made
him smile as they sat down.
"I was thinking about what plans you
have today." He dug into the omelet.
"I haven't really had time to think
about it. I've been a little busy."
"So you have." He smiled.
"I'll just tell you what I had in mind then. I have some work I need to
take care of at the resort, and I thought maybe you would like to come with me.
You could paint the scenery from my balcony, as you talked about, for a couple
of hours."
And he wouldn't have to
let her out of his sight.
"I don't have my painting
supplies."
"We can swing by your cottage before we
go to the resort, and you can get everything you need. Then later we'll go to
my parents."
"Your parents?" She couldn't
prevent her voice from pitching with panic. "But I can't."
"Of course you can. I already told mom
you're coming and she's very excited."
Kayley felt the blood
drain from her face and her stomach sink as she realized there was no way out.
Reading her perfectly, Nathan reached over
and touched her cheek caressing. "There is nothing to worry about, Kayley.
It's just dinner and they are really looking forward to seeing you again."
"But I'm not good with people." She
couldn't suppress the whine in her voice.
"That's just a lie. You might not be
outgoing, but that has nothing to do with being bad with people. In fact, I
find you very enjoyable, and so does the rest of my family." He reached
over and took her hand as she nervously pushed the food around on her plate.
"And besides, I want you there."
Her heart stumbled and her
stomach clutched at his words.
"Okay," she said, giving in.
He smiled and squeezed her
hand. "Good. Now eat before your food gets cold."
She obeyed, even though
her appetite had completely vanished.
"I thought I might call the company your
brother works for as well, although chances of them working in the weekend is
probably non-existent. But you never know."
That got her mind off of
everything else. "You're going to call them?"
"Yes. They can tell me if he still works
there, and what his address is."
"But if he doesn't work there anymore he
might have moved."
"At least we'll know." Nathan stood
up to take their plates over to the dishwasher. "And besides even if he
has left, he might have made some friends there who knows where he lives."
"I suppose," Kayley said and got
up. She couldn't explain why she felt so torn about it, not even to herself.
She wanted to find her brother, she really did. But on the other hand she
dreaded it. Dreaded what they would discover when they found him. If they found
him, she thought grimly. He had always been a master at making himself
disappear.
Closing the dishwasher, Nathan turned and
looked at her. She was caught up in her own thoughts and they clearly weren't
happy, he noted. Wanting to comfort, he slid his arms around her and drew her
close.
"What's wrong, honey?"
Sighing, she rested her
head against his chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart.
"I was just thinking about Joe."
" It's okay,
Kayley. We'll find him." He kissed her hair softly.
"It's not just that. I can't help
thinking about what will happen if we find him."
"We'll deal with it when the time comes.
Until then it's easiest if we only deal with one step at a time. We'll focus on
the current step at hand, and when that is done we'll focus on the next."
"Okay." She sighed deeply against
his chest. She wasn't used to having anyone to tell her troubles to, and she
was surprised at how much it helped.
He took her chin, lifting her face up, and
kissed her senseless before pulling her back an inch to look into her eyes.
"We better get going, or I'll forget all my good intentions and spend the
day making love to you."
He stepped back and forced himself to release
her, before he changed his mind. "Are you ready?" he asked instead.
"Yes," Kayley managed breathlessly.
"Okay. We better go then."
He took her arm as
him smile as they sat down.
"I was thinking about what plans you
have today." He dug into the omelet.
"I haven't really had time to think
about it. I've been a little busy."
"So you have." He smiled.
"I'll just tell you what I had in mind then. I have some work I need to
take care of at the resort, and I thought maybe you would like to come with me.
You could paint the scenery from my balcony, as you talked about, for a couple
of hours."
And he wouldn't have to
let her out of his sight.
"I don't have my painting
supplies."
"We can swing by your cottage before we
go to the resort, and you can get everything you need. Then later we'll go to
my parents."
"Your parents?" She couldn't
prevent her voice from pitching with panic. "But I can't."
"Of course you can. I already told mom
you're coming and she's very excited."
Kayley felt the blood
drain from her face and her stomach sink as she realized there was no way out.
Reading her perfectly, Nathan reached over
and touched her cheek caressing. "There is nothing to worry about, Kayley.
It's just dinner and they are really looking forward to seeing you again."
"But I'm not good with people." She
couldn't suppress the whine in her voice.
"That's just a lie. You might not be
outgoing, but that has nothing to do with being bad with people. In fact, I
find you very enjoyable, and so does the rest of my family." He reached
over and took her hand as she nervously pushed the food around on her plate.
"And besides, I want you there."
Her heart stumbled and her
stomach clutched at his words.
"Okay," she said, giving in.
He smiled and squeezed her
hand. "Good. Now eat before your food gets cold."
She obeyed, even though
her appetite had completely vanished.
"I thought I might call the company your
brother works for as well, although chances of them working in the weekend is
probably non-existent. But you never know."
That got her mind off of
everything else. "You're going to call them?"
"Yes. They can tell me if he still works
there, and what his address is."
"But if he doesn't work there anymore he
might have moved."
"At least we'll know." Nathan stood
up to take their plates over to the dishwasher. "And besides even if he
has left, he might have made some friends there who knows where he lives."
"I suppose," Kayley said and got
up. She couldn't explain why she felt so torn about it, not even to herself.
She wanted to find her brother, she really did. But on the other hand she
dreaded it. Dreaded what they would discover when they found him. If they found
him, she thought grimly. He had always been a master at making himself
disappear.
Closing the dishwasher, Nathan turned and
looked at her. She was caught up in her own thoughts and they clearly weren't
happy, he noted. Wanting to comfort, he slid his arms around her and drew her
close.
"What's wrong, honey?"
Sighing, she rested her
head against his chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart.
"I was just thinking about Joe."
" It's okay,
Kayley. We'll find him." He kissed her hair softly.
"It's not just that. I can't help
thinking about what will happen if we find him."
"We'll deal with it when the time comes.
Until then it's easiest if we only deal with one step at a time. We'll focus on
the current step at hand, and when that is done we'll focus on the next."
"Okay." She sighed deeply against
his chest. She wasn't used to having anyone to tell her troubles to, and she
was surprised at how much it helped.
He took her chin, lifting her face up, and
kissed her senseless before pulling her back an inch to look into her eyes.
"We better get going, or I'll forget all my good intentions and spend the
day making love to you."
He stepped back and forced himself to release
her, before he changed his mind. "Are you ready?" he asked instead.
"Yes," Kayley managed breathlessly.
"Okay. We better go then."
He took her arm as
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