After the Rain (The Callahans) (4 page)

“I have to make my rounds.” He stood up abruptly, ignoring the look Faye was sending his way. He said goodbye to everyone and headed for the door, hoping he had successfully discouraged his future sister-in-law’s meddling ideas. No such luck. She followed on his heels.

He seated himself in his truck and started the ignition, before he heard her knock on the window. Grimacing, he rolled it down, avoiding her gaze. “What’s up?”

“I thought maybe I could ask you a teensy weensy favor.” He knew she was smiling her
pretty please
smile at him, so he avoided her gaze.

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“I know that look. I’m not interested.”

Faye was quiet a moment. “You don’t think she’s cute?” she asked, innocently, finally letting him know his assumption had been right on the mark. She was trying to set him up.

He rolled his eyes, his gaze finally meeting hers. “She’s cute. That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

“I’m not interested.” He stared at her intently, knowing Faye would be relentless in her game if he didn’t meet her head on and nix it.

She frowned at him. “Just why not?”

He was thoughtful a moment. “You want the truth?”

“Of course,” she said, leaning against the door.

“Okay. First minute I saw her, I figured out she’s got baggage. I saw it from a mile. Probably a boyfriend, maybe a husband—abusive, possibly. She was like a cornered animal when I pulled up to her out on the highway. She didn’t even want to roll down her window when she figured out I was a cop.” He saw her wince and his gaze tightened. “Forget it. Whatever it is, I want nothing to do with it. I’ve had all the troubled female I can handle for one lifetime.” He put the car in gear.

“You’re being an ass,” she told him, matter-of-factly. “I just thought you could talk to her a little more about the carnival and getting involved.”

“Why? You didn’t even want to be involved in the carnival yourself until she showed up.” He slid his sunglasses back on to his nose.

“Because I think it would do her good to get involved in something so positive. And it has to do with kids, which she loves.” She shrugged. “I thought maybe then she’d think about staying a while.”

“She can’t leave before the wedding, right?”

“I’m trying to get her involved around here, Trey. Don’t you get it?”

He stared at her sad expression and then let out a sigh. “You can’t trick her into staying here, Faye. She has a home somewhere else—a job.”

“Both of which are expendable if she finds happiness here.”

“You’re grasping at straws.”

“Please just talk to her about it if you get the chance. She’s a great girl and she needs friends.”

He scoffed that off. “Anyone who looks like that couldn’t be too hard up for friends. Joey’s already stepped up to the plate on that one.”

“She’s not his type and he’s not hers.” Faye stepped back from the truck, glowering. “I’m not saying you have to date her, Trey. Just mention the carnival to her if you see her around the house or something.”

“Uh huh. I have to go.” He backed away before she could say anything else.

4

Kylie turned her head and looked behind her, a feeling of overwhelming tension eating at her. Something didn’t feel right, though she didn’t know what it was. She’d been to visit Benjamin before and never felt scared or uncomfortable. They’d been friends since first grade, much the same as she and Faye had. The Three Musketeers, they called themselves. Usually when she came here to his house Faye was with her and usually they walked together. Typically, they left before dark. That day, Faye had been unable to come. She’d been at a dentist appointment. For some reason, Kylie wished she’d just stayed home too.

It was those warnings her mother always gave her about walking around in the dark and talking to strangers, she figured. She was always getting lectures about being a fourteen-year-old girl and trusting the wrong person. That was just her mother’s nature. She was a worry wart.

Kylie smiled halfway, convincing herself that she was just being paranoid. All the same, she knew she should have called her mother to pick her up. She hadn’t realized how dark it had gotten. She didn’t like the shadows creeping around her, in between and all around the thick trees. The reservation was kind of a scary place in the dark, even though it was busy. This particular area was lower income. People weren’t really out milling about. It had rained earlier in the day and everything smelled damp and cold. She shivered, her heartbeat pounding erratically.

It’s not far to home, she kept telling herself, her feet picking up the pace, without her brain acknowledging their quicker movement.

