Home Is Where the Heart Is (3 page)

“Leaving Sizzle was the best move I ever made and I’ll tuck-tail and hall ass again as soon as I can,” Kyra said to herself. “Forgive me, Dad, but I just can’t stay in that dreadful little town. My secrets will swallow me whole if I stay too long.”

Finally, the moment Kyra had been dreading arrived. The Sizzle city limit sign was bearing down on her like a rabid animal gnashing its teeth. She closed her eyes for a brief moment – gripping the wheel until her knuckles were white as snow – as she flew by that damned sign. She was headed straight for her own personal hell at breakneck speed and there was no way she could ease the pain that was awaiting her.

Kyra rolled onto Main Street in the middle of the afternoon, all eyes on her as she eased down the street. People on the sidewalks slowed their pace, their nosey bodies twisted this way and that way to get a look as she eased by them. She slumped against her seat, wanting to bury herself inside the soft leather. “Just as I expected,” she mumbled to herself. “Every damn eye is on the unknown vehicle driving into their perfect little town.” She forced a smile and waved at the onlookers. They didn’t wave back. No surprise there.

She really wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Of course it wouldn’t help a darn thing but it would make her feel a little better. Home was the only place she wanted to go… for now anyway. She needed to see her mother and find out what the hell happened to her dad.

Kyra turned onto her parent’s street and eased the car into the driveway, glancing up at her childhood home as she put the car in park. The white, two-story house looked exactly as she remembered. Dad had kept the hedges trimmed the same, and the jasmine vines along the driveway smelled amazing. Jasmine had always been one of her favorite flowers and the sweet scent made her smile for the first time all day.

She remembered helping her father plant each of the plants when she was a young girl. She had been the stereotypical daddy’s girl. The memory sent another wave of sadness crashing through her. Her shoulders slumped and her lips trembled at the memory. She rubbed her trembling hands up and down her arms in an attempt to comfort herself, but it didn’t work, the memory of her father so strong she couldn’t fight the emotions and she really didn’t want to.

After she grabbed her bags, she walked slowly; feeling like each step was delivering her into the clutches of her past as she made her way closer to the front porch, feeling eyes bearing down on her from the neighbors as they no doubt watched from their curtained windows. Since she hadn’t been home in years, she knocked like a stranger and waited. Her mother opened the door and the tears began to fall once more.

“Kyra, you made it. I’m so glad to see you, honey.” Liz hurried forward and hugged her daughter tight.

“Mom, I…” Kyra had no words; she just tucked herself into her mother’s arms and followed her into the house. She hadn’t realized until then how much she had missed the warmth of her mother’s embrace. She needed her mother as much as her mom needed her.

They made their way into the kitchen, the heart of the home. Catching up would have to wait for there were more pressing matters to discuss. Liz knew that Kyra would want to know more about her father’s death. She just didn’t know what to say or where to start exactly. So much had happened and Sizzle wasn’t exactly the same quaint little town her daughter had grown up in. It had a dark side to it now.

Her husband had shared his concerns with her many times, but she knew there was more to the stories than what he had told. He had held something back; she was sure of it. Liz was happy that Kyra had run off to Houston to start a new life. If she had stayed, there’s no telling what her life would be like now.

Kyra broke the silence with a question, cutting through the tension rumbling like a storm through the room. “What happened to dad?” The words rushed out of her mouth.

“Darling, I just don’t know. He was shot at work. Tom found him.”

“Did they catch the shooter?” Kyra asked.

Liz didn’t meet her daughter’s eyes as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “No, darling. Nobody saw anything. Your dad was at the office alone.”

“What do the cops say?” Kyra asked, pressing for more details.

“They said they will be investigating your father’s cases and will talk to Tom. It’s possible that it could have something to do with his work… but they don’t know anything for sure at this point,” Liz stated, not sounding optimistic about their chances of discovering anything important.

“Do they think he was killed by one of his clients?”

Liz hesitated. “Kyra, I really don’t know much about his cases. Your dad didn’t really talk about his work at home anymore. Why don’t you go upstairs and get settled. I’ll fix us something to eat and we can talk some more.”

