The Broken Road (The Broken Series)

by Ruff, K. S.

Under the table, Kadyn linked his fingers with mine. “You okay?”

  My eyes met his. I couldn’t get over how easily Kadyn fit in. “Yeah. I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”

  Kadyn squeezed my hand. “I was thinking the exact same thing.”

  * * * * * *

  When we woke up the next morning, Nate surprised Lexie and me with massage and pedicure appointments at Lexie’s favorite spa. Then he took Kadyn to Malmstrom Air Force Base so they could tour the facilities and work out at the gym.

  By the time Lexie and I returned to the house, all four men were in the backyard shooting bows and arrows at a couple of hay bales with targets painted on the side. Our mothers were camped out in the living room watching some reality show on monster brides.

  My mom patted the cushion next to her on the couch.

  I plopped down beside her.

  “What do you girls want to do for dinner tonight?” she asked.

  “Pizza,” Lexie and I replied at once.

  My mom laughed. “I figured as much.”

  “It’s tradition,” I insisted. “We have pizza and wine every time we get together. Besides, I don’t think anyone should have to cook or do dishes on our last night together.”

  “Pizza sounds perfect,” my aunt responded.

  Lexie handed me a blanket as we settled in to watch one train wreck of a wedding after another. “Please tell me I wasn’t that bad,” she finally interjected.

  I laughed. As Lexie’s maid of honor, I felt more than qualified to weigh in. “Not even close. I think I was more stressed out at your wedding than you were.”

  “Do you think you and Kadyn will get married?” my aunt asked dreamily.

  I threw a decorative pillow at her. “Aunt Linda! We’ve only been dating for two months. I think it’s a little too soon to be talking marriage.”

  She batted the pillow away. “That’s not necessarily true. I knew I wanted to marry your uncle by the end of our first date.”

  “And I married your father within a few months of meeting him,” my mother reminded me. “Honestly, Kri, after seeing you with Kadyn, I can’t imagine you with anyone else.”

  “Can I be your matron of honor?” Lexie asked jokingly.

  I huffed out a breath, shook my head, and rolled my eyes at her.

  Lexie burst out laughing. When she recovered, she reached for the cordless phone. “What kind of pizza should we order?”

  “Combination,” my mom suggested.

  “Hawaiian,” I added.

  “And meat lovers,” my aunt chimed in.

  Lexie dialed the phone. “Should I order wings?”

  I reached for my purse so I could give her some money. “Yes. Wings and two bottles of Sprite.”

  “If you try to pay me for this pizza, I’m going to knock you upside the head,” Lexie warned in a threatening tone.

  I stuck my tongue out at her as I tucked the money back inside my wallet. I grabbed the decorative pillow from the floor and threw it at her on my way to the kitchen.

  She caught the pillow and beamed me on the back of the head with it as she resumed ordering the pizza.

  I ducked into the kitchen, laughing. I opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for my aunt, my mom, and myself. I knew Lexie would decline with all the medications she was on.

  The food arrived thirty minutes later. My aunt took the pizza into the living room. I trailed after her with the chicken wings, a pile of napkins, and a stack of paper plates. Lexie pulled two beers from the fridge for her dad and Nate. I grabbed the Sprite off the counter for Kadyn and my dad while my mom called the guys in from the backyard.

  My dad gave me a hug as I handed him the Sprite. “Thanks, Kri. You should have seen Kadyn shoot. He’s really good with a bow.”

  I handed Kadyn the other Sprite. “How’d you like shooting the bow?”

  Kadyn kissed the top of my head as he tucked me under his arm. “Loved it. I’m thinking of buying one when we get back home.”

  Home, I thought. Was home in Virginia with Kadyn or was it still in Montana? My chest tightened. Where was home for me?

  Dad said grace before we loaded our plates with pizza and settled in to eat. I joined Kadyn on the floor and leaned into him, hoping to draw on his strength. I was saddened by how little time I had left with my family. We stayed up talking long into the night as we tried to make the most of our remaining hours together.

  When Kadyn and I finally settled in to sleep on the couch, I didn’t have to ask him to hold me. He knew my heart was breaking over the impending goodbyes.

