“Thank you. Do you want something to drink or would you like to sit down?” Kellen leaned against her kitchen counter.
Walt mimicked her pose on the other side of the room. “I ain’t finished. We’re gonna try it your way, and when they prove you wrong, we’re gonna do it my way, and I’ve got a humdinger of a response. I’ve got goats and over a hundred nutria rats at the ready. You three are gonna execute my plan.”
“I’m not having anything to do with the beaver rats,” Kyle said. “Kellen, that’s on you.”
“What exactly am I supposed to do with a carload of rats, Walt?” Kellen asked dryly.
“You’ll see when the time comes. Now that’s the deal.” Walt waved a hand. “One of y’all call Trulee and tell her we got this ironed out, so I can get back in the house.”
Kellen grabbed her phone off the kitchen table and was just about to make the call when Trent threw a monkey wrench in the works. “Walt, what if I could get you a meeting with a Sealy who I know would like to have peace between the families?”
“No such Sealy exists, son,” Walt said while Kellen and Kyle stared at Trent wide-eyed.
“There is one,” Trent argued. “I know her very well, we grew up together, and—”
“Walt, how’d you manage to get over a hundred nutria rats and where’re you storing them?” Kyle asked quickly.
“None of your business.” Walt gazed at Trent with interest. “Who do you know?”
“She’s the youngest of the—”
Trent glared at Kyle when he covered his mouth with his hand. “Sorry, you had a gnat about to crawl into your insane mouth.” Kyle pulled his hand away. “You should keep it closed because I can’t stand here and let you eat bugs.”
“Kyle, go sit down,” Walt said irritably. “I wanna hear what the man has to say, and you’re making it so damn obvious you want to shut him up.”
“Stevie Sealy,” Trent said quickly. “She’s not like the rest of her family, and she’ll be an ally.”
Walt chuckled. “Boy, that would drive Dave crazy for sure. There ain’t gonna be no peace, but having one of his kids on our side would give him a stroke. I’m liking the sound of this.”
“I don’t,” Kellen said with fire in her eyes. “Trent, I think you know that.”
All of the sudden, Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way began to play in Kellen’s room, and it was followed by shuffling, a loud thud, and a whispered “shit.”
“You got someone in your room?” Walt asked, looking concerned.
“Alarm clock,” Kellen replied.
“Does that damn thing shut itself off, then cuss?” Walt asked.
Kellen clamped her lips tightly together, and she glanced at Trent. “I’m seeing someone, and she’s here.”
“Well, about time,” Walt said with a smile. “You shoulda told us when we got here that you had company. Do I know her, is that why you’ve got her locked in your room?” Walt’s smile vanished. “Kellen, it better not be one of the town hall ladies. I told you there’s no mixing business with pleasure.”
“She’s not,” Kellen said as her heart pounded with anger and stress.
“Who is she then? Tell me her name,” Walt demanded. “When you’re not forthcoming, you’re up to something, Kellen Layne.”
“Her name is Stephanie…Grant, and I introduced her to Kellen,” Kyle interjected, shooting Trent a “don’t open your mouth” look.
“Get her out here, I wanna meet her.” Walt folded his arms. “I’m not leaving till I do. Something’s not right here.”
“Stephanie,” Kellen called loudly. “Would you mind coming out and meeting my uncle?” Her heartrate sped up even more when she heard her bedroom door open, and Walt slipped his reading glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on.
“Steph, this is our Uncle Walt McLin,” Kyle said when Stevie timidly walked into the kitchen and looked at them.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie,” Walt said as he walked over to Stevie and extended his hand.
Stevie shook it with the most confident smile she could muster. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I have to be honest, I heard y’all talking when I got out of the shower, and it sounded like a private conversation, so I didn’t come out. I apologize if it seemed I was being rude.”
“Not at all, hon. Kellen’s the rude one.” Walt laughed and released Stevie’s hand. “She should’ve told me she had company. I’m gonna forgive her, though, because I’m real happy to meet you. Where’re you from?”
