ES_ebook_8.2.19

by Kell, Sheila

  “Do you like pizza?”

  His eyes lit up. “What kid doesn’t?”

  She pushed the door open, turned off the alarm and closed the door behind them. “We can order you some if you don’t like what I’m cooking.”

  “Maybe if I’m the man of the house, I should eat what you and Mr. Ken eat.”

  Sam smiled brightly. “Can I tell you a secret?”

  Cody went from serious, to excited, and bouncing on her brown suede sofa. While she knew he’d like the secret, he probably wouldn’t keep it. Hopefully, she was able to get to Ken first. “There’s going to be a new man of the house soon. Would you like that?” Having Cody accept him sat paramount in her heart. The kid had been through a lot, and she wanted him to have a stable home where he could love and respect his parents.

  Cute, little, brown eyes widened. “Is it Mr. Ken?”

  Holding her breath at his next response, she could only nod.

  “I can accept that.”

  Relief washed through her at the boy’s acceptance of Ken. She tossed the dress still wrapped in the dress bag from the department store over an armchair.

  He pointed at the dress. “Are you getting married tonight?”

  Laughing, she shook her head. “No. I haven’t agreed to marry him yet.”

  “But he asked, right?”

  “He did. I’m going to tell him yes tonight.”

  “When I get pizza?”

  The short attention span of a kid made it difficult to carry on a conversation. “Yes. How about I show you your room. It’ll need decorating. We can do it together.”

  The shocked look on his face when he stood nearly knocked her over. “You mean I get to choose?”

  Damn Bev. She should’ve taken Cody sooner. “Yes. You think of what you want, and we’ll go to the store or shop online to fix it up.”

  “Woohoo!” He took off down the hallway, Sam following at a more sedate pace.

  He peeked into her room and wrinkled up his nose. “That’s too girly. I hope it’s your room and not mine.”

  It appeared her life would be holding back a lot of laughs. “It is. Yours is over there.” She nodded to the only other bedroom.

  “My other bedroom was yellow.”

  Her breath caught. That’d been the first time he’d mentioned anything about his life before now. She knew she had to be prepared for it, but it still burned. “Do you want it yellow?” She hoped not. Before Bev learned the sex of her baby, the two of them had painted that room yellow and she’d planned to repaint it with Adam when he returned.

  Sorrow gripped her again at the loss they’d both suffered. At what Cody’d suffered without a father figure. Well, he’d sure have one now.

  “No, I’d like blue. Can I have blue?”

  “You sure may. There’s a lot of shades of blue to choose from.”

  “I just want blue.” He turned back to survey the room with its double bed and dresser.

  Maybe she’d change it out for a single bed for more room. She’d find a kid’s desk for him and some sort of computer. Having a TV in the room wasn’t happening.

  Bouncing his butt on the bed, he gave her his approval. “I like the room.”

  If he’d said he didn’t like it, she wouldn’t have known what to do or say. “Okay, I’m going to shower and get ready for dinner.”

  “Are you going to wear that dress Miss Megan got for you?”

  Megan—AJ’s wife—had arrived at Kate’s to help out. The women got their heads together, listened to Sam and told her not to worry. Besides what she’d found as sexy lavender underthings, they’d bought her the red dress she’d promised Ken she’d wear when they returned. Not usually a dress person, they had to purchase heels too. Even though everything was her size, she hoped it all fit since sometimes sizes were off.

  It hadn’t been the same dress she’d worn when they met, but styles changed.

  After a quick shower, she looked around for Cody and found him at the table. With a pencil, he drew on a pad that she expected Jesse had purchased for him.

  “What’re you drawing?”

  “Winglet.”

  Curious at his level of artistic talent and his memory, she asked, “May I see?”

  He shrugged and handed her the pad.

  “Wow!” His work was magnificent and his memory outstanding. While she didn’t remember the horse exactly, this drawing brought it all back to the forefront of her mind. Looking at his work, no one would believe it of a child.

  Handing back the artwork with pride, she smiled with warmth and love. “You have an amazing talent.”

  He shrugged again, but she noticed the slight lift in his shoulders at the compliment. Not responding, he accepted the book and went back to his work.

  With her shower and the food prep completed—not at the same time—she ventured back to her bedroom and donned the dress. It fit snuggly with the bindings around her ribs, but it wasn’t a vulgar snug. Used to wearing long pants and Capri pants, the dress stopping midway between her thigh and knee made her want to pull it down to keep from showing so much skin.

  She couldn’t understand the top half. The dress went over the shoulder, but on the arms, there were holes then more sleeve so her shoulders showed. The rest of the dress was simple and plain. That she could deal with.

  Remembering it was for Ken and not her, she slipped into the heels and returned to the front of the house where she heard Ken speaking with Cody. Something inside her twisted that while it had been Ken who he’d answered the door to, Cody shouldn’t be opening the door. She didn’t want to explain about all the evils in the world.

  “Are you getting settled in?” he asked Cody.

  She shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she wanted Cody to have that alone time with Ken, plus she was curious.

  “Yes. Sam says I can paint my room blue. Will you help?”

