Читать книгу His Long-Lost Family - Brenda Harlen, Brenda Harlen - Страница 8

While Kelly roused her daughter, Jack retrieved their luggage from the trunk. He took the suitcases upstairs, setting the one with Kelly’s name on it in the biggest room and her daughter’s in the room directly across the hall. A quick glance at the tag gave him pause.

He couldn’t remember the name of the guy Kelly had married, but regardless of whether or not she’d taken his name, he would have expected their child to have it. But the tag read Ava Cooper—and it made him think again about the reasons for Kelly’s divorce and her decision to move Ava so far away from Seattle.

Reminding himself that it was none of his business, he headed back down the stairs and, following the sound of voices, into the kitchen.

“You’re only asking for mushrooms because you know I don’t like them,” Kelly said.

“I’m asking for mushrooms because I do like them and that’s what I want on my pizza,” her daughter insisted.

“Well, no one else does, so we’re not getting them.”

He knew he shouldn’t get involved and he had no intention of staying, but Jack heard himself say, “I like mushrooms.”

Ava looked at her mother, her smile more than a little smug. Kelly didn’t look annoyed; she looked…unnerved. Which didn’t make any sense to him at all.

“And bacon?” Ava queried.

“And bacon,” he confirmed.

“Fine, I’ll get half with bacon and mushrooms,” Kelly relented. Then she looked at Jack. “Which means that you’re staying for pizza.”

“If you’d told me you were hungry, I could have stopped somewhere on the way from the airport,” he told her.

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”

“Then you should order from Marco’s—they deliver and they’re quick.”

He gave her the number, and while Kelly made the call, Ava ventured upstairs to check out her new room and start unpacking. After pizza was ordered, Kelly took a look around. She’d seen photos and even videos of the house before signing the lease, but she wanted to see everything up close. Jack opted to respond to some email messages on his BlackBerry while she explored.

She was back in less than ten minutes, and obviously pleased with everything she’d seen. “Lukas told me the place was furnished, but I didn’t expect it to be so well equipped. There are pots and pans and dishes and cutlery in the kitchen—and even toilet paper in each of the bathrooms. Something else I’ll have to thank Georgia for, because I didn’t think to pack any of that in my suitcase.”

“I’d be surprised if you had room,” Jack said. “Considering that you each only brought one suitcase and one carry-on.”

“I prefer to travel light, but there’s a lot more to come. It just seemed easier—and cheaper—to ship the rest rather than pay the airline fees for extra baggage.”

“Makes sense,” he agreed.

But he still had questions about her sudden decision to return to Pinehurst after so many years away. And he had an uneasy suspicion that nagged at the back of his mind. He hadn’t wanted to ask it while her daughter was in the backseat of his car—even if she had seemed oblivious to their discussion—but it was a question that needed an answer.

“I just hope it arrives on schedule,” Kelly continued her explanation about the luggage. “Because my work clothes are in that shipment and I start my new job on the fifteenth.”

“Was it the job that lured you back to Pinehurst?”

“It was the deciding factor, but I’ve been thinking about coming back for a while,” she admitted. “I wanted a fresh start for Ava and myself.”

Jack tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

The contact was casual, but he would have sworn that sparks flew at the brief touch of his fingertip against her skin. Judging by the way Kelly’s eyes widened, she’d felt them, too.

He dropped his hand, forced himself to remember the question he needed to ask. “Was he abusive?”

She blinked, clearly startled by the inquiry. “What? Who?”

“Your ex-husband,” he said. “Because I’ve been wracking my brain, and that’s the only reason I could imagine for taking a child three thousand miles away from her father.”

Kelly dropped her gaze and shook her head. “No, Malcolm wasn’t abusive.”

He wanted to feel relieved—he was relieved. And yet, he couldn’t let go of the suspicion that there was something more Kelly wasn’t telling him.

A suspicion that was confirmed when she looked up again and said, “And he wasn’t Ava’s father.”

Kelly held her breath, waiting for Jackson’s response to her revelation. But before he could say anything, the doorbell rang and Ava was racing down the stairs in response to the summons. “Pizza’s here!”

And that quickly, any chance of taking the conversation further was gone.

Her daughter flung open the door without first looking through the peephole to confirm that it was their food delivery. Of course, in Seattle no one could gain access to their door without first being buzzed into the building, so now that things were different they would have to have a discussion about basic safety precautions.

