A Winchester Homecoming

The idea that Emily would be as eager as Kim’s father to see her was ludicrous. Although the two women got along, they weren’t close.

Was David sending up a trial balloon to test Kim? To deduce what her attitude toward his mother might be?

“That was nice of Emily,” she replied quietly, slipping off her sunglasses and tucking them into her purse. They had been expensive, but she couldn’t seem to care whether or not they got scratched.

The light glinted off her birthstone ring. Self-consciously she touched the bare spot where her platinum wedding set had been, wondering if David had noticed its absence.

Drew certainly had when she’d first removed it. He had gone ballistic.

Determinedly Kim pushed aside the memory as the car rounded the familiar last curve. Despite her catnap, she was still tired. Maybe she would have time for a real rest before dinner. Even though her dad and Emily had two more kids, they’d kept Kim’s bedroom available for her. It was the one refuge in the large house that hadn’t been taken over by her stepmother.

“Are you still living at the Johnson place?” she asked David. Even though Emily had bought the small spread from Ed Johnson when she and David first came to town and it had since become part of the Running W, everyone still referred to it by the name of its previous owner and probably always would.

“Yep.” He turned into the wide driveway and pulled up next to a bike lying on its side.

Toys had never been left out when Kim was small. Fighting the mixed emotions crowding up into her throat, she unbuckled her seat belt with hands that trembled. Swallowing hard, she focused on her simple relief at being here. All the rest—the questions, the explanations, the decisions she needed to make—could be sorted through and dealt with later. For now, she would just enjoy.

Even though David hadn’t honked, the front door burst open and her half brother and sister spilled out as though they had been watching through the window. They were followed by her father on his crutches.

The sight of him brought tears to Kim’s eyes. He was bareheaded, his thick, black hair laced with more silver than she remembered. His face, creased now by a wide grin, was weathered by a life spent out of doors. Hunched slightly over his crutches, he appeared older than he had the last time she’d seen him, when he had insisted on flying out to Seattle for her birthday.

Hovering at his elbow was Emily, looking trim and perky. She even managed to appear pleased by the arrival of her uninvited houseguest.

Instantly the snide thought made Kim feel guilty. As always, Emily’s smile was cordial. Even after Kim’s outburst in the stable when she’d caught the two of them making out like teenagers and her father had been so angry at her, Emily had pretended to be understanding. If she had done so to impress her new boyfriend with her niceness, it had certainly worked.

Kim had desperately needed his reassurance, so she’d lashed out like a jealous lover. When he’d taken Emily’s side against her, she’d been totally humiliated. The memory of her bratty attitude still embarrassed her, but the important thing was that Emily made him happy.

Kim would have to try harder to like Emily while she was here. Her father would be pleased to see the two of them getting along.

“Hi, Kim!”

Jake and Cheyenne’s headlong dash and noisy greetings reminded Kim a little of her mother-in-law’s cocker spaniels. She dragged up a big smile, feeling as though her cheeks would split.

“Hey, how are you two?” she asked, holding out her arms.

They’d both grown a lot since the last time she had seen them. Cheyenne, blond like her mother, threw her arms around Kim in an exuberant hug. Jake, with their father’s dark hair, skidded to a stop, hands jammed into his pockets. With a young boy’s wariness, he appeared ready to bolt if Kim even tried to hug him. She patted his head instead and he rewarded her restraint with a grin.

“How long are you staying?” Cheyenne demanded, grabbing her hand.

The blunt question caught Kim by surprise. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Why don’t you and Jake help me with the bags while she says hi to your folks?” David suggested, opening the trunk.

Kim’s attention turned to her father who’d been waiting patiently.

“Hey, princess,” he said, balancing on one crutch as he held out his free hand.

“Hi, Daddy.” With a little sigh of relief, she wrapped her arms around his waist while he gave her an awkward hug. When he let her go, she and Emily exchanged air kisses near each other’s cheeks.

“Welcome home,” Emily said gently.

Kim’s guilt increased tenfold. She had stopped being jealous years ago, and Emily was way nicer than her own mother, so what was Kim’s problem other than a whisper of disloyalty?

