The Comeback Girl (17 page)

Dinner went surprisingly well, she thought an hour later. After hanging up the phone, Donnie left
to shower and change. Kris had a cup of tea to steady her nerves.

Lucas showed up just in time to eat, claiming to have been in his room studying. Kris decided his guilty look meant he’d probably been playing video games.

When they were finally gathered together at the table, she decided it was the perfect moment to share her good news. “I got a pleasant surprise from my attorney today. Ty’s decided not to fight me for custody. I guess he realized he couldn’t win,” she said, unable to disguise her glee. “He’s suggested a very fair and flexible arrangement.”

She looked at Zach and told him, “He’s even willing to pay for your college, Zach. Isn’t that great?”

There’d been a few lines about why Tyler felt it was important that Zach stay in Gold Creek for his entire high-school experience and what Ty would do if Kristin pulled up stakes, but overall his offer was remarkably generous. It included child support, which would go straight into Zach’s savings.

“And he’s moving here.”

“When?” Donnie asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. But I think this means we don’t have to go to court. We won.” She toasted Donnie with her water.

“I don’t get it,” Lucas said. “Nothing’s changed, right? So how does that mean you won?”

Kris had noticed a listlessness in Lucas the past
few days, but she’d marked it down to worry. Who could blame him for being tense and distracted?

“This is what I wanted,” she told him. “I’ll be Zach’s primary-care provider—like your dad is for you—but Zach will have the option of staying as much as he likes at his dad’s. That would be difficult if Tyler lived somewhere far away, like Seattle.”

“Or South Africa,” Lucas said, his mouth full of pasta.

Since nobody seemed as happy as she was, some of Kristin’s high spirits fled. Donnie took a second helping of ravioli. Lucas ate with his head down, barely taking the time to swallow. Zach kept his eyes on his plate, too, but at least his posture was better.

“So, guys,” she said, changing the subject, “how was homecoming? Were the bands any good last night?”

“They were okay,” Zach said.

“They sucked,” Lucas mumbled. “Even we’re better than them.”

Zach snorted. “Like hell we are. We stink.”

Lucas bristled. “Speak for yourself.”

Zach’s face turned red, but before he could explode, Donnie said, “I should have a little time next week to help you work on your finger positions, Zach, but you’re doing fine. Which is a good thing because I can’t teach you much more. My musical talent has been reduced to singing a little ditty now and then.”

He looked at Kris when he said that and she felt her face heat up. It was a blatant reminder of the passion they’d shared the night before the wedding.

“Mom.”

The word punched into her thoughts. She gulped, and something she hadn’t quite finished chewing lodged in her throat. A hunk of bread, she thought, reaching for her water glass.

She opened her mouth to cough, but no air would go up or down. She tried to swallow and even squeezed her throat to help it along, but whatever was blocking the passage only became more securely imbedded. She thumped her fist against her chest, trying not to panic.

“Mom?” Zach’s voice went up the way it did when he was a little boy. “Are you okay?”

She tried to nod, but her eyes were watering and she was having trouble focusing.

“Donnie, do something,” Zach cried.

Donnie was already on his feet. He rushed around the table and pulled out her chair. He jerked her to her feet. Her fingers tingled and little silver dots danced across her vision.

“Breathe,” he ordered. Locking his arms around her belly, he pulled her back into his body so firmly she thought she might break in two.

A tiny bit of air found passage, but the clog was still there. Her arms flapped uselessly; tears streamed from her eyes. She didn’t want to die.

“Dammit, Kris, breathe.” This time he repositioned his hands and jerked even harder.

Her jaw dropped open and the obstacle popped clean out of her mouth like an automatic ball server she’d seen in action at a tennis club.

Kristin crumpled as oxygen returned to her body. Her head was spinning and it hurt like hell to swallow, but she could breathe.

Donnie held her limp body and lowered his head to the back of her neck and whispered, “Thank God. Oh, thank God.”