Or maybe not, considering that this was Pinehurst, where many of the residents didn’t even lock their doors during the day. And wasn’t that one of the reasons she’d brought her daughter here? To give her the benefits of living in a small, close-knit community. Of course, an even bigger reason stood right beside her.

As it turned out, it wasn’t their pizza at the door—it was Lukas with his arms full of grocery bags. Setting the bags down inside the door, he swept Ava up for a big hug. “There’s my favorite girl.”

The girl in question would have been absolutely mortified by such an overt display of affection from her mother, but her cherished “uncle” got away with a lot. And Kelly suspected that the prospect of living in close proximity to Lukas was the one reason that Ava hadn’t kicked harder and screamed louder about the move.

He ruffled her hair. “What’s with the purple streaks?”

“Mom wouldn’t let me have a belly button ring.”

“Makes perfect sense to me. And speaking of your mom…”

He turned to wrap his arms around Kelly, squeezing her so tight she could hardly breathe, but it felt so good—so right—to be in his arms that tears filled her eyes.

“I missed you,” she told him now. “I never realize how much I miss you until I see you again.”

“I’m just glad that you’re finally home.” He released her with obvious reluctance and looked at his brother. “Thanks for doing the airport run.”

“When have I ever objected to picking up a beautiful woman?” Jackson asked.

Lukas chuckled. “Never.”

The knots in Kelly’s stomach returned. Was Jackson’s comment just brotherly banter or a statement to her—a reminder that she’d never meant anything more to him than any other casual pickup? And why did she even care? She hadn’t come back to Pinehurst to rekindle her relationship with Jackson but for Ava to establish a relationship with her father.

Now his words gave Kelly pause. Was he still a relentless flirt and unrepentant playboy? Because that was hardly the type of male role model that she wanted for her impressionable daughter. Or was she just looking to find fault, to justify her own actions? Since that was a question she couldn’t answer right now, she shifted her attention to Lukas instead.

“I should have figured you’d be here in time for pizza,” she said, as the delivery car pulled up in front.

“Am I?” He turned to follow her gaze and grinned. “My timing is impeccable as usual.”

As Kelly dug in her purse for money to pay for their dinner, she couldn’t help thinking his timing would have been much better if he’d been able to meet them at the airport. But she could breathe a little easier now, confident that she’d survived her first face-to-face with Jackson relatively unscathed.

She knew they had to finish their interrupted conversation at some point, but not today. Not when her heart was already feeling battered and bruised by the callous remarks of a man who probably had no idea how much he could hurt her. Instead, she gestured for Jackson to follow Ava—and the pizza—into the kitchen.

He shook his head. “I need to get going.”

“I thought you were going to stay for pizza,” Kelly said.

“I’ve got files to review for court tomorrow.”

Lukas retrieved the bags he’d dropped. “The files will still be there in half an hour,” he pointed out to his brother.

“I’m sure you guys have lots to catch up on,” Jackson said. “You don’t need me hanging around.”

“Your choice—and more pizza for me,” Lukas said with a shrug and a grin as he headed toward the kitchen.

Kelly wished she could be so nonchalant, but she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed that Jackson was leaving. She followed him to the door. “Thanks again for meeting us at the airport.”

“It wasn’t a problem,” he assured her.

Her heart was pounding so hard and fast, she was surprised he couldn’t hear it, and she had to moisten her suddenly dry lips before she could speak. “What I started to say, when we were in the kitchen, about Ava’s father—”

“It’s not really any of my business,” he said.

Actually, it is, she wanted to respond. But aloud she only said, “I want to talk to you about it. There are some things you should know.”

He frowned. “Do you have legal questions about custody?”

She wondered how he could be so oblivious—or maybe she expected too much of him. After thirteen years, he had no reason to suspect that she had news that would turn his whole life—all of their lives—upside down. And instead of being exasperated, maybe she should be grateful that he had no clue, because it meant that she could keep her secret a little bit longer.

Except that coming face-to-face with her daughter’s father, she was forced to acknowledge that thirteen years was already too long. Jackson needed to know the truth, and she needed to deal with the consequences of that revelation—whatever they might be.

“It’s nothing like that,” she said to him now. “I don’t want to talk to you as a lawyer but as a…friend.”

“Okay,” he finally said. “Why don’t you give me a call when you’re ready to talk?”

If she waited until she was ready, she knew that the conversation might not happen for another thirteen years. But she nodded. “I will. Thanks.”

