Page 3 of Landry
"And you cannot tell her why you left." Justine wanted to embrace him, to wipe away the frown touching his dear brow. She had not given birth to him, but she could not love him any less if she had.
"No." He shook his head. "She's going to hate me more than she already does."
Justine shook her head. "I doubt that's what she feels. You brought her here." She smiled in remembrance. "I recall that week in July. It was so hot, I could boil potatoes in the heat. That was the only time you ever had a young lady with you when you visited. I remember asking you what her parents had to say about her going off with you."
"We were an item back then." His smile was whimsical. "I suggested the trip and asked permission from her parents."
"They called and spoke to me and your uncle, and we reassured them that we would be chaperones. For those two weeks, you two did everything. From swimming naked in the lake-"
"You knew about that?" His startled exclamation had her laughing.
"I was walking Betsy; you remember the old swaybacked hag we had for years? I was walking her and trying to get her to move a little faster to prove to my husband and the rest of the farm hands that she was still useful, when I saw you, as bare as the day you were born, dipping in the water and making enough noise to raise the dead."
Embarrassed color tinted his face as he stared at her sheepishly. "You never said anything."
"I started to come forward, but you were having so much fun and I knew that the day was coming when it would all be over." Her face sobered. "You see, my sister had called to tell us about the threat, before you were made aware of it. I wanted you to have those moments of innocent fun before your life was turned inside out."
Putting down the cup, he leaned back in the chair to stare out the window. It had stopped raining, but the rain clouds were still hanging low, indicating that they were in for some more showers.
"Those were some of the happiest moments I had. We did everything, shoved it all into the two weeks as if we knew itwould be the last." He turned his head to meet her gaze. "We went back home and it started collapsing." He shrugged. "And it's still turning over. Sometimes I wish I could disappear." He gestured around the room. "Sometimes I wish I were your son and not the heir to a multibillion-dollar company. I kept telling myself that if that were the case, I could live my life as I please, that I would be free to be with her. If I were a simple farmer." He shook his head with a derisive laugh. "But then again, I might not have met her."
"You're still in love with her."
His aunt's quiet words had him closing his eyes briefly. "I never stopped."
Putting her cup aside, she took both his hands and squeezed. "I'm a strong believer in things working out. It might take a while, but it will eventually work itself out. You have to have the faith to keep hanging on."
They both looked up at the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut. "Right on time," Justine said.
Landry watched as his aunt rose and went to greet her husband. The light on her face and the smile that greeted the man in his filthy overalls, along with the smile on his weathered face, were something to behold. There was no doubt they loved eachother. They touched frequently and were not afraid to show their affections for each other.
In his household, that was not allowed. Kady-Ann had shown him how to be himself. She had never been afraid to reveal her emotions and had never stopped until he started to do the same. Ignoring the pain twisting his heart into bits, he rose to greet his uncle.
***
"I was afraid you were going to come down here wearing a jogging suit," her brother retorted as soon as she walked over.
"I was sorely tempted to." She eyed his well-cut tan trousers and shell-pink sweater. His hair was well groomed as usual, low cut with natural waves. They were twins and even though they shared similar facial structures, they were very different in their personalities. Kyle was less outspoken and more on the reserved side. Kady-Ann was the opposite.
"You certainly do not look like you spent sixteen hours in the hospital."
"It takes strategic planning." He greeted her with a kiss, touching her cheek lightly, before stepping back to open the passenger door. "I'm assuming you took a car service here?"
"That's right." She settled in, brushing a hand over the navy pants she had chosen to wear. Leaning forward, she flipped the visor open to examine her face. She had brushed and pinned back her thick mahogany-brown hair into an elegant chignon at the back of her neck.
"Mother won't have anything to fault."
"Except the fact that I'm still without a man," she muttered, flipping the visor back into place.
"Seatbelt," he ordered as he shifted into gear. "And you should be used to that by now. If it bothers you so much, why not find a guy?"
"To appease our mother? I think not." Stretching her legs out, she leaned her head back and tried to relax. "Where're we having lunch this time?"
"The Tea Room."
"Great." Turning her head, she stared at him. "You look good."
"You saw me the day before yesterday," he pointed out. "At that boring dinner you dragged me to."
