Finding Home Again Read online

  She chuckled and he loved the sound. “According to Vashti, the cars were supposed to be Christmas presents, but Reid couldn’t wait to give them to Jade and Kia.”

  “That’s what I heard. I can’t imagine having a grandfather who’s able to afford not one, but two Tesla sports cars. Must be nice,” he said.

  “Yes, he spoils them, but Sawyer and Vashti, along with the Harrises, help keep Jade and Kia pretty well grounded. They’d already told the girls the cars won’t be parked on any college campus, but will remain here to drive whenever they are home.”

  “And I guess they know what happens if their father—who happens to be sheriff—catches them speeding.”

  Bryce smiled. “Yes, they know.”

  The dance came to an end, and Bryce moved to head back to where they’d been seated, when he tightened his hold on her hand. “Take a walk in the garden with me, please.”

  She looked at him and he wondered if she would deny his request. Nodding, she allowed him to lead her toward the set of double French doors that led outside.

  * * *

  “ANY REASON YOU wanted me to come outside with you, Kaegan?” Bryce asked the man walking by her side. So far they’d checked out a number of various plants known to grow in Louisiana soil. The night was filled with the sounds of crickets, frogs and katydids, and the scents of begonias, zinnias and birds-of-paradise.

  “I needed some air and wanted you to join me.”

  She nodded, remembering another time he’d said those same words. It had been at her sixteenth birthday party and the first social event he’d ever attended off the bayou. Typically, the Pointe-au-Chien tribe kept to themselves and didn’t feel the need to socialize with the townsfolk. There was nothing written in stone but it had been a practice evidently understood. Unfortunately, she and Vashti hadn’t gotten the memo when they decided to make Kaegan their new best friend in first grade.

  Bryce had been aware that a few people had frowned upon their close friendship, but neither her parents nor Vashti’s parents and Aunt Shelby had cared what those few single-minded people thought. She had to say it was one of the few times Vashti’s parents had shown they really had spines. Most people in the cove genuinely liked Kaegan and had accepted that the three of them were inseparable as they were growing up. However, both she and Vashti had known Kaegan was uncomfortable attending social events. That was why he’d avoided such things in the past and she was surprised that he had shown up tonight.

  “Thanks for dancing with me, Bryce.”

  She looked over at him, wanting to say he didn’t have to thank her and that was what friends were for, when she remembered she’d told him they weren’t friends anymore. She had truly accepted his apology, but he hadn’t regained his friendship status with her. Her trust, once broken, was a hard thing to regain, and she didn’t think she would survive if Kaegan broke it again. “You’re welcome, Kaegan.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment as they continued to walk around the flower garden. She had a feeling that he had something on his mind. Knowing she wouldn’t be fully prepared for whatever it was, she was about to suggest they go back inside, when he said, “More than anything, I’d like for us to get back together, Bryce.”

  She stopped walking and stared at him, not believing he would say such a thing. One dance where she’d foolishly lost herself in the moment, where she’d obviously sent out unintentional vibes, and he thought that was all it would take for a comeback. Okay, she would even admit for a moment she had enjoyed being in his arms a little too much. Four years without male contact could probably do that to you. However, with that being said, she felt it was time to reiterate her position.

  “That is something that won’t happen, Kaegan. We had our time, but forever wasn’t in our future like we’d thought. Accept it and move on, like I have.”

  He stared at her and then said, “Couples have problems, Bryce. Not making light of ours, but the key is they try and work things out.”

  She shook her head. “There is nothing to work out. Some things that are broken can’t be repaired, Kaegan.”

  “Why are you willing to give up on us so easily?”

  His question made something inside her snap. Ten years of hurt and anger came shooting out and she couldn’t hold back her emotions. “You want to accuse me of giving up so easily? Well, let me tell you a thing or two, Kaegan. I had ten years to feel the hurt and pain of knowing the man I’d loved thought I was nothing but a slut. You were so convinced you had caught me red-handed with another guy. It was as if you wanted your father to be right about something, after years of being wrong. And you allowed him to use me to do it. Did you know he even called me a slut once to my face?”

  She saw the stricken look that suddenly appeared on his face, but she didn’t care. She felt tears trying to fall but refused to let them. “You gave Mr. Chambray that power because of your mistreatment of me. You’d conveniently forgotten about all those times I was there for you when he treated you like crap. Yet you allowed his lies and what you thought you saw that night to come between us and destroy what we had.”

  She sighed, not able to stop the tears now. “You didn’t just break my heart, Kaegan. You destroyed it. You had been my only boyfriend ever. The one guy who was supposed to love me and believe in me, yet you didn’t. You were quick to believe the worst about me and the very thought of that devastated me. I never thought you would do me that way. Reject me so callously. Make me feel like I was nothing to you. That all our years together meant nothing. I had nobody to talk to. Vashti was attending college in New York and I was too hurt to tell my parents or my brothers anything. So I went through that time alone.”

