Indomitable Spirit (17 page)

John sucked more water off the floor with the shop-vac. “I don’t know. But this was where it had to be. I know she’d looked around, but it always came back to this building.”

“Every time something like this happens and you and I end up working side by side—I figure she’s behind it.”

John looked up from his vacuuming and noticed she was leaning her arm on the mop handle and smiling. Her dark curls hanging loose over her eyes.

“She had a sense of humor like that.”

“Yes she did,” Heather agreed and then began mopping up more water and ringing it into a bucket. “Considering that it’s three days before Thanksgiving, I’d suspect she wanted us to get over this petty thing we have going and spend it together.”

John turned off the vacuum which was sounding full. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the tradition you have with your mom and the kids.”

Heather narrowed her eyes on him. She set the mop against the wall. “I can’t even say I hate you anymore.”

“That’s positive.”

“I’m trying here, John. Cut me some slack.”

“I’m sorry. Go ahead.”

“Listen, I’ve never really hated you. I mean, one look at Cody and you know she would have loved him as much as the other three. I know things just went wrong. I get that.”

“But you needed someone to blame.”

She didn’t come at him with a fist, which was a good sign. “I did. She was all I had.”

“No, she wasn’t.”

He could see her eyes mist up. He didn’t like when women did things like that. Why did they always have to cry? The very thought made him tense up and the cut on his forehead from him sister’s flying book reminded him he was in foreign territory.

“I miss us being friends. I think three years is long enough to hate each other don’t you?”

“I agree.”

“Good. Then will you please come with the kids to Thanksgiving?”

All John could think about was Kym and wondering what she’d be doing. He knew they’d closed the school early. Kelley had received the call from Kym’s brother. It did something very uncomfortable to his chest to think of her alone on Thanksgiving. But, the truth of the matter was she wasn’t around and hadn’t called and asked him to spend the day with her.

“I’ll be there. What should I bring?”

~*~

There had been a truck stop which was serving Thanksgiving dinner all week. Kym, Liam, and their grandfather had their traditional turkey dinner together a few days early.

Of course their family Thanksgivings, in the States, had never been completely traditional. Her mother made Korean food. Her father made what he could of Irish favorites. She thought she’d been about fifteen before they had turkey, stuffing, and potatoes for dinner.

It made her miss her parents. A few more days around her brother—and not around John—she’d want to fly with them to Ireland. But she wouldn’t even consider that. They gave her the school to make her own and she would do that. She just hoped that when she returned, so would Jacob and Abby. She’d missed them—and their father.

Liam handed her a cup of hot chocolate he’d made at the complimentary drink counter in the hotel lobby. Kym held it in her two hands as she looked at the fire crackling in the fire place.

Her brother sat down in the chair next to her.

“You look a little lost in thought.”

She smiled. “I was thinking that I miss Mom and Dad. I’m going to miss Grandfather too.”

“But you don’t want to jump on the plane and head back to Ireland?”

She shook her head. “I think I have too much unfinished business in Aspen Creek.”

Carefully, she lifted the cup to her lips. She wondered what John and the kids did for Thanksgiving. Had he sent them to Heather’s and he stayed home—alone?

Over the top of her cup she noticed her brother watching her. She locked eyes with him and she knew his Irish wisdom was telling him everything he needed to know and she hadn’t spoken a word.

“Tell me about him.”

“There is nothing to tell.”

He nodded slowly, sipped his hot chocolate, and waited until she couldn’t handle it any longer.

“Fine. His name is John Larson. He and his sister own the hardware store. He hung the sign and takes care of the place when something needs fixing.”

His eyes widened. “Ah, the man who fixes stuff and his children are your students.”

He paid a lot of attention when he wanted to. “Yes.”

“How many kids does this man have?”

She swallowed hard. “Four.”

Liam ran his tongue over his teeth and sat further back in his chair. “A man with four children? Kym, that’s a lot of baggage.”

