another detective, and they had an adorable little girl, Colleen.
The oldest brother, Sean, yet another detective, was there with his wife, Harper. The youngest brother, Rory, a paramedic, threw out the charm when he met her, causing Kyle to growl and wrap his arm around her, playfully warning Rory to keep his hands to himself.
Sharon had looped her arm through Kimberly’s and dragged her over to Kyle’s father, Colm, who greeted her with a firm handshake, a warm smile, and a booming voice welcoming her to their home.
Kyle’s large family would have been overwhelming enough, but then the neighbors began pouring out of the house next door and their numbers grew. She hadn’t realized that Bekki King was part of the neighboring King family, but she was thrilled to have another friend at the meal. Sharon made sure she met Chauncey and Hannah King as well as some of their children in attendance.
Brock and Brody showed up and, from their comments, it was for the express purpose of giving Kyle a hard time. Their women, Kallie and Amber, welcomed Kimberly with knowing smiles. “We’ve been in your shoes,” they both said, laughing in camaraderie.
Now, with dinner almost consumed, everyone was enjoying the multitude of desserts, and the conversation flowed comfortably. She overheard Tara mention something about the homeless shelter where she worked.
“I visited the Cardboard Cottages today,” Kimberly said.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the massive gathering stopped talking, the silence broken only by a few birds tweeting in the trees. Kyle dropped his chin to his chest, and she wondered what she’d said to cause such a reaction from everyone.
Brody was the first to break the silence. “Are you crazy?”
Kyle jerked his head up and growled, “Brody.”
Sean shook his head. “I’d say the same thing. Are you crazy?”
She opened her mouth but didn’t have a chance to reply before Carter jumped in. “That’s not a place you just go to. You’re lucky to have gotten out unharmed.”
“Jesus, you men act like she’s helpless. You haven’t even given her a chance to say anything,” Kallie bit out, glaring around at the others.
Tara waded in. “I’ve been to the Cottages also, Kimberly. I try to see if we can get some of the people there into the shelter or some of our programs.”
Carter’s head swung around, and he looked at his wife. “You haven’t been there lately. At least I hope you haven’t, not without me!”
Tara narrowed her eyes as she glared at her husband but didn’t have a chance to speak before the gathering erupted into a rousing debate. Overall, the participants seemed to be divided among the sexes… the men declaring it was not a place to be and the women defending Kimberly’s decision to visit. Men turned toward their wives to defend their position and the women snapped back.
Mortified at the ruckus, she felt the hot sting of tears hit the back of her eyes and blinked to keep them from falling. “Kyle was with me,” she said, her words not heard over the raised voices.
A shrill whistle from Kyle cut through the cacophony and the silence was immediate, all heads turning toward him. She stared in slack-jawed, wide-eyed awe as he speared the others with a fiery glare. Jaw so tight she was surprised he was able to speak, he placed one hand on her shoulder and said, “Go ahead, babe.”
Suddenly unsure the words would come out, she cleared her throat. “Kyle was with me. The first time I drove down, I was with a church group and there was safety in numbers. Then I went to a different section by myself but understand I put myself at risk. I made a promise to some of the women there that I would bring some things for their children, so Kyle went with me today to take them.” Not wanting any more heated words, she added, “But I also promised Kyle that I wouldn’t go by myself anymore, even to visit the women.”
Before anyone could say anything, Kyle spoke, his voice still hard. “It’s one thing for us to have disagreements or lively debates, but to do so with someone who’s met you all for the first time—”
“No, Kyle, it’s fine,” she whispered. She looked around at the two families, seeing the true affection between everyone. “I didn’t have this growing up. This kind of… caring… enthusiasm.”
Glancing toward Sean, she added, “Believe me, Kyle was not happy when I went by myself.” She then shifted her