Ties That Bind (40 page)

“Wouldn’t say those nights together were for nothing though.” Pa glanced at the backseat where the boys each wore the headphones Reese had bought them; Pa probably wanted to be sure they wouldn’t be heard. “Things seem pretty good with you and Kate.”

“They are now. She hasn’t said outright she wants to get married again, but she’ll get there. And soon.”

“Is that what you want?”

Reese watched the road, sure of one thing. “It’s what I always wanted. All it took was being with her a few weeks to make me realize I am still in love with her.”

“Where’d she go this morning? You just said she couldn’t come with us to pick up Sofie.”

“Tying up loose ends.” She was seeing Tyler to say good-bye. Reese grinned. “I got a surprise for all of you, hopefully for this afternoon.”

Pa said, “You’re getting the judgeship?”

“Ah, not exactly.”

He recounted to Pa the conversation he’d had with Jane Summers, the chair of the nominating committee…

They’d met in her chambers, a few days after the story had broken. She’d smiled at him from behind her desk. “Reese, thanks for coming. I wanted to see you in person to congratulate you on solving the Bingham case.”

He’d politely thanked her, but didn’t know what else to expect. In any case, he’d been ready.

“Turns out instead of hurting your appointment to the bench, the case helped. The panel was impressed by how you figured out the unusual chain of events that led to Bingham’s accusation. The members think you’ll make a great criminal judge.” Jane checked her calendar. “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of months to get you sworn in.”

Reese had looked around at Summers’ swank chambers—much nicer than those of Kate, who had been right about family court being the stepchild of the justice system. All this could be his, if he wanted it.

Trouble was, he didn’t.

“Thanks, Jane. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to withdraw my name.”

The woman’s eyes rounded with surprise. “Why on earth would you do that?”

Out of courtesy, he told her about Emily, and the promises he’d made to his sister about taking care of her children. He told her about wanting to spend time more time with his daughter. He talked about his father growing older and Reese’s desire for quality time with Pa. Basically, he’d said that in the last few months other things had become more important to him than the judgeship, which had always been his ultimate goal.

Jane Summers had been disappointed, but he could see in her eyes an understanding of his shift in priorities…

From Pa’s expression, when Reese finished the story, his father was equally as surprised—and pleased as punch.

They pulled into Connor Prep just before noon. Sofie was sitting outside her dorm on the steps. She looked young and cute in plain white shorts and a little blue top. Now that her hair color was back to normal, she resembled Kate again.

As soon as the van stopped, the boys burst out and threw themselves at her. She grabbed one in each arm and held them close. As Pa and Reese approached the trio, Reese was even more confident that he’d made the right decisions about his future. About all their futures.

“Hi, Daddy. Grandpa.” Sofie let go of the boys and hugged each of them. “I didn’t know you guys were all coming to pick me up.”

Reese tugged her close, warmed by the weather and by Sofie’s lack of inhibition for showing affection these days. “They wanted to surprise you.”

Pa was frowning. “Nice place. Looks like a college.” Under his breath he murmured, “Plenty of time for that.” His father had been vocal in his protest of Sofie going away for high school.

“So,” Sofie said. “Everybody can help bring my boxes to storage, then we can go home.”

“Not so fast.” Reese glanced at his dad. “Watch the boys, would you, Pa?” He drew Sofie away, under the shade of a leafy maple tree.

“What’s up?” she asked. Gone was the scowl and teenage sarcasm that had flavored most of their contact for the last year. Her smile was big and bright.

“I don’t want to put your boxes in storage, princess.”

“It’s stupid to take all that stuff home. We’ll just have to drag it back up here again in the fall.”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on, Daddy?”

He grasped her arms and rubbed them up and down from shoulder to elbow. “I want you to go to school in Westwood next year, honey. I want you to live with me and Pa and the boys.”

Hope sprang into those eyes which were so much like his. “You do?”

“Uh-huh. As a matter of fact, I’m going to have to insist you come home.”

A half smile. Then a frown. “What about Mom?”

