by Hart, Rye
“That’s a beautiful necklace,” I said. “Where did you get it?”
“Oh,” she said. “Owen gave it to me.”
I nodded slowly before my eyes darted over to Chance.
“Do you want to talk about your breakup?” he asked.
“Nope,” I said. “She doesn’t wanna talk about it.”
“That’s right,” Kyra said. “So, thanks for addressing me like I’m not here.”
“That’s right, Ethan,” Chance said. “Kyra can speak for herself.”
“The fuck did you say to me?” I asked.
“I said, Kyra is a grown-ass woman and can speak for herself.”
“If you don’t recall, you’re the one that busted in here and rudely ruined the conversation I was having with Tinkerbell. So, if you’d like to grab your libation and back out, that’d be nice.”
I watched Chance cock an eyebrow into the air, and I had to admit I was glad I rendered him speechless. The last thing I wanted to do was fight him again over something stupid while Kyra was standing here.
I was enjoying my time with her, and I wasn’t ready to share her yet.
“No need to be rude, baby bro,” Chance said. “Just coming in to check on things.”
I threw my hands up in the air as he grabbed his beer and came to stand beside Kyra. His eyes were locked onto me, like he was waiting for me to just abandon her with him and leave. He always had to get the last word in. He always had to be the big shot. He always had to get what he wanted, when he wanted it, because he was the oldest and had to set the example. Mr. Ex-Military with his faded hair bullshit on his head and his hunting escapades and his deer antlers or whatever.
I hated Chance sometimes.
“I’m really glad you’re back for the holidays, Kyra,” I said.
“I’m really glad I’m back, too,” she said.
Then, I grabbed the rest of the beers that were sitting on the counter, and I left. I’d rather wait until another time when I could get her alone than try to measure cocks against the big brother of the group.
But we all knew who would win that measuring contest. Only men insecure on shit like that acted the way Chance did.
CHAPTER FOUR – CHANCE
I felt my irritation at Ethan welling up in my body. The way he grated against my nerves was insane, and there were moments where I just wanted to smash his face in. He always acted like the top dog without ever putting any kind of action behind it, and it pissed me off. He was always butting heads with someone, and he was always trying to make sure his voice was heard above everyone else’s.
It was annoying as fuck.
But there was now a beautiful woman at my side; a grown woman we’d all come to know and love dearly. She’d grown even more lovely in the year she’d been gone, and now that I was out of the military, I finally felt like I had my shot. The military lifestyle wasn’t good enough for someone like Kyra. I bounced around a lot and wasn’t home much. I was deployed more times than I wanted to count and came back with new scars and tattoos every single time. I was fucked in the head more than I ever wanted to show her, but there was something about the light in her eyes that made me want to bed down next to her and soak up her warmth.
Her goodness.
Her exotic innocence.
I came back from the military and saw how she had grown into a wonderful, delectable treat. She had been a senior in high school, and I had made the decision to reenlist one last time, but seeing her with her beautiful, honey-blonde hair and the curves she filled out perfectly made me regret my decision. I spent the four years she was in college regretting ever having signed up, especially the moment she announced she was engaged.
But that fucker missed his chance, and I had plans to show Kyra exactly how he should’ve treated her.
I hated myself for having thoughts about her while she was so young. I punished myself in the military by doubling up on physical training just to get her barely-legal body out of my mind. I ran until I couldn’t run and lifted weights until my bones gave out. I stacked on muscle after muscle and trained until I couldn’t train anymore, and all the while, her beautiful curves and her innocent brown eyes haunted me at night.
But the moment she graduated high school and I visited home, I realized what true torture felt like.
All that summer, I had to ignore how fucking sexy she looked. I had to ignore the fact that she sunbathed in bikinis in her backyard. I had to ignore the crop tops she wore and the low-waisted jeans she bent over in. Every day we went to the swimming hole was a new and innovative torture I knew the military could never compete with.
Kyra had been too good for me then, and she sure as hell was too good for me now.
“You’re too good for him, you know,” I said.
“Why is everyone so intent on me talking about this?” she asked.
“Because we give a shit about you, unlike him.”
I saw her bow her head and sigh, and I quickly wrapped my arms around her and folded her into my body.
“Talk to me, Tinkerbell,” I said. “Tell me what happened.”
That was when I felt her snake her arms around my waist, and for a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in the touch of the woman who tortured me and haunted me for years.
“I just don’t wanna talk about it,” she said into my chest.
“Want me to still kick his ass?” I asked. “Because I’ll still kick his ass, even without a reason.”
She giggled into my chest, and I could’ve sworn I’d died on the battlefield and gone to heaven. Not that a man like me, who’d done the things I’d done, would ever get to those pearly gates, but I sure as hell was holding the closest thing to it in my arms.
“Thanks for always being there to fight my battles, Chance, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“Yes,” I said, chuckling. “But you’re not just a big girl. You’re a big, beautiful girl.”
