He ignored me and held them out anyway. “Tessa, you’re injured and need to go home to relax and, like I said earlier, probably eat something. Standing out in the cold isn’t helping anything either. So, please, either let us drive you home safely or take the money for a cab.”
I didn’t feel comfortable with either option, but Christian was already calling the cab company and asking how long it would be for them to get to the bar. He placed the call on speaker, and we listened to the man on the other end check to see how long it would take.
“Forty-five minutes?” Christian asked in disbelief, a deep crease forming between his thick brows when the man let us know the wait time. He sent me an inquiring glance, silently asking me what I would like to do.
I weighed my options, knowing I really didn’t want to wait that long. After a quick debate, and seriously considering my trust in Daniel, I shook my head, deciding to take them up on the offer of a ride. Luckily, the pain medication was taking effect and my pain, though still uncomfortable, was manageable. It didn’t hurt to move my head now.
Christian nodded and responded to the man on the phone. “Okay, well, never mind. Thanks anyway.”
Kai stuffed the money in my hand, ignoring my stuttered refusals, before sending me a wink. “Be right back. I think I forgot my jacket inside.”
“The car’s that black one over there.” Christian pointed to a large SUV.
I nodded and held out the money. “Look, I really can’t accept this. It’s sweet of you and all, but it makes me uncomfortable.”
Christian accepted the cash with a grin. “Sorry. Sometimes Kai can get a little overbearing when he’s worried.” He stuffed the cash in his pocket. “Scratch that. He’s overbearing all the time.”
Thankful he didn’t pressure me to take the money, I prepared myself for the assault of icy rain outside; it had picked up since I’d come out. Wishing I owned a thicker jacket, I opened my umbrella.
A large hand tapped my shoulder, and Christian was there, holding a brown leather jacket out to me. He gazed curiously at my umbrella, his thick brows nearly touching as he placed the jacket squarely on my shoulders.
“Thanks.” I smile gratefully up at him. He was ridiculously tall.
Both Kai and Christian were handsome men, and after speaking with Whitney, I realized maybe it really was time I started dating again. Even though I’d had a few boyfriends in the past, it had been far too long since I went on a date.
I wondered if I could ask Daniel if Kai was single? Sure, I could simply ask him myself, but I didn’t want to be too obvious.
The leather smelled like something sweet, like mangos or nectarines. Christian grinned back at me, and I couldn’t help but stare at how the smile transformed his face. His hard, chiseled features appeared softer somehow, and his dark, cinnamon eyes made my stomach flutter softly. The ivory knit sweater complemented his tan complexion and made him appear all the more exotic.
Huddling together under the umbrella, my heart hummed happily as he led me to where the SUV was parked and opened the passenger side door for me. As I slid inside, I noted how clean the interior was and how the smell of leather was almost overpowering.
Either the car was new, or it was a rental.
Kai appeared after a few seconds and hopped into the backseat. He rubbed his hands over his vibrantly inked arms. His shirt was now mostly wet from the rain, and he shook slightly from the chill.
“Damn, it’s cold.” Kai shivered, his teeth audibly clattering. “I don’t know what happened to my jacket.”
I glanced down at the leather jacket resting innocently on my lap.
Christian smirked and started the engine.
“Um,” I began, holding out the jacket to Kai, “is this it?”
“Yes! That’s it.” Kai beamed and accepted the jacket with glee. “I guess I left it in here.”
Christian tapped at the GPS device on the car with that subtle smirk still on his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him, guessing he set it up on purpose.
Upon noticing my glare, he winked. “Where to, Tessa?”
It took me a second to remember what we were doing. Going home. That’s right.
“Oh, I actually live above a food establishment. It’s called Clover Café.”
“Really?” Kai asked, peeking his head up from the back seat. He poked Christian’s arm. “Isn’t that where the coupons are for?”
Christian shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ll put it in the GPS.”
