Dream (Rosewood Bay Series Book 4) Page 9

  She didn’t have much free time in her life, but she’d make time for this class. She’d make time to take care of herself and her son. If she told her brother why she needed him to take Nicky for the day, he’d go into overprotective mode and that was something she didn’t want. He was happy in his life with Halley and their upcoming baby, and he didn’t need to worry about his sister. She’d just tell him she had to work on Saturday because an employee needed the day off.

  She exhaled and closed the laptop, feeling proactive, like she was doing something for herself. Something to arm herself in case the worst should happen and Billy decided to try and make himself part of her life again. Although she wanted to believe Billy still had another woman in his life and didn’t need her to push around, she had no way of knowing if that was true.

  Her cell phone rang and she saw Kyle’s name. Her stomach jumped in delight. “Hello?”

  “Hi, gorgeous,” he said, his voice a deep, husky rumble.

  She swallowed hard, unable to stop the smile that pulled at her lips at the compliment. “How are you?”

  “Good now that I’m talking to you.”

  She curled her legs beneath her on the sofa, happy to be talking to him, too.

  “So listen. I was thinking, how would you and Nicky like to go pumpkin picking this weekend?”

  “Oh, I’d love that and I know he would, too.” He was an amazing man, not just asking her out on a date but thinking of her son, as well. She was certain Nicky would want to spend a day with his favorite teacher and she couldn’t deny she wanted to do the same thing.

  “Great. How’s Saturday?” he asked.

  She blew out a long breath, disappointed as she realized the day wouldn’t work. “Saturday’s no good. I … I have to work.”

  She hated lying to him but she couldn’t tell him her plan to go to a self-defense class or the reason behind it any more than she could tell her brother. Kyle would hit the roof if he knew Billy was back in town and she was preparing for a possible confrontation.

  “No problem,” he said, easygoing as always. “How about Sunday, then?”

  “Perfect. I’m looking forward to it. I was thinking the outside of the house needed some decoration for the holiday season.”

  Orange pumpkins on the front stoop always gave the outside of her home a festive look. She usually picked them up at the supermarket on one of her weekly runs. She hadn’t thought to take Nicky to the local pumpkin farm but she should have.

  And now she couldn’t wait.

  “Sounds like a plan. Everything else good?” he asked.

  She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “Everything is great,” she said.

  And it was. As long as she didn’t hear from or see her ex.

  * * *

  Sunday dawned a crisp fall morning, perfect to spend the day outdoors. Kyle picked up Andi and Nicky and they drove twenty minutes to the farm outside of town where they sold pumpkins, squash, corn, and other seasonal items, including Halloween decorations for indoors and out. Hayrides were also offered, and of course that was the idea Nicky latched onto as soon as they arrived.

  “Can we go on the hayride? Look, Peter’s here with his parents and they’re in line.” He pulled at Andi’s coat sleeve to keep her attention.

  She glanced at Kyle and he nodded, figuring the day was more about Nicky enjoying it than the adults. He was here for the company, and as long as he could enjoy being with Andi and Nicky, he was good with anything.

  “Hayride works for me,” he said, and they made their way to the bales of hay and the people waiting in line for the tractor to return with the wagon and pick up the next group of people.

  Nicky stood with his friend, and Kyle turned to Andi. “Remember when we used to do this back in high school?” Once he’d gotten his license, they hadn’t needed parents to drive them and they’d come every year.

  She nodded, a smile on her face. “I got sick one year!” She covered her face, adorably embarrassed by the memory.

  “At least you waited until we got off the back of the wagon before you puked.”

  “Here it is!” Nicky pointed as the tractor returned and the previous group climbed off.

  They lifted themselves onto the back of the wagon and everyone found a place to sit, Nicky choosing a spot in the back with his friend. With everyone’s focus on the ride, Kyle settled into a corner and pulled Andi alongside him, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  She snuggled into him, not resisting his semi-public show of affection. The peachy scent of her hair tickled his nostrils and gave his body the kick he always felt when close to her. As the tractor drove them along the trail, each bump of the ride threw her against him and he held her close, laughter consuming them throughout the ride.

  The driver finally pulled back into the parking area and they climbed off the truck, Andi plucking stray pieces of hay off her jacket, a smile on her face.

  One of the last ones off the ride, Nicky met up with them, his grin huge. “Can I go again?” he asked.

  “Maybe later. Right now let’s go look for some pumpkins for the front steps.”

  “Can we get some cider then? And a candy apple?”

  She nodded and glanced at Kyle, whispering, “No more rides for him. Once was enough. I don’t need him eating, then getting sick.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Especially if he takes after his mother,” he said with a grin.

  She playfully smacked his arm. “Cut it out. Let’s not talk about that anymore.”

  He chuckled and grasped her hand, following Nicky, who had headed toward the food stands.

  “Andi?” She stopped and turned at the sound of her name. Kyle paused with her as a police officer in uniform, who looked about Kyle’s age, walked over and joined them.

