Ties That Bind (31 page)

Somehow they were all standing. The casket was being wheeled out and Reese was aware of people moving around him. Sofie touched his shoulder. “Go on, Daddy.”

Dray pulled at him, too, and they made their way out of the church to the street. The bright light of the sun shocked him. How could warm rays be beaming down on them when he was burying his sister? It was obscene. He felt himself stumble on the way to the black limo. Funeral home staff surrounded them, directing them to the right cars. Dray kissed him on the cheek, let go of his hand, and faded away.

The limo was plush inside. He moved to the right and felt a hand reach for his. Kate. He bypassed her hand and slid his arm around her instead, keeping her close, finding a microchip of comfort in her presence. He hugged Sofie with his other arm. Across the seat, his dad huddled with the two little boys.

Again bright sunlight…gravel crunching under his feet…people milling…someone handed him a rose, and he approached his little sister’s casket. Setting the flower on the lid, he whispered, “Good-bye, Emmy.”

He knew he was crying and couldn’t stop it. He glanced over, saw tears from Kate, his daughter, the boys, his father. Grief consumed them all as they bid their last farewells.

And Reese knew in his heart nothing would ever be the same again.

o0o

THE SMALL RESTAURANT in downtown North Falls was filled with people who’d come to pay their respects to the Bishop family. Flanked by Jillian and Kate’s sister, Patty, who’d flown in from Arizona on Friday, Kate sipped her wine and watched Reese.

Patty tracked her gaze. “He’s holding up pretty well.”

“He’s a wreck.” He looked pale in the dark suit he wore. She turned to her sister. “I still can’t believe you came.”

“Of course I came. Dee and Joan would have, too, except they’re in Europe together.” She nodded to Sofie, who hadn’t left her dad’s side. “Besides, your daughter made it clear I should come.”

Kate was surprised, and pleased, that Sofie had taken it upon herself to call Kate’s sisters and ask them to fly in.

Jillian chuckled. “That kid can be daunting.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay, Patty? Come back to Westwood with me. I’m off till Thursday.”

“Sorry. I only get a few days leave from work.” She was a reading teacher in Phoenix and had taken three days of family bereavement time.

Reese scanned the room. His gaze fell on Kate, stopped, then he looked back to the neighbor who was talking to him.

“He’s done that all day,” Patty said.

“What?”

“Look for you.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

Jillian and Patty exchanged some silent message but Kate ignored it. Drained from the funeral—they were always the worst because of their finality—she blanked her mind.

Jillian nodded across the room. “Dray and Tyler seem like they have a lot to talk about.”

Kate saw the two of them sitting at a table. She’d been shocked to see Tyler this morning. Things between them weren’t good the last time they talked. And he was supposed to be in Cancun. She was supposed to be there, too. But she should have known he’d come. She wasn’t thinking clearly.

“I should go over there.”

Her friend grasped her arm. “Do what’s best for you, Kate.”

“Who the hell knows what that is?”

Patty shook her head. They’d stayed up late talking last night about what had happened with Reese and what that meant for the future. With the arrival of Sofie and then Patty, any physical comfort Kate could give Reese had been precluded. Sofie had stayed at the Gates’ house with her father and Kate had gone to bunk with her sister at the hotel. She’d barely had a moment alone with Reese.

Excusing herself, she crossed to Tyler. He stood when she approached and kissed her cheek. She looked down. “Hello, Dray. Sorry I didn’t greet you sooner.”

“No problem. How are you holding up?”

“I feel like I’m put together with static cling.”

Tyler’s arm slid around her. Pulled her close. It felt odd.

“Did you get enough to eat?” she asked them, falling into the hostess role.

“Yes, thanks.”

“Sit down, Kaitlyn. I—”

Someone approached from behind. “Kate, I need to see you.”

Turning, she found Reese. “Sure? What is it?”

“Come with me.” He said to Tyler, “You don’t mind, do you, Sloan?”

“Of course not, Reese. I’m sorry about Emily.”

“Thanks.”

Dray stood. “Can I help?”

Kate felt sorry for her. Reese was ignoring her, but he was barely conscious of his actions, he was so mired in his grief.

