Down the Hidden Path (8 page)

She squeezed his cheeks. “You look good. Miah told me you were coming home, but I didn’t know it would be this soon.”

Caleb’s smile lit the room. He’d always had a young look about him. Of course he was the baby, but even so, he
looked
young, angelic even. Everyone in town loved Caleb. When their mom had died, the town sort of took it on their shoulders to watch out for him. And Caleb had learned to milk that for all it was worth. He had Charlee’s blond hair and stormy blue eyes. They both looked like their mom. Isaiah and Gabriel looked like their dad. And people told Miah he did, too but he didn’t see the resemblance.

“Caleb was anxious to get a Neon Moon burger,” Miah said.

Raina clasped her hands together. “I can certainly manage that. You all have a seat. I’ll have Sandy come get your drink orders. Anything you want. On the house.”

Miah took a step to her. “You don’t have to do that, Raina.”

“Don’t have to. Want to.”

But Miah didn’t want pity for Caleb. That wouldn’t help him recover. “Really, it’s not necessary.”

Her hands went back to her hips. “Did you see me throw those guys out? Don’t make me get rough with you, McKinley. It’s
my
place. I can do what I want.”

“Leave her alone, Miah. She wants to give us burgers.” Caleb grinned, boyish and sweet, and it made Miah’s anger at the whole thing intensify.

“Stay out of this, Caleb.” Miah faced him, blocking Raina, and placed a hand flat on Caleb’s chest. Caleb had always used that smile to get things for free. The poor kid whose mom died. He could turn on the charm and get whatever he wanted. But Miah knew that falling back into that pattern would only hurt his progress.

That’s when something warm slid over Miah’s skin. A scent, dark and delicious, entered his nose. He turned to find Gray standing behind him.

“Caleb,” she said and stepped past Miah, leaving the sultry ring of her voice to trail into his gut and wrap around the lowest part of his belly.

“Gray.” Caleb pulled her into an embrace and Miah couldn’t help but notice the way he drew her name out as if sampling a delicacy. He also noticed Caleb’s inability to let her go.

Miah worked the muscle in his jaw and counted to ten. Still hugging. His hands fisted at his sides for an entirely different reason than before. Now, he just wanted to peel Gray off of his brother. That’s what it would take, from the looks of things. Chest to chest, hips to thighs, her head firmly against his pecs. Miah’s hand clamped on her shoulder in an attempt to turn her. Rather than come willingly, she tucked herself under Caleb’s arm as if they were on a date.

The goofy grin on Caleb’s face reminded Miah of when his baby brother had passed into manhood and found his first pubic hair. He’d grinned for a week about that one.

She looked up at Caleb. “You look great, Caleb. They take good care of you at Tampa?”

Miah’s heart sputtered. Should she bring up his rehab? Honestly, he didn’t know.

“Food was good, but the weather wore me down.”

She tipped her head and a stream of that night-black hair tumbled over her shoulder, feathering Caleb’s arm as it trailed. “It’s the tropics.”

“I know. I’m a four-seasons kind of guy.”

Finally, she stepped away from him. “Well, we’re all glad to see you back home.”

Miah let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Join us,” Charlee added. Until she spoke, Miah had all but forgotten his sister and Ian were there.

Raina motioned for the server. “We can bring another chair over.”

“Oh, no. I’m here on a . . .” Her words stopped, eyes flashed to the other side of the restaurant.

Miah’s gaze followed to find a blond guy, about their age, staring at the spectacle that had become the McKinleys’ first outing. “A date?” he mumbled.

Gray’s gaze dropped to the ground. “Yes. Anyway, it was great to see you.”

Caleb’s smile was all for her. “You too, Gray. You look incredible.” Another hug.

No. Stop it. Miah tried to quiet his mind, which had gone all kinds of vile places in the last few minutes. You’d think a veteran soldier would handle things better.

Gray angled to face him. “Jeremiah, if you have a couple minutes, I’d really like to speak to you.”

When he didn’t know what to say, she continued. “About the paperwork you showed me the other day. Please. Five minutes. My car is right outside.”

