by Cari Quinn
“Oh, don’t start calling me that.”
The smile slowly slid away. “I talked to the men and to Gerry. They’re all glad that they’re going back to work next week.”
“I told your father I’d take care of them.”
Realization that more than just her life had changed radically sank in. As much as she hated Lawrence Justice for what he’d done to her, she’d at least had her mother to lean on. Shane had no one. And he was going across the country to start over. A strange place and a strange woman were now the center of his life. She took her bags in one hand and rounded the island. She didn’t know how to deal with the flood of new feelings.
She didn’t have a choice but to walk by Shane.
He grabbed her wrist before she could pass him. The grip wasn’t hard, but he definitely wasn’t letting her by. She looked up at him.
“I’m going to try and make this as painless as possible for both of us.”
Not sure what to say or what to do, she nodded and tugged. He held on for another moment, his thumb brushing over the center of her palm before he let go. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk in the truck. I promise.”
“Damn right we will.” She stopped in the doorway, looked back at Kain, and mustered up a smile. “Thanks for entertaining me, Kain.”
“I think you have that backward, `ânela.”
Kain had made sure her days were so full that she didn’t have time to think about what Shane was doing, but he couldn’t control her nights. Her body ached for something she’d never had before. It wasn’t like she and Shane had been close, but her body certainly craved him. She felt empty and itchy. The musky amber scent of him had those hints of cedar again.
He smelled of wood and autumn and home.
Of all the things she loved and wanted to hold close.
What a cruel trick of fate. She held her head up and went through the living room and up the stairs. She needed to pack. It was time for everything to change.
Again.
She tossed her bags on her bed. How long would it take to go cross-country? Trapped in a confined space with Shane and his Oscar impersonation was not what she’d call a good time. Would it be any cheaper to drive than fly? Remembering her bank account’s status as well as her credit cards, she definitely didn’t have any choice but to be at his mercy.
That made her belly cramp.
She took care of her own. She didn’t like to be beholden to anyone, and yet here she was. Beholden to a near stranger who knew her more intimately than anyone else and yet didn’t know the real her at all.
She snapped that particular box of ugly shut and dumped the clothes she’d bought out of the bag. Two pairs of cords, long-sleeved T-shirts in an array of colors she’d never thought to choose for herself—thank you, personal shopper chick—two pairs of jeans, one she was wearing, along with half a dozen bras with matching panties. Had she bought them for herself? Or just in case Shane got her naked again?
No. For herself. She happened to like pretty undergarments, dammit.
She folded the oversize fleece she’d picked up thanks to the cool nights in Monterey. She’d make do with what she had and get her ass home. Then she could figure out what to do with Shane and the Heron. Her phone buzzed, and she dug it out of her pocket. Bells. Her finger hovered on the Answer button when a knock on her door made her pause. She tapped Ignore and stuffed it back in her pocket. “Yeah?”
Without turning around, she knew it was Shane. Kain had been careful not to come to her room. He’d been the consummate gentleman. She must have a few screws loose, because she’d missed Shane’s surly disposition.
“What can I do for you?”
“You know you should turn around and check who it is. Or were you expecting Kain?”
She looked over her shoulder at him. He leaned on the jamb, something she was coming to know as his I’m-going-to-play-this-cool stance. Too bad it made her want to shake him up all the more. “Really? I’m tired of that song. Kain doesn’t come to my room.”
“No?”
She folded one of the shirts, stacking it on top of the pants. “No.”
He stepped inside. “And you’re not interested in Kain?”
“I’m not interested in anyone at the moment.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.”
He stopped a foot away from her. “No one at all?”
She turned to face him. “It was just fucking, remember?”
“Right.” The gold color at the center of his hazel eyes caught her attention. A tiny flicker of heat was alive in all the cool green. Without the suit, he was a walking ad for LL Bean. Especially with the almost beard he was sporting. All he needed was a plaid shirt, and he’d be like every other man who came to the Heron. Except none of the fishermen made her feel like Shane did. Not that she hadn’t been interested in a few over the years, but knowing they would be leaving within a week or less tended to put a damper on any ideas besides a fling or two.
Most of the time it wasn’t worth the hassle.
Most of the time she didn’t have time to think about it.
As usual, Shane didn’t expand on that one word. The intensity was a living thing inside him, but it was behind a wall so thick she wondered if it could possibly be breached. Did she even have the right to wonder? Was it even smart to?
Their options were lousy, and nothing about this attraction was smart. He was in her life for one purpose: to become her partner or sell her bed-and-breakfast so they could each start a new life. Part of her wondered what it would be like to be free to do something else, but a larger part couldn’t face the idea of losing her home. It was everything she knew. Everything she’d built with her mother.
But she did have this one slice of freedom.
A few days to see the rest of the country and forget about responsibilities.
