He anxiously sat up straight. “A few more minutes, please.”
These dang Bates men. “Fine.” I held onto my crutches for a quick getaway, or as quick as I could go.
He rubbed his forehead. “Thank you. I know you don’t want to get involved with the fundraiser, but hear me out. I feel like it could serve more than one purpose.”
“If you think it’s going to get me into your church, you’re more delusional than I thought.”
He shook his head. “That’s not my intention, though of course you’re welcome any time. I was thinking more along the lines of helping Abby.”
I gave him my best withering glare, making him shrink in his seat. “How dare you think that her volunteering to head up your crap fundraiser is what she needs right now. Leave it to a man to think the best way for a woman to get over her problems is to do something for him.” I stood up, trying not to wince in pain.
He stood up as well. “You didn’t let me finish.” He sounded like Aidan. It gave me some pause. “Under these circumstances, I would never ask Abby to head up such an endeavor. I’m still hoping you will.”
I rolled my eyes so hard they about got stuck. “No means no.”
He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath and let it out. “I realize that, but . . .” He thought carefully about what to say. “I feel as if Abby needs a chance to shine. To remember who she is outside of her family.”
I tilted my head in shock. He was speaking the truth. “And you have a plan to make that happen?”
“Oh no. I thought you could come up with it.”
“By doing your fundraiser?”
He nodded with more delight than I had ever seen anyone do before. It was annoying.
“I really need to recommend you seek help, like, now. I think they have a hotline for something like this. You’re certifiably crazy.”
“That may be, but think about Abby. She needs you more than ever.”
“I know that. I’ve always had Abby’s back, so I don’t see how me doing your fundraiser will be of any use in this situation.”
His eyes lit up like he knew the world’s biggest secret. “Abby is a woman of many talents, some she keeps hidden, or at least tries to. Some of the same talents Aidan hides from as well. Talents I think they would only put on display for you.”
I knew right away what he was talking about. At least, I was pretty sure. I had only heard rumors that Aidan had some mad musical skills. I think he played the guitar and sang, if I remember correctly. And Abby had some serious chops, but you would never know nowadays unless you rode in the car with her. I believe once in a while she lent her voice to the church choir, but it made her self-conscious. I could never figure out why. She was amazing.
I started to walk away, or whatever you call it on crutches. “I’m not doing your fundraiser.”
“Think about it,” the preacher man hollered.
There was nothing to think about.
Chapter Twenty-One
The fun day refused to end. I sat on my bed, icing my aching leg, when I received a text from the last person I wanted to hear from.
I thought you said you never wanted children.
Good news traveled quickly, even to Denver. I wondered who told Paxton. I couldn’t imagine Rachel and Andrew being dense enough to believe I was having a baby. But regardless, I went with it. I figured this was my chance to be rid of him once and for all.
I said I never wanted children with you. I hoped that would shut him up. No such luck.
I guess it’s really over then.
What was wrong with him? It was over the second you had thoughts about another woman.
I’ll always regret that. He could take his regret and shove it.
I don’t. Don’t contact me again.
I’ll always love you. His final lie.
I threw my phone down and sank farther into my bed. Men. Why couldn’t they have only stayed fun for me? Why did I ever think I needed something more? Maybe the fact I was turning forty in a few days got to me more than I thought it would. All I needed to do now was buy myself the best birthday present ever. If I didn’t, no one else would. I was okay with that.
I woke up with a stiff leg and a headache from the previous day’s events. Not to mention my phone ringing. Someone better be dead; it was six in the morning. My vote was Shane. I reached for the phone on my nightstand. I made out Aidan’s name. Maybe it really was Shane, since he was living with Aidan. That thought perked me up and made me forget about the pain I was in for a minute or two.
I sat up and answered the phone. “This better be good.”
“Good morning.” That sounded sexy. I missed a man whispering that to me in the morning.
“It could be. It depends on why you’re calling.”
“I was hoping we could have breakfast together since we didn’t get to have dinner last night.”
So Shane wasn’t dead. What a pity. Food wasn’t a bad alternative since I wouldn’t be eating cookies for breakfast anytime soon. “What did you have in mind?”
“I make a killer egg white omelet.”
“Hmmm. I could maybe go for that.”
“I can be there in an hour.”
“Fine, but don’t think this means anything other than I’m hungry.”
“I’ll take what I can get. See you soon.”
I should have probably said no, but I was selfish. Aidan was fooling himself if he thought any different. And I was fooling myself if I thought I was only using him for food.
I couldn’t wait for this stupid leg to heal. It was making simple tasks like getting ready take a lot longer than necessary. I knew everyone thought I spent hours preening every morning, but they were sorely mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, for the right event I would put in some serious pampering time, but I had been graced with natural beauty and the ability to enhance it quickly. At least, I could when I wasn’t an invalid. I did notice the swelling had gone down. I guess staying off it was a good thing. But what was I going to do for exercise?
I had to figure out a way to get over my water thing.