  * * * * * *

  I was still wrapped in Kadyn’s arms when I woke up the next morning. I could hear someone showering in the bathroom, and the coffee pot was already percolating, releasing a rich, comforting aroma.

  I rolled over to face Kadyn. His warm brown eyes met mine. “If only we could freeze time,” I said on a sigh.

  “You’d never leave my arms,” he warned.

  I smiled as I snuggled closer. “That’s okay. I kinda like it here.”

  “Good to know,” he murmured as he burrowed his face in my neck. He kissed all along my jawline until his lips met mine in a tender kiss.

  My arms tightened around his shoulders when he broke the kiss. “I could get used to this, you know.”

  He raised one eyebrow questioningly.

  “Falling asleep in your arms,” I explained. “You’re making it difficult for me to imagine my life without you. How did you do that?”

  Kadyn looked amused. “Do what?”

  “Slide so perfectly into my life,” I replied as I gently caressed his cheek.

  He kissed the tip of my nose. “I could ask the same of you.”

  “What’s going on in here?” Lexie bellowed from right behind me.

  I nearly fell on the floor.

  Kadyn caught me. The muscles in his arms bunched as he pulled me snug against his chest.

  Lexie burst out laughing.

  I tried to scowl at her, but Kadyn’s lips crashed against mine. I knew he was daring Lexie to stop him, so I played into the kiss.

  She dog piled on top of us. “If I sit here, then you can’t leave,” she announced smugly.

  Kadyn laughed. “Wanna bet?” He rose, nearly knocking us both to the floor. How he managed to catch the two of us was completely beyond me.

  I heard the bathroom door open, so I yanked some clothes out of my suitcase and padded off to take a shower. I knew Lexie would keep Kadyn entertained.

  Lexie hollered after me. “You know, Nate and I are big on water conservation. I think you and Kadyn should shower together. It will save water.”

  I turned and narrowed my eyes at her. She had a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  Kadyn laughed. “I think that’s a spectacular idea.”

  My eyes widened as he rose from the couch. I spun around and sprinted toward the bathroom. I locked the door behind me, then stood back and stared at the door. I was half expecting Lexie to pick the lock. Eventually, I climbed into the shower.

  They were in the kitchen cooking bacon, eggs, and toast by the time I finished my shower. I gave Kadyn a quick kiss. “The bathroom is all yours.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join me?” he asked teasingly.

  I poured a steaming cup of coffee. “I’m already clean, thanks.”

  He boxed me in against the counter. “I could take you outside and roll you in dirt.”

  I shook my head. “As appealing as that sounds…” I trailed off as I took a sip of coffee.

  Kadyn removed the coffee cup from my hand. He set it on the counter, kissed me thoroughly, then strode off toward the bathroom. “You have no idea what you’re missing.”

  I stared at my cousin in shock. “What have you done to him?”

  She shrugged. “I just planted a few ideas. I thought it might jump start things between you.”

  I glared at her over the top of my coffee cup. “You are very, very bad.”

  “I know,�
�� she agreed rather flippantly. “You can thank me later.”

  We heaped bacon, eggs, and toast onto our plates and carried them into the dining room. The rest of the family trickled in for breakfast. We tried to keep things light, but I could tell I wasn’t the only one choking back tears.

  Kadyn loaded our bags into the car while my mom and I washed the dishes. As soon as we finished the dishes, we reluctantly began our goodbyes. My aunt and uncle hugged me as one. “You stay safe, Krissy.”

  My aunt hugged Kadyn. Then my uncle shook his hand. “You take care of our girl.”

  “I will,” Kadyn promised.

  My dad shook Kadyn’s hand before pulling him in for a hug. “It was nice to meet you, Kadyn. You come back and visit us anytime with or without Kri.”

  My mom hugged Kadyn while Nate hugged me. Then Nate shook Kadyn’s hand. “Thanks for coming, Kadyn. I really appreciate you bringing Kri.”

  Kadyn nodded. “I hope you and Lexie can visit us in Virginia when she’s feeling better. I’ll give you a tour of the Pentagon when you come.”

