Welcome To Redemption: Series Collection (Books 1-6)

by Donna Marie Rogers

  “Crap, I forgot about the garlic bread!” Lauren exclaimed. She ran over and blew out a sigh of relief as she pulled the pan from the oven. “Perfect.”

  “Smells awesome,” Caleb said. “Man, am I starving.”

  “Me, too!” Max chimed in. “My mom makes the best lasagna in the world. She can cook anything, right, Mom?”

  Lauren gazed at Max with a bemused smile. “Well, I draw the line at octopus and insects, but besides that, I’ll give anything a try.”

  “Two things I can guarantee I’ll never ask you to cook.” Caleb promised with a wink. “What can I do to help?”

  “You can carry the lasagna to the table.” She handed him two oven mitts. “Max, please go get your sister. And be careful of her hand.”

  Caleb looked up in time to see a wave of guilt pass over Max’s face. Poor kid still felt responsible for what happened to Emma.

  Ten minutes later, they all sat down to their first meal as a family. Caleb nearly choked on the thought. Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Family? He eyed each one of them and, disconcertingly, found them all smiling back at him. Clearing his throat and pushing his reservations aside, Caleb dropped his gaze to his plate and forked in a bite of lasagna. His taste buds did a happy dance. Damn, the woman could cook. He looked up again to find Emma grinning from ear to ear.

  “Yummy, Ca’yib?”

  He met Lauren’s gaze for a brief second and a strange undercurrent passed between them. He wanted to kiss her so bad he could taste her. Get a grip, Hunter. “Delicious, punkin.”

  By the time Lauren served the apple pie a la mode, Caleb thought he would burst. “You guys don’t honestly eat this good all the time, do you?”

  “No, but we can. I mean, if you want to. Right, Mom?” Max looked so earnest and hopeful, Caleb wanted to assure the boy he wasn’t going anywhere. But how could he make such a promise when Caleb had no idea where any of this would lead? Realistically, he was a virtual stranger to them.

  And he hadn’t even kissed the woman yet. That was the problem. So much depended upon something as simple as a kiss. If the kiss had no magic, if they broke apart without so much as a tingle, that was the end of it.

  Though, somehow, Caleb doubted that would be the case.

  Max stood up as soon as he’d scarfed down his pie. “Hey, can we go rent a movie?”

  He carried his plate and fork to the sink and even rinsed them. Lauren raised a brow, her expression bemused. Caleb got the feeling Max didn’t put his dirty dishes in the sink all too often. “I’m game. It’s only a little after five.”

  “Sounds great,” Lauren chimed in. “Can we make a quick stop? I’d really like to stop at the diner and say hi to Hutch.”

  “Me, too! I can tell him I’m gonna start taking guitar lessons again.”

  The strangest sense of panic tightened Caleb’s chest. Ignoring it, he said, “It’s already after five. I’m sure he must’ve headed home by now.”

  “Nuh-uh. He stays till seven on Fridays `cause the bowling league lets out, and they all head over for burgers.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t stay out too long, though, with Emma’s hand and all.”

  “I go store, too! Me, too, Ca’yib!”

  Caleb let out a silent, frustrated breath, but Lauren must have caught it because her gaze grew pensive. “If you don’t want to stop, we don’t have to. I’ll take the kids into town tomorrow.”

  “Mom, the diner’ll be closed tomorrow `cause of the fair,” Max reminded her. “We have to go tonight.”

  Jesus, what was the matter with him? So what if Hutch would wink and tease. So what if the rumors swirling around town reached Twitter speed. He was a grown man, and grown men dated. Sometimes they dated women with kids. A ready-made family. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all.

  “Hey, you look like you’re gonna puke,” Max informed him. “Want me to get you a bucket?”

  Caleb shook off his funk and managed a smile. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Just remembered something I forgot to order for a job coming up this week. Do me a favor and remind me about it tomorrow.”

  “’Kay. So, are we going to the diner and video store, or what?”

  “Me go, too!” Emma insisted.

  Lauren cast him an uncertain smile, putting all his nagging doubts to rest...for the time being, anyway. “Let’s go. Last one to my truck has to kiss Hutch.”