Kai groaned. “No, please don’t. Just let her give us directions.”
“What’s wrong with his GPS?” I asked in bewilderment.
Kai pouted, looking like an adorable puppy. “You really don’t want to know.” I decided to leave the topic be while Christian continued to fiddle around with the GPS system. “So, is it any good? We’re actually thinking of checking it out. Our friend just gave us some meal vouchers for there.”
I frowned. “Um, yeah, it is.” His friend had given him the vouchers? We didn’t give out many of those. “What does your friend look—”
“Argh! Ye scallywags!” a thick, accented voice bellowed from the phone, and I jumped in my seat in shock. “Turn yer sails starboard!”
Ah, so that was why Kai didn’t want the GPS.
Christian flicked on his right blinker, and I simply sat there for a moment. “So, pirates, huh?”
Christian shrugged as Kai grumbled something from the backseat. “It changes. They have so many different kinds.”
“It was fucking Star Wars last week,” Kai muttered, and I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
“What’s wrong with Star Wars?” I wondered.
Sighing, Kai slouched in his seat. “Nothing. Except when you have to listen to Yoda giving you confusing directions for a prolonged amount of time.”
For most of the drive, Kai chatted excitedly from the back of the car, talking about how happy he was to be in one place for a while. Apparently, he and Daniel used to be roommates in college before Dan moved to Utah. The GPS guided the way, but we mostly tuned it out.
“So, you’ve been traveling?” I twisted to look over my shoulder at him.
“Yeah, we’ve been all over the place. Europe, Asia, Canada...”
“We?” I looked at Christian, wondering if he meant with him. Were they a couple?
They shared a quick glance through the rearview mirror.
Christian glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “Yes, we toured around with some of our really good friends. Maybe you’ll meet them sometime.”
“That reminds me,” Kai interrupted. “Ace’s probably losing his marbles right about now. I was supposed to pick up some things from the convenience store.”
“We’ll be fine,” Christian promised, waiting for a pedestrian at the crosswalk. Once they were out of the way, he turned right onto the street. “Ace is always losing his marbles.”
Kai peeked out the window with a wide grin as the café’s large, neon sign came into sight.
“Clover Café.” Kai grinned dreamily while we parked the car. I guess they were going to eat here, then, after all. “I would love to go back to Ireland. Though Oliver probably won’t want to.”
That reminded me.
“So, your friend.” I climbed out of the car. The rain wasn’t too bad at the moment, so I kept my umbrella at my side. Christian held open the café’s door open for me. “The one who gave you the vouchers? Does he by chance resemble a grouchy lumberjack?”
Christian gave me a funny look as he followed close behind, successfully shutting the door in Kai’s face. Kai smacked into the door, letting out a startled “Oomph!” He glared at Christian as he tugged the door open again and walked through.
Rubbing his nose, he turned to me. “Yeah, how’d you know—”
“Tessa?”
I turned toward Brooke’s voice and smiled awkwardly. I’d meant to send her a message earlier and apologize about the earlier incident, but I had been so tired I forg
ot. She seemed surprised to see me back so soon as she came over to the three of us, her gaze wandering curiously back and forth between my companions.
Man, it really was weird for me to spend time with people.
“Hi, Brooke.” I put my finger to my lip as I debated what I wanted to do. My stomach rumbled, making my decision for me. “Could we get a booth for three?”
Kai appeared perplexed, eyeing Brooke with confusion. Christian stood beside him with his thumbs tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, a knowing smile on his lips.
Brooke raised her eyebrows at me before motioning us forward. “Of course. Follow me, and I’ll seat you guys.”
She sat us down at a booth facing the front of the café, and cars zipped by even though it was so late in the evening. Even the café was pretty full for this hour, but then again, it was a Friday night. Lots of people hung out late with their friends on the weekends.
Brooke set down some laminated menus on the table.
“Can I get you guys something to drink while you read over the menus?” Her eyes remained on me with a pointed look.
