by J. Haney
“Something isn’t quite right. I think there is more to your dad and this Ryan than meets the eye; this might have been some sort of front for something else. Ryan holds the key and we need to have a talk with him, but we have to sort out a plan when we are both clear headed, okay?”
I watch Caleb closely as I process everything he’s said. “Dammit, I trusted him. I never even thought about him being involved. Now it actually makes sense! He is the only damn person who knew where we always were. That would explain why his e-mails are so weird. He doesn't know where we are, so he is freaking out." Feeling the start of tears, I wrap my arms around Caleb’s waist.
He just stands there rubbing my back, almost as if he was waiting for me to break down. “We will sort this out. Don’t worry.”
Leaning back, I wipe my eyes so I can see his face and try to quiet myself down, so I don’t wake the kids. “I’m sorry, I know you don't like me crying. Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking.”
I watch Caleb’s reaction to see what he’s thinking, but it looks as if he’s doing a lot of observing. “Maybe we can send him an e-mail back, but this time go fishing for information? I don’t think I could handle seeing him right now without wanting to kill him.”
Caleb wipes the tears away with his thumb and then cups my face and kisses me. His kisses could just about make me forget anything. This, of course, is just a bit harder to forget. Detective Ryan has been with me since the start of this crazy life. Never in a million years would I have thought he was involved. Caleb’s words bring me out of my head babbling.
“It’s not that I don’t like to see you cry,” he says. “It’s just that it breaks my heart. You let me deal with this guy. I don’t want to risk anything with you and the twins being around him. Let’s have our drinks and then an early night. We can figure out a plan tomorrow.” He pulls me in close and leans us back onto the sofa, kissing me.
I nod through the kiss. “That sounds really good to me.” I feel him smile as I wrap my arms around his neck and lean back into the kiss. I know I shouldn’t be using this to take my mind off everything, but right now this is the only thing that seems right. Before I know it, though, Caleb breaks the kiss and watches me closely. I blush under his scrutiny, which makes him smirk. I’ve never met a guy who could make me blush like he can. He stands and takes my hand to help me up.
“Okay, forget what I said about finishing our drinks,” he says. “I think we should get some sleep; we’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
“Okay, just let me finish what’s in my glass.” I put my glass to my lips and finish it in one swig.
“Damn, girl, you can drink.” Caleb watches me with an almost shocked look. He shakes his head, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking. He kisses the top of my head, then pushes me down the hallway toward the stairs.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Good night, Caleb,” I say as I head to my room.
Once I step foot into my room, I know it’s shower time. I’m praying the hot water will make me feel better somehow. Walking into the bathroom, I turn on my music and the water, so it can heat up as I strip my clothes. I’m hoping it will help all the tension I’ve got right now. Just as I step into the water, the song changes. Ah, nice hot water.
Then it hits me like a brick what song is playing. I sink down in the tub, wrapping my arms around my legs. After everything that I heard tonight, this song has completely done me in. As I sit in the tub with the hot water from the shower hitting me, I’m bawling.
Caleb must have come in for something and heard me because he comes busting through the door.
“Kyler, what’s wrong?” he asks as my head pops up.
“Nothing, Caleb, I’m fine. This song just brought back some memories,” I say between sniffles.
Caleb listens to the song for a minute. He looks at me like I’m crazy. He pulls me out of the shower and wraps me in a towel.
“Come on, gorgeous, we need to talk,” he says, carrying me to my bed.
He lays me on the bed then walks back to the bathroom, turning the water off, grabbing my phone, and shutting off the lights. As he reenters the room, he puts my phone on charge, and then gets into bed with me. Now it’s my turn to look at him as if he’s lost his mind. He gently wraps his arms around me and lays my head on his chest.
“Now tell me why that song made you cry.” He runs his fingers through my hair.
I open my mouth to speak, but then shut it. Why does this seem so much more intimate to tell him? I’ve told him a lot already, but this almost feels wrong for me to share. I take a deep breath and snuggle closer into him. I guess I might as well get this over with.
