Give and Take

by Lee Kilraine

“Is it just me or is that bowl kind of sexy?” Eli asked.

  “Not just you,” Rhia said, her eyes glowing up into mine. “That is one sexy bowl.”

  “Thanks. It’s hand-turned black walnut. The diameter of the foot is one-third the diameter of the rim. The bowl is hand-sanded until smooth, bringing out the natural grain pattern in the wood. The live edge gives it character.” Yeah, I thought it was sexy. Mostly, I was excited at what it represented, my new venture. A risk I wouldn’t have taken if Rhia hadn’t entered my life.

  “See? We should go out and celebrate,” Rhia said.

  “I sort of think we should stay in and celebrate.” I hit her with my gaze, and when her cheeks turned the softest pink, I figured she knew exactly how I wanted to celebrate.

  “I guess this means I get the place to myself again tonight,” Eli said. Eli and I shared a fixer-upper town house we’d been slowly renovating to flip. Lately, I’d been spending most nights at Rhia’s. “I gotta say, I’ve been enjoying sitting around in my boxers watching old episodes of Doctor Who.”

  “Eli, I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but you need to get out more.” Not that we’d ever sat around in our boxers, thank God, but I’d been a happy loner not too long ago.

  “Ash has a game. Beck’s going to some party with Sam. Hope’s in Arizona. Fine, I’ll go see what Gray’s doing. Have you seen him around?”

  Rhia bit her lip. “Uh, yeah. He stomped through here a few minutes ago after a client meeting. I’m pretty sure he’s in the batting cage.”

  Eli and I looked at each other and grinned. “The Madigan job.”

  “I’ll go check. Wish me luck.” Eli winked and left.

  “Are we on for celebrating?” I asked, tucking the bowl under my arm so I could reach out and wrap one of her curls around my finger. “Dinner first. I’ll even cook.”

  “You’re on. I’ve got a busy weekend. Saturday, I’ve got the thirtieth anniversary luncheon and then a flying squadron reunion in the evening. Plus, Sunday dinner at my parents.” She smiled sweetly up at me.

  “Already? It feels like we just went.” We’d settled on attending once a month instead of every week. Steph was turning out okay, but the rest of them I could only handle on a limited basis. “Do you think they’ve figured out you aren’t having triplets yet?”

  “They’re pretty smart, so yes.”

  No. Her family was pretty dumb for a bunch of geniuses. Too dumb to see how smart and talented their own daughter was.

  “Oh! I forgot to tell you, I sent my R & R back to the editor, so cross your fingers for me.”

  “You don’t need good luck. Let’s add that to our celebration.” I leaned in and kissed her. Warm, wet, and thorough. I ran my lips along her jaw to her ear and whispered, “Let’s go home. Just you, me, and our cat.”

  The cat used that moment to wind her body between both Rhia and my legs in a soft, silky figure eight. I handed Rhia the bowl and scooped up the cat to scratch along her back and behind her left ear.

  “Wyatt, you’ve got to name the cat. It’s been two months.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to mess it up.” I didn’t. Maybe it was no big deal to Rhia, since she’d grown up with family pets, but this was new territory for me. I was still researching names and their meanings.

  “What about Boots?” Rhia suggested.

  I’d swear the cat rolled her eyes. “No, not Boots.”

  Darn if the cat didn’t rub her head against my chest and purr.

  “How many names are on your list now?”

  “I’ve got it down to under ten,” I said. Rhia got that smile on her face and I braced for what was coming next.

  “Wyatt Thorne, you are adorable.”

  “Can I tell you something? I don’t much care for being called adorable.” Or nice. I pointed at her. “You just got yourself dirty-talking-Wyatt in bed tonight, young lady.”

  She blinked her aqua eyes up at me, but I’d swear there was some wicked twinkle in them. Did I just get played?

  Rhia grinned, all happy and anticipating. Yeah, I got played. Confession time. I didn’t mind at all. She could play me like a Stradivarius until the end of days. I’d be fine with that.

  We went home and celebrated, ate dinner, and celebrated some more. I drifted off to sleep with Rhia wrapped up in my arms and the cat at my feet. Did life get better than this?

  * * * *

  That night the baby came to me again in my sleep. The same baby. Still holding its arms out to me. Only this time the baby was sitting in Rhia’s lap and had her flame-kissed hair and my blue eyes.

  Those blue eyes and arms reaching for me had me jackknifing up in bed, instantly awake, my heart pounding in my chest.

  My baby? Rhia’s baby? Our baby?

  Yes….yes. A family. The family I’d always craved.

  My reoccurring dream finally made sense. All this time…all these years… I wanted the family I’d never had. A father who cared. A mother’s love. A child who’d grow healthy and happy, basking in both.