“They’re not baggage,” she argued. “They are wonderful kids who lost their mother.”

“And you’ve decided that is safe territory to take over?”

“Why are you so…so…irritating about this.”

“I’m your brother. If you told me you’d met a nice young man who’d never been married, who didn’t have kids, and was a virgin I’d have questions too.”

She set her cup on the table. “I’m old enough to take care of myself. And you’re younger than I am, so if it were Ian sitting here giving me a hard time I suppose I’d take that better.”

“I certainly could arrange that.”

“You’ll do no such thing. I already have a hard enough time getting through to this man. I don’t need my brothers getting in the way.”

The corner of Liam’s mouth turned up in a crooked grin. “So tell me what’s happening with this man, big sister. He hasn’t been around this week when I’ve been there. Is he afraid of your family? Using you for his kids’ education? Using you for—something else.”

Her skin pricked with heat. “Why are you doing this? I haven’t had the pleasantries of your company in a year and in one week you’ve questioned everything about my life.”

“I’m just trying to find out about this mystery man.”

“He’s no mystery. He’s a fine man who has a great family who lost his wife.”

“And you’re going to step in and fix him?”

“He’s not broken.”

That smile on his face was getting bigger. “Then why do you want him around? What is it about this man that makes you get so mad over him?”

“Because I love him.”

The grin turned into an enormous smile and Liam lifted his cup in salute to her before sipping.

Now tears were stinging her eyes and she wanted to hit her own brother. She didn’t want to say aloud, to anyone, that she loved the man who didn’t have the decency to come around. He’d pulled his kids from class. He’d all but disappeared and here she was with all these feelings and no way to let them out.

“That wasn’t nice.” She sat back in her chair and dropped her shoulders.

“Eh, it was the only way I could get you to admit it. Otherwise, no matter how much of a fight you were putting up about being a strong woman—you’d get on that plane with us.”

He was right.

She’d said it aloud to more than just herself. Well, now what? She was in Grand Junction and her Grandfather and brother would leave her totally alone when they flew out tomorrow.

It didn’t matter. She’d spend tomorrow in Aspen Hills and drive back to Aspen Creek on Thanksgiving. The school wouldn’t open again until Monday. She had plenty of time to decide how she wanted to approach John Larson—or forget about their relationship altogether.

Chapter Eighteen

The air was frigid as Kym kissed her grandfather goodbye. He’d never accept a tearful farewell, but Kym wasn’t sure she could promise that. In her heart she knew it was the very last time she’d ever see him again and that broke her heart.

“You are a brave and strong woman,” he said with a slow nod and his eyes firm on hers. “All children who pass through your school will go on to be strong and brave too.” He patted her cheek and moved in to speak in her ear. “Mr. Larson is also brave and strong, but he could be reminded.”

That had done it. The tears came quickly and she pulled her grandfather to her. It didn’t matter what tradition might have said to do. She loved him and she would miss him and his wisdom.

Her grandfather went on and Liam moved to her. “He’s a strong man. I’ll bet he has at least another ten or fifteen years in him.”

That had made her chuckle as she wiped away her tears.

“You’re doing a good job.” Liam took her hands in his. “Dad and Mom are very proud of you. When Grandfather gets settled in I’ll come back and visit again. I can’t wait to see what you build before then.”

“You can come back, but you can’t change my school.”

He kissed her on the cheek. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

With that, he was gone too and Kym was alone.

The drive to Aspen Hills was a little easier than the drive they’d had climbing out of the valley above Aspen Creek. She had a massage, facial, and a manicure scheduled for the afternoon. Then, she’d cozy up by the fireplace in her room and think about what she would do with the rest of her life.

~*~

It had been a long time since John had been so nervous. He’d accepted Heather’s invitation to Thanksgiving, but he still wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

“Dad, we’re going to be late,” Jacob stood in the kitchen door with his coat on and Cody’s gloved hand in his.

“I just don’t know if this dessert is good enough.”

