The Road to Reunion

“I’ve already informed Molly that I am unable to attend,” Kyle cut in stiffly. His tone made it very clear that the subject was not open to further discussion.

“Well, that’s a shame,” Mack replied frankly. “I bet you’d have had a good time—if you’d let yourself.”

“How’s the renovation on the cottage coming along?” Kyle asked, very deliberately changing the subject again. “Made any headway since last week?”

“All the rain we’ve had the past few days hasn’t helped.” Mack seemed resigned to allowing Kyle to lead the conversation. “I’m hoping the guys can get back to work by midweek.”

He turned to Molly, making an effort to keep her involved in the conversation. “My wife and I own a motel in Gatlinburg and a few cabins in the mountains. We rent them to tourists in summer and during winter ski season.”

“Have you lived in this area a long time?”

“We both grew up in these parts. Bought the motel thirty years ago, and picked up a few rental properties along the way. Our son—well, he was going to take it all over eventually. He loved these mountains, especially in the winter.”

His use of the past tense twisted Molly’s heart. “Do you have any other children?” she asked softly.

“No. We just had the one son. We were both in our thirties when Tommy came along. To say he blessed our lives would be an understatement.”

He had adored his son. It was written in the sudden softness of his face, and the deep sorrow in his eyes. Molly bit her lip, unsure what to say since she knew so few details.

Mack seemed to mentally shake himself out of his bittersweet memories. He smiled toward Kyle. “It’s been real good for Jewel to have Kyle here to fuss over since we lost Tommy. Kyle was Tommy’s best friend in the Marines, almost like brothers. We came to think of Kyle as a member of the family when he’d come home to visit with our boy. We were sure glad he let us talk him into buying this little cabin and staying close by where we could keep an eye on him while he recuperates.”

Kyle cleared his throat—hard—and pushed himself to his feet again. “I just remembered that I have a couple of Jewel’s empty casserole dishes in the kitchen. Let me get them for you, and you can be on your way, Mack. I know you’ll have things to do now that the storm’s over.”

He limped into the kitchen without giving Mack a chance to respond.

Chapter Four

After Kyle’s abrupt escape, Mack gave Molly a quizzical look that made her giggle. “Guess Kyle’s ready for me to go. He’s not exactly subtle with his hints.”

Nodding her head in agreement, she thought ruefully that Kyle would be pushing her out the door as soon as he’d gotten rid of Mack.

Mack studied her with frank appraisal. “It’s a shame you couldn’t talk him into going to the party. He spends too much time up here by himself. Not that I want you to take him back to Texas permanently, of course,” he added. “I’m too selfish to want to give him up—for my sake, as well as for Jewel’s.”

“When did you lose your son?” she asked tentatively, wondering if she already knew.

He confirmed what she had guessed. “Almost nine months now. He was in the same explosion as Kyle. It was tough for all of us,” he said, lowering his voice, “but Kyle’s having a difficult time dealing with the guilt of surviving when Tommy didn’t make it. Jewel and I are doing our best to convince him that we don’t blame him, and that he shouldn’t blame himself, but…well, it’s been hard.”

Molly reached out impulsively across the distance between the sofa and the recliner to lay a hand on Mack’s arm. “I’m so very sorry.”

He blinked a couple of times, then cleared his throat, set his tea mug on the coffee table and reached into his shirt pocket. “Want to see a picture of my boy? I always carry it.”

“I’d love to see it.”

Even though it had been encased in plastic, the snap shot was battered from much handling. Molly’s throat tightened as she studied it.

Kyle looked so much younger in the photo, though it probably hadn’t been much more than a year since it had been taken. He was smiling self-consciously for the camera, but he looked happy. Healthy. He stood beside a grinning young man with windblown sandy hair and Mack’s kind gray eyes. The scenery spreading behind them was local, so they must have been on one of those visits home Mack had mentioned.

Her voice was husky when she returned the photograph. “He was a very handsome man. Like his father.”

“I like this young lady, Kyle,” Mack said, sliding the much-treasured photo back into his pocket. “A smart man wouldn’t let her get away too easily.”

Kyle scowled as he entered the room, holding two clean casserole dishes. “Tell Jewel I said thanks for the food, and that I’ll be down to see her in a few days. And thanks for coming by, Mack. It’s always good to see you.”

Mack stood and held out his hand to Molly, who had risen when he did. “It was real nice to meet you, Miss Molly. Maybe we’ll have a chance to visit again someday.”

She smiled at him, liking him immensely. “Maybe we will,” she said, though they both knew it was unlikely. She doubted that she would have any reason to visit Kyle again after she left today.

It made her sad to think she would never see him again—so she decided to be optimistic, instead. After all, there was still a chance—however slim—that he would change his mind about attending the party.

Kyle escorted his friend to the front door, stepping out to chat for a few more minutes on the front porch. Molly couldn’t hear what they were saying, nor did she try to listen in.

Meeting Mack had made her feel a little better about Kyle, in some ways. Kyle had seemed so alone before; she was glad to know he had someone nearby who cared about him. And whom he obviously cared about in return. Despite his gruffness, he hadn’t been able to completely hide his fondness for Mack McDooley.

She understood a little better now why Kyle was so grim. Not only had he been seriously injured and forced to leave his chosen career, but he’d lost his best friend at the same time. It was no wonder he was angry with life in general just now.

Yet he had chosen to settle near his friend’s parents, so he hadn’t been able to cut himself off entirely from other people. Obviously, it had been a beneficial arrangement for all of them.

“I like him,” she said when Kyle came back inside and the sound of Mack’s car engine faded into the distance.

“He’s a good man,” Kyle said simply. “And his wife really is a jewel.”

“You were close to their son.” It wasn’t a question, but her tone invited him to tell her about his friend if he wanted to.

Kyle picked up the mug Mack had left on the coffee table. “He was the closest I ever came to having a brother.”

She swallowed, a little surprised he’d opened up even that much to her. “I’m sorry you lost him.”

He was silent for a long moment, perhaps to make sure his voice was uninflected when he said, “So am I.”

Without looking at her again, he carried the mug into the kitchen.

Remembering the two smiling friends in the photograph, Molly didn’t try to follow him immediately. The sizable lump in her throat made it doubtful that she’d have been able to speak steadily just then, herself.

Kyle wasn’t in any hurry to return to the living room where Molly waited. Though he was usually able to hold his emotions tightly reined around other people, seeing her looking at that photograph of him and Tommy with such sadness on her face had triggered his own grief again. He’d been able to push it back down, but it had taken a massive effort. He needed a few minutes to make sure the emotional barriers were firmly back in place before he rejoined her.

Before he could decide whether enough time had passed, she came to him.

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked, standing in the doorway watching him too intently for comfort.

Though he was well aware she wasn’t talking about housework, he shook his head. “I’ve got everything cleared away in here. But thanks, anyway.”

She bit her lower lip, and he found himself aching to smooth the faint marks her teeth left. With his own lips. Which only went to show, he thought in disgust, that he wasn’t nearly as much in control of himself as he had hoped. Standing here wanting to kiss Molly Walker? Apparently he had temporarily lost his mind.

He had the odd sensation that the air was slowly escaping the room, leaving it hard for him to breathe. He tugged at the neckline of his gray sweatshirt. Glancing toward the windows, he cleared his throat. “Morning’s slipping away.”

She looked at her watch, then nodded slowly. “I suppose I should get on the road. It’s a long drive back to the ranch.”

“Too far for you to be making the trip by yourself,” he grumbled, genuinely concerned at the thought of her making that long drive alone. But what the hell was he supposed to do about it?