Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) (9 page)

"What?"

"You heard her. Guess the joke's on you, isn't it?"

Ian felt the tension escalate, actually felt it snap as Jake lunged for his brother, throwing a punch that landed on the other man's face with such force that he fell to the ground.

Cole jumped up quickly and lunged for Jake, hitting him square in the stomach with his head. Both men hit the ground, rolling and punching. Kayli began yelling, reaching out for a flailing arm. An image of her being caught between the two fighting men whirled through Ian's mind, unfreezing his feet.

He took off running toward Kayli and grabbed her around the waist, trying to pull her away from the fight. She struggled in Ian's hold, trying to get away before she realized who had her. She collapsed against him, her hands tight on his arms, her breathing heavy as she tried to turn and see what was going on. Ian moved so they were facing the two brothers, but kept his arms snug around her, protecting, comforting.

But only for a minute.

The fight continued, punches and profanities the only noise in the air around them. Kayli made a sound that resembled a low growl and pulled herself from Ian's arms before he could stop her. She closed the distance to the corner of the house, but before Ian could move to follow her, she returned. Fury creased her normally calm features and angry determination burned in her eyes as she approached her two brothers...

And turned the hose on both of them, blasting them with the full force of a stream of water. Kayli moved closer, training the water on both of them until they separated, muttering and cussing. Jake tried to stand but slipped in the rapidly-growing puddle of mud and fell against his brother, who was also sliding as he tried to gain his own footing.

Kayli's assault lasted for several long minutes, long after the two brothers had finally given up and laid back in the mud. Their harsh breathing mingled together, punctuated by coughing and sputtering until Kayli finally turned the water off. She stood still, staring at them, then threw the hose down. It landed with a wet splatter, splashing mud far enough that even Ian wasn't safe.

"I've had it with you two. Both of you. Grow the hell up and act like adults. And if you can't do that...I don't want to see either one of you!" Kayli stared down at them for another minute, the sheen of moisture in her eyes building until a single tear clung to her lower lash and finally fell, trailing a small track down her cheek. She brushed at it with a shaking hand then turned on her heel and stalked away, disappearing around the corner of the house before anyone could say anything. The four wheeler's engine roared to life a minute later, and Ian moved to go after her, to follow her.

"Let her go, Ian." Jake's harsh voice stopped him from following. Indecision and Jake's command rooted him to the ground, and he stood there, uncomfortable, feeling like an unwelcome intruder who had stumbled into the middle of a dark family secret. Ian finally pulled his gaze from where Kayli had disappeared and turned to look down at the two brothers who were still sprawled on the ground, covered in mud and blood.

Jake was the first to move, rolling over to push himself to his hands and knees. He shook his head and spit something from his mouth, then rose more slowly to his feet, stumbling. His lip was cut and his right eye was beginning to swell. He looked down at Cole, his eyes cold and detached as he studied his brother, who looked even worse.

Time stretched around them, the tension building so thick that Ian began to feel his own chest tighten with it. Jake suddenly moved toward his brother, so quickly that Ian expected him to lash out again, to pick up the fight from where they had left off. But he didn’t.

Jake leaned over and slowly put out his hand, extending it to his brother. Ian held his breath as Cole sat back on the ground and eyed his brother warily. A tense minute went by before he reached up and grabbed Jake's hand, then another as the two brothers locked gazes in what Ian could only imagine as an edgy battle of wills.

Something passed between the two of them, but Ian could only guess what it was as Jake slowly, almost grudgingly, pulled Cole to his feet. And still neither said anything, making Ian feel even more like an outsider.

"Ian, could you go get a few beers and bring them out to the porch?" Jake may have phrased it as a question, but Ian had no doubt that it was a command. He paused, glancing between the two brothers and the spot where Kayli had disappeared from.

"But Kayli--"

"She needs some time by herself. How about those beers?"

"No. No beer. I'll just have tea or something." Cole finally broke the stare-down with his brother and fixed a piercing look at Ian. But only for a minute, because he turned back to face his brother, his gaze as hard and blank as Jake's. "Like Kayli said, I'm clean. Not even alcohol."

Jake watched his brother with those cold, distant eyes for a long minute, giving nothing away. Ian instinctively knew he was sizing up Cole, deciding if he believed him or not, deciding if he could trust him or not. Jake finally nodded, a curt motion of his head, then looked at Ian. "How about some water then."

Ian let his gaze move between the two brothers, not sure if he should trust either of them. He wanted nothing more than to go after Kayli, to see if she was okay and to offer whatever comfort or reassurance he could. But his own instincts happened to agree with Jake, and he knew Kayli needed at least some time alone. So he nodded then turned away and headed for the house, wasting no time in grabbing the water pitcher from the refrigerator and finding three plastic cups. He held the cups under one arm and practically raced back outside, half expecting to find Cole and Jake trying to murder each other again.