“You know things have changed between us. Truthfully, I’m hoping that she agrees to live with us, too. But, Sof, even if she doesn’t, I don’t want you up here. Since Aunt Emily died, I see things differently. I want you with me until you go away to college.” He ruffled her hair. “Even then, it’ll be hard. But I want these next two years as a family.”

Sofie glanced at the car where Pa and the boys stood. A grin came to her face. She turned to him with mischief in her eyes. “We aren’t all gonna fit in that small house of yours.”

“We won’t have to. I’ll tell you more about that later.”

“What the heck?” She threw her arms around him and hugged him like she used to when she was little. He held on tight. “You’re on, Daddy.” Drawing back, she gripped his hand. “Come on, let’s go tell the boys and Pa.”

“In a second.” He held her close again, and rested his chin on her head to savor the moment. He also said a prayer of thanks. Emily had been lost to him, and he’d grieve over that his whole life, but he took joy in the notion that his daughter had found her way back to him.

o0o

CARRYING A BOX with the last of the things Tyler had left at her house, Kate walked into the modern building housing Westside Medical Associates; her heart was heavy. She’d called and asked to see Tyler this morning, and since he was working till noon, he suggested she meet him there after lunch. She needed to say good-bye properly.

Mostly everyone was gone; Kate set the box down on a table and took a minute to study the outer offices. The place was huge and airy with counters and padded seats and several aquariums. She spotted his Well Child Zone and crossed to it. She hadn’t been there in a while, and the area had expanded. She was ashamed that she hadn’t taken more interest in his work since the Anna Bingham thing broke, and before that, too. She peeked inside. “Oh, I didn’t expect to find…” Kate hesitated at the doorway. “Dray? What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Kate.” Reese’s ex-girlfriend was stacking some kind of brightly colored foam blocks in a corner. She looked young and innocent in her leotard, tights and dance skirt. “I’m volunteering with the Project.”

Kate was speechless.

“I minored in movement therapy at Ithaca College. I have a degree in fitness training, as well.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not the dumb blonde I appear to be.”

“I never thought you were dumb. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression.”

Emotion filled Dray’s eyes. “How is he?”

No need to dissemble. “Still sad over Emily. He’ll be better when the boys and Pa move up from North Falls.”

“And you? Will you move in with them?”

Kate hedged. She didn’t know how much to say, or what would hurt Dray to hear. They’d done enough to her. “That hasn’t been decided yet.”

The other woman shook her head, and gave Kate a pitying look. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Excuse me?”

“You were always there between him and me, and because of that, I couldn’t make it work for us.” She gestured out the door. “And it’s why you couldn’t make a go of it with Tyler. Stop being so stupid about it. Give Reese what he needs.”

“Which is?”

“You. It’s the only thing he’s ever really needed.” She drew herself up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an aerobics class to teach at one.”

Kate watched Dray Merrill leave the Well Child Zone and heard the outer door close softly. Who would have thought? She was still pondering the younger woman’s words when Tyler, wearing his white doctor’s coat, came out of the back area into the outer offices. Reading something on a clipboard, he didn’t immediately see her.

The feeling of sadness she’d experienced earlier intensified. He was so handsome, so talented, so kind. As if he felt her stare, he looked up. “Oh, Kaitlyn, I didn’t know you were here yet.” He walked to the doorway.

“I just arrived.”

He glanced behind her. “Did you see Dray?”

“Yes.”

A scowl. “I hope you didn’t upset her. I thought she’d be gone by the time you got here.”

“Tyler, is something going on between you and Dray?”

His blue eyes were sad. “No, nothing’s going on. Rebound relationships aren’t a good idea. We have become friends, though.”

“Is she all right?”

He motioned for them to sit a table and joined her. “She’s heartbroken, like me. But broken hearts mend. I know.” He gave her a little smile. “I’m a doctor.”

She watched him.

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to say good-bye.” She nodded to the box in the hallway. “I brought you some things you left at my place.”

“So,” he said, stretching out his legs, “this is it.”

“Tyler, I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you. Believe me when I say I didn’t mean to.”

“I believe that. I know you didn’t do this on purpose.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I was right all along, wasn’t I?”

“I’m afraid so. Honestly, I didn’t know how I still felt about Reese.”

