Page 90 of Mine For The Winter

She felt her hands start to shake.

“She’s leaving with me.”

“What?” Lyle’s voice was tremulous.

She felt mortified. Like she’d betrayed him. Oh God, she had.

“You’re leaving me, Kel?” Lyle asked her. His eyes were full of tears. And she hated that.

“I…” She tried to breathe.

“Don’t go. Please don’t go.” A tear ran down his face. And it was worse than anger. So much worse. “I’ll go to rehab, I promise. I’ll make it better. Don’t leave me.”

There was a twinge in her stomach. And logically she knew it was way too early to be the baby. But it was a reminder still. A little life was growing inside of her. A little person who one day would want to know their father.

She looked from Kris to Lyle, and it felt like her heart was breaking.

“You won’t do it,” Kris said, his voice low. “You won’t do it for her. And you won’t do it for your kid.”

She gasped. But luckily Lyle didn’t take those words in.

And then Kris turned to her, his gaze still soft. “Come with me now.”

But she couldn’t. She needed to be able to look this child she was carrying in the eye someday and tell them that she tried. That she did her best to make sure they had a dad who was alive, sober, who loved them.

What other choice did she have?

“I’m sorry.”

Kris winced. He reached out to touch her cheek and she heard Lyle slide to the ground.

“If I go I’m not coming back,” Kris told her.

And she knew it was the truth. “Goodbye,” she whispered.

And it felt like her heart had cracked in two.

23

Had he been wrong to take her straight home last night? He wasn’t sure. He’d known from the way she’d been so soft in his arms that if he’d taken her to the cabin she would have gone inside willingly.

Starting up the car, he turned right instead of left, heading toward town. The Tavern’s lights were still on and he parked outside, walking into the warm bar, the sound of laughter and music immediately assailing him.

“Is Kelly around?” he asked the man behind the bar.

“She left early,” he said, drying a glass and putting it on the rack.

Again? That wasn’t like her. He pulled out his phone to call her. Then he put it back into his pocket. If she’d gone home it was for a good reason. Either she was sick or maybe Cole was. Fuck it, he’d drive there and check on them, then head home.

“She’s at the tavern,” Paul said, giving Kris a weird stare five minutes later as he stood on Kelly’s doorstep. “It’s a weeknight. She’s always there. Except for when she’s with you.”

“Was that the door?” Cole shouted out as he ran down the hallway, skidding to a stop behind his grandpa. “Oh, hey Kris.”

“Hey kid.” He smiled at him. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“He’s just heading there,” Paul said gruffly.

“Can’t I talk to Kris?” Cole asked. “I want to tell him about the movie we watched. Have you heard ofSlapshot?”

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