Embarrassed and so giddy with relief she could have wept, Kris pried his hands apart so she could face him. “You saved my life,” she whispered. Her throat burned but she felt obliged to add, “Can you believe I did something that dumb?”

“Yes,” Donnie said, his face suddenly contorting in fury. “Yes, dammit, I can. That was stupid. My God, Kristin, you could—”

Zach, who’d gone white with fear, leaped to his feet and pulled Donnie’s arm back.

“Leave her alone,” Zach cried. “She almost died.” Even though he was a hundred pounds lighter, Zach pushed Donnie away. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

Lucas suddenly sprang out of his chair and was facing Zach before Kristin could blink. “Hey, she’s his wife, man. Stay out of it. He can talk to her any way he wants.”

Clearly incensed and needing an outlet for his anger, Zach tackled Lucas. Although Lucas was twenty pounds heavier, surprise and self-righteous indignation tipped the scales in Zach’s favor. The
two went down, taking the tablecloth and several plates with them. Angry cries and the dull thud of fist to flesh blended with the sound of dishes shattering on the hardwood floor.

“Zach. No.” Kris’s strangled cry seared her already raw throat.

Donnie swore and reached down to wrap Zach, who was on top, in a bear hug. He wrestled him back and out of the way of Lucas’s vicious kick.

Lucas tried to sit up, but his right arm buckled. His nose was bleeding, tears of anger and outrage diluting the bright-red stream.

Kris grabbed a water glass and a napkin from the table and dropped to her knees beside him. “I’m so sorry,” she said as loudly as possible. Every syllable hurt.

To her surprise, Lucas passively submitted to her ministrations. She dabbed cool water around his nose, which was already swollen and inflamed. “How’s your wrist?”

Lucas looked across the room to where Donnie and Zach were talking. Suddenly, he jerked back and pushed her hand away. “I’m okay.”

He lumbered to his feet and left the room without a backward glance. Zach disappeared, too. His obvious shame at losing control of his emotions broke her heart. Kris would have thanked him for coming to her defense, but he hadn’t given her time.

Later. She’d talk to each of them in private.
Zach would rant, and she’d let him. Because he needed
to vent his frustration. She didn’t know what Lucas would do.

Donnie picked up the plates, put them on the table, then walked to her side. “That was entirely my fault. I’m sorry,” he said somberly. “I’ll talk to them after they cool down.”

She could tell he felt remorseful; there was even a little tremor in his hand as he waited to see if she would accept his apology. “Donnie,” she said, moving into the shelter of his arms. “You saved my life.”

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. He raked her teeth and the top of her mouth with his tongue. His lips were cruel, demanding, and he barely gave her time to breathe, but that was okay. She’d breathe later.

Finally, she put both hands on his shoulders and pushed. It took a minute for him to respond. When she had his attention, she said huskily, “Our bedroom is more private. Are you coming?”

T
HE ALARM THAT RANG
had an unfamiliar trill, but Donnie sat up anyway.

Blinking, he looked to his left and spotted his wife curled on her side facing him. The down comforter had slipped to reveal her bare shoulder.

Donnie punched his pillow into a thick wad so he could think. They’d made love three times last night, each better than the one before. The first had been an affirmation of Kris’s close call. He could have lost her. Just like that. And the thought had
made him crazy. He’d handled things poorly, but she’d forgiven him.

After an hour in the privacy of their bedroom, they’d visited their sons. Kris with Lucas. Donnie with Zach.

Zach seemed to accept Donnie’s apology with grudging respect—especially after Donnie told him, “I love your mom, Zach. I don’t think I really understood how much until I nearly lost her.”

Donnie didn’t know how Kris’s talk went with Lucas. When he slipped into his son’s room, he’d found the boy staring blankly at the ceiling. Donnie had noticed Lucas’s general moodiness, but he’d attributed it to all the changes in the kid’s life.

He vowed to pay closer attention to his son—as much as the schedule Jonathan and the campaign manager had devised for him would allow.

“’Morning.”