  * * *

  “Now, this is a sight I like to see,” Hutch said as they entered the diner a short time later and strode forward to greet him. Lauren adjusted Emma on her hip, then leaned in and gave him a kiss on his adorably scruffy cheek. Hutch turned red as a lobster. “What was that for?”

  She grinned. “I forgot my purse.”

  He cocked a bushy brow. “If you want me to start a tab for you...”

  Lauren laughed. “No, it’s just I was the last one...never mind. We’re on our way to rent a movie, but wanted to stop in and say hello. It’s been way too long.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I’m so sorry about Rosalee. She’ll be missed.”

  The older man gave a curt nod. “Thanks.”

  “Hey, Hutch.” Max hopped up on a stool. “I decided to start taking guitar lessons again, so you’re gonna be seeing us more often very soon.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He gave Max a pat on the head.

  “Can I get you guys anything?”

  Caleb pretended to consider, sending her a teasing grin. All Lauren could think about was how badly she wanted to kiss him. She’d been dreaming about it all week long. So far, she’d fantasized about kissing him in her barber’s chair, in the swing out back, in his truck, her car, the movie theater, under the stars, in the rain. Her pulse kicked up, sending tingles of awareness to every nerve in her body. She was suddenly very glad to be wearing her padded bra.

  “Actually, Lauren just made the best Italian meal I’ve ever had, complete with apple pie a la mode.”

  “Lucky you.” Hutch’s eyes crinkled at the corners, his lips curving just the slightest bit.

  “Sucka! Sucka!” Emma shouted, pointing toward a plastic jar filled with Dum Dum pops on the counter.

  Hutch unscrewed the lid and held the jar aloft. “Go ahead, sweetheart, pick any one you want.”

  She reached in and managed to grab three. She grinned up at Hutch, who then held the jar out for Max. Max fished around until he’d found the last root beer sucker.

  When Hutch started to twist the lid back on, Caleb teased, “Hey, what about me?”

  Lauren laughed as Hutch extended his arm and gave the jar a shake.

  Max rolled his eyes. “The suckers are for the kids, not adults,” he informed Caleb.

  “I’ll have you know I’ve been pulling candy out of this jar since I was your age, probably before. And trust me, you’re never too old for candy. Right, Hutch?” Caleb leaned over and reached under the counter. He pulled out a bag of M&Ms with a flourish.

  “Hey, now.” Hutch’s brow beetled into a mock frown. “That’s my secret stash, boy. Ain’t nothin’ sacred?”

  Lauren laughed while Caleb held the bag just out of the older man’s reach.

  “Since I’m too old to jump up and grab ’em, guess I’ll have to put you on my no-service list.” He pretended to write on his order tablet. “No more cheeseburgers for Caleb.”

  Caleb chuckled, and Lauren’s heart swelled as she witnessed the affection these two men had for each other. Since legend had it that Hutch and Rosalee had been together for decades, Caleb and Hutch must have been very close. Maybe like father and son since, from the impression Caleb had left, his own father had left him when he was still a kid.

  Caleb handed over the M&Ms with a wink. “Come on, gang, we’d better get to the video store before they rent out all the movies.”

  “Like that could really happen,” Max said with a roll of his eyes.

  “Hey, you never know. What if everyone in town decided to head to the video store at the exact same time?” Caleb grinned, ru
ffled Max’s hair, and escorted them out of the diner as everyone waved and Emma blew kisses to Hutch.

  It was just past six by the time they arrived back home, and Lauren realized she was looking forward to this as much as Max. Maybe more. She popped a couple of bags of microwave popcorn, poured them all a glass of soda—except Emma, who got watered-down apple juice—and they settled on the couch to watch the movie. Max and Emma both insisted on sitting next to Caleb, so Lauren curled up in the corner and enjoyed her space.

  Emma fell asleep about halfway through the movie. Lauren gently lifted her from Caleb’s lap and carried her upstairs. She wanted to change her bandage, but hated to wake her, so she decided to wait until morning and headed back downstairs. By the time the credits were rolling, Max hadn’t so much as yawned, and Lauren was kicking herself for giving him soda. Darn it, she wanted some alone time with Caleb.

