A Winter Wedding(50)

“Lots of reasons.”

She frowned to show her disappointment. “Oh.”

Olivia sat across from him. Brandon sat next to her. After his mother perched on her own chair, the one remaining empty seat was beside Kyle. The fact that he was the only single person in the family hadn’t really bothered him before, but it was bothering him now—especially since he seemed to be the only single person in whatever group he associated with.

“What happened between you and Noelle?” Olivia asked.

Kyle forgot about his discomfort. He even forgot about the tempting array of food his mother had made. “What do you mean?”

“She had to take a shower at my house today.”

“Why? The water heater I gave her isn’t working?”

Olivia peered more closely at him. “She had some guy friend tear it out and throw it in her yard. Said she wouldn’t take anything from you.”

She’d never refused one of his spousal maintenance checks. But Kyle didn’t say that. “You know what she’s like.”

Olivia raised her eyebrows. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

He scowled at her. “Do you really want to hear the latest?”

“I do,” Brandon said. “What’s going on?”

“Basically, she wants to get back together. I guess she’s tired of trying to find someone else to marry and would like some financial support.”

A crease formed on Olivia’s normally smooth forehead. “That’s not what she says.”

Irritated that Olivia would question him—since no one understood what Noelle was like more clearly than she did—Kyle shifted in his seat. “What did she say?”

“That you keep hitting her up for—” she glanced at Paige “—you know. That she’s tired of putting out for you when you won’t date her legitimately.”

Kyle dropped the fork he’d just picked up, causing a loud clang as it hit his plate. “You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me!”

“Kyle!” his mother cried. “We’re at Sunday dinner! Please, watch your language...”

What he’d said had exploded out of his mouth—the result of years of pent-up frustration where Noelle was concerned. It wasn’t as if he’d put any thought into it. “Sorry, Mom, but...” At a complete loss, he shook his head. “Who’s she telling this to?”

When Olivia flushed, he got the impression she’d initially bought into her sister’s lies, at least to some extent. “My parents. Noelle said you expected something in exchange for that water heater, and she refused.”

He pressed his fingers to his temples. “Don’t tell me they believed her.”

Olivia’s expression turned to one of sympathy and concern. “I’m afraid they might have. She acted so convincing. They said they were proud she had some ‘moral fiber.’ That she didn’t need you because they’d buy her a water heater.”

Kyle hit the table as he surged to his feet, rocking the glasses and nearly tipping them over. “That’s bullshit!”

“Kyle!” Paige said again, but no one was paying attention to her complaints about his language.

“Why would she say something so terrible?” Bob asked, obviously disgusted.

“Because she’s sick in the head.” Brandon gestured that Kyle should return to his seat. “Relax, bro. We know she’s lying. She lies about everything.”

Olivia shot her husband a wounded look, as if her loyalties were torn, and that was all Kyle could take. He was glad the two sisters had formed some type of peaceful relationship, but it was beyond belief that Olivia, who’d once known him so well and been the victim of so much of Noelle’s unkindness over the years, had bought into the crap she was saying about him.

“There’s something seriously wrong with her,” he said and stormed out.





14

Kyle drove past Noelle’s house on the way home. Sure enough, the water heater was right there, dented on one side and lying on the grass for everyone to see. That meant the story Noelle was telling would be familiar to more than Olivia and her family. No doubt the neighbors had heard he was trying to get back in Noelle’s pants, and God only knew the number of people they’d told.

Too bad Noelle didn’t have whoever helped her remove the damn heater drop it in his yard. Then he could’ve disposed of it. But she wanted to make a statement, pile on the drama.

Typical...

“Damn you.” He parked at the end of the street and sat there glaring at her beat-up Honda, which was in the drive. Who did she think she was? Did she really believe she had the right to malign his reputation? He’d done enough to damage his own reputation when he’d gotten involved with her six years ago.

She destroyed every life she touched. Instead of being angry, he should be thanking God he didn’t have a child with her, he decided.

Putting the transmission back in Drive, he rolled closer to her house. He wanted nothing more than to go and knock on her front door and tell her exactly what he thought of her. His assistant was right. He’d been far too nice. There’d been so many times he’d bitten his tongue when he’d simply wanted to tell her to get the hell out of his life. He was dying to say that now.