He turned his chin. Kristin was staring at him, clear-eyed, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Hello, beautiful.” He squirmed down to face her. “How’s your throat?”

She adjusted the quilt and raised up to rest her head in her hand. “Better, thank you.”

He glanced at the clock sitting on the black lacquered bedside table. He liked the Oriental influences Kristin had brought in; the look was much less prosaic than his boring oak cabinet. Suddenly a thought hit him: his boring oak cabinet was where his condoms were stored.

I made love to my wife three times last night and
not once did birth control cross my horny little mind.

“Oh my God.”

Kristin cocked her head inquisitively, her mop of messy curls bouncing with such provocative charm he almost forgot his sudden panic. “What’s wrong?”

“We didn’t use birth control.”

She sat up, drawing the covers around her. “Guess we were too busy thinking about other things.”

Her voice still hadn’t returned to normal after the choking episode. They’d tried hot tea with honey at midnight, but the Lauren Bacall tone he found so sexy remained.

“It was my fault,” he said, seeing her pensive frown.

The line between her eyes deepened. “It was? You planned to weaken my resistance with the Heimlich maneuver, then seduce me and get me pregnant?”

He smiled because it surprised him that she could joke about something this serious.

She scooted closer and laid her chin on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s okay. This isn’t the right time of the month for me to get pregnant.”

“But it could happen,” he argued.

She moved back. “Donnie. Trust me. I know my body. I didn’t when I was eighteen, but I do now.”

He wanted to believe her. But the thought of a baby made him jump out of bed. He tugged on his
sweats and walked to the window. “We never talked about having more children.”

Kristin grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed and pulled it on. She fluffed up the pillows behind her and sat stiffly. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Accidents happen. Neither Zach nor Lucas—”

He didn’t have a chance to complete the thought because she flew out of bed and marched to where he was standing. “Don’t even think it. Life happens, Donnie. If a miracle took place last night—and that’s what it would take for me to be pregnant—then we’d be blessed. If you’re not okay with that, then you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Donnie ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’d love to have more children with you, but you’ve got to admit this would be pretty lousy timing.”

She turned abruptly. She took two steps before pausing to look over her shoulder. “What part of this whole thing would you call
good
timing?”

“Kristin…” He started toward her, but she walked to the bathroom and closed the door.

Donnie listened to the sound of the shower running.

As he made the bed, he realized she was right. He’d overreacted. Again.

He straightened the pillows.
A baby with Kristin.

The thought made him smile as he smoothed the
comforter on her side of the bed. Unfortunately, he’d blown it. He’d acted like an idiot, and he had a feeling Kris wasn’t going to accept this apology as easily as she had all the others.

K
RISTIN WATCHED
Jenny feed Lara the last of her strained peas. The toddler made a raspberry sound, spraying pureed green mush in all directions.

“Lara,” Jenny said, laughing. “This stuff is good for you.”

The child smiled angelically while her mother wiped splatter from her chubby cheeks. Jenny looked across the table to where Kris was seated and said, “So, tell me again. Why are you mad at Donnie? You don’t want a baby. He doesn’t want a baby. There is no baby. But he’s still in trouble?”

Kristin had fled to the Rocking M before she and Donnie could finish their conversation. She’d known he wanted to apologize. To kiss and make up, but she’d needed some distance to make sense of what she was feeling. Not just anger, but hurt.

“I don’t think he trusts me, Jen.” Kristin took a sip of her now-cold coffee, then rose and walked to the sink. From the window, she spotted Zach and Sam talking to a cowboy astride a horse. Sam was holding Tucker, who looked ready to launch himself into the saddle. She couldn’t help but smile.

Maybe the real reason she was upset was that she wanted a baby. Donnie’s baby.

“Sorry, sis, but you’re going to have to walk me through the logic. You’ve lost me.”

Kristin dumped the coffee in the sink, then turned around to face her sister. “The reason Donnie first asked me to marry him was so I could move into his house and take care of his son while he went off to the FAM program, right?”