  She wanted the kiss she’d been craving since the moment she’d laid eyes on him.

  “Wanna play Monopoly?” Max jumped off the couch and started rummaging around in the hall closet. “Or we could play Sorry!, that’s another good one.”

  “Sorry!” Lauren and Caleb said at the same time.

  They glanced at each other and laughed. Max shook his head, no doubt figuring all adults were nuts. He pulled the game out and shut the closet door. “Come on,” he ordered as he carried the game into the kitchen. “I’ll set it up. And dibs on blue.”

  “Green!” Caleb called out. He lowered his voice to barely a whisper. “What are the chances he’ll pass out before I have to leave?”

  “I’ll take yellow, Max!” She shrugged and grinned up at him. “Pretty much slim to none, I’m thinking. Why? Got any ideas?”

  He scooched over and ran one finger up her bare arm, to her equally bare shoulder, sending a delicious chill to all her pleasure points. He trailed it up her collarbone to her throat, ending at the tender spot just below her ear. “I’ve got a few.”

  Lauren shivered in response.

  “Come on, you two, let’s go!”

  Caleb winked at her, then stood up and helped her to her feet.

  Right after the third game, Caleb made a big show of looking at the clock and widening his eyes as if in astonishment. Lauren barely repressed a giggle. “Holy cow, ten-thirty? Max, if you plan to start working at seven, you’d better get your butt up to bed.”

  “But I’m not even tired,” he complained.

  “Hey, kid, it was your idea to work tomorrow,” Caleb reminded him. “I don’t plan to get up early for nothing. If you don’t get to bed now, you’ll never drag your bones out of bed by six-thirty. And I plan to pick you up around ten-to.”

  “He’s right, honey.” Lauren started putting the game pieces back in the box. “Besides, as soon as your head hits the pillow, you’ll be tired. Trust me.”

  Max heaved a comically dramatic sigh. “Fine.” He got up and dragged his feet toward the stairs. He’d taken maybe four steps before turning. “Can we stop at Coffee To Chai For in the morning for sweet rolls? I’ll pay for ’em.”

  “Sounds like a plan. But I’ll buy since it’s the boss’s job to feed his employees, not the other way around.”

  “Cool. ’Night.” Max returned the game to the closet and headed upstairs.

  As soon as they heard his bedroom door close, Caleb got up and strode around the table, his eyes brimming with mischief. He held out his hand, and Lauren took it without a moment’s hesitation. He gave her a gentle tug, and when she rose to her feet, he kissed her knuckles before taking her into his arms.

  “I think this moment has waited long enough, don’t you?”

  Chapter Nine

  Caleb cupped the side of her face, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss, all too brief, and Lauren barely held back a whimper of frustration. Had he decided he’d had enough from just that small sampling? Had there been no spark on his end? Because, good God, the man had practically melted the mascara from her eyelashes with just that one simple kiss. Her heart pounded furiously against her ribs as she waited for his next move.

  He pulled back slightly and met her gaze, almost as if gauging her reaction. Then he leaned back in and reclaimed her mouth—this time with ravenous need. Finally, the kiss she’d been craving all week!

  Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as he slanted his mouth across hers and proceeded to kiss her breathless. His lips were soft and coaxing, yet firm and demanding as they worked their magic, sending needles of pleasure to every nerve in her body.

  Caleb maneuvered them so he could sit down on one of the chairs and pull her onto his lap, never breaking the kiss. Lauren met the rasp of his tongue stroke for stroke, caressing the nape of his neck, tunneling her fingers through his thick, baby-soft curls. She couldn’t remember ever being this turned on before, this into a kiss. Holy fricken wow, talk about worth the wait!

  She moaned, leaning into him, dissolving into his heat, pulse roaring in her ears. Lauren turned in his arms, bringing her leg around so she could straddle his lap and snuggle even closer, plastering herself against his broad, hard chest. Caleb answered her silent plea with a growl of his own, crushing her in his arms, his hands caressing a fiery trail down her back, cupping her butt in his big hands. Their mouths meshed with escalating hunger, their tongues moving in a dance as old as time, both giving as much as they took. Lauren felt sure she would drown in the heady sensations coursing through her.

