by Candis Terry
“I asked to be here.” She stroked his cheek with her fingers, then reached up and tucked a lock of his hair back up into the style that looked like it had been pulled and yanked into place. “I want to be here. For you.”
The dogs jumped from her lap. He captured her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. “I’m going to have to stay up all night and watch him.”
Imprison him. That wouldn’t work. She knew. Not only from her own personal past experience, but from numerous perps whose parents had thought that locking up their troubled child was the ultimate answer. Understanding the situation was a start. Followed up by a number of tactics that all included love and patience. James was too steeped in emotion right now to want to hear any suggestions she might have. There would be time later.
“Don’t you have to testify in Bozeman tomorrow?”
“Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I forgot all about that.”
She smoothed her hand over his shoulder. “I’ll stay with you so you can get some sleep.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I didn’t hear you ask me.” She shrugged. “I don’t have anything pressing to do in the morning. I can make a pot of coffee and keep the girls company.” She reached down and stroked their silky heads. “Maybe I can trade out their bandanas for bows. Or those cute pink doggie dresses I saw at Target.”
“Don’t you dare. I already get enough crap because I have Yorkies and not Rottweilers.” His gaze roamed from her forehead to her chin then back up to her eyes. With a smile he cupped her face with his hands, drew her mouth down to his, and kissed her with relief and gratitude on his lips. “Thank you.”
How did she tell him it was nothing, when it was everything? That she’d do anything for him. That when she hadn’t been paying attention she’d jumped into the pool and was drowning in the overflow of love that filled her heart whenever he looked at her. Touched her. Held her in his arms.
I love you.
The words tingled on her tongue. Threatened to leap out and make a fool of her.
She’d fallen in love with the man.
It had been so easy to do.
He’d made it easy.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
At five o’clock in the morning, Kelly found herself trapped between the back of the leather sofa, a very large and wonderfully muscled male, and two little dogs. The male variety had his arm slung over her waist and was breathing the deep, even flow of sleep, while the furry females of the pack were using her shoulder and hip as pillows. They, too, were deep in la-la land. If Kelly wasn’t mistaken, those were snores, not snuffles coming from Princess. Though she couldn’t move an inch and her left side had completely fallen asleep, she figured it was a pretty good place to be.
Last night she had told James to go ahead to bed and she would take the graveyard shift of guarding Alex. He’d refused and somehow they’d become their current tangle of arms and legs. While he slept, she stroked his hair, studied the troubled expressions on his face, and tried to come up with some solutions to the issues he was having with his baby brother. Which, in and of itself, was a joke. What did she know about raising kids? She’d never even raised a hamster.
His sleep was restless, but each time he moved he managed to keep her against him, in his arms, like she was some kind of buoy to keep him afloat.
Around five-thirty she heard a car pull up out front. Matt and Kate had answered her plea to drop off the Buick so she’d have transportation after James left for work. She didn’t think she had the skills to master his ATV or the Harley parked in his garage. Although on a different day she might welcome the challenge.
Carefully and slowly she extricated herself from the warmth of his arms and tangle of dog paws. The dogs gave her a sleepy-eyed look then snuggled up against James to fall back asleep. She tiptoed across the room, eased the front door open, and stepped out onto the porch. She met her sister and Matt down by the curb.
“Hey.” She hugged Kate. “Thanks for bringing the car by.”
“Everything okay?” Kate asked.
“I don’t think so. They had a really ugly argument, and Alex has been in his room ever since.”
“You sure he’s in there?” Matt asked.
Kelly nodded. “James checked several times. I’m not sure how teen boys pout, but I’d say Alex is a pro.”
“He’s just like James.” Matt shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants.
“I know.” Kelly folded her arms against the nip in the air. “That’s why they can’t find a way to communicate.”
“James knows what he means to say, but sometimes his emotions get to his tongue first,” Matt said.
“So what’s it going to take?” Kate asked, zipping up her sweatshirt. “Aside from knocking their stubborn heads together.”
“Hopefully not the catastrophic event it took for James to figure it out,” Kelly said.
Matt looked away as if remembering what happened that day and how very close James came to dying. Then he looked back at Kelly, a grim look on his face. “You sure you want to get tangled up in this?”
“What else have I got to do with my time?” Kelly joked.
“A million other things,” Kate interjected. “Like icing the baptism cake for Moira Kane’s baby girl.”
Kelly sighed. “Leave it and I’ll take care of it after James comes home.”
“Whoa.” Kate held up her hand. “Totally kidding. Do not let Sister Serious back in this vicinity.”
“I’ve got to get to the station.” Matt gave Kelly a quick hug. “You call if you need us, okay?”
Kelly nodded.
Kate hugged her, too, and whispered, “James is lucky to have you, Kel.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Friends.” Kate laughed. “Don’t try to bullshit a bullshitter, Sis. I tried to play that game too.” She looked up at Matt with love in her eyes. “And look what happened.”
Matt laughed. “Took you damn long enough, too.” He gave Kate a kiss on the forehead then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her to the sheriff’s SUV.
