by Jamie Beck
“If you’d have asked me five years ago where I’d be at thirty-one, I’ve have said married with kids.” Kelsey grimaced, rolling her eyes in a self-deprecating manner. “Epic fail. Not only am I not married or pregnant, I’m not even dating. Haven’t even had sex in . . . well, no need to get totally depressed. Too long, that’s the only important point.”
“Not as long as me.” Emma wrinkled her nose. She and Kelsey giggled while Avery’s cheeks darkened from pink to red.
“At least my career is going great.” Kelsey sipped more pinot grigio, hoping the wine would help her better accept her loveless status. “In fact, I just got my commission from Wade’s hotel deal, which brings me to another wish. I want to plan that girls’ weekend I mentioned at the jazz festival.”
“I’m in. Just need to check my schedule.” Avery took out her phone. “When and where were you thinking?”
“You’d mentioned Santa Fe.” Emma leaned forward. “Is that still the plan?”
Kelsey shook her head. “No. I’m thinking bigger . . . better. How about Cabo in mid-September?”
Emma and Avery’s shocked expressions drew the first hearty laugh of Kelsey’s day.
“Sounds fabulous, Kels, but I don’t have that kind of money.” Emma sat back.
Kelsey patted her hand. “I told you, this is my treat. I’ll buy plane tickets and rent us a nice suite. You just need spending money.”
“That’s so extravagant.” Avery swung her silky, chocolate-brown hair behind her shoulder. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! Please let me share my good fortune with the people I love most. We’ll have a blast.” When her friends looked skeptical, Kelsey added, “You have to say yes. It’s my backup birthday wish.”
Avery smiled. “If you’re really sure.”
“I am.” Kelsey squeezed Emma’s hand.
“Okay, then,” Emma replied. “Who am I to say no to a fairy godmother?”
“Oh, please. No fairy tale jokes. I’m still living down the whole princess birthday thing I did with Fee the other week.” Kelsey relaxed into her chair. “Turns out one of my clients saw me from a distance and was a bit perplexed.”
Avery’s lips twitched. “Grey mentioned something Trip had said, too.” Then her eyes widened. “Well, speak of the devil.”
Trip had been headed toward the bar until he noticed them and changed course. He tipped his hat just before he pulled a free chair from a nearby table, turned it backward and set it between Kelsey and Emma, then plopped his cute butt down. He surveyed the wineglasses and partially unwrapped gift. “Ladies, looks like quite a celebration.”
“It’s Kelsey’s birthday lunch,” Emma said, her voice cracking. Trip’s over-the-top flirtations had a way of making shy women like Emma nervous. Kelsey, on the other hand, took them as a challenge.
“Happy birthday, princess.” He grinned, leaned closer to Kelsey, and practically purred in her ear. “Does the birthday girl want a kiss?”
Yes. Her insides sprang to life like Mexican jumping beans, but she remained outwardly calm. “No, thanks. No telling where those lips have been in the past twenty-four hours.”
She smiled sweetly even as Emma and Avery choked on wine.
“Don’t be jealous.” He winked and glanced at the table again. “No cake. No candles. Too bad. I would’ve liked to have seen you pucker up and blow.”
“Would you have?” She knew her next move would be risky, but his cockiness drove her to distraction. She leaned in, placed her lips close enough to his jaw that she could almost taste his skin, and gently blew into his ear. His jaw clenched and she thought he might’ve even shivered, which made her limbs all tingly. “How’s that?”
He drew a deep breath and pinned her with those gorgeous green eyes. “If I were a smoker, I’d be lighting up a cigarette now.”
Kelsey shook her head, pretending to be annoyed. But deep in her chest, her heart clenched even harder than his jaw had. It didn’t help that he kept staring at her like she was some kind of whipped cream dessert he was dying to lick.
Avery cleared her throat.
“Well,” Trip said, looking a little dazed while rising from his chair. “I’ll let you ladies return to your lunch.” Then he leaned nearer to Kelsey. “Maybe tomorrow after you’re done helping me with Backtrax’s website stuff, we can revisit your birthday wish.”
Emma started to giggle and Avery rolled her eyes.
