Their gazes met, turning the spark into something bigger. Something she wasn’t ready to face.
She pulled her hand from his, the brush of skin on skin forcing a shiver down her spine. Whatever reaction she was having, he seemed immune. He sat there, stiffly, the muscle in his jaw locked. He seemed...angry?
Her words rushed together, “You’re a good guy.” Her voice was husky, her throat and lungs tight. “I haven’t known many of those, but it seems fair that a good guy should get the girl.” A girl that’s not me. She nodded at the door leading into the bar. “I know Toben is related to you, but I’m pretty sure you’re the better man here.”
His smile was back, his posture easing as he asked, “What does helping me mean, exactly?”
“Working on your technique?” She shrugged.
He snorted. “There’s nothing wrong with my technique,” he argued.
“Maybe, maybe not. I haven’t seen any.” She laughed as he scowled at her. “We’ll see—when you’re ready.”
“Oh, I’m ready.” His answer was quick. “My technique is just fine.”
“Fisher,” Toben called out. “We need another player. You game?”
“In a sec,” he answered, glancing at the end of the bar. “I’ll ask Shawn about helping me out with the parade—”
Kylee’s gaze followed his. Shawn was asleep, his face pillowed on his arms. It was almost one and they’d had a long day. No wonder he was wiped out. Once he was asleep, waking him up wasn’t easy.
“I’m thinking he’s too big for you to carry to bed,” Fisher said.
“I can do it,” she insisted. But he was too big for her to carry. And then there was the matter of the twenty paying customers who were still her responsibility.
“I don’t mind, Kylee,” Fisher asserted.
She shook her head, rubbing Shawn’s back to wake him up. When Shawn didn’t move, she admitted defeat. She looked at Fisher, saw his smile and smiled in return. “That would be nice, Fisher, thank you.” She pulled her key out of her pocket and handed it over. “Shawn, Fisher’s gonna take you home, okay?” She and Fisher exchanged another smile at Shawn’s muffled grunt. When Fisher scooped her little brother up, Shawn barely stirred. “Can you get the door and hold him?”
“Think so.” Fisher acted like Shawn weighed nothing. And her little brother looked so small cradled against the wall of Fisher’s chest. Fisher smiled down at Shawn, nodding at the sketchbook on the bar. “He’s gonna want that.”
He would. He’d panic if he woke up without it. Fisher knew how important Shawn’s drawings were to him. More than that, Fisher regarded Shawn with genuine affection. The kind of affection her little brother wanted and deserved.
She stared up at Fisher. She knew he was strong. His chest was broad and his thickly muscled arms cradled Shawn. But his strength came from the inside. He was every bit a real man—while remaining kind and gentle. A kind and gentle man who made her ache deep down inside.
“Kylee?” he asked, his voice low.
She needed to stop looking at him, stop feeling these feelings...
“Can I get a drink down here?” a customer called to her.
“I got him.” Fisher carried Shawn through the Employees Only door.
She filled a pitcher for the customer and cleared off the bar, her mind racing. It was important that she understood the difference between friendship and a romantic relationship. Just because Fisher was being nice to her didn’t mean he was looking for more from her. If she was overreacting to him, supersensitive to him, it was because she’d never been in this situation before. She’d never had a male friend, she’d never wanted one before. But, try as she might, she couldn’t dismiss that she was grappling with something more than friendship.
“He’s out.” Fisher reappeared. “Barely moved when I put him on the bed.”
“Thanks.” She nodded, working hard to keep herself calm and collected. “I appreciate it.”
“Looks nice in there.” He smiled. “You painted?”
She nodded. She’d left the windows cracked to air out the fumes. She could only hope the window screens were in decent enough shape to keep creepy crawlers outside where they belonged.
“Not too cramped?” He was looking at her again, in that intense way. “Sharing a bed with your brother can’t be fun.”
