The Patriot Girl (11 page)

Vicky waved her hand. “My worries had nothing to do with who was involved—I worried about you kids when you got a splinter. You go talk to her and straighten things out.”

“I don’t know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t cut it.”

“Give her time. Has she backed out of the contract yet?”

He crossed his fingers. “Not yet. It’s been two days, and she still hasn’t contacted me. No news is good news, right?”

****

MaKayla needed to get out of the house this morning. Alex had been gone twenty-four hours and already she couldn’t handle the silence.

She wiped her feet on the rubber mat outside her parents’ home. The screen door slammed shut behind her as she stepped into the kitchen. Sobbing was coming from the sink area.

“Mother?” Something clattered onto the floor. She dashed around the counter and helped Peggy pick up the dropped knife. Her mother’s red swollen eyes took her aback. She’d never seen her mother cry, never even knew the woman was capable of doing so. “What’s wrong? Is Daddy okay?”

Peggy stood and lifted the corner of her flowered apron to wipe her eyes. “Daddy’s in the living room. I’m okay. No need to make a fuss.”

Her mother was chopping walnuts on the counter, not onions, so her tears couldn’t be blamed on cooking.

She turned to ignore the problem in the manner her mother always had. MaKayla had always resented her mother’s emotional unavailability. That was one reason why she and Paul had always made sure Alex shared what was on his mind with them.

If her mother wanted to be stubborn and not talk, fine, but she at least had to try to find out what was wrong. She turned back around. “Mother, tell me. Why are you so upset?”

Peggy tossed the dirty knife into the sink. “It’s nothing.”

MaKayla flashed back to the ugly feeling of being alone when, as a teenager, Kevin had dumped her for another girl. Her father had been away on a business trip and her mother’s insensitivity had been more crushing than the breakup. Jodi had been the one to hold her and convince her she didn’t need some stupid football player. One day she would find a
real
man who would love her.

Sixteen or sixty, everyone needed comfort at a time of grief. She couldn’t leave her mother alone in her time of need.

She turned her mother around to face her. “Why are you crying, Mother?”

“Oh, honey, it’s silly.” Peggy wrapped her arms around MaKayla’s neck and sobbed. “I did love him you know.”

Love whom?
MaKayla didn’t know what to do with her arms. She’d never held her mother before. She placed one hand on her mother’s back and the other on the counter beside her. “Who did you love?”

Peggy stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Rainbow. He passed away this morning.”

Had she heard her mother correctly? She was crying over the death of a bird? The woman had never cried when a human passed away. She would never figure out her mother, so why start now?

“I’m sorry.” She rested her mother’s head on her shoulder. It was about time the woman showed her family she was human after all. “I thought you hated that bird.”

Peggy stepped back. “I
never
hated him. He kept me company when Daddy went golfing. I might have yelled at him a few times, but that’s how we communicated.”

MaKayla enjoyed seeing that her mother had a heart after all. Where had it been when she was growing up? She handed her mother a tissue from the box beside her. “I didn’t know you’d become attached to him. You were always throwing a towel over his cage.”

“That was our little game.” Peggy dabbed her eyes then tucked the tissue inside her apron pocket. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, young lady.”

“That’s because you never let me get close to you.” MaKayla stole an unchopped walnut off the counter and took a bite.

“Where’s my girl?” David came around the corner.

“Hey, Daddy. Sorry to hear about Rainbow.” MaKayla kissed his cheek before she headed down the hallway into the living room. She was surprised when her mother followed her father into the room.

“So, Mackey.” David sat in his chair. “How are you and this new client getting along? Did he sign the contract Friday?”

“Yes. But we’re not speaking now.” At least she wasn’t speaking to him. How could she face him after all they’d been through?

Peggy sat beside her daughter on the sofa. “Is this the one from the bank robbery? The sexy cowboy Jodi says you should be sleeping with?”

Her mother was the total opposite of Jodi. So hearing “sexy” and “sleep with” coming from her mother’s lips made MaKayla laugh. After all these years, maybe the family friend had finally rubbed off on her mother too.

