Part 21 (1/2)

Kristine took a small swig from Sol's flask, enjoying the burn at the back of her throat, struggling not to cry. ”It would have been obvious who I'd been s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around with,” she said quietly.

He stopped pacing but didn't turn until he'd figured it out. The hurt in his eyes was exactly as she'd imagined it would be. The years she had avoided it by lying to him did nothing to dampen his wounded expression. ”You slept with Nicole? My Nicole?” His voice cracked.

Kristine bowed her head. ”Yeah, I didn't know about that until after...when she said...” She did not want to share or even remember the post-s.e.x revelation she experienced when Nicole compared her kissing to her brother's.

Gabe strode back to the pack dock and s.n.a.t.c.hed the flask from Kristine and took a deep swallow before he sat down next to her, shoulders hunched. ”You slept with my first love and then the two of you talked about me? That's even worse.” His voice rose.

”If I'd known, I never would have let it go so far. I...”

”How could you not know? I told you I was in love. I talked about her all the time.”

”You never said who. You flirted with everyone. I thought you were into one of the day-ride girls, someone your age.” She took a deep breath, realizing her defensive answer came from trying to hide the truth. She had to own up to everything. ”I was too busy s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around to notice. Dad told me to watch out for you, and I didn't. I did what I always did when I got away from Quincy, and I felt like such a s.h.i.+t when she told me.” Kristine flushed. ”My head was spinning on what I could do to make it right, and then Nard was there shoving it in my face, saying I couldn't keep going around hurting people leading them on. I knew how angry and hurt you'd be and thought you'd feel like I deserved it.”

”You think I'm that low?” he demanded angrily.

”If I'd told you about Nard, you'd have found out about Nicole. Everyone would have found out, and I couldn't live with that. You know the grief you would have gotten if they found out that your sister had slept with...” She couldn't make herself say it even now. ”I had to get away from you as much as anything. I didn't want to see the look you're giving me right now.”

Gabe turned away from her, rubbing the back of his close-cropped hair. ”You let them think you were a flake instead.”

She shrugged. ”I didn't have to work with them anymore. You did.”

”So you were watching out for me.” He sounded doubtful.

”Trying to find a way to make it up to you. Why do you think I came back this summer? I still feel bad about it.”

”You should. I really liked her.”

”I know. We all knew. When I saw you at Christmas, you were still licking your wounds.”

”She said she'd write. I thought she liked me...I never knew why she cut me off like that.” His head hung low as he pa.s.sed the flask from hand to hand.

”You can't ever know what's going to come from a summer fling,” Kristine said gently, remembering how hard she fought her feelings for Gloria because she fretted about the sting that would come at the end of the summer.

”So that's what it was for you?”

Kristine put her hand on Gabe's shoulder. ”I knew that for you it was serious. That's why I had to go.”

”But you knew for her it was a fling,” he said pointedly.

”You didn't need to hear that from your sister.”

”Now all I can think about is whether she was thinking about you when she was kissing me. Thanks,” he grumbled.

Kristine bit her lip. ”She wasn't the best kisser.”

”Enough!” Gabe tipped the flask back again, then offered it to his sister.

She declined, and they sat staring at the mules waiting to be put away for the night. Kristine s.h.i.+vered as the cool evening air settled around them. Her thoughts spun on the regret of lying to Gabe tangled with the fear and anger from Nard's attack. It felt the same as it had the night she'd left six years ago. She wished she could change the course of events and make things right. She wanted to know what Gabe was thinking but at the same time wished there was a way they could just forget about it. A new reality hit her. ”I have to tell Dad now, too.”

Gabe nodded beside her. ”Better call him before Leo does.”

”On the ride back home that night, I had convinced myself that it would jeopardize Dad's business with Leo.”

”You're more important than that,” Gabe said frankly.

She rested her head against his shoulder. ”I'll call him tomorrow. I don't feel up to it tonight.”

”You should have told us back then. Even though I would have hated you.”

”I never said I made the right choice,” Kristine said. ”Do you hate me now?”

”Yes.”

Kristine's head shot up.

”Because you still get the girl.” His eyes were on the road, on Gloria approaching with her knapsack slung over one shoulder. ”I get dumped, and you get the girl. Go on,” he said with a resigned sigh. ”It'll take some time to sink in, but I don't hate you.”

”Is everything okay?” Gloria's voice was heavy with concern as she approached them.

”It is now,” Kristine said, standing to wrap her arms around Gloria. She felt something different in Gloria's hug and stepped back to look in her eyes.

”What's going on?” Gloria asked, looking from one sibling to the other.

”I gotta put the stock away,” Gabe said. He tipped his hat and left them.

”Kristine?”

Kristine let out a long breath, feeling tears threatening again. ”Gabe knows.”

”Did something happen?” Gloria asked, alarmed. She took Kristine's hand.

”I'm okay. I'll fill you in.” She stroked Gloria's cheek, tickling the stray hairs of her ponytail at the base of her neck. She wanted Gloria to hear the details of her afternoon, but she was puzzled by the way Gloria held herself. Something was different. She seemed distant. Guarded? ”What about you?” she asked.

”I'm fine,” Gloria said, smiling. ”I talked to my mom earlier.”

Kristine's face went pale. She was so caught up in what had happened with Nard that she didn't even consider that something may have changed with Gloria's mother's health. ”She's okay, isn't she?”

”I was just checking in with her. I didn't mean to scare you,” she said.

Distracted. Kristine finally placed it. Gloria was distracted by something.

”h.e.l.lo, by the way,” Gloria said, leaning forward to kiss Kristine. Kristine loved that they had a h.e.l.lo kiss. Fairly quick, but warm, supple, the sigh of a soft place to rest after a long day. She returned the kiss, moving beyond the h.e.l.lo kiss into the kiss of want, the one that said she had missed Gloria and had every intention of removing all her clothes as soon as possible. Gloria hummed in response, and when they broke apart, her eyes were all fire and desire and it felt like she was fully present again. ”Really?”

”Like you're surprised,” Kristine answered, swatting Gloria on the a.s.s. ”I know you're going to make me talk it all out, but don't think you're going to be able to keep me from having my way with you.”

”I wouldn't dream of trying to stop you,” she answered, slipping her hand into Kristine's.