“Okay,” he said again, and then he was gone.

Kelly stood for a moment, staring at the back of the door and feeling much like she imagined Pandora had felt when she’d lifted the lid of a box that should never have been opened.

Lukas and Ava were both on their second slices of pizza by the time Kelly made her way to the kitchen. They also had cans of soda, which Lukas had obviously brought in one of the grocery bags. Beside Kelly’s plate was an open bottle and a glass of her favorite Shiraz.

“Okay, you’re forgiven for not meeting us at the airport.”

He smiled. “I figured you’d had a long day and might need some help to unwind.”

“Food and good company would have sufficed, but the wine is a definite bonus.” She picked up the glass and sipped.

“Eat.” He nudged her plate toward her. “If you drink that on an empty stomach, you’ll fall asleep at the table.”

Kelly dutifully picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite.

“I brought a few essentials for the morning, too,” Lukas told her. “Bread, milk, eggs, juice, coffee.”

“Coffee?” She nearly whimpered with gratitude. “Now you’re definitely forgiven.”

Ava polished off her third slice and wiped her fingers on a paper napkin. “Can I go now?”

“‘Thanks for dinner, Mom,’” Kelly said, mimicking her daughter’s voice. “‘You’re very welcome, honey.’ ‘May I be excused now?’ ‘Of course.’”

Lukas lifted his can of soda to hide his smile. Ava, predictably, rolled her eyes, before she dutifully intoned, “Thanks for dinner, Mom. May I be excused now?”

“Of course,” Kelly said agreeably. “After you put your plate in the dishwasher.”

Lukas reached for another slice as Ava clomped up the stairs. “So,” he said, when she was out of earshot. “How does it feel to be back?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “It’s been such a long time. I don’t know if this is the right thing—for Ava or for me.”

“She’s not happy about the move?”

“That’s the understatement of the year.”

He shrugged. “She’s twelve. She’ll get over it.”

“I hope so.”

“So—belly button ring?” he prompted.

She just shook her head. “Can you believe it?”

“I’m having a little difficulty reconciling my memories of the cute little second-grader who clutched my hand so tightly with the brooding purple-haired preteen-ager who barely looked up from her plate.”

“The purple streaks aren’t so bad. You should have seen her a few months ago—her hair was Pepto-Bismol pink. Her best friend’s older sister put the color on for her one afternoon when I had to work late.” She sighed. “The first tangible evidence that my formerly docile angel had developed a rebellious streak.”

Lukas winced sympathetically. “How did you handle that?”

“I took a deep breath and reminded myself that hair color is easily undone—unlike a piercing or a tattoo. And I knew that it was, at least in part, my fault. I’d been so preoccupied with my job that I didn’t realize how much distance had grown between us,” she admitted.

“When rumors of cutbacks first started circulating around the lunchroom at work, I crossed my fingers and prayed that I wouldn’t lose my job. And when those cuts were made and I was spared, I was so grateful I didn’t balk at all the extra hours I had to work.

“And then I realized that I’d given up my life to keep my job. And I’d somehow lost the close connection I used to share with Ava.” Her daughter’s recent willful behavior was proof of that—and reminded Kelly uncomfortably of the impulsiveness that she herself had occasionally exhibited before motherhood had taught her to consider the consequences of her actions.

“And because I was working so many extra hours,” she continued her explanation, “Ava was hanging around with her friend Rachel—and Regan, Rachel’s sixteen-year-old sister—a lot.”

“Then I’d guess that you made this move at the right time.”

“I hope so,” she said again.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Kelly lifted her glass and took another sip of wine as she considered how much she should say.

“Because I know there’s more to this cross-country move than that,” he prompted when she failed to respond.

She nodded. “I wanted a career change and a change of scenery for Ava, but I also hoped that coming back to Pinehurst might provide a chance for her to meet her father.”

His brows rose. “Then he does live in Pinehurst.”

“He does live in Pinehurst,” she confirmed.

“Someone I know?” he asked.

The undercurrents in his tone were exactly why she’d never revealed the identity of her daughter’s father to him. “Doesn’t everyone know almost everyone else in this town?” she countered.

“Who is it?”

She touched a hand to his arm. “Please—let me tell him before I tell you.”

He frowned. “Are you saying that this guy doesn’t know he has a twelve-year-old daughter?”

“I couldn’t tell him,” she reminded Lukas. “By the time I knew I was pregnant, he was already with someone else.”

