“Nice to meet you too, Ma’am. I see you brung the kids some things. That’s real neighborly.”
“Just a couple of things. I wanted to talk to their moms, and they’d asked for fruit.” She reached into her bag and pulled out an apple. “I’ve got a bit left over if you’d like.”
He chuckled then fell into a coughing fit. When he regained his ability to speak, he grinned wider. “Aw, ‘fraid I ain’t got the choppers for an apple.”
Thinking quickly, she dug around some more into her bag and came up with crackers. “How about these? And a bottle of water?”
He nodded, reaching out to take what she offered. Lifting his gaze, he stared at her for a long moment before shifting his gaze over to Kyle.
Kyle squeezed her shoulder and she understood his signal for them to leave. “Bye, Manny. Take care.”
Kyle offered a chin lift toward Manny and began to turn them toward his truck.
“Dee-tective?”
Twisting, Kyle looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“You ever need anything, you come to see your old friend Manny.”
She held her breath, watching the thoughts move behind Kyle’s eyes. He finally nodded and offered a slight smile. Pulling her back to his side, they walked to the truck. She wanted to ask what Manny meant, but Kyle was quiet. If he wanted to silently process what just happened, she’d let him. Truth be told, her mind was full of the women and kids at the Cardboard Cottages.
His mood picked up as they drew closer to her house. “I almost hate to bring it up after the morning you’ve just had, but how about we take a trip to my parents this evening? My family would love to meet you, but I don’t want to pile too much on you today.”
She rolled her head to the side and saw the concern in his eyes. Squeezing his hand, she said, “Kyle, we’ve only known each other a short while. I know I met your mom, but do you really think this is the right thing to do?”
He shifted slightly in his seat so that he was more fully facing her. Lifting her hand, he kissed her knuckles before placing her hand over his chest. “I know I felt something for you the first night we met. You might want to chalk that up to just lust, but there was something more. The week that we were separated, I thought of you every single day. When we found each other again, that time I knew I felt something for you. So, while we’ve only officially been back together for a little while, I know what’s in here.” He pressed her hand gently against his chest. “I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t see into the future, but I know I’d love to have you meet my family tonight.”
She felt his heartbeat against her fingertips where he held them in place. Warmth moved through her when she thought of this man in her life. Her lips curved into a smile and she nodded.
He grinned widely and said, “All right… get ready for a McBride family dinner!”
A big family dinner was not something she was used to. Her insides quivered and she hoped his family would like her.
That evening, Kimberly was firmly ensconced in a setting completely different from the Cottages. The McBrides’ massive house in the northern part of Hope City, in an older neighborhood where each home had a unique charm, was filled with people and food. The gathering was so large, they were set up in the huge backyard where card tables and lawn chairs spilled beyond the patio.
Looking around, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like when all the McBride children had significant others and possibly children of their own. Where would they all fit? Then she glanced toward the end of one of the tables where Sharon kept an eye over her brood, and Kimberly did not doubt that Sharon would be able to fit everyone she loved around a table.
As soon as she had walked in, Caitlyn squealed with enthusiasm, throwing her arms around Kimberly. Sharon also hugged her, greeting her as an old friend. She was soon pulled from Kyle’s arms and introduced to the others. All three of his sisters were very alike in looks, almost intimidatingly so. Tall, built, with brilliant blue eyes and dark hair. Erin had just started nursing school, having come back from the military, and Tara was a social worker, married to Carter,