Aidan was a few minutes early. I had that effect on men. I had barely made it downstairs when he knocked on the door. I crutched my way over in my short skirt and tight t-shirt. It was a good thing it was still warm. Wearing jeans would have been a hassle. Though I did have some jeans that made my butt look so good it had brought tears to some men’s eyes.
I opened the door and there stood Aidan with a tropical floral arrangement. It bothered me that he knew not to go for the typical roses. Or maybe he asked Abby or Jessie.
“Did you ask my friends what I liked?”
He stepped in without an invitation. “I didn’t need to.”
“You’re getting cocky. I like it.”
“Do you like me yet?”
I took a moment to look at the man. The sunlight fell on him, making him even more attractive than normal. Or was it the confidence he was wearing along with his fit-right-to-perfection jeans? I didn’t want to like him or want him. Did I ever want him, though. I was thinking he would make an excellent workout, but I forced myself not to think like that. “Depending on how well you cook, you might be slightly growing on me.”
“I guess I better do a good job then. Do you have a vase for these?” He held up the bouquet that looked like it was on fire with Asiatic lilies and Viking daises. He had excellent taste, or I did.
“Several in the cupboard next to the kitchen sink.” I was no stranger to flowers being delivered.
He shut the door and waited for me to lead the way. “How’s your leg this morning?”
“Hurts like a mother still, but the swelling is going down.”
“I noticed.”
My eyebrow raised. “Are you checking out my legs?”
“As often as I can.”
“Preacher’s brother, we better get you in the kitchen before some of the rumors about us come true.”
“I still like the one where you can’t keep your hand
s off me.” He grinned.
“But you don’t want my hands on you.”
He stepped closer, but the flowers got in the way. It was a good thing. I think. “I want you.” He took a breath. “But in the right way.”
“To me, there is no right or wrong.”
He reached up with his free hand and rested his palm against my cheek. Rarely was a man tender with me. I had never looked for that quality. I felt like I had missed out. His thumb glided against my cheek. His eyes locked with mine, causing me to catch my breath. Who was this man? “Cheyenne, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I refuse to let you be one of them.”
I reached up with the intention to remove his hand from my face, but it felt too good. And when our hands connected, this unexplainable feeling hit me. Déjà vu overcame me, but it was real. I couldn’t explain what happened, but it made me wobble on the crutches. Aidan steadied me, severing the connection that had caused me to falter. What was that?
“I’m hungry.” I had to say something to make the ache for him go away. I couldn’t like him.
He backed away. “I can fix that.”
I had a feeling he could fix more than that, and it didn’t sit well with me. I simultaneously wanted to know what it was about him that made me feel different, all while not wanting to explore it. I had a feeling if I did, it would lead me down a path I never intended to walk. I was on a path that only had room for one.
I watched him go to work in my kitchen. I had to remember where I put all my pots and pans and if I had them. A few years ago, I decided I was going to try and learn how to cook. I was dating some chef out of Denver and he promised it was easy, but I never made anything edible. Not to say nothing good came out of those cooking lessons, but it had nothing to do with food. He always smelled weird, though, like he wore garlic and spices as a cologne. Our fling only lasted a month.
Aidan, on the other hand, always smelled good. He didn’t look half bad cooking in my kitchen, either. In fact, he looked like he belonged. I could imagine coming down every morning and seeing him there, cracking eggs and separating them like a pro. I shook the thought out of my head.
“How’s Abby?” He tossed the egg shells in the trash.
I gave him a suspicious glare. “Your brother doesn’t talk to you about her, does he?”
“He would never. Shane,” his name came out in an uneasy breath. I’m sure he was waiting for me to pounce at the mention of the vile man, but I only narrowed my eyes, telling him to proceed with extreme caution. “He mentioned that word had gotten out. He wanted to visit her last night, but I told him that probably wasn’t the best idea, knowing you were there.”
“Too bad. I would have liked to thank him for the heartache he’s causing Abby and their children.” I flexed my hands, thinking of all the ways I could injure the pathetic man.
“That’s what I figured.” He turned and began whisking the egg whites.
“You don’t think he deserves it?”
Even from behind I could see his body tense. “I think I’m smart enough not to have this conversation with you.”
That was a smart idea. “Fine. You can tell me what’s up with your brother then.”
He turned around, still whisking the egg whites in the glass bowl. “What do you mean?”
“For starters, he keeps asking me to head up your dumb little kitchen fundraiser.”
Aidan chuckled.
“And he can’t take a hint. He doesn’t even hear a loud, in-your-face ‘I don’t want anything to do with church or God.’ I mean, look at me. I look more like I belong at Hooters.”
Aidan almost dropped the whisk. “Um.” He stared at my chest, but I could tell he was having a hard time not wanting to look all while wanting to look. “Well . . .” He turned around quickly and composed himself.
I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “You’re a riot. How old are you?” He never had answered me.
“Forty-one.” He still wouldn’t face me.
“Why does admiring me embarrass you?”
He slowly turned back my way, this time meeting my eyes. “I’m not embarrassed. I’m trying my best not to let my physical attraction toward you get in the way.”
“Get in the way of what?”
