cash. He’d been a burr under Kyle’s saddle since the day he’d strolled across the Oasis lobby as if he owned the place.
“Cheap bastard.” The insult was not new. Denver got into the car, cocking his chin at Kyle. “What’re you saving it for, anyway?”
Kyle stepped through the gate. “You’d rather be poor? Scraping by from one job to another?” He went up to the car, needing to see Denver’s face, to know if there was anything left between them. “Sound familiar?”
Denver didn’t answer, except to turn on the ignition. He revved the engine several times, probably scaring residents out of their beds.
Kyle thumped the window. “Get out of here.”
Denver was laughing as the car roared away.
Kyle took a deep breath and turned back to the condo complex.
Alice. She hadn’t moved.
He walked up to her, his hands hanging limply at his sides. The confrontation had sucked every shred of emotion out of him.
She stood in front of her door, fingers around the purse and jacket she held against her abdomen. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What was that about?”
He regretted the entire event. “I don’t want my staff dating the guests.”
“All right, but there’s more to it than that.”
“Never mind.” He turned to go.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Her vehemence stopped him. “That was quite a scene. You owe me an explanation.”
He rubbed his temples. “It’s a long sad story.”
“Give me the short version.”
He exhaled, then swung around to face her. The concern on her face reached into him, but he shut her out the same way he’d avoided emotional complications since the day, at twelve years old, he’d given up on his family.
“Denver’s my brother.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Y OUR BROTHER ,” Alice said. “Denver is your brother. I don’t believe it. You’re nothing alike.” But hadn’t she noticed a resemblance, just a hint of one? Now that she knew, she could see it more clearly.
At that moment, though, Kyle looked nothing like the cocky cowboy. He was a man defeated. She’d never imagined Kyle this way. He’d seemed practically invincible.
“It’s the truth,” he muttered. He straightened to stare off across the courtyard. His shoulders moved uneasily, as if he had to work the tension out of his body. “He’s my brother.”
“Yes.” As if he needed her agreement. She paused. “What was all that about—the fight?”
“Family history. You know how it is.”
She remembered what Denver had said in the car on the way home. The absent father, growing up poor. She had a hard time connecting that sort of past to Kyle and his current success.
Unless that was the reason for it.
“I gave him the job here.” Kyle’s tone was remote. He could have been talking to anyone. Or no one. “I thought, if for once he had stability…” He shrugged. “I thought I was helping. But he only resents me for it.”
Alice looked away. She shook the wrinkles out of her jacket and draped it over her arm. Kyle’s turmoil was a private thing. “I’m sure he appreciates the job. A lot of people have trouble expressing gratitude.”
Kyle snorted. “No. He resents me for making something of myself.”
“Maybe he feels…” She reached out, then stopped when Kyle moved away.
There was a long silence. He exhaled and crossed his hands at the back of his head. He clenched his fingers in his hair before dropping them as if they were too heavy to hold up.
“I’m only a bystander,” Alice said softly, “but it makes sense that he’s jealous.”
Her thoughts turned unexpectedly toward her own life. There’d been times when she’d felt green over Sue’s good fortune—having it all with the husband, the kids, the cake shop. Or Jay, who’d remained happy-go-lucky even after his divorce.
Fortunately, Sue was a good friend. And Jay had sympathized with Alice’s occasional frustration at being stuck on Osprey Island. Her resentment hadn’t festered.
It seemed that
“Cheap bastard.” The insult was not new. Denver got into the car, cocking his chin at Kyle. “What’re you saving it for, anyway?”
Kyle stepped through the gate. “You’d rather be poor? Scraping by from one job to another?” He went up to the car, needing to see Denver’s face, to know if there was anything left between them. “Sound familiar?”
Denver didn’t answer, except to turn on the ignition. He revved the engine several times, probably scaring residents out of their beds.
Kyle thumped the window. “Get out of here.”
Denver was laughing as the car roared away.
Kyle took a deep breath and turned back to the condo complex.
Alice. She hadn’t moved.
He walked up to her, his hands hanging limply at his sides. The confrontation had sucked every shred of emotion out of him.
She stood in front of her door, fingers around the purse and jacket she held against her abdomen. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What was that about?”
He regretted the entire event. “I don’t want my staff dating the guests.”
“All right, but there’s more to it than that.”
“Never mind.” He turned to go.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Her vehemence stopped him. “That was quite a scene. You owe me an explanation.”
He rubbed his temples. “It’s a long sad story.”
“Give me the short version.”
He exhaled, then swung around to face her. The concern on her face reached into him, but he shut her out the same way he’d avoided emotional complications since the day, at twelve years old, he’d given up on his family.
“Denver’s my brother.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Y OUR BROTHER ,” Alice said. “Denver is your brother. I don’t believe it. You’re nothing alike.” But hadn’t she noticed a resemblance, just a hint of one? Now that she knew, she could see it more clearly.
At that moment, though, Kyle looked nothing like the cocky cowboy. He was a man defeated. She’d never imagined Kyle this way. He’d seemed practically invincible.
“It’s the truth,” he muttered. He straightened to stare off across the courtyard. His shoulders moved uneasily, as if he had to work the tension out of his body. “He’s my brother.”
“Yes.” As if he needed her agreement. She paused. “What was all that about—the fight?”
“Family history. You know how it is.”
She remembered what Denver had said in the car on the way home. The absent father, growing up poor. She had a hard time connecting that sort of past to Kyle and his current success.
Unless that was the reason for it.
“I gave him the job here.” Kyle’s tone was remote. He could have been talking to anyone. Or no one. “I thought, if for once he had stability…” He shrugged. “I thought I was helping. But he only resents me for it.”
Alice looked away. She shook the wrinkles out of her jacket and draped it over her arm. Kyle’s turmoil was a private thing. “I’m sure he appreciates the job. A lot of people have trouble expressing gratitude.”
Kyle snorted. “No. He resents me for making something of myself.”
“Maybe he feels…” She reached out, then stopped when Kyle moved away.
There was a long silence. He exhaled and crossed his hands at the back of his head. He clenched his fingers in his hair before dropping them as if they were too heavy to hold up.
“I’m only a bystander,” Alice said softly, “but it makes sense that he’s jealous.”
Her thoughts turned unexpectedly toward her own life. There’d been times when she’d felt green over Sue’s good fortune—having it all with the husband, the kids, the cake shop. Or Jay, who’d remained happy-go-lucky even after his divorce.
Fortunately, Sue was a good friend. And Jay had sympathized with Alice’s occasional frustration at being stuck on Osprey Island. Her resentment hadn’t festered.
It seemed that
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