Chapter Fourteen
Inch by inch, Kayla edged the truck forward, stopping every foot or so to get out and check their progress. Ten minutes felt like hours, but finally, Dylan hollered for her to stop. Kayla latched on to Derek’s arm to help pull while Dylan pushed, careful of his foot as they maneuvered him to safety.
She wrapped her arms around Derek, unchecked tears streaming down her face as she stood off to the side to watch Dylan pull himself up and out of the well.
“You gave us quite a scare, young man,” she said, holding Derek tightly.
“Sorry. I, um, needed to get away to think.” He looked away.
“You should have called me. I thought we were friends.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He was acting strange, but now wasn’t the time to figure out what was wrong. Something had changed between them, and it left her with a cold loneliness she didn’t like.
Dylan brushed off his clothes and hoisted his brother into his arms, leveling her with a hard look. “We need to get him to the hospital to have his foot checked. When he’s settled in, you and I need to talk,” Dylan said. The way he said it wasn’t a question.
First Derek, now Dylan.
No smile, no hint of a smile, no nothing. She’d driven all the way here to help, and neither of the brothers seemed overly grateful. Even if giving Derek the dog had caused the problem in the first place, it was no cause for the silent treatment. But she would do exactly as Dylan demanded.
“Everything okay?” she asked, opening the door for Dylan to slide Derek onto the front seat carefully.
They both looked at her funny. “More or less,” Dylan answered.
“Thanks for coming back for me,” Derek said, his face tense with pain.
“Oh, honey, of course I’d come back for you. I just hope you don’t do this again. I think you scared ten years off your brother’s life.” She grinned, trying to ease the tension in the air.
“He said twenty, so I reckon it just means a lot.” Something had happened down in the well, and whatever it was, these two seemed a whole lot closer, but it also seemed to involve her. What, she couldn’t imagine.
She pulled up to the front of the emergency room. Dylan carried Derek inside, and she went to park the truck. It had been a twenty-minute drive from the farm, but there had to be at least thirty people from town already here to see Derek. She knew every one of these folks, and yet she felt alone.
Kayla stepped off to the side as everyone assured themselves he was okay and offered their well-wishes while they waited for Derek to be called to one of the back rooms.
Derek was in his element with all the attention he was getting. Kayla scanned the excited crowd crooning over the boy and stopped when she recognized the face she didn’t want to see.
Becky. The growing ache twisted deep in her gut when Becky touched Derek’s face with tenderness. Whatever she said had the power to make the kid smile.
When Derek’s name was called, Dylan carried his brother to meet with the doctor.
Kayla didn’t belong here, and she shouldn’t have promised Dylan she’d stay. The minute hand on the wall clock moved slowly. Ten minutes had passed, and it was more than she could take. The room started to close in around her. She needed fresh air. The doors slid open, and Kayla slipped outside and headed for the truck. Several of the town folk were already leaving, and she wanted nothing more than to be one of them.
“I’m glad you didn’t leave,” Dylan said from behind.
Lost in thought, she hadn’t seen him coming. “How is he?” she asked.
“Sprained ankle. Nothing a few pain meds and the attention of several of the nurses can’t handle.” His half smile disappeared as quickly as it came.
“He’s a lucky boy.”
“Yeah, he is. I’ve only got a few minutes before I need to get back inside, and this probably isn’t the time or place, but what we need to discuss can’t wait another minute.”
“Okay. Let’s have it. I sensed something is wrong by the way you’re both acting. Might as well get it out in the open.”
“Well, for starters, why do you think I have a son? And why would you be talking about it with someone when Derek could hear you?”
Talk about being blindsided. She’d never told a soul about the baby. Kayla closed her eyes. Dizzy. Kayla thought she’d left the barn door open or a cat had been creeping around, but what if it had been Derek who’d run out and caused the door to slam?
And if so, how much had he heard?
She felt weak in the knees.
“Answer me, damn it.” He towered over her, hands on hips. “For five years, you’ve treated me like I had the plague because I walked away after we made love. For five years, I’ve hoped you would come home, to me. Instead, I discover you think I have some secret son stashed away somewhere. Do you really think I’m that kind of man?” he asked, his voice cold.
“I don’t think it. I know it.” If he wanted to air the past right here and now in the parking lot of the hospital, so be it. Because then she was leaving. Back to Houston and away from everything Riverbend represented.
“What is it you think you know?” Dylan asked between clenched teeth.
