Chapter 19
Kyle stood in his RV, stunned that Fisher had walked out on him. He stared at JP, the man who had helped him get everything he’d thought he wanted. But with a few careless words, he may have lost him what he truly wanted.
Fisher.
He shook his head. “I’ve gotta go. You can let yourself out.”
“You’re really going to walk away from me for some piece of ass?” JP shook his head in disbelief. Or maybe it was disappointment. But Kyle was more disappointed in himself than his former boss could ever be.
“Fisher isn’t some piece of ass.” She never had been. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“No. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” JP was starting to sound like a petulant child. Kyle almost expected him to start stomping his feet. “Without me, you’d be no better than your old man.”
“Look, I appreciate all you’ve done for me.” Kyle was grateful, but he didn’t owe the man his life. “And I think you appreciate all I’ve done for you, too. I’ve made you a ton of money. And for the first time, I’ve failed to make the deal. But that doesn’t make me a failure. Surely there will be other opportunities for you. But I’m out.”
With that, Kyle pushed past him and slipped out the door. He headed toward the guides’ house but stopped short when he saw Cody coming toward him. His big brother didn’t look too happy, so he guessed he’d run into Fisher already this morning.
Kyle braced himself for a punch, but Cody simply stared at him, shaking his head.
“I told you not to hurt her.” Cody tensed as if he did indeed want to punch him.
“I know. I know you care about her, but I love her, man. I do. And I’ll fix this. I swear.”
“I don’t know, she’s pretty pissed. She said you’re only here to ruin my business.” Cody relaxed his fists, but he still seemed on edge. “Said you’re pissed at me and Carson for taking your daddy away from you.”
“Our dad.” Kyle knew he should have come clean days ago. “But everything changed the minute I met her. I swear.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I’d love to stay and chat. Catch up on family history, but I’ve got a woman to grovel with.”
Kyle turned once again toward the house. But his path was blocked by the appearance of his father. The man looked like he’d been out all night. His hair stuck up in all directions. Dark circles bagged below his eyes.
“Kyle. Son, I need to talk to you.” Joe Swift took a tentative step toward him.
“Not now. I’ve got a situation.”
“Look, son, I’ve driven all night to get here. I really need you to listen to me.” Another step, this time with his hand outstretched.
“It’s a little late for you to play the devoted father.”
“Please. I know I’ve let you down in the past.” He stopped shuffling toward him, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“In the past?” A lifetime of bitterness threatened to drown him.
“Okay, so your whole life. But I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important. And your mother—”
“What about Mom? Is she sick? Hurt?” Or worse, using again.
“No. Just worried.” Joe Swift shuffled toward him, barely steady on his feet. Was he high? Or just worn out? “We’re both worried. You were supposed to be gone a week.”
“I like it here.” He turned toward Cody and couldn’t help but notice the look on his brother’s face. He recognized that look. A familiar mix of disappointment, resentment, and reluctant affection for the man who’d given them life. “I feel like I belong here. It’s too bad I had to wait so long to discover this place.”
“Look, Kyle. That was a long time ago.” Joe closed his eyes, regret showing in the creases on his face. “I wanted to bring you, but your mother…”
“Don’t you put this on her.” Kyle’s jaw clenched, along with his fists.
“We both made mistakes, too many to count, but, son”—Joe shook his head—“I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I made.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t. I’ve managed to stay away from drugs, for one thing.” And he’d managed to make a good living so far.
“Maybe you have, but that man you look up to? The one you’ve worked for for so many years? He’s bad news. He’s involved in all kinds of bad stuff.” His father lifted his head, staring Kyle straight in the eye. “Including drugs.”
“No. His business is legitimate.” Kyle looked away, not wanting to believe it. “He deals in companies. Not drugs.”
The door to the RV opened, and JP Wilson stepped out. Kyle got a bad feeling creeping up his spine. He wasn’t sure what to think. He’d never trusted his father, yet, somehow, maybe he’d always known something wasn’t right about Wilson’s business dealings.
“Tell him.” Still, Kyle hoped that he was wrong. That his father was just making things up to…what? Regain his son’s affection? It was too late for that.
“You didn’t get very far.” JP had a smug look on his face. As if he was above everyone else. “Did you change your mind? Are you going to have a deal for me soon?”
“No. There is no deal. I’m done.” Kyle shook his head. “And it doesn’t matter what your business dealings are. Not anymore.”
“You think you can just walk away from me?” JP’s voice boomed.
Both Cody and Joe took steps toward them. Joe looked desperate, but determined to protect his son. And Cody? He looked like a man itching for a fight. But instead of Kyle, he was glaring at JP.