With a sigh Kelly watched him open the door for his wife then help her up onto the seat. When they shared a brief kiss, Kelly turned away with a longing in her soul so deep it stole her breath.
Breakfast at the pissed-off, male-dominated Harley home was something Kelly had never experienced. Not that she didn’t know how men behaved in the mornings with their foot shuffles and groggy half-conscious responses. Her dad and brother hadn’t invented those. No, the difference came with two alpha males squaring off, lips pulled back in toothy snarls, claws extended. While she’d made some semblance of a meal with the sparse offerings from the refrigerator, the boys did their best to circle each other, bump shoulders in the hall, and sit down to eat holding their forks like weapons. The two little dogs at their feet stared up as if to say “Come on, you guys, get it together. And feed us a snack, will ya?”
If it wasn’t so sad, she would laugh.
“So, how do you think your testimony will go today?” she asked James as she scooped some scrambled eggs onto his plate.
He lifted his cup of coffee, watched Alex over the rim, and lifted his broad shoulders in a shrug. “I’m guessing it will take all day. The prosecutor—no offense—is a by-the-book die-hard.”
“No offense taken.” She added several slices of toast to the plates. “And Alex, what are your plans for the day?”
“He’s going to keep his ass in this house until I get home so we can finish our discussion,” James said, sounding every bit the stern parent.
Alex’s head came up, and he fixed his defiant slit-eyed teenage glare on his big brother. “You can’t keep me locked up in this house.” The power of his retort was diminished when he shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and a big glob of grape jelly hung from his bottom lip.
James returned the rebellious scowl. “Watch me.”
“Okay.” Kelly sli
d onto the referee’s chair at the center of the table. “How about we all take a deep breath, finish eating, and take this conversation back up when you’ve both calmed down a little?”
James flashed a tight smile. “I’m calm.”
Right. She was sure that’s exactly what Jaws said just before he took a bite out of Quint’s boat.
As they finished the meal in silence, Kelly’s gaze darted between the two of them, wondering how on earth this conflict could be resolved. She knew from her profession that both would have to be open to discussion. Then they would need to find a way to communicate. Use a little logic. And then they would need to come to a resolution together. The clenched jaws told her all that might just be a dream. Still, she found she wanted to help.
Maybe some women would back away from the battle, but this is what Kelly had been trained to do. It’s what she’d lived for. It’s what she’d been good at. It’s what she was good at. Only now she intended to focus that energy on people she cared about. Not total strangers.
When James got up to shower and get ready for work, Kelly cleared his dish and fed bits of scraps to the Yorkies at her feet. She watched Alex methodically stab his scrambled eggs and poke them into his mouth. When she slid her hand under the tub of margarine, he looked up.
“What? Are you going to jump all over me, too?”
She slipped the lid back onto the margarine. “Do you want me to?”
“No.” He stabbed a clump of egg. “It’s just what I’m used to.”
An ache surrounded her heart as she watched him close himself off by burying his head in his hand. She sat back down, covered his hand with hers, and drew it away from his face. Dark eyes looked up, so much like the brother she had fallen in love with.
“Alex, I know you don’t know me more than a passing hello or goodbye, and I can tell by the look in your eyes that you don’t trust me. And that’s okay. Trust has to be earned. But I hope you’ll give me the chance. I’m going to hang around here today and—”
“Don’t you mean he’s forcing you to babysit me?”
“First thing you need to know about me?” She smiled. “Nobody forces me into anything. I’m a state prosecutor and—”
“Shit. That’s as bad as him being a cop.”
She laughed. “Worse. He only gets to arrest the bad guys. I get to put them in prison.”
“You think that’s fun?”
“Nope. Not fun at all. But I didn’t make the choices to take from others. Or hurt people.” Or kill them. “The criminals make those decisions themselves. Everyone is in control of their own destiny. Just depends on where you want to take it. What most people don’t think about when they are in the moment is that their actions will have an effect on the rest of their lives. Other people’s lives too. Not just for that day. Not just for a week or a year. But for their entire lifespan.”
“That sucks.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what every criminal thinks as the prison door closes behind them. Well, at least for a few minutes.” She lifted her coffee and sipped. “Some people, though, have no conscience whatsoever.”
Alex nodded, stabbed another bite of egg and poked it into his mouth.
“Since I’m hanging around here all day,” she said, lifting the veil off the heavy conversation, “How about you teach me how to play that video game?”
He lifted a dark brow. “You want to learn to play Call of Duty?”
“Sure.” She grabbed his empty plate. “But don’t be surprised if I kick your ass at it.”
“I’m not worried.” He gave her a genuine smile—teeth and all. He wagged his fork in the air for emphasis. “You’re a girl.”
“Do you know how many cases I’ve prosecuted? Hundreds. Want to know how many I’ve lost?” She grabbed his fork. “One.” And it was the biggest loss of her life. Though with the sudden admiration warming Alex’s brown eyes she wasn’t about to feed him that bit of information. “So prepare yourself, my man, to surrender and weep.”