Kayla saw the hospital doors slide open. Someone was coming their way, preventing her from answering. This wasn’t intended to be a public argument.
Becky.
Great. Just what she needed.
“Hope I’m not interrupting, but there’s quite a crowd gathering inside watching you and wondering what the two of you are heatedly discussing.” Becky looked from her to Dylan. “Everything okay?”
“No. Everything isn’t okay.” Kayla was tired of everything being hidden away and yet never forgotten. She wanted to put it behind her, and maybe this was the way to finally move on.
“It hasn’t been okay since you two hooked up behind my back down at the swimming hole. I was a fool to believe you could ever love me,” she added, looking directly at Dylan, needing desperately to see his reaction.
But instead of the guilt she expected to see, his face was filled with confusion. Becky on the other hand, looked agitated. What the hell was going on? Had Becky never told Dylan she’d seen them? It was unthinkable.
Kayla glared at Dylan. “Do the math, hot shot. Didn’t it ever occur to you the timing of her son’s arrival could make it yours?” There she’d said it. Let the cat out of the barn, so to speak.
Becky’s face drained of color.
Dylan on the other hand appeared to relax.
“No, it never occurred to me, because I’ve never hooked up with Becky. Your words, not mine,” Dylan said, a smile on his face.
Kayla glanced at Becky who still hadn’t spoken.
“But I saw you both together, and Becky confessed,” Kayla insisted.
Lines of tension re-creased his face, and his smile vanished. Dylan turned back to Becky, his stern gaze almost frightening. “How could you confess to something that didn’t happen?”
Becky looked terrified and took a step back.
“I saw you with my own eyes,” Kayla said.
“If you saw us, you should have stuck around for the finale, because there wasn’t one. We kissed, and it was a mistake and we both knew it. For God’s sake, tell her the truth, Becky.”
“I can’t,” she stammered.
“You have to,” Dylan thundered. “She needs to know the truth. Whatever it is you think you’re doing needs to stop. Enough people have been hurt by the lie.”
Tears streamed down Becky’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Kayla. He’s telling the truth. We didn’t sleep together. Byron isn’t his son. When I confirmed your accusation, I honestly never expected you to think Byron was Dylan’s.”
“You admitted you were with Dylan down by the swimming hole.”
Becky took a deep breath. “I was with Dylan, but not in the way you seem to think. We kissed and stopped, just like he said. I felt guilty and came up to tell you what happened. I overheard you talking with your mom on the porch. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything,” she said, brushing away her tears. “We had dreams, and you were ready to take off and fly, and I had just found out my dreams had come to a crashing halt.”
Dylan looked furious. The muscles in his arms flexed as he sought to maintain control.
“But why did you let me believe you got together with Dylan? I left and never came back because the thought of the two of you together nearly killed me.”
“I let you think the worst because I overheard you tell your mom you would have stayed in Riverbend with Dylan. You would have given up all your dreams and been stuck in Riverbend forever, just like I was. I wanted you to have your dreams. We were so young.”
“But it was my life.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. But you’re living your life. You’re happy, right? It all turned out good, right?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.”
Dylan’s gaze feasted on her. “Repeat that last part,” he asked.
“You heard me.”
All these years and everything she’d believed about Dylan and Becky had been wrong. What did it all mean? So much had hinged on a lie. And then there was the baby. She still hadn’t told him about the baby.
“If Dylan’s not the father, who is?” she asked, finding it hard to switch gears.
“I can’t say.” Becky tensed. Something was very wrong. Kayla should have known. They’d been best friends. She should have trusted Becky, but instead, she’d failed her.
“But why? Someone should be helping you with the cost of raising a child. Does the person even know?”
“He knows all right,” Becky answered bitterly.
“Why are you protecting the guy?” Dylan asked.
“I’m not. I’m protecting my son. My family.”
“What do you mean?” Kayla didn’t understand.
“Has someone threatened you? Becky, you need to tell someone the truth. We can’t help you if we don’t know what you’re fighting.” Protective big-brother Dylan was emerging, and he would be a force to reckon with if fully unleashed.
“Please,” Becky whispered, her eyes scanning the parking lot. “I can’t tell you who, so don’t keep asking. I made a mistake. I thought he loved me. Young, stupid, and naive. I love Byron and don’t want trouble. Trust me, it’s best if I never name the father.”
“But it isn’t right. Tell me so I can deal with the louse.” Dylan wasn’t backing down.