I didn’t blame her for being curious. I hadn’t spent time with friends, though I didn’t consider these guys friends, in years. I couldn’t even remember how long it had been since I last went on a date.
I folded my hands in my lap. “Water, please.”
“I’d love some water as well, please.” Kai smiled politely.
Christian nodded. “Just water.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your waters. Let me know if you have any questions.”
I watched her head back to the kitchen area and figured she was letting the others know I was here. Arnie popped his head around the corner, a toothy grin on his face as he looked over at our booth. Sending me two thumbs-up, he disappeared back inside the kitchen.
I wanted to thump my head on the table but figured it wasn’t the best idea after what it had been through tonight. Though it felt a lot better, I wasn’t going to bring back the migraine just because my coworkers were most likely gossiping in the back about the two cute guys I’d brought in.
“So, spill it.” Kai crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?”
Instead of answering, I shrugged and unwrapped my napkin while Christian smirked at me, his eyes capturing mine. “She works here.”
Kai’s surprised eyes met mine. “You do?”
I nodded, focusing my gaze away from them and onto the table.
“So, the reason you knew our friend...” he pondered out loud.
I flushed. “Was because I spilled food all over him.”
Christian’s booming laugh caused me to look up. His face was alight with amusement, and he smiled merrily.
“You are a gift.” He grinned, opening his menu to take a look. To himself, he chuckled. “I wish I had been there to see it.”
Kai regarded me with open curiosity now, and I shied away from his probing gaze.
Brooke returned with our waters, then pulled out a notepad. “Are you guys ready to order?”
Christian ordered the meal with the most breakfast meats while Kai decided on the white-and-black-pudding dish.
Brooke turned to me with a knowing smile. “Blueberry scone?”
I nodded, my face lighting up in a smile. “Yes, please.”
“Coming right up.” She wandered away to place our orders.
After she left, I reached with a shaky hand for my water.
“Tessa,” Kai began slowly, his voice taking on a serious note. When I looked over at him, his eyes were concerned as he stared at my hand. “How many hours have you worked today?”
“I’m not quite sure,” I lied, and by the face he made, he knew it.
“How many?” He sounded like a fussy mother hen.
“Um,” I stalled, adding them up in my head. “About twenty hours.”
Christian whistled, and Kai’s face hardened.
“And the last time you ate a proper meal?” Kai demanded.
I shook my head, my face heating up. “Maybe this morning?”
Kai opened his mouth again, only to be interrupted by something playing “The Imperial March.” He reached into his jeans’ pocket and pulled out a white iPhone.
He scowled at the screen but swiped to answer the call. “You have horrible timing, Ace.”
Ace? The one who was known to lose his marbles?
“Uh-huh,” Kai grumbled into the phone. “I’ll get it taken care of.”
Some muffled words were said on the other line, but I couldn’t understand them. Kai listened quietly for a moment before he looked my way.
“Well, Chris and I were grabbing a bite to eat...” He frowned again, and I wondered what this Ace guy was saying to him. “Yes, the one Hunt and Ollie went to earlier.”
Sleep deprived and still in pain, my brain struggled to put all the pieces together. How did all of these men know each other? Ollie must have been Samantha’s nephew, Oliver, and Hunt was the lumberjack. Didn’t Christian mention earlier that they were traveling with friends?
This situation seemed a bit peculiar.
Christian smiled at me, distracting me from Kai for a moment. He pushed my water closer toward me since I had forgotten all about it. “You should drink something.”
I nodded and took a sip, letting the cool liquid glide down my throat. Christian looked satisfied I was hydrating myself and leaned back into the booth.
“No, I can just bring—hello? Ace?” Kai gazed down at the phone and sighed in resignation.
“Is everything okay?” I asked hesitantly, setting my glass down onto the table. I wasn’t sure why he was so sad since I’d thought he said Ace was his friend.
