AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She covered her face with her hands as the tears that had threatened in the office began to fall in earnest. How was she ever going to get over this when it felt like she was walking away from someone who could have been her soulmate?
She’d never really believed in soulmates. But Hudson had seemed to be someone who might fit that definition, had he been a Christian. Kayleigh couldn’t imagine that she’d ever meet another man who would understand her or make her feel the way Hudson had.
They’d shared a connection she’d never experienced before, had never even realized was possible. But now that she’d had a taste of that type of connection, having to turn away from it hurt deep within her heart.
She knew that at some point she’d be able to move on and look back on this time without feeling this crushing pain.
But right then, it felt like it would be an eternity before her heart felt normal again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Kayleigh climbed out of her car, taking a quick inventory of the vehicles parked in front of her parents’ home. It looked like everyone was there already. Well, everyone who was currently in Serenity.
Wilder, Lee, Zane, and Cole were all out of town, so they wouldn’t be there. However, they’d all check in via video chat at some point during the evening.
It was a dinner for the family members having birthdays that month, which were Zane and Charli.
The late spring day was warm but not overly hot thanks to a light breeze. Perfect for the barbecue that was planned for the evening.
She let herself in the front door, then headed for the kitchen at the back of the house.
“Hello, darling!” Her mom dried her hands as she came to hug Kayleigh. “How are you doing?”
“Good. How are you?”
Her mom narrowed her gaze at her for a moment before she nodded. “I’m doing fine.”
Glad that her mom wasn’t going to press, Kayleigh looked around the kitchen. “I need to put these cream puffs in the fridge. Is there room?”
“Yep. Put them in the one in the pantry.”
Kayleigh went into the spacious pantry and put the large container into the fridge. They had a cake, but cream puffs were one of Charli’s favorite desserts, so Kayleigh had made some for her.
When she stepped back into the kitchen, her dad was there. He gave her a hug, then picked up a large platter of meat and carried it out onto the deck.
For the next little while, they were busy getting all the food ready. There was lots of chatter and laughter, but Kayleigh didn’t feel a part of it. That wasn’t an entirely foreign feeling for her. She was probably the quietest of the family, so no one seemed to find anything unusual about her silence.
This time around, however, her silence came from a place of pain.
“How’re things at the resort?” Jay asked as he settled onto the bench next to Kayleigh at one of the picnic tables that was set up on the large deck.
They’d all loaded up their plates with the large assortment of food that had been prepared for the birthday dinner. Steak. BBQ chicken. Roasted vegetables. Potato salad. Freshly made rolls. All of it looked delicious, but Kayleigh didn’t have much of an appetite.
“They’re good.”
“Nothing else weird happening?”
“No. Thank God. Once Liz and her brother were arrested, nothing else has happened.”
“And have you heard from Hudson?” Jay asked.
Kayleigh frowned at the piece of potato she’d just forked up. “No. Now that everything is settled, there’s no need for him to be involved at the resort. He’s mainly a troubleshooter, so if there’s no trouble, there’s no need for him to be in contact.”
“Hmmm.” Jay took a bite of steak, then said, “Are you sure? I kind of got the feeling that he was a friend as well.”
“He was,” Kayleigh admitted. “It’s easier to work with someone you are on friendly terms with, but he was never going to be hanging around here.”
All of that was true, but her siblings had been like sharks scenting blood in the water for the past few months. The blood being her emotional state, which, though she’d tried to appear as normal as possible, had been picked up on.