She closed the distance between them until her breasts brushed his chest. His nostrils flared, and his jaw tightened. At least she wasn’t the only one who reacted when they were close. “So we’re really going to drive across the country?”
He nodded slowly. “I sold what I could and sent on the materials for my furniture to the Heron.”
The first fingers of annoyance crawled up her spine. “Just like that? Without talking to me?” What the hell was she going to tell her mother? Oh, Mom…by the way. Our home isn’t ours anymore. We have to share it with the boy that replaced us. But that’s okay, right?
It just didn’t make sense that she’d even be attracted to Shane. And yet her painfully tight nipples said otherwise. Even now she wanted to take that final step and surround herself in the outdoor scent that was as much a part of him as his skin.
“I have just as much right to use the property for storage. It is half mine.” The gruff words were chased with a gentle pull of her hair. He wrapped the tail of her braid around his thumb.
He was a constant source of mixed messages. Each stroke tugged the braid lightly, keeping her nerve endings frazzled. As tempting as he was, they were forced to be in each other’s company. Would she want to be around him if she didn’t have to be? Would he want to be around her?
Would this gnawing hunger exist if they’d met each other through friends or at a Christmas party?
She just wasn’t sure.
She took a step back to prove that she could.
The ache didn’t go away, but at least she could think. “You’re right. You have every legal right to be at the Heron, whether it’s your body or your furniture materials. I’ll call my mom in the morning so she can direct the delivery to go into the barn.”
“I appreciate that.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say Hallelujah!, but she stifled it. This was the first time he’d been civil to her. She turned away from him and picked up one of her new shirts to fold. “What time do you want to leave?”
“I have a few things to do in the morning, and then we can leave.”
She smoothed her hand over
the plum-colored T-shirt. “Do you want me to come with you this time?”
“Yes. Be ready at seven.”
She nodded but still couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d want more. And she needed to think tonight. She let out a relieved breath when she heard the door close behind him. Tomorrow she’d be in his company nonstop. The thrill of it warred with her unease. Everything was changing. Her life had been static for so long she couldn’t imagine having the freedom to go and see and experience different places. And now she was doing just that. With a man who made her realize what she’d been missing.
Could she treat this trip as an adventure? She slipped her arm across her midsection.
She just wasn’t sure.
Chapter Six
Shane slammed the tailgate of his truck. The back was empty save for sleeping bags and his locker of tools. It was a crisp mid-November day, and the sun beat back the fog that had blanketed the coast. He’d been up well before dawn mainlining coffee. If they stayed on course, they should be able to make it across the states in a little under seven days. It was a big if. And the big if was because of Kendall.
She’d been laughing with Kain all morning. She was so easy with him. Shane envied their friendship. Hell, he envied anything that had to do with enjoyment and Kendall. The three days away from her had nearly killed him. The skin-on-skin contact was addicting enough, but he found that he missed her acerbic wit and the wide, sassy smirk when she tried to get him riled up.
She was a means to an end. But when he was around her, he could forget how angry he was. He’d taken so much for granted being a California Justice. He’d worked on his furniture nightly, and it had been a solid goal for his future. But it had been a future with no end date.
This was real. And this was his future.
And Kendall was part of the now. Their reality was soldered together in two misshapen forms. Did it make something ridiculous that would need to be fired apart, or was it something interesting that might fit better than anything else he’d ever known?
Was he even in the right frame of mind to decide?
All he knew was that she made him feel alive. And it seemed to be the only thing he could focus on.
Her peal of laughter dragged him out of his thoughts. She was hanging off Kain with a good two feet of air between her feet and the ground. His best friend had her up on his hip, grinning like a lunatic as he whispered something to her.
She laughed again and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. I don’t remember the last time I’ve been so pampered.”
Shane’s jaw snapped closed. She dropped to the ground and gave Kain one more hug, her nose pressed into the middle of his chest. Shane couldn’t hear what else she said, but he could see the light of interest blazing in his friend’s gaze.
He fisted his hands.
He couldn’t blame his friend. Kendall was a pocket of sunshine with her warm, dark eyes that were at odds with her mane of almost-white hair. But that smile. Man, that smile was a blast to the gut. If Kain didn’t get his damn hands off her, he was going to snap his fucking wrist.
She bent to pick up her backpack, but Kain waved her off.
Fuck.
Shane walked toward them and took the bag from Kain. What was it about this woman that drove him crazy and negated any manners his mother had instilled in him? Kendall had him so freaking twisted up. And it pissed him the fuck off. “Thanks, Kain.”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving me to fend for myself in California, cuz.”
The familiar Hawaiian jargon loosened the lock on his jaw. He smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, brother.”
Kain hauled him in for a full-body-blocking hug and whomped his back.
“Christ, don’t crack my spine. I still have to drive a million miles.”
“I wish you’d let me—”
Shane stepped back and held up his hand. “We’ll be fine.”
Kain sighed and nodded. “Stubborn ass. You just want to road-trip with the hot girl.”