“Yes, Mother. He’s the ‘sexy cowboy’ from the bank robbery. I can see you’ve been talking with Jodi.”

Peggy exchanged a glance with her husband. “Yes, honey, I talk to Jodi about
everything
you do. Don’t be mad at her this one time. It’s usually like pulling teeth to get any information about you from her.”

It was hard for MaKayla to hear that her mother had to ask her best friend about her own daughter’s personal life. She placed her hand on her mother’s. “I’m sorry you don’t feel comfortable enough to ask me yourself. I never shared because I thought you never cared.”

“Well, I do. Very much.”

David sipped a beer. “So what
is
going on with this new guy?”

“There is no ‘guy.’” MaKayla couldn’t talk about Dustin right now. She was still trying to comprehend the fact that her mother cried, and that the skin on her mother’s hand was so soft.

Peggy squeezed MaKayla’s fingers. “Why are you nervous talking about him?”

“What do you mean?”

Peggy placed MaKayla’s hand on her cheek. “You take after me. Our hands get cold when we’re nervous. So why does this young man make you nervous?”

“His name is Dustin James. Or at least that’s what I was led to believe.” This conversation wasn’t going to be easy. Her body began to tremble and the sting behind her eyes intensified. She rubbed her hands together for warmth, and a distraction.

“Honey, what is it?” Her mother rubbed her back.

There was no ignoring the situation now. She had to let her family know who Dustin was. Even they had been worried about him, after hearing he’d been in a coma. Notwithstanding all this, she was glad to know he’d pulled through the ordeal.

“He’s actually
Harold
Dustin James, Mother.” She looked at her father. “The other driver involved in Paul’s accident.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Peggy held MaKayla’s chin.

“Oh, Mackey.” David came and sat beside her.

“I knew he was too good to be true, Daddy. Why did his one flaw have to be this?” She handed her father the letter from the insurance company. “This came in the mail yesterday.”

“You know, Mackey, there’s no one to blame for what happened. You need to stop beating yourself up over this.” David read the paper. “Good. It’s over. Now you can put this behind you.”

Her eyes filled with tears and her throat closed. Of course this was what she had wanted. But now she needed to know why he had done this—out of pity, or because he was attracted to her?

“Let me read the letter, Dave.” MaKayla handed her mother the paper.

“What does he have to say about the whole thing?” her father asked.

“I haven’t talked to him since Friday night.”

“Now what does this mean?” Peggy pointed to the letter.

“It means our little girl isn’t going to lose everything she and Paul worked so hard for. Mackey only has to pay for his medical bills, which the insurance company is going to take care of.”

“Oh, honey. That’s wonderful news.”

MaKayla shrugged. Of course it was good news. But now she felt as if she owed him something. And that wasn’t good. This would have been easier and more exciting news had she not known the other driver. She didn’t want Dustin doing her any favors.

Peggy put her hand on MaKayla’s knee. “Honey, are you in love with him?”

“No.” The minute the word passed over her lips she waited for the bolt of lightning to strike her for telling the biggest lie of her life. Her head was asking how she could be in love with him. She barely knew him. But her heart had thoughts of its own. Whatever attraction existed between them was certainly different than anything she’d experienced in the presence of any other man. But love?
Don’t deny something you can’t explain.
“I don’t know what I feel for him.”

“I suggest you march over to his place and talk this out.” David pointed a finger at her. “He’s willing to help get your business going, right? There’s a reason for all this, Mackey. Take him up on the offer. Then see what the good Lord has planned for the two of you afterward.”

“How would Paul’s parents react if they found out I was working for the person who killed their son?”

Peggy’s voice heightened. “Since when does MaKayla Elizabeth care about what other people think?”

“This is different, Mother. I have Alex’s feelings to consider too.” Of all the people to lecture her about others, her mother should understand how she felt. “Aren’t you the one who used to ask, ‘Won’t you be worried about what the neighbors think? This is a small town. People are going to talk.’”