Before she could puzzle it out, David and the younger kids joined them with the bags.

“I guess you didn’t have any trouble finding her,” her father said to him.

“I haven’t changed that much!” Kim protested.

“You’re thinner,” her father replied with typical male bluntness and a frown she knew stemmed from concern.

His implied criticism still stung, making her cheeks go hot with embarrassment.

“Some people say a woman can’t be too thin or too rich,” Emily commented smoothly, dispelling the awkward moment with a hostess’s effortless smile. “Come inside, Kim, and we’ll get you settled.”

Even though she appreciated Emily’s tact, part of Kim felt like insisting that she would rather stay outside, just to be contrary. And maybe she could throw herself down in the driveway and drum her heels on the pavement, just to show her maturity.

“Thank you,” she said instead.

“You might like a nap before dinner,” Emily continued. “It’s just the five of us tonight.” She glanced at David. “Unless you’d like to join us, honey?”

To Kim’s relief, he shook his head. “Thanks, Mom, but I’ve got stuff to do back at my place.”

Kim’s father patted her shoulder before his hands returned to the grips on his crutches, his gaze steady on hers. “I’m glad you’re here, Kimmie,” he said quietly.

“Me, too.” Her chin wobbled, so she turned away to give David a bright, blank smile. “Would you mind taking my bags up to my room before you leave?”

“Sure thing, princess,” he drawled with a mocking grin.

Ignoring his jab, Kim followed her father up the front steps. Despite his height and bum leg, he took them with surprising agility, but he’d always been a natural athlete.

Feeling a little like a spectator at a play about family dynamics—or perhaps a TV sitcom—David hitched up the strap of Kim’s shoulder bag as Jake and Cheyenne both began tugging on the handle of the wheeled suitcase. To head off a skirmish, David dug his keys from his pocket.

“Who wants to lock the car?” he asked, dangling them like the proverbial carrot.

Both kids missed the irony of his question. The chance of anyone stealing the sedan from the boss’s driveway was right up there with the likelihood of the two kids being able to get the heavy suitcases up the stairs. Kim must have it filled it with rocks from Puget Sound.

Jake’s hand shot up first. “I’ll do it!”

When David tossed him the keys, which he caught with a triumphant shout, Cheyenne’s eyes filled with tears.

Thinking fast, David grabbed the handle of the largest suitcase. “Honey bun, would you hold the front door open for me?”

The brewing thundercloud on her face was replaced by instant sunshine. She was going to be a heartbreaker. As her oldest sibling, he would have to stay in shape just to keep the boys in line.

The idea of testosterone-driven adolescent males sniffing around her at some point in the not-too-distant future was enough to make his head ache.

“Sure thing,” she crowed, running up the steps.

Jake opened his mouth, but David froze him with a warning stare. “Don’t lose my keys,” David told him, turning away.

He might be a childless bachelor, but he’d spent enough time baby-sitting his half siblings to learn a few tricks, he thought as he noticed that his mother was waiting for him in the entryway.

“Nicely done,” she said after he had thanked Cheyenne for holding the door and she had skipped ahead.

“You taught me all I know,” he replied, shifting the bag on his shoulder. A fresh flower arrangement sat on a side table, no doubt from her own garden. Adam and Kim had gone into the spacious living room. “I’d better get these right up to sis’s room, in case she needs them in the next couple of minutes.”

His mother smothered a chuckle. “Behave yourself,” she scolded softly. “And you know the two of you aren’t actually related.”

“Thank God,” he muttered back, leaning down to peck her cheek. He rolled the suitcase across the tiled floor. “I’ll come back for this.” Once he had, he planned to sneak out through the kitchen.

He would have liked to say something encouraging to his mother, since he knew how hard she worked at being the perfect stepparent. It burned him to no end that she blamed herself for coming between Adam and his daughter and sending her away. It wasn’t true.

“Kim!” Adam exclaimed from the living room, the urgency in his voice drawing both David’s and his mother’s attention.

He turned in time to see Adam struggling to his feet as Kim slid gracefully to the floor.