Confusion forced his legs to move, though his mind hadn’t caught up. If Gray was going to try to rescind her decision to sign off on the lodge, she could forget it. He’d already sent the paper to Tampa.

He matched her step for step until they’d passed through the front door. When they got outside, Gray stopped at her car and turned to face him. “What was that?”

“What?” There was silver fire in her gaze, accompanied by specs of blue from the neon sign above.

She cocked her head and her hip. “Miah, you can’t handle Caleb like that. He needs you.”

Miah pointed behind him to the front door. “Are you kidding me? What do you think I’m doing? What Caleb
doesn’t
need is pity.”

She met him toe-to-toe. “No, what Caleb doesn’t need is his brother
assuming
everyone is giving him pity just because they are trying to do something nice.” Tenacity looked good on her.

“Well, if I had a therapist on board, I’d know that, wouldn’t I?”

“If you’d stayed in the class for home care, you’d know that.”

His anger boiled, second only to the thought that maybe on some level, she was right.

“Look,” she said, and he could see her trying to rein in her own frustration. “When you told Caleb to stay out of it, you were shutting him out. Like he’s not capable of making his own decisions.”

“Oh, like the decision to physically drag two guys out of a booth because Caleb laid claim to it?”

She moved closer, head tipped and not backing down. “You told him it wasn’t any big deal.”

Miah leaned forward, close enough to see the dark liner around her eyes. “It’s a booth.”

“No. To him, it was a challenge. He’s a soldier, Miah. He’s a warrior. But you just brushed it off like it didn’t matter. They insulted him.”

“What was I supposed to do? Call them out? Beat the snot out of them?” A car pulled into the parking lot and several teenagers piled out.

She huffed. “Look, this isn’t something I can explain in a five-minute
conversation.”

“No.” Sarcasm was thick and full on his tongue. It tasted good. “Not with your
date
waiting.”

Gray clamped her teeth together hard as the wind kicked up. “I’ll take it.”

Two cars zipped past them on the road, throwing dust. It was cold outside, but Miah didn’t notice the chill until Gray wrapped her arms around herself and hugged. “Take what?”

She cast a glance heavenward. “The job. If it’s still available.”

That brought the world to a sudden stop. So, she wanted the job. Well, too bad, sweetheart.

When he didn’t answer, her face clouded, full mouth tipping into a bow shape. “Or is it filled?”

He shrugged. “I followed your advice and put an ad in the newsletter yesterday.”

She sent a long look to the front door of the Neon Moon and Miah almost felt bad, because on the other side of that door was a soldier who had to learn to do life all over again. It made Miah feel bad because Gray knew that too and seeing Caleb made her want to be part of the process.

“I see,” she mumbled. “Sorry for butting in.”

He grunted. “I’m sure you thought you were doing the right thing.”

She attempted a smile but it died on her face. “Good-bye, Jeremiah.”
Gray headed for the door just as her date was coming outside. His face was a wash of confusion, his hands holding her outstretched coat.

Instantly, Jeremiah detested him. Too polished. Too perfect. Hollywood-white-capped teeth and a tanning-bed tan. Not the kind of man a woman like Gray needed. He was all plastic and fluff. She’d eat him alive.

Pretty Boy smiled, but it was forced. “Everything okay out here?”

Miah enjoyed the quiver in his voice. He obviously didn’t want to go toe-to-toe with a towering soldier. “Oh yeah. We’re having a great time.”

Gray cut him with her eyes, then turned to face her date. “I’m really sorry, Vince. It’s just that this is—”

Miah thrust a hand out. “Her boss.”

Surprise flickered on Pretty Boy’s face and Miah realized he recognized this man. Couldn’t place a name, but Miah was certain he knew him from way back.

“My boss,” Gray echoed.

They shook hands, Pretty Boy reluctantly.

Miah’s gaze narrowed. “Do I know you?”

He smiled, all dazzling and toothy. “We went to school together. I was a couple years younger.”

