Kaden & Keegan (The Walkers of Coyote Ridge Book 9)
Page 24
Bristol whimpered, her head falling back, her hair brushing his face. Then she was leaning back against him once more, reaching for his head.
“Make me come, Keegan. Oh, God … please…”
“My pleasure, darlin’.”
Keegan moved then, urging her to her feet. He would’ve bent her over right there, but the height difference would’ve proved impossible for him, so instead, he regrettably dislodged from her body, spun her around, lifted her once more, and set her back on the countertop. It was the perfect height for what he wanted, allowed him to slide deep inside her.
So he did.
From there, he proceeded to take them both straight up that mountain, higher and higher, until cresting it became inevitable.
“Come for me,” he commanded through gritted teeth, surging his hips forward, fucking her harder, faster.
“Yes … yes … yes!” Bristol cried out, her arms locking around his neck, her body tightening, her pussy clamping down on him until he was coming with a guttural cry of his own.
Chapter Seventeen
On Sunday morning, Bristol was up early, a smile permanently planted on her face. Not only because she’d spent the night with Kaden and Keegan once again but because she had plans this morning, something she looked forward to, because these days, it was such a rare thing for her and Rex to carve out time to hang out.
Now, as she sat at a table in the Coyote Ridge Bakery, Bristol felt her nerves ratchet up when the bell over the door jangled. She looked up to see Rex Sharpe, her best friend from early childhood, walking her way. He looked good, like always. Tall, dark, and handsome, Rex had a slight resemblance to Curtis and Lorrie’s sons. That was because Rex was Lorrie’s sister Adele’s son, carrying on the Jameson bloodline.
Bristol had known him since they were little, living next door to one another. Despite the fact she’d moved after her grandparents passed away, her father trading the rented little farmhouse for a permanent residence in town, they’d still gone to the same schools, remained friends through the years. Rex was one of the few people in her life she could depend on completely to be there when she needed someone. And she did the same for him. Always had, always would.
She’d stayed by Rex’s side through all the hell he’d lived through. Somehow they’d remained friends for their entire lives, and while she enjoyed hanging out with her girlfriends, Rex was the one she went to for advice on the most pressing issues, those that would truly alter her life. He was the one who urged her to put her early childhood degree to good use and open a daycare. He was the one who had talked her into keeping the house she was living in rather than staying in the crappy apartment she’d rented when her marriage failed. He always gave it to her straight, and this was one of those times when she needed a straight shooter.
“I got you a chocolate muffin,” she informed him when he joined her at the two-seater table. The Coyote Ridge Bakery was small, but it was the perfect place to have coffee on a Sunday morning. Most of the town’s residents were over at the church, and while Bristol respected their right to congregate in the house of worship, it had never been her thing.
“Just don’t tell Jack,” Rex said with a grin as he slid into the seat across from her. “He’s got a thing for those chocolate croissant things. He’d be pissed if he knew I was havin’ chocolate for breakfast and he wasn’t.”
Bristol tapped the small white box sitting on the table. “I got him somethin’, too. My way of sayin’ thank you for him lettin’ you out this mornin’.”
Rex looked at the box and the warmth in his eyes was something that still shocked her. She knew it was all for Jack Cunningham, Coyote Ridge’s very own claim to fame, a highly coveted graphic artist and Rex’s husband. From the story Rex told, Jack had accidentally ended up in their small town and Rex had managed to keep him here indefinitely. They were happy and she was happy for them.
“How is Jack?” she asked, hoping her rioting nerves would settle with some mundane chitchat.
“Good. He just finished up one of his graphic novels. Said his agent is all kinds of happy.” Rex grinned. “I have no idea what that means, but as long as he’s smilin’, I guess I am, too.” He took a sip of his coffee. “But I know you didn’t bring me here to talk about my husband.”
No, she hadn’t. Considering she spent more time hanging out with Jack than Rex, she didn’t need to inquire about his well-being. She already knew.
But still.
“Bristol?”
Crap.
She sat up straight, squared her shoulders, and met Rex’s brown eyes head on. “I told them.”
“You mentioned that.” He took a sip of the coffee she’d gotten for him. “How’d they take it?”
“Like it was no big deal.” She said this with exasperation because she still couldn’t believe they’d taken her surprise announcement in stride, as though it was every day they learned they were going to be fathers.
“Doesn’t surprise me.”
Bristol frowned, lowered her voice. “They didn’t bat an eye, Rex. Who does that?”
“Men who love you, that’s who.”
Love.
Her belly fluttered at the word.
She’d spent the entire day with them yesterday and today she was already missing them. They had no plans to see each other, but she was holding out hope that they would because … well, because she was pretty sure she was addicted and now she wanted another fix.
“They’ve stayed the night,” she told him, ensuring she was keeping her voice soft enough that others wouldn’t overhear, “the last two nights.”
