She glanced over her shoulder in the direction Noah’s voice had come. “I’m in the kitchen.” He walked in as she shook her hands and reached for a towel. “Did you have fun with Cody and Dustin tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” She ruffled his dark, shaggy hair on her way past. He needed a haircut. “Wasn’t sure if you remembered which house we were staying in. Haven’t seen you since you got off the bus.”
He followed her into the living room. “We were playing video games.”
Kendra paused, her brows raised. “What were they rated?”
Noah rolled his eyes. “E for everyone. Geez!”
“Well, you know how I feel about those violent games with all the killing.”
“The same as Cody’s mom,” he grumbled.
She smiled at his token resentment and started toward her room. God, it was so nice to talk about normal things with her baby brother again instead of cautioning him to not talk to anyone, or telling him to hide in the bushes while she attempted to steal a car. Her smile slipped with that thought. Why’d Colton have to bother her when he wasn’t even here?
“I’m going to take a bath, okay? You can watch TV or read a book.”
Just before she reached her door, Noah asked, “How come there’s another toothbrush in the bathroom? And bags in the third bedroom?”
Kendra halted at the door. Shoot. She’d forgotten she still needed to talk to him about that; she and Colton had left the house before he’d woken up for school.
With a resigned sigh, she returned to Noah’s side and steered him into the living room. Once they were sitting on the couch, she offered him a reassuring smile.
“About that. Colton’s going to be staying here with us and—”
“Colton?” Noah shot to his feet with an instant fierce frown. “Why?”
The anger in Noah’s voice went beyond his statement of dislike the other day. It was so unlike him, she scrambled for words. “Because he gave up the lease to his apartment and needed a place to stay.”
“Even I know there’s more than one apartment in this city.”
As always, smarter than his years. Kendra nodded patiently. “Yes, but Joel had already promised he could use the guest house.”
“I don’t want him here.” Noah locked his arms across his chest. “He was mean to you the other day, why would you even let him stay here?”
So he doesn’t blow our cover and make me reveal the real reason we’re here. But she couldn’t tell Noah that.
“First of all, it’s not my house, and second, I explained what happened in the barn.”
His mutinous glare told her he didn’t believe that explanation now any more than he had when she first gave it.
“What is your problem with Colton, Noah?” She knew hers, but Noah seemed to get along with Colton since the water fight, and Colton appeared to treat him no differently than Cody and Dustin. Joel’s boys seemed to regard him as a favorite uncle, despite there being no blood relation.
Maybe it was the fear of having a large male in the house again, she suddenly realized. A reminder of Robert? That would make sense…but surely he could see Colton was nothing like their cruel, cold-hearted half-brother?
Noah stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head, his jaw set. “Forget it.”
He spun around as if to leave. Kendra jumped up and caught his arm. “No, tell me what’s wrong? Did something happen with him?”
“No.”
“Then why are you so upset? You know you can tell me anything.”
Noah shook her hand off his arm. “There’s nothing to tell. If you’re okay with him being here, then fine.”
“Noah—” she protested as he stomped toward his room.