“Yes. I can just walk away.” Kyle had never stood up to the man before. He’d never had to. “So maybe you did take me on when I was desperate. When I needed a job. But I don’t need you anymore. And you don’t need me.”
“I might not need you, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to just get away so easily.” The threat was subtle.
“What? Do we have a contract? No. Just a verbal agreement.” Kyle hoped to hell he wasn’t making things worse. “I would look into this company, with an eye toward buying it. Then, if and when a deal was made, you’d pay me a commission. My standard finder’s fee.”
“Is that what you call it?” JP was referring to the fifty grand or so Kyle had stood to make off the deal.
“I believe my yearly 1099s call it a ‘nonemployee compensation,’ but I’d have to double-check my last tax return.” They’d been very careful to keep his status legitimate but vague. “As an independent contractor, I’m the one who decides when and where I work. And I’ve decided I don’t want to work for you. Not here. And definitely not in LA.”
“Oh, is that so?” JP’s face reddened, his jaw twitching. “I don’t think you understand who you’re dealing with.”
“I think you should leave.” Cody stepped forward. “The man has made it clear that he doesn’t want to work for you. And as this is my property, I’m making it clear that you’re not welcome here.”
“Oh really? And who the hell do you think you are?” JP bellowed.
“I’m his brother. And I’m also a close, personal friend of the county sheriff. I have his direct number.” Cody pulled his phone out of his pocket. “So unless you want to be arrested for trespassing and harassment, I suggest you head on back to your limo or jet or whatever it is that will take you away from here as fast as possible.”
“Is that a threat?” JP glared at him.
“No. Just a fact. And while you’re making your phone calls to your big LA lawyers, my local sheriff’s department will do a thorough background check on you. If you so much as have a parking violation or late tax payment, I’d worry. And speaking of taxes, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to deal with the IRS. They tend to crack down on those employers who try to get out of paying their employment taxes by calling them independent contractors yet treating them like employees. My sister-in-law has a contact down at the Sacramento office. I’m sure she’d be happy to make a few phone calls on Kyle’s behalf.”
JP looked ready to explode. But he took a step back. “This rinky-dink operation isn’t worth it. I’d probably lose money, but not enough to make a decent write-off.”
He stormed off toward the limo that was indeed parked out front.
“Thanks, man.” Kyle heaved a relieved sigh when the car pulled away. “I owe you. And Lily, too. Does she really have a contact at the IRS?”
“Yeah, the guy she calls when our quarterly tax payments are due and the online system goes down.” Cody laughed and patted him on the back. “So why didn’t you tell me we’re brothers?”
Then Cody turned to their father. “Why didn’t you tell me? Did you not know about him?”
“I knew.” Joe Swift hung his head. “I knew I didn’t deserve any of you boys.”
“So why didn’t you bring him with you when Granny died?” Cody asked. Such a simple question, but one Kyle had been afraid to ask his whole life.
“I figured the boy needed his mother.” Joe looked at Kyle with such regret in his eyes.
“You could have brought us both.” Kyle didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“Yeah, we could have used a stepmother.” Cody sounded like a disappointed little kid.
“Too many ghosts.” Joe shook his head.
“So you left him and his mom behind.” Cody pointed to Kyle. “Because my mom died?”
“It’s more than that.” Joe couldn’t quite make eye contact with either son.
“Enlighten us. Please.” Cody obviously had a lot of resentment bottled up, and it was pouring out now. “Because I sure as hell would like to know how you could walk out on us and then walk out on him and still manage to think you’re the only one haunted by ghosts.”
“You see her too?” Joe lifted his head, a look of desperate hope on his face.
“I’m not talking about real ghosts. Shit.” Cody shook his head. He turned away, stomping his feet and flexing his fists. He let out a few heavy breaths before turning back around. “Just go. You’ve done enough damage. I don’t need you here. He doesn’t need you. We’ll take care of each other. Like Carson and I always did.”
“I’ll go.” Joe turned back toward his beat-up old Toyota. “But Kyle? Call your mother. She worries.”
“Yeah. I’ll call her.” Damn if tears didn’t prick his eyes. He wanted to go after the old man. But since he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hug him or slug him, he let him walk away.
“Do you think he really sees her ghost?” Cody asked after what felt like a lifetime. “I mean, is that why he stayed away?”
“It’s possible, I guess.” Kyle rubbed the back of his neck, which was as tight as an overinflated raft. “Maybe he only thought he saw ghosts when he was high. Or maybe he got high to get away from the ghosts?”
