Summer on Kendall Farm (12 page)

* * *

J
ACE
OPENED
THE
cab door and helped her inside. Fastening her seat belt she wondered why he’d come to find her.

“What was that all about?” Jace asked. They were on the highway, heading to the house when he spoke.

“He asked me to return to New York.”

“Why?”

“I’m not really sure. I have the impression they got some new accounts and need people who can step in and work immediately.”

“I get the impression that work had nothing to do with what he wants,” Jace said.

Kelly winced. She had gotten the same impression.

“You two were more than colleagues, right?”

She waited a long moment before answering. “Yes. We worked together and we were a couple. I thought we believed in the same things, wanted the same things.”

“But...” he prompted.

“But he apparently he had other ideas,” she said.

Jace reached the Kendall’s circular drive and stopped the truck. Neither of them got out.

“What happened?” he asked.

Kelly released her seat belt and shifted in the spot to look at him. He leaned over the steering wheel, giving her his full attention.

“Working in the kind of New York agency that I did is a twenty-four hour a day job. In advertising the client always wants something new, something that will skyrocket their product to the top of the market share pyramid. And they wanted it a week ago. If that doesn’t happen and the client jumps ship, the project executive and staff are usually fired.”

“Is that what happened to you?” Jace asked. His voice was low and tender.

“Sort of. We were good. Perry and I came up with client after client. And they were satisfied for the most part.”

“Which part
weren’t
they happy with?”

“It wasn’t anything monumental. One of our clients didn’t like a strategy that we put in place. The product didn’t sell at the expected levels they wanted.”

“So they pulled up stakes?”

She nodded.

“And you got canned?”

“No, I’d already decided to leave. But Perry put the blame on me. He got the promotion that should have been mine.”

“So why does he want you to come back?”

“According to some of my friends who still work there, his idea factory has dried up.”

“You were the one with all the innovative ideas. And he took credit for them?”

“That sounds a little egotistical,” she said, frowning.

“But it’s true, right?”

“Mainly. Perry had some good ideas, but clients want great. They want buzz. They want...”

“Let me help you out here. Even for a guy who spent a lot of time in foreign countries and rarely worked inside an office, Perry or anyone for that matter is only as good as those supporting them and Perry’s running scared. He’s afraid the powers that be will discover that he really wasn’t the driving force behind the campaigns he worked on with you. And now that you’re not there his work is not as good.”

“That’s not totally true.”

“Kelly, I’ve seen the changes you’ve made here at the Kendall. You have a good eye for both detail and the big picture. You can imagine what a room will look like before it’s changed. Your ideas for marketing have changed the Kendall from a has-been to a place that people stand in line to get into. I’ll bet from what you told me about the racetrack, that you already know exactly what it will look like down to the last electrical socket and light switch. You’re amazing.”

Pleasure washed over her. She hadn’t been complimented for her efforts by him and she was proud that he’d seen her efforts as valuable.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about Perry anymore.”

She opened the door and got out of the truck. The air seemed just as tense as it was inside the cab. Kelly looked up at the gleaming white house. Jace joined her.

“I have the Kendall.” She turned to face him. “And the last electrical socket and light switch are in the Tidal Box, third level up, far wall, next to the private elevator.”

* * *

A
S
SOON
AS
Jace entered Doug’s office his receptionist sent him straight in. Doug stood and they shook hands.

“You’ve confirmed what you told me the other day?” Jace asked, getting right to the point.

“Yes. It’s a technicality, but a big one. Given the number of people who read these contracts before they were signed, someone should have brought this error to light.”

“Error?” Jace frowned.

“I’m sure it was, but it’s binding.”

“What is it?” Jace was getting antsy. He wanted to know the details of any chance he had to take possession of the Kendall. Although, of late, watching Kelly, seeing the amount of effort she put into the place was piquing his conscience. He didn’t want to hurt her.

“Usually a contract in this state gives the signers three months to rescind it, back out of it. In other words they can change their minds without any consequences. It’s called a Buyer’s Remorse Clause.”

Jace nodded. He was aware of this rule.

“In this contract—” Doug turned the paperwork around and handed it across the desk to Jace “—it says three years, not three months. To tell you the truth, I didn’t see it the first time, either. I’m so used to seeing three
months
that I read what I expected to see.”

Jace looked down at the papers. The words
three years
had been underlined in red.

“As Ms. Ashton has only owned the house for two years, you can challenge the contract—the sale.”

Jace looked up. Kelly’s face, framed with her brilliant red hair, flashed before his eyes. She’d worked so hard in the past two years. And she was only seeing the value of that now. An image of her running around, taking care of the details of the open house assaulted him as clearly as if he’d been hit.

“It would be a long road,” Doug said.

Jace focused on him. “How so?”

“You’d have to pay whatever the outstanding taxes were, which would be substantial at this point. After that you’d have to invoke your father’s will.”

