“She wasn’t a disgrace,” Roman said.
“I agree.” Eric propped an elbow on the table.
Raina smiled. She’d knowingly taken the temperature of the room and it had registered high on Kendall’s side. “Okay, now that we’re all on the same wavelength, what are we going to do to help Kendall out? Lord knows the poor woman must be mortified.”
“The most we can do is cut off any gossip we might hear and support her. Beyond that I’m sure she’d like the whole thing dropped,” Charlotte said.
“Dropped?” Raina said, outraged on Kendall’s behalf. “First of all, someone set the poor girl up.”
“And it’s up to her to figure out who did it,” Roman said in a stern voice meant to warn Raina to mind her own business.
She ought to know considering she’d been on the receiving end of his outburst before. But she’d given birth to him and that gave her some seniority and the right to continue her thoughts. “Second of all she’s like family and I’m sure Rick would appreciate it if . . .”
“We all minded our own business,” Eric finished for her.
Raina scowled his way. Considering they’d grown close over the last few months, he understood her burning desire for grandchildren and happy marriages for her sons. Neither of those things would happen if Kendall got spooked and tried to run off now.
“I agree, Raina. As much as you love Rick and Kendall, you can’t make decisions for them and you can’t change what fate has in store.” Charlotte spoke softly but in a pleading voice.
“I beg to differ. If you’ll recall, a little thing like a fake heart condition got my sons to participate in that ridiculous coin toss and put Roman on a wife hunt. Glitches aside, you two are extremely happy. I’d call that altering fate.” And though she still felt awful about lying, the cause and the end result had been positive, thank God. Given the opportunity to do it all over again, she’d take a different course of action. However, she couldn’t deny it had worked.
“You will mind your own business, Mom.” Roman’s deep blue eyes, so much like his father’s, bore into hers.
She exhaled hard. “What’s so wrong with giving support to people you love?”
Charlotte crossed the room and placed a hand on Raina’s arm. “Listen. I’ve spoken with Kendall and from what I can figure Rick had his hands full with keeping her in town, and that was before someone put her on display for everyone to see. He’s going to need your support but not your meddling. You’re going to have to trust me on this one.”
“I wish someone would trust me,” Rick said.
Raina gasped and everyone turned at the unexpected sound of Rick’s voice.
“I’m not sure whether to be more insulted that you’re all here discussing my life or that you’ve been keeping secrets.” He stepped into the kitchen, arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.
Raina hadn’t heard him enter the house and from the shocked expressions around her, neither had anyone else. He leaned against the door frame, looking exhausted and distraught. Defeat wasn’t in a Chandler’s vocabulary, but it was obvious that whatever had happened between him and Kendall hadn’t gone well.
And judging by his obvious displeasure now, things here wouldn’t go much better. “How long have you been standing there?” Raina asked. But the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach had already provided the answer.
“Oh I arrived somewhere around the time you mentioned your fake heart condition.” His jaw clenched in unmistakable anger while his eyes flashed with betrayal and hurt.
“Rick . . .”
“Not now, okay? I’ve been through enough tonight. I don’t need to deal with this too. I’m glad you’re healthy. Thrilled in fact.” Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned to leave.
“Rick.” Roman stepped toward his brother.
Rick didn’t glance back. “Unless you’re going to tell me you had no idea she was faking, we have nothing to discuss either.”
“Charlotte, I’m taking my brother out for a drink. Eric will make sure you get home okay.” Roman glanced at the other man who nodded in silent assent.
“I’d rather drink alone,” Rick muttered.
“Don’t worry about me. You two need to talk.” Charlotte’s blue eyes flashed with compassion and concern for her still-new family. “Rick, you know we love you.”
“You all have a funny way of showing it.”
“You’re right. And there’s no excuse but . . .” Raina’s voice trailed off.
“I’ll handle it, Mom. Just relax and get some sleep, okay?” Roman laid a hand on her shoulder. She appreciated his concern.
Though he’d never condoned her charade, he wasn’t turning on her now and she appreciated the loyalty. She loved her sons, too much if causing them pain was the end result of her good intentions.
“Where’s Kendall?” Charlotte asked the unspoken question Raina was certain lay on everyone’s mind.
“Home. Probably packing,” Rick muttered.
Raina winced. “If it would help I could take a ride over and talk to her.” Even as she offered, even as Roman gestured for her to zip her mouth shut, she knew what her son’s answer would be.
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” Rick asked. His disappointment shot straight through to her heart, the organ she’d used to manipulate him. Poetic justice, Raina realized, the thought bringing no consolation and an extreme amount of pain.
Rick was suffering too, from a combination of Kendall’s withdrawal and Raina’s revelation. Her own predicament and feelings now paled in comparison to the agony her middle son must be feeling.
Whether or not Rick forgave her, Raina needed to help him and Kendall find their way back to each other. Unfortunately she had no idea where to begin.
* * *
Somehow Kendall survived the night with two teenagers, a new dog, and her own heartache. The girls helped give Happy a bath and the activity helped keep Kendall’s mind busy and off the humiliation she’d suffered—at whose hands, she wondered, for the millionth time.
Though Rick insinuated he had a hunch regarding the culprit, Kendall had no idea who hated her enough to post her nearly naked picture on a billboard-sized screen. The only person who overtly disliked Kendall was Lisa Burton and Kendall couldn’t see the schoolteacher risking her job or her own reputation to pull such a juvenile stunt.
By the time the girls’ giggling subsided and they’d fallen asleep, oblivious to what had happened at the slide show, Kendall came to the conclusion it didn’t matter who’d set her up. The fact was, the person had done her a favor. They’d shown her proof of why daydreams could never be reality and why Kendall Sutton didn’t belong living in a small town with a good, decent man like Rick Chandler.
By the time daylight streamed through her still-open shades, the slide show and the photograph had replayed itself over and over in Kendall’s mind. She wasn’t ashamed of her past career or even the particular picture displayed. No matter how badly she needed the money, Kendall would never have agreed to an assignment she felt would devalue her own self worth or that of her family. But the fact remained that she’d been plastered half naked for the town to see, for people who’d been good to her to be affected.