“He has a drug problem?” Cody sounded disillusioned. “Shit, I had no idea. Of course, I had no idea he had another family.”
“Surprise.” Kyle’s head was pounding. His neck and shoulders ached, and his stomach was growling. But most of all, his heart was breaking. He needed to get to Fisher. “Look, man, I’d love to play catch-up with you and Carson. We could share notes about our shitty childhoods, but I need to find Fisher. I’ve got to fix things with her before it’s too late.”
“She took off in her Jeep. She was pretty upset. About you only being here to screw us out of our business.”
“Yeah, that asshole said I should sleep with her to make the deal happen.” He wanted to go kick the shit out of the man for that. “But I swear, she’s the reason I gave up on the deal. Well, the main reason. That, and you guys have a good thing going here. No need to mess with success.”
“What about Fisher? What are you going to do about her?”
“Whatever it takes. I love her, man. I really do. I know it sounds crazy, since I’ve only known her a few weeks, but…”
“I know what you mean. When it hits you, it hits you hard.” Cody had a shitty little grin on his face. “But there’s something you should know about Fisher.”
Shit, was his brother going to give him some advice that would ensure she never spoke to him again?
“What’s that?”
“She’s one of the most loyal and giving people I know.”
“I figured that out on my own, but thanks.”
“What I mean is, she doesn’t give her heart easily, but when she does, she’s all in.” Maybe Cody was aware of any feelings she’d had for him? “But by loving so deeply, that means she can be hurt just as deeply.”
“Yeah, I also figured that out on my own. What I need to know is how to make it up to her.” His frustration level was rising. “I mean, what do I have to offer her?”
“How big would the commission on this place have been?”
“About fifty grand. That’s just about two and a half percent of the selling price.” Kyle didn’t want to crunch numbers here. “I would have made another fifty or sixty on the subsequent sale.”
“Wait. Two percent? I’m not a big numbers guy, but that would mean a selling price of like two million dollars.”
“Yeah. I know it was a lowball offer. But most of the companies I dealt with were in financial trouble, so they often took what they could get.”
“You were going to offer two million dollars?” Cody didn’t seem to be able to wrap his head around the number.
“Yeah, I know, the land itself is probably worth that. With the business and the resort, I would have screwed you good.” He would have felt bad about it until he’d cashed his check.
“Thanks.”
“But you don’t have to worry. Fisher taught me that what you have here is worth more than money.”
“Yeah, but two million dollars is a lot of money.” Once again, Cody didn’t seem to realize what he had.
“And he would have turned around and sold it for twice that.”
“No shit?” Cody let out a low whistle.
“Cool it, or I might just buy it from you myself.” Kyle was joking. Kind of.
“You’ve got that kind of money?” Cody looked at him with skepticism, but also a small dose of respect—or maybe it was just envy.
“Not in cash. I’d have to sell my condo and some stocks. But that’s not the point.” Kyle really wanted to end this conversation so he could go after Fisher. “The point is, I couldn’t do that to Fisher. I know how much this life means to her. Her job, her friends, her river family.”
“You could always buy her her own company.” Cody tossed it out as a joke. But maybe…
“You mean steal her away from you?”
“Okay, yeah, that would suck.” Cody grinned and rubbed his short beard. “But there’s some property not too far from here. It’s been on the market forever. With your cash and her expertise, you could make it work.”
“Wouldn’t we be competing with you?” The idea was starting to grow on him.
“Look, it’s not as big as our place, about half the size, so you wouldn’t be able to do as much with the resort. But you could set up a nice little rafting operation.” Cody’s smile widened. “Yeah, there’d be some competition, and you’d be taking our best guide. But it would take you a year to get it up and running.”
“You think?”
“But if you think Fisher is worth it, I’d be willing to lose some business if it meant she was taken care of.” Cody must really care about her.
“Of course she’s worth it.” Kyle’s respect for his brother began to grow. “But I still need to get her to forgive me.”
“Why don’t you put a shirt on and some shoes.” Cody gave him a brotherly pat on the back. “We’ll go take a look at the property. Maybe something will come to you while we walk the acreage.”
* * * *
Fisher got in her Jeep and drove. She didn’t care where she was going. She just needed to get away. But she didn’t have anything other than her keys and some lip gloss in her purse. No cash. No debit card. She didn’t even have shoes on.
Still, she couldn’t just turn around. Not when she needed a friend. A shoulder to cry on. But since she’d lost her best friend a year ago, she hoped her next best friend would have time for her.
