“We could never figure out how the girl could hang around your sister—hell, any of you kids—and not have some of that spunk rub off on her. But it didn’t. At least not before her father died, and her mother and she moved away.” He paused. “How’s she doing?”
“Hard to tell. Although I think she found that spunk. At least enough to get herself and her kids out of what sounds like a bad situation.”
“Spunk, hell. That takes guts. Which you know.”
His father was only echoing what Matt had said to Kelly that morning. Words Matt had meant with every fiber of his being. So why did he feel like rats were gnawing at him from the inside out?
“So you’re okay, then,” he said, “with her being here?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Can’t tell you how often your mother mentioned Kelly after they moved. Asked Sabrina if she’d heard from her, how she was making out. And I know for a fact if Jeannie were still here, she’d be gratified that Kelly felt she could come to us. So you take good care of her. And as it happens...I was going to call tonight, anyway. Think I might stay down here a little longer.”
“Really? How much longer?”
“Haven’t decided.” Pop laughed. “Although the way the weather’s been up there, I may not come back until June. I didn’t figure you’d mind.”
“Um, no, of course not—”
“Abby okay? The other boys?”
The “boys” being Matt’s adopted brothers. Tyler, the youngest, was always “okay,” as far as Matt could tell, his salvage business growing like gangbusters as he went through girlfriends like popcorn. Matt’s older brother, Ethan, however, was another case entirely, parenting four kids on his own after his wife’s death three years earlier.
But they were all adults now, making their own choices and decisions. After raising them, not to mention everything their father had gone through during their mother’s illness, the old man deserved to live his own life. Have a little fun. Soak up the Florida sunshine. So Matt reassured the Colonel they were all good, to go frolic with the gators as long as he liked.
The call finished, and it occurred to Matt that, actually, the whole making-your-own-choices thing was a crock. Or at least a myth. Especially when fate had other ideas.
Because if it were up to him, he thought, stopping in front of a toy-store window, he’d still be married. Maybe a dad himself by now. If it were up to him—he went inside, just to look—redheaded crushes from his past would have stayed in his past, not shown up in his present to seriously mess with his head. If it were up to him—he picked up a Star Wars LEGO set, put it back, picked it up again—his sister would have given him every reason to boot said redhead back to Haleysburg to work out her problems with her ex. And his father wouldn’t have twisted the knife by playing the your-mother-would-have-wanted-this card.
The mother who’d saved his sorry butt when he’d been too little to know his butt needing saving.
Never mind the risk involved, he thought as he plunked the LEGO set, as well as a brightly colored sock monkey, on the counter by the cash register and pulled out his wallet, should he get involved.
His phone buzzed as the cashier handed him back his credit card, the bagged toys. And not only to your career, bonehead, he thought when he saw Kelly’s name and number in the display, and his heart thumped.
“Hey...what’s up?” he said, aiming for casual...which went right out the window when he heard Kelly’s next-door-to-hysterical laugh in his ear. No, not a laugh, some sound that defied description. Now outside, his hand tightened around the phone. “Kelly—?”
“Rick’s dead,” she choked out, then burst into sobs.
Chapter Four
It wasn’t until the front door opened that Kelly realized she hadn’t moved from the floor in front of the family room sofa for more than an hour. The dog sashayed out, only to return a moment later with Matt, who immediately kneeled in front of her, his gaze focused. Kind, yes, but all business. Thank God.
“Where’s the kids?” he asked.
“With your sister. She’d offered to take them to Target while I went over to the kitchen. My catering kitchen, I mean. I’ve got a job this weekend....” Bile rose in her throat. She shut her eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. Matt wrapped his hand around hers. She didn’t object. Couldn’t.
“What happened?” he asked gently, and her stomach twisted. A hundred times, she’d probably replayed Lynn’s words in her head, but she hadn’t yet said them out loud.
“Best guess is a heart attack,” Kelly whispered, keeping her eyes averted. Afraid to look at Matt, knowing she’d fall apart if she did. Even more afraid to acknowledge the vicious, nonstop voices inside her head that it was her fault, that she’d given up and walked away and now he was dead and it was her fault, her fault, her fault.... “But no one knows for sure. His m-mother found him in his room. The poor woman....”
Her eyes flooded again as sadness swamped her. Letting go of her hand, Matt grabbed a box of tissues from the end table, held it out. Kelly yanked one from the box and pressed it to her mouth until she could speak.
“Rick was Lynn’s only child. She was already heartsick. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. I should be with her, but I couldn’t leave until—”
The garage door rumbled open. Kelly’s eyes shot to Matt’s as her heart bounded into her throat. He’d gone perfectly still, his breathing calm and steady, like Rick’s had been in the delivery room with Coop, back when things were good. When she’d taken “forever” for granted, could have never imagined what would happen. But now it was Matt holding her gaze, being a rock in the midst of her turbulent emotions, helping her breathe through a pain she doubted anyone else would understand. And for the moment—since this is all it was, this freakish, momentary intersection of their lives—she was grateful.
She struggled to her feet. “I should get the kids’ things together.”
“Why?” Matt said, standing, as well.
“Um, so we can go back home? Since we don’t need to hide out anymore?”
“Plenty of time to do that tomorrow. Or whenever.” At her undoubtedly puzzled expression, he said, “Don’t you think it might be better to let the kids stay in a neutral zone for now? Especially Cooper.”
Cooper. Oh, dear God. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. “How am I going to t-tell him, Matt?” At his frown, she said, “It wasn’t all bad. I swear. Not for a long time, at least. Coop used to worship his daddy. And I think what hurts the most is that, in spite of everything, he probably still does. Or at least wants to.”
For a moment, something sharp flickered through Matt’s eyes. Then his gaze softened. “Do you want me to tell him?”
Not in a million years was that going to happen. Even so, catching her haggard reflection in a nearby mirror, she sighed. But then, why shouldn’t she be upset? Whatever had happened between her and Rick, this was a horrible shock. Was going to be horrible for some time. And to pretend otherwise would be hideously
