by Tina Martin
“How far is this cabin again?” she asked.
“About an hour,” he said turning onto the highway.
“And what are we supposed to do for an hour, trapped in the same car together?”
He glanced over at her. Smirked. “We can talk.”
“About?”
“The reason you decided to come with me.”
“No. We always talk about me. Let’s talk about you.”
He grinned. “I’m not the one getting married in a few days.”
“Neither am I. How many times do I have to say it. It’s an engagement party.”
That’s what you think. “Okay, then. Let’s talk about me if that makes you comfortable.”
She glanced over at him taking in the sexy side angle of his face and caramel-buttercream complexion. Dang. She used to have her lips all over that face and he’d enjoyed every second of it.
When she didn’t say anything, he turned to look at her with sunglasses hiding his eyes and said, “Well?”
“Um...” Lauren didn’t know where to start. Maybe if she stopped ogling him, she could actually come up with some conversation. But he was hot, professional and dangerously sexy. He’d just gotten off work and was still dressed in the three-piece suit. Why did he have to look so freakin’ killer in a suit? Even when she saw him earlier at The Mountain Chateau, she hated to admit how fly he was which made her remember how charming he was, too. She couldn’t allow herself to be seduced by his charm. “You know what. I—I don’t think I want to do this.”
“To do what?”
“To go to the cabin with you.”
“You may not want to but you need to.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s obvious to me that you’re not sure if you want to be with Evan.”
“That would be for me to determine. Not you. What do you have to do with any of this?”
“I have everything to do with it, and you know I do. In fact, how could you marry someone knowing you haven’t really gotten over us?”
“We were over two years ago.”
“And yet you’re in the passenger seat of my Mercedes.”
Crap. He had her there. Lauren looked out the window.
Kenton glanced over at her, studying her for a second. The air from the vents fanned her black hair making the strands flutter around her soft, sun-kissed cheeks. He missed her. He frowned thinking about how much he had over the last two years. He regretted not reaching out to her. Instead, he allowed years to pass and went on living his life. “Do you still work for ComTech Industries?”
Surprise dawned on her face when she glanced over at him. “Yes.”
“That’s nice. You should be a manager by now,” he said.
“I am. I was just checking my voicemails back at the hotel.”
“Do you still enjoy it? I remember when we were together you talked about it a lot…about how you were just as good as your manager at the time, and now you are the manager.”
Lauren smiled. “I enjoy it. It’s what I went to college for.”
Kenton nodded. He’d already known she’d majored in business in college.
“What about you? Do you enjoy working with your brothers?” she asked.
“I do and trust me. It’s not as laid back as you would imagine.”
“I didn’t say it was laid back.”
“I know, but most people assume it is—like we’re in some exclusive club where we kick back, smoke cigars and sip whiskey all day long.”
Lauren grinned. “I could totally see you adding that as a part of your weekly routine.”
He laughed, glancing over at her. Their exchange reminded him of when they were together. Of happier days. “Would you like to grab a sandwich or something while we’re on the road, or wait until we’re there to eat?”
“I can wait but you probably don’t want to with your ravenous appetite, huh?”
“You still know me,” he said.
“Sure do,” she replied.
“I could go for something now, but I’ll wait.”
* * *
When they arrived at the cabin, Kenton took their bags inside. She followed, then looked around – admiring the intricate woodwork of the log cabin. The place smelled like Cedar trees and was decorated with the finest of furniture – brown leather sofas and plush rugs in the living room. A huge flat-screen TV was mounted on the cobblestone wall above the fireplace.
“Wow. You said we were coming to a cabin, not a mansion. How many bedrooms are in this place?”
“Eight,” he replied. Two of them are master bedrooms.”
“Nice. With eight bedrooms, we will be able to give each other plenty of breathing room.”
“Right. Breathing room.”
Kenton lowered the bags to the sofa. “Let’s go get some food. There’s a nice, quiet place right down the street if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s fine.”
“Okay. After you,” he said gesturing towards the door.
Lauren walked there while feeling him on her heel.
After a five-minute drive, he pulled up at the restaurant. There weren’t many cars in the parking lot but this was a Monday evening. Most businesses were slow on Mondays.
The waitress showed them to a booth in the back near the kitchen – just what Kenton was hoping for – some privacy. He pulled out a chair which wasn’t his way of being showy or pretending to be something he wasn’t. He always pulled out Lauren’s chair when they were together.
“Thank you,” she told him.
“You’re welcome,” he said then took his seat.
She looked up at him, holding his heated, honey eyes, then quickly looked away, focusing on the menu. “So, what’s good here?”
You mean, besides you? Kenton smiled at his thoughts.
“What?” she asked him.
“You’re nervous. I thought you’d be too angry at me to be nervous.”
She placed the menu on the table. “I am a little nervous,” she admitted, “But this is abnormal.”