“And to help you out, too. In case Tyler took you to court,” Jenny added. She plucked Lara from the high chair after disposing of her daughter’s messy bib. “But he changed his mind about going because it wouldn’t have been fair to Lucas.”

“So he said,” Kris returned. “But what if the real reason was that he didn’t think I could be trusted to take care of his son?”

Jenny made an impatient sound. “Oh, Kris, that’s ridiculous. Donnie’s a good man. He was just trying to do the right thing. For all of you.”

“That’s what I thought. Until this morning.” She took a breath to steady her emotions. “He didn’t believe me when I told him I couldn’t be pregnant. And he was terrified at the thought of us having a baby. That’s when I started to wonder. Maybe he doesn’t trust me. About anything.”

“I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.” Jenny crossed the room and passed Lara to her. “Here. Entertain this young diva for a few minutes. Maybe you’ll think twice about wanting to get pregnant,” she added with a wink.

The little girl went willingly into Kristin’s arms, and Kris felt emotions percolating deep inside. She’d love to have a little girl of her own. Donnie’s daughter.

“Hello, sweetie,” she told her niece.

Lara’s eyes sparkled. Her fine hair—the part not matted with peas—made wispy curls above her perfect ears. Lara answered with gibberish until she discovered Kristin’s necklace. Her eyes went wide with wonder as her tiny fingers investigated the polished stone beads.

Jenny, who’d stepped out of the room, returned a moment later with a folder. “Will you give this to Donnie? He’ll need it for the meeting tomorrow.”

Kris nodded toward her purse which was sitting on the counter. “What meeting?”

“Didn’t he tell you? Tyler has asked to speak at the chamber of commerce. He’s bringing along representatives from Cal-Trans and the Army Corps of Engineers. Ty faxed Jonathan an outline of his presentation. Your fax machine isn’t hooked up yet, is it?”

Kris felt a flutter of unease pass through her. Why hadn’t Donnie mentioned this? “Is the meeting open to the public?”

Jenny looked at her. “Yes. I can’t be there because Lara has a doctor’s appointment, but Ida Jane told me the Garden Club ladies are sending a contingent.”

“How come I’m always the last to know?” Kristin asked. “Donnie should have told—”

Jenny interrupted. “It’s not a secret, Kris. Jonathan reported it in the paper. Meridian is planning to hold a series of public hearings, but Tyler wanted to introduce his plan to the chamber first. He’ll need the members’ backing.”

Still feeling slightly disgruntled, Kris had to admit she’d been too busy with work and getting unpacked to open a newspaper. “Did I tell you I’ve decided to hire Lillian? I need someone to handle my appointment schedule.”

Jenny clapped. “Terrific. That means you’re busy.”

Lara—bored with the necklace and looking a little droopy-eyed—made a whimper and put her arms out for her mother. Kris walked to her sister and gave Lara back.

“I’ve been swamped ever since people found out I was marrying Donnie. He’s got a lot of support in Gold Creek.”

Jenny motioned for Kristin to follow her. They didn’t speak until they reached the twins’ bedroom where Jenny quickly changed Lara’s diaper, then sat down with her in the rocking chair. Kristin took the nearby windowseat.

“Donnie
is
popular. He’s got a great reputation, but you know this town. People are slow to accept change—even good change. Magnus has pulled the wool over their eyes. They don’t see the corrup
tion—or if they do, they think it works to their advantage.”

Kristin knew that, but she refused to believe that anyone would knowingly support a man like Magnus when they could vote for her husband. “One of the reasons I came here today—besides to cry on your shoulder—was to ask Sam if there was a place for me in the campaign. No one’s said anything to me about my role.”

Jenny cradled her little girl and whispered a soft lullaby. Lara’s eyes closed and her thumb went into her mouth. Jenny smiled serenely then looked at Kris.

“You’re on the list, but Donnie asked Sam to back off until you got settled. The move, the boys, your work. He knows you’ve got your hands full.”