“Challenge the will?” Jace said.

“By arguing that you should have inherited it in the first place.”

“My father didn’t recognize me in the will. He left the property solely to my brother Sheldon.”

“Where is Sheldon?”

Jace shrugged. “He’s in North Carolina.”

“Have you had any contact with him in the past two years?”

“Only just recently, but we were never really friends even though we were half brothers.”

Doug leaned back in his chair and whistled. “This whole business could bankrupt you and in the end you might still lose.” He paused, letting Jace take it all in. Then he asked. “What do you want to do?”

Jace stared at the papers, the red underlining reminding him of the bloodline he expected to secure for Ari. When he looked up, Doug was staring intently at him.

“Let me think about it for a few days. I’ll get back to you.”

Jace left the lawyer’s office then. He tucked the contract in his pocket, but didn’t go to the truck and start for the Kendall. He walked. He needed time to think about things. He was growing closer and closer to Kelly. She’d taken him and his son in when they showed up out of the blue, and she gave him a job. In essence, she provided him with the insurance Ari needed and a place for him to grow and thrive. Now Jace was going behind her back and trying to take away what she’d worked so hard for.

But it should have been his. Or at least partly his.
He
should have the right to pass it on to his son. How had things gotten so out of control? Jace needed to talk to Sheldon. Jace had to make some decisions about Ari, about their future. If he decided to fight for the Kendall, it would be expensive and take a lot of time. During the process, he’d need somewhere else to stay. He’d have to uproot Ari again and the child was just getting used to being with Kelly and the horses. Ari loved the horses. Removing him would hurt.

If he didn’t pursue the Kendall, they still needed someplace to live. They couldn’t go on staying at the Kendall and having Kelly support them. Turning around, Jace returned to the truck and headed for the farm. He’d begun to think of it as home, but the Kendall had never been his home. As much as he wanted it to be. As much as he wanted all the love due a son and a brother, he never got it and he would never be able to give it to his own son.

They were going to have to make other arrangements. Being at the Kendall had been a mistake. Getting to know Kelly had been a mistake, too.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T
HE
MAIN
HOUSE
WAS
empty when Jace returned. There were no smells coming from the kitchen. No sounds of movement anywhere. Shrugging out of his jacket, he hung it on the coat tree and called, “Ari?” No answer. “Kelly?” No answer.

After a moment, he went to her office. The room was neat, but empty. He looked out of the window at the horse barn. There was no sign of them anywhere. The kitchen looked as if they’d just up and left. The coffeemaker was off, but it had a timer that would turn it off after an hour, so they could have been gone that long or longer. The remnants of breakfast, however, still lay on the table. Discarded eggs and toast had dried on the plate. Coffee in the cups was cold. Even Ari’s bowl of cereal was soggy and abandoned.

“What happened?” he muttered, fear invading his heart.

Then he heard car doors and people talking loudly. Quickly, he headed for the front door. Ari was the first to see him.

“Dad,” he called. “Kelly’s hurt.”

Jace was down the steps before his son had finished speaking. He ran to Mira and Drew’s truck. Kelly was in the backseat. Mira was driving. Jace yanked the door open and looked at her.

“She’s all right,” Ari said, standing next to him. “We went to the hospital.”

“I’m fine,” Kelly told them.

“She’s not fine,” Mira warned, also standing next to him. “She fell off the horse and it kicked her.”

Jace’s eyes opened wide. “They’re very gentle horses,” he said. “I would never bring unsettled horses here unless we were ready for them.”

“Let’s just get her inside,” Mira said. “We’ll explain there.”

Jace reached for Kelly, lifting the pale redhead into his arms. He carried her into the house and upstairs to her room, Mira and Ari on his heels.

“How did this happen?” Jace asked, after Kelly was in bed and Mira had pulled the covers over her.

“Later,” she whispered.

“Kelly?” Ari stood beside her and spoke in a low voice. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Kelly gave him a weak smile. “Yes,” she said. “I’ll be good as new in the morning.” She was drowsy, her eyelids closing heavily.

“The doctor gave her pain medication. She’ll be asleep in a moment,” Mira told him.

Ari slipped his hand in Jace’s and looked up at him. “Is she really okay?”

Jace lifted the child into his arms. “She’ll be fine.”

“Let’s let her sleep,” Mira said.

Jace backed out of the room. Mira followed, closing the door.

“Is her leg sprained?” Jace asked. It had been thickly bandaged.

Mira nodded.

“But she’s always so active. And there’s a lot going on.” Jace should have been here. While he was off looking for a way to get the Kendall back, she was falling off a horse, one that he had brought to the farm. He felt responsible.

Ari loved Kelly. He’d taken to her almost from the first. Jace realized his son wasn’t just having medical issues. Those had cures or controls, whereas missing a mother was something entirely different.