“Baton Rouge, and I recently moved to Belle Chasse,” Stevie said and went on a roll with the lies. “I did some exploring of the area, and I saw a sign advertising pie that made my mouth water, and I stopped at the diner. That’s where I met Kyle and Kellen and had the best pie I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
“You met my wife then, Trulee?” Walt asked with a big smile.
“Not yet, Ambria was on shift that day,” Kyle interjected unwilling to draw Trulee into their deception.
“Well, I want you to come to our house real soon and meet her and have dinner with us. I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Now we’re gonna get out of here and let you and Kellen enjoy your evening,” Walt said, sounding completely beguiled.
“It was very nice meeting you, Mr. McLin,” Stevie said.
“Darlin’, you call me Walt, and it was a pleasure meeting you, too. Come on, boys.”
“You come back,” Kellen mouthed to Kyle when Walt turned his back, then she said, “Trent, hold up. I need to dig out that frame I asked you to weld for me. Good night, Walt, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Yes, we will,” Walt said before he walked out.
Kyle paused at the door and looked back at everyone with a bewildered smile before he closed it behind him.
Trent released an explosive breath. “Did we pull that off?”
“We?” Kellen asked incredulously. “Dude, what were you thinking?”
“I thought if I introduced Stevie as an ally, Walt could get to know her and he’d like her.”
“Trent, you gotta give us a heads-up on a move like that. We all should’ve talked about it before you suggested it to Walt.” Kellen frowned. “You heard his reaction, he was good with the idea because he wanted to use her to piss Dave off, and that would’ve created a lot of problems for her.”
“Sorry, I’m not really good at thinking on my feet,” Trent said with regret.
Stevie smiled and touched his arm. “I know what you were trying to do, and it was sweet.”
“You wrapped Walt around your finger in a heartbeat,” Kellen said to Stevie in amazement.
“See, he liked her,” Trent said.
Kellen nodded. “Yes, because he thinks she’s Stephanie Grant.”
“I’m becoming a gifted liar, and I really don’t like that about myself.” Stevie sank down on the couch. “I’m so sorry about that damn phone. I was too busy eavesdropping to remember to set it to silent.”
“Again, I asked you not to do that,” Kellen said, giving Stevie the eye.
“Would you have wrapped a pillow around your head if you were in my shoes?” Stevie asked.
Kellen shook her head. “Nope. You have a point.” Kellen noticed the forlorn expression on Trent’s face and hugged him. “I’m not mad at you, and I’m sorry I got fussy with you.”
Trent gave Kellen a gentle squeeze. “I think Kyle is gonna kill me.”
“Hey, y’all know what?” Kellen said with a laugh when Trent released her. “Walt is truly blind. He said he could see things close up with his reading glasses on. He would’ve noticed Stevie’s resemblance to her father if that was true. Oh, crap, I have to call Trulee and tell her what happened, so she won’t slip up when Walt talks to her.”
Trent sat next to Stevie when Kellen went to get her phone. “I’m worn out from all the nervous tension.”
“Me too.” Stevie leaned against him. “I thought I was gonna have a heart attack when Kellen called me out of
the bedroom.”
“You played it well, babe.” Trent gazed at Kellen, who paced back and forth in the kitchen talking fast to Trulee. “Is she worth all this trouble?”
Stevie nodded as she watched Kellen too. “And then some.”
“Those McLins have a way of getting to a person, don’t they?”
“Yeah,” Stevie said with a laugh.
Kellen ended the call, and her shoulders sagged. “Pie, anyone?”
Chapter 16
“Well, Walt’s smitten,” Kyle said when he strode through Kellen’s back door. “He thinks Stephanie is the most charming and polite woman he’s met in ages.”
Kellen smiled at Stevie. “She is those things.”
“Don’t be mad at me, man,” Trent said when Kyle sat beside him at Kellen’s kitchen table.
“Babe, I’m not. I knew what you were trying to do, and I panicked.” Kyle shook his head. “I don’t do well in tense situations, I’m man enough to admit it. Kellen can tell you. Whenever we went to Sealy, she was cool as could be, and I was sweating and freaking out. I was never cut out for a life of crime.” He pointed at Kellen. “She could be a successful cat burglar because she’s so smooth and quiet.”
