Page 110 of The Apple Tree

“My dad, what?”

His head rolled side to side. “Nothing,” he mumbled.

“I want to tell everyone, and I want it to be okay.”

“Tell what?” His words slurred, and his hand relaxed.

“Kyle?”

He was asleep.

I slowly peppered kisses over his face and whispered, “I want to tell our families that I love you, and I want it to be okay with them. I want them to be happy for us.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

UB40, “RED RED WINE”

Eve

Tuesday after work,I raced home, nearly running two stop signs. Gabby was still in school, my dad’s car was gone, and my mom was nowhere in sight. So I ran to Kyle’s house, knowing Josh would get off the school bus in less than an hour, and my lover was supposed to be home.

I entered the house after two quick taps on the screen doorframe. “Hello?”

“In here,” Mom called from the living room as Clifford barked and barreled toward me.

I leaned down to pet him while poking my head around the corner. She was on the far end of the sofa with Anne in the middle and Fred on the opposite end. Kyle gazed at me from his recliner, feet up, covered in a blanket.

“Hey, um …” I tried not to stare at him too long. My emotions were hard to hide. “I was just seeing if you needed me to wait at the end of the drive for Josh in a bit?”

“That’s sweet of you,” Anne said. “We were just discussing who will help out while Kyle’s recovering. He’s being stubborn about it.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “I don’t need anyone’s help. My right arm is fine. I’m very capable of doing things.”

“As I was saying,” Anne frowned, “we want to stay or have his parents come be with him, but he’s beinggrumpyabout it.”

I bit back my grin.

“I assured them we can help take care of him,” Mom said. “Between the four of us, someone should always be able to be here.”

“That’s overstepping,” Anne said. “But we really appreciate all that you’ve done.”

“It’s the least we can do given the circumstances in which it happened,” Mom said dismissively.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Has no one told you?” Mom narrowed her eyes.

“Apparently not. Told me what?”

“Nothing,” Kyle mumbled.

“Your dad wanted to check out the tree stand with Kyle, and while they were up there, your dad started to fall. Kyle grabbed him, but while your dad grappled to find leverage, he pulled Kyle out of the stand.”

I winced. “But Dad didn’t fall?”

“Kyle saved your dad from falling,” Fred said.

“Your dad is indebted to him forever,” Mom said, smiling at Kyle.

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