Indomitable Spirit (12 page)

“What do you want for dinner tomorrow?” He asked as he put away the last of the mostly dried dishes.

“You’re afraid they won’t volunteer tomorrow to do this.”

“I can guarantee it.”

She laughed easily around him now and he liked that. He’d been afraid she’d be edgy and afraid that he’d bounce between pleasant and horrible as he always did. But she made him want to be happy. Abigail had made him that way too.

He caught himself when he began to compare the two. There was nothing alike about them, except that they were good, caring women.

Well, that wasn’t a bad quality to share between the women he loved.

He turned back to put away another dish. He couldn’t have her looking at him, knowing he’d even thought about that emotion.

Kym O’Bryne was still a stranger. Love was for people who put in years of time and commitment to a relationship. Maybe in time he’d consider love. For now he just wanted to consider that she was willing to spend time with him—and his kids.

She limped across the kitchen with the rag in her hand and gracefully she draped it over the divider in the sink. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Mr. Larson. I had a wonderful evening.”

“Unique dining experience?”

“In the most pleasant of ways,” she said softly stepping closer to him.

He wanted to gather her up in his arms and see how wonderful a kiss could be when both of them moved in for it together. But it was too risky right now. Those amazingly wonderful kids of his were just around the corner and that eight-year-old was already suspicious.

She must have had the same thought because she took a step back and rested against the counter.

“I’d like to present the kids with uniforms tomorrow. Would you be okay with that?”

“As long as you’re still not charging me and they still want to go, you can give them whatever you want to.”

“They’ve earned them. I’m very proud of how hard they’ve been working.”

He leaned against the counter too, facing her. “This isn’t just a way to support child labor is it? I don’t want to have to turn you in.”

She smiled again. “Your kitchen will be your own chore again if you do.”

“Point taken. I’ll try to be there to see them get their uniforms.”

She was batting her eyes now. He’d made her tear up. How did he do that?

“I should head home. You have more evening routines to continue.”

He wanted to ask her to stay. Share bath time and bed time with them. Even if she didn’t stay all night, to have her there…was for another time, he quickly realized.

“I’ll walk you out.”

Kym had said goodbye to the kids and even Cody had hugged onto her good leg and didn’t want to let go. But it worried her when Jacob said goodnight to her. He had a shift in his reaction to her—as mistrust had formed. Hopefully she could make it go away.

John had put on his coat and shut the front door behind him.

“You’d better get back in there. If you’re out here too long they’re going to be looking out windows.”

“I’m sure the neighbors are already doing that.”

She’d lived in big cities and small towns, but neighbors in all of them were alike—they wanted to know what was going on.

“Thank you for today. I’ve had quite an adventure.”

He reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers. “It’s been a busy day.”

“Maybe tomorrow will be a bit more quiet.”

He nodded. “I don’t care what kind of day it is as long as I see you.”

“That’s right. You did say if you kissed me it meant I was yours.”

He pursed his lips. “Not as a possession. It just means writing you a note that asks if you’ll be my girlfriend check yes or no is a little immature.”

“Oh, I don’t know. That’s cute.”

His eyes met hers in the dark and a million words passed between them without either of them uttering a one.

Commitment. Relationship. Family. Business. Kids. Love…were just a few. They both knew there were a million components that would need to fall in place for this to work out. They were one day into an uncertain relationship, but Kym wanted this. Oh, last week she’d all but hated the man, but right now she couldn’t find the strength to even leave his sight.

“Goodnight, John.” She opened the door to her car.

“Goodnight, Kym,” he said softly bending down to kiss her cheek ever so gently.

It was going to have to do, she knew that. She climbed in her car and started it.

The curtain in the living room shifted as she drove away. He’d known what he was doing. They were being watched. She needed to remember those four people came before her. She should be used to it. She was the only daughter among strong and handsome sons. Every day of her life she had to prove that she was a strong and smart woman. This would be no different.

As John’s house faded from view she already missed him—missed them.

Patience. She had enormous amounts of patience. But committing to John Larson was going to take all the patience she had—she wanted it all right now.

Chapter Eleven

Pain shot through Kym’s knee as she tried to walk. This was not good. It had swollen during the night.

She managed her way to the kitchen where her grandfather sat, a cup of tea in his hands, a cup near her empty chair.

“You are injured.”

“I twisted my knee last night when I was training.”

He gave her a slow nod. “Your mind is not in focus.”

Kym managed her way to her chair and sat down. “I’m going to need to call in some help today. I’m going to have a hard time teaching.”

Her grandfather nodded slowly. “I will teach.”

She knew not to doubt him. To doubt her grandfather would only prove to be a mistake that would cost her dearly.

“I’d appreciate that.”

He lifted his chin. “Tell me about the man.”

Now, not only her knee hurt, but her heart ached too. This was not a conversation she wanted to have with her grandfather, but she couldn’t walk away now. He already knew.

“I assume you mean Mr. Larson.” He gave her a bow of his head and then turned his ear toward her so he could hear.

“He was kind enough to change the filter in the furnace and get the windows open in the back of the school. Then he invited me over for dinner at his house. With his children,” she was sure to add.

“Ah, he has many children.”

“Four.”

“His wife died.”

Proof that her grandfather had melded into this little town better than she had.

“Yes.”

“A man with so many children will find it hard to put a woman first.”

Kym gritted her teeth. “Yes. I know that.”

“But a woman who could take on a man and his young children would have to be very kind of heart and very full of patience.”

She let her shoulders drop. “Yes.”

He patted her hand and stood from his chair. “You, my Kym, have both.”