“Oh yeah.” Miah turned away from him to address Gray. “So, Monday morning? Or did you want to get started tomorrow since Caleb’s here?”

She smiled, but it was forced. “No weekends, per our agreement, remember?”

“Right. Just didn’t want to do too much damage to him in the interim.”

She swallowed the insult that was no doubt on her tongue. “You’ll manage until Monday.”

“Great. It’s a date.” Miah wiggled his brows, looked at her date, and winked. “You two have fun.”

As he went inside, her voice drifted on the breeze. Pretty Boy was saying good-bye. Miah had likely ruined her night. In fact, he hoped he’d scuttled that whole disaster of a relationship. Come Monday morning, Mary Grace Smith was his.

CHAPTER 5

Jeremiah tried to stay out of her way for the first few days. He’d brush past her in the hall or catch her in the kitchen while she’d watch Caleb make them lunch. It was always Caleb’s job to do the fixing as Gray assured them it was therapy. Today, she was sitting on the barstool overlooking the oversized country kitchen the lodge was equipped with. Counters framed the hardwood floors and a massive butcher-block island anchored the space. Copper accents had been placed here and there, some original, some Miah had added after finding a sale at the hardware store. But what drew his attention was how well she fit right there in his kitchen, elbows propped and feet swinging gently beneath the barstool. “Coffee?” Miah asked.

Gray nodded then hopped off the seat and moved to the stove’s copper backsplash. “This is really pretty.”

Jeremiah turned from the coffee pot. He’d snuck down from the upstairs room he was remodeling when he heard Caleb turn on the shower. “You noticed.” He stepped behind her and heard her breath catch. Heat slid into his stomach, warming him from the inside out.

“Sorry I hadn’t noticed it before. When I’m working, I tend to have tunnel vision.” There was the tiniest quiver in her voice and he willed himself to move away. Lest she
run
away.

Miah leaned against the counter, a motion that offered a bit of space between them. “It’s okay. I’d prefer for your mind to be on your patient rather than on my projects. Where is he, by the way?” He knew, but didn’t want to be too obvious about keeping her company while Caleb showered.

“We walked to the lake this morning, worked up a sweat.” She reached out to take the coffee he offered.

Miah took a tiny step closer to her and sniffed. “Him or you?”

She bit back a smile. “Him. Insisted on taking a shower before making lunch. Honestly, I think he’s just stalling.”

Miah helped himself to a cup and had to admit it tasted better with the company of Gray than it did when he was alone. “Caleb always knew how to get out of work.”

She gave him a mock frown. “Not with me, he won’t. I don’t give up.”

Something about hearing her say that caused a spike of tension to work its way through Jeremiah. “I’m counting on that. How is he doing?”

Her hand went to her neck, where she kneaded the muscles on one side. He’d like to do that for her, work his hands over the creamy skin of her neck, over the gentle curve of her shoulders.

Gray seemed not to notice his interest in how her fingertips moved beneath her hair, squeezing and rubbing what must be stiff muscles. “He’s doing great. Good attitude, too. Makes all the difference.”

Yeah, Caleb lit up like a dang Christmas tree every time Gray entered the room. “Prognosis, Dr. Gray?”

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound like dark velvet curling around his bare skin. “Within a year, I think Caleb could be virtually on his own.”

Miah dropped his cup on the counter. “What?”

She blinked. “No reason he couldn’t. I mean, there will always be things that are a bit more of a challenge for him, but people live on their own with far greater disabilities. Miah? Are you all right?”

No. No, he wasn’t. And yet, he was more than all right because he’d assumed Caleb would need to live with him for the rest of their lives. And he was okay with that. Great with it.

“Miah?” Concern edged her words.

He ran a hand over his face. “I just, I . . .” What to say? “This is good. I mean, it’s great for him. I didn’t know that would become an option. But will he want to live alone?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it. It’s just the first week. I’m still learning him, you know?”

No, he didn’t really know. And she quickly picked up on that. “Miah, I don’t want to give him expectations that he’s not ready for. At the same time, he needs goals.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that before.”

