“I’m goin’ with the flow,” Kaden stated. “Just like you told me to do.”
“Since when do you listen to me?”
“It’s rare, but it happens.”
He grinned, watching Kaden put the potatoes in the microwave. “You got a date in mind?”
“What?”
Keegan chuckled. “A date. You know, the good time we’re supposed to be offerin’. What do you think those eager ladies will be biddin’ on?”
“Us.”
“Wow.” Keegan’s cheeks hurt from his smile. “How exactly do you carry the weight of that ego around all day?”
Kaden’s responding “fuck you” lacked any heat.
“So why’re you backin’ off from Bristol now? ’Cause we both know you’re not givin’ up completely.”
“What would you have done?”
“Hell, I would’ve signed us up a long time ago. But I’m not the one with the hard-on for the daycare owner.”
Not that he would cop to anyway.
Chapter Three
Thursday morning rolled around and Kaden found himself picking up breakfast at the bakery rather than sitting down to a hot meal at the diner. Keegan’s fault, of course. His brother had stayed up too late playing GTA on his Xbox and had refused to get out of bed in time, something that usually happened once, maybe twice a week.
So Kaden had left his brother at the house and ventured into town, figuring he could spring for some donuts before making his way to the Walker Demo office to check on Autumn. He’d learned yesterday that she was having trouble with one of the general contractors. From what he could tell, she had it handled, but he figured he could be the nice guy, check in with the new boss, see if she needed him to have a chat with the guy. Of course, he had to broach the subject without sounding condescending because that certainly wasn’t how he intended it, so the donuts were more of a way to pave the way.
When he stepped into the small bakery, he was assaulted with the scents of sweet pastries, the aroma of strong coffee, and the dull din of conversations taking place. The few scattered tables were full, the regulars out early to grab a quick breakfast before heading off to do their thing.
Like most up that early, Kaden went through the motions, moving by muscle memory behind the other customers, patiently waiting his turn.
“Good mornin’, Mr. Walker.”
The sassy tone, one he recognized belonging to Coyote Ridge’s mayor, had his head turning, curious as to which of his uncles were there because, when he thought of Mr. Walker, they were the first to come to mind.
His gaze slid right over Bianca Stewart and landed on the woman sitting next to her at one of the few small tables scattered about. Bristol was seemingly very interested in the blueberry muffin sitting in front of her.
“Mornin’,” he returned Bianca’s greeting, smiling and letting his gaze linger on Bristol a little longer as he moved closer so he didn’t have to shout.
“I didn’t figure you for the donut type,” Bianca said conversationally. “Don’t you usually frequent the diner in the morning?”
Kaden found it amusing that she had yet to use his first name. Now that he thought about it, Bianca rarely did. He had to wonder if she knew who he was or if she considered them interchangeable.
He smiled, peering down at Bristol while answering Bianca. “Tryin’ to mix it up a bit.” When Bristol finally looked up, he tacked on, “Mornin’.”
Her smile was forced. “Good mornin’.”
She looked good. Then again, she looked good every time he saw her, didn’t matter the time of day or what she was wearing. Today’s attire consisted of her usual: skinny jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt that was a size too big—pumpkin orange with some sort of sequined design on the front—and low-top Converse in black. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, minimal makeup on her beautiful face.
Kaden continued to stare at her, knowing this was the perfect opportunity for him to say something. Ask her out, invite himself to sit down. Anything that would move this conversation in the direction it should’ve been going for the past year.
“Oh, dear. Look at the time,” Bianca blurted. “I’m so sorry. I totally forgot. I’ve got to … a thing. Yes. I’ve got a thing at a place, and I…” Bianca shot to her feet. “If you’ll excuse me… I’ll catch you later,” she said to Bristol before sauntering out in her usual streamlined manner.
“Wow.” Bristol laughed. “If that wasn’t obvious.”
“Obvious?” he asked, turning his attention back to Bristol.
She glanced over at the chair Bianca had just vacated, then up to him. “Would you … care to sit?”
It was his turn to assess the chair before nodding and sitting.
“Where’s Keegan?”
“Still in bed. Stayed up too late.”
Bristol smiled, peered down at her muffin. “A woman keepin’ him busy?”
“Video game.”
Her blue eyes were apologetic. “Oh. Sorry. I just…”
Rather than let her flounder for a reason, he said, “He’s cranky without breakfast. Figured I’d entice him with chocolate donuts. He’s got a thing for the cake ones.”
“Mmm.” Bristol’s eyes lifted. “My favorite, too.”
Kaden nodded at her muffin. “Yet you’re havin’ blueberry this mornin’.”
“I don’t indulge very often.” Her hand went to her midsection, her chin jerking toward the muffin. “And this one’s low calorie.” A small smile turned the corners of her lips up. “Watchin’ my weight and all. I’d do good to lose five pounds or so.”
He openly eyed her, recognizing her too-large shirt did as it was intended, hiding the curvy figure beneath. When he met her gaze again, he shook his head. “That’s the last thing you need to do.”
Her cheeks turned a pretty, soft pink with her blush. God, she really was beautiful. She had that whole girl-next-door thing down pat.
