After the Rain (The Callahans) (20 page)

“I have a brother, Michael.”

“Michael. Such a nice, strong name. You see him often?”

“Not really. He lives far away.”

“That is too bad. Family is important.”

“He comes home for Christmas sometimes. And other holidays.”

“I would like to meet him—and your parents. Faye has told me a lot about them.”

“They will be out for Faye’s wedding in a couple of weeks.”

“I look forward to it. I don’t get out to meet new people very often. I enjoy company.”

Kylie took a sip of lemonade as she looked around the backyard in awe. It was just as stunning as the front. There were so many flowers in so many colors.

“Are you boring her, Mama?”

Kylie turned around and saw a very stunning, middle-aged woman standing on the patio, Faye at her side. This was obviously Trey’s mother. Just like Mamaw, she had on a traditional Indian cloth dress. She too, had jewelry in her hair. Kylie decided she could see the resemblance between Trey and his mother.

“We are just getting to know each other a little. Come join us.”

The afternoon was pleasant. They talked about everything from flowers to the wedding, to how the Callahan kids had grown up. Kylie found herself laughing, in spite of the fact that she had been so uncomfortable coming here.

After a lunch of sandwiches and potato salad, Mamaw took Kylie into the front yard and they got down to the business of gardening. It was amazing what a few changes in technique could do. Kylie had apparently been planting her flowers all wrong.

“Hey, Mamaw,” a male voice said, appearing out of nowhere. Kylie turned and found herself nearly face to face with a tall, dark haired man, holding a couple of sacks of what looked like soil.

“Daniel. I see you’ve been to the hardware store.” Mamaw got up from her knees and smiled at the man. “You can set that stuff over there. I’ll have one of the boys put it away later.”

The man walked over and set the bags down near the porch. Then he wiped his hands off on his jeans and straightened. “Giving a lesson in gardening, Mamaw?”

“I am. Have you met Kylie? She’s Faye and
Trey Mapiya
’s friend.”

The man’s expression immediately changed to one of unease. At that moment, Kylie knew that this man had to be Daniel Redfeather—the man who had nailed the coffin shut in Trey’s marriage to Shayna.

“Danny Redfeather,” he said, offering his hand and confirming her hunch.

Kylie shook it, awkwardly. “Kylie Rhodes.”

“Faye and Kylie are here planning wedding things,” Mamaw said, now back to work in her flowerbed. “It’s in only two weeks you know.”

“Yes, I heard. Exciting news.” Danny stuck his hands in his pockets. “How’s the planning coming?”

“Just about done. Final touches is all that’s left.” Kylie studied the man, curiously. The funny thing about him was that he wasn’t what she had expected. Sure, he was a good-looking guy. He was tall and dark and the classic cliché of handsome. But after hearing Faye’s story the day before, Kylie had pictured someone far cockier than this man. He actually looked uncomfortable standing there—and certainly didn’t look arrogant.

“There’s lemonade in the back if you’re thirsty,” Mamaw said, going back to her flowers.

“Thanks, Mamaw. It was nice to meet you,” Danny said and disappeared into the backyard.

“Tormented soul, that boy,” Mamaw remarked as she noticed Kylie watching him go.

“Does he come around here a lot?” Kylie asked, kneeling down next to Mamaw.

“He brings me plants, soil, that sort of stuff. His parents run a hardware store and nursery on the reservation. You should go there and see the beautiful things they grow.”

“And it doesn’t bother Trey that Danny Redfeather comes around here?”

Mamaw stopped what she was doing and met Kylie’s gaze, a sad smile on her face. “It bothers
Trey Mapiya
. He does not like when Daniel is around. But I have told him that the hate in his heart will only eat at him until it makes him bitter. It is better to forgive.”

“What Daniel did was pretty bad,” Kylie said, feeling the need to stick up for Trey’s side of things.

“Yes, it was. Daniel has suffered for it. All that
Trey Mapiya
gets for his anger is pain. I worry about him.” Mamaw wiped at her brow with her apron. “He will only find peace when he forgives. Then his heart will heal.”

“You sound very sure about that,” Kylie said, thinking about her own circumstances.