I looked down into her face and saw her blush as her eyes flickered up to me from my chest. She pulled away from me and shook her head, swatting me on the arm as her smile grew into that gorgeous little giggle. Her blush ricocheted down her neck and into her shirt, and I began imagining what her body would look like covered in that same reddish hue.
Maybe with a bit of sweat to make it glisten.
“You dirty old man,” she said.
“No matter my age, I’m a Lost Boy for life. You, however, are our tiny, magical creature.”
“I’m not so tiny anymore,” she said, grinning. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
All I could do was smile at her cheekiness and nod in agreement because if I didn’t keep my mouth shut, I’d want to ask her to show me those tricks.
Her brown eyes locked onto my blue ones, and suddenly, the intensity in the room shifted. Kyra stepped back toward me, her body heat radiating outward as I craned my neck to keep her in my view. I could see her lips parting slightly, like she was about to tell me something but didn’t know how to start.
For a split second, I thought she was going to talk to me about her ex. Then, her face was inching closer to mine.
I felt our bodies magnetizing toward each other, pulling one another in as our lips got closer and closer. I could feel her breath against my skin, and I watched while her eyes fluttered closed. The blood in my veins was pulsing in my ears, and I could hear my heart screaming out into my mind.
This was happening.
I was about to feel this perfect woman’s lips against mine.
But just before our lips connected, a voice boomed out into the hallway. Kyra sprang away from me, like a toy wound too tightly, and shot in the other direction. I clenched my jaw and tried to bury my anger as Mark came barging through the damn door, and the second her father’s eyes landed onto me, I felt my entire body tense up.
“I swear, kids can’t do shit right,” he said.
His eyes landed on the beer bottles still on the kitchen counter, and that was when I realize
d what was going on.
Everyone expected us to bring them their second round.
And like a cork that had been popped, the rest of my brothers spilled in after her dad. They filled the kitchen of the Lancaster home, and I opened the fridge to hand everyone else a beer. We all stared at Owen as he popped the top off with his hand, chuckling and shaking our heads as Kyra’s giggle wafted above the rest of us.
There was no denying that Owen was a monster of a man, no matter how quiet he was in real life.
“I propose a toast,” Rowan said.
“Make it quick,” Ethan said. “I got a beer to chug.”
“To the gang being back together,” Rowan said. “May it make memories for us all.”
“Sappy as hell, just like you,” I said.
“I thought it was nice,” Kyra said.
“Thank you, Tinkerbell,” Rowan said.
“What did you just call my daughter?” Mark asked.
The room fell silent, and I couldn’t help but allow a smirk to crawl across my face.
“Dad, they’ve been calling me that for years. You and Mom called them the gaggle of gossips, but everyone else called them the Lost Boys.”
“Because they’re airheads?” Mark asked.
“No, because they were wild, untamable, and always broke shit,” Kyra said, grinning.
The laughter rose from all of us again before we all took sips from our newly-refreshed drinks. But then my eyes grazed along the oven clock, which was showing a time way later than I thought it was.
“Uh, guys?” I said. “Hate to break up the party, but that stuff down at the Grange tonight starts in twenty minutes. And we’re forty minutes away.”
“What’s going on at the Grange?” Kyra said.
We all looked at Mark, who was sighing and groaning to himself.
“Shit, I forgot,” Mark said. “There’s some party or something happening down there tonight.”
“Oh, well, you guys have fun,” Kyra said.
“Oh, no,” Rowan said. “You’re coming with us. Memories, remember?”
“Yeah, you really should come,” Ethan said. “It’ll be on us.”
“You can ride with me,” I said. “It’ll be fun.”
“I don’t know,” Kyra said. “I just got in, and I don’t really wanna change.”
“Why would you change?” I asked. “You look just fine. You’ll need a coat, though. Snow’s cold tonight.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Kyra said, grinning. “So funny.”
“He tries,” Owen said.
“Fine, fine,” Kyra said. “I’ll go. Under one condition.”
“Name it,” Owen said.
“No one leaves me by myself. I used to hate it when you guys ditched me like that.”
“When did we ever ditch you?” Ethan asked.
“Multiple times at the waterhole, right in the middle of football games, after school when I’d be waiting for you guys to come outside.”
“Was there food involved in those moments?” Ethan asked. “Because if food’s involved, then heaven help you.”
“Yeah, food’s a pretty big thing in our house,” Rowan said.
“Whatever,” Kyra said. “As long as I’m not ditched, I’m game.”
“Yeah, no ditching my daughter, or her complaining will be the least of your worries,” Mark said.
“I don’t even know how I’m supposed to react to that,” Kyra said.
“Wonderful,” I said. “Then it’s settled. You come. We don’t ditch you. It’s all on Owen.”
“Hey, that wasn’t the agreement,” Owen said.
“That’s what you get for being the quiet one, Mr. I.T. Consultant,” I said.
“You run your own security consulting company, and Ethan over there makes more money turning cycles than I’ve ever seen,” Owen said.
“I’ll pay for myself, thank you very much,” Kyra said. “I’m more than capable of doing it. I have a job, you know?”
