Free Sweet Topping CV3 by Carol Lynne

to get in.
    What the fuck was going on? He wheeled towards the door in the dark. He realised he’d been a real chicken shit up until now. Maybe he was crazy, but he suddenly had a strong feeling the person on the other side of the door was only interested in scaring him. He’d known from the beginning, breaking into the bakery hadn’t made sense. There was obviously nothing of real value to a burglar.
    As he sat in front of the door, his hands began to sweat. What if he was wrong? Maybe the guy was just a really bad thief. He looked at the security key pad mounted on the wall.
    Positioning his chair just right, Kyle’s hand hovered over the keys.
    Taking a deep breath, his finger less than an inch from the panic button, Kyle unlocked the door and threw it open. He was shocked by the man standing on the other side with a screwdriver in his hand. “Kevin?”

    SWEET TOPPING
    Carol Lynne
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    Eyes big, the man held the tool in front of him like a weapon. “What’re you doing up? I know I wasn’t making enough noise to wake you.” With a sigh, Kyle keyed in the number to disengage the alarm. “Get in here,” he growled at his younger brother.
    Disgusted, Kyle wheeled himself further into the kitchen. He heard the door shut. It was all beginning to make sense. “Dad sent you to scare me into coming home, didn’t he?”
    “No,” Kevin replied.
    Kyle turned around to face Kevin. “Then why? Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through these last several months? The expense?” Kyle motioned towards the back of the building. “I’m living with fucking bars on the windows and an alarm system because of you.”
    Kevin stared at him for several long moments before Kyle detected tears streaming down his cheeks. “Kevin? What’s going on?”
    Taking the few steps that separated them, Kevin fell onto his knees and buried his face in Kyle’s lap. “It’s all my fault,” Kevin finally gasped.
    “Yeah, it is.” Kyle couldn’t help but to reach out and run his hand through his brother’s blond hair.
    Kevin shook his head. “No, I’m not talking about the break-ins.” Kevin hid his face.
    “The accident. It was my fault.”
    Kyle’s hand stilled. “What are you saying?”
    “I was supposed to drive you home that night. I knew how shit-faced you were, but there was this redhead…”
    Rubbing his moist eyes, Kyle shook his head. “I don’t remember anything from that night.”
    “I know,” Kevin continued. “I begged you to take me with you to that party on the grounds you could drink as much as you wanted and I’d get you home.” Kevin sat back on his feet before standing. He walked towards the mixers, putting distance between them. “I thought more about getting laid than you, and you paid the price. When you woke up and didn’t remember anything, I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I was so ashamed.”
    “So why all this, Kevin?”
    “Mom and Dad aren’t the same since you moved here. They wander around the house like zombies half the time.” Kevin kicked the heavy piece of equipment. “They barely SWEET TOPPING
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    acknowledge my existence. I think they know I was with you that night. At first, I just wanted you to come home for them. When you came for Christmas and we found out you could walk again, I thought that was my chance at redemption. Only you were too damn stubborn. I had no choice but to follow you back to Cattle Valley.” Kyle really looked at his brother for the first time in a long while. He’d been as pissed as his parents when Kevin dropped out of college and took a job at a gas station. It suddenly dawned on him. Kevin had been as crippled as Kyle the night of the accident. Except while Kyle moved on with his life, Kevin was still mired in a pit of guilt.
    “Come here.” Kyle wiped his eyes before holding out his arms.
    Looking confused, Kevin walked slowly towards him. When Kevin was within reach, Kyle pulled his brother down into an embrace.
    Kevin