Brenda Jackson - Finding Home Again

“So will I,” Sheriff Sawyer Grisham chimed in, smiling, as well.

Bryce walked off while thinking that Vashti and Ashley were two lucky women to have found two men who were such jewels. Maybe one day her luck would change. She recalled an article she’d read just last week in a popular women’s magazine. It stated women outnumbered men four to one. With so few men, she needed to get motivated and find her Mr. Right. She’d once had high hopes for Marcel, a guy she’d met at a real-estate seminar in Atlanta. They’d dated for almost eight months. When his ex-wife had reentered the picture, he’d dropped her like a hot potato. That had been four years ago, and although she dated occasionally, she hadn’t gotten seriously involved with anyone since then.

“You okay, honey?”

She glanced over at her mother and pasted on a smile. “Sure, Mom, I’m okay. Just had a busy weekend. I showed five houses on Saturday and one after church yesterday.”

“How did that go?”

“I think it went well. No buyers yet, but I think one of the couples are really interested in the Flemings’ place.”

“That’s good. Hmm, I wonder where Kaegan is this morning,” her mother said.

Bryce bit down on her lip, coming close to saying that she didn’t know, nor did she give a royal damn. Of course, she wouldn’t say that since the woman standing beside her was her mother, although she’d been mistaken for Bryce’s older sister a number of times. Her mom looked just that good for her age and her father wasn’t bad-looking for his age, either. Good genes.

Years ago when her father, Chester Witherspoon, had graduated from Catalina Cove High School, he had fled to Canada to avoid fighting in the Vietnam War. It wasn’t that he’d been a coward or anything; he just didn’t feel the country needed to go to war. A few years later after the war had ended he returned with a Canadian-born wife and baby in tow. It was then that he’d decided to do his patriotic duty and enlist in the military for six years. During those years Bryce’s parents had another son, Duke. Four years after Duke they had their only daughter, Bryce. Both Ry and Duke lived in Catalina Cove and were partners with their parents in the family-owned café. Her brothers were happily married to wonderful women with two kids each.

Although no one ever said it, if anyone cared to do the math, it would be quite obvious that Debbie Witherspoon had gotten pregnant before she’d married Chester. That fact never bothered Bryce. Her mother had adopted the philosophy that if you lived in a glass house you shouldn’t throw stones. That was the main reason why, unlike a lot of the other parents in town, the Witherspoons hadn’t bashed Vashti when she’d gotten pregnant at sixteen and refused to reveal the identity of her child’s father. The Witherspoons had stood up for Vashti and had been quite outspoken in saying it wasn’t anyone’s business what Vashti decided to do and whom she told or didn’t tell.

“I think I’ll go help your dad and brothers in the back. Time to put my pies in the oven for the lunch crowd,” her mother said.

“Okay, Mom.”

Moments later, while Bryce was placing their orders in front of Ray and Sawyer, she felt heat behind her and didn’t have to look to know Kaegan had arrived.

When he sat down she glanced over at him. “Your usual, K-Gee?”

He glared at her and she wanted to smile but managed to keep a straight face. He hated that nickname and she’d only called him that to annoy the hell out of him.

“Yes, my usual, Brycie.”

She momentarily went still, not expecting him to retaliate by calling her that. Brycie had been his special name for her whenever they made love. Not able to deal with the memories right now, instead of saying anything she nodded and walked off to the kitchen.

When she saw her mother busy mixing up her pies, she said, “Kaegan is here now, so you can stop fretting.”

Her mother chuckled. “I wasn’t fretting. I’d just noticed he hadn’t arrived at the time he usually does.”

It was no secret that Chester and Debbie Witherspoon always had a soft spot for Kaegan. In fact, very few people knew that it had been Bryce’s mother who’d gone to the school board and pushed for Kaegan to attend regular school and not the fake homeschooling his father claimed he was getting.

It might bewilder some people as to how her parents could still be so fond of a man who’d obviously hurt their daughter. But she knew her parents. The one thing she could give them credit for was not getting involved in their children’s business. They accepted the fact that Bryce and her brothers were adults and treated them that way. They got along with their daughters-in-law, and whenever disagreements would come up, they didn’t take sides.

She understood her parents’ feelings for Kaegan. He’d been a part of their lives just as long as he’d been a part of hers back in elementary school. They loved him like another son. Although her parents didn’t know all the details of their breakup, they believed it was something she and Kaegan would eventually work out. And just like the situation with her brothers and their wives, when it came to her and Kaegan, they refused to take sides.

Her brothers weren’t as easygoing as her parents. All they knew was that Kaegan had hurt her, and in the beginning that had been enough for them to take sides. But when she refused to tell them what Kaegan had done, they soon took the same position her parents had. Kaegan was like a part of their family. Ry and Duke figured whatever had pushed her and Kaegan apart, they would either work it out or they would not. Her brothers made the decision to let her handle her own business when it came to Kaegan and not get involved, and she appreciated that.

Placing hot blueberry muffins in the basket to take to Kaegan’s table, she wondered if his tardiness had anything to do with the woman who hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off him at the party. It appeared everyone had left the party Friday night, but that didn’t necessarily mean she hadn’t returned later for a weekend sleepover.

Reminding herself that what Kaegan did wasn’t her business, she went to pour his coffee.

“YOU’RE NOT VERY talkative, Kaegan,” Sawyer said, stirring his coffee.

Kaegan glanced up. “Not much to say this morning.”

Ray chuckled. “Well, I have a lot to say, mainly about Friday night. That was a damn good party and the food was fantastic, as usual.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.” And because he considered these two men his closest friends, he figured he needed to give them a reason for his solemn mood, even if it wasn’t the only reason. “I anticipate a busy week. I got another big order for the Chappell Group that needs to go out Thursday.”

“I’ll be able to help,” Ray said, smiling. “Ashley’s parents are coming for a short visit. When it comes to her mother, I have to take her in small doses, so trust me, you’ll be doing me a favor.”

Kaegan chuckled. “Was it that way before, when you were that Devon guy?” For a few years Ray had lost his memory.

“It was worse. I think at times she’s trying to determine how much of ‘Devon’ is still in me. Her only saving grace is that I understand she’s happy and excited that I finally got her daughter pregnant. She’s always wanted grandchildren.”

“And now you’re giving her doubles,” Sawyer said, grinning. “You’re going to love being the father of twins.”

“Says a man who should know,” Kaegan said, also grinning. He was happy for these two. He recalled how just a few years ago the three of them had been single men, without a thought of a female in their lives. All of that had changed. At least for two of them things had.