“Well, throw on a coat, or you’ll be late,” Mark said.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me, Dad,” she said.
“I just want you to remember what it’s like to smile, sweetheart.”
The room fell silent while Mark and Kyra had their moment together.
She nodded her head and quietly left the room, silently acknowledging me with a small smile before she dipped out of the room. I watched her leave, trying to keep my eyes off the swaying of her lovely hips while she walked down the hallway. I already missed my time alone with her, especially with where it had all been heading. Never in my life did I ever think Kyra would initiate something like that with me.
But now that I knew where her head was at, it would be the only time she’d ever have to take the reins herself.
CHAPTER FIVE – ROWAN
I watched as Kyra glided across the dancefloor, swinging around in Blake’s arms while she smiled and laughed alongside him. Her dancing had gotten much better over the years, which I knew Blake would enjoy greatly, but I was admiring the way her body moved, the way the fabric of her shirt fluttered over the curves she was hiding underneath. Kyra always had this unassuming beauty about her, this complete ignorance of how incredible she truly was. I knew it frustrated some of the guys, but I found the trait endearing about her.
Her humbleness was something I’d loved about her ever since we grew close in high school.
I tutored her in math when she was failing Algebra II. She came to me crying her freshman year, saying that it had been a mistake for her to progress two grades up. She was sobbing and begging me to talk her parents into putting her back in middle school, but I told her I was having none of it. I’d always been good at math and I loved it. I loved the black and white truth that numbers always preached. I offered my tutoring services to her instead and I coached her all the way through high school.
Back then, she’d been too young for me. But the closer we grew, the more I grew to adore her. We kept up our friendship through college and she still called me with questions regarding her math courses. I was more than happy to get on a video chat and walk her through things and I was actually able to use the tutoring I did for her as college credit for myself.
The moment she told me she wanted to become a teacher, I felt a surge of pride well up in my chest. No longer was she the kid I considered her to be. No longer was she the small little girl, too young to be in high school and crying into my chest. Instead, she had grown and flourished into this beautiful, vibrant woman with a passion to help others in any way she could and I couldn’t help but think that I’d had a hand in that.
And when I finally saw her as a woman for the first time, the desire that crashed over my body took my breath away.
My desire for her continued to haunt me even now as I watched Blake pass her off to Harper. She was twirling around, her hair fluttering around her face, and all I could do was take deep breaths while I watched her supple body vibrate with happiness.
This was what she deserved. Not the bullshit her ex must’ve put her through.
I heard the song winding down, so I threw back the rest of my drink. I slipped in between her and Harper, drawing her close to me while she craned her neck back. I was much taller than her; her head barely came up to my chest. I pulled her into my arms and allowed her to step up onto my feet and, all of a sudden, she could press her ear to my chest while I worked us across the room.
The song was low and slow and the lights dimmed around us. I could’ve sworn I heard her sigh into my skin. The twinkling lights and the festive Christmas decorations littered the Grange, making the silent moment between the two of us feel even more special than I’d anticipated.
But I wanted to talk with her. I wanted to talk to the woman my heart had fallen for.
“So, I think my kids are learning more than math from me,” I said.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
Her voice was so light against my ears, I didn�
�t want her to stop talking.
“They all banded together and pranked me just before Christmas break set in,” I said.
“Ah, so they are learning something from you,” she said, giggling. “What did they do?
“The first one was they put a bucket of snow up above the door that pegged me when I walked in. It fell all into my coffee and everything.”
“The first one?” she asked.
“Following that was them supergluing me to my chair, so I had to have a friend of mine break into my house and bring me a pair of pants I could change into at lunch.”
“What did you do until lunch?” she asked.
“I wheeled around everywhere,” I said, grinning.
“You did not.”
“Swear on my life. Then I had one of my kids give me a little wrapped bag of Oreos to apologize and they were fucking filled with toothpaste.”
She threw her head back and laughed and I wanted to run my fingers through her long, honey-blonde tresses.
“But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t as bad as what we did to the principal,” I said.
“I take it you headed up that project?” she asked.
“Yep. We wrapped the principal’s office in wrapping paper.”
“Wait, you did what?”
“Yep. Everything. Her phone. Her chair. Her desk. Her walls. Her files. We individually wrapped the stacks of paper she uses for her personal printer. It was priceless.”
“I bet she was pissed.”
“I’ve never seen a woman laugh so hard in my life,” I said. “Tears were streaming down her cheeks. But instead of unwrapping her office, she just monitored classrooms all day. So, it sort of backfired.”
“Oh, I bet all the teachers loved you for that one,” she said.
“Eh, they all helped in some way, so it wasn’t too bad,” I said, smiling.
“Well, you’re lucky you have kids that like you enough to prank you like that. My students hate me.”
“I’m sure they don’t hate you,” he said.
“They find me lame.”
“You’ve gotta be wrong. You, Kyra? You’re the furthest thing from lame. How do you know they think you’re lame?”