She’d wanted to tell Jackson that she was going to have his baby. Although she’d had no expectations of a future for them together when he’d left Chicago, she’d hoped that the revelation of her pregnancy would make him want to be a father to their child. But as much as she didn’t want to do it alone, she’d had no doubt—even then—that she was going to keep her baby.

Except that when she’d finally gotten up the nerve to call, he’d told her that he was once again engaged to Sara Ross—the daughter of one of the senior partners at his firm. And while Kelly didn’t believe he would get married solely for the purpose of advancing his career, she didn’t doubt that dumping the boss’s daughter would jeopardize his future at the firm. And nothing had mattered to Jackson as much as his career. So she’d only offered congratulations and ended the call with her heart in pieces and the news of her pregnancy unrevealed.

“Yeah, you told me what happened,” Lukas admitted now. “But you didn’t tell me who the father was.”

“No, I didn’t,” she agreed. “And I’m not going to tell you now. Not until I’ve told him.”

She could tell by the muscle that clenched in his jaw that Lukas wasn’t finished with his interrogation, but she also knew he wouldn’t press for more details. At least not yet.

Jack was distracted, and he’d never been the type to let anything—or anyone—interfere with his concentration, especially when it came to his work. He was a well-respected and generously compensated family law attorney because he was diligent and focused. He paid attention to details and he made every client feel as if his or her case was the only one that mattered.

And yet, in the middle of a cross-examination during a custody hearing that morning, he’d actually lost his train of thought. Sure, he’d recovered fairly quickly, and it didn’t seem as if anyone else in the courtroom had even noticed that he’d faltered. But he’d noticed. And he knew that it was Kelly Cooper’s fault.

“Hello, Jackson.”

He blinked, half-suspecting that her appearance in the open doorway of his office was an illusion, and more than half-hoping that she would disappear again. But when he opened his eyes, she was still there—and looking even hotter than the woman who had starred in his dreams the night before. And the night before that. In fact, every one of the five nights that had passed since she’d come back to Pinehurst.

She made her way across the carpet, putting one sexy foot in front of the other in the way that women had perfected to make their hips sway and men drool. And as much as he wished it weren’t true, he was very close to drooling.

Damn, she looked spectacular. In the slim-fitting burgundy skirt, silky white V-neck blouse and peep-toe shoes that added close to three inches to her five-foot-seven-inch frame, she looked professional, confident—and dangerous.

He frowned at the thought, but he couldn’t deny it was true. For too many years, Kelly Cooper had threatened his peace of mind. It had been easy enough to ignore the girl next door when she was a kid. Then adolescence had turned her bony, sticklike figure into a woman’s body with subtle but undeniable curves. And he’d started to have very inappropriate fantasies about his little brother’s best friend. Thankfully, he’d gone away to school and had managed to put her out of his mind. Mostly.

“You told me to call you, but you haven’t returned any of my calls. I was beginning to think I would have to schedule an appointment to see you.”

“I’m not hard to find, but I am busy,” he said pointedly.

“I can appreciate that,” she said. “And I promise you, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

“How did you get past my secretary?” Colleen was usually a pit bull when it came to protecting her boss’s time and space.

Kelly just smiled. “Your secretary was my eleventhgrade lab partner.”

Having lived in Pinehurst his whole life, he understood that personal connections frequently trumped protocol. “Okay, that answers the how,” he admitted. “But not the why.”

She settled into one of the client chairs on the other side of his desk, and crossed one long, shapely leg over the other. “I just wanted to talk to you without my daughter or your brother interrupting, so I asked Colleen if she could squeeze me into your appointment schedule.”

“Now you’ve stirred my curiosity,” he admitted. And certain other areas as well.

“Your brother was, and still is, my best friend,” she reminded him. “And while you and I were never close friends, we used to be friendly. And then, for one incredible weekend, we were a lot more.”

Whatever he’d expected when she’d walked through his door, it wasn’t a walk down memory lane. Not that he was unwilling to take the journey, but he knew it was unwise. His past with Kelly was the past—no way would he risk starting anything up again with his brother living in the same town. Luke had always been protective of his friend and if he ever suspected that Jack had been naked with Kelly—well, Jack didn’t even want to think about what he might do. It was smarter, and safer, to keep the past in the past. “Why are you bringing this up now?”

“Because I’m hoping, now that I’m living in Pinehurst again, that we can get back to being friendly.”

