Page 89 of Her Summer Hope

Madison's heart ached to see James's withdrawn demeanor, but she was grateful for Kyle's effort to comfort her children.

She cleared her throat, and the room fell silent. "We can go home," she said softly.

Kyle nodded and stood up, effortlessly shifting Emma into her car seat. She held James's hand as they walked to Kyle's truck, the night air cool against her skin.

The drive home was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the engine and Emma's occasional coos from the backseat. Madison stared out the window, lost in thought, her mind a tumult of emotions and guilt.

When they arrived at her house, John was there waiting in her car.

Kyle helped her and the kids to the front door, his movements efficient, yet gentle. His face was unreadable.

John waved and gave her a sad smile, his expression filled with understanding and sympathy. "Take care, Madison," he said softly. “Call us if you need anything.”

Madison nodded and turned to Kyle, her voice shaky. "I don't know when I'll be able to come in to work," she began.

Kyle cut her off, holding up his hand. "Take your time. We'll manage," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. “I’ll call you in a couple of days, see how you’re getting along. Like John said, call if you need anything.”

Madison nodded and swallowed back tears as she watched Kyle and John walk back to the truck, a sense of loss washing over her. Kyle seemed to hesitate for a second before he got in, but eventually, he did.

She had revealed her secrets, and now she had to face the consequences. She stepped inside her home. The kids were clustered on the couch.

James tugged her hand. “Is Miss Helen going to die, like Dad?”

She gathered him up. “I don’t think so, Jamie. The doctor said she was feeling a little bit better, but she’ll probably be sick for a while. They’re going to send her to a really good doctor in a bigger town. When she gets better, she’ll be able to come home.”

He blinked, very solemn, and then went to find Jack while she took care of Em and tried to hold herself together.

Chapter Twenty

Kyle

In the darkness of his office, Kyle leaned back in his chair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

The quiet was a huge contrast to the storm of emotions that had been stirred up by Madison's confessions.

Madison’s husband was dead, and he felt guilty that his very first thought had been that she was free to be his. His next thoughts were of all the lies she had told from day one. He wasn’t sure where her lies ended and the truth began.

It was too much like Regina. It hurt. It hurt damned bad.

Thing was…he didn’t blame her.

She’d been left in a hell of a spot by her husband and she was only doing what she needed to do to survive, to feed her kids and keep her house. He would have done the same thing.

Yet, even still it hurt.

He thought of all the times he’d sensed something about her, something warm and caring and maternal. He’d thought it was just because she had a baby, but it made sense. She had the aura of a longtime mother. She had the maturity of one, even though she was still very young. She wasn’t even thirty and she was taking on the role of head of household for her family.

He dropped his head into his hands and scraped his fingers through his hair, pulling the strands to relieve some of his stress. The beginnings of a migraine were working their way into his eyes and he popped open a drawer and took an aspirin.

“Fuck,” he muttered, wishing for once in his life that things could be simple.

She had a custody battle going too. She had been afraid all those times he’d sensed fear, but it was worse than a physical danger for her. Someone was threatening to take the kids away from her, at least partially, and that made him livid.

Couldn’t they see how good of a mother she was?

His gaze was drawn to the computer screen on his desk— the monthly payroll for McClellan's Hope.

His hand paused as he reached for the mouse. Each name was not just an employee, but a part of the retreat's family, each with their own story, their own battles. When his fingers brushed Madison's name on the screen, a pang of something akin to betrayal mixed with apprehension washed over him.

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