filed under the topic of not-your-business.”
“Well, I had to try.” Mom went back to loading the dishwasher. “I am praying for you to find someone. I would so love a daughter-in-law to spoil.”
“I’m still not going to discuss it.” He dug a spatula out of a nearby drawer. “Do you remember Joe McKaslin?”
“He went to high school with you, didn’t he?” She rinsed flatware beneath the faucet before plunking them into the basket on the bottom rack. “There was something about him in the local paper years ago. He passed away fighting forest fires.”
Wow. No wonder he’d felt Kelly’s sadness so powerfully.
“So sad, to lose someone that young,” his mom went on. “I worry about you every day. You’re the reason behind all this gray hair.”
“It looks stunning on you, and you shouldn’t worry. I can take care of myself.” He dropped the container of leftovers in the fridge. “There. Done. What next?”
“Go take those bowls out to your father.” She nodded toward the counter. “He should be about ready to dish up.”
“Then leave the dishes, Mom. I’ll do them later.”
“You’ll do no such thing. Now go, before I get out my switch.”
He laughed at the joke between them, a threat she’d been using for as long as he could remember and a promise she’d never made good on. He grabbed the bowls and headed to the deck where his dad was fiddling with the lid of the ice cream maker.
Beside him his sister, Suz, a corporate lawyer in Seattle, was out of her area of expertise. “I don’t know, Dad. You’ll have to ask Mom.”
His dad scratched his chin, as if considering the matter. “Maybe Mitch knows.”
“He knows nothing,” Suz winked at him as he joined them on the deck. “As usual. I’ll get Mom.”
“Hey now, move aside, Dad.” Mitch set the bowls on the patio table and knelt down in front of the ice cream maker. “What’s the problem?”
“We’d best wait for your mom. We bust this new-fangled thingy of hers, I’ll get in trouble.” Dad didn’t look too worried as he straightened. “It’s good to have you home, son.”
“It’s good to be here for a change.”
Memories surrounded him of all the summers Dad had barbecued on the grill and they’d eaten at the patio table, gazing out at the Bridger Mountains. The pool glittered in the sunshine and beyond the freshly mown lawn evergreens seemed to go on forever. Growing up here had been good; maybe the years to come would be even better.
Why was it, miles away and hours later, he could still feel Kelly in his heart? Because, he suspected, there was a chance that she could be his future.
Give it up, Kelly. It’s no use. She was not into studying, no matter how hard she tried to focus. Kelly slammed the book shut and the sound echoed around the dark house. She was babysitting for one of her regulars, Amy—one of Joe’s many cousins—and the little ones were snug in bed. When she checked the clock, she realized Amy and her husband would be home in less than an hour.
Why couldn’t she concentrate? That was easy, because of Mitch. He was on her mind. Too much and inexplicably. She rubbed the heel of her hand over her hurting heart. Why did Mitch make her feel again in these broken places?
She had no idea. Aimless, she headed into the kitchen. She put a cup of water in the microwave and while it heated, she fished through her backpack until she found the zipper sandwich bag where she kept her teabags. The cinnamon aroma of the tea comforted her, but who was she trying to fool?
Only herself. There could be no comfort for what troubled her tonight. Everything she wanted with all of her soul—it surrounded her in this homey kitchen with bits of love and family everywhere. Crayon drawings and magnetic alphabet letters were tacked on the refrigerator door. Framed snapshots of the babies hung on the walls and were propped on the windowsill over the sink.
The broken pieces of her dreams and of her heart
“Well, I had to try.” Mom went back to loading the dishwasher. “I am praying for you to find someone. I would so love a daughter-in-law to spoil.”
“I’m still not going to discuss it.” He dug a spatula out of a nearby drawer. “Do you remember Joe McKaslin?”
“He went to high school with you, didn’t he?” She rinsed flatware beneath the faucet before plunking them into the basket on the bottom rack. “There was something about him in the local paper years ago. He passed away fighting forest fires.”
Wow. No wonder he’d felt Kelly’s sadness so powerfully.
“So sad, to lose someone that young,” his mom went on. “I worry about you every day. You’re the reason behind all this gray hair.”
“It looks stunning on you, and you shouldn’t worry. I can take care of myself.” He dropped the container of leftovers in the fridge. “There. Done. What next?”
“Go take those bowls out to your father.” She nodded toward the counter. “He should be about ready to dish up.”
“Then leave the dishes, Mom. I’ll do them later.”
“You’ll do no such thing. Now go, before I get out my switch.”
He laughed at the joke between them, a threat she’d been using for as long as he could remember and a promise she’d never made good on. He grabbed the bowls and headed to the deck where his dad was fiddling with the lid of the ice cream maker.
Beside him his sister, Suz, a corporate lawyer in Seattle, was out of her area of expertise. “I don’t know, Dad. You’ll have to ask Mom.”
His dad scratched his chin, as if considering the matter. “Maybe Mitch knows.”
“He knows nothing,” Suz winked at him as he joined them on the deck. “As usual. I’ll get Mom.”
“Hey now, move aside, Dad.” Mitch set the bowls on the patio table and knelt down in front of the ice cream maker. “What’s the problem?”
“We’d best wait for your mom. We bust this new-fangled thingy of hers, I’ll get in trouble.” Dad didn’t look too worried as he straightened. “It’s good to have you home, son.”
“It’s good to be here for a change.”
Memories surrounded him of all the summers Dad had barbecued on the grill and they’d eaten at the patio table, gazing out at the Bridger Mountains. The pool glittered in the sunshine and beyond the freshly mown lawn evergreens seemed to go on forever. Growing up here had been good; maybe the years to come would be even better.
Why was it, miles away and hours later, he could still feel Kelly in his heart? Because, he suspected, there was a chance that she could be his future.
Give it up, Kelly. It’s no use. She was not into studying, no matter how hard she tried to focus. Kelly slammed the book shut and the sound echoed around the dark house. She was babysitting for one of her regulars, Amy—one of Joe’s many cousins—and the little ones were snug in bed. When she checked the clock, she realized Amy and her husband would be home in less than an hour.
Why couldn’t she concentrate? That was easy, because of Mitch. He was on her mind. Too much and inexplicably. She rubbed the heel of her hand over her hurting heart. Why did Mitch make her feel again in these broken places?
She had no idea. Aimless, she headed into the kitchen. She put a cup of water in the microwave and while it heated, she fished through her backpack until she found the zipper sandwich bag where she kept her teabags. The cinnamon aroma of the tea comforted her, but who was she trying to fool?
Only herself. There could be no comfort for what troubled her tonight. Everything she wanted with all of her soul—it surrounded her in this homey kitchen with bits of love and family everywhere. Crayon drawings and magnetic alphabet letters were tacked on the refrigerator door. Framed snapshots of the babies hung on the walls and were propped on the windowsill over the sink.
The broken pieces of her dreams and of her heart
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