“Oh, no, I sleep in the recliner. He’s a karate expert—in his sleep.” She smiled, admitting, “It might seem cramped but we’re pretty happy. My little brother has a roof over his head, food in his stomach and an actual bed to sleep in. I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Fisher’s jaw locked again. He opened his mouth, then closed it and swallowed. She waited, knowing he had something to say. But not sure she wanted to hear it.
“Fisher,” Toben called out. “You coming or not?”
“You should go.” She glanced at Brook. “Maybe try flirting?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know if I’m up for it. What with my lack of technique and all.”
She bit back a grin. “Have a nice night, Fisher. And thanks again.” She picked up a bottle of cleaner and a new rag, and started wiping down the empty tables. He must have stood there, watching her, for a few more minutes because Toben yelled again before Fisher joined them at the pool table.
It was only later, when she was lying on the recliner, that she realized she might have made a mistake. Jesse had taught her how to flirt, how to get a man, but what she’d been after wasn’t their hearts. Jesse was very territorial. He’d never said he loved her, but she was definitely his. When Jesse wanted sex, it had always been awkward and quick. In all their time together, he’d never offered her sweet words, soft kisses, or taken the time to explore her body. They’d never had the opportunity to be naked—not with Shawn around. She had no business criticizing the way Fisher pursued a woman or who he should have a relationship with. She had no experience with anything real.
There was only one thing Kylee was 100 percent certain of. If Brook didn’t see how lucky she was—how great Fisher was—she didn’t deserve him.
* * *
“A RECLINER?” RENATA ASKED, laying a napkin at each place setting at the large dining table.
Fisher nodded. He’d given up pretending to his sister that he wasn’t interested in Kylee. Maybe it was the twin thing, but she always saw right through him anyway. What he needed was a sounding board. And Renata was a girl—she might be able to shed a little light on Kylee’s offer to help him win Brook, too.
He’d shared what limited information he had with Renata, desperate for some sort of insight. But his sister’s theory on Kylee and Shawn’s past had turned his blood cold—before igniting it with white-hot anger.
“If she’s spent her whole life protecting Shawn and surviving, she’s probably never had a relationship.” Renata glanced at him.
“Shawn mentioned someone named Jesse.” Fisher looked at his sister. “All he said was the name and they both locked up in fear.”
Renata sighed, shaking her head. “Poor things.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that.” Fisher grinned, admiring Kylee’s independence. “I don’t know what I was expecting. I guess I was hoping for something better than a tiny, grungy apartment. At the back of a bar, for crying out loud.” He shook his head. “They have practically nothing. A couch, a recliner and a chest of drawers. No table, no chairs, no curtains, no television.” The bright off-yellow paint job had only made the stark sadness of the place that much more obvious. “She wasn’t pulling my leg, either. She’s...content with the way things are.” When Kylee didn’t have her guard up, her face revealed a lot.
“That bothers you?” Renata asked, nudging him so he’d focus on his work.
He set a knife and fork on a napkin. “No.” He paused, straightening the utensils. “Yes. Of
course it does. What the hell have they been through to think that place is okay?” He shook his head. “Remember dad’s old workshop? Before we built the Lodge?”
Renata wrinkled her nose. “Yes.”
“The place isn’t much better than that.”
Maybe he was too accustomed to the good life. He wasn’t wasteful or self-indulgent, his parents had made sure of that. It didn’t matter that the Boones owned all the land in and around Stonewall Crossing, his father raised them to work hard and count every dollar they earned. Hell, he’d worked extra hours and odd jobs for several years, pinching pennies and living in one of the old bunkhouses so he could build the house he wanted. And he had. While he’d never thought his twenty-two-hundred-square-foot house was overly large, seeing the space Shawn and Kylee were calling home made him rethink things.
“What’s really bothering you, little brother?” Renata asked. “It’s pretty obvious you like her, so why not—”
“She offered to help me,” he said, shaking his head. “She offered to help my with my technique...so I could get Brook Marcus.”
