Page 17 of When You Got a Good Thing (Misfit Inn 1)

“I…It took Mom dying to get you home.”

Guilt spurted through her—that she’d never come clean to her mother, never explained. That Joan had died thinking—well, Kennedy had no idea what Joan had truly thought about her leaving. She hoped like hell Mom hadn’t thought it was because of her. And now it was too late. No second chances. She’d learned that those didn’t exist. And that was a fact Kennedy would have to live with for the rest of her life.

Shaking with the effort of holding in a scream, she struggled to keep her voice level. “There is no answer or reason I can give you that can make up for my not being here. And I’m sorry. More than you can possibly know. But I’m asking you, for Ari’s sake, to try to get past it. I’m not a kid anymore, and I’m here to help with whatever’s needed.”

“And we appreciate it.” Pru’s instant show of support helped…a little.

Maggie ran a hand through her hair. “The thing is, you’ve been…drifting for a decade. You’ve got no ambition, no training, no career. I know your heart’s in the right place, wanting to help with things here, but I’m worried that you’re going to end up being more a hindrance than a help.”

Never mind that she didn’t have an ounce of debt, and she’d successfully lived all over the world on her own merits for a decade. Because she had no home base, few worldly goods, and—thanks to the hurried trip home—almost nothing in savings, of course they’d think she’d be another burden to the family. Because she was the screw up. She always had been. All these years she’d been on her own, she’d managed to move past that, but only a few days home, and she was being shoved back into that box.

That her sisters could so fully believe this cut deep enough to steal her breath. They didn’t know her at all. Not anymore. Opening this door had been a mistake. Maybe staying was a mistake, too. They weren’t going to forgive her.

Feeling trapped inside the cage of her own rage, Kennedy could hardly breathe. She needed space. She needed to move, to get the hell out of here, away from the accusatory stares before she simply exploded.

She was already halfway across the room before Athena called out after her. “Where the hell are you going?”

Kennedy stopped and turned back. “Why does it matter? As y’all have so blatantly pointed out, I have nothing—no money, no skills, no ambition. I have nothing to contribute to this family but being another burden. So why the hell should you care where I go?”

“Kennedy, please don’t leave.” God, she hated that Pru felt like she had to beg.

“I promised you I’d stay and see this thing through. I’m not going to break that promise, no matter what you all think of me. But right this second, I need some goddamned space.”

On that she headed for the kitchen. At the back door, she didn’t hesitate, didn’t stop to grab a jacket or a flashlight. Even as she knew she was proving their point, the moment her feet hit the grass, she began to run.

~*~

Xander should’ve gone home after his beer at Elvira’s. It had been a long-ass week and, he should’ve hit the hay early, tried to catch up on some sleep. He should not have driven out to this spot to indulge in some toxic game of “What if?” Except how could he not, with everybody and their brother asking him about Kennedy?

Xander picked his way down the trail from his old Bronco. If he was going to think about her, he might as well do it in their spot. Where they’d first become true friends and, later, lovers.

Back then, they’d been trespassing. Now, he owned the land that looked out on the valley. That had been some kind of twisted decision, to buy the place when old man Miller died. He’d tried to tell himself it was just practical. The house met his needs, fit in his budget, and the view couldn’t be beat. But what did he need with all that acreage of forested mountain? Except as an insulation to his self-imposed solitude, and so he could come here, from time to time, and give in to his self-indulgent memory of the girl he couldn’t forget.

He’d always accepted that they were different. Hell, that had been part of the appeal. Kennedy wasn’t like anyone else he knew. He’d loved her free spirit, her sense of adventure. She’d always wanted to get out and see the world, and when she’d suggested he defer college for a year to actually do it, he’d jumped at the chance. Anything to spend more time with her. They’d spent hours talking about where they’d go, what they wanted to see and do.

It had been a great dream, one he’d fully intended to execute once they had a legitimate plan, a safety net. She hadn’t liked the idea of waiting on that, but she’d agreed. They’d balanced each other—her big dreaming, his practicality. He thought she’d seen that. But in the end, she hadn’t been able to bend. Hadn’t been able to wait. She’d walked away from him. Run, actually, in the middle of the damned night. Because he’d fucked it up, and she hadn’t seen fit to give him a second chance. Straight to heartbreak. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.

She’d seen the world, exactly as she’d wanted, and he’d stayed here. Adventures without her hadn’t held any appeal. And that had been mostly okay, once he’d accepted she wasn’t coming back. He loved Eden’s Ridge, loved the Smoky Mountains. He’d gotten used to his life, to the shape of it, without her. Until tragedy had suddenly thrown Kennedy back into his path.

She’d said she was staying. Did she mean it? After what she’d done, could he trust anything she said? Did it even matter?

Given how his traitorous heart had lurched at the possibility, yeah, it mattered. If she was really s

taying, then he had to find a way to live with her here.

A sound had Xander hesitating on the trail, something that didn’t belong amid the quiet rustle of the wind and the calls of the night hunting animals. His finger hovered over the snap on his holster as he listened. Someone was…crying. And he knew. He knew even before he made it to the bottom of the trail, before he saw the slim figure standing at the edge of the overlook, her hair silvered in moonlight.

“Kennedy.”

With a tiny shriek, she whirled, stumbling in the dark.

Shit! Xander leapt forward and grabbed her before she could topple over. He yanked her back, wrapping his arms around her and spinning to put himself between her and the sixty foot drop. His heart thundered at the near fall.

“Xander?” she squeaked. Her hands were fisted in his jacket. “What the hell are you doing here?

“Having a minor heart attack. You okay?” Now that the danger was past, he couldn’t seem to make himself release her.

“Well, I’m not dead. How did you know I was here?”

---