“Is she dead?” Cheyenne shrieked as David dropped the suitcase and ducked around his mother.

“No, dear,” Emily replied calmly. “I think she’s fainted.”

Adam’s frustration at his temporary limitations was easy to read on his contorted face. “Kim!” he shouted again.

When David bent over her, she was as pale as milk, but already her eyes were beginning to flutter open. The others gathered around to see if she was all right as David bent down and scooped her into his arms. Compared to bucking hay bales and wrestling livestock, lifting her was easy. He was surprised at how little she weighed. No wonder she’d gone down like a heart-shot buck.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, already starting to struggle. “Put me down!”

He was about to make some smart-alecky comment in order to lighten the tension when he got a look at her face. He’d expected to see confusion, embarrassment, perhaps even annoyance at the proprietary way he had hauled her up. What he read instead in her wide green eyes made him set her carefully back onto her feet.

In the instant before she managed to hide it, her face had been filled with fear.

Chapter Two

“I told you calling a doctor wasn’t necessary.” The irritation in Kim’s tone when she spoke to her father was a ruse intended to cover her embarrassment. “She said all I need is a nap.”

Emily had gone back downstairs to show the doctor out, and Kim’s father sat on the edge of her bed, his crutches propped up next to him and his callused hand covering hers.

“You fainted. What Dr. Wilson actually said was that you haven’t been taking very good care of yourself, so you’re dehydrated and probably exhausted.”

His tone was bland, but the concern in his eyes only increased Kim’s guilt. He probably deserved an explanation, one she wasn’t yet ready to give. She had gotten herself into this mess and it was her fault, all of it, but what she wanted to do right now was to regroup in the familiar surroundings from her youth.

“Like I told you,” she replied, “a rest and some water will fix me right up.”

She jutted her chin, gaze daring him to argue. For a moment she thought he’d push it as he assessed her.

The unyielding expression on his weathered face brought back so many memories of her frustration in dealing with him, of rebellious youth butting up against parental authority, of tears and tantrums on her part and refusal to bend on his.

Then he patted her hand, positioned his crutches and pulled himself to his feet. Just coming upstairs must have been a real struggle for him, she realized with a stab of remorse.

“I’m glad you’re here, Kimmie,” he said as he found his balance.

“Me, too.” Relief washed over her. Eyes misting, she managed a shaky smile, hoping it would ease his concern. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“Anytime. You know that,” he said gruffly. “Emily’s bringing you up some soup. If there’s anything else you need…” His voice trailed off, an open invitation for her to confide in him, but she wasn’t ready to lay out her mistakes.

“I’ll be fine, really,” she said.

Still he hovered. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.” He frowned at his leg as though it had deliberately let him down by allowing itself to get broken. “Emily won’t let me come back up here tonight.”

As if on cue, his wife appeared in the doorway carrying a tray.

“I feel useless,” he grumbled when he looked at her.

“Knock it off,” she responded cheerfully. “That hangdog expression isn’t fooling anyone, and I know you’d whisk the tray right out of my hands if you could.”

Husband and wife exchanged meaningful glances that told Kim they’d be discussing her later. She hoped they wouldn’t tell her aunts and uncles that she had collapsed in the living room.

It was bad enough that her stepbrother had been here to see her swoon like a Victorian maiden, worse that he was the one to lug her up the stairs with no more concern than a bag of feed. As her head cleared, she’d become too aware of his strength and her own vulnerability. The big show-off hadn’t even been breathing hard when he’d laid her on the narrow bed with its ruffled coverlet, but their gazes had locked for an instant before he straightened to flash her a mocking grin.

“I knew you were faking,” he’d whispered.

Now Emily set the tray across Kim’s lap. “How are you feeling?” she asked brightly.

“Better, thank you.” Kim glanced down at the steaming bowl of soup. As the appetizing aroma teased her nostrils, her mouth began to water.

“It’s homemade chicken and noodle,” Emily said as she transferred a small pitcher of ice water and an empty glass to the nightstand. “I had some in the freezer and I remembered that you liked it the last time you were here.”