“I think I was about four months pregnant with the twins. I’d just started showing and had finally told my parents. I was so worried they’d be mad at me, especially my dad. I did no wrong when it came to him. I was always going to be his princess.” I sighed. “Mom, Dad, and I sat down when they started noticing little things like my shirts were always baggy and some of my favorite foods made me sick. I remember sitting there knowing good and well they knew, and they were going to tell me how disappointed they were in me. That alone broke my heart.” Taking another breath, I wrap myself around Caleb.
“’Kyler, we know you’re pregnant.’
“Once my father said those words I began to cry and apologize over and over. I knew I should have told them. Hell, Tyson kept telling me to talk to them. I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t even look into their eyes; afraid I would see the disappointment.” I let out a sniffle and Caleb wraps his other arm around me, squeezing me tightly.
“Okay, so why did this song make you cry?” Caleb asks softly.
“After we finished our talk and my father told me he wasn’t ready to lose me, I was listening to music in my room when “Daddy Dance with Me” by Krystal Keith came on my playlist. I got up and went downstairs with my iPod in hand. As I got to the living room, I set my iPod on the docking station and started the song over. I walked straight up to my father, taking his hand and pulling him up out of his chair. As he heard the words of the song, he began to cry, but he danced with me.” I shrug. “I guess that was my way of saying I’d always be his little girl, but he had to let me grow up. With the weight of everything today, this song playing, well it, it broke me.” I pull Caleb closer to me as I’m crying.
Caleb murmurs to me, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. He must have rubbed my back and murmured to me till I fell asleep, because when I wake up, my head’s still on his chest and he’s lightly snoring. I scoot just enough so I can see his face. He looks even more perfect when he’s sleeping. Lord, he’s one helluva man. He pulled me out of the shower, with all my lady bits showing and it didn’t faze him, or he acted as if it didn’t. I snuggle back into Caleb and fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Eight ~ Caleb
Waking up with Kyler, wrapped in my arms is an amazing feeling. I’ve never felt this way with a chick before. There’s just something so different about her. As I lie here and think about everything from last night, I’m still trying to figure out how I didn’t jump her. She was gorgeously naked, in my hands! I tighten my arms around her as I kiss the top of her head. We’ve got a long day today. I haven’t told Kyler yet, but we have to meet Detective Ryan this afternoon. I set it up after she went up to bed. It was why I’d come into the room last night, how I found her crying. Liam and Nell are going to keep the twins for us; I just need to figure out how she’s going to handle this news.
I stretch just as Kyler starts to wake up. Those beautiful green eyes look up into mine and my heart melts even more. I start to wonder how I’m going to tell her what we have to do today. Almost makes me forget she’s naked under the cover. Well, that’s until she tightens her hold on me and her breasts are pressed to my chest. Then I’m very much aware she’s naked and so is my cock, which stiffens instantly.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” I kiss her head and smile at her.
“Good morning, sweet man. You stayed with me
all night?” She’s confused, I can tell by her tone and the question.
“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to leave you when you needed me the most,” I say as I start to unravel her body from mine.
Kyler checks the time and jumps out of bed. She must have forgotten she’s naked. I can’t help but watch her as she runs around the room.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Kyler keeps chanting, which has me chuckling. That gets her attention. I immediately receive the death glare. Oh boy.
“Why didn’t you wake me? The kids could see you in here!” Kyler whisper-shouts at me.
“Uh…Umm…Err… I just woke up myself,” I spit out.
“Likely story. Lord only knows what they are thinking, now!” She throws her hands into the air.
I just chuckle, admiring the view as I stand up and let myself out of the room.
While I’m in the kitchen making coffee, I hear a knock at the door. I know who it is before I open it, so I undo the latch and then head back to the kitchen. Jaxson and Avaline are sitting at the table when I return. Once Jax’s eyes hit Liam his smile widens; he really seems to like Liam. It’s just nice to know he likes someone.
