"Zac, I'm back here to see you, not him. Dad told me what he thought of me that day. You don't forget something like that in a hurry."
And I can't blame her. Dad called her some awful names the day she left.
Seeing her again has brought one thing home to me, though. I need to tell Kelly how I feel about her. I don't want to risk losing her because I'm too scared to say something.
Much as I've had fun with my carefree life, I haven't looked at another woman since first laying eyes on her. I don't want to look. I have no desire to look. She's everything I've always sought in a woman, only I hadn't known it.
Eventually, Kelly finds her voice. "You're his sister?"
Audrey unhooks herself from the newel post and steps forward, holding out her hand, ready to shake on it. "I am. I got all the good looks."
On hearing my big sister spouting the line she'd used to when we were kids, my heart lurches. I've missed her so much. I'm not letting her away with that, though. Never have, never will.
"In your freaking dreams, Aud."
And just as when we were kids, Audrey gives as good as she gets. "You're shorter than me!"
I snort before firing back. "Yeah, but that's because your boots have three-inch heels."
Clive, who I've just met, now stands next to Kelly, and I can't help but notice the pair could pass for brother and sister. Funny how Audrey and I have a similar taste in partners.
Even funnier is them watching Aud and me sparring like it's a tennis match, their eyes swinging from side-to-side as insults are traded. It's the flash of Clive's wedding ring that has me realizing what I want.
But am I ready for that? Ready to settle down?
"You'd be a fool if you think twice about it."
This observation from Audrey has us all turning to look at her, wondering what she's talking about. Certainly, it's nothing to do with our back and forth. Then I see the tiniest tilt of her head in Kelly's direction, and I catch on.
I have to hope Kelly hasn't, because it's a big step and it's not one I'm sure I'm ready to make.
"Audrey, Clive, you're welcome to stay here while you're in town." Kelly gestures to the staircase before adding, "There are plenty of spare rooms."
My sister's relief is palpable with her having just told me they were having trouble finding accommodation. While I've told her dad is ready for a reconciliation, it's another thing to front up and hope you can stay.
Far better if she and Clive stay here and call out to see the folks to check the waters first. That way, if things go to hell, they won't be stuck having to pack up and leave on the spot. Even then, it might be better if they stay here, as our childhood home is nowhere near as large as Sand 'O' Sun.
Clive is the first to acknowledge Kelly's invite. "Thanks. That'd be great."
Catching up with my sister over dinner is everything I could have hoped for. She'd left home when I was just seventeen, and there wasn't a day I didn't think about her.
To hear she and Clive are living beachfront in Hawaii, that she's got a great job in IT and is happier than ever, and I'm more than jealous.
Hell, it's more than I've got, with my job enough for now, and my relationship with Kelly too early to call.
However, on climbing into bed next to Kelly, it sure feels right. I've claimed her lips in a searing kiss when I hear, "Night, John Boy!" from the bedroom at the very back of the house.
Hah, I'd forgotten that stupid tradition, although I soon return with, "Night, Mary Ellen!".
Next to me, Kelly is laughing, although I suspect it's at me rather than the old family joke. Few people remember Walton's Mountain these days, with this tradition one we'd inherited from our parents.
The moment I reach over and turn out the lights, Kelly's laughter softens, unlike parts of me.
Breakfast the following morning is a raucous affair, with Audrey and me sparring as we always used to, much to our mom's annoyance. It was the same at every meal, with her beseeching us to be quiet and eat.
Even Clive joins in now and then. Meanwhile, Kelly keeps quiet, watching us all with what I suspect is envy. This strikes me as weird, because she's told me enough about the extended family gatherings held at Sand 'O' Sun to know they're anything but subdued.
This also has me remembering our teasing over breakfast some mornings. Of course, those interactions had always had a healthy dollop of innuendo and flirting in the mix. Not something we can indulge in with guests on hand.