  I tried to sweeten the deal while hugging Lexie. “I’ll hook you up with a tour of the Capitol. I can show you all the places the general public doesn’t get to see…”

  Lexie swiped at her tears. “That sounds wonderful, Kri.”

  I was too choked up to speak by the time my parents hugged me. “Be safe, Kri. Call us when you get back to DC,” my mother pleaded softly.

  Lexie wrapped her arms around Kadyn’s waist as she gave him a warm hug. “Thank you for bringing my cousin back home. I owe you one.”

  Kadyn returned the hug. “You owe me nothing. It was a pleasure seeing you all together. You get better so you can come visit us in Virginia.”

  “I will,” Lexie promised. She grabbed me for one last hug. “I like him,” she whispered loudly. “He’s a good guy.”

  I smiled at Lexie. “I know,” I whispered back.

  She nudged my shoulder. “Don’t screw it up.”

  “I won’t,” I replied. I winked at Kadyn, who had witnessed the entire exchange. For reasons far beyond my understanding, Kadyn remained unfazed and undeterred by my misguided attempts to screw things up. I doubted there was anything that would scare Kadyn off.

  * * * * * *

  Gra and Pa met us for lunch at the Windbag. That had been Kadyn’s one and only request when we decided to spend time in Helena on our way back to Spokane. He wanted to meet them so he could thank them for helping me leave Tom. By the time lunch was over, Gra and Pa were just as smitten with Kadyn as I was.

  On a whim, I asked Kadyn to hike Mount Helena with me. I had missed the mountain almost as much as I had missed my friends. “We're lucky there isn’t any snow up here,” I huffed as we reached the summit. I grabbed Kadyn’s hand and led him straight to the edge of the cliff. I sat down on a very large, flat rock that was buried into the soil so that it sat flush against the ground. “What do you think?”

  “It’s a great view,” he admitted as he plopped down next to me.

  I soaked in the view and the scent of sun-drenched pine. “I had to work out in the gym during the winter, but I’d hike this mountain every evening after work as soon as the days were long enough and the weather turned nice. It didn’t matter what was bothering me. By the time I reached the top, I’d have my problems all worked out.” I ran my hand over the top of the rock we were both sitting on. “I was sitting in this same exact spot when I made my decision to accept the job in DC.”

  “Do you regret the decision?” he asked softly.

  I gazed out over the city. Helena still felt like home. I tore my eyes away from the city as I sought Kadyn’s eyes. “No. I don’t regret my decision. If I hadn’t accepted that job, I never would have met you.”

  Kadyn scooted me closer. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to return to Virginia after coming back to Montana.”

  “The thought of staying here is tempting but not nearly as tempting as you,” I responded teasingly.

  He smiled. “I’m tempting?”

  I threw an exaggerated look onto my face and nodded. “Oh yeah.”

  “I’ll show you tempting…” He tucked me under his body as he rolled on top of me. The contrast between Kadyn’s warm body and the freezing cold ground sent goose bumps rocketing down my spine.

  Kadyn’s playful expression turned serious as he lowered his lips to mine. His tongue danced teasingly along my mouth, then swept inside in slow, seductive strokes. I ran my hands across the dips and crevices that formed his broad shoulders until I reached the nape of his neck. I pulled him toward me as he deepened the kiss.

  Kadyn’s eyes sought mine as soon as he broke the kiss. “I need you, Kri… as much as the air I breathe. You have to come back to Virginia.”

  My pulse was racing. “I need you too,” I confessed as I struggled against an enticing concoction of desire and fear.

  Kadyn’s lips met mine in an intoxicating kiss. The tension that had been building between us all morning flared as his hips settled against mine. He slowly unzipped my jacket as he trailed warm, wet kisses down my neck. His warm hands slid up my shirt until his thumbs dipped underneath my bra. My breath caught as his thumbs danced along my breasts.

  Kadyn rose to his knees. He pushed my shirt up as he trailed kisses across my bare stomach. My abs flinched as his tongue dipped inside my bellybutton. He gently nipped and kissed his way up to my breasts.

  “Kadyn,” I gasped, “someone might see us.”

  He unhooked the front clasp on my bra. He stared at me as he caressed my breasts. “It’s November, and it’s the middle of a work day. We didn’t pass a single soul on the trail, Kri. We’re the only ones here.”