He wasn’t sure he knew what to do about it. His feelings for Kelly were definitely there, but if he pursued the lawsuit for Ari’s sake as much as his own, he’d cause her pain. Worse.

She’d never forgive him.

* * *

K
ELLY
MOANED
AS
she woke up. Her head ached and any movement made it worse. She opened her eyes. Jace smiled at her. He was sitting on the side of the bed. She was glad to see him. Even with the headache, she felt a little better knowing he was there and that he’d been close by.

“How long have you been sitting there?” she asked.

“Not long,” he said. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been kicked by a horse.”

He smiled. “You can joke, so you must be feeling better.”

“Where’s Ari?”

“In the kitchen with Mira.”

“She’s still here?”

“She wouldn’t leave until she knew you were all right.”

“How’s Ari?” she asked.

Jace frowned. “Why Ari? Was he hurt by the horse?”

“No,” she tried to shake her head, but the pain was too much.

“I have a headache,” Kelly said.

“You’ll feel better after you eat something.”

“I
am
hungry,” she said.

“Good, that’s a positive sign.”

“Is this your own diagnosis, doctor?” She tried to joke, but Jace looked really concerned. Kelly wondered if Mira had told him what happened.

“It is.”

“Don’t worry. The doctor said I’d be fine in a few days.”

“Mira said you fell off one of the horses.”

“Clumsy of me.” She smiled, even though the effort caused pain.

“I’ll go and get you something to eat,” Jace offered. He got up, allowing Kelly to move her legs toward the side of the bed.

“I’m sure I can eat in the kitchen.” She started to sit up. Pain gripped her. She fought through it and put her feet on the floor.

Jace eased her back into the bed. “No need. How often do you get breakfast in bed? Take advantage of it.”

Kelly was glad to lay back down. She didn’t want to move for decades or at least until her headache was relieved. Her leg felt tight, but better than her head. She wanted to see it, see if there was a bruise or any broken skin. After the horse kicked her, she’d grabbed for her leg. The severe pain had caused tears to flow from her eyes. Mira came running and after one look, she was on the phone, calling for help.

The doctors told her she was very lucky. Kelly knew it. She’d seen accidents with horses before and she was usually very careful. But when she saw Ari running toward her, his innocent body unaware of the danger, she miscalculated and tried to get down when she was in the process of getting in the saddle. Her foot caught and she scared the mare. It naturally balked and kicked out, clipping her on the ankle.

Ari had cried on the way to the hospital and his face was still damp when they’d wheeled her into the waiting room and pronounced her well enough to go home. He’d dried his eyes only when she hugged him and assured him she was all right.

Kelly pushed the covers back. She rolled onto her side and with effort sat up. She was still wearing her clothes, although one pant leg had been cut for the doctors. Carefully, she pushed the torn pant leg aside.

“Oh,” she gasped, seeing the black-and-blue marks on an ankle the size of a grapefruit.

“What are you doing?” Jace came in. Quickly, he set her tray on a table and rushed to her, lifting her back in the bed.

“According to Mira, the doctor said you need to stay immobile for at least twenty-four hours or until the swelling goes down.”

Kelly fell back against the pillows, feeling completely defeated.

“Can I see Ari?” she asked.

“Sure, he’s clamoring to see if you’re all right.”

Kelly smiled with effort. Jace retrieved her tray. He sat it in front of her and handed her two pain pills.

Taking the glass of orange juice from the tray, she swallowed the medication and drank the entire contents of the glass.

“I know what Mira said, but I think you’d better tell me what happened.” Jace sat in the chair next to the bed.

She told him the whole story as well as she could remember it. “You didn’t say anything to Ari?” she asked, concerned for the boy.

“No,” he said.

“It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t know he could spook the horse. I should have...”

Jace leaned over and brushed his lips over hers. Kelly’s eyes opened wide.

“I understand,” he said. “But he needs to know how to properly work around animals.”

“Kelly, Kelly,” Ari shouted as he ran down the hall. Kelly heard him coming. Jace moved away from her and as the little ball of energy came into the room and headed directly for the bed, Jace caught him before he launched himself onto the spread and upset Kelly and her breakfast tray.

“Good morning.” Kelly smiled at him, hoping the pain didn’t show on her face.

“You slept a really long time,” he said. He looked at his dad. “Dad said we needed to be quiet. I was quiet.”

“I didn’t hear you at all,” she told him.

“Is your leg better?”

“It’s swollen, but that will go down soon.”

“Can you walk? Dad carried you up here.”

She remembered. Even in the haze of medication, Jace holding her had been familiar. Kelly thought about the night of the open house. She remembered being in her office, putting the receipts in the safe and looking at her computer. The next thing she knew it was morning and she was fully dressed, in her bed, with the spread over her. She had no recollection of how she got there, but some dreamlike memory felt the strong arms that carried her.

