by S. J. McCoy
They'd lain quietly for a long time afterward and only then had he realized that she'd used sex to keep him out. Most women wanted sex to bring a guy closer to them. Kenzie understood that generally guys didn't associate physical closeness with emotional closeness. She was willing to give the physical in order to avoid the emotional. He shook his head. That was pretty screwed up! But from everything she'd told him last night, she had every reason to be. She'd had it tough. And reading between the lines, she'd made it tougher on herself, too. She'd written all men off. She seemed to believe all a guy would ever want from her was sex. She thought she could maintain control over them while she had what they wanted and could dictate whether and how they got it. It really was screwed up. He wanted to show her that it wasn't like that when two people cared about each other. He laughed out loud and got up. As if! She'd gone—insisted she wouldn't be back anytime soon. There would be no repeat performance, let alone the possibility of anything more. She may have opened up to him, but only because she wasn't planning to ever see him again.
And what was he thinking anyway? He didn't need to be pursuing any woman, let alone such a tough and complicated one as Kenzie. He'd built his own life very carefully in order to keep it simple. He made the most of whatever came his way. Life was too short to get caught up in anything. He preferred to go with the flow, roll with whatever came along each day and not think about much of anything beyond that.
He wandered through to the kitchen and then the living room. His disappointment at not finding a note made him realize just how much he'd been hoping she'd left one. He ran his hand through his hair and went to make coffee. No goodbye, no note. He knew how that went. He could hardly be disappointed that he was on the receiving end for once. He should just forget about her. They'd had fun. He grinned—it really had been the best night he'd ever known and he'd made her admit the same. He had that at least. And maybe someday she would come back to see her sister. He could hope, but he wasn't going to get hung-up on it in the meantime.
~ ~ ~
Kenzie got a cup of coffee from the vending machine and made her way over to one of the benches to sit in the sun for a few minutes. It was good to stretch her legs. She’d been on the bus for hours already and still had a long way to go. She smiled as she thought about her night with Chase. Damn him, he was good. In fact no, he was right—they were great! It really had been the best night she'd ever known. She was glad she'd stayed, shared as much with him as she had. But she'd had to leave this morning. When he'd collapsed on top of her in bed one last time, she could have quite happily fallen asleep in his arms. She was exhausted, and she knew he was, too. But much as she wanted to snuggle up and sleep with him, she'd known that would only complicate matters. She'd have to deal with him in the morning—have to face actually saying goodbye. No. She'd waited until he'd fallen asleep. He'd looked so peaceful. She'd traced his tattoo with her fingertips, wishing she'd asked the story behind it. She'd planted a kiss on his soft lips then got dressed and left. She'd walked back to Megan's house and checked the bus schedule. She was in luck. There was one that left within half an hour, so she'd headed back into the little town square to catch it before the dawn had even broken.
She blew at her coffee. And now here she was, with another twenty minutes to kill before the next bus would be ready to pull out. She fished her phone from her purse. She'd told Megan she would call her this morning. She didn't think her little sister would be too pleased to hear that she'd left already. But still. Megan didn't need her. She had Michael now. Kenzie knew in her heart that Michael would do a better job of taking care of Megan than she ever had. She didn't hate him for it either. She was grateful to him, he had turned out to be a great guy. Kenzie was expecting to hear about an engagement sometime soon, and she couldn't be happier for them. She dialed Megan's number and waited.