  I moaned softly as I felt Kadyn’s warm tongue circling my freezing cold breast. “Please, Kadyn.”

  He paused. “Please, what?”

  I couldn’t speak. I wanted to tell him to stop, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want him to stop.

  I whimpered as Kadyn’s mouth completely consumed my breast. My body arched on its own accord. I was mindless by the time he latched onto the other breast. “Kadyn,” I groaned. “God, Kadyn, you have to stop.”

  Kadyn refastened my bra. He gently tugged my shirt back into place. Then he hovered over me with a concerned look on his face.

  I tried to reassure him of my feelings. “I want you, Kadyn. I want you so much it hurts. But not like this… not here… not outside.”

  Kadyn smiled. Then he gently kissed me on the lips. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?”

  I laughed as Kadyn pulled me to my feet. “I probably have dirt and pine needles in my hair.”

  He laughed as he dug a twig out of my hair. “Still beautiful,” he said. He linked his hand with mine and led me back down the mountain. It was nearly dark by the time we arrived back at the car.

  We joined Siobhan and her family for an early dinner at the Suds Hut, where I introduced Kadyn to the best fried chicken and steak fries in the Pacific Northwest. By the time we left the pub, Kadyn was not only sold on the chicken, but he was as tightly wound around Siobhan’s little finger as I was. Although I struggled to fight back my own tears, I was incredibly thankful that Siobhan didn’t cry when we had to part ways. She seemed reassured by the visit, more confident that we’d see each other again.

  We arrived at Kimme and Dan’s house shortly after seven o’clock. Dan immediately dragged Kadyn into the bat cave. Kimme and I wrapped ourselves in beautifully crocheted blankets and settled onto her couch with a bottle of red wine. We were flanked on either side by her two golden retrievers, Bella and Beau.

  Kimme and I sipped on a smooth plum flavored Merlot and talked long into the night. She caught me up on office gossip, state politics, and Charlie’s ongoing budget disputes with the state legislature. I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I woke in the early morning hours, wrapped in blankets on the couch. As I drifted back to sleep, I wondered whether Kadyn had made it to bed or if he was still holed
up with Dan in the bat cave.

  * * * * *

  When we woke up the next morning, Dan announced that he had something special planned for Kadyn. He was evasive about his plans and refused to divulge any details, but he made it clear that Kimme and I were not included. I worried about how comfortable Kadyn would be taking off to parts unknown with Dan, since he barely knew the guy, but Kadyn just shrugged his shoulders and gave me a quick kiss as they ambled out the door.

  I glanced nervously at Kimme.

  She patted my arm reassuringly. “I don’t have any idea what he’s up to, but odds are high that he’ll bring Kadyn back alive.”

  I wasn’t so sure.

  Kimme drove me into the office so I could see Charlie and all of my other friends from work. They surprised me with a potluck breakfast. Charlie was flipping pancakes at one of the side tables in the conference room when we arrived. As was customary for our morning potlucks, he had brought his griddle from home. I burst into tears when I saw him.

  Doug took over the griddle so Charlie could give me a hug.

  I was still brushing away tears when Jerry, Ann, and the rest of my coworkers greeted me with hugs. Thankfully, Justin didn’t bother making an appearance. I wondered whether he was purposely avoiding me, since my refusal to accept his plane ticket had likely set him back a few thousand dollars.

  We loaded our plates with pancakes, fruit, and Jerry’s famous Colorado Quiche before settling in at the conference room table. The phones were left to roll over to voice mail for hours as I shared stories about DC.

  “What’s Rockefeller like?” Doug asked as he refilled my coffee.

  I thought about how best to describe the senator, then smiled. “A gentle giant, completely unpretentious, and extremely devoted to helping others.”

  “Do you still hang out with that cab driver, Habib… the one who called to check on you during the forest fires?” Ann asked. She was sitting in the chair next to me.

  I chuckled, remembering how badly I had botched up my lunch date with Habib. “I see him hanging around Union Station every once in a while. He hasn’t invited me back out to lunch, but I still call him whenever I have a meeting to attend off the Hill, which is about once a week.”