“Ari, we need to let Kelly rest now,” Jace said.

“She rested all night.” Ari’s logic tickled her. “Didn’t you, Kelly?”

“You’re right, Ari. I did rest all night, but the medicine makes me sleepy.”

“Okay. When it’s lunchtime, are you going to eat in bed?”

“I have to keep my foot up, so I might have to stay here,” Kelly explained.

“Can I eat in bed with you?” he asked.

“Maybe.”

“Wow!” he said. “What about tomorrow? Will we eat in bed then, too?”

“Tomorrow I might be able to eat at the table if your dad will help me get there.”

Ari turned around sharply to look at Jace. “You will, won’t you, Dad?”

Jace bent down to Ari and said, “I will if you promise me something?”

“What?”

“Promise me that you won’t go running after the horses even if you see me or Kelly getting on them. You’ll always, always call us first. So you won’t get hurt?”

Ari had given his full attention to Jace when his voice became serious.

“I promise,” he said. Then he looked at Kelly. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she and Jace said at the same time.

“The horse hurt me, Ari,” Kelly said. “I need to be careful, too. And I wasn’t. That’s why I got hurt.”

“You’ll be careful, too?”

“I will,” she told him. “I promise.”

“We have to go now, Ari.” Jace caught the boy’s hand.

“Ari?” Kelly called. He faced her. “Do you think I could have a hug?”

He smiled and ran to the bed, reached up and Kelly leaned down and hugged him.

He let go and turned to his dad. “You hug her, too, Dad.”

Kelly felt the color drain from her face. Then a flash fire took possession of her and her face was no less red than a cooked lobster. Glancing at Jace, she saw his face reflecting the exact same color.

* * *

K
ELLY
’
S
LEG
WAS
still throbbing when she woke for lunch four hours later. The swelling had gone down some, but not totally. Mira came up and helped her wash and change clothes. The effort took more energy than she thought it would.

“Where’s Ari and Jace?” Kelly asked.

“In the kitchen. Ari is making you a special lunch. At least, he’s trying to, and Jace...” She seemed to intentionally leave the sentence hanging.

“What about him?”

“You’re attracted to him.” Mira stated it as if the entire world knew it to be true.

Kelly didn’t bother to deny it. “Nothing new, I’m afraid. You know I’ve been drawn to him since he was a wild teen riding across the fields.”

“But this time, he’s attracted to you, too.”

Kelly leaned on the cane she’d come home from the hospital with and stared at her cousin.

“Don’t look at me like that. You should see how
he
looks at
you
when you’re not paying attention.”

“That’s just because of Ari,” Kelly said.

“It’s not only because of Ari. When he carried you out of the truck yesterday, he held you as if you were the most precious thing on earth.”

“I’m sure you’re wrong. I’m betting Jace wants the Kendall. He’s only hanging around here until he can get on his feet and find a permanent place.” Kelly said the words, but she knew the man who’d kissed her, and those kisses couldn’t be delivered by someone who had no feelings for her.

“If you say so.”

Kelly knew Mira didn’t believe her. She didn’t truly believe her own words.

“I can have proof in just a moment. He’s coming up to carry you downstairs,” Mira said. The smirk on her face was unmistakable.

As it was, both Kendall males came to fetch her. Jace didn’t hesitate. He swept her into his arms and carried her down the stairs and into the large kitchen. The table was set for five and everyone took a seat. Drew arrived just as they were sitting. Since Mira had come to help for a few days, Drew had joined her.

Kelly glanced at Jace. She considered whether Mira saw something she had not. Sure he’d kissed her more than once and she enjoyed it. She admitted she wouldn’t mind exploring where their relationship might go, but she still had a purpose that took top priority in her life. Men, she knew, could complicate that. Did Jace?

His coming to the Kendall had nothing to do with her. Even when they were kids, he had never really looked at her. She had noticed him, though. Often she could only see him from a distance. Yet secretly she wanted him to notice her, too. But he was into himself, his problems, and his efforts to get his father’s attention. From what Kelly could tell, that never happened. She didn’t know that at the time. She thought he was rebelling, like most teenagers. And then he was gone. For months she wouldn’t see him. Then she’d get off the bus to watch the horses and he’d be racing along the far fence or driving through town as fast as the car would go.

But even her red hair, which everyone said was like watching fire burn, wasn’t bright enough for him to see her. She was invisible perched on that fence.

“You’re very quiet,” Jace said. “Are you in pain?”

Kelly shook her head. “My leg is beginning to tingle.”

“Wow. Tingle,” Ari said. “Tingle, tingle, tingle.”

He must have liked the sound of the word, since he repeated it several more times.

“What do you mean?” Jace asked.

Kelly could feel the vibes coming from Mira. She refused to look at her cousin for fear she’d say or do something to give Kelly away. “The doctor said that was a sign it was healing.”