night,” she said with a forced chuckle. “I’m surprised Howard and Beth didn’t tell me you were back.”
“And they didn’t tell me you were coming to visit until I showed up today. How long are you going to be here?”
She shrugged her slender shoulder, staring at the pasture beyond the backyard, her profile more angular than he remembered, but her brown hair, with red highlights, pulled back into a ponytail was exactly the same as it had always been.
Frustrated, he released a long breath. “I know we haven’t seen each other in years, but...” But what? They had parted because they weren’t in love enough to put aside their dreams for each other. He’d been trying to play college football, which paid his way through Auburn, and trying to fulfill what his father wanted him to do—go pro when he graduated or become a medical doctor. But in the end neither path had worked for him. By his junior year he could no longer pretend those choices were what he wanted. As for being with Kit...that choice had been taken out of his hands.
Kit slanted a glance toward him. “I’m not who I was.”
“Neither am I.”
“Yeah, you never went pro. In fact, you stopped playing football your senior year.”
“By then I couldn’t juggle the demands of premed and football. I chose my studies over the game.” A game his father had played and in which he had achieved some success as a pro athlete. Dad had been hurt that Nate had not followed in his footsteps. And then when Nate decided to go into veterinary medicine instead of becoming a medical doctor, his dad had been disappointed again in his decision.
“A lot has changed since then for both of us.”
The sadness in her eyes touched his heart. He reached out and grazed his forefinger down her arm, the physical contact between them electrifying. “That doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends. We were once.” The words came out of his mouth before he could censor them. Okay, it wasn’t that bad. They could be casual friends. Surely he could do that. He’d had over eight years to get over Kit.
Her eyes glistened. “I don’t have anything to offer a friend right now. I...” She shook her head. “Tell Howard and Beth I’ll talk to them tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to skip dinner. I’m too tired from traveling all day.” She pivoted and strode toward the steps leading to the yard.
He wanted to go after her, but she’d erected a high wall between them. He knew she was hurting. He just didn’t know why. “Don’t go. They’ll think I drove you away. Did I?”
At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and looked up at him. “No, not really. I just can’t do this right now.” Then she walked toward the road that led to the cabin.
He started to follow when the sliding glass door opened.
“Where’s Kit?” Howard asked.
“Going back to the cabin.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure what happened, but she wanted me to tell you that she was tired and would see you all tomorrow.”
“Did she tell you anything else?”
Nate studied his friend’s face. “No, not really. Should she have?”
Howard’s mouth twisted into a frown. “I had hoped she would.”
“What?”
“I can’t say. She has to.”
“There’s something wrong. I knew it. Is it her injury?”
Howard swung around. “Dinner is ready.”
Nate gritted his teeth. What were they hiding? He intended to find out. Maybe the injury was worse than she had made it out to be. Had she been asked to leave the New York ballet company since she became hurt in the middle of their spring season? That would bother her since she’d dreamed of working with them above any other dance company. But if that was the case, he was certain she could triumph over the obstacle. When Kit performed, she pulled a person into the ballet story with grace and poise. She had so much to give the world with her abilities. Surely there was another company she could work with, if that was why she was upset.
He told himself it wasn’t really his concern. Whatever was troubling Kit, he was sure she’d find a solution—one that would take her far away from Cimarron City, and back to the world she’d chosen over him.
* * *
Having removed her prosthetic leg, Kathleen used her crutches to move around the cabin. She was thankful that Beth had stocked the kitchen, because she was hungry. She’d been looking forward to a good dinner, but had been driven earlier by her wheeling emotions to flee her brother’s house. When would she be ready to deal with others? Maybe she would have been better off staying in her apartment in New York, where she could be one of anonymous millions, in a town where she wouldn’t have to deal with others’ questions.
A moment of madness had prompted her to sublease her apartment for a couple of months and escape to Oklahoma. That, and her brother and Beth hammering at her resolve to stay in New York City. But the main motivator for her to leave had been when her dance buddies began ignoring her wishes to be alone and started dropping by to cheer her up. Nothing they did had worked. She knew she needed a change of scenery. As soon as she’d received the necessary help with her new prosthetic limb and the physical therapy she needed to be able to get around on her own, she’d hopped on a plane. She’d put everything into that, and since she was in good physical shape, she had succeeded quickly.
Now what do I do?
Kathleen rummaged in the refrigerator and withdrew some sliced turkey, lettuce and a tomato. As she searched for the bread, a knock sounded at her door. She thought of ignoring it, but when whoever was outside rapped again, she knew she had to answer it and tell the person face-to-face that she was going to bed soon and would talk later.
But when she opened the door, Beth charged into the cabin, carrying a plate wrapped in foil. “I know you’re trying to watch what you eat, but I figure you’ll get hungry sometime tonight so I brought dinner to you. Fried chicken is good hot or cold.”
“I was going to make myself a sandwich.”
Beth glanced over her shoulder at the turkey and other fixings on the counter. “Well, now you don’t have to. This dinner was made especially for you. I know how much you used to love your mother’s fried chicken. Howard tells me I prepare it as good as she does. I consider that a high compliment.” She placed the plate on the small dining table and patted her hips. “As you can see, I’ve enjoyed fixing and eating it often. You could stand to have a little of this fat.”
Kathleen stared at her friend, then for the first time in a long while burst out laughing. If she didn’t, she might cry. She laughed so hard that tears rolled down her face, and she swiped them away. “I’m not going to blow away.”
“Who knows? You know how windy it can get in Oklahoma. What if we have a tornado?”
“I’ll join the family in the storm cellar.”
“Sit down. Eat. I’ll get you some of the tea I fixed for you and put the turkey up. You can have a sandwich tomorrow.” Beth did as she said, then joined Kathleen at the table, sitting in the chair next to her. When Kathleen unwrapped the plate and took a bite of the chicken, her friend asked, “What do you think?”
“Delicious, but you don’t need me to tell you that. I’m sure my brother has on many occasions. If he hasn’t, I’ll have a word with him.” Kathleen enjoyed some more of the meat, then dove into the baked beans and coleslaw.
“Sorry the baked beans might be a little cold.”
“I haven’t eaten since I had breakfast at the airport this morning. And this sure beats that meal, even with cold beans.”
Beth rubbed her hands together. “I’m gonna fatten you up in no time.”