  “Hey, you okay, Wyatt?” Rhia sat up next to me, rubbing my back, her lips kissing my shoulder. “Was it that nightmare again?”

  “No. Not a nightmare. A dream. A really good dream.”

  We settled back down, Rhia’s head on my chest. I kissed her forehead and began to calculate how quickly I could make that dream a reality. “Rhia?”

  “Mmm…”

  Already back to sleep. That was fine. I could practice what I wanted to tell her.

  “Rhia, words have never come easy to me, and these might be the most important I’ll ever speak.” I winced. “No, Wyatt, that sounds dumb.”

  “How does a man of few words tell a woman that she means everything to him? Damn. No. That’s not right either.”

  “Rhia, I’d live my darkest days over again and again if that was the only way to guarantee having you in my life. Hell, now I sound downright pathetic.”

  “How about, ‘I love you, Rhia Hollis’?” Rhia rolled on top of me, until we were face to face. “And then I’ll say, ‘I love you, Wyatt Thorne.’ And then we’ll put the cat in the hall and you can make wild, crazy love to me. Then I’ll make love to you. And after that we’ll let dirty-talking Wy—”

  I kissed her. Long enough to get her quiet so I could say what I needed to before I lost my nerve. “I love you, Rhia.”

  “I love you too, Wyatt.” A tear ran down her cheek as her lips slid into a smile. “Now feels like a good time to mention that sometimes talking is overrated and unnecessary. Your nonverbal communication skills are excellent.”

  I wrapped my arms around her, rolled over until Rhia was under me, and kissed her with all the love and passion I couldn’t find words for. I used my hands, and lips, and my body to tell her that she was more than I’d ever dreamed.

  Meet the Author

  Lee Kilraine lives with her husband and children in the pine woods of North Carolina. When she isn’t typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, at her feet, you might find her on her front porch swing plotting her next book while guarding her hydrangea bushes from the local gang of deer. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart Finalist. She loves writing and reading stories with a Happily Ever After and if they make her laugh...well, that’s perfect.

  Visit her website at www.leekilraine.com.

  Give It Up

  Beckett. Asher. Gray. Eli. Ryker. Wyatt. Five out of six very different brothers reunited—and working to make their construction firm a success. But oldest brother Beckett just found their major new project becoming one hard and sexy challenge . . .

  A rough childhood tore Beckett and his brothers apart. It took everything he had to track them down and establish Six Brothers Construction. He only trusts them—and his drive to win. Now if SBC can build a billionaire team owner’s much-hyped new mansion, it will put th
em on the map—and finally fulfill Beckett’s promise to take care of his siblings. Too bad he’ll have to collaborate with hot new rival Samantha Devine, who’s throwing him curves on-site, out-the-box . . . and between the sheets.

  Sam knows from experience that arrogant good-ole-boy Beckett is long, strong, and built to go the distance. But this is her only shot to prove she and her fledgling design company can succeed on her own terms. She’ll match Beckett’s expertise by day—and reignite the explosive heat between them by night. But when passion threatens to become real love, will this competition separate them for good . . . or make the sizzling collaboration of a lifetime?

  Bringing Delaney Home

  In the sleepy town of Climax, North Carolina, all five Cates brothers are known for being tall, dark, and delicious. But each has his own incomparable love story . . .

  Quinn Cates has known Delaney Lyons forever. But after years away from home, Delaney’s a changed woman. A mysterious accident she refuses to talk about has left her hurting—in body and soul—and acting out in dangerous, and occasionally entertaining, ways.

  Quinn’s on the local police force, so he’s used to dealing with troublemakers. This one’s pretty incorrigible—but he suspects her flippant exterior is hiding something softer and deeper inside. Every time he has to rescue Delaney from herself, his heart and his hormones both go into overdrive. But he owes it to Delaney’s sister to keep an eye on her. He’s got some experience with that after spending so much time at it back in high school . . .

  Delaney just wants to fend off the gossips, fight off the pain of her past, and make her escape once again. But Officer Cates is ordering her not to leave town, and his interrogation techniques can be very persuasive . . .

  Could This Be Love?

  Everyone in Climax, North Carolina, knows the Cates brothers. But Sijan Cates is famous far beyond his quaint hometown—and when he comes back, he brings trouble with him . . .

  Avery Danford urgently needs to get back in touch with her estranged family. If only she could get her picture in the papers, maybe they’d track her down…and what better way to accomplish that than to squeeze into the world’s tightest dress and cozy up to the world’s hottest actor, Sijan Cates? It’s a crazy idea, but it just might work. And though the former actress has sworn off Hollywood hunks, she’s got to admit this desperate measure might be a pleasure . . .