“Right now we’re taking baby steps, but if I know Caleb, pretty soon, he’ll be serious about determining what he wants to accomplish.”

Her eyes sparked with an excitement and intensity that only came from loving what you do. Gray Smith, the girl he’d known. The girl he’d cut school with and TPed the principal’s house with . . . all grown up. “You’re good at this, aren’t you?”

“I’d like to think so.”

He needed to leave. Now, while things were pleasant and not quite so extreme between them. “Gray, can I ask you something?” His mouth did tend to overload his better judgment.

“Sure.” But a wariness entered her eyes.

“Are you . . . involved with someone? I mean, I know it’s none of my business and I know I saw you with the shiny veterinarian the other night, but you’re obviously not
with
him. I was thinking maybe you were involved with someone else and I don’t know, had a fight or something.” There. He’d said it.

Her gaze narrowed, but more honest suspicion than anger. “You’ve done a bit of thinking about my love life, McKinley.”

That much was true. Miah had spent the better part of the last several days processing what Charlee had told him about Gray having been in love with him all those years ago. At first, he’d thought it ridiculous. But judging her actions and reactions at seeing him again, well. Maybe. Just maybe. At the taco stand, she couldn’t seem to get away from him fast enough. So either she wasn’t interested in running into a past love or he reeked like dead fish. Since he hadn’t been fishing in weeks, he had to assume she was involved with someone and didn’t want Jeremiah messing anything up or confusing her emotions. The two of them had always had an unnatural bond, an inexplicable connection.

For some strange reason, the thought of her, of what could be, had kept him up at night. And then there was the look on her face—disgust, was it?—when the good doctor had brought her coat to her in the parking lot. He figured she must be in a serious relationship that had recently taken a nosedive. Maybe the doc was her boomerang guy. Miah would have liked to have fit that bill. “So, are you?”

For a long time, Gray’s attention stayed on her coffee. On the wall, the clock ticked; above them, water rushed through pipes, sending a soft white noise to fill the silence. Gray blinked. “Yes, I am.” She lifted the pottery mug to her ample lips and took a drink as if it held the power to create a wall between them.

“Tell me about him.”

She coughed into the mug. “Excuse me?”

“Tell me, Gray.” His words were soft, a request from a long-ago friend, not the kind of question an employer uttered.

Her eyes widened, rimmed with a hint of red from choking on her coffee. She stepped away from him, toward the sink, where a window overlooked Table Rock Lake. “He’s . . .” Her voice drifted away, drawn by some unnamable power. “He’s incredible. I’ve never met anyone like him and I’m fairly certain I never will again.” Her mug found its way to the counter beside the sink and her hands came together in front of her while the trees beyond the window swayed in the wintery, late-morning breeze.

“Why were you with the animal doctor?”

She chuckled. “It was an experiment. One that failed, by the way.”

Miah rubbed the back of his neck. “You can probably thank me for that.”

He’d moved closer to her, not too close, just close enough.

“No. It was a doomed proposition. I shouldn’t have accepted his invitation. But, you know, we went to school together and all.” Then her eyes met his and Miah watched as an apology of sorts entered first her gaze, then the rest of her body, causing each motion, each breath, to soften. It was as plain to see as if she’d said it. She was feeling bad about the way she’d treated him at their first reunion.

He should rescue her from this, but he couldn’t find the words to do it. Not with her so close and looking at him, actually looking at him instead of trying to look at everything else. There was a long strand of dark hair partially covering one of her silvery eyes. His fingers itched to reach up and touch it. Instead, he sank his hands deep in his pockets, where they couldn’t lash out and damage what little progress he was making with her.

“Miah, I’m sorry about the taco stand.”

His heart lurched, but he opted to keep things playful. “Yeah, it’s a beast when they run out.”

“That’s not what I meant. Anyway. I didn’t handle seeing you very well. I’m sorry, it’s just—”

And then his body did what his mind knew he shouldn’t. He stepped closer, trapping her between himself and the sink. “It’s just what, Gray?” He could feel heat rising up between them, heat like the stove was on, heat like a sauna, heat like . . . like there’d been on another night when he’d trapped her against a door.