“I learned to stop worrying about the neighbors years ago. You and your father always did what made you happy, as long as no one was hurt in the process. I wouldn’t expect anything less of you now.” She patted MaKayla’s arm, and then stood. “I need to finish chopping my walnuts before I make us lunch. You do what you need to do and worry about no one. Are you hungry?”

“No. Thank you.” Her mother had a point. M & M Public Relations would really benefit from her contract with Dustin. Having Buck signing on, too, would make her business much more reputable. She turned to her father when they were alone. “What are you thinking?”

“Your mother’s right. You have to talk to him. If all you can see is the man you blame for Paul’s death, then you don’t stand a chance working with him. But at least you’d be able to say you tried.”

“Yes, well—”

“Mackey, avoiding him isn’t doing either one of you any good. I’m sure he’s worried about you.”

Would he be?
He still wanted to keep the contract, but would he be able to look at her in the same seductive way he had before he knew who she was? Now that he’d had time to analyze their situation, maybe his mind had changed.

For now, she needed to worry about her business plans and forget how Dustin’s touch had made her want to melt into his embrace and escape from the world around them.

She stood, but before she could leave, her mother re-entered the room. “Thank you for the advice, Mother. And I’m sorry to hear about Rainbow.” She turned so her father could join them. “How about a new bird? My treat.”

“No!” Her parents’ simultaneous answers made them all laugh, followed by the family embracing as a unit for the first time in thirty-eight years.

Life really was full of surprises. MaKayla’s next surprise would be her reaction to being with Dustin again.

Chapter Nine

MaKayla cogitated over her parent’s advice on her way home. The hardest part was going to be looking Dustin in the eye and not blaming him for the accident. And also, how would she tell Alex she was representing the driver who had hit him and his father?

From a distance, she could see workers were putting up a new No Bulls sign.

You need to face him.
Her father’s words echoed in her mind. She needed to stop in and get this over with. She drove around the orange cones set up in the parking lot.

If she were unable to look at Dustin with respect, she would have no other choice but to rip up his contract and move on. Buck would understand, and she would figure out another way to help promote his new album.

She paused in her walk across the dirt parking lot. There were several cars in the lot. What if Dustin was too busy to talk? Maybe she should have called first.

A man exited the door and she heard the music coming from inside. She was already here. If she went home now, she’d be upset that the matter was unresolved.
Just go!

She pulled open the wooden door and stepped into Dustin’s path. “Excuse me.”

“Hey.” He took hold of her arm to stop her from tripping.

The instant his fingertips made contact with her arm, her body knew no past, and her feelings held no grudges. There was no denying that even after two days apart, he could still make her relent in the palm of his hands.

He released his hold. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

“Are you busy?” She straightened to get as far away from his touch as possible. Their relationship had changed, but not in the way she’d expected, nor the way she had hoped. She wanted to feel nothing. She wanted to concentrate on business only. But gazing into his eyes, she couldn’t deny her attraction. “I wanted to talk to you about a few things.”

He shrugged. “Okay. I was just on my way to my sister’s. I’ll just be a few minutes. But you could wait here until I get back. You know what? If you have a second right now, I’d like you to meet someone.”

“Sure.” Still keeping her distance, MaKayla followed him past the dance floor and then up the small ramp to the door she remembered seeing the last time she visited the club.

He turned the doorknob. “Sweetheart…”

Sweetheart?

“Come say hi.” He put his hand on the small of MaKayla’s back and eased her inside. “MaKayla, this is my daughter, Melissa.”

She followed him toward a child-sized table and extended her hand downward. “It’s nice to meet you, Melissa.” The little girl lifted her head and large blue eyes met MaKayla’s. She sat on the small chair across from the pre-schooler. “What are you coloring?”

Melissa set the red crayon down, placed her arms over the page, and looked up. “You’re pretty.”

MaKayla glanced up at Dustin whose hands rested on top of his daughter’s shoulders. “Did you set her up to that?”