But they weren't. In the short time Ian had been gone, both men had obviously used the hose to rinse themselves off. Jake was standing off to the side, wringing water out of his ruined t-shirt before shaking it out and placing it over the porch railing. Cole had done the same and was now sitting on the bottom step of the porch, one hand gingerly holding his side.

Jake stepped around him and took the pitcher from Ian, then poured out one cup at a time. He handed the first one to Cole, who took it with a curt nod. "Those ribs will feel better if you wrap them."

Cole nodded again then raised his cup in a mock salute. "To dysfunctional families."

Jake said nothing, just watched his brother for another minute before lifting his own cup and draining it in one long swallow. Ian reached over and refilled it, then sat the pitcher to the side and leaned against the porch railing, not knowing what he should say or do, if anything.

"Remember how the three of us would sit out here after doing our homework? Just before dinner. Dad would have our hides if we didn't finish, or if we goofed off too much before we did. I was supposed to be in charge because I was the oldest, but it was always Kayli who made sure we got done when we were supposed to."

"Yeah." Cole wrapped both of his hands around his now-empty cup and stared down into it, and Ian knew from the expression on his face that he was seeing the past come to life. "Because there was nothing we wouldn't do for her."

Ian looked over at the porch swing, seeing the ghosts of three young children, hearing their laughter and bickering. He shook his head clear, unsettled at the image, unsettled at everything that had happened in the last half hour.

"You have a sister. Younger, right?" Ian looked up to see Jake studying him. He nodded, vaguely surprised at the question. "Then you probably know what I'm talking about. Baby sisters. A real pain in the ass."

"But there's nothing you wouldn't do for them. Nothing you wouldn't do to keep them safe and happy." Cole responded to Jake's statement, drawing a curious look from his brother. The two of them locked gazes, and Ian felt something shift between them. He wasn't sure what, couldn't even begin to guess at the history between them. But he knew something had just changed, especially when Jake let out a short, almost-forced bark of laughter.

"Kayli is still a pain in the ass."

"That she is," Cole agreed.

"Always thinks she knows best."

"Always bossing everyone around."

Ian shifted, uncomfortable once more as the brothers began listing Kayli's traits as a sister. He finally cleared his throat and interrupted them. "Um, guys, I really don't think--"

"Who in the hell are you, anyway?" Cole looked up at Ian, his gaze clear, so much like his sister's, focusing on him with suspicion. Ian shifted his weight to his back foot and looked between Cole and Jake. He opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again, not really sure how to answer.

"This is Ian. He's dating Kayli." Jake answered Cole's question for him, which earned him an even more suspicious glare from the younger brother.

"Is that so? Well then, why the hell are you standing here? Shouldn't you be checking on our little sister?"             

Ian entered the cool dimness of the barn, a sense of déjà vu coming over him as he stopped just inside, letting his eyes adjust. He had done this exact same thing two weeks ago, but it seemed like so much more time than that had passed.

Hell, it felt like a lifetime had passed in just the last hour alone.

He let out a sigh and looked around, knowing he should feel at least a little comfort in the fact that things seemed to have worked out. Maybe. At least the two brothers didn't seem to be on the verge of killing each other. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that things were just simmering on the back burner, waiting for the right time to explode.

He hoped he was wrong, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe in fairy tales and happily-ever-afters. These things had a way of blowing up, sooner or later. He just hoped it was later. Much later.

He let out another deep breath then stepped deeper into the barn, his eyes searching the shadows around him, looking for Kayli. He knew she was in here--he had already learned that she liked to come up here to get away, to enjoy some privacy.

Or to escape.

A rustling sound came from the corner stall and Ian made his way over there. He stopped at the closed door, resting his arm along the top and peering down. Kayli was propped against the side wall, her long legs stretched out in front of her. She had thrown a blanket down over top of the straw and was just sitting there, her head lowered, twirling a piece of straw in her hands.

"You okay?"

His quiet question was greeted by a long silence before she shifted. She nodded, but didn't look up at him. "Yup, fine and dandy."

Ian almost laughed at her forced casualness. He could imagine exactly how she felt, but there was nothing funny about it. He watched as she shifted again, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them before resting her chin on her arms. Her shoulders raised and lowered with a deep sigh, yet she still didn't look at him.

"Lori's on the way down to the house with the twins to help them pack."

"Pack? For what? Are they going somewhere?"

