Expecting to see Kale or maybe Marisa, I’m surprised when Kaylie sits down next to me, a beer in her hand. “You look like you could use one of these right about now,” she says, breaking the silence.
“I feel like I could use about ten,” I confess, giving a small laugh as my hands spread out across my belly. “But fingers crossed, this guy has about twenty-one more years before he gets introduced to alcohol, so I’m stuck with my water.”
“Wanna talk about it?” she offers, and I’m kind of surprised. Kalli’s always been the open, friendly sister, while Kaylie’s always been much more reserved. “I know I don’t come across as the most sensitive person, but with a sister like Kalli, I have a pretty good listening ear.”
Sighing, I pick at the sand next to my foot, not sure that Kaylie’s the person for me to talk to about this. At the same time, I realize she may be able to give me some insight. After taking a long swig of my water, I stare out at the black waves of the ocean and decide to let it all out.
“I met Tara today.” She lets out a low whistle. “The thing is, I had no idea there was a Tara before today.”
“That fucking idiot,” I hear Kaylie mutter under her breath. I turn to look at her, and she just shrugs. “That must’ve been quite a shock.”
“That’s an understatement. At first I thought I was just meeting the nice woman who made my baby shower cake, and then seconds later, I felt like I was being blindsided by a woman who claimed to have once been engaged to Kale. And…I just don’t know. She said some other things that have my mind working in overdrive, and I just don’t know what to think anymore. Kale’s had a year and a half, or at least eight months, to tell me about it, and I had to find out from her? And on top of that, I don’t even know what exactly I found out.”
“Look, I know I acted cool at Thanksgiving, and I want you to know it had nothing to do with you and more to do with worrying about Kale. I was there for him after everything happened with Tara, and to say he was a mess is an understatement. None of us ever thought he’d settle down again until he brought you home. And I was scared for him. But while it’s not my place to talk about what happened, I can assure you one thing. You’re no Tara.”
“Yeah, but here’s the thing. I don’t even know what that means. She could’ve been the love of his life, the one he let get away, and hearing that I’m not her? It’s not exactly reassuring.”
A low chuckle escapes her lips. “My brother really is an idiot. I don’t know why Kale didn’t tell you about Tara, but my guess is it’s because he didn’t want her toxicity to infect your relationship. That’s who Tara is. She’s a toxic human being who hurts everyone she claims to love. I, for one, am glad she’s been out of Kale’s life for a very long time.” She pauses as she brings the beer bottle to her lips. “And let me tell you, Lucy. I know my brother, and he looks at you in a way he never looked at her. That right there is what scared me at Thanksgiving. I knew how torn apart he was with what happened with Tara, but I knew deep down in my soul that if he ever lost you, the devastation would be beyond repair.”
I find solace in her words, even if they do bring on more questions than answers. Something about the way she holds her brother in high regard has me trusting her, even if it still hurts being kept in the dark.
“And what about now? Do you think he’ll ever let me all the way in?” I hold my breath in anticipation of her answer.
“That’s something you’re going to have to ask him. But I promise you, if Kale kept it from you, he had his reasons. Just trust that he loves you, and he loves that little guy, too.”
Before I can respond, she stands up and holds a hand out to me. “If you’re all cried out, let’s head back up before they send out a search party. Frankly, I’m already surprised Kale hasn’t come looking for you. He’s barely let you out of his sight since you’ve been here.”
Complying, I allow her to pull me up before I brush the sand off the back of my dress, knowing that Kale’s probably just trying to give me space. As I follow her up to the house, apprehension begins to creep in at finally having to be alone with Kale. For the first time since I met him, I have no idea what to expect.
Chapter 33
Kale
I’M ABOUT to go seek out Lucy when I see her and Kaylie enter from the back deck. Lucy promptly goes to the family room, where Mom and Marcy are presumably still sharing embarrassing baby photos. Kaylie plops down on the couch next to me, handing me another beer.
“I’m happy for you, you know,” she says, surprising me. I know she was wary about Lucy in the beginning, something that stems from the aftermath of Hurricane Tara, and being that this is only the second time she’s interacted with her, I didn’t think she’d approve so quickly.
“Thanks, Kaylie. That means a lot coming from you.”
“That being said, you’re a fucking idiot.”
I hear Xavier cough back a laugh and I turn to glare at him. He just raises his beer to Kaylie, who toasts hers back in his direction.
“Don’t mess this one up, Kale. You’ll never find someone who’s more perfect for you than that girl. You need to put the past in the past and get over it once and for all.”
Looking around the room, I’m thankful Steve retired for the night. Having Xavier and Kaylie gang up on me is last thing I want my child’s grandfather to witness.
“Well, I called Tara a cunt this afternoon. That was pretty therapeutic.”
Kaylie stares at me with wide eyes. “You didn’t,” she challenges.
“I absolutely did. I’m not proud of it, but the way she was trying to rile up Lucy made my blood boil, and it just came out.” Kaylie gives me an approving smile, and I continue. “As much as I love Lily, I was wrong to think that raising her could take away all the pain of what I lost. And I may not have known it at the time, but I started healing the day I met Lucy. Something about her vibrant spirit spoke to me on a deeper level and hooked me long before I even knew she’d taken hold. For the first time in forever, I wanted more, and I want it with her. I think part of why I haven’t wanted to talk about Tara is because I’m finally moving past it and I didn’t want her tainting what Lucy and I have.”
“I kind of get your logic because you’re a guy, after all, but that seriously is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If you’re truly one hundred percent over it, then you talk about it and move on.”
“When the hell did you get so smart in the ways of relationships?” I ask, and Kaylie just grins at me.
“Watching Kalli over the years has given me more life lessons than any psychobabble textbook ever could. For example, did you know she’s got a thing for our buddy Xavier here?” This time when Xavier makes a coughing noise, it’s because he’s actually choking on his beer, his eyes wide as he looks at Kaylie. “See, he even gets choked up just thinking about it. Perhaps it’s not unrequited love after all.”
“You’re outta your freakin’ mind, Kaylie. I’ve known her since she was sixteen. She’s like a little sister to me,” he protests, giving her a scowl.
Kaylie tilts her head and grins at me. “I don’t know, Kale. The soldier doth protest too much,” she teases, cocking an eyebrow up at him.