She settled back on the bus and stared out of the window. She was glad she'd called, glad she'd made the trip. Megan was just fine. Disappointed that they hadn't seen each other before she left, but that was just how it went. She was starting out on her own little life with Michael and his kid. She might say she wished Kenzie could move to Summer Lake, but she didn't need her around. Kenzie smiled. For a moment, she tried to imagine what her life might be like if she did move there. It would be cool to live near her sister. Cool to hang out with the great gang of friends she had there. When Megan had first said she was making some lovely friends, Kenzie had been skeptical. She couldn’t imagine what kind of people would choose to live out in a little town in the back end of nowhere. Now she knew. They were an awesome bunch, whom she would love to call her own friends. And then there was Chase. What might happen between the two of them if she lived there? She let out a harsh little laugh, making the guy sitting across the aisle shoot her a worried look. Nothing would ever happen between her and Chase. They'd had one great night, but that was it. As she'd told him last night, neither of them were cut out for anything else. And it was a stupid line of thought anyway. She wouldn't be back to Summer Lake anytime soon. She needed to forget about him.
By the time the bus finally pulled into the terminal in Nashville, she was thoroughly exhausted. Thirty-six hours on a bus was more than anyone should ever have to endure. No way would she be making that trip again any time soon. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and made her way out onto the street. Her motel room may be a dump, but at least it had a shower and a bed and she desperately needed them both right now.
It was still dark when she was awakened by banging on her door. She sat up in bed and pulled the covers around her.
“Kenzie! I know you're in there. Open up.”
Hunter! What the hell was he doing here? And how had he even found her? She pulled the covers tighter around her and waited. No way was she going to let him in. She hadn't even heard from him in weeks. He'd kicked her out of his apartment after he came home drunk one night. He'd had a girl with him and had expected Kenzie to get into bed with both of them. She didn't have many boundaries when it came to sex, but another woman? Nope. Not her thing. The only threesome she would ever go for would involve two guys. Hunter had been pissed and told her if she wasn't going to do it, then she could get out. She hadn't needed to be told twice.
He was hammering on the door now. She knew if she just stayed quiet one of her neighbors would go out and see him off. “Kenzie, baby. Let me in. I need to talk to you.”
Ha! He'd never been interested in talking to her. He'd only ever been interested in screwing her.
“I got you an audition lined up.”
That got her attention. She'd come to Nashville with Hunter because he'd told her he could find her work, singing. He had set up a couple of auditions for her though nothing had worked out. Maybe this time? She grabbed her robe and went to open the door.
Hunter pushed his way in and closed the door behind him. “Kenzie, baby. I've missed you.”
She pursed her lips. Sure he had. That was why she hadn't heard a thing from him for weeks. “You said you got me an audition?”
He grinned and came towards her. “I did. I wanted to do you a favor.” He slid his arms around her waist. “I thought you'd want to do me one, too.”
Kenzie shuddered. He smelled of booze and she could feel his hard-on pushing through her robe. She put her hands to his chest and tried to push him away. What she had ever seen in him, she had no clue. “Do you think I'm stupid, Hunter? You barge in here at two o'clock in the morning and expect me to fall for some bullshit about an audition? If you think I'm going to sleep with you, you are sadly mistaken.”
He grinned down at her and tightened his grip on her. “What makes you think I'm going to take no for an answer, baby? I came here to fuck you. I've missed fucking you.” He picked her up off her feet and flung her down on the bed.
The air rushed out of her lungs as she landed hard. For a moment, she couldn't process the fact that he was starting to unfasten his pants and she was sprawled across the bed beneat
h him with her robe gaping open. Asshole! He should know better. She pulled her robe together, covering herself and leaped up from the bed.
“Get out, Hunter.”
He shook his head. “I'm not leaving till I get what I came for.” He lurched toward her, making a grab for her wrist.
He might be much bigger and heavier, but Kenzie had the advantage of speed and adrenaline. She caught hold of his wrist and pulled him forward. His own momentum made the impact of her knee in his nuts that much stronger. He howled and doubled over. Kenzie scrambled for the door. “Get the fuck out, Hunter, before I call the police.”
He stumbled toward the door. His eyes held an anger she wouldn't have believed him capable of. “This isn't over, Kenzie.”
“The hell it's not!” She shoved him out and slammed the door behind him. Her hands shook as she slid the chain into place and turned the deadbolt.
“I'll be back, bitch!”