“I meant what I said earlier. I want you, but more than for your body. Though it is very nice.”
“Nice? No one has ever called my body nice. You kill me, preacher’s brother.”
“I don’t think you have any idea how much you kill me.”
“I could take a guess.” I smiled at his reddened cheeks.
He returned my smile. “I bet you could. Anyway, my brother likes everyone, whether they go to church or not. Believe it or not, he’s probably more like you than you think.”
My laugh came out as a snort. That was the most preposterous thing I had ever heard.
“It’s true.”
“Right. Have you taken a good look at him? I’m going to be rude here. He has no sense of style. I mean, he needs a good haircut and to iron his clothes, or maybe buy some new ones. And he could do to lose a few pounds. Why don’t you give him some tips?”
“Remind me to show you some pictures one day of a younger, leaner Nathan.”
“No, thanks.”
“I think you would be surprised how in style he was back in the day. But I think you would be more surprised at how rebellious he was.”
“Did he run a stop sign or something?”
“A little more than that. Try some jail time for growing and selling marijuana.”
“That’s legal in this state.”
“It wasn’t thirty years ago, here or in Oklahoma. It still isn’t. And your tattoo has nothing on his.”
“You’re putting me on.”
He held up his right hand. “I swear I’m not.”
I eyed him carefully. He looked like he was telling the truth. “Describe his tattoo.”
His eyes smiled. “It’s a blue dragon. It covers most of his back and the tail wraps around his waist. I thought it was the coolest thing ever when I was growing up. But it made our mother cry, so I had to idolize it in private.”
“What did your mom have against it?”
“Out of the eight of us—”
“Hold up, did you just say there are eight kids in your family?”
“Yes, ma’am. I rounded us out.”
“Did your parents not know what caused that?”
“I’m pretty sure they knew how to make a baby.”
“Wow. So it was on purpose?”
“I think so, though I never really asked. We grew up in a strict home where we didn’t talk about those sorts of things. Nathan had a hard time with it, and he did his best to make sure our parents knew he wasn’t going to conform.”
“How did he end up being a pastor?”
Aidan started washing and chopping veggies while we continued to talk. “It was a long road. I suppose Kristen had a lot to do with it. I don’t think you women fully understand the power you have over us.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Maybe you do, but I don’t think most women realize it. I know Kristen doesn’t. But maybe because it took such a long time for Nate to come around.”
“Explain.”
He diced tomatoes with precision like he was on a cooking show. “Kristen and Nate were high school sweethearts, but he wasn’t the best influence and her parents didn’t like him all that much. They dated some in college, but his stint in jail was the last straw for Kristen. She moved on. He never did, at least not his heart. It took years of rehab and soul searching, but he finally made peace with himself and stayed clean. Their paths crossed again at their twenty-five-year high school reunion. Kristen happened to be divorced and Nate was there looking for her. He had just finished his Masters in Divinity.”
“Is that a joke?”
He met my gaze, knife in hand. “It’s a real degree.”
“Okay, weird. Continue.” I was more intrigued than I thought
I would be.
He went back to making my breakfast. “Well, Kristen was a hard sell on the idea of rekindling their romance. She’d come out of a bad marriage and Nate had a lot to prove to her. He eventually got to her. They were married a few years after Mary and me. Mary and Kristen were good friends, despite the age gap.”
“How much of a gap?”
“Nate and Kristen are fourteen years older than me, and Mary was a couple of years younger than me.”
“And they never had kids either?”
Aidan shook his head. “Kristen’s dealt with a lot of health issues over the years and age played a factor. I’m getting up there now too.”
“And you want kids?”
“Yeah,” he admitted quietly.
“I’m sure you can find some young, churchy woman that would love to breed with you.”
He turned with an intense stare to go along with it. It caused a physical reaction in me. The kind I missed. The kind that made me want to meet him at the counter and show him what I could do in a kitchen.
“You’re probably right, but I’m looking for more.”
“More what?”
“More of you. Now it’s your turn to answer questions.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I tried so hard not to let him in. I really did. But the words fell out of my mouth. Like when he asked how many siblings I had, I told him the truth. Normally I said none even though I had two half-brothers and one half-sister, as far as I knew. I had only met one of the brothers. My dad was free with spreading his seed around, but he never once felt the need to connect us. Honestly, I was okay with it. They were all much younger than me, and I think their moms wanted them to have nothing to do with me. I admitted that all to Aidan. Why? I was still trying to figure it out.
I even blabbed about my mom. And I usually never talked about her state. Not because I was embarrassed, but because I felt a need to protect her. Aidan didn’t act shocked or even judgmental. No, he gave me props for being such an amazing daughter.
The thing that bothered me the most was that he almost had me spilling my guts about the accident and my fear of the water. He reached over and took my hand while we were eating. The omelets were delicious, by the way. He took my hand like it was a natural thing for him to do. And I didn’t pull away because in the moment it seemed wrong to. He was causing all sorts of weird sensations and reactions.
Cheyenne (The Women of Merryton Book 4) Page 15