by Dover, L. P.
Faith grabbed my hand. “Come on, we’re going to the kitchen. Francis made some of his to die for chocolate mousse.”
“For breakfast?” I laughed.
She pulled me into the kitchen which happened to be huge with all brand-new appliances. “Why not? It’s so freaking good, especially when he puts raspberries in it.” Opening the large refrigerator, she reached in and took out two chocolate-filled glass jars. “We only live once, right?”
She set them on the counter and handed me a spoon. Her words sparked something inside of me. We do only live once. My mom wouldn’t want me spending the time I had focused on anger. I couldn’t let anyone or anything hold me back. There wasn’t any time to waste.
“I believe you’re right,” I said, taking a bite of the chocolatey goodness. It melted in my mouth.
Faith giggled. “Good. Glad I could be a bad influence.”
“Is Francis going to be the main chef?” I asked.
Her smile broadened. “Yep. I’ll have a couple of other ones on hand, but he’s the real deal. I’m telling you, the man is a beast in the kitchen.”
I had no doubt. After we ate our breakfast desserts, she left the kitchen and came back with a large black notebook and pen. “All right, let’s get down to business. Do you mind taking a look at this?” Opening the notebook, there was a menu inside with dozens of different dishes. Faith pointed at the first page. “These are just ideas right now. Nothing is set in stone. I’d love for you to look at it and add your own recipes.”
Excitement bubbled in my veins. “Happy to.”
Faith’s grin widened as she sat across from me, looking giddy. Her enthusiasm was fun to be around; I needed it. “Has Reed asked you to be his date to my wedding yet?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. Why? Do you think he will?”
Her eyes twinkled. “I have no doubt in my mind. He really likes you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk about someone the way he talks about you.”
My cheeks burned. “Really?”
She nodded and her expression grew serious. “Do you like him?”
How could I not? Reed was unlike any other man I’d met. He was kind, gentle, dangerous, and sexy as hell. “I do,” I admitted honestly. “I feel like I can be myself when he’s around.”
Faith smiled. “That’s what he says about you.”
My heart jumped. “Really? Why hasn’t he said anything to me?” I liked that he felt the same way. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I judged him for his lifestyle. He was a hero in my eyes, a protector. I wasn’t falling for him because of what he was doing for me. I was falling for him because, honestly, I couldn’t help myself.
“Reed’s waiting for you to make a move,” Faith confessed. “He’ll kill me if he knows I told you this. After everything that’s happened, he doesn’t want to add any more stress on you.” She leaned forward and looked right in my eyes. “If you have feelings for Reed, don’t hold back. He deserves to be happy and so do you. You both need each other right now.”
On many occasions, I wondered what it’d be like to be with Reed. I’ve imagined kissing him and feeling his hands all over my body. I didn’t want to come onto him if he didn’t share the same sentiment. Guess I was waiting for him to make a move. Then again, I understood his hesitance. I hadn’t exactly been in the right frame of mind the past two weeks. I tried keeping everything professional, to keep my focus on finding the killer, but Reed made it hard to do that. It was hard not to be drawn to him.
When we slept together, his arm around my waist I felt so secure, loved.
Taking a deep breath, I kept my eyes right on Faith’s. “You don’t think it’ll complicate things, do you?”
“Nope,” she replied in all seriousness. “It’ll only make you stronger. That’s how it was for me and Dominic.”
My mind was set. I knew what to do and I was going to do it. For the first time in weeks, things started to brighten all around me. “Okay,” I said, smiling. “I have a plan. I just hope you’re right.”
She winked. “I’m always right. You and Reed belong together. You’ll see.”
Yes, I would.
*
Spending the day with Faith was exactly what I needed. Amy called while I was at the restaurant, and it was nice being able to catch up with her. She always had a way of making me feel better. The same went for John and Robyn. They called me every day to check up on me. It killed me having to pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t. If John had even the tiniest clue that I’d gone over the deep end, he and Robyn would be on Reed’s doorstep in a heartbeat.
However, there was still a nagging sense of impatience and anger in my gut when Reed told me he hadn’t found any clues yet, but it wasn’t as bad as before. I used that anger in our training workouts. My body was so sore I could barely move, but I needed the outlet. Reed was a good trainer.
Since I was too exhausted to make a big dinner, I decided to throw together some BLT’s while Reed took a shower. It was a hot summer day and we had some freshly grown tomatoes from the farmer’s market. I grew up on tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches; it was what I ate for lunch almost every day in the summer growing up.
The smell of bacon filled the air and my stomach growled. Usually, I’d only eat one sandwich, but I had two on my plate. I did the same for Reed. “I smell bacon,” Reed called out as he walked into the kitchen. His brown hair was still a little wet and he had on a pair of jeans and a snug light green T-shirt that looked amazing clinging to his muscular arms.
Pulse racing, I held up his plate, both sandwiches stacked high with bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. “Sorry it’s not a huge, hearty dinner, but I was craving tomatoes.”
Reed walked over and looked happy as he took his plate. “BLT’s are perfect.”