She leaned her back against the door and stood there trembling. Great! That was just the kind of welcome back she needed! She crawled back into bed and sat there huddled under the sheets. Her life was a real mess! She was living in a crummy motel, working whatever shifts she could get at a crummy diner, and now she had to worry about that asshole coming around. What the hell was she going to do? Her thoughts turned back to Summer Lake. Right now, the sleepy little town held a whole lot of appeal—not the least of which was Chase. She snuggled back down to try to get some sleep. Dumb idea. She wouldn't fit in. There was nothing she could do there, and even if she did move there, the spark between her and Chase would no doubt burn hot and fast and extinguish itself in no time at all. Still, as she pulled the sheets closer around her, she couldn't help wishing they were his arms.
~ ~ ~
Chase still hadn't managed to shake Kenzie from his mind. He'd thought he would make the most of a couple of days in the cabin he'd booked. It turned out that he had to get out of it though. Every place he looked in there, he could see her. The sofa, the bed, the floor, they all had him hard and wishing she was still here. He'd gone back to hang with the guys instead. But being in the cabin with them was driving him nuts. He was too old to be living in a space that felt like a dorm room—and smelled like a locker room. He really needed to do something about getting his own place soon. He had wandered down through the resort, just needing to get out for a while, and found himself at the restaurant. He took a seat at the bar and smiled at the girl working behind it. She held a hand up to him, asking him to wait while she scribbled on a piece of paper. He was in no hurry. He didn't really want a drink anyway.
Renée smiled and put her pen down. “Sorry, Chase. What can I get you?”
“Just an orange juice.” He didn't need anything stronger than that.
When she set it down in front of him, she spilled a little and looked up at him apologetically. “I'm so sorry. Let me clean that up.”
“It's no problem.” He liked Renée, but she didn't seem to be doing too well behind the bar. She'd been working here a couple of weeks now, but she didn't seem to be getting the hang of it yet. “How are you settling in?”
She rolled her eyes at him with a grin. “I think your spilled orange juice answers that question. I'm grateful to Ben for giving me a try, but I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of work.”
Ben came in from the deck and pulled up a seat next to Chase and grinned at them both. “Don't believe her, Chase. She's doing great. It just takes a while to get settled.”
Ben was a good guy, Chase admired the way he ran the resort and the way he dealt with people. He seemed to put everyone at ease and to bring out the best in his staff. He wasn't sure even Ben could turn Renée into a bartender though. She just wasn't the type.
She smiled at Ben. “You're too kind. But I told you, I'll give you my notice before I'll mess things up too badly for you.”
“You won't mess it up. Just give it some time.”
Renée nodded but didn't look convinced. “Okay. What can I get you to drink Mr. Boss Man?”
Ben laughed. “I'll have an orange juice with Chase.”
After she'd brought him his drink and gone to take care of other customers, Ben turned to Chase. “So what do you plan on doing with yourself over the winter? The other guys have all signed up for jobs on the maintenance crew.”
Chase grinned. “I'm just going to hang out. I've been thinking about renting myself a place. Living with the guys is wearing kind of thin. I need somewhere of my own.”
Ben nodded, looking thoughtful.
Chase didn't want him to think he was asking for any favors. He wasn't looking for Ben to cut him a deal on a cabin. “I'd like to find something in town. I love the resort and everything, but I want to live in a real house for a while, you know? Being here is great, but it all feels like one big extended vacation, and I'm hankering for a taste of real life.”
“I might know of a place that's coming up for rent. Let me find out and I'll get back to you. It's not much, just a little two bedroom on the edge of town. But it's handy to everywhere and...” He gave Chase an odd little half-smile. “I think it might just work out perfectly.”
“What do you mean?” Chase was puzzled.
Ben shrugged and gave him that half-smile again. “Just a hunch, that's all. You want a place of your own, and I have a friend who may be looking for someone to take over the lease. I think it would do them a big favor and might be just what you're looking for.”