Kayli shook her head and shrugged, the smallest lift of one shoulder. Ian's heart tugged at the forced nonchalance of the movement. "I figured you'd want to take them home, get them away from here. After...you know."

It was Ian's turn to sigh. She thought he was going to take the twins and leave because of her brother, because of what happened. He should have known she'd think that.

Ian pushed the stall door open and walked in, then lowered himself to the blanket next to her. Less than an inch separated them, and he was careful not to move any closer as he held out the bottle of water in his hand. "Here, I thought you might be thirsty."

Her fingers grazed his as she took the bottle with a murmured thanks, but she quickly broke the contact. He watched her from the corner of his eye as she twisted off the cap and drank, then put the cap back on and set the bottle to the side. Ian leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, breathing in the mingled scents of straw and dirt...and Kayli. And he was surprised at the sense of peace, at the sense of belonging that suddenly filled him.

"The she-devils would raise hell if I tried to take them home. Besides, I'm kind of enjoying myself around here. So, if it's okay with you, I think the three of us are going to hang around until my sister gets home."

Kayli stiffened beside him, and he wanted to do nothing more than pull her into his arms and hold her. But he was afraid she'd push him away, afraid of how she'd react if he did. So he held his breath and waited.

"Ian, you don't...I mean, thanks but...you don't have stay. I wouldn't want to stay, not after..." Her voice drifted off in a small sob, and Ian sensed her turning away. To hell with worrying if she'd push him away.

He reached for her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her closer, lowering her head to his chest. She stiffened at first, then finally wrapped her own arms around him in a tight grip that let him know exactly how upset she was. She buried her face in his shirt, her shoulders shaking as sobs racked her body.

Ian tightened his hold on her, gently stroking her hair as she cried against him. Long minutes went by, the silence broken only by her labored breathing and quiet sobs. Ian dropped a gentle kiss on her temple and rested his head against hers, absently rubbing her back.

"It's going to be okay, Kayli. Everything is going to work out, somehow."

"How can you say that, after what happened? After seeing those two..."

Ian's breath hitched at her choked words, and he knew how much it cost her to admit that. He eased her back the tiniest bit so he could look down at her. "If it's any consolation, I left the two of them on the porch, talking. Well, mostly staring at each other, but still talking. I don't think they're on the verge of killing each other anymore."

Kayli's arms tightened briefly around him then she pulled away and settled closer next to him, their shoulders touching. She leaned her head back against the stall wall and took a deep breath, her gaze focused somewhere he couldn't see.

"You know, Cole wasn't always...he's had a rough time. He was always a little rebellious, hanging with the wrong kinds of kids. Recreational drugs. Then things started missing from around here. It's like...he just stopped caring or something. Fights with Dad. And I don't mean arguments, either. They had a huge one the last time he saw our father, a physical one." Kayli looked down at the now-destroyed piece of straw that she had been twisting and tossed it aside with a sigh. "He pretty much disappeared after that, and I guess we disowned him. Jake especially. It tore him up, not being able to be here, knowing what Cole was doing..."

Ian draped his arm around Kayli's shoulder and pulled her closer, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "You don't have to tell me this, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But I want to." She dropped her head on his shoulder. "Anyway, like I said, Cole disappeared for a while. And then, about a year ago, he showed up. I almost didn't recognize him. And I didn't believe him at first about being clean, about changing. But he did, he really did. And now he stops by every few weeks. I hadn't told Jake because...well, you saw what happened."

"Yeah. But you know what...that's between those two. You need to let them figure things out on their own. And just remember--you've had a year to make things right. Jake's had, what? An hour? They're both grown men, they can figure it out. And if they don't, well...that's on them, not you."

Kayli looked up at him, her blue eyes moist with still unshed tears, her face damp and flushed. She blinked and looked away, then lowered her head back to his chest. "Thank you for saying that."

Her words were muffled in his shirt, and Ian actually smiled at how unnecessary they were. "Don't thank me for speaking the truth."

Several more minutes went by, with just the two of them sitting there, holding each other. Kayli shifted against him, moving her head to his shoulder, getting more comfortable. She took a deep breath and let it out.

Ian dropped another kiss on the top of her head, then leaned back just the slightest bit. "Are we still on for our date Friday night?"

Kayli loosened her hold around his waist but didn't move. A long minute went by before she spoke, her voice uncertain. "Did you still want to go?"

"Of course I still wanted to go. Why wouldn't I? God, you have no idea how much I still want to go. How much I want to sleep with you curled up against me all night." Ian didn't think he succeeded in keeping the desperation out of his voice because he heard Kayli's brief but soft laughter against his shirt. But he
was
nearing desperation. He loved the time he spent with her, but he wanted more. He was surprised at how much he wanted the intimacy of her in his arms all night, how much he just wanted to sleep next to her and hold her close and not worry about appearances. Or Jake. Or Lori and the she-devils.