  “Hi, Gary.” She glanced at Kyle. “Kyle, this is Officer Gary Madison. Gary, this is Kyle Davenport.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Gary said, shaking Kyle’s hand.

  “I didn’t expect to run into my star student again this weekend.” Gary looked at Andi with appreciation in his gaze.

  Star student? Kyle narrowed his gaze, wondering what Gary was referring to.

  “We’re pumpkin picking. What are you doing here in uniform?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “The owner’s a friend of mine. I stopped by to say hello.”

  They talked for a few more minutes while Kyle silently tried to figure out her connection to the police officer. Finally he left them alone, but before Kyle could question her, Nicky came running over asking for money for food.

  Because this day was on him, Kyle insisted on paying. He realized he wouldn’t have time to talk to her in this crowded atmosphere, so he resigned himself to having fun now and asking questions later.

  They drank apple cider, let Nicky have the candy apple that was sticky and got all over his hands and shirt despite his age, picked out pumpkins with faces for Andi’s front stoop and plain ones for Kyle’s.

  He couldn’t help but feel as though he were on a family trip, this being the family he wished he’d had. The one he could have had if he’d stepped up and told Andi how he’d felt about her so long ago. Or maybe this was how things were meant to be. Perhaps if he’d told her his feelings back when they were practically still kids, she’d have turned him down and they’d never have made their way to… this.

  Whatever this was between them, it was the beginning of something good.

  The day wound to a close, and of course Nicky wanted to go sleep at a friend’s, but because it was a school night, Andi vetoed that request, so they headed back to Andi’s house. She invited him to stay for dinner, which was just going to be pizza, and he found himself hanging out with them both during the afternoon until after they’d eaten and she sent Nicky upstairs to shower.

  She settled down beside him on the sofa in the family room and groaned. “Long day. But fun. Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate you including Nicky in our day.”

  He studied her, her c
heeks pink from the day outdoors, her eyes glittering. “My pleasure. He’s part of you, so he’s important to me, too.”

  Tears filled her eyes at that. “It’s a rare man who can accept another man’s child that way. Especially given our history.”

  “I look at him and I only see you.”

  She smiled, his answer obviously pleasing her. His next question wouldn’t, but he decided to ask it anyway. “So Gary, the police officer…”

  The smile faded from her face. “What about him?”

  “He said he hadn’t expected to run into you again this weekend. What did he mean?” Because Kyle had a hunch Gary hadn’t been in to the shop to buy flowers. That wasn’t running into her when she worked there.

  “I took a self-defense class yesterday at the police station.”

  But she didn’t meet his gaze. “And what made you decide to take the class now?”

  He knew how busy she was, between work and Nicky, and with Billy long gone, he assumed her life was simple and uncomplicated. Unease prickled along his spine.

  She twisted her hands together and clearly forced herself to look into his eyes. “You’re going to get upset.”

  He nodded, bracing himself. “Just tell me.”

  Blowing out a breath, she blinked hard. “Phoebe told me that Billy listed his mother’s house with her company and he’s back in town.”

  He realized he’d already expected her news to have something to do with her ex, and a mix of emotions rushed through him. Anger that they had to deal with the bastard again. Frustration that the son of a bitch was back at a time when Kyle was just getting past Andi’s fears and walls, and hurt that she had obviously hidden the news from him… just as she’d never told him why she pushed him out of her life in the first place.

  He drew a deep breath, taking a minute to gather his thoughts, because the last thing he wanted to do was scare Andi in any way.

  He couldn’t control the clench of his jaw, though, as he met her gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you found out?” He withheld the anger but couldn’t prevent the hurt from coming out in his tone.

  She swallowed hard. “He’s my problem, Kyle. Not yours.”

  “Isn’t thinking that what broke up our friendship to begin with?” He reached out and grasped her hand in his. “I’m not pressuring you into more than you can handle relationship wise, but we’re rebuilding something different than just a friendship, and if you’re going to hide things from me again, it destroys that fragile trust.”

  She blinked away tears and he caught one with his fingertip. “I just feel like I got myself into this – despite your warning – and I should be the one to get myself out of it.”

  He shook his head. “People make mistakes. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t rely on friends and family when times get tough. And if we’re going to have anything between us, there can’t be lies this time. Or things unsaid.”

  She inhaled and nodded. “It’s going to be hard to undo years of hiding. But I promise to try.”

  “That’s all I can ask for.” He exhaled hard, then asked, “Have you seen or heard from him?” Because he wouldn’t put it past her to hide that from him, too.

  She swallowed hard. “Maybe?”

  He cocked an eyebrow and waited for an explanation.

  “That night we were at the Blue Wall? I thought I saw him but I told myself I was imagining things. And it was before Phoebe had told me he was in town, so I had no reason to think he’d returned.” She bit down on her lower lip and drew it into her mouth.

  He forced himself not to think of it as a sexy move, not when they were discussing something so serious. “Next time, you say something, okay?”

  She nodded. “I hate that this is still part of my life.”