And then she heard them—the distinct sound of footsteps behind her. They pounded against the pavement over and over, louder and louder, rustling leaves and debris as they moved closer. She turned her head. She could see a shadow almost upon her in the dark. There was a hand around her mouth before she could react...

Kylie sat straight up in bed, unaware that the screams penetrating her dream, were her own. She couldn’t get control of her fear. It was deep and ominous as it ate a hole in her heart. She couldn’t feel her legs. They felt like lead. Panic ate at her and she struggled.

She heard someone swear and somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she could see a light come on. Then she felt someone’s hands on her—large and powerful. She lost all control and rolled away from the hands, desperate to find that quiet, safe place inside herself. She hit the floor with a thud, her head smacking against the hardwood.

“Kyle, it’s okay!” the voice said. It was soft and female. It finally got through to her. She recoiled, her arms wrapping around her legs as she tried to stop shaking. She knew Faye was next to her. She could see her friend out of the corner of her eye reaching toward her, but yet obviously afraid to touch her. There were other voices in the room—all male. Mortified, she stayed the way she was, out of their view and nearly under the bed. The trembling wasn’t subsiding. She knew what was coming next and she couldn’t stop it. She sat up only long enough to throw up all over the floor.

“Oh Kyle, don’t.” Faye was crying now. She leaned forward and pulled Kylie against her. Finally, the shakes began to subside and Kylie let herself go limp. Faye rocked her in her arms for what seemed like forever and she just lay there, the feeling of safety finally finding its way back into her soul. She was with Faye and she was safe. It had all been a dream.

“She okay?” A man spoke, startling her. She knew that voice. It only made her feel more mortified. Dusty was in the room. She’d seen a blur of him earlier. He’d tried to help her. She had fought him off.

“What can I do?” This time the voice was different, although she recognized it too. Trey was also in the room.

Immediately, Kylie was mortified. This nightmare had come at the worst possible time—which was exactly why she had wanted to stay in a motel.

“I don’t know,” Faye said, on a hiccup.

Kylie opened her eyes and immediately realized that was a mistake. Trey was right there crouching next to them, some kind of handgun clutched in his fingers. Their eyes locked. She wanted to die.

“You okay, Montana?” His voice was soft and she realized he was doing his best not to scare her, having obviously witnessed her reaction to Dusty.

“Put the gun away, dumb ass.” This came from Joey, who was all the way across the room.

“You might scare her with it,” Dusty’s voice agreed.

Trey swore and reached behind him, obviously stowing the gun in the back of his jeans. “I forgot I was holding it.”

Kylie lifted herself away from Faye, reaching up and trying to wipe her mouth as best she could. She had vomit all over her—all over the floor around her. This couldn’t look any worse. They were all standing there watching her come apart at the seams.

“Maybe we should wait outside,” Dusty said, and she was instantly grateful. She heard footsteps as the room cleared—all but Faye.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, on a hiccup. “God, I’m sorry. I made such a mess.” She backed away from the mess on the floor, her face crumpling again as she looked at Faye’s over-sized T-shirt. It was dirty as well.

“Don’t, Kylie. Don’t feel guilty.” Faye wiped at the tears on her own cheeks. “You scared me.”

“Me too,” Kylie found her voice to say.

“We should get you cleaned up. Can you handle a shower?”

Kylie nodded her head.

A few minutes later, Faye walked out of the guest bathroom, freshly dressed in a clean nightshirt. As she expected, there was a crowd in the hallway. Joey sat at the top of the stairs. Trey leaned against the doorway to the hall bathroom and Dusty loitered just outside the bedroom door.

“What the hell happened?” Joey wanted to know, standing up.

“Is she okay?” Trey asked at the same time.

Faye held her hands up, wearily. “She’s okay for now. She’s getting dressed.” She looked at Joey, obviously not knowing how to address his question.

“She had a panic attack,” Trey figured out aloud. “Obviously, it was triggered by a nightmare.”

“And?” Joey wanted to know.

Trey looked over at him. “And, that’s it.”

Joey glared at his brother. “What do you mean, that’s it? What makes you an expert?”

“Don’t irritate me tonight, Joe. I’m not in the mood.” Trey looked at Faye. “You okay from here?”