Kyra grabbed her meager luggage and headed upstairs. She reached for the handle to her bedroom and hesitated. She couldn’t understand why someone would kill her dad… and she really wanted to know the answer to that question. As much as she hated to admit it, she might just have to stick around Sizzle and find out.

Turning the handle, she stepped into her old bedroom and froze stiff. Nothing had changed. It was as if she had stepped back in time. Her childhood room had remained untouched for the entire time she had been gone. Not a single item out of place. Everything was just as she had left it.

Her stomach grumbled at the thought of being nineteen again, all of the memories of her last day in Sizzle bubbling to the surface like lava erupting from a volcano. Her heart began to race, thundering like a stampede of wild horses across a field, as her eyes roamed over the old band posters decorating the walls. She quickly turned on her heels and ran for the bathroom across the hall.

“Dear God, I can’t believe this. How will I ever survive this place?” she cried. She collapsed on the floor in front of the porcelain toilet and heaved, releasing the contents of her stomach. Her throat burned and her lungs ached. Finally, she slowly stood, grabbing a hand towel out of the cabinet. She quickly rinsed the putrid taste from her mouth and splashed cold water on her tear-stained face. Righting herself, she stepped back across the hall and back into the room that seemed to be frozen in time. She hung up the few clothes that she had packed and returning downstairs to her mother as quickly as possible, not wanting to be in that time capsule of her childhood any longer than necessary.

Her fear of returning to Sizzle was more real now than it had ever been. She was facing the demons that had haunted her for years. Kyra wouldn’t admit it but coming back might be just what she needed. She had secrets when she left and now she was returning with those very same secrets in tow. Secrets safely locked away within the recesses of her soul. Maybe it was time to set them free.

Liz and Kyra shared a quiet dinner and talked about Kyra’s life in Houston. Kyra began to wonder if her mother might want to return to Houston with her. A fresh start might do her good. She couldn’t imagine her mom alone in this big old house, facing years of memories each day by herself. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up, but after everything settled down, they could have a little chat and maybe make arrangements for an extended visit. Having her mother with her in Houston would be nice.

Liz had always been a patient mother; she had never pressed for personal details, but she truly hated knowing that Kyra was so lonely. She prayed that her daughter would find a loyal and passionate man to make her happy. Looking at her daughter now, she knew she was more than deserving of a great man. After several hours of chatting over this and that, they headed to bed. Both women were exhausted and knew that the morning would thrust darkness and grief aplenty into their lives. One thing was certain; the townspeople would begin to descend upon their quiet home soon. There was no way around the parade of condolences that would hit like a thunderstorm.

After the way her world was flipped upside-down, counting sheep wasn’t going to ease Kyra into a calm sleep tonight. She lay stiff as a board in her bed, with her eyes trained on the ceiling. Tomorrow, she would be a shoulder for her mother to cry on. As a tear fell from the corner of her eye, she closed her eyes to the nightmarish day and fell asleep. Sleep took Kyra into its arms, holding her tight until her dreams finally overtook her.

Kyra dreamed of the day she left Sizzle, but things didn’t happen exactly as they originally did on that day. She had packed her bags and headed for the city limit sign, when all of a sudden, she slammed on her brakes and whipped the car around. Dust billowed from the road, arcing high into the sunny sky as she headed for the gorgeous old church downtown.

Cars lined the streets as she pulled into the church parking lot and threw her car into park. She slammed the door and ran, making her way up the steep steps to the main doors of the church, stopping only to catch her breath before flinging the doors open and marching up to the bride and groom standing at the altar. One look at the groom and she knew she was doing the right thing. She stepped in front of him and declared her love.

“Dylan, I have loved you for as long as I can remember,” Kyra declared. “Please don’t marry this harlot of a woman. She will use you up like she has everyone else, and then she’ll spit you out when you have nothing left to give her.”

In that moment, she felt all-powerful.

