The Stone Family Heart - Taylor Hart Page 0,36

disconcerting when that scrutiny was aimed right at him.

“Will you calm down now?” His uncle stood too, and both of them walked to the statue. “I think she’s here for a reason, son.”

Tim tried to quell his irritation. “You told me that the other day.”

“But what I didn’t tell you is that I don’t just think she’s here for you.”

This got Tim’s attention, although it made no sense. “Who is she here for?”

His uncle let out a long breath and crossed his arms. It took several minutes of him just standing there before he finally answered. “I think she’s here for herself. I think it might be time she comes home.”

It took a second for Tim to puzzle that out. “But she’s doing what she loves and living where she’s always wanted to live.”

“Is she?” his uncle asked.

Tim shook his head. “Just say whatever you want to say. I can’t handle leading questions today.”

His uncle grinned. “I remember Trey saying that his sister was always against him selling the place. She told Trey it’s the family’s home.”

Tim didn’t know this, but it didn’t surprise him that his uncle did.

“Trey said she’s taken her mother’s death hard and that her ex-husband has been trying to get her back.”

“What? Jeff?” Tim never would have guessed that Kensi’s ex was going after her. She’d been distracted the other morning by her phone. Had it been Jeff?

“It’s true. Ask Trey.”

Why hadn’t Trey told Tim? Probably because Tim wasn’t like his uncle, who always asked the right questions.

“This time in South Port might be just the thing to lead her back home.” His uncle focused on him as he added, “Or someone.”

“Wait. Do you think that’s me?” Adrenaline spiked through him, creating a cocktail of mixed emotions. “That can’t be me. Sure, she’s great and—”

“I heard you bet her a kiss if she won that race.”

This was taking it to the next level. “Okay, just stop, old man. How did you know that?”

His uncle pushed his chin in the air. “I know what I need to know. I know you loved Tina, but … the Lord provides many chances for his children.”

Sorrow pulsed through him. Tina had said she wanted him to marry again and have kids and …

He turned away from his uncle. “I can’t.”

His uncle put a hand on his shoulder. “Ask the Lord, son. Ask the Lord for help.”

Tim shrugged away from the touch, hating the pain filling his chest. “You’re not even making sense. Sure, I’ve been flirting with her a bit, but I don’t love her. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her.”

Even as he said the words, he knew they were a lie.

“Ask God.”

“No.” He pointed obstinately at his uncle. “The Lord hasn’t answered my prayers for a long time. Not the ones about my parents. The ones in Afghanistan. Or the ones …” Emotion clogged his throat. “The ones for Tina.”

This conversation was over.

Tim took off running, heading back down the street to the beach, and then pushed as hard as he could go.

Chapter 10

Kensi drove Ava’s car downtown to Lucy’s boutique and gallery. She’d gotten a text early that morning from Lucy inviting her to brunch.

The town didn’t look too bad. People were out fixing windows and cleaning up trash. Many of the volunteers waved to her, and she waved back. Did they think they were waving to Ava?

It felt like she’d stepped into a different life, which was probably a silly reaction to brunch with friends. As a partner at her law firm, she worked a lot. Between her career and her mother, she didn’t have a lot of friends. She had a few acquaintances to turn to if she was desperate and wanted to go out randomly, but she hadn’t done that in …

She tried to calculate the last time she had done that. She came up blank.

Kensi parked at the curb next to the boutique, pausing to check her makeup in the mirror. She’d worn a light fall dress, which felt weird too. She never wore dresses. It was always her business suit.

She was excited to see Lucy again. It had felt so easy and natural to catch up with her on the night of the hurricane. They had remained friends over the years—as much of a friendship that Kensi could maintain with anyone.

She opened the boutique door. Lucy had arranged the shop beautifully. Local art pieces hung on the walls, which were a mixture of teal and white. Clean-cut frames outlined