“Right is having my son with me. This guy could make my family’s life hell, and I could lose Byron. Nothing is worth losing my son.”
“I understand better than you realize.” Kayla stepped in between the two. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“This is ridiculous. Surely you two aren’t agreeing to say nothing and let this guy get away with what he’s doing.”
“We do agree,” Kayla said. “Two against one.” Just like old times. She stepped closer to Becky and enveloped her in a long overdue hug. It had been wrong for Becky to control her future, but Kayla understood she’d done it out of love. That she could forgive.
“Damn it,” Dylan said, the veins in forehead and neck popped out like a roadmap of rage.
All these years Becky had been dealing with so much on her own, made Kayla feel worse for leaving her best friend. Becky had done too good of a job driving her away and Kayla’s pain blinded her to any other possibility. She’d make it up to Becky, somehow, some way, she’d make it up to her friend.
“I wish you’d told me. Maybe we could have fought this together like we did everything else. I wish you had trusted me with the truth.”
“I do, too, but in the end, everything has worked out. Well, almost,” she said looking back and forth between her and Dylan.
“Some things aren’t meant to be, I guess. But you’re lucky to have your son. He’s a sweet boy.”
“Thanks. Maybe you could drop by and spend some time with us, catch up,” Becky asked hopefully. “But right now, I need to go back inside and get Byron before he wears old Mr. Thompson out with questions.”
“Sure thing. I would love to stop by. And I’m sorry I ran off the other night at the wedding. Maybe someday I’ll explain why.” Thankfully, Becky didn’t question the comment.
“Sounds good,” she called over her shoulder, waving goodbye.
“You and I still need to talk,” Dylan said. “I still can’t believe you thought I would sleep with Becky and that I wouldn’t acknowledge my own son.”
“What would you have thought if you were in my shoes?”
“I would have cornered you and found out what the hell was going on,” he growled.
“I was eighteen and inexperienced. And you were the first boy I’d ever kissed.”
“I wish I’d been the first, the last, and the only,” he said, claiming her mouth in a long overdue kiss.
And oh, sweet heavens, how the man could kiss. This was what Kayla had wanted from the moment he’d first kissed her all those years ago. Except she’d been here before with Dylan, and her life still wasn’t in Riverbend anymore.
“You’ll have to settle for first. But I have a question of my own.”
“Ask away, but understand this, last is still up for discussion,” he said, holding her close.
“If it wasn’t because of Becky, why did you walk away that day?”
“Same reason as Becky. To let you have your dreams. I knew you’d stay if I asked, and I didn’t want you to give up everything when I had nothing. The ranch was failing, and I was tied to raising an eight-year-old boy. Not much to offer in exchange for your dreams. I’d always hoped you’d come back.”
“But I’m not back to stay, Dylan. My life is still in the city.”
“Life happens, and people change.” It was the same thing her father had said. Five years ago, she would have given up everything for him and stayed, but it was different now. She was different.
“It’s not that easy. Classes start in two weeks, and for the next year, I’ll be slammed with schoolwork and clinic hours. And even when I’m done, there’s no room for more than one small-animal vet in town.” It was all true, but Doc had said some things that made her think twice about switching her specialty and coming home. But she wasn’t saying a word yet because the thought of moving back to Riverbend terrified her.
And then there was her secret. The one Dylan would never forgive her for keeping.
“You can’t leave yet,” he said. “Derek will need help with everything for at least a week. I’m asking you to stay and take care of him. And the dog.”
“There must be someone else who can help you?”
“I figure you owe me.”
“How’s that?” she asked, frowning.
“It’s your fault he’s laid up. He ran because he thought I was taking away the dog you gave him without asking me. He ran because you left. And he ran because he thought I had a son I was hiding from him that he heard about from you.”
You did have a son.
She had to tell him. “That’s not fair.”
“Life usually isn’t.” He grinned.
She did feel guilty, and when he put it that way, she had no choice but to stay. It was all her fault, and the thought of staying at the ranch for a week was more than enticing. Call her crazy, but she wanted to do it. It wouldn’t leave her much time to get ready for school, but she could make it work.
One week of what it could have been like between them as a family. But she wouldn’t survive if he kept kissing her.
“Only if you stop kissing me.”
“I can’t promise you that.”
“Fine. One week. And then I’m going back to the city and to school.”
“One week. Maybe a few kisses, and I’ll change your mind about leaving.”