“You mean the energy between us? How after two years of not laying eyes on each other, there’s still something powerful lingering here?”
Lauren cracked a smile. “No. That’s not what I meant at all,” she said. “But, anyway, what are you ordering?”
“A steak with sautéed mushrooms.”
“Okay. I’ll have the same.”
Kenton snapped his head back. “You’re having steak?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. That’s different. You usually settle for a salad of some sort.”
“Yeah. I used to. I guess I’ve changed in some ways in two years, huh?”
“You have.”
The waitress brought them glasses of water and they order their food while she was there. When she walked away Kenton said, “So, Evan Kaizer…tell me about him.”
“Why would I do that?”
“He’s partially to blame for this brief hiatus from your regularly scheduled life, isn’t he?”
“No. This all falls on me. Evan is Evan. He’s a good man, and I think he’ll make a wonderful husband.”
Those words stung him but Kenton fought like heck not to let it show. “Do you really think he’d be a wonderful husband or are you just so happy to finally be someone’s wife that you overlook his bad qualities and exaggerate the good?”
“Excuse me?” she said, taken aback by his question.
“I think my question was pretty straightforward,” Kenton said. He took a sip of water, his eyes never losing contact with her.
“Okay, well to answer your straightforward question, I’m not exaggerating anything. Evan’s a good man.”
“So am I, but somehow I wasn’t good enough for you, Lauren.”
“You didn’t want the same things I wanted out of life so—”
“That makes me a bad man?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to. Your actions have said it all.”
“Yes. Why don’t we break them down?” He took a breath then began, “We meet, hit it off, fall in love, move in together…our life was going good then one day, out of nowhere, you hit me with an ultimatum. I could either marry you or we break up. So, we broke up. No, let me take that back. After I refused to agree to marry you, you packed up your things and moved out of my place. You didn’t talk to me, didn’t try to come to a resolution—”
“What resolution was there?” she asked with a raised voice as the waitress lowered entrees to the table. Lauren didn’t care that someone besides Kenton was witnessing her anger. She was that irritated.
Kenton glanced up at the waitress and when the woman walked away, he returned his attention to Lauren. “How about trying to talk something out instead of only being concerned with your needs and what you want? You’re selfish.”
Her forehead creased. “I’m selfish.”
“Yes. Marrying someone because they simply want marriage. That’s selfish.”
“Evan knows it’s what I wanted and—”
“And I’m sure he was happy to oblige with your demands, Lauren,” Kenton said curtly. “I may not have wanted marriage, but I wanted you.” Kenton angrily cut into his steak, sliced a piece and then chewed it just as angrily. “You have nothing to say to that?”
“I honestly don’t know what to say.” Because it seems whatever I say would only piss you off even more.
“If you hadn’t left, do you think we’d still be together?” he asked.
“Come on, Kenton. You can’t put all the blame on me.”
“I asked you a question.”
“A question I can’t answer.”
“You can answer it. You just won’t, but I will.” Kenton wiped his mouth. “If you hadn’t given me an ultimatum, we would still be together.”
“So, it’s my fault for wanting better for myself?”
His brows raised. “Better, you say?”
“Yes.”
Kenton picked up his glass to take a sip of water. He lowered it back to the table. “I should have ordered a drink,” he said. “Something strong that would help me accept the daggers you’ve been shooting my way.”
“Don’t try to play the victim, Kenton.”
Kenton cleared his throat. “When you walked out on me, were we at odds? Fighting? Not able to get along?”
“No, we weren’t.”
“Correct. We weren’t. We were happy. We were inseparable and then you decided to destroy that.”
Lauren glanced up and saw the hurt in his eyes. He was always so elusive with his feelings but here and now, he was open with his emotions. “You’re somewhat right, Kenton, so I guess I would owe you an apology, but believe me when I say I was just as hurt. I had this idea in my mind that our relationship was going so well that we would be together forever and not just as boyfriend and girlfriend. I wanted a husband, and I thought you wanted a wife. When I found out you didn’t, I ran. I didn’t want to be in love with a man who couldn’t commit to me.”
“But I was committed to you. I never cheated on you. The thought never crossed my mind. I loved you, Lauren. I still do.”
Silence wafted between them. Pulled them into their own thoughts.
Lauren shook her head. “If you still love me like you say you do, why haven’t you reached out to me?”
“Because I don’t make it a habit of chasing women who don’t want me.”
“Then why did you invite me to the cabin?”
“I told you—to prevent you from making a huge mistake. Besides, you looked like you could use a break.”
“I could. You’re right. I did need a break.”
“Do you love him?” Kenton asked her.
“I do,” Lauren said, misty eyed. “Excuse me for a moment.” She pushed away from the table and escaped to the bathroom. Tears streamed down her face as she pushed the bathroom door open and leaned over the sink. She breathed forcefully, trying to get a hold of herself but the guilt was too much. And now she was learning that Kenton still had feelings for her. And he was right about the state of their relationship when she decided to walk away. They were happy. She hadn’t given him an opportunity to state his case or go into any details about his reasons for not wanting to get married. She just ended it.