Harley pushed Kyra out of her way, nearly knocking her down. Kyra righted herself and stepped back in front of Dylan. Kyra’s pleading eyes staring into his. Years’ worth of tears streamed down her cheeks, whispering over the rosy glow illuminating her. She didn’t feel embarrassed or shy. No. She felt strong. Finally.

Seconds later, Dylan reached for Kyra, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her intensely. Harley screamed like a banshee, livid at the sight of Dylan’s lips pressed firmly and lovingly to Kyra’s. Dylan slowly released her from their loving embrace, his eyes locked on hers as he said the words she had been dying to hear. 

“I can’t marry you, Harley. I don’t love you. I love Kyra. I’ve always loved Kyra.”

“How dare you!” Harley screamed, her fists coiled tightly as she pounded them against his broad chest. “You can’t do this to me!”

Grabbing Harley’s wrists, Dylan pushed her away from him. Eyes wide, Harley continued to scream as he turned away. Dylan scooped Kyra into his arms and carried her down the aisle of the church. Cheers erupted from all around them as they made their way to the door, disappearing from sight.

Kyra sat straight up in her bed, gasping for air, her body trembling, heart racing wildly in her bosom like never before. She hadn’t dreamed of Dylan in years. Why now?

She closed her eyes and wished that her dream was real. A single tear rolled down her flushed cheeks and she quickly wiped it away with the heel of her hand. How she would love for that dream to be real. She tossed back the covers, swung her legs free of the bed, and stood up on shaky legs, stretched her aching body, and then headed to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.

“My God!” she gasped as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She could still feel the prickle of heat where Dylan had touched her in the dream, her lips kiss-swollen and moist from his kiss as if he had actually truly kissed her as she slept.

She looked into the reflection of her emerald green eyes. She’d had plenty of guys tell her they were gorgeous, but that was because they didn’t see the sadness hidden deep inside. A few guys had said she was beautiful. She didn’t know if she believed them. They liked her long brunette hair and long legs, but beautiful? That’s what guys said when they wanted to talk a girl into bed, and some of the compliments had come from guys that were very easy on the eyes.

The problem was that the only man she had eyes for was taken. She just wasn’t interested in anyone else. No other man made her heart skip a beat the way Dylan did. She had remained a virgin, hoping that one day she would share that special part of herself with ‘the one.’

But she was still waiting; waiting for Mr. Right to gallop into her life like a white knight and take her into his arms. She wanted so much to be shown how wonderful real love could be, to be consumed with passion. But she only wanted Dylan.

“Girl, you read entirely too many romance novels,” Kyra muttered to herself. “There is no such thing as a white knight anymore, and Mr. Right is married to the wrong person.”

Laughing softly at her dream and the thought of a white knight, she headed back to bed. Sleep would elude her this time. She lay in bed tossing and turning the rest of the night, thinking about the coming day and what it had in store for her.

CHAPTER THREE

Liz took one look at Kyra and knew she hadn’t slept very well. Dark circles had taken root on her beautiful petite face, her makeup doing little to conceal her grief and sadness. Today would be a long day for them both. It was only 8:00 a.m. when the doorbell sounded. Kyra snatched her cup of coffee from the countertop and headed for the front door.

Two uniformed detectives awaited her on the other side with questions – questions she was certain she couldn’t answer. But it would be good to learn more about the circumstances surrounding her father’s murder. She still couldn’t believe he was gone. The reality of it all hadn’t sunk in just yet. It just didn’t seem real, but the day would still be filled with uncomfortableness, just like this meeting with the police. Her mother had already informed her that they would be visiting the funeral home to put the details of the funeral in order. She meeting she dreaded terribly.

“Can I help you, officer?” Kyra asked.

“Yes, ma’am. We’re sorry for your loss. I’m Detective James and this is my partner, Detective McAllen. We’re with the Sizzle Police Department. Is Mrs. Michaels available?”

“She is. Please come in. I’ll just let her know that you are here. Have a seat in the living room, please.” Kyra smiled weakly, waving her hand towards the living room. She hurried into the kitchen to her mother staring out the kitchen window. Seeing her this way was heartbreaking. She hadn’t even noticed Kyra enter the room.