Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Kylie
Admittedly, coming back from the dead wasn’t nearly as easy as it sounded.
Granted, it sounded somewhat absurd since I hadn’t actually died. But I was the only one who knew that. Everyone else had gone on about their business, dealing with the loss in their own way. In their eyes, I had been dead, and keeping that in mind helped me to get through the day.
I wasn’t sure whether that thought process was commonplace or not, but here I was.
And by here, I meant sitting outside, surrounded by family, every one of them looking at me as though I was a spectacle in a circus act.
Some of them were good at hiding their shock at my appearance, others not so much.
I knew what they were feeling because I went through it every time I looked in the mirror.
I was skinny. And I didn’t mean that in the Hollywood sense.
There was nothing attractive about walking around, nothing but skin and bones.
My baggy clothes weren’t a fashion statement; they were evidence of the hell I’d been through.
It wasn’t easy dealing with the lingering stares or the sympathetic whispers, but I was managing. Mostly. I had no choice since it had been that way since I walked into Curtis and Lorrie’s house a couple of hours ago.
Sunday dinner was still a thing and part of me was grateful for that. Routine was good for me. At least it had been for the old me. I was trying to feel my way through this new version of myself.
The one who had been gone for so long.
The one who woke up in a sweat in the middle of the night, expecting to be on the hard wooden floor in a pitch-black room with no air conditioning.
The one who panicked when the kids went outside to play, fearing someone would steal them away.
The one who watched Travis and Gage, noticing the easiness between them.
The one who noticed the kids going to Travis or Gage for everything, bypassing me altogether.
I couldn’t deny that there were moments when I felt like an outsider.
I’d missed out on so much, so it was like going to a family reunion, catching up on the highlights because you didn’t get to see that person every day.
There were times when I felt out of place and found myself looking for somewhere to sneak off to so I could hide for a bit.
I hadn’t done that yet, though. I figured I wouldn’t get too far, what with all the eyes on me.
While my kids chatted incessantly about this and that, keeping me entertained as they had for the past few days, I glanced around, taking in all the faces. There were so many.
Jessie and Braydon were doing their best to keep Rhett and Zach from fighting—evidently, that was something they did often these days. And because Rhett was sporting a black eye, I had to assume things got out of hand from time to time.
Zane and V were sitting together as though they were newlyweds rather than having been married for eight years.
They had their youngest, Dustin, with them.
I got the feeling he didn’t feel well, based on the way he remained close, leaning against Zane’s leg for comfort.
Their other kids—Reid, Asher, and Theo—were playing chase nearby.
Zoey was now sitting beside me, having spent the time before the meal helping to make it.
I had offered to help, but Lorrie had shooed me out of the kitchen, insisting I take today off.
I wasn’t sure why I needed to, considering I’d done literally nothing for nearly two years, but I didn’t argue.
Kaleb was on the front porch talking to Brantley, while Mason—Kaleb and Zoey’s oldest—was playing his part as the oldest grandchild, letting his cousins ply him with attention.
Based on the kids who were hanging around, he had quite the entourage.
Ethan and Beau were doing their best to keep their kids wrangled. The three-year-old triplets were thrilled to be in the company of all their cousins, and they were trying to keep up with the older ones.
Kaden, Keegan, and Bristol were corralling little ones in a way that said they were true experts.
I figured that had a lot to do with the fact that Bristol owned the daycare center all these rugrats went to and because they had two little ones of their own.
Payton and Paisley were absolutely adorable.
I hadn’t been here when the beautiful twin girls were born, which added to my sense of loss, but I had shoved it aside, refusing to let it ruin the day.
I wasn’t sure where Brendon was—somewhere nearby, I was sure—but Cheyenne was sitting across from me while Remy and Thad took turns duck-duck-goosing her. Every time I saw one of them sneak up on their mother, I grinned. I’d been in her shoes more times than I could count.
The sad part was that only a handful of those kids remembered me.
Because of how young they all were, and the fact I’d been gone for almost two years, for many of them, I’d been around less than I was gone.
Realizing it had broken my heart, but I kept that under wraps, not wanting to give Gage or Travis a reason to swaddle me in bubble wrap.