“I am sure, my dear. I have been around many wise people in my time. I have seen the wounded heal. Facing your demons and letting them go, that is how you heal.”

Kylie thought that over. She supposed in a way, Mamaw was right. Facing down Matt Clyde the day before had shown her for the first time in eleven years that she could fight back. She felt worlds better for that. So maybe there was some truth to this theory Mamaw had.

“You are a thinker,” Mamaw said, smiling. “I like that. Not much will get past you.”

Hearing a car drive up, they both turned. Trey’s vehicle pulled into the driveway and came to a stop. Kylie stayed where she was, not sure how pleased he would be to see her at this point. Better to leave the ball in his court.

He climbed out of the SUV and let the door slam behind him. The window was down and they could hear chirping coming from his police radio inside.

“
Trey Mapiya!
” Mamaw pulled herself up and opened her arms as he approached. He smiled and leaned over to give her a hug and kiss.

“How are you, Mamaw?” He glanced at the dirt that covered her apron and his smile grew wider. “Digging around in that garden again, huh?”

“I am planting. There are so many flowers to plant. Your Kylie has been helping me.”

This time he turned and his eyes landed on Kylie. He lowered his sunglasses. “Is that right?”

“She likes flowers, this one. You should remember that,
Mapiya
.”

“Okay, Mamaw.” Trey removed his sunglasses entirely and slid them into the top of his T-shirt.

“I am parched. Time for some lemonade.” Mamaw made a quick exit before Kylie could protest.

“Dusty told me you were here.”

“Faye had some wedding things to take care of so I came along. I hope you don’t mind. I’ve enjoyed visiting with your grandmother.”

“I don’t mind.” He stared at her a moment. “I think maybe we should talk.”

She wiped her hands on her cut-offs. “Okay. I had a feeling you were upset about something.”

“I’m not upset,” he said, smiling halfway. “I know we talked about this stuff before. I guess when I saw you yesterday and you were hurt it freaked me out a little.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. “I didn’t mean for that to happen, Trey.”

“Obviously, I know that. The thing is, you’re leaving in two weeks. I know I said we should see where this will go but—”

“But you’ve changed your mind,” she figured out.

He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, last night I had anyway. We’re getting awfully intense, Montana. Walking away from this is going to be harder, the longer we keep it going.”

“For me, you mean.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m a big girl, Trey. I can take care of myself.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “I never said you can’t. Kylie, I have a lot of baggage. When I said we should see where this goes, what I should have said is that it can’t go anywhere.”

The words struck her hard but she managed to control her reaction. “I see.”

“Do you?”

“If you want to be a coward and walk away, go ahead.” She said the words, hoping they would hit their mark. Apparently, they did. He frowned.

“I’m not a coward.”

“When it comes to relationships you are,” she said, quietly. “Shayna made you turn tail and run and you haven’t looked back since.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” She pulled off the gloves she’d been using and threw them down. “Mamaw just told me something that made a whole lot of sense to me. She said the hate in your heart will only make you bitter. It’s eating you alive. Is that how you plan to spend the rest of your life? Don’t you want a family?”

He finally shrugged his shoulders. “I did at one time. Now, I don’t know.”

“Well then I guess we have nothing to talk about. Because I do know, Trey. I know that what I lived through sucked. There were times when I never thought I would be able to step outside again—never be able to talk to a man again, let alone let one touch me. There were times when I wished that man had killed me.” She shook her head, vehemently. “But that’s because I was holding on to hate, just like you are. I won’t hold on to hate like that anymore. I do want a family. I want to get beyond all this darkness and find some light.”

“I’m not you,” was all he said.

Sadness continued to eat at her but she knew she wasn’t going to be able to change his mind. “I’m sorry for you then.” With that, she turned and walked away.

Trey watched her leave, annoyed at the feeling of emptiness that came over him. When he’d come here, he’d had no real plan as to what he was going to say. He’d only known his brother was right, he couldn’t just walk away without talking to Kylie. But talking to her hadn’t made him feel any better.

“You’re a dumbass.”

Trey turned, his eyes narrowing at the sound of a male voice. He knew it was Danny before he even saw him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Danny stepped toward him, unfazed. “I came to bring Mamaw some things.”