“I’m fine. I’ll stay in there with her tonight.”

“She scared the shit out of me,” Joey mused. “It must have been some nightmare.”

“Go back to bed,” Dusty ordered his brother. “Everything’s fine now.”

Joey looked uncertain, but mumbled under his breath and disappeared back down the hallway.

Trey stepped toward Faye, his eyes clearly intent with purpose. “Don’t even try to bullshit me here. I’ve seen too much violence in my line of work to be lied to. I’ve only seen a look of terror like that in the eyes of one person before.” He stared into her face, seriously. “I pulled a five-year-old little girl from under her crack whore mother’s bed back in LA., just after the mother’s pimp had finished with her.”

Faye shook her head in denial. “Don’t.”

She and Trey stared each other down for a moment before he finally let out a sigh. “Okay. Have it your way. Watch yourself with that one though. Situations like this are touchy. As caring as you are, you’re way out of your league here.”

5

Kylie stared into her coffee cup, watching as the steam rolled up and over the rim, disappearing out into the early morning air. It was barely six AM. She had carefully climbed out of bed, so as not to wake Faye, who had slept at her side for the rest of the night after her nightmare.

Sleep had eluded her most of the night. After an episode like that, she rarely slept the rest of the night. She found herself up and dressed before five. Then she’d crept downstairs and made some coffee, desperate to get outside and take a walk before anyone else got up. She had made it as far as the porch swing outside the front door. Early morning in this town was just too beautiful to pass up enjoying.

She sat for a good half hour before tension moved in. Everyone would be getting up soon and she wanted to avoid any confrontation for the time being.

She was mortified at the events of the night before. Faye’s future family had seen her at her rawest. They had witnessed the worst panic attack she’d had in months.
Humiliating
didn’t even begin to describe the incident. She had a feeling they all knew what had happened to her now. That made it even worse.

She wished her car was fixed and she could get in it and drive to a place where nobody knew her—a place where no one would look at her with that all familiar pity in their eyes.

“Good morning.”

Startled by the voice, Kylie jerked, sloshing her coffee onto the leg of her cutoffs. She looked up, her eyes landing on Trey Callahan, who had obviously crept all the way from the guesthouse and up onto the porch without her noticing. He held a steaming cup in his own hands. His smile faded somewhat.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He stepped a little closer, obviously careful to keep his distance. “You’re up early.”

“I saw the sun come up,” she said, quietly.

He followed her gaze. “It’s amazing, huh?”

“Yeah. I don’t get to see it much where I live. I have no view of any kind.”

“That’s too bad. I’ve been spoiled pretty much my whole life, living here.” He leaned against the porch railing. “Except when I lived in LA. I was a cop there for a while—lived in a real dump.”

She stared up at him and for the first time, realized that his eyes weren’t brown, like those of his siblings. They were blue. A very distinct blue—like the sky on a sunny day.

“Do I have something on my face?” he asked, a trace of amusement in his voice.

She felt her cheeks warm and shook her head. “No. I just realized for the first time, that your eyes aren’t brown.”

“Nope. Blue. My brothers used to tease me that I was the mailman’s baby.”

She had to smile at that. “That’s not very nice.”

“We were relentless when we teased.” He took a sip of coffee. “Our dad was white—blue eyes and blond hair. I have some toe headed cousins in Ohio.”

“I have some brunette cousins in Ohio too.”

He laughed and the sound was pleasant, she decided, immediately. In fact, the way his face lit up when he smiled was nice too. She felt her cheeks grow hot and looked away.

“So anyway, I was thinking more about the carnival and what you could do to help out.” He was quiet for a long moment and she realized he was waiting for her to look at him. Reluctantly, she did.

“You could paint faces if you want. Maribel at the Perfect Cut has been doing it for the last couple of years but she’s talking about running a facial booth or something.”

“You want me to paint faces?”

“Faye said you’re good at it, right?”

“I’ve done it before,” was all she said. She was confused as to what the motivation behind this was. Why was Faye so obsessed that she had obviously begged this man to hound Kylie about the carnival?