Fisher found herself turning up the highway toward Hidden Creek. Lily had a cabin on the banks of the small tributary that eventually connected with the American. Carson had moved in with her shortly before their wedding. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he’d just passed her on his way into town.
At least she wouldn’t have to worry about disturbing their happy little family. Hopefully the baby would be napping or something.
Lily must have heard her pull up, or else she was already on the deck, because she met her at the top of the steps leading to the front door.
“Hey, Fisher. I’m surprised to see you this morning. I thought you’d be enjoying your day off with Kyle.” Lily had a big smile on her face and a steaming mug of coffee or tea in her hand. “Wasn’t that a beautiful wedding?”
Fisher tried to make the expected small talk, but the lump in her throat rose as big as the full moon.
Lily must have noticed the look on her face because she set her cup down and rushed down the steps to fold Fisher into a hug.
“What happened? I thought you two were…” Lily stepped back, with a look of sadness on her face.
“Yeah, me too. But I guess I was wrong.” The words barely escaped her quivering lips.
“Come in. Carson made coffee, and I’ve got some muffins still warm from the oven.”
Suddenly, Fisher’s stomach grumbled. She hadn’t eaten yet and she was so overdue for a strong cup of coffee.
“Thanks.” She managed a pathetic squeak.
“Anytime.” Lily placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been there for me. Remember when Carson and Cody had their big fight? And Cody left, not telling anyone where he was?”
“How could I forget?” She still had nightmares about the blood from the fight. Well, not recently, but it had been horrible.
“And Carson was so torn up he wouldn’t even look at me, let alone…” Lily looked away, probably thinking about how she’d already conceived little Brandon. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through those days without you.”
“Carson would have come around; he’s always been the most reasonable of all the Swift brothers.”
“Oh, he has his moments.” Lily led Fisher into her warm and sunny kitchen. The smell of coffee nearly brought Fisher to her knees.
“Coffee smells good.” Fisher tried to be gracious and appreciate her friend’s hospitality.
“Yeah, I let myself have a half a cup after I nurse Brandon. But he’s sleeping in this morning. I guess the wedding was a big night for him, too.”
“And I’m intruding on your quiet time.” Fisher felt like she had nowhere to turn.
“No. Not at all. Carson just left to make sure everything got cleaned up from the party. He didn’t want to leave it all on you guys. He really wanted you to have the day off.”
“I guess you were expecting to have a day off, too. But I’m going to ask you a favor. Could you cut one final check?” Her voice cracked. She couldn’t say it.
“Oh honey.” Lily evidently knew who she was referring to without having to say it. She wrapped her arms around her and let her cry on her shoulder. “You need a muffin. And some chocolate. Then you can tell me what happened.”
After two cups of coffee, three muffins, and dozens of tears, Fisher had told Lily everything, from Kyle knowing he was the half brother of Carson and Cody to his boss’s arrival and the deal he’d come up here to make.
Lily had been great. She just listened, without judging, without defending Kyle or making Fisher feel like even more of a fool than she was.
The phone rang. Lily looked at it as if it was an intrusion.
“Go ahead. I’m fine.” Fisher picked at the crumbs on her plate.
Lily grabbed the phone. “Hello. Yes. Uh-huh. Sure.”
She gave Fisher a small shrug and a smile before stepping out onto the deck.
All that coffee went right through her, so Fisher took the opportunity to hit the ladies’ room. She was splashing cool water on her face when she heard Brandon’s cries from his room.
After poking her head into the kitchen, she noticed that Lily was still outside on the phone. Maybe she hadn’t heard the baby. Fisher debated going out to interrupt her friend’s phone call or checking on him herself.
Through the glass doors, she could see that Lily was deep in conversation with someone. Probably her husband. She didn’t want to disturb the lovebirds, so Fisher decided to check on Brandon. Just to make sure he wasn’t in distress.
Carefully, she pushed the door to his nursery open. Brandon was lying in his crib, wailing. He stopped crying when he saw her, reaching his chubby little fists into the air. His sobs lessened with the hope that she’d rescue him from his misery.
With her heart hammering in her chest, she approached the crib. She could do this. She could pick him up and take him to his mother. Her hands shook as she reached down for the baby.
His face broke into a wide-open grin. His blue eyes sparkled with sheer joy as she lifted him from the mattress. He was heavier than she’d anticipated, and soaking wet. She held him out away from her, praying he didn’t start to squirm and make her lose her grip. He just giggled, kicking his little feet and laughing as if it was some kind of game to be held at arm’s length, as if he was a bomb that would go off if she made any sudden movements.