“If there’s one thing I know for sure,” Kelsey began, “it’s that you, Trip Lexington, will never, ever make my birthday wish come true.”
Emma and Avery both broke into peals of laughter, but Trip kept his focus on Kelsey. “You don’t know me well enough to make that statement. Who knows? I might surprise you one day.”
If only. The second that thought crossed her mind, her face scrunched up in horrified anger. What the heck was she doing fantasizing about this womanizer? “Bye, Trip.”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to spend more time with that man?” Emma asked after Trip walked away.
Kelsey held up a hand. “I’m sure it’s a terrible idea. No doubt he’ll spend the whole time pushing my buttons. Don’t worry, though. Grey will be there to keep things clean. And anyway, those two yahoos need some help with their social media. But let’s drop guy talk. No Grey, Trip, Wade . . . none of it.”
She really did not want to think about Wade and his continued disinterest, or why Grey had rejected her for Avery, or Trip’s ability to whip up a flurry of hormones she had to beat back to avoid doing something stupid.
“Let’s get back to our Mexican extravaganza. I might be able to plan a five-star trip if my newest project with Wade comes through.” Kelsey fiddled with her fork.
“What new project?” Avery asked.
“He’s considering another lucrative land deal. If I can help him pull it off, I’ll have a bundle of money, most of which I’ll use to invest in small apartment buildings. Step one to building up my balance sheet and future income stream.”
“How exciting!” Emma beamed. “Look out, Sterling Canyon. I think Kelsey Callihan is going to end up being a big mogul . . . and not the kind on the slopes.”
“I’m so glad to see you focusing on your future this way.” Avery said no more, but Kelsey knew Avery had always worried about the emphasis Kelsey placed on romance and men. No reason to spoil Avery’s delusion that her true heart’s desire had changed.
“Cheers to that, too.” Kelsey raised her glass, and they toasted to future success.
Later that evening, she rang the doorbell at Maura’s house. She’d been looking forward to a home-cooked dinner, maybe a game of Apples to Apples, followed by a little cheesy reality TV while nestled on the comfy corduroy sofas in Maura’s living room. A perfect ending to her day.
Fee answered the door, dressed in a frilly summer dress, her curls pushed back behind a sparkly headband.
“Surprise!” she squealed, jumping up and down.
Kelsey’s brows had just begun to knit together when she heard groans and laughter coming from inside the house. Apparently Fee had just ruined some kind of surprise. Kelsey stepped inside to find not only her family in attendance, but also Emma, Avery, Grey, Andy, and Trip.
Her cheeks burned as she surmised her perpetually matchmaking sister had used this birthday as an excuse to throw Trip and Kelsey together. Poor Avery probably had no idea she’d been so easily manipulated as part of Maura’s schemes.
And poor Andy looked almost as uncomfortable as Kelsey felt. He was currently serving probation for his “post-happy-hour” vehicular assault charge, and had been keeping a low profile around town. Andy and Grey were polite to each other for Avery’s sake, but not exactly close.
She quickly took in the pink streamers and balloons, which looked like leftover decorations from Fee’s recent birthday party. Oh dear Lord. Any hope of a relaxing evening disintegrated within seconds of seeing Trip winking at her from across the room.
“Surprise!” the group shout
ed, despite the fact that Fee had spoiled their plans.
“Wow, you got me.” Kelsey grabbed Fee up onto her hip. “No costumes for my birthday?”
Fee shook her head. “But Prince Charming came.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes and tried to ignore Trip’s smug smile.
“Prince Charming?” Avery asked.
“Yep. Him!” Fee pointed at Trip. “He’s going to marry Aunt Kelsey when pigs fly, and I get to be the flower girl on a unicorn.”
Stifled laughter and stunned faces made Fee scowl in confusion. Trip’s self-satisfied smile briefly faltered as Grey and Andy mocked him, but then he played along with a princely bow. “Fee’s wish is my command.”
Kelsey set Fee down when Maura approached with a glass of champagne, mumbling, “You probably need this right now.”
“Yes, very much.” Kelsey shot her sister a stern “we’re going to talk about this later” look before glancing at everyone and raising her glass toward the group. “Thanks for coming. Bottoms up!”