A blood vessel in her throat throbbed, and Miah wanted to place a hand there, feel the force pulsing through her.

She smiled, leaned away. “It’s just that we were such good friends in high school.” One shoulder tipped up. “And since I’m in this relationship, I got scared. It would be inappropriate to pick up where we left off.”

Pick up where they left off? That would be at her doorstep, where he’d once again kissed his best friend after the rainstorm and the Gray-storm and the graveyard. It had been a night he’d never forget. And it was the last time he’d seen her. “We should talk about the graveyard.”

Panic entered her features, eyes first, then settling around her mouth. “No. We shouldn’t.”

“But—”

“Miah, it was a long time ago. A lifetime ago. Let’s just drop it, okay?”

“Is that why you didn’t want to take this job? Your guy, knowing about us, wouldn’t like you working for me?”

She threw out a long breath. “There was no us, Miah, there never was. It was one night. A—”

“A mistake?”

At that, her gaze softened, features filling with something beautiful, an emotion he’d never seen on her, a look that was morning sunlight after a long winter’s night. “No. Not a mistake. Definitely not a mistake. Just something that needs to,
has to
stay in the past. Can you respect that?” She was pleading now, her body language neither guarded nor careful, just hopeful.

“How can a guy be okay with you out on a date, but wouldn’t be okay with you working for a past friend?” He was just trying to make sense of it.

Gray focused on the wall behind him. “It’s complicated. We were . . .
taking a break.” Her mouth twitched. A telltale sign. Gray was lying.

“And now?” He didn’t like where this was going.

“And now we are together. Permanently.”

Those words cut a slice out of Miah’s heart. “I see.” He needed to rally. Needed to at least attempt to handle this with some dignity. “So, what’s his name?”

Her mouth opened then closed.

Miah wondered when silence had gotten so loud.

She looked blank for a few moments. Gray smiled. “His name is David.”

Her eyes were full of adoration. Either this David was practically a saint or he had her completely snowed. Miah had a strong feeling it was the latter. Gray wasn’t herself when she talked about this guy and it reminded him of stories of women who were abused, women who wanted,
needed
, to get out of a bad relationship but couldn’t. Miah would keep his eyes open. Because at the end of it all, Gray had once been his best friend. If she needed him, he’d be there. And maybe, just maybe, in time, he could carve a place in Gray’s heart for himself. David might have her right now, but she and Miah had something that was difficult to match. They had their entire life’s history together.

Miah woke to the sound of a freight train in his front yard. Since there wasn’t a train around for miles, he leapt out of bed, grabbed his jeans, and didn’t bother with shoes; he had some boots by the front door. He tugged on a shirt as he headed downstairs.

Caleb stood in the kitchen doorway with Gray peeking around his shoulder. Caleb’s face twisted into a look that displayed all the confusion Miah felt. “What’s going on?”

Miah rushed to the door. “I have no idea.” He pulled the boots on to his bare feet and threw the door open to find a large yellow tractor and two truckloads of men just arriving. “What is this?” he mumbled, wondering if he’d somehow slipped into a weird dream.

But then he saw it. The champagne-colored Bentley pulling up in his driveway. Cold, then dread, passed from his heart to every extremity of his body as he watched the man behind the wheel pull to a stop. In a moment the car was parked and the seventy-something, designer-clothed man stepped out, long wool coat and scarf flowing in the winter wind as he pointed at the pool house with a leather-gloved hand. Without so much as a greeting, he started barking instructions.

Miah flew out of the house and stomped to his grandfather. “What do you think you’re doing?”

At that moment, the tractor barreled into the side of the pool house.

“Good to see you, too, Jeremiah.” He was tall and had thick white hair on his head like a halo. But Grandfather Havinger was no angel.

“This is private property.”

He scoffed, the lines around his mouth deepening. “Yes. Property I purchased.”

Fury settled deep in Miah’s gut. “My mother bought this property for us. You have no right to be here.”