What Lies Within (13 page)

Any woman, it seemed, but her. Because no matter how much sense it made, no matter how hard she tried to sell herself on the idea that it was time to accept Mason’s proposal …

Her heart just wasn’t buying it.

TEN   

I
don’t buy it.”

Kyla plopped back against the pillows on her bed. “Don’t buy what, Annot?”

“You say you’re okay, but you don’t
sound
okay. Are you
sure
you’re—”

“I’m
fine
.“ Oh dear. Best tone it down or her sister would be on the next plane to Portland. “Really. I’m just tired, that’s all.”

“I didn’t wake you, did I? I mean, you’re usually up and running by now.”

A glance at the clock confirmed Annot’s words. Nine o’clock! Kyla couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in this late. What was more amazing was that it actually felt good. “I was just about to get up.”

“Me-oww!”

The sound was followed by a ball of fur landing on Kyla’s head. Kyla yelped and caught the kitten.

Wonderful. The beast was a morning person.

“
Kyla!
Are you all right?”

“I’m. Fine.” Kyla forced the words through gritted teeth, then forced herself to relax. “My cat just jumped on my head.”

“Your … what?”

Ha. Take that, Miss You’re-Not-Spontaneous. “My cat. Or kitten, to be precise. I just got her yesterday.”

Annot’s squeal rivaled any sound Serendipity had made. “You got a pet! That’s so great.”

“Hmm. I wish Mason thought so.” She cuddled Serendipity close, loving the way the kitten’s purrs rumbled against her chest. “Anyway, I was just relaxing this morning. I did just finish a big job yesterday.”

“Oh, no, no, no. You don’t get off that easy. What’s the kitten’s name? Where’d you get her? What’s she look like? I want details.
And
pictures.”

“Okay, okay. Soon. But right now I have to get up and get busy.”

“New project already?”

“I’m working on it.” And so she was. But this time she was going to do something different. Something she should have done long ago.

The ensuing silence told Kyla her little sister had something on her mind. “What is it, Annot?”

“What is what?”

“Whatever you’re deciding whether or not to say.”

Her sister’s heavy sigh was ample confirmation. “I’m not going to ask it.”

“Ask what?”

“If you’re okay.”

Kyla would have screamed if she’d been given to such displays.

“I’m sorry, Kylie. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

Annot’s gentle words eased the tension in her shoulders. Her sister knew her so well. And loved her anyway. She rolled on her side, reaching with one hand to pull the comforter around her as she moved. “I’m just so”—she shrugged into the blanket—“I don’t know. Restless, I guess.”

“Kylie, really. What’s going on?”

I’ve realized I lost my way and didn’t even know it
. “Nothing.” No need to worry her sister. This was her problem to sort through, and so she would. Now that she’d realized what was gnawing at her, why she felt so empty, she knew what to do to make it right.

That’s what she was best at. Making things right. “I think I’m coming down with a cold or something. You know how I hate summer colds.”

Annot’s chuckle warmed her even more than the comforter. “Summer is over, goof.”

“Not yet. Autumn doesn’t officially begin for another two and a half weeks. I refuse to surrender summer one day sooner than I have to. Annot,
about the wedding? What would you think about making it a double wedding?”

“What?”

She couldn’t blame her sister for her shocked reaction. The question had shocked Kyla as well.
What
was she thinking? “I don’t know. I mean, Mason asked me to marry him again—”

“Again?”

Kyla kneaded her temples. “Annot, would you please stop shrieking? You’re killing my head.”

“Kyla Marie Justice, are you telling me a man proposed to you and you didn’t tell me when it happened?”

“Actually, a man proposed to me three times now—”

“Kylie!!”

Her temples pounded. “Shrieking. Again.”

“Sorry. Again.” Annot softened her tone. “Okay, I’m speaking in calm tones now. Kyla, beloved sister, this man who proposed to you three times. Is it Mason?”

Kyla vented her exasperation to the ceiling. “Well, who else do you think it would be? The hunky barista down at the coffee shop?”

She could have bitten off her tongue. She was getting as careless as Annot about letting words just blurp out of her mouth. With any luck, her sister would pay no attention—

“What hunky barista?”

Of course. Why should she think she’d have any more luck today than usual? “Never mind.”

“Kylie—”

“Would you please forget about the barista?”

“
Hunky
barista, you said.”

“Hunky schmunky! I’m talking about Mason.”

“Schmunky?”

“He asked me to marry him again last night—”

“Did you really just say
schmunky?
”

“What I just said was that Mason has asked me to marry him.”

A pause. Apparently Annot needed to absorb this news. Then, “So … what did you say?”

Kyla rolled onto her side.
Why
had she opened her mouth about this? She should have known her dear sister would ask question after question. None of which she was prepared to answer. “Nothing.”

“Nothing.”

Kyla sighed. “Right. Nothing.”

“See! I told you he wasn’t the one for you—”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You don’t have to! I mean, if you loved him, the answer would have been immediate.”

Oh, now that was going too far. Kyla sat up, sending poor Serendipity tumbling across the bed, and clutched the receiver. “Now listen. Just because I want time to think about the most important decision I’ll ever make doesn’t mean I don’t love Mason. Of course I love him. Why shouldn’t I? He’s intelligent, cultured, an excellent businessman—”

“Kylie, will you
listen
to yourself? You sound like you’re discussing a potential employee, not your soul mate.”