“No, thanks.” He touched Dray’s shoulder. “We’ll only be a minute.”

With a proprietary hand on Kate’s back, Reese urged her to the back entrance of the restaurant. She went without question or comment. Once outside, he led her to a tree where a picnic table had been set.

She didn’t say anything, just sat down.

He loosened the striped tie that she’d packed for him and braced a foot on the bench of the table. “I needed a minute alone with you.”

It was warm out, so she pushed up the sleeves of her black dress and smiled at him. “I need to be with you, too.”

He stuck his hands in his pockets, removed them. Staring off into space, he said, “I can’t believe it.”

“It’ll take a while for it to sink in.”

He shook his head. Then focused on her. “What will you do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“When will you go back to Westwood?”

“I’m not sure. What do you want me to do?”

“Now there’s a question.” His smile, meager though it was, warmed her.

“Jillian’s taking Sofie back to school tonight.”

Reese nodded. “I know. She has a track meet tomorrow and I told her to go. She needs some respite from the weight of all this.”

“Patty’s flying out tonight, too.”

“So that leaves just you and Tyler, me and Dray.”

“Once again,” she said dryly.

“Dray wants to stay overnight here.”

“Tyler does, too.”

“I don’t want her to.” He kicked the table. “I want to sleep with you tonight.”

“Reese…”

“You want that, too, I know it.”

“I do.”

“But you’ll sleep with Tyler and I’ll sleep with Dray.”

“Maybe I should just go back to Westwood with him. Remove myself for a while so you can figure things out.”

“You can’t. I have that appointment with the lawyers and the Gates tomorrow. About custody of the boys. I want you there.”

“It’s a moot point, Reese.” Glad to be back on safer ground, she said, “Unless Charlie’s wishes were specified in the divorce agreement, Emily’s custody arrangement stands.”

“The agreement didn’t make those specifications. I went over the papers up myself.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. I don’t have to be there tomorrow.”

“I want you there.”

She hesitated only briefly. “I’ll stay. Tyler and I will drive back after the meeting. Patty didn’t cancel the hotel room just in case. I’ll stay there.”

“With Sloan?”

She nodded.

Reese’s face reddened; he pushed off from the table and went to stand by the tree. His back to her, he braced his hand against the trunk of the big maple and pulled a few leaves off a branch. After a moment, she followed him. From behind, she rested her cheek on his back and slid her arms around his waist. “This is awkward.”

His muscles tightened, and she could feel the struggle within him. “Don’t have sex with him.”

“What?”

“Don’t have sex with Sloan. Not after making love with me Wednesday night.”

“I don’t think we should be making any decisions or promises today.”

He whirled around, and grasped her arms. “No decisions. No promises. Just a pact. Don’t…” He pulled her to him. “Please, Katie. I can’t bear the thought. Not now. Maybe never. We have to talk, when this is over and we’re more sane. But I need to hear that you won’t have sex with him in the meantime.”

They were digging themselves deeper into the emotional hole they’d created when they made love again. What to do?

His hand came to her neck; he kissed the top of her head.

And she said words that she feared would alter her life forever. “I won’t have sex him.” She looked up. “You, too, right?”

The corners of his mouth quirked. “Sloan’s not my type, sweetheart.”

“Funny.”

“Say the words, Katie.”

“I don’t want you to sleep with Dray Merrill. At least not until we’ve had time to figure out what we’re going to do.”

“Good. I won’t. Now that’s settled.”

He took her hand and led her back to the restaurant. He only let go once other people came into view.

o0o

EARL ATKINS, THE lawyer Reese had recommended to Emily, sat behind a cherry desk and looked over at the cast assembled before him. “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Gates. But Reese was right in what he told you. Since designation of legal guardianship was not part of the divorce agreement, Emily got to make the choice.”

The older couple sat stiffly on one side of him, with Kate on the other. “They’re all we have left of Charlie.”

“Nat, because Reese has them,” Kate said, “doesn’t mean they won’t be part of your lives.”

“You’ll bring them back to Westwood. Take them away from us.”

“It’s only an hour’s drive.”

