Curtain Call (The Jewel Project #7)

47. Family Portrait

Kay couldn't believe how nervous she was as the gate of Tanner Ranch opened. It was late at night and the kids were hopefully asleep, but they could still see them, meet up with Christine and Sarah, and Max.

"They don't know I'm not dead, do they?" Kyle asked, as he pulled over in front of the garage.

"Nope," Tom said from the backseat. "Since you are now conveniently dead, we didn't see the point to spill the beans over a potentially unsecure line."

Tom had a very good point, which was why the only message Sam had given Max was to get everyone there as inconspicuously and as fast as possible. Which of course translated into sending his private jets across the country and paying people off to shut up about it.

The moment Kyle cut off the engine, Angie hopped out form the backseat and headed for the house. Tom followed her, whistling like he didn't have a care in the world. Kay got out too just as Jimmy pulled up next to them.

"Let's do this," he said, getting down. "Step one out of a million."

Truer words had never been spoken, and yet Jimmy and Kyle grinned at each other because they were both the best kind of insane. All of them were. Kay's nerves twisted into anticipation at being back there, seeing her kids soon.

"Oh, yes, let's go shock some people into a heart attack," Jessie said, joining them.

"I'd chastise you, but I miss my wife," Jerry said bypassing them and heading inside with Sam.

They followed and indeed, the moment they entered the living room, Sam and Christine and Jerry and Sarah were already hugging.

"Kyle?" Max stood from the couch so fast, he almost toppled over.

Kay's heart filled with joy at the sight of him and Sophie. Before they could move, Sarah let out a cry of both joy and surprise and she and Christine left their husbands to throw themselves at Kyle.

He caught them both in a tight hug, a wide smile on his face. "Yes, yes, how foolish of you to believe anything could ever kill me."

"But wha--?" Sophie stepped closer and started a very fast tirade in French.

"Oh, Maman, it's such a long story." Kyle let go of her sisters-in-law and walked over to hug the woman who had truly raised him.

Sophie hugged him back, tears streaming down her cheeks as she, like all of them, tried to compute that Kyle hadn't left them, that he was still there despite all the crap life loved throwing at them.

And speaking of which, Kay glanced over her shoulder. Of course they'd brought Maxi back with them. After everything that had happened, it didn't feel safe to leave her on her own. No one had had an outright conversation with her yet, and Kay hoped it would stay that way a bit longer. She'd had enough drama concerning that woman to last her a lifetime.

Fortunately, Maxi didn't seem interested in speaking anyway, and had kept to herself during their journey. Even now, she leaned against the back wall as if hoping no one would notice her. Kay couldn't blame her, really. After the truth had come out and she'd killed her husband, there didn't seem to be much left for her to do. A part of Kay felt sorry for her and the drama in her life. The other much bigger part blamed her fate on her own choices and weakness. After all, Kay had managed without having an amazing mother like Sophie and a rich brother she could fall back on.

"What the hell is going on?" Max asked, hugging Kyle tightly, too. "You said you'd be away longer, and now you're all here and..." His voice faded as he finally caught sight of her sister. "Millie, what the hell happened to you? You have blood in your hair!"