What it Takes (30 page)

“That’s true.”

She could tell by Janelle’s faraway expression that she was thinking of the same examples. When Sean died, they’d all expected Mary to be angry with Richard. After all, he had been Sean’s drinking buddy that night. Instead, she’d embraced him like his loss was just as big, if not bigger, than theirs.

When Janelle had left Richard, they’d thought that maybe Mary would finally see the light. Richard had been drinking more, gambling everything away, and starting to become verbally and physically abusive. They’d hoped Mary would support Janelle. Instead she’d become more staunch in her support of Richard and took every opportunity to encourage Janelle to go back to him.

Mary wouldn’t listen to reason and no explanation from Janelle was ever good enough.

And, in Mary’s opinion, nothing Kelsey ever did was right either. When Tim left her, it was Kelsey’s fault for not holding on to him. When she’d moved to California to further her career, she was abandoning her family. When Janelle moved in with her, Kelsey was interfering.

“We’ll handle it. Whatever you need from me, little sis, you’ve got it.” Janelle reached out and squeezed her hand.

Kelsey smiled and turned her head as she heard voices coming down the steps. She slowly stood as Janelle moved her chair back to the desk. Kelsey stepped out of the office and into the entryway where she could see Patrick carrying Zoe down the stairs, deep in conversation with the little girl. When he glanced up and met Kelsey’s gaze, she temporarily forgot all her worries.

Zoe sat at the island, coloring quietly, as Kelsey fixed a snack for the kids. Zach was due home from school any minute.

Patrick leaned against the counter beside Kelsey as she sliced cheese and, of all things, apples. “Are you sure it’s safe for you to do that?” he teased and laughed when she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not completely incompetent. I know how to use a knife,” she said, then purposely tried to cut with the backside of the knife. Patrick laughed harder and she winked as she turned the knife the right way. They chatted as she finished making the kids’ snacks and fixed their plates.

The door opened and Zach and Janelle came in. Zach ran into the kitchen and greeted Zoe and Kelsey, then turned to Patrick and froze.

A grin crept across his face, dimpling his round cheeks, as he slowly moved closer to Patrick. “You were Captain Incredible!” Zach squealed.

“No, he wasn’t,” Janelle argued.

“Yes, he was,” Zach stated. “I loved that movie!”

Patrick nodded and studied Zach.

Kelsey stepped closer to them both. “Zach, this is my friend Patrick.” Patrick looked pleased as he held out his hand.

Zach quickly grasped it and shook it vigorously. “I’m Zach.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Zach,” Patrick said, chuckling. Kelsey put her hand on theirs to stop the excited shaking. Patrick’s stare shifted to Janelle for a moment.

Kelsey watched him study her face then look back at Zach. He then turned his attention to Kelsey, a question in his eyes. Her heart dropped to her stomach. What was he seeing?

“Zach, potty, snack, homework,” Janelle said as she placed Zoe’s snack in front of her. Zach nodded and ran upstairs. After fifteen minutes, Janelle went to the entryway. “Zach?”

“Just a minute, Mom,” came the muffled response.

“Zachary Sean!” Janelle called from the bottom of the stairs after another five minutes passed.

“Coming,” he said, bouncing down the steps.

“What’s that?”

Zach didn’t answer but ran into the kitchen, a huge smile on his face, and held a toy up to Patrick.

Patrick laughed at the Captain Incredible action figure in front of him. “I have one of these.”

“Really?” Zach asked, his blue eyes twinkling with excitement. “Do you play with it?”

Patrick shook his head. “No. It’s still in the box.”

Zach’s expression fell. “Oh. Why?”

“I don’t have anyone to play with.”

“You don’t need anybody. I’ll show you,” Zach offered.

“Zach, eat your snack so you can get your homework done,” Janelle said, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a fond look on her face. Zach sat beside Zoe and considered Patrick as he ate.

“What was your favorite part of the Captain Incredible movie?” Patrick asked the boy as he rested his elbows on the island and leaned over his forearms.

Zach chewed slowly as he thought. “The motorcycle was cool,” he replied. “And the way you fought the bad guys.” He did a few karate chops in the air, stopping just short of his plate as Kelsey started to reach for it and Janelle gasped. “There was one thing I didn’t like though.”

“Really? What was that?” Patrick’s tone matched Zach’s seriousness.

“All the kissing in the end.” Zach crinkled his nose and curled his lips in disgust. Patrick chuckled quietly. “Kissing girls is gross. Do they make you do that a lot?”

“Sometimes, yes,” Patrick answered and turned to look at Kelsey. “But sometimes it’s not that bad.” He winked at her then turned back to Zach.

“Did they make you kiss Aunt Kelsey?” Zach innocently asked.

“Yes, they did.” Patrick stood and stepped away from the island as he held Kelsey’s attention.

“That’s okay. Kissing Aunt Kelsey isn’t too bad.” Zach finally focused on the homework Janelle had placed in front of him.

“No, it’s not,” Patrick agreed quietly and Kelsey’s cheeks turned slightly red.

She looked out of the kitchen window, and heard Janelle trying to stifle a giggle.

“What’re we cooking for dinner?” Kelsey asked.

