Kane listened to their progress reports over the next few Sundays. He was already privy to some of it, as Rebecca had confided a few little tidbits the few times they had ‘conveniently’ crossed paths, but his sisters-in-law were usually far more graphic and detailed in their recollections than Rebecca.
Lexi had suggested a spa day, with mixed results. Rebecca had been somewhat surprised by their invitation to join them, but with Aidan’s not-so-subtle nudging she accepted easily enough. It had started off well. At the salon, Rebecca consented to a cut and style, and was quite pleased with the soft, easy layers the stylist had created for her, and even allowed a few shimmering highlights (of which Kane heartily approved). She was not quite as thrilled with an attempted makeover, but she did love the facial. She passed on the body wraps, politely declined the massage below the shoulders, and flatly refused some of the other, more personal services offered. (The last, when relayed expressively by Taryn, and which included a re-enactment of Rebecca suggesting a more appropriate use for the orangewood stick and container of hot wax, had Kane nearly convulsing with suppressed laughter – so much so that he had to fake a coughing fit to cover it up. Given Taryn’s subsequent smirk, she hadn’t been fooled for a moment.)
Nicki’s plan had included lunch and a shopping trip into the city. They spent the day visiting high-end department stores and boutiques. They patted themselves on the back when Rebecca seemed to open up a little and even bought a few items. But on the ride home, when Nicki questioned Rebecca’s lack of bags, Rebecca admitted giving the items to a homeless woman they’d passed on the way back to the parking authority. The remainder of the trip was relatively quiet after that.
Taryn thought that perhaps more drastic measures were called for. The woman had spent the best part of twelve years among nuns, after all. She planned a covert operation to an all-male review at one of the Pocono Resorts. Kane was especially interested in hearing about this one, and he was not disappointed. Apparently, after calmly watching nearly naked men gyrate and dance for several hours, Rebecca turned to them and said, “They’re nice, but honestly, what you’ve got in Pine Ridge is so much better.” Kane grinned at that.
Maggie, bless her soul, was a bit more realistic, suggesting some sort of family get together, but the others thought that idea might actually backfire and make Rebecca feel like even more of an outsider.
Kane pretended to watch the game while listening to some of their ideas for the next venture. After a while, he couldn’t stand it any longer and gave up all pretense of not paying attention. They were so intent on their planning, they didn’t even notice when he leaned against the doorway and watched them in action. Or, more likely, they were ignoring him.
He sighed. Men were so much easier to intimidate.
He shook his head silently each time they spoke. Each idea was crazier than the last. Zumba classes down at BodyWorks. Kayaking. The Cirque du Soleil show in town for the weekend. A road trip over to Birch Falls to check out Tiny’s tattoo shop. Maybe those things would have worked for some people, but Rebecca wasn’t into any of that. Couldn’t they see that?
The final straw came when Taryn suggested a blind date. Lexi’s face lit up as she rattled off the names of a few eligible men at the restaurant. Maggie nodded excitedly, adding a few names of her own. Nicki got a devilish glint in her eye when she proclaimed she had just the sexy biker in mind.
Kane snorted, setting his beer down on the counter. Hard. Which immediately earned him the glare of four sets of devious female eyes. Had he been a lesser man, he might have balked.
“She doesn’t want any of that crap. She’s just humoring you. She spent the past twelve years caring for starving people in India and Africa, watching babies die because there’s no medical care, and you think she gives a shit about fancy clothes or shows?”
He was met with utter, absolute silence.
Finally it was Taryn who spoke. “Do you have a better idea?”
Kane grunted and grabbed his jacket. Hell yes he did.
Chapter Eight
Kane drove up to the shelter and parked out front. It took him several minutes to find her, poking his head into the kitchen, dining, and game areas before he finally located her in the basement, struggling with a temperamental water heater. Judging by the mutterings and her white-knuckled death grip on the wrench, he guessed things were not going well.
“Need some help?”
Rebecca turned around and he could not help the grin the tugged at his lips. Her hair was a mess, her face was smudged with dirt and plumber’s grease, but her eyes shimmered in the dim light, and her genuine smile at seeing him lit up the whole room.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m not proud. It’s this one fitting here, I think. I just can’t get it tight enough.”