“She’s not your grandmother. She doesn’t need you to bring her things.”

“You’re pissing your life away, man.” Danny gestured to Kylie’s retreating figure. “She seems like a nice girl.”

Trey’s blood reached boiling before he could stop it. He had the front of Danny’s shirt in his clutches seconds later and shoved him roughly up against the side of the house. “You stay the fuck away from her!”

“For God’s sake, Trey!” Danny pushed him back. “Get a freaking grip!”

“No, you get a grip!” Trey would have shoved him again but Faye stepped in between the two men.

“Stop it!”

“Get the hell out of here!” Trey said, his eyes never leaving Danny’s. “I mean it, man. I don’t want to see you back here again.”

Danny cursed, straightening his shirt and stepping out of the flowerbed. “I’ve tried apologizing to you. What more do you want?”

“I don’t want anything from you. Just get the fuck away from me.” Trey brushed Faye’s hands off of him and turned away. Mamaw was behind him and he flinched. He knew she grew upset when he got violent with Danny. She liked the bastard. Like Kylie had said, Mamaw was all about forgiveness. Well he wasn’t, damn it. Danny had screwed up everything in his life and he wasn’t about to forgive and forget.

“
Trey Mapiya
, you disappoint me.” She turned and walked away, most likely knowing she couldn’t have said anything that would have devastated him more.

“Where is Kylie?” Faye asked, once Danny had driven off.

“I don’t know.” Trey turned back to her, frustrated and full of anguish at the same time. “She’s upset. She went that way.”

“Then why are you still standing here, you shit? Fix this.” Faye glared at him. “You can’t run from this, Trey. Not this time.” She turned and stomped away.

21

He finally found her. After driving around the reservation for an hour, Trey pulled into a park and saw her sitting alone on a bench. He pulled to a stop and got out. When she saw him, she stood up and started walking the other way. She’d obviously had enough of his shit, so to speak. He couldn’t say he blamed her.

Sighing, he picked up the pace to catch her. “Just give me a minute, would you?”

She just kept walking.

“Damn it!” He eventually fell into step beside her. “I’m an ass, Kylie. I know that.”

She slowed down, but didn’t stop.

They walked in silence for several minutes, before she finally looked up at him, her eyes sad but dry. “You know I was raped on an Indian reservation back in Montana? This is the first time I’ve stepped foot on one since.”

Shit
. He stared at her, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because when I told you about the rape, the place it happened was the least of my problems.” She stepped toward a trail that led into the woods. “I never would have come to a place like this a month ago.”

“But you’re here now.”

“I’m here,” she agreed. “And I love it here. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s home,” was all he said.

“You’re lucky to have a place like this to call home. You probably won’t ever see it, but the place I call home is beautiful too.”

“So tell me about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m interested,” he answered, matter-of-factly.

She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a little house—only two bedrooms. I bought it six months ago. I’ve had some help fixing it up. It’s not quite done yet.”

“You mentioned that.” He’d thought about buying his own house several times but had never done it. “What are you doing to it?”

“New fixtures, flooring. My neighbor, Richard, is helping me with stuff and Paul started on the light fixtures but I guess I’ll have to hire a contractor now.”

“Shit, if you’ve had Paul poking around in there I’d be careful about turning on the lights.”

A smile flickered against her lips. “Yeah, he almost electrocuted himself once. He forgot to shut the power down.”

“Figures,” was all he said.

“I want to build a deck off the back. I have a really big yard. I’ve considered getting a dog, maybe a cat too. There’s enough room for me to plant a garden back there. I was watching Mamaw today. She’s giving me some good tips.”

“She knows all there is to know about gardening. All year long her stuff blooms.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “She’s pretty angry with me right now.”

“Did you punch Danny?”

He looked at her and saw that she was smiling. After a moment, he smiled halfway too. “No. But I considered it. I did shove him around—and I used the “F” word.”

“Oh,” was all she said.

“Mamaw likes the Redfeathers. They’re close friends of hers.”

“He treats her nice,” she said, quietly.

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t change the fact that he had sex with my wife.”