He nodded glumly and waved to get Brooke’s attention.
She made her way over to us with a smile. “Did you need something?”
“Yes, could we get another place setting, please?” he asked, a look of defeat in his mocha eyes. “We have a friend joining us.”
CHAPTER 5
K ai asked Brooke for an order of the veggie omelet before settling back into the booth.
“Now back to important things,” he said with a pointed gaze in my direction. “You need to be better at eating and sleeping properly, jagi. Your body’s going to break down on you if you don’t.”
My cheeks tinged pink. “I know, Mom,” I teased. “I’ll make sure to take it easy for the next couple days.”
Christian leaned forward, an idea forming in the depths of his warm eyes. “If that’s so, what are you up to later today?”
I paused, my mind trying to figure out what he wanted before I answered. “I’m spending time with my sister. Why?”
“Wait, today? What time is it?” Kai interrupted, searching the café for a clock. The clock on the wall read just past midnight, and Kai groaned.
Christian ignored him. “And what about next Saturday?”
I studied him. “Probably either working or spending time with my sister still.”
He clapped his hands together, smiling widely. “Well, there’s a concert—”
Kai let out a groan.
“Anyway,” Christian continued with a scowl at his friend, “there’s a concert next week downtown. All of our friends are going to be there. You and your sister should come hang out with us.”
“Oh.” I looked at the two of them, trying to think of a nice way to decline. A concert sounded fun, but it wasn’t reasonable right now. There were more important things to spend my money on. Like food. “It’s not that that doesn’t sound fun, but I’m trying to save up my money right now...”
Kai shook his head and pulled a couple slips of paper from his leather jacket. “Who said anything about paying? No, we actually have a couple extra tickets.”
He passed them to me, and I lifted the paper up to read it.
“Oh, it’s for the band with the drummer Kai likes.” I looked the ticket over, not seeing a seat or row number on it.
Christian choked on his wate
r and began thumping his chest as he coughed. “What?”
“Well, Kai said the drummer was his favorite part of the band,” I explained.
“Oh, he did, huh?” Christian narrowed his eyes at Kai, who looked unapologetic.
I nodded, my eyebrows scrunching together. Was I missing something? My sluggish brain seemed to be missing something.
“Personally, I prefer the lead bassist. Much hotter.”
Christian and Kai began to argue back and forth with each other about which bandmate was the best, but something distracted me.
Another black SUV drove past the rain-splattered café window, catching my eye. It parked evenly inside the faded white lines of an open parking spot, and I watched through the rainy haze as a tall figure stepped out of the car.
Thump, thump, thump...
My heart thundered a steady rhythm, matching each step the man took as he neared the café entrance. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off him, something unspoken within me writhing restlessly.
The moment he walked through the door, my attention zeroed in on him, everything else becoming white noise. He paused just inside the café, and his keen eyes observed the room before they met mine, holding me captive. I didn’t know if I could’ve looked away even if I had wanted to.
His pale blond hair was styled neatly, not a single hair daring to be out of place. A soft-blue button-up shirt clung to his lean frame and set off his eyes nicely. Eyes that were hard like glaciers but held a gentleness of soft, trickling rain. Blue eyes that still hadn’t left mine.
And that was when I heard it.
Where is the light... Where is the hope...
My heart lunged in my chest as the masculine voice caressed my thoughts like a whisper.
I’d never heard lyrics so clearly as I did then. Occasionally, I caught a glimpse into my soul mate’s heart song, but it had always been unclear, seemingly all over the place with various tones and muffled lyrics. To be honest, I wondered once if he might have multiple personality disorder.
Gazing around me at the three men, I frowned as I focused on calming my heart.
Why did my soul seem to sing around them? Could it be that one of them was my other half? Maybe I needed to research it because I didn’t think that was how it was supposed to go. It should have been clearer.
Lonely Lullaby: Ballad of a Broken Soul Series | Book 1 Page 4