The Road to Reunion

by Gina Wilkins

  He had said that the evening before, too. And, as had happened the last time, her mind immediately filled with fantasies about summoning him during the night. She was quite sure he hadn’t meant anything along those lines when he’d made the perfunctory offer, but the images alone were enough to leave her flushed and restless.

  “Well…” he said, taking a step toward his room. Impulsiveness had always been a part of her personal ity. Sometimes the trait had been a help to her, other times a hindrance, but she had long since accepted that there were times she simply didn’t choose to fight her instincts.

  It had been her impulsiveness that had started her out on this quest to bring Kyle back to the ranch. It was a similar urge that made her blurt out, “You still haven’t told me why you kissed me last night.”

  He shot her a warning look. “I thought you agreed to forget about that.”

  “I can’t. I’ve been thinking about it all day.” “Well, don’t.”

  He looked away, but not before she had seen the truth in his eyes. She wasn’t the only one who had been thinking about that kiss.

  It took only one step to put her between him and the door. She made it somewhat awkwardly because of the brace, but she managed to block his way just as he was preparing to bolt. “Kyle.”

  He looked as wary as a cornered animal. “What?”

  “Kiss me again.”

  Maybe Kyle was getting to know her a bit too well. He didn’t seem as surprised by her request as he probably should have been. Instead, he looked searchingly at her and asked, “Why?”

  “Because then maybe I can stop thinking about it.” “How’s that?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Well, it probably won’t be as big a deal this time.

  You know, without the element of surprise and the whole first-time aspect. It’ll probably just be a regular, ordinary kiss—and then we can go back to being friends again.”

  He lifted a hand to the back of his neck and squeezed. His voice sounded rather strained when he repeated, “Just friends, huh?”

  She nodded forcefully. “Just friends.”

  The way she was just friends with all her other former foster brothers, she told herself. The ones who had been drifting in and out of her life for almost twenty-four years. The way she was still friends with those few would-be lovers who’d quickly ended up seeing her as another great pal.

  “So, let me get this straight. We’re going to have a ’regular, ordinary kiss,’ after which we’ll be just friends with no sticky issues left between us.”

  Hearing him say it like that made her rethink the whole idea. Maybe just this one time she should have curbed her impulse rather than giving into it. “Um…”

  A sudden look of resolve on his face, he moved toward her, his silent grace making his limp hardly noticeable at all. Second thoughts turning to third, Molly took a clumsy step backward. “Okay. I think…”

  “Just a regular, ordinary kiss.” He reached for her, his amber eyes glinting dangerously. “I suppose we should get it over with.”

  His mouth covered hers before she could tell him that she had changed her mind.

  If this kiss was “ordinary,” Molly thought a few moments later, then her previous experiences had been sadly lacking. Kyle’s lips moved against hers with a clever skill that spoke of experience, despite his earlier claim that his friend had been the one to whom women had been attracted. She hadn’t bought it then, and she didn’t now.

  She couldn’t imagine many women who wouldn’t be drawn to Kyle’s air of deep, quiet, competent strength. Or his beautiful golden-brown eyes that spoke of the years of pain and disappointment that had left him brooding and reclusive—yet still so innately good-hearted that he had given a grieving couple someone new to love and fuss over. And then he had taken the responsibility to see Molly safely home after she had fallen on his porch, which she had pretty much invaded without an invitation.

  What woman wouldn’t be attracted to him? she asked herself as her arms seemed to wind themselves around his neck. Or maybe she was just particularly susceptible to Kyle’s unique charms.

  Taking his signals from her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her more tightly against him. She reveled in his warmth. In the very masculine muscles roping his arms and legs. The solid width of his chest and the taut flatness of his abdomen.

  Letting her attention wander even lower, she couldn’t help but be aware that Kyle was also strongly affected by the kiss. And even as she shivered in purely instinctive reaction, she realized in despair that her naive plan had failed. Not only was this kiss more spectacular than she’d imagined, she didn’t even try to convince herself that she and Kyle could be “just friends” now.

  He ended the embrace very slowly, with a reluctance that might have indicated his belief that it would be their last kiss. Or maybe she was reading her own fears into his hesitancy.

  She didn’t want it to be the last kiss, she realized abruptly. Even though he was probably going to break her heart, she wanted to find out what it was like to be with a man who saw her as a desirable woman. A man who made her willing to place her own long-guarded heart at risk.

  Kyle would be leaving again—she didn’t pretend otherwise—but perhaps the memories she stored away would make the inevitable pain somewhat easier to bear.

  “That,” he said, his voice gravelly, “was a mistake.”

  Which she interpreted to mean that she wasn’t the only one who had been shaken by their kisses. “Maybe. But now that it’s already happened once…”

  Leaning into him, she pressed her mouth to his again.

  Kyle made a low, rough sound that was half laugh, half groan—and then he cupped her face in his hands and thrust his tongue between her lips. If he was trying to startle her, even to shock her into backing away, he did not succeed. She simply closed her eyes and opened to him, inviting him to take as many liberties as he liked.

