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Kayla led them over to her kitchen, which looked even smaller now with these two big guys hanging out by the counter on the two pink barstools. She gave Calum his cup of coffee and caught sight of his smiling face. Somewhere during her coffee making, Duncan and Calum talked trash over sports teams and discussed why Calum was a Mets fan. At least they both seemed content when the other also rooted against the Yankees.
“How long are you staying, Calum?” Kayla needed to know what his plans were. Watching her brother and Duncan, it all seemed to fit. She could see Duncan at Thanksgiving dinner, fitting right in with her family, and it scared the crap out of her.
“You almost sound like you want me gone, sis.” Calum smirked over his cup, as if he knew what she was thinking.
“No. You know it’s not that. I... I just need to know.” She wasn’t making sense, even to her own ears. Calum and Duncan shared a look, and she sighed. They were teaming up against her already.
“I didn’t expect to see you walking into the office this morning. I knew you would be coming to barge into my life again. But now you’re here... sitting at my kitchen counter, next to Duncan, whom I’ve just met. And... and I don’t know what to think or what to say.”
“Well, start with the reason you up and left us,” Calum drawled before taking another gulp of his coffee. Kayla looked from Calum to Duncan, and her panic rose.
Duncan must have noticed and said, “If you wish to speak in private, I could come back later.”
She saw the worry written over his face and the pleading in his eyes, and she knew she couldn’t send him on his way. He needed to know her story so he would know all of her. And then he could show her if he truly wanted to be with her.
Kayla knew it wasn’t nice of her to think the worst of him and picture him leaving her, but she didn’t really know him. She was attracted to him, and she knew he was loved by Maureen and Caitlin. His family was welcoming to her and rooted for him when she was in Lucky last night. She even worked for his brother Donovan, but she knew he was a player, to say the least. She had to tread carefully.
“I left New Jersey almost two months ago,” Kayla started. Duncan nodded, reassuring her that he was listening. “It wasn’t planned, and I left in a hurry. I called Linda, my boss at the time, and told her I couldn’t come back on the following Monday. I told her I would be going on a trip for a year, and I did the same with my landlord. He was pissed, but it didn’t matter.
“I boxed up everything I owned and stored it because my former coworker said that this apartment was fully furnished. My boss was upset with me leaving, said that she knew something was wrong, but she wished me all the best after I’d said I couldn’t talk about it with her.”
She looked at Calum, and he was in his quiet mode again, damn him. He wanted her to spell it all out for him. Sighing, she looked into her mug.
“Why did you run? Were you scared of something? Of someone?”
Kayla was surprised it was Duncan who’d asked her these questions. It was as if he already knew that it was out of character for her to run and not to fight and stand her ground. It was indeed all so out of character, and that’s why she felt so ashamed of herself.
When she whispered a quiet “Yes,” Calum cursed.
“For the love of God! Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell me? You know me, right? Your big brother, who’s a cop?” Calum was getting frustrated and, by default, sarcastic, but Duncan stretched over the kitchen counter and laid his hand upon hers.
“I think that’s the problem right there, Calum,” Duncan said calmly.
“How could it be a problem? I could have fucked this fucker up and....” And then it clicked for Calum. “Shit. No, Kay-Kay, please say you didn’t leave because of me.” His eyes burned with tears. Kayla had never seen her brother cry, not once in twenty-nine years of knowing him.
“No, it was not because of you, Calum. I couldn’t think straight when it all happened.” She sighed.
“What exactly did happen, Kay?”
She looked up at Duncan, who’d shortened her name, which she’d always hated. She never wanted to be called Kay, not when she loved her name and was proud of it.
“Please never call me Kay again. If you want to call me anything other than Kayla, stick with wildflower.”
Duncan chuckled and nodded at her. “There she is, my wildflower.”
Kayla rolled her eyes at him with a goofy smile on her lips.
“How bad was it?” Calum wasn’t bothered by Duncan’s flirting. He looked defeated, and he wanted answers from his sister.
“I checked into the hospital Thursday night and left New Jersey Saturday morning.” Kayla heard the scraping of one of the barstools before Calum started pacing in her kitchen, shouting curse words.
“Who hurt you? Tell me now, Kayla. This is no joking matter.”
Her body stiffened at his words. This was the exact reason she hid all of this from Calum. She knew he would barge in and be her hero, and if he had seen how badly she was hurt, he would have killed him.
Duncan squeezed her hand softly before he stood from his barstool and stopped in front of Calum. “Listen to her, Calum. Take a deep breath and let her tell you what happened. Please sit down.”
Calum scowled as if he wanted to punch Duncan in the face, but then he looked over at Kayla and sighed. He walked around the kitchen counter, picked her up from her stool, and pulled her into his arms for a warm hug. “I’m so sorry, Kay-Kay. I’m so sorry you went through this alone and you felt I couldn’t be there for you.”
