“How are you feeling this morning?” Kara asked as her eyes ran over his father.
“Much better now that they hooked me up to some fresh air,” he joked, motioning to his oxygen tube.
“Well, I remembered how much you hated the food here, so…” She pulled out a small Tupperware container from her bag and set it in front of her father. “Don’t tell the nurses,” Kara said with a wink.
His father opened the lid to a large slice of coffee cake. His father loved coffee cake.
“I made it fresh this morning,” Kara said, handing him a fork.
“Do I get a slice?” he asked, feeling his stomach growl.
Kara frowned. “I… wasn’t sure if you’d still be here.”
“Why don’t you do me a favor,” his father broke in, then took a bite and groaned. “Damn good cake,” he added. “Take this kid of mine off my hands for a while. His hovering is bothering me.” His father waved his hand. “Maybe the two of you could head down to the diner and grab some breakfast.” He took another bite. “I have a feeling after all this sugar, I’m going to need a nap.”
“Dad,” Nick started, but his father narrowed his eyes at him, and he shut his mouth.
“I’m sure Kara hasn’t had time to eat anything herself, with all the baking she did for me this morning.”
“I…” Kara started, but his father narrowed his eyes in her direction, and she chuckled. “I could eat,” she finished.
“Good. Now go and leave an old man to enjoy this treat alone.” His father waved them away.
He turned to Kara and frowned. “You don’t have to…” he started, but she waved him off after raising her chin slightly.
“Come on, the diner is just across the street.” Kara walked back out without waiting for him. He followed her into the elevator and, as the doors slid closed, she turned to him and asked. “So, how’s he really doing?”
Leaning against the wall, he sighed.
“That bad?” she asked. He nodded. “The cancer is back?”
“It never left,” he answered. “Just… grew. The doc says he’s got days or weeks instead of years.”
Kara laid a hand on his arm. He hadn’t realized just how hard it was hitting him until he felt her hand on his skin.
Through the haze of telling himself not to break down in front of her, he heard the elevator doors open. She tugged on his arm, and he followed her out of the hospital and across the street like a zombie.
They were seated in a corner booth, and he sat in silence as Kara ordered them both coffees. He sipped the hot drink, then frowned and put in creamer and sugar.
“Are you okay?” she asked him after he took a sip.
“Yeah,” he sighed, remembering what his father had told him about selling the ranch. His eyes zoned in on the dark liquid. “Did you always plan on staying at your folks’ place?”
Kara was quiet for a moment. “No, not always. When I was ten, I thought I’d run away and join the circus. I was going to be one of the ladies that rode on the horses’ backs in tights with a large feather in my hair.” She smiled and he smiled with her.
“I could totally see that.” He felt his heart lighten. “The way you used to ride that pony of yours.” He laughed as he remembered seeing her standing on the little horse’s back plenty of times. “You were getting pretty good at it.”
She was smiling at him. “What about you?”
His smile slipped. “Not always.” He looked up at her. “That bull made my decision for me.” He rubbed his left thigh, which still pained him when it got too cold. The scar wasn’t as bad as it had once been. Most of the damage had been internal. The scars were there just to remind him of what could have been. The misstep that he’d almost taken.
Chapter Five
Kara felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she watched Nick’s eyes change while he talked about how he had planned on following the rodeo circuit after school.
His injury that day was her fault, and she avoided his gaze as he continued. But then his story shifted, and he talked about his family’s ranch as if it was the best place on the planet. He went on about his plans for the place. How he wanted to turn part of it into a rehabilitation center for abused animals and wayward teens.
The more he talked about his idea over breakfast, the more light came into his eyes and, if she was honest with herself, the more she was drawn into his plans.
“So, what does your dad think of your plans?” she asked after their table was cleared of the empty dishes.
Nick frowned for the first time since he’s started sharing his ideas.
“I… haven’t talked to him about it yet,” he admitted.
She thought about how fragile his dad had looked, how vulnerable, and wondered if Nick had kept his thoughts to himself out of fear of his father’s health.
“It’s not…” he started, then shook his head. “How about a walk?” he asked, nodding towards the windows.
When she’d woken that morning, it had been raining. Now, however, there was a break in the clouds and the sun was shining. Even though it was still a crisp winter morning in Wyoming, it was nice out.
“Sure.” She pulled out her purse and tried to pay for her half of breakfast, but Nick stopped her and paid the entire bill.
“It’s the least I can do after you baked for my dad.”
They strolled out of the diner and headed towards the center of town. There was a park right in front of the city building. Normally, on spring and summer days, kids and families filled the space. Now, however, it was empty. Holiday decorations adorned every light post and tree in the area. The gazebo in the center of the park area was completely decked out. A massive Christmas tree sat directly across the gazebo and had been officially lit the day after Thanksgiving, as was the town’s tradition.
They walked around the pathway and sat on a bench facing the huge tree.
How many times had she and her family enjoyed the park together? There had been summer concerts, movie nights, fall and winter festivals, not to mention her high school graduation party, which had been held around the gazebo area just across the grass under a million hanging string lights.
“This place is home.” He sighed and leaned back.
“I was thinking the same thing.” She smiled at him.
“I had my first kiss…” He motioned to a large tree known to the townspeople as the kissing tree.
“Seriously? You did the whole kissing tree thing?” She nudged his shoulder with her own.
“How do you think it got its name?” He smiled at her, and she realized that his smile was slightly crooked, which made her heart do a little flip. “I managed to get Leslie Thomas to sneak away from the summer festival and kiss me until her brother came looking for her.” He chuckled. “I earned a black eye for that move. What about you?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never kissed under the tree.”
“Where was your first kiss?”
“Under the bleachers,” she admitted. “Shelby Logan.” She smiled. “Before he and his family moved to California.”