Kristin wanted to believe that. Until this morning, she would have considered the gesture thoughtful, but now she wondered if it was another example of how little faith he had in her abilities. “Maybe he’s afraid I’ll say the wrong thing to the wrong people.”

Jenny shook her head. “Kristin, don’t look for reasons to be unhappy. Donnie loves you. You love him. Don’t two pre-teens provide enough discord in your life?”

Kris sighed. Jenny was right. As usual.

“Where is Donnie, by the way? Sam said this might be his last day off till the election. I thought you’d be doing something together.”

Kris frowned. She pictured the hurt look on her husband’s face when she’d announced that she was
taking Zach to the ranch. “I thought we could all go to church together then have breakfast at the Golden Corral,” he’d said.

“Jenny and I have to figure out what’s going on with Ida Jane. We think her medication is causing problems,” she’d explained. Not a lie, but they could have handled it on the phone. “And Zach hasn’t spent any time with the twins since the wedding. I want him to get to know his cousins.”

“Donnie was going to work on a couple of speeches,” Kris said, whispering. “And he has to hook up the new printer.”

They’d converted his mother’s room into an office where Donnie and Jonathan could run the campaign without people constantly traipsing through the house. Originally Donnie had planned to rent space at the bordello, but this location made more sense. Unfortunately, it also meant that Kris didn’t see Donnie as often as she would have if they were in the same building.

And according to Jenny, she’d be seeing even less of him after today. Kristin started toward the door. “I think I’ll go now. Thanks for the pep talk.”

Jenny looked startled. “Wait. I’ll walk you down. I have to get Tucker for his nap, too.”

Kris paused, but she was impatient to go. To see Donnie. And Lucas. If they were going to be family, they needed to start acting like one.

Z
ACH EYED
his stepbrother cautiously. Lately, he couldn’t be sure how Lucas would react to the least
bit of criticism. Lucas’s volatile temper and short fuse had been the reason their so-called band broke up. Zach hadn’t found out till after he and his mother got back from the Rocking M that today’s practice had been cancelled.

“Since it’s just the two of us, how about we try that song your dad gave us?”

Lucas was sitting on Mike’s amp, fixing one of the strings on his guitar. Zach had been tempted to tell him that if he didn’t play like a madman the strings would last longer, but he kept his opinion to himself.

“What for? We suck. Even your mother can hardly stand to listen to us.”

That flat, resigned tone worried Zach. And pissed him off.

“Did you ever think the reason we suck so bad is that we never practice?”

Lucas ignored Zach. He set his guitar against the wall and stepped away. When the guitar tipped to one side and started to fall over, Zach lunged for it and managed to keep it from hitting the floor. Lucas didn’t even look backward.

“A-hole, this is a nice bass. Are you trying to bust it?”

Suddenly Lucas spun around and grabbed the Fender out of Zach’s hands. Holding the guitar by its long, skinny neck, he swung it over his head as if he intended to smash it over the amp. Zach jumped up and wrestled it out of his hands.

Lucas went ballistic, screaming profanities and hitting Zach in the belly so hard Zach saw flashing dots of silver and black. He stumbled backward; as he went down, his elbow punched through the brown fabric of the speaker.

“Shit, man,” he swore, but just as suddenly as it erupted, the fight went out of Lucas. He stood there with a glassy look in his eyes then turned and fled.

Zach let out a shaky breath. His gut hurt, and he could feel a knot growing on his elbow. What was he supposed to do now? Let Lucas go on messing with whatever drugs he was taking or tell somebody? Tell who? His mom?

Zach tried to picture the look on his mother’s face if he took this to her. Between her work schedule and worrying about Ida Jane, Kristin was frazzled. Besides, what could she do?

He’d be better off telling Donnie, but he was also busy with other things. And although Tyler was due back in town tomorrow, Zach decided it would be disloyal to discuss Lucas with him.

Zach was no snitch. But he didn’t want to see Lucas screw up his life—and everyone else’s too.

T
HE NEXT MORNING
Kristin locked the door to her shop then dashed up the bordello steps. She’d rescheduled all her appointments so she could attend the chamber of commerce meeting. But first she needed to check on Ida Jane.