She turned on the cold water and dashed a handful onto her face. Then she patted her face dry with a brown paper towel. After a quick inhale, she opened the door to leave the bathroom and saw Kenton standing right there in the hallway. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he opened his arms and gathered her into his embrace until she was right up against his chest. And he held her while she cried again but she quickly dried her tears.
“Thanks, Kenton. I’m okay,” she said.
It was then that he released her. “I had the waitress box up our food. I didn’t think you’d be in the mood for dinner.”
“I’m not. You’re right. I’m tired.”
“Then let’s get you back to the cabin.”
Chapter 15
Perhaps he went in too hard at dinner last night but he was trying to get his point across in a way that she would understand it. It just didn’t come through the way he’d planned it. He’d been holding onto those feelings – these emotions for Lauren for a long time – keeping it all to himself while pretending everything was all good around his family, especially his brothers. If they thought he was bachelor Kenton – the guy who played women and who never let a woman get close – they would think he was normal because they were once the same way. But now they were in marriages to good, down-to-earth, beautiful women. And he, no matter how bad he talked ill of marriage – knew at some point in his life he’d actually consider it. He didn’t know that moment would be now – during the same week his ex was due to marry another man. A man who wasn’t hesitant to fulfill her dreams.
He could hear Lauren moving around in the bedroom next to his. He’d just gotten out of the shower and was standing naked next to the bed with the towel draped around his neck like a scarf. Lauren was talking to someone, he determined. Was it him? Evan?
The sound of his phone vibrating brought his focus back to his own room. He picked up the phone and when he saw the caller was Remington, he shook his head. He’d been so caught up with Lauren that he’d forgotten to inform Remington of his whereabouts. After all, today was a normal workday, and he wasn’t at work.
“Hey, Rem. What’s up?”
“I was calling to ask you the same thing. Did you have a wild night out or something?” Remington quipped. Kenton never missed work and for him not to be there this morning concerned him.
“No. I’m at the cabin.”
“At the cabin?”
“Yes. With Lauren.”
“Kent, what are you doing man?”
“I don’t know yet. I just know that I still have feelings for her and I can’t let her marry someone she doesn’t love and vice versa.”
“You can’t? Lauren’s a grown woman. She can do what she wants.”
“If you say so.”
Remington chuckled. “I can clearly see what’s going on here. You don’t want her to marry Evan.”
“What if I don’t?”
“So, your plan is to break up her engagement for what? The heck of it? It’s obvious you don’t want her. You had her, man. You had her and you let her go.”
“You’re right. I made a mistake. Tell me you’ve never made one with Emory.”
“I’ve made plenty.”
“Then allow me time to work through mine. I’ll be back to work at some point on Thursday.”
“Okay man. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Kenton placed the phone down then proceeded to get dressed in a pair of slacks and a solid black shirt. He then stepped out of the room and into the hallway where he could still hear Lauren on the phone. He could hear her a little better now that he was right outside of her door:
“Com
promise,” Lauren said. “Now, you want to compromise after you up and made this decision on your own? I never wanted to move to the city. I love it here and I thought you did too, Evan. At least that’s what you led me to believe…yeah...un-huh... whatever. Yeah, go to your meeting. Bye.”
Kenton raised his hand to tap his knuckles on the door but missed when Lauren snatched the door open.
“Kenton,” she gasped almost as if she’d forgotten he was here.
“Hey...thought you’d want to grab some breakfast or something,” he said, noticing she looked overwhelmed and outdone.
Lauren quickly replaced the look of exasperation on her face with a smile. “Sure.”
“Okay. I hope you’re in the mood for pancakes, eggs, and bacon. You’d be hard-pressed to find smoothies and protein shakes this way.”
Lauren grinned. “That’s fine.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. You’re brand new now...eating steak, collecting thistles and whatnot.”
She smiled. “I’m not brand new. I’m hungry. After the morning I had, I need a hearty breakfast.”
“Then, I’m ready if you are.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
* * *
After they settled at the table and had already started on their food, Kenton said, “So, do you want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“The reason your morning didn’t start off so good.”
“It’s...it’s just that Evan has taken a job in Charlotte and he didn’t discuss it with me. He just did it.”
“Oh.”
She rubbed her hands across her hair. “It baffles me how men have such little consideration for women.”
“That’s a very broad statement to make, and it’s not true—at least from my perspective.”
“It kinda is, and I’m not saying that to be argumentative. I’m saying it because I believe it’s true. For example, when we were together, you didn’t take my feelings into consideration when you found out I wanted marriage and children. Looking back on it, you were probably glad I gave you a way out.” She chuckled softly.