Cathryn Parry - The Secret Between Them

He refrained from snorting. Natalie didn’t need to doubt his attitude. Instead, he nodded at her. “Thanks. Those three employees will be good for me to start with.”

“And Jessica,” Natalie repeated. “You’ll have Jessica.”

No, he would never have Jessica. If anyone had Jessica, it was her boyfriend. The two of them were close enough that he’d accompanied her to Natalie’s office and had done a lot of the negotiating for her, too, it seemed.

Kyle sighed. What he had from Jessica was strictly a business agreement to sign on with him for Joe’s crazy deal, just long enough to meet the insane six-month waiting period to make sure that the rink ended up in Kyle’s hands.

He had no doubt he’d be required to buy her out at the end of the summer. That was fine with him. Preferable, even. She was welcome to Kyle’s money until then—that wasn’t a problem in his mind, either.

The only thing he did care about was that the rink wasn’t being sold to a stranger. Torn down so some rich developer could get even richer putting up more condos. Taking away what had meant most to Kyle.

Kyle shook off the worries. He’d gotten Jessica to agree to Joe’s terms. That was all he needed to start his new life.

Well, he hoped that was all he needed, because in no way did he deceive himself that Jessica Hughes would ever really be his partner.

CHAPTER FOUR

KYLE HAD A long list of plans for his new life. Before the first week was out, he gave notice to his landlord and packed up what few clothes and personal items he’d accumulated.

He also announced his intention to close out his Maryland employment commitments. Nobody in his office was surprised, least of all his manager. He asked Kyle where he planned to go, and Kyle replied, “Home.”

The Wallis Point Twin Rinks had always been Kyle’s real home. And now he was so close to running it that he could taste the excitement in his mouth—he could barely wait.

By the time he drove back to New Hampshire—seven-plus hours of motoring northeast up turnpikes surrounded by darkness—he still had another ten days before his Monday morning meeting with Natalie. Then he would finally have the keys to the rink pressed into his hands. He wasn’t ever letting them go.

Antsy, impatient, he aimed for the rinks, rather than 18 Linden Lane, his childhood home, to crash in his old bed. He wasn’t eager to check out how Joe had changed the digs. Even in the zero-dark-hundred hours, he was reminded that the terrain on this side of town looked different from when he’d lived here.

The road had been widened to accommodate more local traffic. They’d squeezed in a new convenience store between the old pizzeria and the landscape and gardening center. And, they’d put up a traffic light.

But the strangeness disappeared when Kyle turned into the twin rinks’ lot. Security beacons illuminated the familiar concrete building with the low, flat roof. The parking spaces were freshly plowed—a good first sign that things were being taken care of.

Eager to do some interior reconnoitering, Kyle scanned for the handicap spaces. He was grateful for the installed ramp that ran the length of the building leading to the glassed-in entranceway. It meant that Kyle could avoid the awkwardness of using the stairs. He’d spent much time practicing climbing stairs in rehab, but he hadn’t completely rid himself of the limp, and occasionally he still had a slip.

He didn’t want to slip—and definitely not fall—in front of Jessica. Just the thought made his heart stop in his chest.

Jessica would be present during the rink walk-through and key exchange with Natalie. No way could Kyle risk her seeing him having any difficulties getting around.

Long ago, he’d decided he’d let no civilian form prejudices against him based on his being weak. That went double for Jessica, or anyone else he worked with.

He parked in the closest unmarked spot beside the ten handicapped spaces, and then hoofed it as fast he dared along the barely lit, shoveled-and-sanded ramp that led to the front doors.

Once there, he blew on his bare hands in the cold, frosty, dark morning and cupped them between his face and the glass.

He couldn’t see anything inside. And the entrance doors were both locked and chained. Still, he was home. One step closer in a long and winding journey that was fast closing in a circle, bringing him back to the place he’d started.

Older and, hopefully, wiser.

* * *

JESSICA ROARED INTO the parking lot of the Wallis Point Twin Rinks with a well-thought-out action plan in mind: Tell Kyle the truth so we can survive these six months together without feeling guilty all the time.

She had to tell him—her conscience was bothering her. Her past mistake was tormenting her thoughts, keeping her up at night and driving a new, uncomfortable rift between her and Sebastien because of her refusal to discuss it with him.

And her guilt had only gotten worse since reading Joe’s letter.

Her neck muscles tightened as she faced the familiar building. Gripping the steering wheel, she aimed toward the only two cars in the lot, on the farthest edge beside the handicapped spaces. As a physical therapist, she appreciated these aids for people who needed them, like her clients. She slowed to a stop and parked beside what she assumed was Kyle’s big, black pickup truck with the Maryland plates.

Her little orange Volkswagen seemed so beat-up and old beside the hulking, gleaming monster. Her car was used. Ten years old, with over two hundred thousand miles on the odometer. It broke down all the time, and on cold days it didn’t always start. Like today.

Outside, she secured her tote bag across her shoulder and wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck. She was freezing. Worse than that, dread swirled in the pit of her stomach.

She pulled open the double glass doors to the rink lobby. Kyle stood there, big and gruff, wearing a poker face. He didn’t meet her eyes—not good.

She swallowed, focusing on Natalie, all dressed up in a long wool coat and high-heeled boots, with a smart skirt-suit beneath it. Very lawyerly looking.

But it was the sleepy child in Natalie’s arms that made Jessica truly relax.

“Aren’t you a sweetie?” Jessica smiled at the toddler, bundled into a pink snowsuit and wearing cute boots with princess decals.

“Sorry I had to bring Hannah along to the walk-through.” Natalie shifted the child to her other hip. “I’m dropping her off at my mother’s house before I head into court this morning, but seven o’clock was a bit early, even for Mom to take her.”

Kyle glanced at his watch. Jessica knew she was twenty minutes late. Her cranky car had needed a jump start from her neighbor.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here on time,” she said.

“That’s all right.” Natalie pulled out a huge key ring, with what seemed like dozens of keys on it, and handed it to Kyle. “How about if you do the honors, Kyle? We’ll head into the receptionist’s office and I’ll get you both started with the paperwork.”

Kyle froze for a moment, staring at the keys in his hands as if he couldn’t quite believe he was holding them. He was in awe, like a kid at Christmas.

Another reminder of how sad it was that she’d been responsible for unfairly poisoning Joe toward Kyle. Jessica dipped her chin inside her wool scarf, her heart sinking.

“Hi!” the toddler suddenly said. “Who are you?”

Jessica glanced up. The toddler was speaking to her.

“I’m Jessica. And you’re Hannah, right?”

“Hi, Jessica.”

She smiled at little Hannah. As she followed Natalie into the rink, Hannah grinned at Jessica from her position over her mom’s shoulder. Jessica winked at her, and the toddler giggled, her chubby fingers over small pink lips. Sweet.