Prejudice Meets Pride (30 page)

Where was Kevin? She would wring his neck when he finally showed his face. Wring it then hand him a fork so he could eat his precious sweet potatoes off the floor.

“We’re here!” Becky’s sweet voice called out, and a bustle of activity was heard in the front room.

“Aunt Becky! Sam!” the girls cried out, and Emma pictured them barreling toward two of their favorite people.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Justin’s voice boomed. “Where’s my hug?”

The girls giggled, and his voice sounded again. “That’s more like it. Now help us carry this food into the kitchen.

Emma was on her knees, mopping up the mess, when Becky and her husband walked in. “Oh, no. What happened?” Becky cried.

“I happened,” muttered Emma. “Actually, no—
Kevin
happened. Or didn’t happen. However you want to look at it.”

“What are you talking about? Is Kevin back already?”

Emma craned her neck to see her friend. “Back from where?”

Becky’s expression took on a look of panic, but she quickly schooled it into one of innocence. “I don’t know. Do you know, Justin?”

“I don’t know anything,” he said robotically, as though he’d rehearsed the phrase a bunch of times.

Emma rose from the floor and placed her hands on her hips. “Becky? Where’s Kevin?”

“Here, let me help you with that.” Becky grabbed a rag from the drawer, wetted it down, and dropped to her knees.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Emma accused. She hated being in the dark, especially when it came to Kevin. How was it Becky knew something about him that she didn’t?

The front door opened again, and screams of “Daddy!” echoed through to the kitchen.

Emma froze. Her heart pounded. Her ears strained to hear. When Noah’s laughter sounded, she rushed from the kitchen and froze in the doorway. Noah was on his knees, hugging his two little girls with tears streaming down his face. He was here. He was actually here. Only then did Emma realize that tears were running down her cheeks as well.

Her gaze moved from Noah to the door, where Kevin stood, watching her with anxious eyes. He held up his hand in a preemptive move, as though ready to ward off an argument before it started. “I did this for the girls, Emma, not—”

She charged forward and threw her arms around him, simultaneously laughing and crying. “You brought him home. You brought him home,” was all she could say.

His arms came around her tentatively. “You’re not mad?”

“How could I be mad?” She stared up at him. “Just look what you did.”

Kevin let out his breath and tightened his arms around her. “Emma, I will never understand you.”

“Join the club,” Noah said, grinning up from his place on the floor. “I grew up with her, and I still haven’t figured her out.”

Emma pulled free from Kevin’s arms and dropped to the ground beside her brother, hugging him. “I’m so happy you’re here. How long do you get to stay?”

Noah stood, hefting both of his girls off the floor and keeping them in his arms. He looked leaner, stronger, and older than he had before. He looked wonderful. He glanced briefly at Kevin before looking at Emma.

“I was going to wait to tell everyone until after dinner, but I guess now’s as good a time as any. I’m not going back. Kevin here, put me in touch with a friend of his, who happens to be a general contractor. He offered me a job, and I accepted. It doesn’t pay nearly as well, but that’s okay. I’ll get out of debt eventually, and I’ll do it with my girls at my side.”

“Does that mean you get to stay forever, Daddy?” Kajsa asked.

“Forever and ever.”

Happy squeals echoed through the room, sounding far away to Emma’s dazed mind. Noah wasn’t going back. He was staying here, with his girls, exactly where he should be. Emma couldn’t talk, couldn’t laugh, couldn’t do anything but stand there and let the tears gush from her eyes.

Kevin moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and resting his chin on her head. He introduced Noah to Becky, Justin, and Sam while Emma continued to bawl her eyes out. Becky said she’d clean up the sweet potato mess, Kevin teased her about ruining them on purpose, and Emma had to go find the box of tissues.

She sat on her bed and let the tears come. She cried for all the time Noah had been away, all the sweet moments he’d missed with his girls, and for all the moments he’d never have to miss again. She cried because she’d never felt so happy.

“You okay?” Kevin said from the doorway, his shoulder leaning against the jamb.

“I’m more than okay.”

He pushed away from the door and sat next to her on the bed, pulling her close.

“I don’t deserve you.” Emma buried her face in his shirt, wishing her nose wasn’t stuffy so she could smell him.

Kevin lifted her chin until she looked at him. “I feel the exact same way about you.”

He dipped his head, pressing his lips lightly against hers. The kiss tasted like mint and warmth and happiness.

“You ready to eat?” he asked softly.

“I’m sorry about the sweet potatoes.”

“Are you? Really?” he teased.

“For your sake, I am.”

He chuckled, then stood, holding out his hand for her. “Don’t worry. I like it when you owe me.”

Emma clasped his hand and let him lead her down the hall. At the kitchen doorway, she paused, watching everyone she loved, with the exception of her parents, gather around the table. It was loud, crowded, and chaotic in the small space, especially considering they had to make room for one more, but it was the most beautiful sight Emma had ever seen. Someday, she’d even paint it.

Kevin held out a chair and gestured for her to join them. Emma’s heart warmed and expanded, growing until she felt like it might burst. Kevin had made this happen, just like he’d made so many other things happen. He’d lifted her up when she was down, opened doors she hadn’t realized existed, provided a shoulder to lean on when she needed one, and brought her brother home to his girls.

He was the sugar in her lemonade. And because of him, and the man he was, life had never tasted so sweet.

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Thanks so much for reading! I hope this story took you out of reality for awhile and into a world of escape and rejuvenation because everyone deserves that once in awhile.

If you’re willing, I’d love a review from you on
Goodreads
or Amazon or wherever else you’d care to post one. Or you can find me online at
RachaelReneeAnderson.com
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Thanks again, and happy reading!

Rachael

First and foremost, I have to thank my amazing sister, Letha. Thank you for sharing your fun, creative mind with me and for spending hours helping me plot out this story. It’s so much better because of you.

 My dear friend, Karey, bless you for always being a phone call away and for sharing your editing prowess with me. I’m so lucky to call you my friend.

 Braden, thank you for being someone I can trust to give me a thorough, honest critique, while still being encouraging at the same time. You’re awesome!

 Rebecca, thank you for your keen eye, words of encouragement, and friendship. You’ve been an amazing example to me, and I love knowing you.

 Kelsey and Candice, thank you for being willing to beta read and proof my book. I’m so grateful for your help and willingness to do that!

 Jeff—yet again, a hundred million thanks for being the husband, father, and friend that you are. I love you.

 And lastly, I have to thank my heavenly father, for loving me enough to challenge and bless me.

A
USA Today
bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the author of six novels and three novellas. She’s the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating. You can read more about her and her books online at
RachaelReneeAnderson.com
.

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