Despite the preventative medication she’d been taking, their dear aunt wasn’t doing well. The doctors believed she’d suffered a second stroke.

The most recent episode had left her unable to do much for herself. Since Andi was in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and Kris was swamped at work, the sisters had hired a nurse to attend to Ida’s needs, monitor her blood pressure and give her the medications. Still, each triplet tried to spend some time with Ida each day.

“Hi, Auntie,” she called cheerfully, entering Ida Jane’s large, airy room.

Ida was sitting in a wheelchair, which faced the window. The curtains were open, and Kris noticed a small army of finches vying for space at a bird feeder someone had suspended from a shepherd’s hook outside the window. “What a great feeder! Where’d that come from? Andi?”

Ida shook her head.

“Jenny?”

Kris dropped a kiss to the top of the silver head. “Must have been one of the men, then. How sweet! They’re both such great guys.”

Ida’s watery eyes narrowed. “Don,” she said with surprising clarity.

Kris’s hands tingled. “Donnie put it up for you?”

Ida nodded.

“Really? He didn’t mention it.”

Ida nodded again. This time tears made crooked paths down her cheeks.

Kris comforted Ida with a hug then wiped her face and helped her blow her nose. “I’m going to put a chicken into the Crock-Pot before I go to a meeting. Wanna help?”

She wasn’t sure if Ida’s nod was a confirmation or not, but Kris gripped the handles of the wheelchair and maneuvered the awkward thing through the hall to the kitchen.

“Hey, there you are,” a voice called, startling Ida Jane. “I checked your office, but the door was locked. I assume that means you’re going to the meeting. Do you want to ride with me?”

Andi was dressed for business in her maternity jumper and matching jacket made of dark blue wool. Her orange blouse added a jaunty touch.

“Sure. Thanks,” Kristin said. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

“Whatcha making?”

“Chicken and dumplings.”

“Mmm, one of my favorites.” She rubbed her protruding belly.

Ida Jane smiled and reached out to pat her tummy. Andi covered Ida’s hand, smiling serenely.

The scene moved Kristin. She was afraid to predict how many more moments like this they’d share with their great-aunt.

“So are you ready to challenge Tyler to a duel?” Andi said.

“Will it come to that?” Kris asked. She leaned
down to set the temperature, then placed the lid on the pot. She double-checked the clock to make sure she’d allowed adequate cooking time.

“Only if he tries to bulldoze the old bordello.”

Ida sat up sharply. “No. You can’t let him.” Her voice raised in pitch, her hand gripped Andi’s. “Suzy, don’t let ’em do it.”

Kristin hurried across the room and knelt beside the wheelchair. She put her arm around her aunt’s shoulders and whispered soothingly, “It’s okay, Ida Jane. Nobody is going to do anything bad to the old bordello. It’s our home. We love the place. We’ll protect it.”

Ida let out a long sigh and seemed to collapse like a deflated balloon. Kris checked her pulse, then nodded to Andi. A few moments later, a woman dressed in white shoes, white pants and a brightly patterned uniform top entered the room. “I thought someone had stolen my patient,” she said. “Good morning, Miss Ida, time for your bath.”

Andi and Kris said their good-byes, then hurried outside to Andi’s black Mercedes. “Well, that was scary.”

Kristin started to say that it was only going to get worse, but she changed her mind. They needed to focus on the battle at hand. Ida Jane had given them a mission, and Kris planned to carry it out.

T
HE
G
OLD
C
REEK
Chamber of Commerce building was a converted gas station. The antique gas pumps out front served as interactive displays to give tour
ists directions to the county’s attractions. At the moment, some two hundred citizens were jammed into what had at one time served as a double-bay garage, and all eyes were on Tyler Harrison. Except Donnie’s. He was trying to find his wife. He knew she was here; he’d seen her enter with Andi, who was seated at the raised dais along with the other board members, but Kris had melted into the crowd before he could reach her.