"We could just go to your house, you know. You don't need to actually take me anywhere."

"What?" Her suggestion surprised him so much that he actually pushed her away enough to look down at her. "You're serious! No. No way. As tempting as that may be, no. Friday night is our date night. I told you--I want to wine and dine you. I want to take you out on the town and have fun. So forget about suggesting just going back to my place."

"If you're sure--"

"Yes, I'm sure." He guided her head back to his shoulder and readjusted his arms around her. Then he grinned and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "We can skip the whole date thing on Tuesday night and just go to my place then."

Kayli laughed, as he hoped she would. She needed laughter, and he was happy to be able to give her even a little.

"We should get back to the house." Kayli's whisper was warm against his neck, and he felt himself shaking his head before he knew what he was doing. He shifted, settling her more comfortably against him, and let his head drop against the stall wall.

"Not yet. Let's just stay here for a little longer, okay? I just want to hold you for a little bit more."

He felt Kayli's head nod, felt her body relax more fully against him. Ian smiled and closed his eyes, thinking they would stay here just a few minutes longer, knowing that no matter how long they stayed, it wouldn't be long enough for him.

#

"It's too much, Lori."

"No it's not. You're just not used to wearing it so you think it is."

Kayli blew out a breath and looked back at her reflection in the mirror, trying to be subjective. Lori was right, she wasn't used to wearing much make-up--especially not eye make-up. And how desperate was she that she was actually taking advice from a fourteen-year-old girl?

Obviously pretty desperate.

She glanced at her watch then sighed when all she saw was her empty wrist. She wasn't wearing her watch because it didn't go with the dress or heels or hair or make-up and...it was time for her to take a deep breath before she collapsed into a pile of quivering nerves.

It was just a date with Ian, for crying out loud. It wasn't like they were just meeting for the first time, or that she had to impress him.

But she
wanted
to impress him.

God, she was in such deep trouble.

"Hey Kayli, Ian's here!" Jake's voice echoed up the stairs, making her jump. She took one last look in the mirror, pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then walked out of the room, Lori and the twins behind her. She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned, literally bumping into the girls.

"My purse," she explained at their bewildered looks. Lori laughed and handed her the small black bag. Kayli wasn't sure why she was even taking it with her--it wasn't like it was big enough to carry anything besides her id. And the lipstick and compact Lori made her put in it.

She clutched the bag in her hand and made her way down the stairs, holding onto the railing until she reached the last step. She took another deep breath and smoothed the front of the dress, resisting the urge to pull the hem down. It wasn't terribly short, reaching just above mid-thigh, but between the length of the dress, and the daring neckline, she felt a little self-conscious, a little exposed.

"Ian's in the living room--whoa. Wow." Jake stopped so suddenly that Cole bumped into him from behind. She took a steadying breath, telling herself she would not get emotional at having both of her brothers together. Yes, they were both still sporting bruises and cuts from the other day, and yes, there were still some moments of serious tension. But they were both here, and they were trying.

And right now, they were both staring at her with such weird looks that she almost ran upstairs to change. Then Cole smiled, a broad grin that only briefly lit his eyes. "What happened to our little sister?"

Kayli smiled back, but she couldn't keep the tremble from her lips. "Is it too much?"

Jake shook his head then leaned his shoulder against the wall, watching her. A shadow passed through his eyes but quickly disappeared. "The big brother in me wants to say yes and make you go put on sweatpants and a turtleneck but...no, it's not too much. I'm just not used to seeing you clean up, that's all."

"Gee, thanks."

Jake pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to her, leaning down to give her a quick peck on her cheek. "That's what big brothers are for. Alright girls, say goodnight to Kayli then let's go. Time for the camp out."

"But Dad--"

"No buts. We're going to leave Ian and Kayli alone and head for the great outdoors so we can gorge ourselves on s'mores and ghost stories. So c'mon, let's get moving." He herded all three girls down the hallway to the back porch, but stopped and turned back, waiting for Cole.

"Kayli, you really do look great. Now go have fun, and don't worry. We've got everything covered here tonight and tomorrow." Cole glanced over his shoulder at Jake and the girls then turned back to her. "No worries. About anything, okay?"

Kayli nodded, her throat suddenly tight with emotion. Jake and Cole both winked at her then turned and left before she could say anything. Which was probably better, because she'd end up ruining the make-up Lori had worked so hard helping her with.