“They’re brownies. They’re good enough. Let’s go.”

John gave him a nod as Abby ran into the kitchen. “Is Miss O’Bryne going too?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“Because she’s your girlfriend and you miss her and so do I. I can’t find my glove,” she continued as she passed through the kitchen and out to the living room.

John shot a glance toward Jacob who was smiling wide. “What was that about?”

“We haven’t been to class since that night I broke the board and I told her you were upset with Miss O’Bryne.”

“Why would you tell her that?”

“Because you are, but you still like her. You’re just upset.”

This nonsense about his son being so keen on how he felt was getting old, but it was hard to argue when he was right.

“Listen, I don’t even know where Miss O’Bryne is right now.”

“Aunt Kelley said she’s had a spa day in Aspen Hills yesterday and should be home sometime today.”

He was certainly going to have a talk with his sister about filling his son’s head with such things. But the comment about her driving home from Aspen Hills had John looking out the window. The sky was gray, the kind of gray caused by frozen air stirring up a storm. Snow gently fell onto the frozen snow which had yet to melt. He didn’t like thinking about her in that car of hers.

One thing was for sure, Kym O’Bryne was a smart woman and if the conditions were bad she wouldn’t even try to drive through.

As they loaded up the truck John looked up toward the pass between Aspen Hills and Aspen Creek. The clouds were low-lying enough he couldn’t see the top of the mountain. He shook his head and climbed into the truck. He wasn’t going to worry about it. He had enough to worry about—he was headed toward his mother-in-law’s house and he already had heartburn.

~*~

The hotel room was lonely and Kym couldn’t stand to be there one more minute. The conditions outside weren’t ideal, but the pass made the route to Aspen Creek a direct drive and if she just took it easy she’d be fine. There was desperation to sleep in her own bed tonight.

As she started out of Aspen Hills, the sun had begun to peek out of the clouds. This is a positive sign, she thought as she carefully took the first turn on the pass.

The overnight snow had accumulated more than she’d realized, but slow and easy and she seemed to be making her way home.

It had been an hour on the road when she noticed that she’d only made it twenty miles. She had another thirty to go and her gas gage was much lower than she thought it should have been.

Around the next turn the sun hadn’t been so generous with its heat and the snow on the road was thicker. Her small car grunted along, but it grew slower and slower as she began to crest over the pass.

The thought that it was all downhill from there kept her hopeful, but as she neared the opening that normally would give her the most magnificent view, her car stopped moving and she was stranded in the cold.

For the first time in Kym O’Bryne’s life she wasn’t prepared.

She surveyed the area around her. About a mile down the road she could see a building. If she was where she thought she was, it would have been the original Rose Family homestead. But honestly, she didn’t know where she was.

Kym opened her door and the snow came right up to the ledge of her car. Cautiously she stepped her booted foot out and sunk nearly to her knees.

She reached back into the car and took her cell phone out, which had been charging during the drive. There was minimal signal. She needed to move away from the base of the mountain to get a call through.

Carefully, she took a few more steps, but her footing gave way under her and she found herself face down in a snow bank.

Quickly she pushed herself back up. The temperature was dropping and now she was wet and cold.

Somehow, by the grace of God she presumed, her phone had been protected against her and hadn’t suffered.

There were a few more bars now on her screen and she looked in her contacts for Chris Douglas.

John had made it all the way to dessert and so far hadn’t been yelled at, called out, or poisoned—or so he thought. Maybe they could make a go of this family thing after all.

Heather brought him a cup of coffee and smiled at him. “It was nice to have you at dinner again.”

“Thank you for having me,” he said as the doorbell rang.

“Who could that be?” she asked as she set her mug on the table.

John knew who he wanted it to be, but there was no reason for her to even think about showing up there.

“Hey, Chris.” He watched as Heather stepped aside and his friend walked through the door, but the perplexed look on his face had John out of his chair. “What’s wrong?”

“I got a call from Kym about twenty minutes ago.”