“Have I been unfriendly?”

“Not exactly,” she admitted. “You’ve been…distant.”

“I’ve been busy,” he said again.

“Your brother and sister-in-law invited Ava and I over for burgers last night and while we were there, one of Georgia’s sons asked Matthew why ‘Uncle Jack’ hasn’t been around to visit in so long. Matt told him you had a big court case coming up, but the way he looked at me before he responded made me think he was making excuses.”

“He wasn’t.”

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable visiting your brother and his family just because I’m living next door.”

“I don’t.”

She shifted forward in her chair, enough so that he could see the slightest hint of cleavage in the V-neck of her blouse. “You’re not worried that the chemistry that exploded between us thirteen years ago might still be simmering?”

“No,” he lied.

“Well, that’s good then,” she said, but her easy smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Thirteen years is a long time,” he said, in an attempt to convince himself as much as her.

She nodded. “It always boggled my mind that I could be such good friends with Lukas, that I could snuggle up with him to watch a movie, hold his hand as a gesture of comfort or support, and never feel anything remotely like the zing that I felt whenever I was in the same room with you.”

“Chemistry is a personal thing,” he noted.

She tilted her head to look up at him. “Have you ever felt that zing with anyone else?”

“Too many times to count,” he lied.

She seemed disappointed—and maybe even a little hurt—by his casual response. But Kelly being Kelly, she didn’t try to deny her feelings or hide behind a flippant response. She was, as always, brutally and painfully honest.

“I haven’t,” she told him. “From the first time you kissed me, on my sixteenth birthday, I’ve never felt that zing with anyone else.”

“Not even your husband?” he challenged.

She shook her head. “No, not with anyone else.”

Knowing how incredibly passionate she was, he was surprised that she would settle for comfort and companionship. On the other hand, it might explain why her marriage had failed.

“I think you’re romanticizing the memory,” he told her.

“Maybe,” she allowed. “But it wasn’t my first kiss. And you weren’t my first lover—but you’re the one I’ve never forgotten.”

Even if what she was saying was true, he wouldn’t let it matter. Because rekindling a romantic relationship with Kelly wasn’t an option. Getting involved with a woman who was also his brother’s best friend could only lead to a whole lot of grief, not to mention the fact that she had a kid to think about.

So instead of admitting that he’d never forgotten her either, he only said, “Is there a purpose to this reminiscence?”

“I wanted you to know that I had some concerns about coming back to Pinehurst now.”

“Because of what happened between us so many years ago?” he asked skeptically.

Her smile was sad. “Is that so unbelievable?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Did you never think of me after that weekend?”

“Sure,” he said easily. “But I didn’t think that one weekend changed anything.”

“It changed everything—at least for me,” she told him. “But when I called, you were already back together with Sara.”

“It’s not like you called a few days later,” he felt compelled to point out in his own defense. “It was more like a few months.”

Actually, two months, three weeks and five days, and during that time, not a single day had gone by in which he hadn’t picked up the phone to call her. But he’d never actually dialed her number, because he knew it would be a mistake. Because after only three days with her, he’d known that he could fall fast and hard for Kelly Cooper, and that was a complication neither of them needed at that point in their lives.

She nodded in acknowledgment. “I know.”

“And Sara and I had a history together,” he continued. “So when she said she’d made a mistake in ending our engagement, I agreed that we should try to work things out.”

“Because you loved her,” she said softly. “And I was just the girl who helped you forget—for a few days—that she’d broken your heart.”

He heard the vulnerability in her tone and he knew that, even after so many years, his reconciliation had hurt her. But the truth was, he’d never thought about Sara—not once—throughout the weekend that he was with Kelly. So instead of nodding and letting her believe it was true, he said, “I wanted you to believe that.”

She frowned at his admission. “Why?”

“Because we’d both agreed, at the end of the weekend that we’d spent together, that it couldn’t ever happen again. And then you called, and I could hear in your voice that you’d changed your mind, that you wanted more.” And in that moment, as much as he’d wanted her, he knew there could be no future for them together. Not at that time and definitely not in light of the conversation he’d had with his brother.

“And you didn’t want more,” she guessed. “Not with me.”

“What I wanted didn’t matter,” he told her. “You were still in school and barely twenty-one years old.”

“You’re right—I was twenty-one years old.” She paused to draw in a deep breath before looking up at him. “And I was pregnant.”