That was surprising, since Kim hadn’t been home in five years. “It was nice of you to fix it for me.”

Emily glanced over her shoulder at Kim’s father, who hovered in the doorway. He must be waiting for Emily to help him down the stairs. Knowing how independent he usually was, Kim was surprised that he hadn’t just barreled ahead without assistance, even if it meant falling on his hard head. Risk had never slowed him down before, not that Kim could remember, but he’d sure blown up when he caught her riding on the back of David’s motor scooter, even though she had been wearing a helmet.

Emily clasped her hands together and leaned closer. “This is your home, dear,” she said quietly. “It always was, and it always will be.”

“I know that.” Kim’s voice faltered. Spreading the napkin beneath her chin, she blinked rapidly to prevent herself from bursting into tears and embarrassing herself even more than she already had.

“You’d better go help Daddy before he gets tired of waiting and falls down the stairs.” Wasn’t one patient enough for the woman to flutter over?

If Emily was offended by the abrupt dismissal, she didn’t show it. Instead she smiled patiently.

“Eat your soup before it gets cold and then have some rest. I’ll check on you again later to see if you need anything else.”

Before Emily had reached the doorway, Kim was already spooning up the soup. It was the first time she could remember being hungry in a long while.

From the landing at the base of the staircase, David watched Adam’s slow, careful descent. David itched to help him, but the rancher’s thunderous glare was a good indication that any offer of assistance would be forcefully rejected.

“I’m here to break his fall,” David’s mom joked, her hand on the curved wood banister as she reached the landing ahead of him. She must have realized that trying to keep him downstairs after Kim’s collapse would have been a waste of her breath, because she hadn’t objected when he’d gone up earlier.

She was the only person David knew who was completely unfazed by the force of Adam’s personality. He didn’t lose his temper often, but his intimidating stare was enough to make anyone who was thinking about crossing him reconsider immediately.

Anyone except his wife. Once, he’d stated dryly that the reason he laid down the law was so she would have something to step on.

“If you think you’re going to cushion me, you’d better put on some weight pretty damn quick,” he growled now in response to her comment about breaking his fall.

“Thank you, sweetie.” Her voice was teasing as he thumped down the stairs next to her. “You always know just what to say.”

Dressed in light-green shorts and a sleeveless print blouse, she was still as slim and pretty as she’d been when she’d relocated her newly divorced self and her hostile, defensive son from L.A.

To David she’d always been the most beautiful mom in the world, even when he was angry over being dragged away from everything that was familiar. Despite a few gray strands mixed in with the honey blond, and faint smile lines bracketing her mouth, she was still gorgeous. Adam must think so, too, from the way he was ogling her. Although the awareness between them still made David uncomfortable, he envied what they had found together.

His biological father, a hotshot entertainment attorney, had made a big mistake in trading his mom in for a younger model. That marriage hadn’t lasted very long, despite the early arrival of David’s half brother, Zane. Its demise had been quickly followed by wife number three, who was only a few years older than David. By now she, too, had probably joined the ex-wives’ club. Not that he would know, since he had finally stopped returning his father’s infrequent calls.

“How’s the princess doing?” David asked after Adam braced himself with one hand on the newel post.

“Who really knows?” He shrugged, nearly losing one of his crutches.

David figured the only way his mom was going to get Adam off his bum leg would be if David went home.

“I’ve got animals to tend to, so I’ll see you in the morning,” he said.

Technically, Adam was his boss. Over the years they had developed an easy working relationship that usually started with coffee at the bunkhouse with the other men. Since Adam’s little accident, David had been dropping by here instead.

“Did you want to say goodbye?” His mother glanced upward. “She’s probably still awake.”

“No, that’s okay.” He’d had enough of Kim’s company for one day. “I’m sure I’ll run into her again soon.”

Too soon.

“Thanks again for going to the airport for me,” Adam told him.

“No problem.” Excusing himself, David followed his mother toward the back of the house where he’d parked his truck.

“Call me if you need anything,” he told her when they got to the kitchen.

“Let me give you some of the casserole,” she replied. “I made extra.”