The boys’ grandmother sniffed.

Kate leaned forward in her seat. She looked haggard today, and Reese chided himself for wondering, in the midst of his grief and these life-altering decisions that were being made, what happened last night in that hotel room. “We promise you’ll get to see them. We’ll drive them here, if necessary.”

Merle said gruffly, “Appreciate that.”

The lawyer straightened. “There’s one more thing. I gathered from this interchange that there’s something you don’t know about Emily’s will.”

“What could that be?” Reese asked.

“You recommended Emily make some changes in her will a few years back. She made all of them but one.”

“Which one?”

His gaze shifted from Reese to Kate and back again to Reese. “She didn’t take Judge Renado’s name off the guardianship.”

Kate sat up straight. “What?”

“You’re still legal guardian, Kate.”

Her gaze snapped to Reese.

He held up his hands. “I recommended she take you off. She said she’d talk to you about it and then change the will. I didn’t have any idea she hadn’t done what I asked her to.”

“She did talk to me. I told her I thought it best to take my name off of it.”

“Are you protesting the guardianship?” the lawyer asked. “You don’t want the boys?”

“Of course I do. I’m just shocked Emily left it this way without telling any of us.”

The lawyer seemed to understand. “When I asked about your divorce, in relation to the custody agreement, she said she didn’t care that you were split up. She wanted you both to have legal guardianship of the boys.”

Reese thought, As if she always knew we’d get back together.

When that had sunk in, the lawyer straightened. “I think that’s about all of it.”

“One more thing.” This from Merle. “What about school? The little guys have another month left this year.”

“I’ll get them tutoring in Westwood,” Reese said.

“Maybe they can finish out here,” Merle suggested. “Stay with us until then.”

“No.” This from Reese.

“Reese.” Kate touched his arm. “That might be a good idea. They won’t have to be uprooted. They’ll have your dad and their other grandparents around. We can see them on weekends. In June, they’ll come and live with us.”

“With us?”

“I mean whatever arrangements you and I make.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’ll have to talk to them and Pa first.”

The Gates looked relieved.

Reese and Kate parted company with the lawyer and the Gates and they headed for Reese’s car. He circled around the driver’s side. At least he was capable of functioning a bit more normally, though he feared the ache in his heart would never go away. He slid in beside Kate.

He didn’t start the engine, just sat staring through the window. “It’s a good resolution, isn’t it?”

“I think so.”

“What about the rest?” he asked turning to face her.

“I have no idea. I’m shocked about the guardianship.”

“I can’t say I’m that surprised. In retrospect, Emily always wanted us to get back together.” He waited a beat. “I have to ask you something. Don’t take offense at this.”

“What?”

“You said you didn’t want any more kids. That’s why you…” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to burden you with the boys if you don’t want them in your life.”

“I want them in my life!” She sounded offended. “How can you even ask me that? Especially after what’s happened between us?”

“I’m not getting on you about the past, Kate. I just need to know what you want now.”

“I want the boys. I’m different from who I was at the end of our marriage.”

Smiling, he brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “I think we both are.”

She blew out a heavy breath and grasped his wrist. “I guess we have to take this one day at a time.”

“Or one night.” He sat back, his gaze was intense, piercing. “How’d it go with you two?”

“It was unbelievably awkward. Things are really strained between me and Tyler. Neither of us slept well.”

“Join the club. It was a nightmare for me. I was afraid I’d wake up and reach for you. Call your name.” He looked thoughtful. “We have to tell them what happened.”

“I know. I’d like some time though.”

“Yeah.” His tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “How are we ever going to pick up on the Bingham case? It’s the last thing I want to be thrust back into now.”

Kate the judge emerged. “I thought maybe Tyler and I would stop by the prison and get the journal.”

“Good idea.”

“How long will you stay here, Reese?”

“Another day or two. Then I have to get back to work.”

“I know. I’m due in court Thursday.”

“Should we meet on the journal when I get back?”

“Yes.” She grabbed his hand. “This is going to be big, Reese. I have a feeling this journal is going to reveal things we need to know.”

“And the other? You and me?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, I’m afraid of what’s happened between us.”