  Happiness infused her body. Her heart filled with love for these two men.

  “I sure will.”

  “Good, because since you’re going to be the man of the house, you should do that kind of stuff.”

  Her hand flew to her mouth. There were apparently no more secrets with Cody in her life. It’d only been a few hours for him to hold it.

  “I will be the man of this house, but I’m thinking that maybe instead of painting this room, we buy a bigger house and you can paint a room there blue.”

  While surprised at Ken’s confidence, she really shouldn’t be. He’d pushed forward since they thought they might die. It made her wonder if they moved too fast. Then she remembered their growing friendship and connection since she’d started working for HIS.

  “That’d be good because I didn’t tell Aunt Sam ‘coz I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but that’s a small room, and the bed is a little hard.”

  A touch of hurt tried to worm its way inside, since not being able to provide something for Cody that he liked ate at her. She shouldn’t design things just to please him, but starting a new life, she wanted him to find it safe and loving.

  Ken chuckled. “Don’t worry, you can go with your Aunt Sam and me to find our new home.”

  “Can I order pizza now?”

  With that question, Sam entered the room as if she hadn’t heard a thing, but Ken’s cocked eyebrow told her he suspected she’d been there. Once he took in her dress, looking her over with hungry eyes ready to wolf her down, he smiled and closed the distance between.

  Her pulse quickened and her heart beat overtime at his nearness. No man had ever had blood rushing through her veins with desire and love like this man.

  In a low, husky voice and with that infuriatingly sexy grin, he leaned close to her ear, and growled, “I can’t wait to peel that dress off you and make love to you all night long.”

  Feeling the heat rising up her neck, and the whispering t
ouch of the air when he spoke, she nearly melted at his feet. She just stood there, incapable of anything other than breathing, and that was a feat in itself as it had deepened in an erratic pattern.

  They both boasted small injuries, but she knew they’d make it work. Lord help her when they were at full strength.

  He chuckled and stood straight again. “I like the dress.”

  It took another moment before her senses returned, and she almost snapped at him for making her feel like mush in front of Cody. This could be a problem when they were married.

  She cleared her throat and looked at Cody. “Cody, do you want me to order you some pizza now?”

  “If you give me the number, I can do it.”

  Sadness filled her insides. He shouldn’t know how to do that at this age. Maybe know how, but never have to. She wanted to ask how often he’d done that and find out why when Ken’s light touch stopped her from responding.

  “How about we do it together?” he asked. “I’d like to learn what type of pizza you like.”

  “Pepperoni.”

  She should’ve expected that. “I’ll leave you two to get to know each other better, and I’ll start up the grill.”

  Ken looked about to argue, but Sam nodded toward Cody.

  Once the grill had warmed, Ken walked out on the patio with a plate holding the steaks. Without a word, he placed them on the grill and closed it. Setting down the plate, he turned to her. “How’d you manage to get that dress? I know you didn’t have one in your closet.”

  With indignation, she huffed. “How do you know I didn’t?”

  He chuckled. “Come on, Sam, you never liked wearing heels. They typically go with dresses so I can surmise you don’t have dresses—or very few—in your wardrobe.”

  The man knew her too well. Avoiding crossing her arms and pouting like a child, she remained truthful. “All right, Megan got it for me.” Not wanting to indulge his curiosity on that front, she changed the subject. “Anything happen after I left?”

  “Not really. We debriefed—you’ll do yours tomorrow—did some paperwork.” His features softened. “Sam, about today—”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  The pain in his eyes drove into her.

  “This whole op almost killed me and not physically. I couldn’t stand the potential of you being hurt and then to get shot—” He audibly gulped.

  She’d planned to wait, but now was the right time. “Ken, I’m leaving HIS.”

  The shock on his face quickly morphed into concern. “I won’t lie and say I would prefer you weren’t there but only because I don’t want you to get hurt. I also don’t want you to go to another dangerous job.”

  “I’ve still got most of Lance’s life insurance policy and Sebastian said something about getting money to help with raising Cody through Bev’s finances so I can take some time to transition.”

  His light touch on her shoulder drew her closer. Since Cody had ruined her answer, she’d plugged ahead.

  “Why are you quitting and what will you do?”

  “I honestly don’t think Cody should have two parents who work in a dangerous job. He’s been through so much already.” She shook her head, not quite ready to forgive herself for not seeing just how much he’d suffered at the hands of Bev. “As for what I’ll do, I went to the gun range on the drive home today, and I’ll begin teaching a variety of courses. Some they have and some I’ll design.”

  Before she spoke, he appeared to be holding his breath. Huskily, he asked, “Do you mean it? Cody’s two parents?”

  “Yes. But I don’t think we should get married right away. Cody needs to know you and feel comfortable before we can become a family.”

  He swooped down for a kiss, but first whispered, “I’ll wait as long as I need to. I love you, Sam.”

  “I love you, too.”

  His lips had barely touched hers when Cody slid the patio doors open. “Pizza guy’s here.” Then he spun around and ran to the front door.

  Ken growled. “I’ll be right back. Turn the steaks for me.”