“Brook Marcus?” Renata asked. “The new resident? Do you want Brook Marcus?”
“No,” Fisher answered. “I want Kylee.”
Renata grinned.
Fisher groaned, rolling his eyes. “Come on, now.”
“No, no, give me a minute.” Renata sighed. “You are in love for the first time. I have a right to savor it.”
“Savor it later,” he muttered. “What do I do about this Brook thing?”
“I think you should take Kylee up on her offer,” she answered immediately. His sister went back to laying out the napkins, smoothing the tablecloth into place before she asked, “Why not? You’ll get to spend time with Kylee, right?”
“I guess but—”
“No buts.” Renata frowned at him. “Time is a good thing. From the little time I’ve spent with her, she’s as skittish as one of Archer’s rescue horses. Jumpy, wary and full of fear.” She looked at Fisher. “She’s going to have scars, Fisher. I’m thinking they might be pretty deep, too. You know that, right?”
He nodded. He’d thought a lot about that. “We all do. Just some are deeper than others.”
Renata sat the napkins on the table and hugged him. “I wish you’d let that go, Fisher. It was an accident. You’re a big guy—”
“A big guy who almost killed his best friend.” Fisher shook his head. Vince wasn’t that much smaller than him, but remembering his friend unconscious on the mat—then hooked up to tubes in the hospital—still made him sick to his stomach.
“You were boxing,” Renata reminded him.
Fisher kissed his sister’s cheek and stepped away from her. “I know, I was there. It was my last fight.” It had been years, but sometimes it felt like yesterday. He went back to setting the table. “All I’m saying is I won’t hold her past against her. She’s been through a lot, but she’s still standing. I respect that.” If she’d give him a chance, he’d make sure she and Shawn were taken care of.
Renata blew out a deep breath. “You’re a good man, Fisher Boone.”
“I sure am,” he replied, teasing.
Fifteen minutes later the house was filling up. Meaning all of his brothers and their families were here. Hunter, his wife, Josie, and their son, Eli. Ryder, his very pregnant wife, Annabeth, and their son, Cody. Then there was Archer, their father, Teddy, Annabeth’s grandmother Florence, and cousin Tandy.
Plus Cutter, Shawn and Kylee. Seeing her here made his chest swell with pride. His brothers might argue with him, but he knew she was the prettiest girl here. Even if she did look lost and uncomfortable. Once the initial greetings were over, Fisher watched Eli pull Shawn and Cody aside, the three smiling and laughing in no time.
When everyone found a seat, Kylee sat stiffly on a large ottoman. Fisher sat beside her, wishing there was something he could do to ease her anxiety.
Teddy was all smiles for Kylee. “I hear you’ve moved from Las Vegas. The city that never sleeps to the city that shuts down tight at nine o’clock. Must be quite a change.” He paused. “Guess you can’t really consider Stonewall Crossing much of a city, either.”
Kylee smiled, her nerves obvious. “I don’t think so, sir. But I—we—like it here.”
“She’s taking to it like a fish takes to water,” Cutter added.
“Good. It’s a real nice place to raise a family.” Teddy went on, “A young man like Shawn will find lots to do that will keep him out of trouble.”
Fisher saw the love on her face when she looked at her brother. “I’m counting on it.”
“Renata says he’s going to camp next week?” Hunter asked. “Eli will be there, too. He looks forward to it all year.”
Kylee nodded. “He can’t wait.”
“Fisher told me Shawn’s quite the artist,” Josie spoke up.
“Always drawin’,” Cutter agreed.
“He is.” Kylee glanced at the old man with true affection. “He reads a lot of comic books and graphic novels. I think he’s good enough to illustrate one.”
“I’d really love to see his work,” Josie said.
“Josie writes and illustrates children’s books.” Fisher pointed at the large painting over the huge stone fireplace on the back wall. “That’s hers.”
Kylee stared at the painting, her eyes going round.