“Hear, hear.” Trip’s velvety voice rose above the crowd. She immediately regretted making eye contact with him. His cocked brow clearly proved he’d intended to draw attention to the double meaning of her last words. As if she hadn’t caught it, or felt it flutter low in her stomach.
Not that she’d let him know it. As she drew near him, she muttered, “In your dreams.”
She brushed past him, the brief contact sparking like static electricity. To distract herself, she hugged her parents and observed the feast of home-cooked favorites Maura and her mom had prepared. The dining room table displayed quite the buffet: barbequed chicken and vegetables, corn on the cob, loaded baked potato salad, Caesar salad, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and pitchers of extra-sweet lemonade.
She scanned the comfort foods dripping in butter and oil, sighing. No wonder she and her sister always had a bit of meat on their bones. Of course, Kelsey also opted to keep drinking the champagne, which probably added to her waistline.
Inadvertently, she smoothed her hand over her stomach. Oh, screw it. She grabbed a corn muffin and slathered it in honey butter.
“You’ve got a real nice family, princess,” Trip said over her shoulder. “I see where you get your big ideas about love and happiness.”
She turned in surprise. “Thanks, I think.” Somehow his compliment sounded a bit backhanded. “Your tone suggests that your family life was less than perfect.”
A mix of uncertain emotions raced across his face within the span of two seconds. “My early childhood was great, but then things took a surprising turn.” His brows gathered together and his gaze grew distant.
Curiosity urged her to pry into this story, but intuition warned her not to press for details. She laid her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Trip.”
He patted her hand, his cool green eyes warming. “No need to turn your birthday into a pity party. I love my life now.”
“Hey!” Fee appeared from nowhere and clasped his long leg like a koala in a eucalyptus tree. “You said you’d play with Lolly and me.”
In a swift move, he hoisted her up onto his hip and tweaked her nose. “I did, and I never break my promises. Where’s Lolly?”
Fee pointed to the living room sofa, where her baby doll lay near a toy cradle. Trip smiled at Kelsey before wandering away. “Excuse us for a bit.”
Kelsey watched Trip sprawl out on the floor with Fee, who taught him how to change, swaddle, and bottle-feed Lolly. Fee then crawled onto his lap with an Olivia book, which he proceeded to read to her while she snuggled Lolly and sucked her thumb.
A ribbon of warmth traveled from Kelsey’s heart through her limbs while she spied on them. This was the second time she’d observed Trip with Fee, the second time he’d displayed wonderful instincts with a child. Who could believe Trip had a heart? Did this also mean he might even be able to love someone other than himself? That he could be a good father some day?
Everything in Kelsey screamed to reject the idea, because she could not afford to think of him as anything other than a calculating man-whore. She twirled on her heel and dashed off to find the nearest glass of champagne before anyone caught her staring at Trip Lexington—most especially Trip Lexington.
By the end of the evening, Kelsey surveyed the damage: the ravaged buffet table, the half-eaten birthday cake, Maura and Bill struggling to settle their hyper kids. She wistfully acknowledged that these happy family gatherings sometimes made her yearn harder for her own home and husband and kids.
She and her sister had always assumed they’d be raising their children together. At the rate Kelsey was going, Fee could be in high school before Kelsey had a diamond ring on her left hand.
“What’s that look about?” Maura asked as she approached Kelsey.
“Just appreciating the evening. This was really sweet of you.” Kelsey deflected her grim thoughts by wrapping an arm around Maura’s shoulder and directing her away from the group. “I may be pretty buzzed now, but don’t think you fooled me tonight. You railroaded Avery to get Trip over here, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maura did her best to appear innocent, but she didn’t fool Kelsey. “I asked Avery to invite a few friends, that’s all. But Trip did bring those gorgeous lilies, so he can’t be all bad.”
“He did?” Kelsey turned, tottering a bit on her heels, to look at the stargazer lilies in the center of the dining table, which she’d assumed her sister had added for decoration. “Are they for you or me?”