“You always do.” He leaned against the granite counter while she dished up a generous portion into a plastic container. When she added four homemade dinner rolls and a big piece of apple pie, he didn’t protest. Eating his own cooking was one of the many prices of “baching it” that he willingly paid in exchange for having his own place, but he wasn’t about to turn down a meal he didn’t have to cook.

“Was Kim very talkative when you picked her up today?” she asked innocently as she loaded the food into a small box.

David straightened away from the counter and helped himself to one of the sourdough rolls. “Not really. I already told you she nearly keeled over while we were going to the car, though.” Devouring the roll in two bites, he took the box out of his mother’s hands. “What exactly did you think she might say?”

She held open the screen door for him. “Oh, nothing. I was just curious.”

He didn’t push it, partly because he wasn’t all that interested and partly because he didn’t want to risk her taking back the pie. Instead he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

“I’ll be working on the bathroom, but I’ll hear the phone if you need to call.” Since he had decided to remodel the master bath in the old rambler, he was eager to get the room finished and put back together.

She waited on the deck while he backed the truck around, and then she gave him a final wave. He glanced up at Kim’s room, but all he could see was the lacy curtains blowing in the open window. He wondered how she felt about being home again after so long.

A few moments later David drove his one big splurge out the front gate. The house he shared with a dog and a one-eyed cat was only five minutes down the main road. As much as David loved every member of his extended family-by-marriage, living by himself gave him the breathing space he’d realized he needed when he’d come back after graduation from Colorado State.

The old rambler where he had lived for the past few years had been well built by the original owner. Updating it was a work in progress that often seemed to David like more work than progress, since he was doing most of it himself.

His mother had bought the property without realizing that it nearly bisected the neighboring cattle ranch, which just happened to belong to Adam and his two younger brothers. After she had married him, the little rambler sat empty until David reclaimed it.

As he drove slowly down his driveway, Lulu came running out to meet him. Because of his Aunt Robin’s weakness for strays, he owned what had to be one of the ugliest dogs in all of Colorado. Lulu was part Airedale, part Lab, and the rest was anyone’s guess.

Good thing she had big brown eyes and a great personality.

“Hey, Lulu.” He got out of the truck, holding the box of food and the mail he had stopped to collect out of her reach with one hand as he patted her head with the other.

Her short coat was an unfortunate mixture of wiry black and brown waves, like a perm and dye job gone wrong, but her eyes brimmed with intelligence, and her loyalty was as solid as the hand-hewed beams of his house.

Thrilled to have him home, Lulu followed him up the steps to the wide front porch. The boards he’d used to replace those weakened by time and weather felt solid beneath his booted feet. Calvin, his cat, sat on the new railing and washed one orange paw, ignoring the arrival of his master as only a cat could.

“Hello to you, too,” David said in passing.

Just to annoy Calvin, the dog poked her muzzle against his fur and blew out a noisy breath, then barely managed to dodge the retaliatory swipe of claws as Calvin laid his ears flat to his head and spat.

“Behave, you two,” David scolded absently as the cat jumped down, still growling low in his throat, and followed them inside. What a ragtag parade they must make.

David took the food his mother had sent home with him straight through to the kitchen and set the box on the counter he’d redone in ceramic tile two winters before, after he and Karen Sanchez quit hanging out together. With a considering look at both animals, he picked the box back up, set it inside the cold oven and closed the door. No point in taking unnecessary chances.

Not with his mother’s cooking.

Flipping through his mail, he took a beer from the refrigerator, popped the top and poured a good part of it down his throat. He figured limo duty to the airport and back had earned him a brew or two.

There was nothing in his mail except a couple of bills, a home repair magazine and a check for a saddle he’d sold. Sipping the rest of the beer more slowly, he grabbed a baseball cap and went back outside. He crossed the yard and driveway that separated the house from his mother’s old studio. Beyond the small structure where she had restored rare books were the stable and corrals.

A breeze had come up to stir the hot, dry air, so he leaned on the fence that separated him from his horses and watched them graze while Lulu plunked her butt down beside him, panting softly.