Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) by Lisa B. Kamps Page B
Authors: Lisa B. Kamps
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and pulling her closer, lowering her head to his chest. She stiffened at first, then finally wrapped her own arms around him in a tight grip that let him know exactly how upset she was. She buried her face in his shirt, her shoulders shaking as sobs racked her body.
Ian tightened his hold on her, gently stroking her hair as she cried against him. Long minutes went by, the silence broken only by her labored breathing and quiet sobs. Ian dropped a gentle kiss on her temple and rested his head against hers, absently rubbing her back.
"It's going to be okay, Kayli. Everything is going to work out, somehow."
"How can you say that, after what happened? After seeing those two..."
Ian's breath hitched at her choked words, and he knew how much it cost her to admit that. He eased her back the tiniest bit so he could look down at her. "If it's any consolation, I left the two of them on the porch, talking. Well, mostly staring at each other, but still talking. I don't think they're on the verge of killing each other anymore."
Kayli's arms tightened briefly around him then she pulled away and settled closer next to him, their shoulders touching. She leaned her head back against the stall wall and took a deep breath, her gaze focused somewhere he couldn't see.
"You know, Cole wasn't always...he's had a rough time. He was always a little rebellious, hanging with the wrong kinds of kids. Recreational drugs. Then things started missing from around here. It's like...he just stopped caring or something. Fights with Dad. And I don't mean arguments, either. They had a huge one the last time he saw our father, a physical one." Kayli looked down at the now-destroyed piece of straw that she had been twisting and tossed it aside with a sigh. "He pretty much disappeared after that, and I guess we disowned him. Jake especially. It tore him up, not being able to be here, knowing what Cole was doing..."
Ian draped his arm around Kayli's shoulder and pulled her closer, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "You don't have to tell me this, you know."
"Yeah, I know. But I want to." She dropped her head on his shoulder. "Anyway, like I said, Cole disappeared for a while. And then, about a year ago, he showed up. I almost didn't recognize him. And I didn't believe him at first about being clean, about changing. But he did, he really did. And now he stops by every few weeks. I hadn't told Jake because...well, you saw what happened."
"Yeah. But you know what...that's between those two. You need to let them figure things out on their own. And just remember--you've had a year to make things right. Jake's had, what? An hour? They're both grown men, they can figure it out. And if they don't, well...that's on them, not you."
Kayli looked up at him, her blue eyes moist with still unshed tears, her face damp and flushed. She blinked and looked away, then lowered her head back to his chest. "Thank you for saying that."
Her words were muffled in his shirt, and Ian actually smiled at how unnecessary they were. "Don't thank me for speaking the truth."
Several more minutes went by, with just the two of them sitting there, holding each other. Kayli shifted against him, moving her head to his shoulder, getting more comfortable. She took a deep breath and let it out.
Ian dropped another kiss on the top of her head, then leaned back just the slightest bit. "Are we still on for our date Friday night?"
Kayli loosened her hold around his waist but didn't move. A long minute went by before she spoke, her voice uncertain. "Did you still want to go?"
"Of course I still wanted to go. Why wouldn't I? God, you have no idea how much I still want to go. How much I want to sleep with you curled up against me all night." Ian didn't think he succeeded in keeping the desperation out of his voice because he heard Kayli's brief but soft laughter against his shirt. But he was nearing desperation. He loved the time he spent with her, but he wanted more. He was surprised at how
Ian tightened his hold on her, gently stroking her hair as she cried against him. Long minutes went by, the silence broken only by her labored breathing and quiet sobs. Ian dropped a gentle kiss on her temple and rested his head against hers, absently rubbing her back.
"It's going to be okay, Kayli. Everything is going to work out, somehow."
"How can you say that, after what happened? After seeing those two..."
Ian's breath hitched at her choked words, and he knew how much it cost her to admit that. He eased her back the tiniest bit so he could look down at her. "If it's any consolation, I left the two of them on the porch, talking. Well, mostly staring at each other, but still talking. I don't think they're on the verge of killing each other anymore."
Kayli's arms tightened briefly around him then she pulled away and settled closer next to him, their shoulders touching. She leaned her head back against the stall wall and took a deep breath, her gaze focused somewhere he couldn't see.
"You know, Cole wasn't always...he's had a rough time. He was always a little rebellious, hanging with the wrong kinds of kids. Recreational drugs. Then things started missing from around here. It's like...he just stopped caring or something. Fights with Dad. And I don't mean arguments, either. They had a huge one the last time he saw our father, a physical one." Kayli looked down at the now-destroyed piece of straw that she had been twisting and tossed it aside with a sigh. "He pretty much disappeared after that, and I guess we disowned him. Jake especially. It tore him up, not being able to be here, knowing what Cole was doing..."
Ian draped his arm around Kayli's shoulder and pulled her closer, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "You don't have to tell me this, you know."
"Yeah, I know. But I want to." She dropped her head on his shoulder. "Anyway, like I said, Cole disappeared for a while. And then, about a year ago, he showed up. I almost didn't recognize him. And I didn't believe him at first about being clean, about changing. But he did, he really did. And now he stops by every few weeks. I hadn't told Jake because...well, you saw what happened."
"Yeah. But you know what...that's between those two. You need to let them figure things out on their own. And just remember--you've had a year to make things right. Jake's had, what? An hour? They're both grown men, they can figure it out. And if they don't, well...that's on them, not you."
Kayli looked up at him, her blue eyes moist with still unshed tears, her face damp and flushed. She blinked and looked away, then lowered her head back to his chest. "Thank you for saying that."
Her words were muffled in his shirt, and Ian actually smiled at how unnecessary they were. "Don't thank me for speaking the truth."
Several more minutes went by, with just the two of them sitting there, holding each other. Kayli shifted against him, moving her head to his shoulder, getting more comfortable. She took a deep breath and let it out.
Ian dropped another kiss on the top of her head, then leaned back just the slightest bit. "Are we still on for our date Friday night?"
Kayli loosened her hold around his waist but didn't move. A long minute went by before she spoke, her voice uncertain. "Did you still want to go?"
"Of course I still wanted to go. Why wouldn't I? God, you have no idea how much I still want to go. How much I want to sleep with you curled up against me all night." Ian didn't think he succeeded in keeping the desperation out of his voice because he heard Kayli's brief but soft laughter against his shirt. But he was nearing desperation. He loved the time he spent with her, but he wanted more. He was surprised at how
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