  “You’ve moved on. Just remember that and you’ll manage whatever comes next.” He tried to imbue his confidence in her, and knowing how important it was for her to stand on her own, he deliberately didn’t say we’ll manage whatever comes next. Even though it nearly killed him not to be able to step in and fix things for her.

  She smiled and he leaned over and kissed her, pulling her into his arms. The kiss immediately turned hot, his tongue gliding along and tangling with hers. But she seemed to be holding back from him and he silently cursed her ex for returning and potentially ruining all the progress he’d made.

  * * *

  After Kyle left and Nicky turned in for the night, Andi poured herself a glass of wine and sat down in the family room, kicked her feet up, and sighed. What had started as a special day had taken a wrong turn. Any time Billy’s name came up, her day was usually ruined.

  She felt frustrated over so many things, past and present. She’d worked so hard to get over the fact that she’d let herself be abused without standing up and doing something about it. And she didn’t know how to get past the notion that because she’d made this mess, she had to fix it herself. Maybe it came down to losing her mother when she was on the verge of being an adult, and though her brother did his best, she’d really had to learn to rely on herself. Instead of stepping up for his family, her father had fallen more deeply into his gambling, and she’d gotten together with Billy a short time after. Looking back, maybe she’d been vulnerable and hadn’t realized it at the time.

  But here she was now, the self-sufficient woman she’d had to struggle to become, a single mom, and the woman Kyle desired. Yet she feared losing him because she didn’t know how to open herself up, while she also worried about losing herself in Kyle like she had in Billy. And then there was the overall concern about Billy’s return and what that meant to her physically as well as emotionally.

  For the first time, Kyle was asking for something from her and she had to find a way to give him what he needed, to share and not be so damned self-sufficient. She was torn between the need to stand on her own and the woman who wished she didn’t have a painful past and could just throw caution to the wind and enjoy her life.

  She took another sip of wine, and on that frustratingly complicated note, she decided to turn in for bed.

  * * *

  Andi woke up the next morning, last night’s thoughts weighing heavily on her mind. She went about her morning routine and getting Nicky up and ready for school. No sooner had she dropped him off than her phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, sis.” Kane’s voice sounded over the speakerphone in her car.

  “What can I do for you this bright, sunny morning?” She hoped being optimistic would alleviate the worry over the fact that her brother rarely called her on the way to work. Unless it had to do with–

  “Dad’s on a gambling bender,” he said, not beating around the bush.

  She let out a sigh. She knew her dad’s benders well, having lived with him until recently… until he’d disappeared one night with money from her wallet. She’d known at that point she couldn’t go on staying in the same house and being aware of everything he did and said. She and Nicky had moved out but he’d continued to work at Kane’s garage, which meant her brother knew her father’s comings and goings. And they were both all too familiar with his gambling highs… and the lows that inevitably followed.

  “Dammit,” she muttered. They’d never been able to get him into a gambling program that stuck.

  “He hasn’t shown up for work in two days. I stopped by the house and he’s not there. I decided not to go checking with his friends or looking for games this time. You’re right when you said we have to live our own lives and let him live his. Which doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.”

  She let out a slow breath, in total agreement with her sibling. “You’re doing the right thing,” she assured him. “That’s the reason I moved out. I couldn’t be his mother.” But it hurt her nonetheless.

  She pulled into the parking lot behind the floral shop and cut the engine. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked, worried about her brother and her dad. But there was only one of them she could realistically help right now.
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  “No. I just wanted you to know and to ask you to call me if you hear from him.”

  “You know I will. Is Halley okay?”

  “Great,” he said, the only time in the conversation his tone lifted. “Not too nauseous, which is good.”

  “Well, that’s good. Say hello and I’ll check in with you later,” she promised him. “Bye.”

  “Bye,” he said, disconnecting the call.

  She gathered her purse and opened the door, stepping out of the car. Aware of her surroundings now, thanks to the class she’d taken, and relieved to see other people by their cars in the large lot, she walked straight to the alley leading to the store.

  She opened for the day, the sense of unease she’d had since yesterday staying with her, but there was nothing she could do except live her life, whatever that might bring.

  Chapter Seven

  Almost a week later, on a Saturday morning, Andi was outside watering the flowers she had in pots on the front steps of her house. The orange pumpkins she’d picked with Kyle and Nicky blended well with the yellow and red Mums on either side of the steps, complementing the yellow siding on her house.

  She didn’t recognize the old beat-up car that pulled into her driveaway, and clearly her survival instincts weren’t all that great, because she was shocked to see Billy step out of the driver’s side.

  She immediately started for the house when he called her name. “Andi, wait.”

  She glanced around, noticing her neighbors were outside, the one to the right playing ball with his son, one across the street watering flowers, too. And her son was at a friend’s house. She’d dropped him off an hour ago, which eased her mind, at least as far as her boy was concerned.

  Feeling safe enough with eyes on her, she straightened her shoulders and waited until he came close enough not to yell in order to converse. “That’s far enough. You can talk to me from there.”