Speeding Ch. 04

"Nah, there was nothing to miss. This was one of those things you couldn't guard against and couldn't anticipate. And, for the record, I don't think you're an idiot for being in love. I mean, she actually loves you back," Jason contradicted his best friend. "You gonna marry her?"

"Yes," came unbidden from his mouth. He hadn't really planned to say it.

Chris clapped him on the shoulder. "Another one bites the dust."

Jason just grinned. "Didn't mean to say that, didja?"

"Not at all, brother. Not at all."

~*~

The town did just as Kendall had anticipated and rallied around her and Taylored Jewels. People who had never before been clients came pouring in-so many that Taylor had to come off the bench and help on the floor.

"Don't hit me when I say this, but this has been good for business," Taylor said. "I mean, I would never, never ask for something like that to happen to you," she rushed to add.

Kendall laughed. "Well, I'm glad something good came of it."

"Not just one something. You and Reid finally acknowledged you were madly in love with one another too, didn't you?"

"We would've gotten there without...." she searched for a word, couldn't find one, "it."

"Uh-huh." Taylor wasn't convinced. She wouldn't wish attempted rape on her worst enemy, but it had pushed Reid and Kendall into telling each other how they felt. She was working right now on an engagement ring for them, even if Reid hadn't made it over yet. She knew he would, it was just a matter of time. She wanted to be ready for him when he showed up.

"Ya know, I've been thinking," Kendall began.

"Uh-oh," Taylor interrupted with a smirk on her pretty face.

"Yeah, I know," she answered with a smile. "I think you ought to cross-promote other businesses. Set something up so when they buy an engagement ring with us, they get a percentage off on their wedding cake or flowers or something...." she trailed off, "no, better. We should set something up with Cass!"

"Cass?"

"My sister-in-law. She's a wedding gown designer in Atlanta. We should have a show with her for our brides. We should run a report of all the engagement rings we've sold in the last year and invite the brides for a showing. It'd be perfect. You'll love her."

"Your sister-in-law?" Taylor had to call her on it. It was the best kind of slip.

"Yes," she answered automatically before realizing what she'd said. "I mean, Reid's sister-in-law. Well, almost. She's marrying Reece in December."

Taylor laughed, long and loud at her friend. "Some day I hope to be as in love as you are."

"I hope so, too."



The next day Kendall was emailing Cass when the last person she expected to see walked through the door. "Kyle? Why are you here?"

"Why else would I be here? I need something for my wife. She said something about a push present."

"She's not due for another couple months." She glared at her brother. "Why are you really here?"

"I couldn't come see you at your house."

"You're scared of Reid?"

"He almost pummeled me the last time he saw me."

"You accused me of putting myself in danger when all I did was go to work."

"I know. I do. It's just... Kendall, I took care of you for years and then in one day you went from being my little sister to moving in with a man you'd just met. How did you expect me to take that?"

She thought about telling him the truth. That Nichole was the reason she moved out so abruptly, but she couldn't. He loved the woman for one reason or another, and she didn't want to mess it up for him. "I don't know, Kyle. Maybe you could've called me a few times to see how I was. Hell, you could have sent someone from your office or one of your friends to look in on me. Instead you leave me alone for three months and then demand I come to your wedding, then show up in my hospital room and demand I work for you."

"But you're happy?"

Wow, he actually cared? "I am. Better than happy."

"Really?"

"What? I can't be happy?"

He shook his sandy head. "No, I just didn't expect that."

"Why not? It's been more than six months. Don't you think if I didn't I love it here I would've moved on by now?" At his raised eyebrow, she told him, "I love Reid."

"Really?"

Did he really just ask that? "Dammit, Kyle. Yes, I love him. I want to marry him. Hell, I want to have his children."

He held his hands up like she was holding a gun on him. "You do?"

She scrunched her face up at him. "Why wouldn't I?" She really didn't understand.

"He's a cop, Kendall."

"And?"

"Never mind."

"No, no never mind. What? What did you mean there? You think I'm above a cop? That I should've fallen in love with a lawyer or a doctor or something? Newsflash, counselor Mathison- no one is beneath you. You are just another person on this planet. You just happened to go to school longer and acquire more debt."

His lips tightened into a thin line. "Fine. Just fine. Do whatever the hell you want," he said as he turned to leave.

"I finally can," she said quietly.

He whipped around at her comment. "I didn't control you."

"The hell you didn't. You tried to control my every move. You didn't pick Reid for me and that rankles you. You wanted to pair me up with someone who would advance your career- my guess would be Carter Jamieson."

His eyes widened at her accusation. "You should be with someone who can support you."

"What?!" she nearly roared. "Is that the best you've got? I don't need to be supported, you asshole. I have a job and Reid does fine."

"I always wanted you to find someone who could treat you like you deserve."

She slammed her hands on the counter. "What I deserve, dear brother, is love and I get that in spades. At least, I get it from Reid. From you- my only family- I don't know."

He ran his hand down his face. "I love you, Kendall, you have to know that."

"I have always been a responsibility to you. You've taken care of me, sure, but you haven't exactly been loving."

"What did you want me to do? Coddle you? That wouldn't have created much of an independent woman."

"Ah, but you didn't really want me to be independent, did you? You wanted me to do whatever you told me to do."

"Kendall." He said her name in the censuring tone he'd perfected over the course of her life.

"No, don't 'Kendall' me," she threw back at him with a stomp of her foot. "You know damn well I was an inconvenience to you and a responsibility for you to fulfill." She looked at him for a long moment. "I believe you love me in your own way, but please don't treat your baby like that."

"Dammit, Kendall," his tone was cold. "Just do whatever it is you're doing here. I'll stay out of your life."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "God, Kyle! That's so not what I want. I want to be a part of your life, I just don't want to listen to you insult me and my choices. I want to know my niece or nephew."

"Nephew," he supplied.

"Congratulations!" She was genuinely happy for him, even if she was angry.

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Thank you," he answered stiffly. A moment later he spoke again in a much softer tone, "Kendall, I know our lives weren't perfect, but we did the best we could. This baby will have the best life we can give him, and we love him already."

It was still hard to picture perpetually perfect Nichole as a mommy much less stick in the mud Kyle as daddy, and but she hoped they would make it work. "I know you do," she told him with a small smile. "Have you chosen a name yet?"

He nodded as the tension he had been harboring appeared to melt from his body. "Jacob Nicholas."

Self-important much? Jacob was Kyle's middle name and Nicholas was just the masculine version of Nichole. Instead of letting the snark pop out of her mouth, she said, "I love family names." She cocked her head, really studying her brother knowing they could fight forever and always come to a stalemate and hoping he'd agree before she asked him, "Do you think we can just make the decision to be okay? I mean, I want to know baby Jacob, I want to talk to you more than once every eight weeks, and I want to know you will let me be a grown up. Can we just stop the passive-aggressive shit and acknowledge that while we might not always agree, we are still brother and sister and need each other?"

He opened his mouth to answer her, but nothing came out for a long time. Finally, he said, "I think we can do that."

"Good. So, are you still looking for that push present?"