He left her sitting alone at the table, his compliment still buzzing in her head. Kind of heart and full of patience. The thought brought a smile to her face. The patience wasn’t needed with the younger children. They would either like her or they wouldn’t. But Jacob would need her patience.

Kym had been teaching long enough to see families come together and others fall apart. She knew that he liked her, but did her like her enough to let her be part of his father’s life? And she needed to be very honest with herself. Did
she
want to be part of his father’s life?

She’d seen his less than cheery disposition on more than one occasion. But she’d seen his compassion too. And when he kissed her, she’d felt the depth of his passion.

Kym rested her head in her hands. That morning he’d run into her at the grocery store, she never could have imagined she’d be losing sleep over him or wanting to see him every moment. But she had and she did.

Love was not a foreign feeling to her. She’d been in love. They’d even spoken of marriage, but things were not meant for them. And why not? They were both single, business minded people. He’d had no baggage where as John Larson had plenty. Why didn’t love work for her before? And how would it work with four kids and the memory of a late wife?

The throbbing in her knee drew her back into the moment. She needed to get some ice on it and wrap it.

As she hobbled from her chair to the refrigerator she heard what sounded like tiny rocks against the patio door. Carefully she maneuvered to the door and looked out. Below her stood John crouched down picking up another handful of tiny pebbles from the ground.

She opened the door. “What are you doing?” She laughed as she inched out onto the patio in her robe.

“I don’t have your phone number.”

“This is a bit old fashioned isn’t it?”

“You don’t have a trellis.”

She laughed and cinched up her robe against the cold. “Why don’t you come up?”

John looked around and then shook his head. “You’d better come down.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “I was going to go visit Wil at the hospital before they’re released. Thought you might like to go.”

First he’d kissed her, then he’d taken her home to be with his children, now he was offering a public outing. The cold air stuck in her lungs. This was what she’d wanted. But it was happening too fast—but that was what she’d wanted too.

Then the reality of it hit—they were only going to visit friends. It wasn’t as if they were going on a date.

“I have to change.”

John nodded. “I’ll wait.”

She turned to go back inside, limping as she moved toward the door.

“You’re still limping,” he called up.

“It’s really swollen.”

“Good thing we’re going to the hospital.”

It had taken Kym nearly twenty minutes to come downstairs after he’d thrown rocks at her window. By the look on her face she was only mildly surprised to find him standing there in the front of the school holding a mug of hot tea.

“My grandfather?”

John nodded. “I think he took pity on me standing out here in the cold.”

She touched his arm. “It means a great deal more than that.”

He assumed it did, but he wasn’t going to be the one making those kinds of accusations.

She took the mug from him and set it on the front counter. “I’ll take this up later. Do we have enough time to go to the florist? I don’t want to visit empty handed.”

The florist? Couldn’t she have wanted to take something else? No.

“Yeah, sure.”

She was studying him and then she smiled. “Oh, John Larson, there is a story with you and the florist.”

“You’re not so wise.”

She grinned again as they walked out of the school and she turned and locked the door.

Her knee was obviously hurting her, especially in the cold. It was a great excuse to scoop her up, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her to the car—which was what he did.

Kym squealed in laughter. “I can walk.”

“This is more fun.”

“Don’t you slip on the ice or I’ll have a concussion too.”

When he reached the truck he set her down. “I guess if you get a concussion you can’t work.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “I suppose you’d be right. That would cause for a world of hurt in my life.”

Right. They were both independently employed. Taking time off wasn’t even a consideration. And why had he even said it? He hadn’t left Aspen Creek for more than a few days at a time at any given time. When his father owned the hardware store they couldn’t go on vacation then either. But every minute he spent with this woman he wanted another. And every moment he spent away from her he ached for the minute he’d see her again. This hadn’t happened to him in a long time.

He opened the door for her and she managed to climb in. When she was settled he shut the door, walked to the other side, and climbed in.

The truck had been off long enough that the heat in the cab had gone. “It’ll take her a second to get warm again.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“The grocery store has some nice bouquets,” he said as he backed out of the parking lot.

That sexy grin was back on her lips and it was hard to focus on the icy road ahead of him.

“I haven’t gotten around town too much. So what is her name?”

“Whose?”

“The woman at the florist.”

John ran his tongue over his teeth. “Heather.”

“And I assume you dated her before you met your wife?”

“Who said I dated her?” He turned down Main Street and the back of the truck fishtailed slightly on the frozen ground.

“You didn’t date her?”

“No.”

He pulled up in front of the store. Heather had already set out the decorations for the holidays. She always was the first to do so. Though she said it was because it brought in business, he was sure there were other reasons.

Kym smiled as he put the truck in park. “I’ll be just a moment.”

He only gave her a nod. She was a quick study on people. No matter how crass or crabby he was, she was kind hearted enough to understand that going inside wasn’t something he wanted to do.

Kym carefully hopped out of the truck and limped into the store.

Through the window he could see the exchange. Heather smiled and welcomed Kym and Kym seemed to have worked that magic where she had put Heather at ease. When he saw both of them turn and look at him he knew that he’d become part of the conversation.

There was a stabbing sensation in his gut. Guilt—it was guilt. There was no reason he should be cowering in his truck.

With a groan he turned off the engine and stepped out of the truck.

The women stopped chatting when he opened the door and the little bell he’d hung there rang.

Heather’s smile left her eyes. “Good morning, John.”

“Heather.”

She turned back to Kym. “Give Wil my best. She’ll enjoy these. They’re her favorite kind of flower.”

“I’m sure she will. And thank you so much. Your shop is beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

John took the vase from Kym and lent her his arm to steady herself. He opened the door and as she passed through it he turned and looked back at Heather.