I nodded toward the living room. “Want to watch TV with me while we eat? I have Harry Potter all ready to go.” Buttercup already ate and had taken up residence right in the middle of the living room floor.
Reed’s gaze narrowed, almost as if he questioned whether or not I was okay. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said, picking up my plate. “Being with Faith today helped me. I think you were right having me take a step back. My mom wouldn’t want me letting my anger get the best of me. She’d want me to be happy.”
I had to live my life for her, to keep her memories alive. Smiling, Reed placed a hand on my back, nudging me toward the living room. “You’re exactly right. I’m glad you had a good day.”
I snorted. “At least until you worked my ass off,” I teased. “My muscles hurt so bad right now.”
Reed chuckled. “In that case, I say we take tomorrow off. We could both use a break.”
He was right. Even I could see how tired he was. We sat down on the couch and I placed my plate on my lap. “Sounds good. What do you want to do?”
The way he looked at me with those emerald eyes of his made very scandalous things pop into my mind. It made me wonder if he had the same thoughts. All I wanted was for him to kiss me, but Faith already said he was waiting on me to make the first move. Why did he have to be such a gentleman? Then again, that was one of the things I liked about him.
“There are some trails I think you’ll like,” he suggested. “We could go hiking.”
Actually, that sounded pretty fun. “I’d like that. Then maybe we can go for a swim?” I added. “The days have been kind of hot.”
Reed smiled. “Deal. Now let’s get this movie started. I’m hungry.”
I wanted to tell him how I felt, but my nerves got the best of me. I knew without a doubt that I wanted him. Out of all the men I’d been with over the years, nothing compared to the way I felt about Reed. It was so easy to think of the words, but saying them was a different story. If only he wasn’t waiting on me to make the first move. Tomorrow would be better. I’d muster up the courage somehow. We’d be alone in the woods with nothing but nature all around us. That was my kind of date.<
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Chapter Fourteen
Kennedy
Reed and I watched three Harry Potter movies until I passed out on the couch. The last thing I remembered was laying my head on his chest, and then him carrying me to my bedroom and tucking me in. In a way, I’d hoped he’d stay with me, but he didn’t. One thing was definitely for certain … I loved falling asleep in his arms. I’d never felt so safe in my life.
I heard Reed moving around downstairs so I got up and threw on a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, along with my hiking boots since we were supposed to go hiking. When I got into the kitchen, Reed had two backpacks on the counter, stuffing them full of waters and snacks while Buttercup watched him curiously. As always, Reed looked sexy in his jeans and boots.
“Where are we going hiking at?” I asked.
Reed looked over at me and his gaze wandered up and down my body. He cleared his throat and focused back on packing up our supplies. “Taggart Lake. It’s in the Grand Teton National Park. I found a hidden trail out there a few years ago.”
That excited me. “Nice. I love stuff like that.”
Reed winked. “So do I. We’ll leave when you’re ready. Unfortunately, Buttercup has to stay here. Dogs aren’t allowed on the national park trails.”
I could understand that. “That’s fine. She’ll be okay at the house.”
Knowing we were going to be super active, I made us some eggs, bacon, and toast to eat beforehand, and I made some sandwiches to pack for the hike. Once we were done eating, he gave me the lighter backpack and we headed out to his backyard. Buttercup watched us through the door and I waved at her, wishing we could take her.
“How long does it take to get to the actual trail from here?” I wondered. There were trees up ahead and beyond that I couldn’t see anything but mountains. “And how many times have you seen bears?”
Taking the lead, Reed chuckled. “An hour to get to the trail and I’ve lost count on the bears. There’s a shit ton of them.”
“Great,” I groaned. “Just what I wanted to hear.”
Reed laughed again. “We’ll be okay, I promise.”
We reached the forest and left the security of the open field. The sun peeked in through the trees, but it was only slivers of it, leaving the path shaded and damp. I breathed in the rich, earthy smell and smiled. It was almost as if I was in a different world.
“What recipes did you put on Faith’s menu?” Reed asked, glancing back at me. He waited for me to catch up and then kept his pace beside me.
“Well,” I began, “she wanted some soups so I gave her my broccoli and cheese recipe and my beef and vegetable one. I also wrote down my mother’s meatloaf and chicken and dumplings recipes.”
Reed clutched his stomach. “Speaking of meatloaf or chicken and dumplings, want to teach me how to make one of them tonight?”
That made me smile. “Sounds good. I can go for some meatloaf.”
The sound of rushing water echoed up ahead and we came upon a creek. Reed moved in front of me and stopped at the edge. “We have to cross here.” Looking back at me, he held out his hand. “Might want to hold on. The rocks can be kind of slippery.”
I took his hand and held on. “And I’m clumsy.”
We jumped from rock to rock, and once we were almost to the other side, my foot slipped. Laughing, Reed steadied me and pulled me over to the bank. “Yeah, you are clumsy. Then again, I would’ve laughed my ass off if you fell in the water.”
Still holding his hand, I smacked him in the arm with my other. “Asshole.”
He didn’t let my hand go and I wasn’t about to let go of his either. It felt different, not in the way it did when we were training. That was work. Right now, it was just us. Reed squeezed my hand and I met his gaze. “It’s good to see you smiling again,” he said. Hearing that made me smile even more. “You seem to be in better spirits. Guess spending time with Faith helped.”