  She did as instructed, noticing they were on their way to being overdone.

  Warmth slid through her; she’d been blessed with the love of two fine men. If anyone had told her before now that cupid’s arrow could hit the bull’s-eye twice, she’d have scoffed at them.

  When Ken returned to the patio, he automatically checked the steaks and grimaced. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to love having the kid around, but there will be times when I want you alone.”

  “I want that too, but I’m not sure how we can manage that. I have no family here, and while Kate offered, that’s a long drive to their home.”

  An impish grin formed on his face. “Danny offered to babysit.”

  He continued to shock her. “Franks?”

  Shrugging, he turned back to the grill. “He watches the Hamilton kids a lot.”

  “Doesn’t he have a girlfriend or someone he’s seeing?”

  Ken took the steaks from the grill. One side wouldn’t be done much but the other side compensated for it. Instead of medium-rare, they had a good medium. “Don’t know. Didn’t ask. It’s not my business.”

  “I like Danny, so I’m making it mine. I plan to make it my mission to find a woman for him,” she affirmed.

  “No offense, sweetheart, your history with the ability to choose a woman is suspect.”

  She smacked him on the arm, and he acted as if she’d wounded him.

  Apparently, trying to soothe things over, he said, “But you don’t know many women in Baltimore.”

  She smiled brightly, full of confidence before she winked at him. “Never underestimate a woman’s determination.”

  If you enjoyed reading Evening Shadows, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book, too.

  Recommend it. Please help other readers find this book by recommending it to friends, readers’ groups, and discussion boards. If your readers’ group is reading my book, please feel free to reach out to me at Sheila@SheilaKell.com.

  Review it. Please tell other readers why you liked this book by reviewing it. Even a few words can make a big difference.

  Thank you!

  To Debbie Attenborough

  You stood by me before I published my first novel, giving me the nudges I needed and telling the world about me.

  It’s been a spirited journey, and I’m glad you’ve been part of it.

  Acknowledgments

  With the outpouring of love for the HIS series, I have created the Agents of HIS series with the men and women of Hamilton Investigation & Security. Thanks to my Facebook Reader Group—Sheila’s Smokin’ Hot Heroines—for naming the series to include some character names. I appreciate the readers in this group while they get me through writing, editing, and more.

  After a conversation with Becky Johnson of Hot Tree Editing—the best editor ever—I chose Hot Tree Self-Publishing as a one-stop shop for Evening Shadows. I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Olivia Ventura kept me on track while Becky and her team, Barbara, Randie, Mandy, Franci, Kim, and Paula kept my manuscript moving. Having RM Gilmore of RMGraphX create my cover topped off the experience. It’s like she read my mind. I never would’ve made it without you, ladies. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  I have an Advance Team who reads my books before they are published, provides feedback, and reviews them. The feedback and support from this group has helped me ease into a book release with less stress. I appreciate the time you take to help me create something to wow readers.

  I could never forget my family and readers who support me through purchasing my books, providing feedback, and writing reviews. I love all the support!

  About The Author

  Sheila Kell writes about the romantic men who leave women’s hearts pounding with a happ
ily ever after built on memorable, adrenaline-pumping stories. Or, (since her editor tries to cut down on her long-windedness) simply “Smokin’ Hot Romance & Intrigue.” Her debut novel, His Desire (HIS Series #1), launched as an Amazon #1 romantic suspense bestseller and Top 100 overall, later winning the Readers’ Favorite award for best romantic suspense novel.

  As a Southern girl who has left behind her days with the United States Air Force and as a University Vice President, she can usually be found nestled in the Mississippi woods, where she lives with her cats and all the strays that magically find her front door. When she isn’t writing, you can find Sheila with her nose in a good book, dealing with the woodland critters who enjoy her back porch, or wishing she had a genie to do her bidding.

  Sheila is a proud member of Romance Writers of America.

  Ways to connect

  SheilaKell.com

  facebook.com/sheilakell

  goodreads.com/Sheila_Kell

  bookbub.com/authors/sheila-kell

  Sign up for Sheila’s newsletter on her website and receive a free H I S series novella plus tons of exclusives!

  Books by Sheila Kell

  Hamilton Investigation & Security: H I S Series

  HIS DESIRE

  He’s stubborn. She’s independent. Together, desire will determine their future.

  Will his stubbornness prevent him from trusting the woman he desires? In Sheila Kell’s provocative novel of suspicion and need, a handsome security specialist and a feisty FBI agent are tied by grief and attraction… and the fervor of the unknown.

  HIS CHOICE

  Every choice requires a decision, but some choices are determined by the heart.

  Will his choice mean certain death to the woman he promised to protect? In Sheila Kell’s passionate novel of deception and desire, a smoking-hot enforcer and a determined reporter are destined to make choices that will change everything.

  HIS RETURN

  Only his return can determine her future.

  Will the actions of his past prevent him from returning to the woman in his heart? In Sheila Kell’s sensual novel of secrets and unrequited love, a wounded operative, and a strong-willed accountant have to decide if the future can only be determined by the past.