Long Time Gone (Rough Riders #16.5)(17)
Author: Lorelei James

Aunt Hulda had known her sister was dying. That’s why she’d taken a stand last summer, refusing to let Kimi remain with her parents. Dutiful Carolyn had known about their mother’s failing health and she’d put her own life aside to care for their ailing mother.

Kimi couldn’t find forgiveness for anyone for keeping that from her. She would—eventually—but not now, not until after she’d had time to process it all.

The priest spoke, pulling her out of her brooding. Then she knelt, crossed herself and listened to the choir sing another song about eternal love and redemption.

After that, everything was a blur. The trip to the cemetery. The repast in the church basement. She shook herself out of her reverie and reminded herself it’d only been thirteen months ago they were in this same place celebrating her sister’s wedding.

The moment arrived. Carolyn and Aunt Hulda were surrounded by ladies from the auxiliary. Her dad and her brothers were holding court in the corner. She caught Carson’s eye and he nodded.

No one paid attention to her when she hooked her purse over her forearm and headed upstairs.

Her brother-in-law was less than a minute behind her and he stopped her just outside the door. “Kimi. Sweetheart, I’m not convinced you’re thinkin’ straight. You sure you wanna do this?” Carson asked.

“I’m positive.” She brushed past him and headed to the parking lot. After unlocking the trunk of her aunt’s car, she waited while Carson unloaded the suitcases. He carried the big one, leaving the smaller one to her. Then she followed Carson to Cal’s pickup, parked alongside the curb.

Her heart raced when she snuck a quick look at Cal. He wore his usual cowboy getup, jeans and a white shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and chest. She couldn’t see his eyes; the bright sunshine forced him to duck his head, keeping his face in shadow beneath his cream-colored cowboy hat. The muscles in his arms rippled as he hefted the enormous suitcase into the truck box.

Carson sidled in front of her. “After you’ve had some time to cool off, you call her and let her know where you are. Promise me.”

“I will.”

He offered her a brief hug, muttered something to Cal and then sauntered off.

Before Kimi uttered a peep, he effortlessly lifted her off her feet and wrapped her in his arms. “Sweet darlin’. I’m so sorry,” he murmured in her hair.

She clung to him, breathed in the scents of sunshine and shaving cream and Cal. She felt normal for the first time in a week.

As much as she wanted to stay like that, they had to go before her family realized she wasn’t in the church.

Cal set her down. Keeping her hand clasped in his, he towed her around the front of the truck and hoisted her into the driver’s side.

She slid across the bench seat to her side.

He got in and popped the truck into gear. “You really want me to take you straight to the bus station? You have got a few hours until the next bus leaves, right?” He eyed her black dress and heels. “Do you really wanna sit in the dirty terminal in them pretty clothes?”

“Where else would I go?”

“Come to my place. I won’t pester you to talk. You can sit out in the swing. I’ll even feed you.”

“The next bus leaves at eight tonight.”

“I’ll have you there in time.”

It would be nice to just relax. “Okay.”

Cal smiled. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

The day was oppressively hot. She rolled down the window and let the air eddy around her, her mind blessedly blank. For once she didn’t mind the repetitive scenery.

“You really just plan on leavin’ without a word?”

“I wrote Aunt Hulda a letter and taped it on the steering wheel of her car. She had more warning that I planned to leave because I’d given notice two weeks before Mom died that I’d be hopping a Greyhound at the end of the month. Carson has the letter I wrote to Carolyn.” She’d kept both letters short.

“That’s something, anyway.”

Cal didn’t speak again until they’d parked in front of his house. “You got anything in them suitcases that could melt? Gonna get hotter than sin out here.”

“Makeup.”

“It’d be best if I set your suitcases inside the house.”

As soon as Kimi’s feet hit the dirt, she heard yapping. She looked at Cal. “You have a dog?”

“Yeah. It gets lonelier livin’ on your own than I imagined.” A sheepish look crossed his face and she wanted to hug him. “She’s good company. But watch out ’cause she’s still a puppy.”