Although she appreciated the fact he didn’t freak out at the news, it didn’t help that Rex sat back, exhaled, and continued to stare at her, his dark brown eyes assessing. She knew what he was doing. Rex was trying to see right into her soul, to figure out what she was thinking. Oh, he would ask her outright when he was good and ready, but he always did this. Probably because he knew it would make her squirm.
“How’d it happen? They approach you at Moonshiners? Or did you corner them?”
Bristol went on to explain how she’d gone out with Bianca and Jamie, then how Keegan had asked her to dance, not really giving her a way out, and how her car hadn’t started.
“They drove me home,” she told him. “Probably would’ve left but I…” Bristol exhaled heavily. “I broke down. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”
She still remembered the horrified look on Keegan’s face when she sobbed before escaping to the bathroom to hide out.
“We had a rational conversation when I told them I was pregnant.”
“You didn’t expect that?”
Bristol shrugged. “I didn’t know what to expect.” She still didn’t. “They stayed the night, left early, then came back when I invited them over for lunch yesterday.”
She felt her cheeks heating from the memories of what they’d done throughout the day.
“And?”
“And what?”
He grinned. “How was it? The sex.”
A flash of heat stole over her, partly from memories of that night, partly because of her embarrassment of the subject. “Amazing.”
Rex chuckled. “Any regrets?”
“Not a one,” she admitted.
“That’s a good thing.” He picked at his muffin, smirked. “Better than sex with just one man?”
“Amazing,” she whispered, repeating her original answer. “Oh, my God, Rex. I won’t lie, I’ve dreamed about the day, never thought I would be back in that situation. Then suddenly there I was, two hot cowboys…”
Crap. Her gaze swung around, ensuring no one was paying attention to her.
They weren’t. Thank God.
“And you didn’t run ’em off after?”
“Nope.” She was proud of that fact.
“It’s about damn time. Glad y’all got it figured out. They’ve been sniffin’ around you long enough.”
Bristol laughed. “They have not.”
She wanted to tell him he’d lost his mind, but Bristol knew exactly what he was talking about. One morning, she had invited Timothy to breakfast here in Coyote Ridge. Because the town lacked options, they’d settled on the diner. Of course, Kaden and Keegan had decided to come in that morning, had taken a booth not too far away from where she’d been. Right in her line of sight. It had been awkward to say the least. There she was, trying to have a pleasant conversation with a pleasant man, and those two sexy men had been sitting right there, staring at her.
“Where are they now?” Rex asked.
“Church. Then they have some errands to run.”
“So it’s official? Y’all are what? Officially datin’? Y’all gonna go to Curtis and Lorrie’s for dinner?”
Bristol shook her head. “I’m not ready for that.”
“For what?”
She swallowed hard, knowing this was the part she was having a difficult time with. “I don’t think I’m ready for anyone to know about us.”
Rex looked away.
“You think that’s wrong of me? To not want it to become public knowledge?”
His dark brown eyes returned to her face and there was disappointment in his voice when he said, “You do you, Bristol.”
She felt a tad defensive, spurred by his tone. “What does that mean?”
He didn’t speak right away, choosing to drink his coffee, staring out at the cars lined up out front.
“Sittin’ in the closet … it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
Sitting in the… Bristol frowned. What was he talking about?
“Sooner or later, someone’s gonna figure it out. Then what? How will you handle it then? Small town, Bristol. Word’s gonna spread and then you’ll be left defendin’ yourself. For what reason? Because you don’t want someone else to look at you cross for bein’ who you are? For lovin’ who you love?”
Bristol stared at him, wide-eyed. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard him speak so much at one time, much less on a topic that was so deep.
Then again, this was a man who’d spent a good chunk of his life in the closet, something the LGBTQ community still had to contend with on a daily basis.
“Not bein’ accepted,” Rex said softly, “it sucks. But not everyone’s gonna look down their nose at you. What’re you gonna do when the baby’s here? Hide the truth from it, too?”
“No. Of course not.”
“So why start now?”
She started to answer, but he kept going.
“Do you love them, Bristol?”
She met his stare, held it for a few seconds. “Yeah. I do.”
“So why not embrace it? Jump right on that train and ride it. God knows you deserve some happiness.”
He’d been saying that for a long time. Rex was one who had known her ex-husband and he hadn’t been a fan.
“And I say fuck those who think it’s their place to judge.”
She frowned.
“I mean no disrespect, but ever since Baxter, you’ve changed. Buried that wild streak I know you’ve got. It’s still there, still revved. Just because you pretend otherwise doesn’t make it so.”
Her gaze shifted to the table. “I’m not wild anymore.”
“Liar.” He shook his head and smiled. “Remember that girl who went searchin’ for the biggest stick she could find? She was bound and determined she was gonna give my old man the beatin’ he deserved the next time she saw him.” Rex met her gaze. “I remember that girl. God, you had an attitude back then. Didn’t take shit from anybody. I admired that about you. Hell, I’d go so far as to say I thought it was hot.”
Bristol chuckled. “Whatever.”
