Shane replied. “From what we’ve been told, she wasn’t much better than his father.”
“Yeah, well, not all women come equipped with maternal instincts,” Kyle muttered.
Shane’s expression darkened. “Tell me about it.” Molly’s throat went tight. She knew Shane was remembering his own early childhood with a neglectful, alcoholic mother and a cold, uncaring stepfather. Jared had been an absent father then, a sailor who spent months at seasomething he regretted tosomething he regretted to this day.
It had taken a drastic move on Shane’s part to change the situationsomething he regretted torunning away from home at the young age of twelve and living on the dangerous streets of Memphis until his father found him several weeks later. Jared had been so shaken by almost losing his son that he had left the navy and assumed full custody of Shane, vowing to be a better father from that point on. He had kept that promise faithfully, becoming the best father either Shane or Molly could imagine having.
She had wondered at times if Shane ever resented that her own childhood had been so sheltered and privileged compared to his. Yet, because of the loving and generous man he had become despite his own disadvantages, she knew he was happy for her. He had, in fact, done everything he could to contribute to her happiness.
“Maybe Hayes won’t come back again,” she said hopefully. “Maybe once he sobered up, he thought about how much trouble he could get in if he didn’t move on.”
“Maybe,” Shane agreed, but he sounded doubtful. “Don’t you think the boy should be warned that his father’s been here?” Kyle asked—and then quickly backed off by sa
ying, “Not that I’m an expert on this sort of thing. You guys probably know what you’re doing—I just know how I’d feel in his position. I’d want to know.”
“Jacob has only recently started to respond to Dad and me,” Shane explained. “I really hate to remind him of the reasons he was wary of us in the first place.”
“Like I said, you probably know what you’re doing. I don’t know anything about kids.” And his tone suggested he didn’t want to know more.
“If Hayes comes around again, I’ll figure out a way to warn Jacob without sending him back into his shell—I hope,” Shane added. “You’re right that he should know to stay on guard.”
Seeing that both Molly and Kyle had finished their meals, Shane reached for their dishes. “I’ll clear this stuff away. I’m sure you’re both tired. You had a long, eventful trip.”
“Tell us about it,” Molly said with a groan. “I’m wiped out, and I’m sure Kyle is, too.”
“I could use some rest,” Kyle admitted.
“There’s no reason for either of you to get up early in the morning,” Shane said as he stacked plates in the dishwasher. “The boys will be in school, and everything else is under control. Just give us a call when you’re up and about and Kelly and I will come over.”
He didn’t linger much longer. Saying they would visit the next day, after Kyle and Molly rested, he let himself out with a warning to Molly to be careful on the stairs.
Kyle pushed a hand through his hair and glanced at Molly. “I guess we should try to get some sleep.”
She nodded and shoved her chair back, reaching for the crutches. Kyle followed her out of the kitchen, turning out lights behind them as they made their way toward the stairs. Once again, Molly left the crutches at the bottom of the staircase, clinging to the banister to support her weight on the way up. Kyle hovered close by, one hand partially extended in her direction as if to catch her if she stumbled.
They both paused in front of her bedroom door. Turning toward him, Molly locked her fingers in front of her. “So, um—do you need anything?”
The question seemed to hang in the air between them, inviting several possible responses. She could almost see Kyle considering and rejecting several replies before he finally shook his head. “I’ll find whatever I need.”
“Okay. Well…good night.”
“G’ night.” He turned toward his room.
“Kyle,” Molly blurted before he had taken a second step.
He looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“You don’t have to go to your own room just yet.” Turning his head to focus on the room at the end of the hall, he murmured, “I think it’s best if I do.”
“Not for my sake.”
He glanced back at her quickly, and then quickly away. “Maybe I’m going for my own sake.”
She would have given a great deal to know exactly what he meant by that. “Are you still planning to leave tomorrow?”
“If I can make arrangements, yes.”
She swallowed. “Then would it really be so bad for us to spend these last few hours together?”
“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“There’s no reason for anyone to be hurt, is there? After all, we both know the score here. Neither of us expects anything after this one night, right? No strings. No clinging. No tearful goodbyes. Right?”
He didn’t look like a man who had just been offered exactly what he wanted. Just the opposite. He looked almost annoyed, in fact.
So maybe, she thought with a sinking feeling deep inside her, their lovemaking hadn’t been as spectacular for him as it had been for her. Maybe he had simply acted on impulse, and was now sorry it had ever happened at all.
Lifting her chin in an effort to salvage what little pride she had left, she gave a crooked smile. “Then again, you’re probably tired. I wouldn’t blame you if you want to just crash and…”
He put his hands on her shoulders and jerked her toward him. His lips settled firmly, almost possessively against hers.
As she wrapped her arms around his neck, Molly wondered if she would ever learn to predict what Kyle would do next, even if she’d had a lifetime to spend with him. Every time she thought she’d figured him out, he did something completely opposite from what she’d expected.
Funny how that very unpredictability was so mesmerizing to her, even as she wondered if anyone would ever really know him.