“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Kellen said before she took a bite of pie.
“I gotta ask the question that burned in my mind on my way back over here. Was it a bad idea not to come out and tell Walt the truth tonight?” Kyle looked at everyone.
“We weren’t prepared.” Kellen wiped her mouth. “Stevie has to be ready to tell her family when Walt finds out because you heard him tonight. I think he’d be all too happy to call Dave and tell him I lured his daughter to the McLin side.”
“I wasn’t lured,” Stevie said with a frown. “I made my own decision…to accept the luring. It’s not like you brainwashed me in your laundry room that night at the party.” She pursed her lips. “Okay, yeah, I was totally lured.”
Kellen smiled. “You’ve done your fair share of luring, too, planting your little flags.”
“I’ve got them everywhere,” Stevie agreed with a laugh and leaned in to kiss Kellen.
“I wanna know what Walt’s plan is for a hundred nutria rats,” Trent said suddenly.
Kellen pulled away from Stevie with a pucker still on her lips, and Kyle laughed. “You ruined that moment, babe.”
“Do your parents have a doggie door?” Kellen asked Stevie with alarm.
“No,” Stevie said, looking just as disconcerted.
Trent cracked up. “Could y’all see Walt dressed in a black cat suit stuffing rats through a doggie door if they had one? Oh, speaking of mental images, Kyle, I know what your boobs would look like if you were a woman.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to see you naked now,” Kellen said and waved a hand at Kyle. “Strip.”
Stevie’s ack laugh rang out, and everyone else at the table cracked up at the sound of it. “Choke me out, Kell,” she squeaked between acks and wheezing sounds. The more she fought the laugh, the more bizarre it sounded, and Kellen was no help because she was in tears as she cackled.
*******
The next morning, Stevie awoke first and frowned as she tried to make sense of sunlight streaming in around the blinds. She looked at Kellen’s clock and gasped. “Kellen, did you forget to set your alarm?”
“Oh, shit.” Kellen groaned as she untangled herself from Stevie and jumped out of bed. “I never oversleep, unless I have a meeting I absolutely have to be at.” She walked around in a circle confused over what she should do first.
“Baby, go get in the shower. Do you need anything pressed?”
“No…uh…no, I’m good,” Kellen said as she rushed into the bathroom.
Stevie got up and put on Kellen’s robe. She made coffee while Kellen bathed and took the two cups into the bathroom. “Oh, you’re so good to me,” Kellen said as she stepped out of the shower. “And thank you for offering to iron my clothes for me.”
“I’ve got your back.” Stevie watched Kellen dry off and admired her body. “I’ve never seen anything so sexy. The curve of your hips, your…bellybutton, your…”
Kellen laughed. “I have a sexy bellybutton?”
“Sexy everything.” Stevie blew out a breath and forced herself to look away. “I’ve never been like this, you were definitely worth the wait.”
“You were waiting?” Kellen asked distractedly as she stepped into her closet and dug in the dresser.
“I could’ve been with other women. I think subconsciously I was waiting for the right one, though.”
Kellen rushed back into the bathroom with underwear and a bra hanging off her wrist. She grabbed Stevie and gave her a kiss that left them both wanting a lot more. “You’re my right one too,” she said happily. “I wish we had more time to celebrate this moment.”
“We’ll do it tonight.” Stevie groaned as Kellen continued dressing. “Matching thong and bra, will you just walk around in that tonight?”
Kellen’s eyes flew open wide. “Stevie! I have to take you home before I get dressed for work.” She poked her head into the closet and looked around frantically. “Where did I put my jeans?”
“I can drive myself,” Stevie said confidently. “I’ll park your four-wheeler in a safe spot behind the cottage and drive it back over tonight with dinner.”
Kellen shook her head as she pulled on her jeans. “You just drove the four-wheeler for the first time last night. You don’t know the trail, so much could happen.”