Kyla’s brows rose. “I never said Mason was my soul mate.”

“Exactly! But don’t you want that? Someone who’s part of your heart in a way no one else ever could be?”

“Please, forget I said anything.”

“Right! Forget my sister said someone proposed to her.”

“Annot, please. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m not even sure Mason will like the whole double wedding idea. He’s rather—”

“Persnickety.”

“—particular.” She flopped onto her back, making her tone as scolding as she could without hurting her sister’s feelings. “He’s already mentioned a couple of times that he wants us to be married someplace exotic.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know.”

Another sigh. “Okay, I’ll let it go for now. And I promise I won’t bug you about marrying or not marrying Mr. Thrillsville.”

Kyla threw an arm over her aching eyes. “You’re not bugging me, Annot. Not really. It’s just that I’m not ready to make a decision on all this yet.”

“Listen, Kylie, try to get some rest, okay? You don’t sound good.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean.”

Yes, she did. And as she hung up the phone, she knew she couldn’t ignore it any longer. All these years, she’d managed to keep the past at bay. So why, all of a sudden, was it there, haunting her?

Condemning her.

Something was going on. What, she didn’t know. But something
was
there on the fringes.

And it was headed for her.

Well, fine. Whatever was coming, there was only one way to prepare for it. Kyla leaned forward to lift her Bible from the side table.

Arroow-rooww!

Annie Justice swatted at her German shepherd, who was walking in circles, that heavy tail pummeling her for added emphasis. “Look out, you crazy moose-dog! You’re gonna knock me over.”

Kodi’s cold nose came to nudge at her, and she stood. “Okay, okay. I surrender. Let’s go for a run.”

The dog’s joyful bark resounded in the room, and Annie laughed as she made her way to the front door to grab Kodi’s leash. She glanced back at the clock on the wall as she pulled open the door. She had a half hour until Jed came over. Plenty of time.

Besides, she needed to run. She always thought better when she ran.

Five minutes of warmup later, they were off, Kodi trotting along beside her, tongue flopping in happy rhythm to their steady footsteps.

Annie let herself go on automatic pilot, her body falling into the easy rhythm of running. She took in the flowers blooming along the path, the sun that was already starting to grow warm, the fragrances all around her.

What a great day.

Only one thing cast a pall on her full enjoyment. That conversation with Kyla. She’d sounded so … what? Upset? Not really. Frustrated? Yes, but something more. There’d been something in Kyla’s tone she’d never heard before.

Her sister was hiding something.

What, Annie wasn’t exactly sure. Was there a problem with her work?
Possibly, though that made no sense. With her relationship? Now, that was a definite possibility. Kyla and Mason seemed more like work associates than two people in love. People in love touched and shared private jokes and couldn’t bear to be apart.

Like you and Jed, you mean?

Annie allowed herself a little smile. Exactly. Of course, Kyla and Mason might just share something different than she and Jed. A more sedate relationship. But Annie wasn’t convinced that was what her sister really wanted.

Or, for that matter, needed.

Kodi nudged her around a corner, and Annie realized they were in the homestretch. Remembering Jed should be at the house by now, she lengthened her strides, eating up the distance.

Sure enough, the gate to the driveway was open, and Jed’s car was parked by the front door. Annie knew she should slow to a walk for her cooldown, but at the sight of Jed’s tall form standing by his car and the smile on that handsome face, her feet developed a mind of their own. She sprinted the last few yards toward him.

His smile shifted to a full-blown grin as he watched her, and he opened his arms. She didn’t hesitate; she jumped into his embrace. He caught her, laughing as he spun her around, Kodi circling them and barking up a storm.

After a breathless kiss, Jed set Annie on her feet. “Now that’s what I call a welcome.”

Annie paced back and forth, letting her muscles cool down from the run. “Hey, can I help it if I missed you?”

“You mean those whole nine hours we were apart? After all, I didn’t head home last night until a little after midnight.” He stretched. “I swear, woman, you’re gonna be the death of me with all this late-night carousing.”

She sat on the grass, stretching. “It was
your
idea to watch four John Wayne westerns in a row, genius.”

His grin reappeared, and he leaned back against his car. “Start off with
The Shepherd of the Hills
, then on to
The Sons of Katie Elder
and
The Undefeated
, and finish up with
Rooster Cogburn
. You have to admit, it was a great way to spend an evening.” Kodi stuck her snout in Annie’s face, that long tongue slurping up the side of her face, and Annie shoved the dog away. “Thanks a lot, Moose.” She wiped her sleeve across her face. “And yes, it was
a great evening.” She reached out to pet Kodi, who’d taken her rebuff by circling a couple of times, then plopping down on the grass beside Annie with a doggy huff.

“Okay, what’s up?”

Annie looked up at her intended. “What do you mean?”

He tilted his head at her. “I mean, what’s wrong. And don’t say nothing, ’cuz I can see it in your eyes.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Annie told him about the call with Kyla. “She’s my only sister, Jed. And I can tell when something’s off. I can’t pinpoint it, but something’s just not right with her.”