Patrick heard the uneasiness in her voice and took a step closer.

“Mom and Dad are bringing it,” Janelle answered. “Your favorite. Barbecue.”

“We’re having dinner with your parents?” Patrick asked cautiously. Kelsey turned to him and nodded. “That’ll be nice.” He beamed brightly.

She only lifted one corner of her mouth and looked at Janelle. “What time will they be here?”

“Just after five.”

Kelsey glanced at her watch. “I need to grab a shower,” she said and quickly walked past Patrick. He followed her and grabbed her hand as she started up the stairs. She tensed in his grip and for the first time, he saw distress in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, tugging her closer. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight him. When she shook her head and smiled weakly, he cupped her cheek with his free hand. “You don’t have to hide things from me.”

“Patrick, I’m not.” She covered his hand with hers.

“Then what’s wrong? Why’re you so tense about dinner?”

“I’m just nervous. I don’t know what to expect.” He opened his mouth to question her further but she added, “It’s not you that I’m worried about.” Squeezing the hand she held against her cheek. “It’s my mother.”

“Sweetheart, I’m sure everything will be fine.” He grinned, hoping to soothe her. She squeezed his hand as she turned and went upstairs for her shower. Patrick watched her walk away, wondering whether he should be nervous about dinner as well.

Mary and George Morgan arrived around five thirty and while Mary coolly greeted Patrick inside the house, George asked Kelsey to step onto the porch with him. As Kelsey shut the door behind her, she could hear Mary loudly greeting the children. Kelsey turned to look at her father, who had his back to her and was standing beside the column at the top of the steps.

“Kelsey,” he started with a deep sigh. “I’ve got to admit that I’m a little concerned.”

“About what, Dad?” She leaned against the rail on the other side of the steps.

“You didn’t tell me everything about this boy.” George crossed his arms and glared at his daughter. “About his reputation.” In the glow of Christmas lights, she couldn’t see his face clearly but could picture the stern look and raised eyebrow that always accompanied that tone in his voice

“Dad, his reputation isn’t that important,” she said softly, feeling as if she were confessing it as much to herself as to him.

“You don’t think so?” He moved away from the column and paced in front of her.

“I told you, we’re just friends.” Kelsey wanted to laugh this off but she felt slightly off balance. She’d expected this lecture from Mary, not George.

“Kelsey, he’s traveled across the country to see you.” He paused in front of her. “I’d say there’s a little more than just a friendship going on here.”

“I don’t know what you’re so bothered about. This morning the two of you hit it off wonderfully,” Kelsey snapped.

“That was before I knew what he was after.”

“Daddy!” she exclaimed. “How can you say that? You don’t know what he’s after.”

“Kelsey, you’re not that naïve,” he stated, a harsh edge in his voice. “I’m just concerned for your safety.”

“My
safety
?” Kelsey laughed quietly. “Dad, I’ve never felt safer.”

“Kelsey, I’m not talking physical safety. I’m talking about emotional safety. You’re falling in love with a man who obviously doesn’t know how to love in return.”

Kelsey paused to collect her thoughts. “I’ve spent most of the last three months with him. Don’t you think I know all of this? I know what I’m doing. You’ve got to trust me. He’s never been anything less than a gentleman to me.”

“I’m sure,” George said calmly. “But you have to remember that he makes a living pretending to be someone he’s not.” He opened the door and went into the house.

Kelsey felt as if her father had just knocked the wind out of her. She stood in the cold, dark, early evening air, staring at the door her father had just entered. As she considered his words, she slowly started to breathe again.

She knew he was worried, and they weren’t words she hadn’t said to herself when she’d first met Patrick. She now knew he was wrong.

Kelsey sighed and walked into the house.

Two hours later, dinner was over, and as Janelle was getting the kids into bed, Kelsey was serving dessert to Mary, George, and Patrick. Dinner had gone as well as had been expected. George didn’t speak to Patrick unless he had to, Mary had been barely an inch above cordial, and Janelle had tried to keep the conversation going without much success. Kelsey had barely eaten a thing and had a feeling that, with the kids in bed, the worst was yet to come.

Once Janelle had come back downstairs and she and Kelsey were seated for dessert, Mary turned to Patrick with a sneer.

“So, Patrick dear, what brings you to this part of the country?” she asked before taking a bite of her pie, glaring at him as she slowly chewed.

“Kelsey talked about it so much, I wanted to see it for myself,” Patrick replied with a genuine smile.

“Oh, really? You came for the scenery?” Mary scoffed.

“Well, I came to see Kelsey, too, of course,” he said and slowly turned to look at Kelsey.

She saw the confusion dawning on his face and gave him a small shrug in return.

“That’s what I thought,” Mary stated, loudly dropping her fork onto her plate. “You’re here for my daughter.”

“Mom, please,” Kelsey said softly, hoping to stop her mother before she really got started. There was, after all, a first time for everything.

“Kelsey, I don’t like it that he’s trying to drag your good name through the mud.” Mary’s eyes shot daggers at her daughter.

“I’m not doing anything of the sort.” Patrick laughed uncomfortably. “What’re you talking about?”