“I think he brought them as a hostess gift. I’d told Avery no birthday gifts because I thought you’d be uncomfortable otherwise.” Maura glanced at the flowers. “But you can take them home with you.”
“No, don’t be ridiculous.” Kelsey hiccupped and scrunched her nose before she said, a little too emphatically, “I don’t want flowers from him, anyway. And I already got a gift from Emma and Avery.”
“Did I hear my name?” Avery appeared out of nowhere. “Maura, the food was delicious. Thanks so much for including us. I think we’re going to get out of your hair so you can put the kids to bed. Can I do anything else to help clean up before we go?”
“No, no!” Maura waved her hands. “Bill and I have got it covered.”
“Okay. Well, our gang is heading out, then.” Avery turned to Kelsey. “Do you want to walk back with us?”
“There might be live music at On The Rocks tonight,” Trip chimed in from a few feet away. “Let’s move the party there.”
Kelsey hesitated, resisting the pull of his eyes. Already beyond buzzed, she knew drinking in a bar with Trip, of all people, would likely end badly. “You all go. I’m going to tuck my little lovies in and hang with my sister a while longer.” Kelsey looked down at Fee, who was now clinging to her leg. “Thanks for coming, everyone.”
She stood at the door and kissed everyone good-bye. When Trip passed through, he leaned close and whispered, “Sweet dreams, princess.”
He jogged down the porch steps and disappeared into the dark with the others. Kelsey closed the door, leaning against it for a minute. She told herself the tingling sensations jetting down her arms came from all the champagne she’d consumed, not from him. Nodding to herself, she pushed off the door and grabbed Fee’s hand to take her to bed.
“Who wants to hit On The Rocks?” Spending a couple of hours in the loving bosom of the Callihan family had left Trip rather desperate to get back into his familiar habitat—a bar filled with anonymous faces.
“I’m out.” Grey tucked his arm around Avery’s shoulder. “But something tells me you’re on a solo mission anyhow.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “What’s new?”
“Fine. You all go home at—” Trip glanced at his watch, “ten o’clock on a Saturday night. How pathetic.”
“Different strokes,” Emma’s quiet voice offered.
“Damn straight.” Trip stopped in front of the bar. “See you all later.”
As soon as he stepped ins
ide the rowdy space, he felt better. The memories of Maura and Bill’s modest home, filled with comfortable furniture and lots of love, began to fade. Good thing, too, because watching the casual affection between Kelsey and her family had reminded Trip of the life he’d lost when his mother died.
A life that seemed more like a dream than reality after so many years. And the kind of loss he’d never suffer again so long as he didn’t risk re-creating a happy family for himself. Free and easy, the only sane way to live.
He cut through the crowd without stopping until he got to the bartender. “Red Rocket.” Trip threw his money down. While he waited for the cold bottle of beer, his thoughts ran backward again, first to the few hours he’d spent across town, and then to his mom.
In addition to old memories being dredged up by his dad’s recent visit, tonight he’d been forced to watch Kelsey in her element. The prickly vibe she gave off around him had disappeared thanks to her comfort with the group and multiple glasses of champagne. She’d smiled and laughed and patiently attended to Fee and Ty, love oozing from every pore of her body.
She’d looked hot, too. Funky high-heeled shoes with a little bow at each ankle, pink shorts, sleeveless lace top. That hair hanging loose, swaying every time she moved or laughed.
His growing obsession with her was Grey’s fault, dammit. Clearly the promise Trip had made not to touch her had only made him want her more, like the chocolate cake women craved when forced to diet. He just needed a bite to be satisfied, then he could get on with his life.
Hell, if he couldn’t have Kelsey, maybe he could find a substitute for the night. Someone to distract him from all the memories now swarming his brain. Someone who wanted from him only what he wanted from her: a good-time girl who wasn’t searching for a relationship.
He tipped back a swig of his beer and turned to scan the crowd. Ten minutes—and a second bottle of beer—later, he spotted a cute blonde near the front window.
She didn’t look familiar, which surprised him. She must not have been from Sterling Canyon, because he’d have noticed her before. He pushed off the bar and sauntered over to her and her friend, adjusting his Stetson and pasting a smile on his face.