Page 52 of Target Acquired
Mind? She’d prefer it. She often found herself holding back tears whenever she was around her father—probably one of the main reasons why she avoided him—but if Cole was there, she’d be stronger.
And she wasn’t going to investigate why she felt that way.
When Cole pulled into her father’s driveway, Logan’s vehicle was already there. He lived there so his car in the drive wasn’t unusual, but she’d thought he’d be at work.
Kenzie shoved aside the feelings that always rushed back at her when she came to her childhood home. Trapped, stuck, no way out. They were all synonyms that she’d shed the last time she walked out the door, her final load grasped in her arms. When she’d pulled out of the neighborhood and onto the main road, freedom, the ability to breathe, and the excitement that came with stepping into life with a new start had filled her.
“Kenzie? You awake?”
She jerked. “Yes. Sorry. Just thinking about when I moved out.”
“A good day, right?”
She shot him a grin. “The best.”
He laughed. “I remember Logan’s shock that you actually did it. He honestly didn’t think you would.”
Her brief flash of joy faded. “I know. None of them did. They think I’m a coward because I waited until they were all out of the house to make my move, but I had no intention of listening to the four of them list all of the reasons I should stay and how selfish I was for leaving them. Especially Dad. And besides, it wasn’t long after Paul and Kash moved out. It’s the cycle of life, right?”
He frowned. “Selfish? You moved out two years ago at the age of thirty-two—and only after you arranged for your dad to have care around the clock should he need it. I think you’re anything but selfish.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. “Hm. Well, I appreciate that, but I assure you they’d disagree with you. On the flip side, living at home as long as I did allowed me to pay for my school expenses and finish debt free. So there’s that.” She needed to stop jabbering, get out of the vehicle, and go inside.
She pushed the door open and winced. The movement had pulled the wound, but she ignored it and climbed out.
Logan opened the front door. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello to you too.”
“Aw, you know you’re always welcome, but Paul said you’d been hurt and didn’t want any company or help.”
She winced again—this time from the pain in her heart, not her side. “Apparently that’s the way I came across, but I didn’t mean to.”
Logan simply raised a brow. “All right.”
“Thought you’d be working today.”
“I asked for the day off. Tomorrow too.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t going to ask why. She didn’t need to know.
Kenzie sighed and aimed herself for the open front door. “I’ll go apologize.” She paused. “Is the nurse here?”
“No, he sent her home when I got here.”
“Did he ask you to take him to Mom’s grave?”
“No.”
She stopped and turned to meet her brother’s gaze. “Then why did he ask me?”
Logan shrugged. “No idea.” She glanced at Cole, who stood a discreet distance away, giving them the illusion of privacy. “Go on in,” Logan said. “He’s in the recliner. I’ll let you have him to yourself for a while.”
Great. She walked in to find him exactly where Logan said he was, head back, eyes closed, his mostly useless legs on the raised footrest and covered with a blanket she’d given him for Christmas last year. For the first time, he looked old to her. She flinched, then schooled her features. “Hi, Dad.”
His eyes opened. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
Why did everyone keep asking her that? “You wanted me to take you to Mom’s grave.”