Page 58 of Her Summer Hope

Murdock’s lips shifted slightly and parted into the most stunning smile that he’d ever seen from the man. Sure, it wasn’t much more than a grimace, but for Calvin, it was unheard of.

“You’re jealous,” he said, sipping his coffee and then putting it on the table near the sofa. He leaned forward and linked his fingers together. “You’ve got no reason to be. She needed someone to confide in, and for whatever reason, it couldn’t be you. She made me swear not to tell you.”

“So, you do know what’s going on,” Kyle accused, taking a deep breath in through his nose and remembering her tells from their last conversation.

After he asked her if she was in danger, he saw the way her breathing had sped up, her fists had clenched, and her eyes had drifted away from his.

She hadn’t even denied it. She had just said she was fine. He couldn’t let this go.

“I know a little bit about what is bothering her today. She hasn’t told me much more than you know.”

“Does she have a reason to be so upset about it?” he badgered.

Murdock nodded. “Yep, a good reason.”

Kyle brushed a hand through his hair, feeling the need to go for a very long run through the mountains. He leaned forward and thought about how much correspondence he needed to catch up on, but there was no way he could focus on that right now.

“I will tell you this: her husband doesn’t know what’s going on either. She didn’t tell him and from the way she talked, I don’t think she will.”

“What?” he frowned. “Why wouldn’t she tell her husband?”

Murdock shrugged. “That I don’t know. She was adamant though, that’s for sure.”

“So, she’s going through something bad all by herself?” Kyle stood and paced.

“With two jobs, a baby, and a husband that seems pretty absent, yes,” Murdock said.

Kyle shook his head. “That’s not fair. She told me that he had to be gone more than usual because I guess he’s not getting many sales these days.”

“Still…she was my wife? I’d never leave her alone so much, especially not with a baby to take care of. You know how much work babies are?”

Kyle nodded. “She’s probably exhausted.”

“She hides it well,” Murdock said with a faint appreciative gleam on his hard face.

Kyle glared at him and waved his hand. “Go. Let me know when you know more.”

“I won’t break a confidence,” he grunted.

“Then tell me what you can.”

Kyle brooded after he left. He stayed up later than he should have to consider her situation. He knew it was probably wrong to think about her so much, to want her so much. He just couldn’t help it.

He was being a damned teenage girl.

He growled in frustration and then slammed the light switch down and went to bed.

∞∞∞

Sunday was rainy and gloomy.

Kyle was catching up on work while Murdock prowled around the woods. He went out every day, rain or shine. He needed it, Kyle knew. He needed open spaces, nature, and trees…he couldn’t tolerate being confined.

Kyle knew the feeling of the walls pressing in, and he knew the absolute relief of being in the middle of the forest with nobody around for miles. The birds and squirrels were better company than people most times, and the fresh air had a way of clearing even the most brutal thoughts from a person’s head.

Evans was still asleep, not an unusual thing for him after Saturday nights. He’d come out hungover and hungry around two o’clock.

Kyle had talked to him and was satisfied that the man wasn’t becoming an alcoholic.