“Yes, well. That’s very kind of you to say, but—”
“No buts,” he countered. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.” Kaden stood, turned toward the counter before glancing back. “Don’t move, Bristol.”
Her eyes flared and he knew she heard the slight command in his tone. It appeared to confuse her, but he had expected no less. Bristol had never seen that side of him because he tended to be more reserved, relying on Keegan’s laid-back charm and devil-may-care attitude that generally got them the ladies. Didn’t mean Kaden didn’t have a side that knew damn well how to take the reins.
Kaden left her at the table, went to the counter. He greeted Bailey Weber, who wasn’t only a waitress at Moonshiners, she was also the daughter of the bakery’s owner. She helped out her mother several days a week, mostly during the week since late nights kept her busy on the weekends.
“What can I get ya?” Her smile was brilliant.
Kaden ordered a dozen chocolate cake donuts for Autumn, Keegan, and Ethan, and two additional—one for him, one for Bristol—as well as a cup of coffee. After Bailey boxed up his order, poured his coffee, and took his money, Kaden was heading back to Bristol. He noticed she hadn’t touched the muffin, and rather than drink her coffee, her hands were wrapped firmly around the paper cup, as though it was anchoring her to the table.
“Here you go,” he said, setting down the paper plate holding the two donuts.
“Kaden…”
“Enjoy it, Bristol. You deserve it.”
“But—”
He shook his head, lifted his coffee cup. “No buts.”
Bristol’s sigh was sweet, and he was happy to see she wasn’t going to refute him for long. Her eyes drifted to the donut repeatedly, as though it was calling her. When she finally gave in, it was with a wide grin that had his insides spinning.
Kaden wasn’t sure what it was about this woman. Perhaps it was her beauty or her brains, maybe a combination of both. Could be her sassy attitude and the softer, sweeter side he sensed. Whatever it was, he’d been drawn to her from the begi
nning. For as long as he could remember, he’d been attempting to get her attention. Subtly, of course. But he was starting to believe subtle wasn’t the way to go about it.
And truth be told, Kaden was damn tired of watching her mixing it up with other men. Initially, he’d thought she was doing it to piss him off, but he wasn’t sure she had a devious bone in her body. Bristol was simply being Bristol. She was living her life the only way she knew how.
However, she was doing a damn fine job keeping them on the periphery and avoiding them at every turn.
“So are you ready for the auction?” she asked casually, breaking off a piece of her donut.
“What’s to get ready for?” He took a bite of his donut, chewed. “Someone bids or they don’t.”
He hoped like hell that someone was her.
“I seriously doubt you’ll have a problem in that department. It might come down to a fight, knowing some of the women in this town.”
“You’ll be there to protect us though, right?”
Another blush infused her cheeks.
“Actually…” Kaden met her gaze and it was then he knew that subtle was definitely no longer an option with Bristol. If he had any chance of taking this friendship to the next level, it was time to act on it.
Her dark eyebrows rose in question.
“I did have a few questions about how it all works. Thought maybe you’d talk me through it over dinner.”
Bristol’s gaze immediately lowered, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. “What about Keegan?”
“What about him? He’ll be there, too. Questions of his own.”
When she looked back up, he saw the recognition in her gaze. Bristol was all too aware of what it meant to be with them.
“Tonight,” he added. “At our place.”
She swallowed, reached for her coffee. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Kaden leaned forward, held her gaze. “Consider it a favor.”
Sensing she was going to argue some more, Kaden got to his feet, smiled down at her. “It’s a damn good idea, darlin’. You and I both know it. See you tonight.”
With that, he took his coffee and the box of donuts and strolled out.
He could feel those pretty blue eyes lingering on him as he made his exit.
*
It’s a damn good idea, darlin’. You and I both know it.
Kaden’s comment stuck with Bristol for most of the day, rattling around in her head, making it nearly impossible to concentrate. How she managed to make it through her tasks, she wasn’t sure, but she had.
Now, as she sat in her car in the parking lot of the daycare, she debated on going home, pretending Kaden hadn’t invited her to their house, hadn’t checked in via text message twice to make sure she was coming.
As her heart began a steady gallop in her chest, Bristol realized avoiding them would be the wise thing to do. Perhaps she could come up with an excuse.
Oops. Slipped my mind because I had a rough afternoon…
Darn. I forgot I had to go to the grocery store…
Sorry, Kaden, I forgot. Now I’m home, in my pj’s…
She glanced up in the rearview mirror, peering at her face. “You’re not a chicken.”
The eyes looking back at her seemed skeptical.
Bristol took a deep breath, squared her shoulders. Adding some Shakespearean flair, she said, “To do or not to do. That is the question.”
With a heavy sigh, she flopped back against the seat, stared out into the darkness. It was only six thirty, but thanks to the short days, it was dark, the same as it had been when she had strolled into the daycare after her impromptu breakfast with Kaden.
A smile formed because that was what happened when she thought about the twins. She wasn’t sure what that said about her sanity, but it wasn’t something she’d been able to change no matter how hard she tried. And she had certainly tried. Numerous times.