“If I’d ever been into chicks, you’da been my girl and you know it.”
She felt herself blush.
“That girl … she’s still in there, Bristol. But you only let part of her out. You’re fierce when it comes to your business and your independence. You’ll defend those who’re important to you, but you won’t defend yourself. When it comes to what you think others’ll think about you … you hide in your shell. Don’t you think it’s time you let that girl out? Let her stand up for herself rather than let others beat her into submission?”
She smiled because Rex was always calling her out on her crap. He was the one person she couldn’t lie to. He knew her too well. He’d been with her through thick and thin. Besides Bianca, he was the only other person who had stood by her side when she’d found out Baxter had been cheating on her. He was the one person who’d threatened to shoot off his kneecaps if he didn’t leave her alone when Baxter decided he wanted to work things out. Rex had also been right by her side when her father died, taking care of her, making sure she wasn’t alone. She loved him like a brother.
“Hey.”
Lifting her head, she met his dark stare.
“Ain’t no one judgin’ you. This is your life. You live it how you want to. It’s too damn short to ignore what matters. And no matter what you tell me, I know they matter to you.”
They did. More than she wanted to admit, even to herself.
But Bristol wasn’t naive enough to believe they were ready to settle down. Pregnant or not, she was not expecting anything from them.
“What’s on your mind, doll?” Rex asked, his voice soothing, his concern evident.
She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Talk to me.”
“It’s crazy, Rex. Right now, I know it’s just sex, and oddly enough, I’m okay with that. In fact, that’s what makes it hotter.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“There’s not one,” she said, laughing. “And that’s the problem.”
Rex’s deep rumbling laugh had her smile amping up.
“What do I do now?”
“You ride,” he said simply. “What else can you do?”
“And what happens when I get in over my head? When I fall so deep I can’t dig myself out?”
Because it would happen; she knew that for a fact. Kaden and Keegan made it far too easy to love them. She was already head over heels.
“Do you want more now?”
“Maybe.” She honestly didn’t know. “I mean, I’m not gettin’ any younger, Rex. I always thought I’d have kids by now, so I consider this a blessing. Truly. But that doesn’t mean they’ll feel the same. It was an accident. A happy accident, but … you get it. And yes, they took the news well. Better than I would have. But we haven’t talked about it since.”
“Then talk about it,” Rex said as though it was that simple. “If they don’t bring up the subject, you need to. Figure it out. Nine months isn’t a long time.”
“Eight,” she said with a quick smile. “Only eight more.”
“Next thing you’ll be countin’ down in weeks.”
“Because that’s how it’s done,” she said in defense.
He grinned, took a sip of his coffee, then nodded, his lips pursed. “Like I said, it’s your life. Don’t waste it sweatin’ the small stuff. Go along for the ride. See where it goes. You never know. Those boys might surprise you.”
Bristol didn’t have to tell him they already had. She was fairly certain it was written all over her face.
*
“Where’re we goin’?” Keegan asked when Kaden turned the truck in the opposite direction of the ranch after leaving the church parking lot.
“The shop,” he told his brother.
“For?”
“I need to get the part ordered for Bristol’s car.”
“I thought you did that yesterday.”
“Nope. Meant to, got hung up.”
More accurately, he’d gotten distracted by the sexy little daycare owner. Even now, Kaden would’ve preferred going to her house
, climbing back into bed with her, and spending a lazy Sunday doing nothing. A lot of naked nothing. And he might have if it didn’t feel like that was all they were doing.
“You check the spark plugs and all that?” Keegan asked.
“Nope.”
“We can give it a quick once-over,” Keegan told him. “Then what’s on the agenda for the day?”
What he wanted to do was spend time with Bristol. What he needed to do was focus on the house. They’d made strides in getting things repaired, even begun to renovate some. He needed to give it his undivided attention if he expected them to ever finish it.
His thoughts drifted to the ranch, only this time, he superimposed Bristol into the picture. She would look good there, he realized. Living with him and Keegan. Married. Some kids running around.
Yeah, he knew he was moving fast where the future was concerned, but he honestly didn’t care. At this point in his life, what did he have to lose? He’d spent the past couple of years attempting to get close to this woman. Now that he was, he didn’t want to waste a minute. All that taking-things-slow shit didn’t appeal to him in the least. Nor did the hiding part. Perhaps it would have if he hadn’t been doing exactly that since the first day he met her.
“We need to get an order placed for flooring,” he told his brother, pulling himself out of those wayward thoughts.
“You decide on which wood you’re gonna go with?”
He shook his head.
“Then I suggest you close your eyes and point,” Keegan said with a chuckle. “‘Cause it ain’t gonna get done if we can’t get it ordered.”
Yeah, yeah.
“Right now,” he told Keegan, “we’ll get a better look at the car, see what else’s needed. In the meantime, we’ll let her keep yours.” No way was he leaving her without a vehicle.
“Good plan.”
Kaden parked the truck in front of the mechanic shop, grabbed the keys from the center console, then got out.