“But,” she prompted.
“If he had one, he must have changed his mind about it. All the way until the bus left the station, he apologized for all the things he’d done to me when we lived here.”
“That must have made you feel good.”
“It did. He invited us to visit him in North Carolina. Ari is excited about going to the ocean.”
“You should go,” Kelly said. “I’m sure Ari would love the water. And you could get to know your brother better.” She glanced at him. “Assuming you want to know him better.”
Kelly was an only child. She had a score of cousins, but no siblings. She hadn’t grown up with anyone in the house but her parents. She knew they loved her, even her father after her mother’s death and he began to drink, he still loved her. She’d never had anyone tearing her down, ripping away at her self-esteem as Jace had.
“People do change, Jace. When he talked to me, he seemed genuine. At dinner he didn’t try to hide anything.”
“I know and that impressed me even more.” Jace stopped walking and turned to her. The sun had set and it was dark. “He asked about you.”
“Me? What did he want to know?”
“How things were between us. I wasn’t sure what to say.”
Kelly stiffened.
“He thinks you’ve done a terrific job with the house and grounds. He was proud of the place and glad it was being taken care of with so much love.”
Kelly smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad about that.”
“I know it’s a labor of love for you. I think Sheldon saw that, too.”
That should have made Kelly feel good, but it had the opposite effect. She felt guilty.
“Jace, I haven’t had a chance to apologize for how we ended things. I’m—”
“You were right from the start, Kelly. I should never have gone behind your back. It was deceitful and I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry.”
“That means a lot to me, Jace. Thanks. I’m glad things are working out for you. The engineering job must take a lot off your mind.”
“It does. Ari likes going to the day-care center. You should have seen him when he discovered all those toys and the other kids. In a few months he’ll be in kindergarten.” Jace paused. His eyes traveled over her face. “He misses you,” Jace said, his voice ragged as if it hurt to say the words.
“I...” Kelly stopped. She couldn’t say anything. Jace was gazing at her with so much tenderness in his eyes that it robbed Kelly of her ability to speak. She couldn’t drag her gaze away, either.
“Thank you,” Jace said.
“For what?” she asked.
“For the past few days. For opening the Kendall to Sheldon. For sending Emmett to find me. For being you.”
Kelly frowned, embarrassed at the flood of compliments. “I need to thank you, too, for something else.”
“For what?”
“The horses. For the contract you negotiated. For helping out with the Kendall despite how you feel—”
He stopped her, lifted her chin until she was looking into his eyes. Kelly was unable to move, unable to pull away from him. Jace leaned in and kissed her. Her heart pounded, pumping through her body with a force so hard it scared her. His mouth descended on hers, soft and warm. As he folded her into his arms, she knew she was safe and that she wanted to stay there forever.
Jace raised his head and Kelly wrangled out of his arms. She was breathless. The stars were out and a full moon shone overhead. She knew it had been dangerous to walk in the moonlight. Now he’d kissed her and Kelly was more rattled than ever.
Her eyes were full of unshed tears. “I think you should go now,” she said.
“Kelly, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
He hadn’t meant to kiss her. He hadn’t meant to confuse her. He hadn’t meant to have her fall in love with him. It was too late. All those things had happened. If she was going to survive his presence and the Kendall, she had to remain in control. And he’d just proven that with him, she had none. Jace removed his hands and stepped back. Kelly remained where she was, but the urge to run was so strong she had to dig her fingers into her palms to stay in place. Jace gave her a long look. She couldn’t interpret it in the dim light. They both stood like wavering branches that only needed a small wind to push them together. She knew if that wind came she would be lost.
Kelly stepped farther away. The movement seemed to cut the invisible connection holding them together. Jace went up the seven steps and opened the door. Kelly heard him call Ari’s name as he went inside. She wouldn’t wait for them to come out. She wouldn’t wait for them to say goodbye. She didn’t know when she would see Ari again. He had a routine to follow. And so did she. The sooner they fell into step, the better for all, Kelly thought.
But Jace had kissed her again. He knew how she felt. It had been in the kiss.
* * *
WOULD LIFE EVER return to normal? Kelly asked herself that question, uncertain what her next move would be. Rain had come again. The huge swings in summer temperatures made for thunderstorms and evening downpours. Often they didn’t last long.
The rain slowed. Kelly went out on the front porch. The temperature dropped and the rain seemed to have washed everything clean. The air felt fresh. Kelly loved that smell. She walked the length of the porch and looked out over the grounds. She listened for the horses, making sure their sounds were normal.
Sheldon had been unlike what Kelly was expecting. He was humble, apologetic and appeared to want Jace’s forgiveness.
Forgiveness...
Kelly paced slowly, methodically. She’d worked so long and hard on the Kendall, she’d lost sight of the fact that it was only a house. Jace had said that. And now she felt it, too. It was huge, but without the life that Jace and Ari brought to it.
Kelly shuddered as a gust of wind forced the rain to shower her. It was cold and reflected her feelings. While the building had once been warm and inviting, she felt it was cold and lonely now. It needed Jace.
He’d walked away as if he could go on without being here, but Kelly knew he loved the Kendall more now than when he first arrived. And he was sacrificing it for her.
