Page 76 of Kylie

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”

FERDINAND FOCH

Chapter Thirty-Four

Travis

As I walked behind Kylie and Gage, my heart remained firmly affixed in my throat. Right where it had been from the moment I saw her standing by that river. From the instant my brain accepted that she was alive, the hole in my chest started knitting back together, sealing off the pain I’d endured from the moment the doctor told us that he had done everything he could.

My wife was alive.

Alive.

And to think, I’d thought Brantley was out of his fucking mind when he first tried to feed me that bullshit. I’d thought he was off his rocker.

But, no. Brantley wasn’t short on marbles, and his gut instinct had led him to the truth. I would never doubt him again. Not about anything.

Kylie was alive.

Having her in my arms had filled a gaping hole that had taken up residence in my soul since that horrific day at the hospital. Part of me had died that day, but it had come to life instantly upon seeing her again.

That wasn’t to say that I expected her reintegration into her former life to be easy. Not in the least. While I knew deep in my heart that my Kylie was in there, this woman was different. And I wasn’t just talking about the fact that her hair was thinner, longer, or that she’d lost weight. And I didn’t mean ten or fifteen pounds. No, the weight she’d lost was significant. And scary, if I were being honest. My wife was nothing more than skin and bones, most definitely malnourished, although I sensed Kieran had been attempting to help in that department.

Fucking Kieran. That bastard was lucky he was still breathing. Hell, just thinking about him made me want to commit murder. My own fucking cousin had known my wife was alive, and he’d kept it from me. Us. Her family.

I took a deep breath as I walked up onto the porch. Now was not the time to let my anger take root. There would be time for it later, not to mention a conversation that would likely end in a black eye. His or mine, I didn’t know yet.

I stepped into the house behind Kylie and Gage, closing the door and locking it. I followed them into the living room, my eyes meeting my father’s while Joe Prescott let out a pained sob.

“Daddy,” Kylie greeted, her voice raw.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” Joe muttered as he pulled his daughter into his arms, cradling her as though she might break.

He looked at me over her head, his eyes shiny with tears. I could tell he wasn’t sure whether he should believe it. I knew how he felt. But it wasn’t a dream. She was really there.

When Kylie pulled back, Joe cupped her face with both hands and stared at her. They remained like that for a few heartbeats before he dropped his hands and took a deep, shuddering breath.

My wife turned and my mother was right there, tears steadily streaming down her face as she took a step closer to Kylie.

The two most important women in my life stood face to face for a moment. My mother was holding back by sheer force of will. I could practically see her arms wanting to embrace Kylie, to hold her. I understood that feeling all too well, too. That was all I wanted to do. Hell, we could sit on the couch for the rest of the night as long as I could hold her in my arms.

“Hi,” Kylie whispered to my mother. A sob followed the single word as she walked into Mom’s arms, letting herself be held and holding on just as tightly.

I could see the concern etched on my mother’s face. She wasn’t the only one worried. Kylie looked fragile and ill. A trip to the hospital was likely what she needed, but that was a nonstarter since she’d already refused when Gage and I attempted to broach the subject on the way home. According to my brief conversation with Kieran, a doctor had been taking care of her these past few weeks. It wasn’t enough, but that was a topic to tackle tomorrow.

The room remained silent while the women embraced. No one moved until Pop caught my eye and gestured toward the kitchen. I met Gage’s gaze to check in. He nodded, but remained where he was.

As soon as the door swung shut behind me, Pop said, “Jessie and Braydon are on the way over.”

I nodded. I would’ve preferred to keep them away until morning, but it would’ve been cruel to ask for such a thing. Her sister needed this reunion as much as we did. I could only imagine what had gone through her mind when she learned the news.

“Where are the kids?” I knew they weren’t sleeping.

“Watchin’ a movie.”

“You told them?” I asked.