As Liam and Nell are taking seats at the table and I’m filling coffee cups, Kyler walks in and stops dead in her tracks. I have to keep the chuckle to myself as I see the heat rising in her cheeks. We didn’t do anything and she’s already blushing. I haven’t seen a woman act like this since I was in college. Liam smirks at Kyler as both Nell and I shake our heads. Kyler doesn’t like Liam, and Liam damn well knows that.
“What are you doing here?” Kyler spits at Liam.
“He’s my brother and we do own the place,” Liam retorts in all his cockiness.
“Oh wait, you mean Caleb’s your brother? Oh my God, I had no idea.” Kyler rolls her eyes at him as she says this, which causes me to let out a snort. Everyone turns to look at me. Fuck, what am I supposed to say now? I look from Kyler’s face to each of the kids, then to Liam and Nell. All of them are looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Drop it, Liam. Kyler, Nell and Liam are here to take Jax and Ava for a little bit while we take a trip.” I watch as she runs what I just said through her head.
“Um… Where is it we are going?” she asks. “Why didn’t you say anything last night?” Liam whistles.
“Kyler,” I say, “there was a lot we talked about last night. I didn’t want to worry you with anything else. So, if you’d please just let Liam and Nell takes the kids with them for a bit, we’ll get what we need to do done and get them back as quick as we possibly can.” I say quickly then watch her close. All she does is nod stiffly.
“Okay, head to the truck and I’ll meet you out there.” I gesture for Liam and Nell to follow me. As we step into the living room, Kyler walks out the door. She looks pissed.
“If you guys could pack up some necessities just to be on the safe side, that’d be awesome,” I tell them, and then head out the door.
Kyler is leaning against my truck. If I had time and I wasn’t about to tear her life to pieces, I’d explain what we are doing. All right Caleb, grow some damn balls. You can tell her what you are doing without freaking out like a little bitch. If this is love, I’m not so sure I like it much anymore.
I walk up to Kyler, kiss her on top of her head, then open the door so she can get in. I can feel her eyes on me as I go over to the driver’s side, but I’m just not sure how to tell her what we are doing.
The house fades from the mirror and the tension is starting to get to me so I pull off at the first gas station. Turning to Kyler, I take her hand in mine and rub my thumb up and down the back of her hand.
“Kyler, we are going to see Detective Ryan,” I whisper and watch her face as the realization of what I just said hits her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I swear!” I growl it out, determined to make her understand I had to do it this way.
“Why didn’t you tell me at the house?” she asks, looking very confused.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t go with me.” I look past her and check our surroundings. “We have to get going. Are you okay?”
She knits her brows for a moment, then squeezes my hand. “Yeah, let’s just get this over with.” She sighs and sits back.
We start down the road again in complete silence. It maddens me, but I figure Kyler is trying to gather her thoughts, which is okay because I would be doing the same.
We arrive at the diner and I compose myself, while scoping out the area. I am ready to face the detective. Kyler looks like she’s gathered her resolve as well. I don’t hold her hand; as much as I want to, and know she needs it, I need him to think I’m just a hired PI, nothing more. I talk quietly to Kyler as we walk along.
“Okay, so you take the lead, let’s play it as I’m just a PI to you and nothing else. Try not to show any emotion so he can’t use it against us. Be natural. I will sit next to him so that if anything happens you can run. I’m sure it won’t come to that, but we need to play this just right.”
She looks nervous and stressed. I feel guilty for springing this on her, but it has to be done. She can’t run forever, especially not with the twins.
I open the diner door for her and we walk inside. After a moment and a glance around the place, she leads the way to a table where a man sits alone. As we approach he looks up and gives Kyler a small smile.
“Mr. Hudson,” she says, “this is Detective Charles Ryan; Charles, this is Mr. Hudson.”
As Ryan stands up and smiles at Kyler, he keeps one eye on me at all times. When he turns to face me, he seems more comfortable greeting me. I hold my hand out and shake his firmly.
“Kyler, Mr. Hudson. You had me worried young lady. Where are Avaline and Jaxson?”