She didn’t need or want his sacrifice. She liked the glory of working on the house, restoring it to its former beauty, but she didn’t want to stay here with the memories of a family and not have that family.
There was New York, she thought. She could go back there. She’d have a huge salary, a staff of her own, big-money accounts. And Perry. She frowned. He was a big disadvantage, but she could handle him. Returning to New York wouldn’t be so bad. She’d have less renovations to worry about. She’d be able to afford a loft and could decorate it the way she wanted.
She’d miss seeing the land and especially this horizon. She’d miss this smell after the rain. She’d miss the horses. She’d also miss Jace and Ari. But being hours away from them would make it easier for her to get over thinking about Jace and what he’d done to her. She should hate him, but she couldn’t. How could she hate a man she’d fallen in love with?
* * *
IT WAS THE evening of the day after he left Maryland, when Sheldon stepped down from the bus and looked around. He was back in Meadesville. The air smelled like salt and gulls. The sky was turning a deep blue in preparation for nightfall. He took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scents he’d become used to in the past year. It was good to be back. That world at the Kendall was no longer his. He was grateful that Audrey had talked him into going. Now he knew what he was leaving behind and he had no regrets about the house and the land. It was in good hands and he was proud to have his name on it. Proud that his brother and his nephew would be there, at least in town, and close to the their old home. He wished it was Jason’s property, but he realized that Kelly loved the place just as much as a Kendall by birth.
Here in North Carolina Sheldon felt he had a real purpose. He’d never have learned that if he was still running the Kendall and failing at it
. He was going to take a course to be an electrician, for which he’d receive financial aid. The man Audrey had introduced him to told him about the course. When he completed the classes, Sheldon would sign on as an apprentice with Audrey’s friend. At the Kendall, Sheldon would turn on a light and walk into a room without a second thought. Once he completed his course, he’d know exactly how to fix the electricity instead. Hopefully, his apprenticeship would lead to a full-time job.
Meanwhile, the bungalow was all the space he needed for now. And he liked having Audrey and Christian as friends. He didn’t know where his relationship with Audrey was going, but as time passed, they would find out. Where were Audrey and Christian? He’d called to say he was coming back today.
Sheldon headed toward the small building that served as the bus station. Christian came running through the door before Sheldon got to it.
“Sheldon! You’re back.” Christian launched himself at Sheldon. They hugged. Sheldon knew how Jace felt about his son. He felt a similar way about Christian. Seeing the boy made his heart swell.
Audrey came up behind her grandson. Sheldon was happy to have someone to come home to. Someone who cared about him.
“Hello,” she said.
Sheldon leaned down and kissed her cheek. He thought of Jason and Kelly, wondering how long it would take his brother to figure out that he was in love with her.
“Thanks for coming,” Sheldon said.
The three piled into her car. During the drive, she passed the marina and his bungalow and drove to her house. “You had a long trip,” she said. “I thought you might be hungry.”
“I’m starving,” he told her.
“Me, too,” Christian said from the backseat. “Grandma made something with a fancy name, but it’s really just chicken and rice.”
“Arroz con pollo,” Audrey supplied.
“I’d love that,” Sheldon said.
He should be tired. It was a twenty-four-hour bus ride with stops everywhere and a layover in Washington, DC. But seeing Audrey and Christian rejuvenated him. They had dinner while Christian grilled him on every aspect of his trip. The three sat at the table long after the meal was over.
Moving to the porch, they looked out at the ocean until Christian went to bed. Audrey went in with him but soon returned. She sat down, handing Sheldon a glass of ice water. She had a cup of tea.
“So, how was it really?” she began.
“Better than I expected. Jason and I had a long talk. We’re not friends, but we’re no longer enemies.”
She smiled into her cup. It was her way of not saying I told you so. “What about the woman who owns the farm? Kelly, right?”
“Right. I like her. She’s doing everything she can to make the place work. You should see some of the things she’d done. I’d never have thought of those changes. And all of them are within the original architecture of the house.”
Audrey smiled.
“What?”
“Your voice is excited, proud even, when you talk about the house. Are you sure leaving it behind is what you want?”
“I’m sure.”
“What about your brother?”
Sheldon sighed. Jason had told him about the lawyer he’d hired to look into the sale and the possibility of reversing it due to a technicality in the wording of the contract, but Sheldon thought it wouldn’t make sense to do so. Jason had a job and could support his son. He hadn’t really ever lived at the Kendall. Giving it up should be easier for him, but Sheldon didn’t think so.
“I’m not sure about Jason. He’s in love with Kelly, but I don’t think either of them knows it.” He took a drink of water. “There is one thing, though.”
“What’s that?”
“Kelly is putting all her love into making the Kendall a grand mansion and horse farm. I have no doubt that it’ll succeed.”
“So are you going back there again? To see your brother or his son?”
“I hope so. But only for a visit. My home is here now.”