When James opened the bathroom door and steam rolled out into the hallway, Alex slipped back into his bedroom to avoid another confrontation. Unwilling to add more kindling to the fire, James let him pass without comment. He secured the end of the towel at his waist and went in search of Kelly. He owed her an apology for getting her tangled up in this mess. Nobody besides him needed to suffer the teenage angst of his little brother. Not his mother. Definitely not Kelly. She was too good for that.
She was too good for him.
He didn’t know how he’d allowed himself to get so wrapped up in her. That hadn’t been his intention. But the more he’d come in contact with her, the more he’d seen her, touched her, and held her, he’d lost all control over simple reason. Hell, he was losing control all over the place.
His life was a big, fucked-up mess.
Again he asked himself why anyone in their right mind would choose to get involved with him.
He’d been smart until now to keep his relationships casual. One-night stands. Brief encounters. And then along came Kelly, and he’d thought back to all those times in school when he’d watch her go about her normal day. Watch her go back to her normal family. And he’d begun to crave a normal life. When she came back into town, those cravings intensified. But it wasn’t just the normal life he desired; he wanted that life to include Kelly and her smile. Her quiet calm that soothed the beast inside him when he didn’t know which way to turn. The sheer happiness she brought to his heart.
He was a selfish bastard to toss her into this mess.
But he needed her.
And he wanted her.
He just didn’t know what to do with her.
A clatter of sound came from the other room, and he found her in the kitchen putting away the dishes. When he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, she turned and gathered him in close.
Rising to her toes she pressed her cheek against his. “Mmmm. Clean-shaven, and you smell good too.”
“Too bad I couldn’t talk you into taking that shower with me.”
Her soft hand slid down his chest, and she smiled up at him. “I’ll take a rain check.”
Early morning sunshine poured through the window. With her in his arms, James realized he could stand there just like that all day. Unfortunately he had a long drive to Bozeman and a court process that would swallow any hopes he had for a quick return. He bent his head and gave her a long, slow kiss, tasting the coffee and sugar on her tongue.
He could totally get used to mornings like this.
He wanted to get used to mornings like this.
Minutes later, he’d put on his uniform and strapped on his gun. She met him at the front door.
“Thank you for staying with Alex today.”
She smiled. “That’s what friends do, right?”
“Friends.” His heart thumped hard. “Right.”
She smoothed the backs of her fingers down his cheek. “Have a good day in court.”
He laughed. “Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
“Is the prosecutor a male or female?”
“Female.”
“Then make sure you smile and say ma’am.”
“Always do.” He laughed again, enjoying the tingle dancing through his veins. He wrapped her in his arms and lifted her up onto her toes. “I’m putting you in charge today, Counselor.”
“Duly noted. I promise nothing will happen while you’re gone.” She gave him another quick kiss. “Now get going before I hold you in contempt.”
“Angelface, you can hold me any way you want.”
Midway through Kelly’s fourth failed attempt at Call of Duty, Alex teased her and asked if she wanted him to break out Donkey Kong. She liked him. He was fun and funny. Yet he always seemed to have something to say that remained cloistered at the tip of his tongue.
Kelly glanced at her watch. “It’s almost noon. Are you ready for some lunch?” She dropped the game controls to the coffee table and moved the little dogs off
her lap.
“You don’t have to wait on me.”
“True.” She got up from the sofa. “But I could use the experience making a PB&J. My sister Kate is sucking me back into working at the bakery, and I need all the pastry-development skills I can get.”
“Then give yourself a whole lot of experience and make it two sandwiches.” Alex laughed. “If you don’t mind.”
She turned her head and looked at him.
“Please.”
She smiled. It was hard to associate the rebellious bad boy she’d seen just last night for the charming and polite young man before her now. “Glass of milk, too?”
He grinned and nodded. “A big glass. Please.”
At that moment, the telephone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Alex said and grabbed the wireless from the cradle.
Seconds later he held his hand over the mouthpiece. “I’m going to take this in the other room if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” She hitched her thumb toward the kitchen. “I’ll get on those sandwiches.”
Kelly pulled down a loaf of bread from the cupboard and grabbed the jar of chunky peanut butter. The refrigerator gave her the choice of grape jelly or strawberry. Since they’d had grape that morning she chose the latter. While she evened the spread out and tried not to tear the bread, she couldn’t help but think about what a nice change it was to be making a sandwich herself during the day and focusing on the simple task. As opposed to her butt being glued to her office chair and shoveling a tasteless fast-food meal into her mouth while she pored over evidence and testimonies.
As she screwed the lids back onto the peanut butter and jam, she called out. “Alex. Your sandwiches are ready.”
She set both on a plate and placed it on the table. Then she grabbed the milk jug from the refrigerator and poured a large glass.
“Alex?”
No answer. Maybe he was still on the phone. She’d give him a few more minutes and keep herself busy by any of the numerous tasks that could be accomplished in the kitchen. No question, this place screamed bachelor pad. The house was cute and had potential, and she could tell James had put in the effort to make it a home. But neither James nor Alex seemed to be the Home and Garden Television type.