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Miranda smiled at me. “Didn’t they do a great job with the bat houses?”
I nodded. “They seemed to have a fun time doing it too.”
“I bet you’re relieved to have one now.”
Confused, I tilted my head, unsure of how to respond. I didn’t want to offend her, but no, relieved was not the way I would use to describe how I felt about having the bat house in my backyard.
“She doesn’t like bats,” Kyle offered for me. “I explained to her that one of the points of a bat house is to keep the bats from trying to get inside yours, but I still think she’d rather they live in a cave somewhere far, far away.”
I shrugged. There was no point in denying it.
“I don’t like them either, honestly,” Bella chimed in. “They carry diseases and can bite. But I’d rather they hang out in a bat house than try to get into my home. At least I worry less about it.”
I’d never once worried about a bat trying to get into my home before the night Callie came in carrying one. The possibility had never crossed my mind.
“Since moving here, I’ve realized there are many things I should consider more.”
Teddy falling into the lake, the way people stopped and talked to me like I’d always lived here, bats getting into my house or my kids picking one up in the backyard. What else could I add?
I stood in the kitchen a little while later, refilling my glass, when Miranda came in wearing a smile.
“The baby whispering strikes again.”
“Huh?”
“Bella swears Kyle has the magic touch with baby Hudson.”
“Oh.” The memory of the way he’d soothed the fussy newborn at the ice cream shack made my heart ache a little. Had it been almost a month since that day? And it had been even longer than that since the day he jumped into the lake to pull Teddy out.
“I want to thank you.”
I shook my head, pulling myself from my thoughts as what Miranda said resonated.
“For what?”
“Kyle…” She glanced toward the open doorway that led to the dining room before meeting my gaze again. “He’s been closed off—not totally himself since he’s been back. But that’s changed recently.”
The conversation with Ashley not long ago came to mind.
She sighed. “I think you’re the reason he’s back.”
Oh.Oh. How did one respond to a sentiment like that?You’re welcomedidn’t seem appropriate.
I didn’t know Kyle before he was injured, but I sure did like the man he was now. The one who carried my kids to bed when they’d fallen asleep or willingly took a pie to the face just to see them laugh. The one who put time and effort into finding an experience we’d all enjoy, then put his own fears aside to show my daughter the cliffs when she showed interest. Teaching swim lessons and building bat houses that no one had asked for.
The ache in my chest turned into a full-on pang. I didn’t want him to leave, but if I asked him to stay and he did, would he resent me? Would he regret not following his passion? The idea of a long-distance relationship shouldn’t be so scary. For years, Levi and I had spent big chunks of time apart. I was used to it. So why, then, did it feel harder this time?
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, wishing I could show him how much I cared and how grateful I was for all the things he’d done for me and my kids.
Kyle stepped into the kitchen. “You ready to go?” He lifted his brows in question. “Figured you’d want to get home soon since it’s a school night.”
“Yeah.” I nodded and turned back to Miranda. “Thank you so much for having us.”
“Anytime.” With a smile, she stepped toward Kyle and pulled him into a hug.
Once out on the sidewalk, I studied Kyle. He was walkingahead of me with an exhausted Teddy on one hip. Kyle had a slight limp to his gait, like maybe his leg was bothering him.
He’d spent the day ensuring we had a good time, between the boat ride and kayaking and then dinner with his family. Now, it looked like he was in pain, and I worried it was because we’d pushed him too hard.