  The proof of his desire was nestled between them, and it took all her self-control not to move against him. It had been so long since—

  Caleb tore his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming out in ragged pants.

  “Wha—?” Lauren could barely draw air into her lungs to speak. “Is something wrong?” she finally managed to whisper.

  “I think Emma woke up,” he whispered right back.

  Lauren pulled back in alarm and shot a look toward the stairs. How could she have not heard her? “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze. She climbed off his lap with as much dignity as possible and raced up the stairs.

  Emma had indeed woken up, but Lauren rubbed her back for a few minutes, and she fell right back to sleep. She stuck her head in the bathroom on her way back to check her face in the mirror, make sure the words “bad mother” weren’t etched into her forehead.

  Caleb stood as soon as she entered the kitchen. “Is she all right? It wasn’t her hand, was it?”

  “No, just fussing. She fell right back to sleep.” Lauren wrapped her arms around herself and walked past him to the sink for a glass of water.

  Caleb came up behind her, but didn’t touch her. “Is something wrong?”

  She took a sip, then another, too embarrassed to turn around and face him. “I didn’t even hear her. What does that say about my maternal instinct?”

  He frowned and took her in his arms. “You’re a wonderful mother, Lauren. You got wrapped up in the moment, which, to be honest, is a pretty big compliment.”

  She gazed up at him, hoping her heart wasn’t in her eyes. “But you heard her. Does that mean you weren’t as...that it didn’t affect you the same way…?”

  He silenced her with a quick kiss. “Shh. All it means is I’m a military man who’s attuned to the sounds around him. The kiss knocked my socks off, lady.”

  A hopeful smile tugged at her lips. “Really? Well...good.”

  Caleb chuckled softly. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, as if ready to prove his point, but then dropped his hands with obvious regret. “If I don’t leave now...”

  “You won’t be able to leave at all?”

  He kissed her on the forehead and took a step back. “Exactly.”

  Lauren realized, as she walked him to the door, they’d never discussed the fair. “Any chance you’d like to join the kids and me Saturday for a stroll through the fair?”

  “Ev
ery chance. I’d love to, thanks. And it’ll be my treat. We’ll consider it a first date.”

  “No arguments from the financially challenged,” she teased. “Although please don’t think you have to.”

  “I want to.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling as he gazed down at her. He tipped her chin up and gave her one last kiss before walking out the door.

  Holy…Wow. Lauren closed the door behind him and collapsed against it, her knees ridiculously weak, her heart pumping fast. Every inch of her crackled with sexual frustration. Never had she felt such…raw desire before, such a powerful physical need. She wanted him. Lord, how she wanted him.

  Maybe she’d take Mrs. Langhart’s advice and buy herself a sexy new pair of heels tomorrow. And maybe she’d see if Carrie was available to babysit for a few hours.

  * * *

  “At this rate, we’ll be done by eleven,” Caleb told Max the next morning as they took a quick break to wolf down a couple of sweet rolls.

  “Cool. I’ll be able to meet Eddie and Pete right when the fair opens at noon.” Max grabbed a second apple fritter and stuffed it in his mouth.

  Caleb gave his head an amused shake. The kid could down a sweet roll faster than he could. And Caleb was no slouch in the eating department. “You’re not planning on meeting up with Bucky, are you?” Caleb took a nonchalant bite of his chocolate-covered long john.

  Max looked up, a frown creasing his forehead, the apple fritter forgotten. “No. I never want to see that asshole again.”

  Caleb’s brows drew together. “Hope you don’t use words like that around your mother.”

  Max had the audacity to grin. “Heck, no. She’d put a drop of hot sauce on my lips while I was sleeping.”

  Caleb chuckled, easily imagining Lauren doing just that. “Sounds like her. But for the record, no swearing around me either, all right?”

  Max gave a quick, sullen nod. “Sure. Hey, what about jerk off? Can I say that?”

  Caleb grinned, despite himself. God, he loved this kid. “Negative, pal.”