“Where are my manners?” Renata jumped up. “What can I get you to drink? Cutter? Flo? Kylee?”
“A beer sounds good to me.” Ryder said.
“Ryder,” Annabeth spoke up, laughing. “Your sister does not need to wait on you. You know your way around the kitchen just fine.”
“I had to try, princess.” Ryder kissed her cheek. “You want anything?”
“Um, to deliver these babies?” Annabeth said, making everyone laugh.
“I hope the sonogram is wrong and they’re both girls,” Renata said. “Though I’m not sure your husband could handle being the father to two girls. They’d never date.”
“One girl is more than enough.” Ryder dragged a hand over his face. “And I’m sure as hell not ready to talk about my daughter dating already.”
Fisher laughed, knowing Renata was right. After spending years as the ultimate heartbreaker, Ryder was going to have an extrahard time when his little girl, or girls, grew up.
“How much longer?” Kylee asked softly.
“Six weeks.” Ryder and Annabeth spoke in unison, making everyone laugh again.
“You quit trying to rush those babies,” Flo jumped in. “Once they get here, there’s no going back.”
“I know.” Annabeth took her grandmother’s hand in hers. “You’re right. I just miss sitting comfortably. And not getting up to go to the restroom ten times a night. And not having indigestion. And the sight of my feet.”
“You make pregnancy sound so tempting,” Josie said.
As the pregnancy talk continued, Fisher glanced at Kylee from the corner of his eye. She was staring around the room, getting her bearings. While Shawn seemed at ease, Kylee wasn’t. She had that jumpiness he hadn’t seen in a while.
He leaned closer to murmur, “Can I show you around? There’s a great view outside.”
She blinked, looking at him. “I don’t want to be rude.”
“You’re not. This is the only night the Lodge wasn’t booked up with guests, so dad wanted to get the family together,” Fisher explained.
“So, it’s like a hotel?” she asked, seeming relieved. “Oh.”
He smiled. “Dad hates being on his own.”
She nodded. “Your mom?” Her blue eyes met his. “It’s none of my business—”
“She died when I was in high school.” Fisher explained. “He still misses her.”
“That never goes
away.”
“Miss her every damn day,” Fisher agreed.
“Mine, too,” Kylee’s words were soft. “My mom, I mean.”
Her words opened the door to a dozen questions. What had happened to her mother? How long had she been alone? Who had hurt her and Shawn? And how had they ended up in Stonewall Crossing? “So, a quick tour?”
Her attention wandered back to the rest of his family, laughing and talking among themselves. The boys had relocated to a table in the corner, two stacks of playing cards and several game boxes piled on the edge. “Okay,” she agreed.
He took her outside first, where the view from the deck was amazing. The sun was descending, turning the sky shades of purple and deep blue edged in a fiery red. Even with the sun on its way to bed, there was no denying the heat. The breeze was soft, but didn’t do much to ease the temperature.
“It’s beautiful.” She spoke with such yearning that he turned her way.
She was staring, openmouthed, at the scene before her. From their vantage point, she could see the rolling hills speckled with livestock, shadowed valleys and the distant creek. The ranch was his home; he knew it like the back of his hand. But there were times the beauty of the land left even him speechless. Watching her, he wondered if he’d ever seen something as beautiful.
“Been in my family for generations,” he murmured, getting lost in the swell of her lips, the curve of her cheek and the sweep of her long dark lashes.
“Generations...” She breathed the word. “You grew up here?”
“Pretty much.”
“And now?” she asked, turning to face him.
“Dad divided up the property between us. I have a house,” he said, pointing behind her. “On that hill, the far side. Being there, it’s almost like I’m the only one out here.”
“You like that?” she asked, her blue eyes searching his. “To be alone?”
“Sometimes. I have a big family.” He looked at the door with meaning. “Sometimes I need the quiet, the space, to be me.”
She nodded, a slight smile on her face.
“Which is a lot easier when Archer isn’t living with me,” he added with a chuckle.
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