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Only there was, Jim thought. There was one very big thing he was still keeping from Kara Brand.
He’d been forced to say goodnight to Kara with most of her family watching, and though the entire situation had been explained to them and they had wholeheartedly embraced Kara’s plan, Vidalia still looked at him as if she’d like to take him out to the woodshed with a switch. Maya seemed undecided. Edie, blatantly suspicious. Wade and Caleb watched him like bulldogs watching a steak. Only Selene and Kara looked at him with complete understanding and concern. And even Selene seemed to wax uncertain every now and then.
They all seemed to adore Tyler, though. And hell, Jim couldn’t blame them for being protective of Kara. If they knew what he was really doing with her, they’d probably run him out of town without thinking twice.
By the time the family was through questioning him and offering opinions and making plans, Tyler had climbed into his lap and fallen asleep.
Jim had been watching Kara, paying close attention all evening to try to assess the extent of the damage he’d done. But he was damned if he could see any sign of any in her eyes.
He’d been craving a moment alone with her, but in the end he gave up on it. He said his goodnights with the entire clan watching him and then carried his sleeping son out to the pickup. He would just have to try to get some private time with Kara tomorrow. He’d made too much progress with her to risk screwing it up now, especially if he was sticking around here in Big Falls after all.
He shifted Tyler onto his shoulder so he could reach for the pickup door, only to see a hand grip it before he could.
Kara had come out behind him, and he hadn’t even heard her. Hell, he’d better snap out of this habit of being lost in his thoughts.
She opened the door, and he laid his son gently on the seat, then fastened the seat belt around him, stepped back and closed the door softly.
He turned and leaned against the truck. “You never got any dinner, Kara.”
“You didn’t, either.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s not like I could think about eating with all this.”
Jim wanted to know where things stood with her, how bad a setback this had been. He could happily strangle Angela for showing up now of all times. Ruining his plan when it had been going so damn well. God, he hoped Colby was all right. He’d had phone calls from the Oklahoma state police, the county sheriff’s office and the Tucker Lake-Big Falls PD. They were coordinating with Chief Wilcox in Chicago and conducting an all-out search for the missing cop. There wasn’t a hell of a lot more that could be done on that score.
Kara looked tired. There were faint circles under her eyes that hadn’t been there before. He decided to touch her just to see if she would still allow it. He put his hands on her shoulders, then slid one inward, to move over the curve of her neck.
She surprised him by stepping closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning her body into his. She rested her head on his shoulder and she whispered, “I’m so sorry you’re going through all this, Jimmy.”
He held her, one hand cupping her neck, his fingers just starting to thread into her hair. “You’re sorry? Kara, you don’t have anything to be sorry about.”
“You could have told me, you know. From the beginning, I mean. You didn’t have to keep all this from me.”
“I know that. I know. I’m the one who owes you the apology. I just hope... I haven’t messed this up.”
“Messed what up?”
She was still in his arms, still resting against him, so he couldn’t see her face. He wished he could, so he could try to read whatever might be in her eyes and be sure she was asking what he thought she was asking.
He had nothing to go by except the feel of her in his arms, her warm breaths on his neck, the stars twinkling overhead. Hell, no, the stars had nothing to do with this. “Kara, I... I think there’s something special between us. I think you feel it, too, don’t you?”
She raised her head, stepped back slightly, looked into his eyes just the way he’d been wishing she would. Only, she was the one doing the searching, the probing, trying to read what was in his. He hoped she saw what he was trying to show her and nothing more.
“I feel—” She dipped her head suddenly. He thought he saw color flooding into her face.
“Don’t be afraid to tell me what you feel,” he said softly.
She raised her eyes to his. “I’m not afraid. Not really. It’s just... I’m not sure what I feel. It’s too soon for it to be... as big as it seems.” She drew a breath. “And I don’t want you worrying about my feelings anyway. Not right now, when you’ve got so much else to contend with.”
“I want to worry about your feelings, Kara.”
She shook her head. “Tyler comes first.”
His heart knocked against his rib cage. He hooked a finger under her chin, tipped it up and pressed his mouth to hers. She kissed like an angel. Like a fragile, timid angel, hungry for something she couldn’t begin to understand.
When he lifted his head, he said, “I’m feeling things, too, Kara. The same things you are.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that.”