Ryan searches Kyler’s eyes. I watch his body language the way he inspects, her, as though searching for answers already. His stare is quite intense. I can tell he isn’t going to be taken for a fool and he’s not a man to be messed with. The thing about that is neither am I.
The waitress interrupts us, and Ryans whole character change; his face softens, and he seems warm toward her. He orders coffee. Kyler and I order the same.
Ryan looks at me. “Just who are you, Mr. Hudson?”
“Call me Caleb. I'm a private investigator. Kyler has hired me to do some digging into the Jefferson murders. The twins are on a playdate right now. We will be meeting with them later.” I smile faintly at him, not looking at Kyler, nor showing any sort of affection toward her, in case he’s the type to notice.
I can feel Kyler’s eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of us. Her nervousness is kicking up a notch. She stands and we both look to see if she’s okay. She gives a weak smile.
“I’m going to run to the ladies’ room really quick. I’ve told Mr. Hudson all that I can remember, and I figure since you worked the case you could help fill in the blanks.”
I smile at Kyler just as Ryan does and once she is out of sight, I take out my notepad and try to look official. As I glance back up, Ryan is staring at me, his small eyes looking me over. He suspects I’m more than just hired hand, I’m sure of that.
“So, how long have you been a PI? You look a little wet behind the ears to be able to solve such a high-profile cold case.” He grins smugly at me. I smile back. What a prick. He certainly knows how to get to a guy; maybe that’s what he wants? I’ll just have to play along and act stupid for now.
“I’ve been a PI for about twelve years now. I will admit that cold cases are rare for me, but I like a challenge.” As I answer, I turn slightly so that he and the bathroom are both in my line of sight.
Ryan laughs lightly. “Well this will be a challenge for you. There were no strong leads, no real evidence left at the scene, and they were a real nice family.” He has a smirk on his face that has me wanting to slam my fist against his jaw.
“So it must have been a professional hit then, with a really good clean-up guy. That or things just weren’t handled very well at
the time and sloppy mistakes may have let a killer get away.” I grin back at him, which isn’t the right thing to do, but I just can’t help myself. This guy is dirty; I can feel it in every breath he takes in my presence.
Ryans face changes again, his eyes boring into me. While his face still holds a smile, there is a sinister feeling creeping up my back. He leans toward me, keeping his voice low, gaining a sharp and menacing tone.
“You listen to me and you listen well,” Ryan growls. “The Jefferson’s were my friends, good friends. No stone was left unturned, no piece of evidence was left unchecked, and all leads were followed up thoroughly. I raised Kyler and helped her get back on her feet again when no one else would. She’s like a daughter to me so, don’t you go making stories up or stirring up trouble, or you will have me to deal with, and I don’t play nice,” Ryan growls out.
The conversation stops there as Kyler comes back to the table.
“Are you boys getting along? Are you helping Mr. Hudson and filling in the blanks for me?”
We both snap back into pleasant mode. I try not to look at her even though I’m so used to checking her out when she walks, the sway of her hips, the way she tucks a little bit of her hair behind her ear. I’m not tired of that view, that’s for sure, but I can’t look now. As I see her touch Ryans shoulder, a pang of jealousy swells up in me, but I try not to let it show.
Ryans face instantly changes back to pleasant and his eyes follow Kyler’s hand as she walks past him. I see him then look straight back to me and grin; it’s not a friendly grin, more a proclamation of ownership. He’s dirty, all right, but smart, and I’m not sure how to play it next, but right now we need to leave him alone.
“Oh yes, we’re getting along fine,” Ryan says, his tone cooler now. “Your new fancy man certainly is a great PI I’m sure, but he has a good idea of what is going on now and knows what to do with that information.”
I look at him and smile slightly, realizing it was a very subtle you know I’m involved and back off message, as well as confirmation he knows we are more than just a client and PI. He must be able to read people really well. He’s got years of experience fitting in with people and is keen to seeing danger before he can get hurt. This guy is in deep, and he’s going to be a really big problem.