“And with you,” I added. “Last night was fun. We still have more Harry Potter movies to watch.”
His smile made everything inside of me tighten. “Are you going to fall asleep on me again?” he asked.
My cheeks burned. “Maybe. We worked out hard yesterday afternoon.” And I loved every minute of it. He had a way of making me feel stronger, like I could take on the world.
The trail narrowed so Reed took the lead, still holding my hand. “Well, we’ll take today off from training and go swimming like you wanted.”
“Can’t wait.”
We walked in silence for a while and I enjoyed it. For once, my mind was clear and I could focus on everything around me. The wind was warm, blowing through the trees making them dance while the birds sang their songs. There was no noise, only the sweet sound of nature. I didn’t have that solace where I lived in North Carolina. It was still my home, but I was starting to feel more at home here.
We reached Taggart Lake and the water was so clear I could see all the rocks beneath the surface. It was like looking through glass. I wanted to jump in and explore it all, but the water was really cold. Back home, our lakes would be like bath water, hot and smelly with no chance of seeing what lurked beneath you.
Reed and I walked down to the lake’s edge. I sat on a boulder while he skipped rocks across the water. “What are you thinking about?” he asked.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow. “Just how beautiful it is here. Where I live, our lakes don’t look like this. I’m too afraid to get in the water there.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I know. My dad has a house on Lake Wylie right near where you lived. I used to go out there all the time.”
There was a cluster of small rocks below me so I picked one up and tried to skip it across the water, failing miserably. “Sometimes I forget you have family in North Carolina.”
Reed tossed the last of his rocks into the water and reached for my hand. “When we go back there, I’ll have to take you to meet my father and older brother. Maybe even give you a tour of Chandler Enterprises if you want.”
He pulled me to my feet and I gasped. “That sounds amazing. I’d love that.” But then his words sunk in. With the killer still being in North Carolina, we may have to go there if we were to hunt him down. That is, if we ever found him. The trail began to veer off to the left, but Reed pulled me to the right and started on another path that wasn’t etched out on the ground. It was obvious nobody every walked it. “Are you taking me to the secret place now?” I asked.
Reed glanced back at me and winked. “Yep. Won’t take long to get there.” We hiked for about thirty minutes and Reed seemed to know where he was going. There was always a confidence about him in everything he did, like there was no way he’d fail. It was sexy. Up ahead, I could tell there was a clearing. Reed smiled and squeezed my hand. “We’re here.”
We reached the edge of the trees, and beyond that was one of the most breathtaking sites I’d ever seen. It was a meadow of wildflowers with a creek flowing off to the side with a small waterfall. The sun made the water sparkle as it swished and swirled around the rocks. I could stay there forever.
Letting Reed’s hand go, I circled around and took it all in. “This is heaven.”
Reed took off his backpack and pulled out a blanket. “That’s why I come here.” Once the blanket was on the ground, I sat down and he sat across from me.
“Have you ever brought anyone up here?” I wondered.
His emerald gaze met mine. “Just you.”
Inside, I rejoiced at the thought; it made me feel special. Reed kept his eyes on mine, his expression serious. “When everything’s said and done, what are you going to do? Will you go back to Vermont or stay in North Carolina?”
That was a good question. Shrugging, I averted my gaze to the flowers. “When I left Vermont to come here, my first thought was that I’d go back after we found the killer.”
“You don’t sound so sure about that anymore.”
I turned back to Reed, his eyes boring into mine. It was hot outside, but the man ma
de me shiver. “I don’t know,” I murmured honestly. “I doubt I’d stay in North Carolina. Too many bad memories. The only person I have left there is Amy. Then, on the other hand, there is Vermont. I love that place, but I’m all alone there. I was only there for a few months, not really enough time to make any close friends. As far as my job, I can get a teaching job anywhere.”
Reed lowered his gaze to my hand. He placed his over mine and sighed. “You could always stay in Wyoming. You have friends here.”
It was now or never. I couldn’t be the only one who felt the sparks between us; it was strong. We had a connection that I had never felt with anyone else.
“Is that all I have here?” I asked, whispering the words. “Friends?”
Reed’s focus landed on my lips. “You have Faith, Grace, and my family. I can already tell they love having you around.”
My heart raced. “What about you?”
He smirked. “What about me?” he countered. I leaned in just an inch and he did the same.
I bit my lip. “Are you just my friend?”
We moved a little closer, his lips so close to mine. “Is that what you want?” he asked.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “No. I think you know what I want.”
Eyes twinkling with mischief, he shook his head. “Why don’t you show me.”
Before I could even make a move, he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. The breath left my lungs and I gasped, my whole body melting against him as he laid me down on the blanket. He gently broke the kiss and smiled down at me. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
I could feel the burn in my cheeks. “Faith said you were waiting on me to make the first move.”
His brows lifted. “She did, did she?”
I nodded. “Yep. Figured today would be a good day.”
Leaning down, he kissed me again, his lips warm against mine. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for weeks now.”