Page 49 of Silencing Stolen Whispers
As a matter of fact, the new veterinarian hadn’t made an appearance.
“I wonder what that is about,” Alex murmured as Kinsley debated on whether or not to take a seat next to him. The field had begun to empty as a lot of the players had drifted toward the other side of the field. “Incoming.”
Kinsley turned around just in time to spot a blur of pink and purple racing across the grass toward her. Lily Aspen moved like a guided missile, her arms pumping with eight-year-old determination. Her face was bright with the kind of unrestrained joy that only children seemed capable of summoning at will.
“Aunt Kin! Aunt Kin!”
Lily's voice carried across the distance, high and clear as a bell. She launched herself through the air with complete faith that Kinsley would catch her. Kinsley barely had time to brace herself before fifty pounds of pure enthusiasm collided with her midsection.
The impact caused them both to tumble onto the grass in a tangled heap of limbs and laughter. Lilly’s giggle was contagious, bubbling up from deep within her chest like orchestral music.
“You’re growing up way too fast, pumpkin,” Kinsley protested, though her voice carried no real complaint. She wrapped her arms around her niece, marveling at the innocence shining in those blue eyes of hers. It was in brief moments like these that gave Kinsley the strength to live with her guilt. “You knocked me down!”
“You weren't ready,” Lily replied with the unassailable logic of childhood. She pushed herself up on her elbows and grinned with genuine mischief. Her brown hair had escaped its carefully arranged pigtails and now framed her face in wild wisps that caught the afternoon light. “You're supposed to always be ready. That's what Daddy says about cops.”
“Your daddy is very wise,” Kinsley agreed, sitting up and brushing grass from Lily's shirt. “But I think you should have been out there on the field with us. We could have used someone with your speed.”
Lily began to bounce up and down with excitement.
“Next year? Can I play next year?”
“We’ll see,” Kinsley replied as she pulled Lily in for another hug. “I think you'd leave us all in the dust.”
“What are you two plotting over here?” Noah's voice carried the warm amusement of a father used to his daughter's lively schemes. He advanced toward them with Emily at his side, both of them appearing slightly windblown after spending the afternoon chasing an energetic child around a community center. “Kin, don’t you dare let her convince you to make s’mores after family dinner on Thursday. It’s way too humid for the fire pit.”
Kinsley moutheds’moresto Lily, who burst out into even more giggles when she realized that her aunt would absolutely light up the fire pit, regardless of how hot it was on Thursday night. They each high-fived each other as Alex pushed himself off the ground to greet Noah and Emily.
Noah extended his arm, and the two men shook hands with easy camaraderie. Alex had been to the house quite a few times since they had been partnered together, and he got along well with all the Aspens.
“Hell of a game,” Noah said, his slight North Dakotan accent more pronounced in the casual setting.
“Feel free to join us next time.”
“Not on your life,” Noah replied good-naturedly as Kinsley made a show of difficulty getting off the ground. Lily instantly grabbed Kinsley’s hands with both of hers and pulled with all her might. “Hey, thank your mother for the banana nut bread. It was delicious, as usual.”
“Hey, Em,” Kinsley greeted with a peck on her sister-in-law’s cheek after asking Lily to go and grab them some cups of Gatorade before the refreshment stand was dismantled by one of the organizers. “Thanks for bringing Lily.”
“This was fun,” Emily replied with a smile, slipping her hands into the pockets of her sundress. She was a petite woman with laugh lines around her eyes and the kind of natural warmth that made strangers feel like old friends. “Hey, your mother mentioned you had an idea for your father's birthday present. Something about the new art gallery?”
The gift that Kinsey had chosen was deeply personal. Unfortunately, it was also weighted with symbolism that Gantz had tainted the night she had squeezed the trigger. But…this entire weekend had been spent in an effort to take back her life.
“It’s a butterfly sculpture, and I thought it would be a nice addition to his office. Bronze, about this big.” Kinsley held her hands apart to indicate the size. “The artist is local, and the piece is called 'Emergence'. I thought... I thought Dad might appreciate the metaphor.”
George Aspen had referred to Kinsley as his butterfly from the day she was born. He had given her the treasured nickname after she screamed in protest at every attempt at being swaddled.
She sensed the weight of Noah’s stare, even though he was in a deep discussion about the best wood to use for a backyard fence. He understood that such a gift was meant as a peace offering, and she wouldn’t be doing so if things between them hadn’t gotten back on course.
Emily clapped her hands together with delight, pulling Kinsley’s attention back her way.
“That sounds absolutely lovely,” Emily said before turning around at the sound of Lily’s voice. “Be careful, honey. Don’t spill those drinks, or your fingers will get all sticky.”
“I won’t.”
Lily ever so slowly closed the distance between them, already having a red mustache from one of the sports drinks. She carefully handed Kinsley one of the paper cups.
“Can we play catch now?” Lily was already handing her own drink off to her mother. “Aunt Kin, you promised we could play catch.”
Kinsley excused herself, leaving Alex with her brother and sister-in-law. She had found an abandoned football near the equipment table while Lily positioned herself about ten feet away. She cupped her small hands in front of her chest in a perfect receiving position. Noah had taught her well.