“I can accept that. Will you remarry him?”

“Ah, the big question.”

He shook his head and anger fired in his eyes. “Don’t do this, Kaitlyn. Don’t hurt Dray and me like this, disrupt all our lives, for nothing.”

“You want me to go back with Reese?”

“I want you to be happy. And I don’t want our relationships—yours and mine, Reese and Dray’s—to end with no one coming out happily.”

She shook her head. “You’re a nice guy, you know that?”

“Hmm. Somehow that proverb, ‘nice guys finish last’ is cold comfort.”

“I have a feeling you’ll be leading the pack again, soon.”

“I suppose I will. It’ll just take a while.”

“Good luck with all this,” she said, encompassing the area with a sweep of her hand. “It’s a great venture.”

“I know. I’m taking a leave of absence from this practice to go to New York City and consult on that special clinic I told you about.”

“You’ll be wonderful at it. Someday you’ll be world famous.”

“I don’t know about that.” He stood, signaling he wanted to end the conversation. “Good-bye, Kaitlyn.”

She stood, too, moved closer, and hugged him. Tears moistened her eyes as he held on tight to her. “Good-bye, Tyler. I hope you have a happy life.”

o0o

“JASON, DON’T PEEK. You’ll spoil the surprise.” Sofie sat in the third seat of Pa’s van with the two boys and scolded them like a big sister. The kids were all dressed similarly today, with denim shorts and Tshirts. “Dad made us promise,” Sofie added.

He winked at her in the rearview mirror. “How do you know they’re peeking, princess, if you got your eyes closed?”

Giggles from all of them.

Reese heard his father, who sat in the middle seat, grumble about Reese’s request for all of them to close their eyes when they neared the edge of town.

Sofie said, “I think it’s Pa you have to worry about.”

Again, Pa grumbled.

“How’s Mom’s doing up there? She couldn’t ever sit still for something like this.”

“Mom’s doing great.”

But Reese wasn’t so sure about his statement. Ever since they’d returned home from Connor Prep and found Kate, back from seeing Tyler, she’d been quiet. He knew she was sad, the way he’d been after saying good-bye to Dray, and so he’d waited until this morning for the surprise. They’d all gone to church, just like a real family, and he was hoping that was a good omen.

They reached the city limits and turned down a secluded road. His heartbeat escalated as they were crossing the familiar terrain—and in apprehension of what he was about to do. He was hoping he hadn’t jumped the gun on this one. But damn it, he wasn’t wasting any more time in his life.

Forcing himself to be positive, he pulled up to his destination. “Okay,” he said taking in a deep breath. “You can open your eyes. “

He kept his gaze on Kate, despite the cacophony of sounds going on around him…

“Omigod. Our house.” This from Sofie as she threw open the door.

“This is where we used to stay. I love it here,” Jimmy added, right on her heels.

Halfway out the car, Jason quipped, “Let’s go see if the tree house is still there.”

Pa remained in the van for a minute. Reese felt his dad’s hand on his shoulder with a squeeze of approval, and maybe good luck. Then Pa headed after the kids.

Reese couldn’t see Kate’s face, as she was staring out the window. “Sweetheart? You okay?”

She nodded.

He slid an arm around her shoulder. “Katie?”

Finally she turned. Her cheeks were streaked with tears.

“Aw, shit.”

She swiped at her face, then glanced back to the farmhouse. “It looks empty.”

“It is.”

“How did this happen?”

He shrugged, sheepishly. “I never sold it.”

“Of course you did. I drove out here more than once. A family was living in it.”

He brushed his knuckles down her cheek. He’d never known she’d gone near the place they’d loved with all their hearts. “I rented it to them. Their lease was up in March, and I told them a while ago I wouldn’t be renting it again.”

“March? Before the Bingham thing?”

“Yes. I’d decided to sell it and wanted to get it ready before spring. I guess I’d given up on living here again.”

She sighed. “I’m afraid to go inside, Reese.”

“Don’t be afraid, love. I’ll be with you.”

Solemnly they got out of the car. Reese took her hand and led her to the front door. Memories came with each step…

What are you doing? She’d asked when they’d first moved in, four years after they were married.