She answered, “If you let me stick around, I’d love to. I might need to hire a babysitter, though, if I’m going to keep working.”
Adam kept himself from saying what he really wanted to say, which was something along the lines of,Stay, even if you aren’t working. But he knew better than to let that much vulnerability show. Instead, he said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” and left it at that.
Kyra sat in the swinging bench she had set her sights on and leaned back comfortably. “You should try it,” she said. “It’s sooo relaxing.”
Despite himself, he did sit beside her, and together they enjoyed the swinging bench. It was one of those that had its own frame, so you didn’t have to have a porch to use it. There were a few moments of pure peace.
Out of the corner of his eye, Adam had noticed someone repeatedly glancing sidelong at the two of them. It was a woman about their age. At first, Adam assumed she was giving him a once-over. It wasn’t uncommon with him. Women seemed to like the look of him from a distance. It wasn’t until they found out he had a thorny personality and lacked a hidden fortune that they ultimately became disinterested.
This woman, though, continued glancing at them, and Adam got the distinct impression it wasn’t him she was looking at. If anything, she seemed more interested in Kyra. Finally, the woman made her way over to them.
“Kyra?” she said, as though she’d only just noticed that Kyra was there. “Wow! It is you. How are you these days? You look so different from the last time I saw you.”
Adam watched as Kyra glanced up and then back down again. He instantly got the impression that this person was far from a friend.
“Lacey,” Kyra said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Long time no see.”
“My goodness,” Lacey said. “How have you been? I heard you took a new job up the mountain as a… a ranch hand?” Everything about her felt so fake to Adam. She was the polar opposite of Kyra, who was so sincere it was impossible to doubt her.
“I’ve been good,” Kyra answered. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know…” Lacey waved a hand as though she had nothing of substance to add, but then she contradicted the gesture and launched into an entire presentation of her life. It contained so much blatant humblebragging that Adam had tofight to resist rolling his eyes during her speech. Everything about her life was perfect, and she was, of course, filled with so much gratitude.
The way Lacey wielded the word gratitude like a weapon was disgusting. The implication that Kyra lacked gratitude was both obvious and the furthest thing from the truth. Of all the people Adam had ever met in his life, one stood out as the most grateful, the most generous, the most sincere. And that was undoubtedly Kyra.
Lacey came to the end of her monologue and posed a question to Kyra. “You look fantastic, by the way. Have you gained weight?” Though it was posed as a compliment, it definitely didn’t come across that way.
Kyra cleared her throat before answering. “Well, I suppose it’ll become obvious to everyone soon. I’ve gained a little weight because I’m pregnant.”
Lacey let out a gasp that she probably thought sounded less fake than it did. “That’s amazing. I can’t believe you’re working up there in the mountains while pregnant. It seems so unlike you. I mean, you tend to run when things get hard, right? You dropped out of college almost as soon as you started. Tell me you’re not that hard up for cash. There are programs, you know. Isn’t the father willing to help you out? Or is he… not in the picture?”
Adam watched as Kyra’s unshakable smile slipped, and he couldn’t stand by and watch anymore. He put an arm around Kyra’s shoulders and said, “The father’s in the picture. And Kyra’s going to be fine, not because he’s in the picture but because she’s resilient, brave, and the smartest woman I’ve ever met. She doesn’t need a man to fix all her problems for her.”
“Oh, really?” Lacey’s eyes left Kyra and found Adam, which was exactly what he wanted. He had no doubt Kyra could handle the abuse. This was someone she clearly knew well, and there was no chance this Lacey person hadn’t treated her like this in the past. But if Adam knew one thing about being chronically independent, it was that having someone stand up for you, while unnecessary, still felt pretty damn good. Lacey went on. “So, are you the father then?”
Adam glared at her. “Honestly, that’s not any of your business.”
“Wow,” Lacey said, clearly unused to anyone seeing through her act and responding bluntly. “I guess it’s a touchy subject. No need to be rude about it, though. For many of us who’ve already had children, the subject is always a pleasant one. You can’t expect us to be able to predict when the subject is touchy. I assumed Kyra was happy about this.”
“I am,” Kyra cut in. “I am happy about it, and this child is wanted. That’s all you need to know for now. But I appreciate your concern.” Another smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes crossed her face. She was much better at this kind of hidden warfare than Adam was. He could appreciate that, but he didn’t remove his arm from her shoulder. He sensed that she could still use his support.
Lacey seemed to realize this conversation wasn’t going to end with Kyra tucking her tail and running. She shook her head at both of them. “Well, if this is the father, I’d say you can do a lot better, Kyra. Maybe find someone who won’t drive away all your friends.”
Adam didn’t let her have her last word. “Shecando a lot better than me,” he said. “And maybe she will. But I wouldn’t drive away any of her friends, not as long as they’re true friends.” Hegave her his best fake smile, but he was certain it looked more like a snarl than Kyra’s did.
Finally, Lacey gave up her attempt to throw Kyra off. She shook her head, said goodbye to Kyra while completely ignoring Adam, and moved on. As soon as she was out of sight, Adam squeezed Kyra’s shoulder and murmured, “She’s a real piece of work. I hope I didn’t misread the situation.”
Kyra shook her head. “You didn’t. She’s always been like that. I don’t think she likes me very much, but I can’t say I’ve ever figured out why.”
“She’s jealous,” Adam said.
“Now you sound like my mother.” Kyra laughed under her breath.
“Your mother’s a smart woman.” They made their way toward checkout, Adam snagging the tag from the swinging bench when Kyra wasn’t looking.
“Anyway, what does she even have to be jealous of?” Kyra said. “She knows exactly what she’s doing with her life.”
“And that’s exactly why she’s jealous,” Adam added. “You’re free to make your own choices and brave enough to be yourself. Life can still surprise you in the best ways.”