“Maybe you’re right,” he muttered, backing her through her bedroom doorway. “Maybe this is just what we both need.”
He didn’t give her a chance to reply before he swept her off her feet and onto the bed.
Molly woke alone the next morning. She didn’t remember Kyle leaving during the night, but she wasn’t surprised he had. He wouldn’t risk being caught in her bed by her brother or any of the other ranch residents. It had been enough of a risk, in his opinion, to spend any time there at all.
Sore muscles protested when she rolled to sit up on the side of the bed, proving that Kyle had made the most of the time he had spent with her. She wasn’t wearing the brace yet; tentatively, she flexed her still-swollen foot, wincing with the movement. She worked her way carefully through the gentle exercises she had been instructed to start out with, then made her way to the bathroom to shower and dress.
She emerged from her bedroom a short while later, wearing a long-sleeved yellow T-shirt with a denim skirt that wouldn’t interfere with her brace, and a white sneaker on her uninjured foot. It felt good to be wearing something other than the two athletic suits Jewel had provided for her, even though she’d have rather worn her jeans and boots.
She thought wistfully of her mare, Taffy. She supposed she wouldn’t be able to ride again at least until she’d shed the brace, which wouldn’t fit into a stirrup.
The door to the guest bedroom stood open, and the room was obviously empty. She thumped toward the stairs, half expecting Kyle to be lurking there to help her down. Instead, her sister-in-law appeared out of nowhere when Molly had descended only two steps.
“Here, let me help you.” Her dark blond hair pinned into a casual twist at the back of her neck, Kelly wore a red denim shirt and a pair of jeans, yet still managed to look stylish and attractive.
A licensed audiologist for the local school district, she had cut back to a three-day workweek after her girls were born. Cassie and Graciela had helped Shane with the girls on the days that Kelly worked, and continued to do so with four-year-old Lucy now that seven-year-old Annie was in school.
“I can make it down the stairs pretty well on my own—but stay close, just in case.” Molly clutched the banister and hopped down another step. “Where’s Lucy?”
“She and Shane are taking Kyle on a tour, showing him the changes that have taken place since he left.”
Molly tried to wrap her mind around the image of Kyle spending time with her talkative niece. When that proved impossible, she gave up the attempt and concentrated on getting down the stairs in one piece.
“Shane told Joe about your ankle this morning,” Kelly confided. “Joe wants to take a look at it tomorrow.”
Molly sighed. “Why did Shane do that? I’m perfectly capable of calling Joe, myself.”
“Actually, Brynn called me and I mentioned your ankle and Joe happened to overhear her part of the conversation and then Shane—oh, never mind. The point is, Joe wants to make sure you’re healing properly.”
Kelly had grown up with Molly’s cousin, Brynn, Joe’s wife, and Kelly and Brynn were still best friends. They considered themselves as close as most sisters.
“All right, I’ll call Joe’s office later today and ask when he wants to see me.”
“I’m sure Shane will be happy to drive you.”
“I’m sure he will.”And would probably insist on seeing the X-rays for himself, Molly thought with a sigh.
“So, do you think Kyle will stay for the party?”
“I doubt it.” Resting her weight on the crutches, Molly
made it into the kitchen, where tantalizing scents told her Kelly had been busy. “Do I smell cinnamon rolls?”
“Mmm-hmm. They’re just coming out of the oven. Sit down, and I’ll get you a couple.”
Molly lowered herself into a chair. She took a sip of the coffee Kelly poured for her. “Tastes good.”
Kelly set a plate of still-steaming cinnamon rolls in front of her, then took a seat across the table with a cup of coffee for herself. “Kyle’s changed a great deal since he left here, hasn’t he? Of course, I only met him a few times before he went away.”
“And I was very young when he was here—but I can assure you he has changed a great deal. He’s had a tough time the past year.”
“So I understand.”
Kelly probably referred to Kyle’s injuries. She couldn’t know that the physical pain was the least of what Kyle had suffered.
Glancing toward the kitchen window, Molly wondered if anyone in her family would notice the changes that had taken place in her during the time she had spent with Kyle.
Chapter Eleven
“And my daddy said when I get bigger I can ride in a barrel race. Have you ever seen a barrel race, Mr. Kyle?
Daddy used to do rodeo, but he wasn’t very good.”
“Hey, I wasn’t that bad,” Shane protested, placing a hand on his daughter’s bobbing blond head. “I just had other things I wanted to concentrate on. Like keeping all my bones intact,” he added in an aside to Kyle.
Kyle smiled obligingly as they made their way across the sweeping back lawn toward the main house, but his head was still spinning from spending the better part of an hour with Shane and Lucy. Kyle had noted on more than one occasion that Molly liked to talk, but she couldn’t hold a candle to her four-year-old niece. At least Molly had to pause for air occasionally.
“Run on into the house, honey, and ask your mommy for a glass of milk or something,” Shane instructed, giving Lucy a little push. “We’ll be right in.”