“It’s just dinner,” she stated firmly. “Nothing’s gonna happen. Dinner, conversation. I can answer their questions. That’s all.”
Yep, that was her trying to talk herself into it, just as she’d done for the majority of the day. Dinner and conversation sounded simple. She knew it would be anything but where Kaden and Keegan were concerned. Kaden had invited her under the guise of the auction, but she knew better. Of course, she’d agreed under that same pretense, knowing deep down there was the potential for something that didn’t involve questions and answers.
In some ridiculous attempt to get a rational perspective on the situation, she’d told Bianca about Kaden’s request for dinner. She should’ve known Bianca would not be the voice of reason. Her friend was over the moon for her, encouraging her to go, to let loose a little.
Did she want to? Yes. Yes, she did. She’d been fighting this absurd attraction to Kaden and Keegan for so long.
Problem was, Bristol feared that was exactly what she would do. Let loose. And doing so would likely lead to losing her clothes and theirs, then…
Turning the key in the ignition, she sat up straight, lifted her chin. She could do this. One dinner. A little conversation. Nothing more. By the time they were finished, she would have quashed that strange jealousy about them being auctioned off to the highest bidder and all would be right in her world.
Another sigh escaped as she pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the Walker ranch.
Although she’d never been inside, she knew Kaden and Keegan lived in Kaleb’s old house. It seemed to be the designated guesthouse on the property ever since Kaleb had moved in with Zoey years ago. As she made her way down the dirt drive, past Curtis and Lorrie’s big, white two-story farmhouse, she wondered whether the twins had decorated the place or if it was still the same as Kaleb had left it. Probably not, she decided. Why would they? From the bits and pieces she’d collected over the past year or two, she’d learned Kaden and Keegan weren’t entirely sure they were staying in Coyote Ridge indefinitely. It had been one of the reasons she’d kept her distance. She had no intentions of leaving the small town she’d grown up in. It had always been her plan to settle down here, get married, have some babies.
Of course, the marriage had come and gone, blowing up in her face before the latter could ever happen. A good thing, no doubt. Her ex wasn’t exactly father material even though she had done her best to pretend otherwise.
Before she knew it, she was pulling up to the small, rustic cabin, parking her car beside one of the two big Chevy trucks. There was no driveway, or grass for that matter. Only a patch of dirt they evidently used as a parking lot.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her phone, left her purse on the passenger seat, and forced herself to get out of the car. Last thing she wanted was for one of them to see her sitting out here trying to talk herself into going inside. She had more backbone than that. There was no reason for her to fear Kaden or Keegan. Sure, they had the ability to break her heart if she gave them the chance, but she had no intention of doing so.
“Dinner. Conversation,” she whispered, a reminder to herself she would get through this in one piece.
Ignoring the nerves jangling in her belly, Bristol managed to knock on the door. She took a step back, waited. When the door finally opened, she smiled up at Kaden.
Despite the fact they were identical, something that apparently ran in the Walker family, and still resembled one another almost perfectly, Bristol could tell them apart rather easily. There were some distinct differences she’d caught on to. Like, they had unique ways of walking. Kaden’s gait was rigid, while Keegan ambled. As though he didn’t have anywhere to go and all the time in the world to get there. Also, the hair. They both maintained a short shave on the sides and back of their head, but Kaden’s dark hair was a little longer on top than Keegan’s. But the biggest difference was in their eyes. Not the size or shape or the color. No, it was what she saw in them. Kaden’s blue-gray eyes had fewer laugh lines than Keegan’s, but Keegan’s were the ones that held the stor
m clouds.
“Come in,” Kaden urged, stepping back out of the way as the door opened wide.
Keeping her smile plastered on her face and gripping her cell phone to keep her hands from trembling, Bristol stepped into the house. She could smell food cooking, but she couldn’t make out what it was, but it was enough to have her stomach rumbling in invitation.
“I was startin’ to think you’d stand us up,” Kaden said softly, stepping in close as he shut the door.
“Why would I?” she asked, injecting cheer into her tone. No way would she let him think she was intimidated by him.
Or attracted.
Yeah. That was the most important part to remember. Bristol could not let him or his twin know she was attracted to them. They were like piranhas in the water, waiting for the first sign of life so they could … bite.
“Smells good,” she said in order to make conversation.
“My brother’s a half-decent cook.”
“Yeah?”
Kaden was nodding his head at the same time he said, “No. It’s all me.”
She laughed, couldn’t help it. “I believe that.”
“I’m the one responsible for dessert,” another deep voice said.
Bristol turned in time to see Keegan stepping out of the small kitchen, his blue-gray eyes twinkling with mischief. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a stone-gray T-shirt, his feet bare. Odd how the man seemed to get hotter every time she saw him. There was a darker aspect to Keegan, one she’d never really understood. As though beneath that good ol’ boy charm, there was an animal gearing up to pounce.
“And what’s for dessert?” she asked before she could think better of it.
“Let’s see how the night goes,” he answered with a wink. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know.”
Oh, boy.
She was in so much trouble here.
*
Kaden & Keegan (The Walkers of Coyote Ridge Book 9) Page 6