“Okay. Well, let me know when you hear anything. I'd definitely be interested.” Chase had already talked to Austin, the realtor who also helped Ben with his vacation rental program. Austin had told him that he would probably be able to get a great deal for the off-season since owners didn't like to leave properties standing empty through the winter. Chase didn't really care how much a place would cost, he just wanted somewhere he could feel at home. He liked the idea of being able to do one of Ben's friends a favor. He’d wait and see what Ben came back with.
Chapter Six
Chase closed the cabin door behind him and headed out for his morning run. He'd skipped it too many times recently. This morning he needed the fresh air—needed it desperately after spending most of the night staring at the ceiling. It was time for him to find a place of his own, and it was time for him to stop thinking about Kenzie! For some reason, he couldn't get her out of his head. And that was pretty dumb. They'd had a great night. She'd left. There was no reason to give her another thought, but somehow she occupied all his thoughts. He wanted to talk to her, wanted to see her, even though he knew she didn't want to see him again.
He ran down through the resort and followed the road up the hill before looping back down past the public beach. It was still early, but he could see a lone figure walking and a dog chasing birds along the water's edge. As he got closer, he recognized the familiar long blonde hair. He tried to not look too long at the familiar figure though. It was Megan, not Kenzie. She didn't seem to like to display her assets in quite the same way as her sister. She was bundled up in a sweatshirt and jeans.
He slowed to a walk and made his way down to lean on the fence at the edge of the parking lot. Megan hadn't noticed him yet. She was hooking the leash back onto her dog's collar and heading back up the beach. Megan was a little sweetheart. He was only hanging around to say hi to her. Nothing else. It wasn't like he was desperate for news of her sister or anything.
“Good morning, Megan.”
“Hi.” She looked pretty uncomfortable. The dog seemed happier to see him than she did. It came and sniffed him and then offered up a paw. Chase bent to shake it and smiled up at Megan. He loved dogs.
“From what Kenzie said, I didn't expect him to be so friendly.”
Megan sighed. “Kenzie doesn't like my having him, I'm afraid.”
That puzzled him. “It didn't sound that way to me. She said he was awesome and did a good job of taking care of you. It's hard for her you know, not being around for you.” He wa
nted to tell Megan how much guilt Kenzie carried around with her, how much Kenzie loved her. But he knew that Kenzie probably regretted having shared as much as she had with him. He didn't want to abuse the trust she'd shown in him by telling her sister things she wouldn't say herself.
Megan looked uncomfortable and didn't say anything.
Chase smiled. He had to ask. “Have you heard from her since she got home?”
Megan shook her head. “No. I've wanted to call her but....” Her eyes filled with tears.
“But what? What's the matter, Megan? Are you okay?”
She shook her head and started to cry. “No. I'm not. Michael doesn't want to marry me and he doesn't want more children. I want to talk to Kenzie, but I just convinced her that Michael is good for me. I don't want to worry her and I don't want her to hate Michael, but I do want to talk to her. Tonight I have to talk to Michael's son Ethan at the library and try to let the little guy down gently. I need to tell him why we broke up and I don't even know why!”
She was sobbing by the time she finished. The dog whined around her legs and Chase put an arm around her shoulders. Poor little sweetheart sounded heartbroken.
“You'll work it out, Megan.” Chase couldn't believe she and Michael wouldn't end up together. “You and Michael are made for each other. I see all kinds of couples together on the dance floor when I sing. I can tell who's just having fun, who's just looking to get laid, and who's falling in love. I've watched all of your friends fall in love, and I've had it right every time. Jack and Emma—well it was after them that I learned to pay attention. But Pete and Holly, Dan and Missy, Smoke and Laura--I called them all when I watched them dance from the stage. You and Michael are the same. You'll work it out. I know it.”
Megan didn't look at all convinced. Her next question surprised the hell out of him. “What about you with Kenzie, were you just looking to get laid?” She was obviously embarrassed to ask.