* * *
KELLY WASN’T SLEEPING WELL. She was tired as soon as she got out of bed in the morning. Jace and Sheldon were weighing heavy on her mind. Eventually, she dressed and got a cup of coffee. She had a wedding scheduled for tomorrow and the Kendall would be overrun with service people and vendors delivering everything from the cake to flowers to dinner place cards. Kelly had worked with the wedding consultant. She wasn’t nearly as efficient as the first one. Consequently, Kelly had a lot more details to see to and she needed to be at her best.
Finishing her cup of coffee, she poured a second one and went to her office. The phone was ringing. She didn’t really want to answer it this early, but she had no choice.
“Kendall Farm, this is Kelly Ashton.”
“Kelly... Perry here.”
Perry. She’d forgotten about him and that she was supposed to be thinking over his offer.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Perry, wasn’t I supposed to call you?”
“I had a talk with Grissom yesterday. They’re eager to get to work with you. I thought I’d see when we could expect you. Your office has been painted and decorated, but if there’s anything you don’t like, you have carte blanche to change it.”
He was truly sweetening the pot. Why shouldn’t she tell him she’d be right there? Unconsciously, Kelly opened her calendar.
“Perry, I have several contracts that will have to be fulfilled.”
“I understand,” he said. “If necessary, we can split your time until they are completed.”
He really must need her badly, if he was willing to make this many concessions.
“Perry,” she said. “How about...” She scrolled down a few weeks. Her calendar was covered with events for the Kendall. None of them mattered. Kelly knew it would be short notice to cancel them, but it could be done.
“Are you still there?” Perry asked.
“I’m checking my dates,” she said. “How about next month. Say the...”
“Say no.”
Kelly froze. The voice came from the doorway. She knew Jace’s voice. She could pick it out anywhere.
“Say no,” he said again. “Don’t leave.”
Kelly held the phone away from her ear. Jace came into the room.
“Stay,” he said. “The Kendall is part of you. You’ll do a good job in New York, but you’ll never love it the way you love this place.”
“I can’t stay here alone.”
“This is your home,” Jace said. “It’s where you belong. Where we all belong. You took this place and gave it life. It’s what I wanted it to be. I wanted it full of love when I was a boy. And that’s what I want for Ari. For us. You’ve done that for us all. Don’t give up. Say no.”
“I thought you didn’t want to stay here. You and Ari were going to find—”
“I thought about it and realized anywhere is good if you’re with me, but nowhere will be perfect without you.”
Kelly’s heart pounded in her chest. “I love you, Kelly Ashton. I want you to be my wife.” He took another step closer to her and went down on one knee. “Will you marry me? Will you take me and my son and will you allow the three of us to make this a real home?”
Kelly stared at Jace. Everything she wanted in the world lay at her feet. She dropped the phone and fell into Jace’s arms.
“Yes,” she said, tears falling freely. “I love you, too. Yes. Yes. Yes,” she cried. “I’ll marry you.”
Jace pulled her out of the chair and onto his knee. He kissed her, a long, slow tender kiss that she’d never forget. There was no stopping this time. And Kelly didn’t push him away. She didn’t tell him not to confuse her. She wanted to be confused. She wanted to be everything to him.
She was happier than anyone. This was her future. Jace was her prince. And they would build together. They would make the Kendall the showplace it was always intended to be. But more than that, they would make it a home. And they would do it with love.
EPILOGUE
&nbs
p; Three Years Later
JACE STOOD ON the track. He held the bridle of the horse. Ari sat in the saddle. The boy had grown into a tall, gangly seven-year-old. He took to a horse as if the two of them spoke the same language. This was to be Ari’s inaugural ride, his solo.
Kelly sat in the stands watching. She’d done what she set out to do. She’d gotten the race track and stadium built. She’d been through countless council meetings, building inspections, gaming license reviews, water and sewer testing, new road construction and a thousand more things. Yet she got all the permits, all the approvals, and finally the track had become a reality. It was scheduled to open tomorrow.
Oh, and she’d had their two babies.
She’d even helped to mend things between him and his brother. After Sheldon got his electrician’s license, she’d hired the firm he worked for, transporting them to the Kendall, to do the wiring on the track. With the income derived from the marketing programs she had in place, and a substantial investment from the bank, they’d spared no expense on the setup.
The stables were full of horses that practiced daily on the new track and were ready to race. The vendors had brought in inventory and stocked their shelves. Ticket sellers had been hired. Television commercials had been running on cable for over a month. Everything was in place.
Jace glanced at his wife. She was a marvel. He couldn’t believe his luck. Beside Kelly were Drew and Mira. Jace regarded them as his cousins, too. He no longer distinguished between bloodlines. He knew there was more to family than that. Mira held her and Drew’s two-year-old son.
Sheldon, Audrey and Christian still lived in North Carolina, but they’d be arriving in time for the opening of the racetrack.
Jace’s two new additions smiled at him as they kicked the seats in front of them. His daughter, Meghan, was two. His one-year-old son, Jason, couldn’t quite reach the seat, but he tried, emulating his sister. They were all there to see Ari make his first trip around the track.
Jace was slightly apprehensive. Ari was still young, though an excellent horseman. The track was a mile around and Jace would be holding his breath for every second of Ari’s ride. From the look on Kelly’s face, she would be, too.
Summer on Kendall Farm Page 21