Somehow, Fisher managed to get him to the changing table. He continued to smile at her, shoving a fist into his drooling mouth. He lifted his legs in anticipation of having his soggy diaper mercifully removed.
She put her left hand on his chest, hoping to steady him as she unzipped the cotton pajama thing he wore. She tried to tug the footed part off his squirming legs, but the material didn’t quite stretch enough. So she wrestled one arm out and then the other. She shoved the material down his back. Then she was able to get the feet off and undo the flaps on the diaper. No wonder the kid was so heavy. The diaper must have weighed five pounds.
The diaper pail at the end of the changing table looked like some kind of space capsule. She didn’t have the first clue as to how to open it. So she just wadded the diaper up and pushed it as far from Brandon’s kicking feet as possible.
The clean diapers were in a cloth-lined basket on a shelf just below the changing pad. She grabbed one and was thankful for the Mickey Mouse designs that helped her determine the front of the diaper from the back.
After what felt like an eternity, she managed to get the diaper on, the flaps fastened, and she was actually starting to feel like she’d pulled this off. But then she wondered if she was supposed to put baby powder down there. Or diaper cream. Should she have used the baby wipes to clean him up first?
Well, she’d just have to confess her incompetence when Lily came inside. Until then, she thought about trying to put clean clothes on him but then thought better of it. So she grabbed one of those little flannel blankets and wrapped it around him like a beach towel and then she carried him into the kitchen.
Maybe she wasn’t completely hopeless when it came to babies. He wasn’t crying anymore. And she’d managed to make it to the kitchen without dropping him. Kyle would be proud of her.
Kyle.
A tear slipped down her cheek and Brandon reached up with his little baby hand as if he was trying to comfort her.
Then he shoved his fist down the top of her dress.
“Brandon. No. You do not put your hands on a lady without her permission.” Lily stepped into the kitchen in time to witness her son grasping at Fisher’s chest.
“He’s just a baby. He doesn’t know any better.” Fisher laughed and handed him off to his mother.
“Yes, but if he hears it enough as a baby, when he is old enough to know better, he’ll have the idea ingrained in his subconscious.” Lily looked at the blanket wrapped around her son and smiled.
“Now, Brandon, would you like your breakfast?” She opened her blouse and began to nurse him.
“He probably needs a bath.” Fisher glanced away to give them some privacy. “He woke up soaking wet so I changed him as best as I could, but I really have no experience with babies.”
“It’s fine.” Lily shifted in her chair, settling in for a long nursing session. “I’ll give him a bath after he eats. He doesn’t usually sleep this late.”
“I didn’t want to disturb your phone conversation. I think it’s great that you and Carson have so much to talk about even after he just left you.” Fisher wondered if her friend could hear the longing in her voice.
“It wasn’t Carson on the phone. It was Cody.”
“Cody?” Why would Cody call here?
“Yeah, he told me you would probably ask me to cut a final check for Kyle. And he also told me not to write it.”
“Then I guess you could make my final check out, because I can’t work with a man who would betray his own brothers.”
“But he didn’t,” Lily calmly pointed out.
“He would have.” How could she love a man like that?
“But he didn’t,” Lily repeated.
“Only because I warned Cody.”
“No. Cody told me everything that happened after you left. About how Kyle told his old boss to leave and Cody backed him up by threatening to call the sheriff.”
“Wait. Cody had Kyle’s back?”
“Yeah. He does.”
“But Kyle was going to cheat him out of his business.” All she’d wanted was for the two of them to become friends. Brothers. No. That wasn’t all she’d wanted. She wanted to be able to trust Kyle. To love him with her whole heart.
“For two million dollars.” Lily calmly switched the baby to her other breast.
“No way.” Fisher stood up. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Two million dollars was a lot of money. Was she in charge of a multimillion-dollar company? She felt dizzy. “I think I should go home now.” Fisher gathered the empty coffee cup and plate and carried them to the sink.
“Just leave them on the counter,” Lily said. “I’ll give Brandon his bath before I clean up. Unless you want to stay and help.”
“No. Thank you.” Fisher was confused. She needed to think. “And thank you for the coffee and muffins. They were delicious.”
“Anytime.” Lily offered a warm smile. “And, Fisher, I hope you can work things out with Kyle. I really do.”
“Thanks.” Fisher walked slowly to her Jeep. She was surprised by how much money Kyle was going to offer for Swift River Adventures. So maybe he wasn’t completely out to ruin his brothers. But she realized there was too much she didn’t know about the man.
And she wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to find out.