  She paused a moment, trying to collect herself, and then said, “Samuel, the same Samuel you accused of being my lover, was there for me. He became worried about me to the point where he persuaded me to go see one of the therapists on campus. The same one who’d helped him deal with a lot of things. In my senior year of college when I should have been happy because of my accomplishments, I was fighting depression and struggling with self-esteem. Because of you, my confidence took a nosedive.”

  “Bryce, I—”

  “No, Kaegan. No more apologizing. I want you to stand here and listen. I graduated without you being there and I came back to Catalina Cove. Everyone wondered what had happened between us and I couldn’t tell them that the man I’d loved all of my life thought I was shit.”

  She swiped at her tears. “So don’t you dare say that I’m willing to give up on us so easily. You gave up on us ten years ago. And now that you find out the truth you want me to just fall in line. It doesn’t work that way for me. You said you were sorry and I’ve accepted that, but I meant what I said about not wanting you in my life as a friend or anything else. You are a liability to me. You are the cause of so much pain. Pain that I simply refuse to go through a second time. We can never pick up where we left off because I doubt I could love you again. You destroyed my ability to not only love you, but to love anyone, Kaegan. A part of me will always resent you for doing that. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going back inside.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  KAEGAN PULLED HIS truck into Bryce’s yard and came to a stop. He glanced at the package on the seat beside him. It was dinner her mother had prepared and asked him to bring. He knew Mrs. Witherspoon and figured she was well aware that he was the last person her daughter would want to see today, yet she’d asked the favor of him anyway.

  After opening the truck door, he got out and grabbed the bag off the seat beside him. As he made his way to the door, he thought about the conversation they’d shared in the garden at the dance. She had unloaded a lot that night and she’d poured out the depth of her pain and her disappointment in him. Now he understood why she didn’t want them to be friends. She didn’t just not trust him with her heart—she refused to trust him with her well-being. Now, more than anything
, he had to prove to her that he wasn’t that young Kaegan who’d grown up with insecurities that he’d allowed his father the power to play on them. He was a much older, wiser and more secure Kaegan.

  At least he’d gotten her to forgive him. Now reclaiming their friendship was the next step, and after that, her heart. He had to prove to her that he valued her heart and that the next time she entrusted it to him he would take better care of it than he did before.

  Reaching the door, he knocked, and soon it was opened. Bryce frowned at him. Regardless of her agitated expression, his breath left his lungs the moment he saw her. He’d definitely been unprepared for the raw beauty of the features staring at him in annoyance.

  It looked like she’d just released her hair from that ponytail she sometimes wore, and it hung in a wild mass around her shoulders. That style brought out the beauty of her green eyes. The color of her eyes had always captivated him, along with her strong cheekbones and full lips. She wasn’t wearing any makeup. She seldom did and none was needed. For a fleeting moment he was tempted to reach up and stroke what looked like flustered cheeks.

  She was in her bare feet and wearing a pullover sweater and leggings. He always thought of her as beautiful, curvy and leggy.

  “What are you doing here, Kaegan?”

  Her tone matched the look on her face. “Making a delivery,” he said, quickly easing by her to enter her home.

  “Hey, I didn’t invite you in here.”

  “No, you didn’t, but like I said, I’m making a delivery. Your mom sent this,” he said, holding up the bag. The aroma of the food filled the room. “Ms. Debbie said you were studying for some exam and wouldn’t take time to eat and asked me to bring this to you.”

  “She did, did she?” she asked, taking the package from him.

  “Yes. She also made me promise to hang around and make sure you eat it.”

  He could tell from her mutinous expression that that didn’t go over well with her. “I don’t need you to stay to make sure I eat, Kaegan.”

  He smiled. “Evidently your mom thought otherwise.”

  She glared at him for a minute, then said, “Well, I don’t agree with her. You can let yourself out. Goodbye.” She then walked off toward her kitchen.

  He glanced around and saw the books spread over her coffee table. Studying had never been Bryce’s thing. But it was his.

  He glanced at Bryce in her kitchen. From where he stood he could see her taking down a plate from the cabinet. Watching her stretch her body while reaching into the cabinet was such a turn-on. Maybe he should leave, like she suggested. “Take a plate down for me. Your mom sent enough for the both of us.”

  She jerked around and her glare was back. “Why are you still here? I thought I told you goodbye.”

  He nodded. “You did, but I’m more afraid of Ms. Debbie than I am of you. Besides, I can help you.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Help with what?”

  “Your studying. I know how lousy you are at it and how good I am.”

  Kaegan saw the hint of a smile touch her lips. She was smart and intelligent, but when it came to studying, she struggled. They both knew it. Back in high school they would cram together the night before an exam to guarantee that they both aced it.

  She didn’t say anything for a long moment, merely stared at him across the breakfast bar. Kaegan held his breath and only released it when she turned, reached into the cabinet and grabbed another plate. “Why would you want to help me?” she asked, over her shoulder.

  He chose his words carefully. “Because I can remember a time, many years ago, when you helped me.”

  She placed both plates on the table along with eating utensils. “Vash and I both did.”

  “Yes, and today I’m helping you out as a way to thank you. Next week it might be Vashti, although I believe Sawyer’s pretty much got his wife protected. We don’t have to worry about her parents acting crazy with her any longer.”