  Scandal-plagued Sijan has come home for some peace and quiet—and to stay out of the tabloids. Then a woman claiming to be his number-one fan plants a hot kiss on him—in front of a pack of paparazzi. There’s only one way to protect his reputation: tell the world they’re engaged. It’s all just a show, as they use each other to get what they need. But in this sleepy Southern town, love stories have a way of coming true . . .

  Crazy Love

  Tynan Cates’s military days are over. He’s home among family, friends, and his three-legged rescue dog in Climax, North Carolina—but his new employee is stirring up feelings he thought he’d left behind . . .

  Pint-size Lulubelle Swan is not Ty’s—or anyone’s—idea of a construction worker. But she’s so eager to join his crew for the Climax library renovation that he gives her a shot . . . and she totally lives down to his expectations. Aside from her fear of ladders, she’s a hazard every time she picks up a hammer. He’d toss her out on her tight little tush, but he gets the feeling she needs the job—or at least, needs something . . .

  Lu’s trying her hardest, but she’s no handywoman. She’s sought out Ty because he served in Afghanistan with the man she loved—and nearly three years after losing Joe, she still can’t move on. Hiding her true intentions, she spends hours with Ty, trying to get him to talk about the past—and in the process, learn how to face the future on her own. But when her quest for closure gets complicated, she may have to open her heart in unexpected ways . . .

  Love 2.0

  Elvis has been spotted in the little town of Climax, North Carolina. Or at least, a shapely female Elvis impersonator—who’s got Kaz Cates all shook up . . .

  Kaz is having one of those days. Cyber criminals, federal agents . . . and now, Elvis. In reality, the King is Mirabel Diaz, earning money by delivering singing telegrams. But Mira’s got another reason for being here: she knows Kaz Cates is secretly a master hacker with the skills to help people disappear, and that’s exactly what she needs to do. Still, Kaz can’t help wishing she’d stay awhile . . .

  This isn’t Mira’s preferred career—her singing voice isn’t even that great—but her ex-boyfriend, a powerful Russian gangster, hasn’t left her a choice. No matter where she runs, he seems to find a way to pull strings and get her fired. If she doesn’t get off the grid, his vengeful acts may only get worse. Kaz reluctantly agrees to help, and insists on teaching her self-defense. Though she’s afraid to trust any man, she feels safe with Kaz . . . and welcomed by his family. But if they don’t stop the danger that’s chasing her, she may have to go on the road again instead of finding a haven in his arms . . .

  You Can’t Hurry Love

  In Climax, North Carolina, climbing the professional ladder means making the right connections. And Paxton Cates is about to form a partnership he never expected . . .

  While his brothers have found their true loves, Paxton remains stubbornly single, and it’s not helping his career. Sure, he’s a successful lawyer, but to become a judge you’ve got to mingle with the right crowds—and without a partner at his side, he’s not getting enough invitations. He needs someone, and soon. Someone like Jolene Joyner . . .

  Jolene, a local high school English teacher, has a history of driving Paxton crazy. She’s just too perfect—and she’s never let him forget it. But now Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes is in trouble for the first time in her life, and she needs a lawyer. He’ll take her case—if she’ll play by his rules. Six months of socializing should do the trick—if they can convince everyone they’ve put aside their animosity and fallen madly in love. Then they can go their separate ways.

  The only problem is that Jolene seems to have developed a taste for bad behavior . . . especially where Paxton is concerned. And instead of just a pretty partner in deception, he’s got himself a new client who’s anything but innocent . . .

  Wanted: Mom For Christmas

  Christmas is coming to Climax, North Carolina—and it’s delivering an unexpected second chance right to Hawk Savage’s door…

  For small-town cop and single dad Hawk Savage, Christmas tends to be more hassle and worry than mistletoe and magic. His daughter, Heather, is ten going on teenager, while his son, Henry Lee, has decided he needs a mommy, ASAP. HL’s constant matchmaking is enough to break a father’s heart, but Hawk has a more immediate problem. His high-school girlfriend, Nora Joy, just arrived on his doorstep, claiming to be his family’s new Rent-A-Mom. He sure didn’t hire her, but he can’t turn Nora’s admittedly shapely tush out on the street.

  Sidelined by injury, Olympic medal-winning volleyball player Nora receives a mysterious Rent-A-Mom job offer just when her finances, and her spirits, are at an all-time low. True, she’s not much for cooking. Or housekeeping. Still, it’s hard to resist Hawk’s children…and Hawk himself has changed from the lanky teenager she once knew to a strong, steady, very tempting man.

  Christmas in Climax is shaping up to be full of surprises. But the biggest one of all might be the happy-ever-after that a little boy’s Christmas wish can bring . . .