“Kellen, I’ve got this,” Stevie said firmly. “Have a little faith in me.”
“I’m not worried about the four-wheeler, I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be just fine. Take those jeans back off and finish getting dressed.” Stevie handed Kellen her cup of coffee. “Sip this first.”
Kellen took a drink, then reluctantly removed her jeans. “I’m gonna be getting home a little bit later tonight. I’d feel a lot better if you drove your car over here this evening. We can drive back to your place late tonight and get the four-wheeler then.”
Stevie sighed and gazed at Kellen in her underwear. “Okay, whatever,” she said distractedly.
*******
While on a short break during the meeting, Kellen texted Stevie to make sure she’d gotten home safely. Stevie was happy to report she’d had no problem following the trail back and made one of her own when she got into the portion of woods close to the cottage. She also informed Kellen the ATV was safely tucked away between a small garden shed and the back of the cottage.
Kellen responded with a smiley face and I’ll be home by seven. If you beat me, my house key is the blue one on the ring with the ATV key. Make yourself at home.
Stevie was already one step ahead and figured out that there was a house key on the ring. She’d used it to lock the deadbolt on Kellen’s door before she left that morning. She planned to return at five thirty that evening on the ATV with the storage compartment packed with everything she needed to have dinner ready when Kellen walked in the door. Until then, Stevie was determined to get as much work done as she could, so she could relax and enjoy playtime with Kellen.
*******
Just before noon, Joan called Stevie. “Why didn’t you answer the phone last night?”
The question grated Stevie’s nerves because she felt as though she was being made to account for her every move. “I meant to call you back, but I got distracted. Did you need something?”
“Did you talk to your sister yesterday?”
“I did, she dropped by for coffee.”
“Was she acting normal?”
Stevie’s brow furrowed. “Yes, why?”
“I called to remind her that she needed to enroll Kenzie in pageant classes, and she started spouting off all kinds of things about miniature hookers and balls. She was talking so fast I couldn’t understand her, then she hung up on me. I called back to find out what on earth she was talking about, and she wouldn’t answer t
he phone. Then I called Jared, and he said he had no idea what was going on and that Christine had told him he was the mom for the night. She’d put on a pair of his boxer shorts and locked herself in the spare room with a bottle of wine. I haven’t been able to reach her this morning to find out what’s going on.”
“Sounds to me like she took a mental health day,” Stevie said and stifled a laugh.
“What is that?”
“Everyone gets to the point where they’re like stop the world and let me off for a little while,” Stevie said with a chuckle. “It sounds to me like Chris took a break. Let her enjoy it, and she’ll call when she’s ready.”
“Stevie, she put on men’s underwear to do that. There’s something wrong with her.”
“You’ve obviously never put on a pair of boxers. I’ve got on a pair right now, and everything’s breathing and happy. I feel refreshed.”
“Good God!”
“Mom, go try a pair, you’ll love them.”
“I don’t think this is funny, especially since I just told you I’m worried about Christine. I’ll talk to you later.”
When the call ended, Stevie’s ack laugh echoed throughout the cottage and was followed by a wheeze.
*******
That evening, Stevie looked like a burglar as she crept out of the cottage dressed in black carrying a few plastic bags. She stowed them in the storage compartment of the ATV. She listened to see if she could hear anyone outside before she climbed onto it, cranked it, and sped off. When she got into the woods a little ways, she switched on all the lights and followed what she thought was the trail.
The trip had taken longer than usual, but Stevie attributed that to the fact she was being very careful and going slower. Her heartrate increased a bit at the point where she felt she should be seeing the solar-powered lights on Kellen’s deck. She pressed on, though, certain she couldn’t have veered off the trail that much.
*******
Kellen’s phone vibrated in her pocket seemingly nonstop during her meeting. She didn’t want to be rude and look at it, but she’d begun to get concerned something was wrong. “I hate to interrupt, but do y’all mind if we take a quick break?” she asked the park planning commission members. While everyone went for refreshments, Kellen stepped into the hallway and answered the next call she was receiving.
Kellen's Moment Page 18