  “Oh, they’re still acting crazy. I guess you’ve heard about their latest stunt.”

  Yes, he had. “All I have to say is they’d never met the likes of Sawyer Grisham,” he said, grinning. “They can act crazy, but if it means protecting his family, Sawyer will act crazier, trust me.”

  He heard her chuckle and the sound did something to his insides. Made him wish for something he was determined to one day have again; namely, her in his life. After he’d returned to the party from the garden it was as if she’d disappeared and he’d known she was trying to put distance between them for a while. He had gotten drawn into conversations with Ray, Sawyer and their wives—people he felt comfortable with.

  Bryce had returned an hour later and claimed to everyone she had wanted to mingle a bit and to give her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law some of her time. At least she hadn’t accepted a dance with any other guy during the night. Reid had been honored with a special award and he’d brought Gloria on stage to introduce her to everyone as his future wife. His granddaughters had also been called on stage with him, but they hadn’t needed any introductions since that scandal was old news.

  “Kaegan?”

  He glanced over at Bryce, bringing his thoughts back to the present. “Yes?”

  “Since Mom sent enough for the both of us and I’m tired of pulling my hair out while trying to wrap my mind around that real-estate exam...and since I recall that you do have a simpler way of studying, I’ll take you up on your offer and appreciate you for making it. However, let’s get one thing clear—there’s nothing going on between us. Understood?”

  He held her gaze while thinking more than anything he wished he could kiss that pout off her face. “Yes, I understand. May I use one of your bathrooms to wash up for dinner?”

  She nodded. “Yes. There’s a bathroom down the hall, the first door on your right.”

  “Thanks.”

  When he returned moments later he saw she had filled both plates with food, which consisted of red beans and rice, pork chops, Cajun cabbage and jalapeño corn bread. She had also poured iced tea into their glasses. She looked over at him when he entered the kitchen.

  “I think my helping you study should get me more than just thanks,” he said.

  She glared at him and he could imagine what she was thinking. “Something like what?”

  “Friendship. Don’t you think I’m entitled to that at least?”

  She sat down, and when he didn’t join her, she looked over at him and said, “I need to think about that friendship piece, Kaegan.”

  Considering that a huge win, he decided not to press his luck anymore. Sitting down at the table, he glanced over at her and said, “Fine. You do that.” It was all he could do to keep a smile off his face.

  * * *

  “NAME AT LEAST three types of real-estate scams, Bryce.”

  Bryce scrunched up her forehead. “I should know this. I just read about it yesterday, Kaegan,” she said, then ran frustrated fingers through her hair.

  “Hey, just relax your mind while I give you a hint,” he said, stretching out on her living-room floor.

  “Okay.” Bryce didn’t mind that he’d made himself comfortable for the past hour. At the moment all she cared about was that, thanks to his good studying techniques, she was actually retaining most of the stuff.

  “What were the first names of the three girls in our eighth-grade class who were bona fide bullies?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s easy. Rita, Monique and Faye.”

  “Right. If you remember that then you will ace that question.”

  She frowned again. “How?”

  “I asked you to name at least three types of real-estate scams. If you can, remember Rita for rental, Monique for mortgage and Faye for foreclosure. Those are the three types of scams. Rental, mortgage and foreclosure. There are others, but if you remember at least three, you’re go
od.”

  Bryce grinned, shaking her head. He’d been giving her word-association tactics for most of the answers to questions she would get stumped on. So far it was working. “Who would have guessed those three bullies would be helping me years later to ace an exam.”

  “From what I understand, they’ve changed. I ran into Rita when I was stationed in Mississippi. She’s living in Biloxi and is a principal of a high school.”

  “A principal of a high school? After all the trouble she gave our principal, Mr. Harding? You got to be kidding.”

  Kaegan laughed. “No, I’m not. I asked if she kept up with Monique and Faye and she said that she did. Monique is a dentist, married, the mother of three and living in Texas. Faye is a divorced mother of two and lives in Oklahoma. She owns a chain of smoothie shops in that state.”

  He shifted his body into a more comfortable position and said, “I gather from what Rita said, they still maintain a close friendship and get together for a girls’ trip every year. She admitted they aren’t proud of their past, which is why they’ve never attended a class reunion since moving away for college.”

  Bryce shrugged. “That shouldn’t keep them from returning home if they wanted to. I often wondered what happened to them. But then, I could never talk Vashti into coming back to a class reunion, either. When she left she swore never to come back. You did hear about the holiday class-reunion committee being formed, right?”

  “Yes. I heard about it.”

  She wondered if he planned to attend. It wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t. She recalled a time he hated Catalina Cove High School. The way some of the students, parents and teachers had treated Vashti when she’d gotten pregnant had infuriated him. Kaegan had always been loyal to his friends and at the time she and Vashti had been the only friends he had.

  It occurred to her then why it bothered him that she could not accept a friendship between them. He’d had few friends in his life. Sawyer and Ray were his close friends now, but he needed the originals, as well. Namely, her and Vashti. They had been as protective of him as he’d been of them.