They were doing pretty well up to this point, but I hadn’t forgotten a single day, so I knew it was only a matter of time before their protective streaks came out in full force.
Glancing up at the house, I saw the moment Travis walked out.
Seeing him warmed something inside me. I’d been dealing with that for the past few days.
Every time I looked at Travis or Gage, my heart kicked just a little, and a warm, fuzzy feeling took up residence in my chest. I had missed them so much.
Travis’s gaze instantly fell on me, and that gooey feeling returned.
I looked past him for a second, seeking Gage.
He didn’t appear, so that meant he was inside, talking to the grownups—as he liked to refer to Curtis and Lorrie.
Since Brantley’s parents, Iris and Frank, had stopped by for dinner, I would bet money they weren’t running out of things to talk about.
I had to admit, the noise level was high, and after having been isolated for so long, it was wreaking havoc with my nerves.
I was doing my best to keep a smile on my face, but it wasn’t easy.
I wanted to go home, to sit on the porch and listen to the neighborhood sounds.
Dogs barking from time to time, leaves rustling, a cricket or two.
The porch swing had become my go-to place, and I longed for the peace and quiet that came with it.
I couldn’t do that, though. If I did, I couldn’t pretend that everything was fine. I’d only been home for a few days, but I was getting damn good at pretending.
Luckily, Curtis stepped outside with his chuck wagon triangle and striker.
A second later, the dessert bell was ringing, and the kids’ focus shifted toward the house.
With Kate tugging on my hand, we wasted no time, moving with the others.
I wasn’t eager for dessert, but I was looking forward to going home, and I figured once we could get this out of the way, we’d be that much closer.
As I passed Travis into the house, I smiled at him, assuring him that I was all right. I wasn’t sure he bought my act, but he didn’t call me out on it. However, he did turn and follow, sticking close, but not too close.
We weren’t in the house two minutes when Reese walked in, his expression grim. Since all eyes had shifted to him, including mine, I noticed when he signaled for Travis, Gage, and Braydon to come with him.
“What’s that about?” Jessie asked, coming to stand beside me when her husband followed Gage outside.
Turning, I glanced out the front window and frowned. “I don’t know, but I think we should find out.”
Due to the obstacles—namely, a couple dozen kids—in our path, I headed for the back door, my sister on my heels. As we walked down the porch, I heard my father call our names, but I didn’t look back.
Travis and Gage were standing beside Brantley and Reese, with Braydon in the middle, his voice rife with irritation as he shouted at the newcomers.
“Why are you here?”
The sea of bodies parted enough for me to see past them, and it was then that I recognized the woman staring back at us. Her eyes were wide, her chin trembling. Didn’t matter how many years she’d been absent from my life, I would never forget that face.
“Is that…?” Jessie muttered from beside me, keeping her voice low.
“Yeah. I think it is.”
“We need your help,” the man with her said, glaring at Brantley.
He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his name. If I was correct, he had once worked for Brantley’s task force.
“With?” Brantley prompted.
I didn’t care about the conversation because I couldn’t take my eyes off my mother, couldn’t understand how she was possibly here. She’d been gone for so long…
“Cicily Rose,” the stranger said simply.
The terseness of his tone had me glancing over.
“What about her?” Brantley prompted.
My mother looked away from Jessie and me, her attention shifting to Brantley. “He’s got her.”
“Who’s got her?”
The man beside my mother said, “Martin Calloway.”
If Gage hadn’t been standing behind me, there was a strong possibility I would have fallen. My knees went weak, and I swayed, grateful that he was there to catch me.
“Who is she?” Travis asked.
I glanced between my mother and the man with her, waiting for them to answer. It took a moment, but finally the man took a deep breath and said, “She’s my daughter—”
“Our daughter,” my mother corrected.
Wait. What now?
Gage hooked his hand around my elbow. I assumed that was his way of letting me know I was swaying again. I braced my knees and stood up straight.
“—and that bastard took her,” the man continued over her.
“You have to find her,” my mother added.
“How long has he had her?” Reese asked.
“A week and a half.”
I looked up at Gage, frowning. If he’d had her for a week and a half…
Brantley sounded angry when he said, “And you’re just tellin’ us now?”
“He threatened to kill her if we didn’t back off.”