Read Online A McKaslin Homecoming (The McKaslin Clan) by Jillian Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jillian Hart
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commandeered their grandmother.
He clearly didn’t like her.
“Gran. You shouldn’t be surprising us like this.” Spence escorted Mary up onto the sidewalk with care. “You should have called me to help if you were having a problem with Linda’s daughter.”
So, the past wasn’t left behind completely. This reaction was what she’d feared when she’d agreed to Mary’s invitation to visit. Her mother—there was no accountingfor all that she’d put everyone through, Lauren could see that now, for Linda had needed money to help her chase her empty dreams.
Gran seemed distressed. “Spence, you have it all wrong. I hired a private investigator to find Lauren. I thought—”
“You what?” Spence looked outraged.
Lauren pressed her hand to her heart. His anger didn’t hurt. She wouldn’t let it. That man was her older brother. He looked nothing like the teenager from the family photograph on the cottage’s wall. He was harsh and unforgiving and expected the worst of her. What if the others shared his opinion? That old familiar loneliness wrapped around her like a cold wind and she shivered.
“Hey, it’s just Spence.” Aubrey came close, bringing with her a kindness that made that loneliness less chilly. “He’s like that. He was hurt pretty bad when Mom left. He took her abandonment so hard. I don’t think he’s ever really recovered.”
“Neither have I.” Lauren saw herself in Spence. She wasn’t big and harsh and intimidating, but she was on that path. After awhile, loneliness and distrust became a habit; over the years, that habit became harder to break.
“I need to warn you, before we go in,” Aubrey was saying in that gentle, quiet way of hers. “We don’t talk about Mom, especially not in front of Spence or Dad. In fact, we don’t much talk about her at all, anymore. She didn’t want to be a part of our lives and we can’t go back and make her want to. She put Dad through a lot, afterward. Maybe you didn’t know that.”
“No. Mom said terrible things about everyone. I grew up hearing it so often, I guess I halfway b-believed it.”
“You were two when she took you. You had no say in it. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Somehow it feels that way.”
Aubrey’s hand tightened. “It must have been hard being all alone. At least we all had each other.”
It had been hard and it was the understanding of it that connected them.
“C’mon,” Aubrey said. “Come meet everyone.”
They hadn’t taken three steps onto the sidewalk when a loud squealing sound torethrough the parking lot from behind them. Lauren turned to see Aubrey’s identical image rushing toward her, although this twin was wearing a bright yellow apron smeared with streaks of pink and green, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her arms were stretched wide.
“Prepare yourself for Ava,” Aubrey warned, but it was too late.
Lauren found herself in a tight hug that would have cut off her air supply had it been any tighter.
“This is so totally awesome!” Ava wouldn’t let go. “It’s our little baby sister all grown up!”
While she heard Aubrey’s laugh and Ava’s happy squeal, what she most noticed was how hard Ava held on to her, how happy Aubrey sounded, the overwhelming rush of emotion that jammed in her throat. She was wanted. They were all talking at once, Lauren couldn’t listen to all of them, her mind was spinning. The ache in her throat swelled until she couldn’t swallow. It was amazing any air got through at all. Gran was standing in the shelter of the doorway, beaming with happiness.
“This is so super-duper,” Ava chattered happily. “I saw the car pull in and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even if Aubrey hadn’t called, I would have totally known you on sight, Lauren.”
“I’m Rebecca, by the way,” the youngest girl said. She had that college look to her, the one that Lauren knew so well. “Why am I the last to know these things?”
“You’re always out of the
He clearly didn’t like her.
“Gran. You shouldn’t be surprising us like this.” Spence escorted Mary up onto the sidewalk with care. “You should have called me to help if you were having a problem with Linda’s daughter.”
So, the past wasn’t left behind completely. This reaction was what she’d feared when she’d agreed to Mary’s invitation to visit. Her mother—there was no accountingfor all that she’d put everyone through, Lauren could see that now, for Linda had needed money to help her chase her empty dreams.
Gran seemed distressed. “Spence, you have it all wrong. I hired a private investigator to find Lauren. I thought—”
“You what?” Spence looked outraged.
Lauren pressed her hand to her heart. His anger didn’t hurt. She wouldn’t let it. That man was her older brother. He looked nothing like the teenager from the family photograph on the cottage’s wall. He was harsh and unforgiving and expected the worst of her. What if the others shared his opinion? That old familiar loneliness wrapped around her like a cold wind and she shivered.
“Hey, it’s just Spence.” Aubrey came close, bringing with her a kindness that made that loneliness less chilly. “He’s like that. He was hurt pretty bad when Mom left. He took her abandonment so hard. I don’t think he’s ever really recovered.”
“Neither have I.” Lauren saw herself in Spence. She wasn’t big and harsh and intimidating, but she was on that path. After awhile, loneliness and distrust became a habit; over the years, that habit became harder to break.
“I need to warn you, before we go in,” Aubrey was saying in that gentle, quiet way of hers. “We don’t talk about Mom, especially not in front of Spence or Dad. In fact, we don’t much talk about her at all, anymore. She didn’t want to be a part of our lives and we can’t go back and make her want to. She put Dad through a lot, afterward. Maybe you didn’t know that.”
“No. Mom said terrible things about everyone. I grew up hearing it so often, I guess I halfway b-believed it.”
“You were two when she took you. You had no say in it. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Somehow it feels that way.”
Aubrey’s hand tightened. “It must have been hard being all alone. At least we all had each other.”
It had been hard and it was the understanding of it that connected them.
“C’mon,” Aubrey said. “Come meet everyone.”
They hadn’t taken three steps onto the sidewalk when a loud squealing sound torethrough the parking lot from behind them. Lauren turned to see Aubrey’s identical image rushing toward her, although this twin was wearing a bright yellow apron smeared with streaks of pink and green, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her arms were stretched wide.
“Prepare yourself for Ava,” Aubrey warned, but it was too late.
Lauren found herself in a tight hug that would have cut off her air supply had it been any tighter.
“This is so totally awesome!” Ava wouldn’t let go. “It’s our little baby sister all grown up!”
While she heard Aubrey’s laugh and Ava’s happy squeal, what she most noticed was how hard Ava held on to her, how happy Aubrey sounded, the overwhelming rush of emotion that jammed in her throat. She was wanted. They were all talking at once, Lauren couldn’t listen to all of them, her mind was spinning. The ache in her throat swelled until she couldn’t swallow. It was amazing any air got through at all. Gran was standing in the shelter of the doorway, beaming with happiness.
“This is so super-duper,” Ava chattered happily. “I saw the car pull in and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even if Aubrey hadn’t called, I would have totally known you on sight, Lauren.”
“I’m Rebecca, by the way,” the youngest girl said. She had that college look to her, the one that Lauren knew so well. “Why am I the last to know these things?”
“You’re always out of the
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