  Time became meaningless as they delved more deeply into the kiss. She couldn’t have said how long they stood there, tasting, touching, exploring. They drew an occasional ragged breath, but her head still swam. She wasn’t sure if it was caused by too little oxygen or too much sensation, but she was one kiss away from a complete meltdown. Judging from the way Kyle’s hands trembled as they swept over her, he was on the verge, himself.

  She wasn’t sure what brought him to his senses. Maybe it was the way she moved against him when she shifted to take some of the weight off her injured leg. Whatever the reason, he tore his mouth from hers with a gasp and set her forcefully aside, leaving his hands on her shoulders only long enough to make sure she was steady on her feet.

  “Enough,” he said.

  “Not nearly,” she murmured, reaching for him again.

  He avoided her with a quick side step. “Molly. No.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  She sighed and sank to sit on the edge of a bed, not certain her legs—even her good one—would support her any longer. “I guess I was wrong about it being ordinary.”

  “I guess you were.”

  He was gone before she had another chance to speak. He closed the connecting door firmly between them, and she heard the dead bolt lock on the other side.

  Was he locking her out, or himself in? Either way, he’d made it clear that there was more than a door keeping them apart.

  Kyle opened his eyes the next morning to the sound of rain drumming against the windows. Perfect, he thought. Lousy weather to go with his lousy mood.

  He’d spent the night alternating between urges to walk out of the room and head straight back to Tennessee, leaving Molly to find her own way home, or bursting through that damn connecting door and taking up right where they had left off earlier. Because his conscience wouldn’t allow him either option, he’d spent another near-sleepless night wondering when The Longest Road Trip in Recorded History would end—and whether his sanity would hold out until it was over.

  He’d slept finally, only to
have weird dreams he couldn’t really remember when he awoke. He was left with the haunting echo of Tommy McDooley’s distinctive laughter in his ears—which was all he needed to get this day started badly.

  He took his time showering, shaving and dressing in the last clean clothes he’d brought with him. He was in no hurry to face Molly again.

  In the light of day—even a gray, watery day—he had to ask himself what had gotten into him last night. Had someone spiked the popcorn at the movie theater?

  It had been the second time he’d let her goad him into acting without thinking, and this time it had taken him much too long to regain control. Had he not come to his senses at the last possible moment, he might have woken up in her bed this morning.

  He was grimly aware of the regret that underscored his relief. It would have been a huge mistake-she was Molly Walker, for Pete’s sake—but judging from their kisses, it would have been amazing.

  He called the garage before he made any effort to talk to Molly. He was assured that the part had already been ordered from Little Rock and was expected to arrive before noon—but even then, it wasn’t a quick and easy repair. Even if everything went smoothly, it would be mid to late afternoon before the car would be ready.

  Which left almost an entire day for them to kill. There were so many dangers inherent in that situation that he didn’t even want to try to list them all.

  The obvious solution was to stay away from her. She had a TV in her room, some books. She could entertain herself for a few hours. He could go hang out at the garage, harass the mechanics into rushing the job. The more he thought about it, the better that plan sounded.

  He supposed he should feed her breakfast first. Drawing a deep breath, he tapped on the connecting door, steeling himself for the sight of her. How would she behave with him this morning? Would she be withdrawn, as she had been yesterday morning? Confrontational? Or would she try again to treat him like a favorite brother?

  He ruled out the latter the moment she opened the door and smiled at him. This was not a friendly, familial smile. This one had a shy quality to it, overlaid by a new awareness that could only be described as sexual.

  “Good morning,” she said, and even her voice had a huskiness that hadn’t been there before.

  He should definitely keep his distance from her today. He had already learned all too well that he couldn’t depend on willpower alone to give him the strength to keep his hands off her.

  “’Morning. Ready for breakfast?”

  “Yes.” She wore the navy-and-lime athletic outfit again. The top looked a bit damp around the seams, and he wondered if she had rinsed it out in her sink the night before. He imagined that she would be as glad to see the ranch as he would. She had to be tired of car rides and motel rooms, fast food and lousy company. “Just let me grab my purse.”

  “And your crutches,” he reminded her as he watched her stump across the room. “You’re supposed to keep your weight off that leg as much as possible.”

  She sighed heavily. “I hate the crutches.”

  “I know. But you need them.”

  Slinging the strap to her purse over her shoulder, she balanced on the crutches and moved toward the door. “I hope we can find someplace that serves a big breakfast. I’m really hungry.”

  At least somethings hadn’t changed, Kyle thought, following her out of the motel room with a shake of his head.

  Despite all the useful things her parents had taught her, and all the fine schooling she’d received, Molly’s education was sadly lacking when it came to the art of flirtation. She sat across the table from Kyle at a pancake restaurant located near the motel and tried her best to think of something clever and witty to say.

  She had been babbling about herself and the ranch for days. She’d tried asking him questions about himself, which was supposed to be what men liked in a conversation, but whoever said that had never met Kyle Reeves. There was always the weather, but there was little to say about it except that it was gray and wet—hardly a romantic subject.

