table. And it appeared to be a Duncan family trait since Kara had taken her turn in the dick-role. “I didn’t know I’d be coming back to all this history with her too.”
“It’s been a couple years. I hardly ever hear anything about it. Nobody with any manners would ask you about it.”
Kara pushed hair from her face. When it came to manners or gossip in a small town, she was well aware which would win out. “After the way I left. And now there’s all this with Mom.” Tears wet her eyes and she looked away. “I didn’t think it would all be true because Dad made no secrets about his feelings toward her.”
“Give it a week and it’ll all be water under the bridge.” Whitney grabbed the phone and shook her head. She started tapping on the screen. “We have plenty of plates and blankets and things in storage collecting dust from when Tate went to college. No point in rebuying it.”
Kara smiled. “Thanks, Whitney.”
Chapter Four
Kara plucked at the white lace across the top of her sundress. She’d wanted jeans and T-shirt. Whitney sprung this dress on her and said to wear it unless she wanted to stand out. Bright orange dress with a little lace or jeans and a dark T-shirt? No-brainer and she’d grabbed jeans. Then switched to the dress after seeing Whitney come out wearing a pink skirt with sandals and a white shirt. Kara should have stuck with the jeans. She could run fast and hide easier in those.
The spring day wasted no time in warming up as she stood by Chester House while the next car drove in the farm, parked and unloaded another family of four. Part of the insanity of doing this was, she went to high school with these people. Some of them had married each other. Some had brought a spouse into town. All very normal. The crazy part was the fact that these people had kids.
Just a few years ago she would have said half these people had no business being around kids, much less owning any. The man walking up now with a woman next to him and two toddler boys trailing behind him was Patrick Kelly. Like when most of the people arrived today, Kara averted her gaze to the kids as she handed them baskets. Whitney handled the money part and the talking to the people part. Except for now. When she ran for a bathroom break.
Unlike the others who’d politely followed along with sidelong glances, Patrick beamed a smile at her. “Kara!”
And she was lifted off her feet, arms trapped to her sides as he brought her in a giant bear hug. “Hey, Patrick,” she squeaked out on a last breath of air.
He sat her down. “When did you come back?”
“A few days ago.” She maintained her smile. Patrick had dated Whitney a bit. They had been dating when Kara’s life was on its zipping spin to rock bottom. Lord only knows what Whitney had told the guy and Kara was helpless but to hang her head a little and take another bitter dose of shame.
He pulled the woman with him under his arm. “This is my wife, Tasha.”
“Nice to meet you.” She glanced at the two young boys tugging at Patrick’s hand who were the very image of Patrick. “These must be yours.”
“Yep.” He did that whole rock from heel to toe, proud rooster cock thing that men did. “Those are our boys, Dustin and Gabe.”
She nodded and refused the small tear trying to leak out the corner of her eye. Of all the people who had kids, Patrick was the one she could see with them the easiest. He was just...Patrick. Lovable. Playful. Good heart. “It’s good to see you, Patrick. Y’all better hurry before everything’s gone.”
He grinned. “Nah. They’ll be plenty.”
He walked away and a breath seeped out of her. There. That wasn’t so bad. That was actually nice. Delightful even, but then Patrick had always been nothing but a big teddy bear. She wasn’t even sure why she’d been worried when he walked up.
Clearing the lump from her throat, she looked back to the newspaper in front of her. Every morning by dawn, it was still
“It’s been a couple years. I hardly ever hear anything about it. Nobody with any manners would ask you about it.”
Kara pushed hair from her face. When it came to manners or gossip in a small town, she was well aware which would win out. “After the way I left. And now there’s all this with Mom.” Tears wet her eyes and she looked away. “I didn’t think it would all be true because Dad made no secrets about his feelings toward her.”
“Give it a week and it’ll all be water under the bridge.” Whitney grabbed the phone and shook her head. She started tapping on the screen. “We have plenty of plates and blankets and things in storage collecting dust from when Tate went to college. No point in rebuying it.”
Kara smiled. “Thanks, Whitney.”
Chapter Four
Kara plucked at the white lace across the top of her sundress. She’d wanted jeans and T-shirt. Whitney sprung this dress on her and said to wear it unless she wanted to stand out. Bright orange dress with a little lace or jeans and a dark T-shirt? No-brainer and she’d grabbed jeans. Then switched to the dress after seeing Whitney come out wearing a pink skirt with sandals and a white shirt. Kara should have stuck with the jeans. She could run fast and hide easier in those.
The spring day wasted no time in warming up as she stood by Chester House while the next car drove in the farm, parked and unloaded another family of four. Part of the insanity of doing this was, she went to high school with these people. Some of them had married each other. Some had brought a spouse into town. All very normal. The crazy part was the fact that these people had kids.
Just a few years ago she would have said half these people had no business being around kids, much less owning any. The man walking up now with a woman next to him and two toddler boys trailing behind him was Patrick Kelly. Like when most of the people arrived today, Kara averted her gaze to the kids as she handed them baskets. Whitney handled the money part and the talking to the people part. Except for now. When she ran for a bathroom break.
Unlike the others who’d politely followed along with sidelong glances, Patrick beamed a smile at her. “Kara!”
And she was lifted off her feet, arms trapped to her sides as he brought her in a giant bear hug. “Hey, Patrick,” she squeaked out on a last breath of air.
He sat her down. “When did you come back?”
“A few days ago.” She maintained her smile. Patrick had dated Whitney a bit. They had been dating when Kara’s life was on its zipping spin to rock bottom. Lord only knows what Whitney had told the guy and Kara was helpless but to hang her head a little and take another bitter dose of shame.
He pulled the woman with him under his arm. “This is my wife, Tasha.”
“Nice to meet you.” She glanced at the two young boys tugging at Patrick’s hand who were the very image of Patrick. “These must be yours.”
“Yep.” He did that whole rock from heel to toe, proud rooster cock thing that men did. “Those are our boys, Dustin and Gabe.”
She nodded and refused the small tear trying to leak out the corner of her eye. Of all the people who had kids, Patrick was the one she could see with them the easiest. He was just...Patrick. Lovable. Playful. Good heart. “It’s good to see you, Patrick. Y’all better hurry before everything’s gone.”
He grinned. “Nah. They’ll be plenty.”
He walked away and a breath seeped out of her. There. That wasn’t so bad. That was actually nice. Delightful even, but then Patrick had always been nothing but a big teddy bear. She wasn’t even sure why she’d been worried when he walked up.
Clearing the lump from her throat, she looked back to the newspaper in front of her. Every morning by dawn, it was still
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