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She set the tray on the desk. “Come on,” she coaxed. “It’s not so bad—at least you can be thankful no one got hurt.”
His brown eyes met hers. “I am—but not for why you all think.”
She sat on the bed and placed her hand on his leg in a gesture of sympathy. He jerked his leg away, arms folded tight across his chest.
“You wouldn’t even listen to me.” Wounded tears sprang into his eyes. “You like Colton better than me.”
Her heart broke. “I don’t like him better, Noah.” When he remained silent, she added, “I’m listening now—tell me why you did it.”
“That’s the whole point. I didn’t.”
“Noah, you’re old enough to know about the boy who cried wolf,” she warned.
“I didn’t do it.” He reached behind his pillow and then handed her a box of Snaps. She turned it over in her hand. The seal was unbroken.
She stared at the yellow box. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“No one would let me,” he accused.
Who would’ve done it, then? Cody? Dustin? She couldn’t imagine them any more than Noah. It simply didn’t make sense past the fact that Noah was innocent. She felt horrible for not giving her own brother the benefit of the doubt. For not even letting him explain.
“I’m sorry, Noah,” she apologized softly. “I should’ve listened to you.”
He sighed, his gaze on his hands. “Am I still grounded?”
“No.”
A ghost of his usual smile settled on his face as he looked at the food she’d brought. “What kind of sandwich did you make?”
She handed over his favorite, ham and cheese. When they were finished eating, she picked up the tray. “Stay here until I’ve talked to Colton, okay?”
He nodded. At the door, he said in a tiny little voice, “Ken?”
She stopped, raising her brows in silent inquiry.
“There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“Yeah?” She waited, thinking his voice sounded odd. Shaky and—
“I thought I saw Robert the other day.”
Kendra almost dropped the tray at his whispered words. “Where?”
“When we were camping. That’s why I stayed home today. To make sure you were safe.”
Her hands shook so bad by now she had to step back into the room to set the tray down on his dresser. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to scare you,” he admitted. “I’m not even sure it was him. Maybe it only looked like him?” His words lifted at the end, as if he hoped he was wrong.
“You’re probably right, since it was a couple days ago. Don’t worry about it, okay?” She took a calming breath and picked up the tray again. Keep it steady, don’t let him see. It was her job to protect him, not the other way around.
“You’ll talk to Colton?” Noah asked before she closed the door.
She nodded, then beat a hasty exit to the kitchen. She barely made it to the counter before she dropped the tray. Plates and glasses clattered together. Her whole body trembled while she struggled to keep fear from overwhelming her.
Automatically, she set the teakettle on the stove. Three minutes later the shrill whistle jangled her nerves all over again. She breathed deep, coun
ted to three while removing the kettle off the hot burner, and reached for a mug.
