Free Nickels by Karen Baney Page B

know.”
    Kyle’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
    “I mean, she knows the company I work for, but I don’t talk
about my clients with her.”
    She stared down at her soda then slowly took a sip as the
silence dragged.
    “You know, you weren’t the only one she kept in the dark.”  Niki
looked back in his general direction, carefully avoiding eye contact.  “She
never mentioned that you were out of the Air Force, or that you moved here, or
that you worked at Helitronics.”
    Kyle nodded, not offering any new information.  His
secretiveness irked her.  What was so wrong with saying something about why he
was out?
    Letting her ire spur words to her mouth, she asked, “Why are you here?”
    “I’m here because Marcy asked me to dinner with her and her
boyfriend.”
    Great.  Being the third wheel would have been better than
having dinner with Kyle included.
    But, she didn’t let his answer deter her.  “That’s not what
I meant.  What are you doing here, in Arizona?  Out of the Air Force?”
    She leaned back against the counter next to the sink. 
Crossing her arms she waited for his answer.
    He pulled out the bar stool at the counter and sat. 
Something akin to regret passed across his face before he finished off his diet
soda.
    “Why is it so important to you?”
    “Why are you avoiding the question, Kyle?”
    He was silent for a long time.  He looked back towards the
picture in the great room.  She followed his gaze to the picture of Jack. 
Confused by his interest in her brother’s picture she quickly looked back at
him. 
    When he spoke, his gaze remained on the picture.  “I’m just
not ready to discuss it yet.”
    “Does it have to something to do with the pain?”
    Kyle’s head snapped back and he fixed his attention on her. 
His expression changed from sadness to surprise to anger.  “Don’t press me.”
    She watched his face carefully.  Fear widened his eyes.  He
balled his hands at his side, the pink flesh of his knuckles turning white. 
Dots of perspiration rested on his forehead.  His lips formed a tight thin line. 
Then sadness settled into the corners of his eyes.  He opened his mouth to
speak as his fingers relaxed.
    “Hey, I’m home!” Marcy’s voice burst through the door from
the garage with its owner.  Her smile faded when she looked from Kyle to Niki. 
Neither masked their irritation with the other before she saw it.
    She walked to her brother and gave him a hug, whispering
something in his ear.  When she pulled back, concern crossed her face.  “Should
you be riding the bike?  Are you well enough for that yet?”
    He frowned again.  “It wasn’t that far, Marcella.”
    She swatted at his arm.  “You know I hate that name.”
    Turning towards Niki, she said, “Chad is going to meet us
there, so can I ride with you?”
    Despite her earlier resolution to drive separately, she
nodded.
    “Good, Kyle can ride with us, too, since he’s not supposed
to be riding the bike, yet.”
    Kyle grunted.
    Niki wanted to groan, but held it back.
    “Give me ten minutes to change, ‘kay.  Try not to kill each
other while I’m gone,” she said already walking back towards her room.  “Oh,
and Niki, you look fabulous!  I told you that was a good color for you.”
    “She’s right, you know,” Kyle said, all evidence of anger
evaporated.  “That is a good color for you—especially when you wear it the
right way.”
    Niki narrowed her eyes and turned up one lip in a mock
snarl.  She finished off her diet soda and tossed both empty cans in the
recycle bin.
    “Bike, huh?”
    “Harley.  Couldn’t part with it.”
    “I hope you have a second vehicle.  You won’t want to ride
that in the heat.”
    She didn’t wait for him to answer.  She picked up her purse
from the counter and tossed her phone inside.  She walked down the hall and
talked to Marcy through her closed door to get more information about where
they were going.
    Marcy stepped from her room, looking