“No one invited me.”
“But—” Kenzi tried to think back to the first time she’d gone to the farm. It was when Grandpa and Grandma lived there, a couple years before they moved into the retirement community. They didn’t work like they had in their younger years, but Grandpa liked to be by the animals, said it felt like home to hear them moving and mooing, that the smell of hay was the smell of home. By the time they moved out, the tradition was set, and Kenzi and Harrison stayed with the Raymonds. They were busy people who had a dairy to run and probably didn’t have time to take in a girl who didn’t know her way around the herd.
“I’m sorry, Raquel. If I’d have known you wanted to come, I would have asked.”
Raquel lifted a shoulder. “It was probably a good thing I stayed here. Lunette would have been lonely.”
Kenzi finished tucking the sheet under the mattress. “I’m worried for her, Raquel—and for Hattie. Clyde made a comment about how popular he’d be if he were a dad. If he knew Lunette was like this, he could have her taken away from us.”
Raquel’s eyes became slits. “Then he mustn’t know.”
“I didn’t tell him anything, but Lunette wasn’t at the party.” She fluffed a pillow that had been knocked to the floor and put it against the headboard. “And he didn’t say how long he would be in town. Lunette needs to know what’s at stake.”
“Agreed. As soon as she sobers up, we’ll sit her down and fill her in.” She tsked her tongue. “How did you handle seeing him?”
“I was shocked at first. I don’t think I prayed harder for rain in my entire life.”
“Rain?”
“A lightning bolt seemed like too much to ask for.”
Raquel lifted one side of her mouth in an almost smile. It was progress.
Kenzi considered the two of them caring for Lunette and talking like sisters when in the background the fight for CEO hung on. The one thing counseling had done for them was to get them to talk civilly to one another despite what they were feeling—to compartmentalize their feelings for one another. No doubt they’d be figuratively clawing each other’s eyes out the next day at the office—but here they were allies, maybe even friends.
“I didn’t see Clyde leave, but security assured me he’d driven his rented Benz out the gate.” A chill swept through the room, causing goose bumps on her arms. “I don’t trust him—he’ll be back.”
“But you trust Nash?”
“Of course.” She thought back to the way he’d held her as she told him how awful she’d been to the people who loved her most in the world. “I told him all about Clyde, and he didn’t think any less of me. He just … kissed me.” Her cheeks flushed. Saying the words out loud was admitting the huge leap that had taken place in their relationship. His kiss had certainly changed things for her. She’d been so stunned by the tenderness and acceptance he’d offered with his kiss that she’d lost all ability to think, let alone speak.
And then he’d apologized. Talk about popping a balloon.
Raquel smoothed the comforter. “Well, you shouldn’t.”
Kenzi got a strange sense of déjà vu. Her mouth went slack and her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. “Why not?” She reached behind her for a seat, only to find air and stumble back.
Raquel’s hands stilled. “He’s no Clyde. Okay? He didn’t try and sleep with me and he’s hardly said a word to Lunette.”
Relief strengthened Kenzi’s feeble knees, but her heart wasn’t quite done punishing her at the thought of trusting her whole self with a man who would throw it away. She put her fist where her heart pounded.
“Just be careful.” Raquel averted her gaze and hurried from the room.
Kenzi picked up a few discarded pieces of clothing and tossed them in the hamper as she pondered Raquel’s warning. Whatever bothered Raquel about Nash, it wasn’t the same thing that bothered Kenzi. She was more worried about his mad dash from the room. Maybe he’d felt nothing during the kiss. Or worse, maybe he felt like he was kissing his sister. She would have run out, too, if that were the case.
Well, no matter the reason for him walking away from her and their moment, the result was the same. She had a husband she was attracted to that she couldn’t kiss. And somehow, she had to find a way to hide her growing feelings for him and work alongside him every day for the next three weeks. Easy peasy. She’d just have that part of her brain melted and then she’d be fine.