  So she talked about the food, and about the people they had met during their journey. She smiled, she made sure their fingers brushed occasionally, she did everything but bat her eyelashes at him. He didn’t seem notably overwhelmed. Just the opposite, in fact. He made eye contact with the syrup bottle more than he did with her.

  How could he transform so easily from passionate lover to cool, near stranger? Was it really so easy for him to deny the emotions that had flared between them last night?

  It was impossible for her.

  “So what are we going to do now?” she asked as they finished their breakfasts. Rain still poured in sheets down the window next to their table, which didn’t encourage any outdoor activities. As for indoor activities…she swallowed.

  “I think I’ll go over to the garage and check on the progress of your car. I’ll drop you at the motel first and you can read or watch TV while you put your foot up and give that leg a rest.”

  He spoke casually, almost airily, but the words hit her hard. She didn’t believe for a minute that Kyle wanted to spend several more hours in that depressing garage waiting room. Yet still he found that prospect more appealing than spending time with her.

  Fine, she told herself, squaring her chin. If he wanted to get away from her, she certainly wasn’t going to stop him. If he thought looking at old gossip magazines and drinking decaf sludge from a vending machine was preferable to her company, then he deserved what he would get. “Okay. I have a book I’d like to finish, anyway.”

  He looked momentarily surprised, as if he had expected an argument. Keeping her own expression as unrevealing as possible, Molly reached for her crutches without saying anything more.

  Though she suggested that Kyle could just let her out at the motel and go on his way, he parked and ordered her to wait until he came around to her door with an umbrella. He kept her shielded from the rain as much as possible until she made it beneath shelter, and then he opened her room door for her. He was being just a bit too solicitous—only further indication, in her opinion, that he was feeling a little guilty about his plans for the day.

  She was a bit surprised when he followed her inside. She had pretty much expected him to shove her inside the door and take off.

  “Is there anything you need before I go?” he asked, hovering just inside the open door.

  “No.” She dropped into a chair and reached for the paperback she’d left lying on the table. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe I should get you a soda out of the vending machine, in case you get thirsty later.”

  “If I want a soda later, I’ll get one for myself.”

  “No.” He scowled and planted his hands on his hips. “You don’t need to be going out of this room by yourself. It isn’t safe. Besides, there’s water on the pavement in places. Your crutches could slip and you’d fall flat on your face.”

  “I can take care of myself, Kyle.”

  “I want you to promise me you’ll stay in this room with the door locked until I get back.”

  “No. I won’t make that promise.” She opened the book and looked pointedly at the pages. “Go do what you have to do. I’ll probably be right here when you get back.”

  “Damn it, Molly.”

  She glanced up at him, letting just a hint of her irritation with him show. “You’re the one who has told me repeatedly for the past few days that I shouldn’t let anyone boss me around. I’ve decided I agree with you-and I’m starting now.”

  “You’re mad because I’m leaving you here, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged.

  “You could always go with me.”

  Apparently he thought they would be safe from their libidos in a public place, so it would be okay for her to accompany him. “No. I don’t want to spend anymore time in that boring waiting room. But you feel free to spend the whole day there if you want.”

  “I just thought—”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “I can cert
ainly understand if you’re getting tired of my company. I wouldn’t blame you a bit, for that matter.”

  “Look, it’s not like that.”

  “You don’t owe me any explanations.” She raised the book to hide her face.

  Kyle reached out to push it down again. “I’m trying to be sensible here.”

  “I’m not stopping you, am I?”

  “I think it’s better if we don’t spend a lot of time alone today.”

  “Right. I got the message. So, go.”

  “Fine. I’ll give you a call when your car is ready.”

  She refused to look up from the book. “Do that.”

  Still he didn’t leave. He just stood there. Looking at her.

  She glared up at him. “Do you want to go or not?”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  She closed the book, her heart starting to beat a lit tle faster. “Then stay.”

  “You know what will happen if I do.”

  She wondered almost absently how her heart could be pounding in her chest and her throat at the same time. She hadn’t really expected Kyle to admit where they had been headed these past couple of days. His strategy so far had been to pretty much pretend it wasn’t happening. When he wasn’t kissing her senseless, anyway.

  “Nothing has to happen if we don’t want it to,” she said reasonably. “We could just talk or play cards.”

  He looked doubtful. “I guess we could give it a try.”

  If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he wanted to stay with her. Maybe…maybe he was afraid to stay. And wasn’t that an intriguing thought? Kyle afraid of her?

  She tried to make her smile reassuring. “I promise I won’t jump you if you stay.”

  A mere hint of a rueful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And if I jump you?”

  She didn’t think he would find it at all comforting if she told him she wouldn’t even try to fight him off. It was probably better to say nothing at all.

  Kyle looked at her smiling at him, then glanced out the door toward the gray, wet parking lot and the rain that was still falling in sweeping curtains. She would like to think she was the more inviting prospect.