“Kimi?” Carolyn prompted.
Her gaze snapped to her sister. “Sorry. It’s a lot to take in. It’s weird seeing all your stuff packed up.”
“More room for you to spread out when you come home.” Carolyn added another coat of mascara on her already ridiculously long eyelashes. “I pushed the beds back together for you.”
“Thanks. Since no one is in the bathroom, I’ll grab my stuff and get ready.”
Kimi planned to wear her hair up. Since she couldn’t find any bobby pins, she’d borrow some from her mother. She stopped outside her mom’s bedroom door when she heard her name uttered angrily.
“Kimi doesn’t want to return to school, Hulda. You heard her.”
“She was joking, Clara, and it proves that you don’t really listen to her. Besides, I wouldn’t let her drop out.”
“That is not for you to decide,” her mother snapped. “Kimi is not your daughter.”
What a nasty thing for her mom to say.
“I love her and Carolyn like they are mine,” her aunt said proudly. “I’ll never apologize for that. I’ll never apologize for giving them options.”
Kimi closed her eyes, but she couldn’t force herself to walk away.
“I know you love them. I just didn’t expect you’d take them from me,” her mother said on a sob. “I wanted you to help them, not turn them into strangers and turn them against me.”
“Oh, quit sniveling. I haven’t done any such thing and you know it. You stopped being a mother to them when you sent them away, even when you did it for their own good. Kimi’s been on her own longer than Carolyn. She comes home and doesn’t understand why all the work burden falls on Carolyn’s shoulders or hers, knowing when they aren’t here, their brothers manage just fine. So no, I don’t care what that husband of yours says—Kimi is not staying here as a fill-in servant. I need Kimi at the shop. Plus, she’s already missing two days of the summer session and she’ll have plenty of homework to catch up on when we return.”
“Elijah is her father. He has a say in what happens to his youngest daughter.”
No he doesn’t.
“We’ll discuss this later.” The chair creaked, indicating her aunt had gotten up.
Kimi recognized Aunt Hulda’s stalling technique, so she retreated to the bathroom, bobby pins forgotten.
As she fixed her hair she wondered why her mother was pushing so hard to keep her here, when just Friday afternoon she’d pointed out that Kimi had no choice but to stay in school since her aunt was paying for it. Was it just a control thing? Letting her sister and her daughter know she could upend both their lives any time she chose?
Like hell that’d ever happen. She’d run away first.
Three sharp knocks sounded on the door. “Kimi? You about ready?” Carolyn asked.
“Give me two more minutes and then we’ll go.”
Kimi pressed a hand to her stomach. She had butterflies, which didn’t make sense since she wasn’t the one getting married.
But it was her job to get the bride to the church on time.
Chapter Three
The wedding was short and sweet—except for the passionate kiss Carson laid on Carolyn as soon as the priest pronounced them husband and wife.
Kimi’s eyes had met Cal’s across the altar and they grinned at each other.
That’d been the only time during the ceremony Kimi had allowed her eyes to stray to the too-handsome cowboy, looking fine in a navy-colored western-cut suit. She’d known if she didn’t pay attention to the priest, she’d get lost in Cal’s eyes and remember nothing of the ceremony.
While Mr. and Mrs. McKay greeted their guests downstairs at the reception, Kimi and Cal signed the marriage license in the priest’s office. Cal acted circumspect while the priest was around, but the minute the holy man left…holy crap did Cal’s eyes roam over every inch of her.
At least twice.
He murmured, “Lookin’ good, little sister,” in her ear and gooseflesh broke out across her arms.
By unspoken agreement they didn’t acknowledge one another during the reception. He stayed with the McKay guests; she stayed with the West guests.
Then Cal snagged her attention and they met in the middle of the room, where she swore she felt all eyes on them. “I need to get Carolyn’s stuff transferred into Carson’s truck. You wanna give me your car keys?”
“You afraid tongues will wag if we head outside together?”
“No, darlin’, I’m afraid fists will fly.”
He had a point. “The suitcase is in the trunk. I didn’t lock the car since the lock always sticks.”