“You got me.”
Kendall looked up at him, that half grin making him want to return the smile. It would be so easy to slide his arm across her shoulders and drag her in. To stamp himself on her skin. Instead he looked back at his friend.
“I’ll let you know what happens when we make it to New York.”
“You’re welcome to come out during the holidays, Kain. My mother would love to meet you.”
Kain glanced at him, then back to Kendall. “I might do that.”
Would he still be there? Or would Kendall just like to see Kain? Shane swallowed down the acid burning up his throat.
Kain kissed the top of her head. “Aloha, `ânela. Be safe.”
“Still not going to tell me what `ânela means?”
Kain grinned. “Shane might bust my lip.”
Kendall turned to him, then back to Kain. “Nah.”
Oh, he would. He’d pulverize his face if Kain didn’t stop touching her.
“Now I have to go hijack the GPS. Shane doesn’t know it yet, but we are going to be taking the scenic route.”
His fingers loosened, and his chest tightened when she wrapped her fingers around his pinkie. That was not on his agenda, but her huge grin killed any reason to deny her. “Yosemite?”
“Oh, yes. I want to see the mountains and all the colors. I’m assuming you have color changes in California?”
Shane started to reply, but Kain interrupted him. “Yes. It’s gorgeous out there this time of year.”
There were places he could show her. And if it stayed as mild as it was today, he knew just where to take her. “We’ll take a few detours.”
She snagged her bag out of his hand. “I’m going to go look at my California travel book.” She bounded forward and dragged Kain down for a kiss on the cheek. “Make sure you come visit me.” She laid her hand on Shane’s arm, squeezing lightly. “I’ll let you two talk for a few minutes.”
Shane fingered the end of her messy braid. “Thanks.”
He watched her hoist herself up into the truck.
“You’re a dead man.”
He turned back to Kain. “I’m afraid you’re right.”
Kain’s eyebrows rose. “You have funny way of showing it.”
“Why the hell do you think I took off?”
“Yeah, I had a feeling. I have a soft spot for her, but it’s not what you think, so you can stop orchestrating my death.”
Shane’s lips twitched. “Caught that, did you?”
“Subtlety has never been your strong suit.”
Shane pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, I guess it hasn’t.”
“Just enjoy her and yourself. We have plenty of time to be grown-ups, brother.”
But what happened at the end of the trip? Would they have to sell the bed-and-breakfast, or could she buy him out? When they needed to go their separate ways, would he want to let her go?
He had nothing but Avery Furniture to offer, and that was fledgling at best. He needed the money from the sale of the property to give his dream a shot at reality.
Kain crossed his arms. “It’s a shitty time to make any decisions. Just take things a day at a time.”
Kain had always been the voice of reason when he and his father butted heads. Why would now be any different? “I’ll be in touch.”
“You better. Looks like I better sign up for frequent flier miles.”
“Marcus wouldn’t mind the change of pace.”
Kain laughed. “I’m sure my pilot already has a honey stationed in New York.”
“A few.”
“No doubt.” Kain’s face sobered. “Things won’t be the same without you.”
Shane held out his hand. “You’ll be taking over the world, just like usual.”
They clasped forearms. “I prefer to do it with you by my side.”
“I need to do this on my own.” He needed to find out if he could do this on his own now mo
re than ever.
“I know.” Kain tightened his grip, then stood back.
Kain understood that more than anyone in his life. Shane opened his door and climbed into the cab of his truck. It smelled of her. Crisp apples and shampoo. It would always be Kendall.
She was true to her word. The GPS was hooked up and coordinates set.
“So where are we going, copilot?”
She tucked her chin on her shoulder and grinned at him. “I guess you’ll find out in four hours.”
He smiled. It was getting easier to do. He waved to his friend, and the pop of his gravel drive led to pavement and finally the open road.
“Did you know the Yosemite Falls is twenty-four hundred and twenty-three feet high?”
“Nope.”
She simply eyed him. She’d been spouting off facts for the last two hours. But it saved him from trying to come up with conversation, so he didn’t mind. She sat cross-legged with her seat belt on and a bottle of water between her legs. Evidently she didn’t get car sick, because she’d had her nose in the California guide since they’d left.
“It’s the largest falls in North America.”
“I did know that.”
“You did?”
“I did. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve gone a time or two.”
“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “I’m boring you, huh? Sorry. I’ve just never had the chance to go anywhere. Mom and I didn’t have a lot of money, and the Heron doesn’t allow much in the way of vacation time.”
His stomach flipped. His father had left her and her mother to fend for themselves. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem bitter about it. More like resigned. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his father had a daughter he’d never spoken of.
“How old are you?”
She quirked an eyebrow. “You and manners don’t get along too well, do they?”
He rolled his eyes. “Just answer the question.”
“Why?”
“I’m curious.”
She turned in her seat. “You’re never curious.”