by Elsie Davis
No sooner than her feet touched the ground, she was lifted back into the air for another embrace. “Little Kayla’s not so little anymore. Quite the sight for this cowboy’s eyes,” Randy said with a wink.
“Nonsense. Flattering me won’t get you what half the women in the county probably throw at you willingly,” she teased.
Randy was always the big flirt, and women ate it up.
Derek had stepped off to the side, looking unsure of himself. Her heart went out to the kid. A boy trying to find his way into a man’s world.
“How come you ain’t in school, Derek?” Tommy asked.
“He’s not feeling well, and I’m keeping an eye on him.” She’d jumped in without thought, but Derek’s smile of approval was worth the little white lie. Without a friend, Kayla would have been lost growing up on the outskirts of town. She wouldn’t be here long enough to change anything long term, but for now, she could be his friend, and that included helping him out of a tough spot.
“Good thing. Dylan would skin him alive if he was cutting school again,” Randy said.
“Well, he’s not. And we were just going inside for milk and Elephant Ears, if there’re any left after the two of you beat us to the kitchen. Care to join us?”
“Would love to catch up with you, but we’re here to clean the barn for the wedding. Maybe later, darling. Good to see you again,” Tommy said.
“And if you’re not too city soft, you could always pitch in. Would make the work go easier if we had a sweet thing looking like you do working with us.” Still the charmer.
The two men raised a hand in farewell and shuffled off toward the barn. “Later,” they called out.
She pulled Derek into the house and made her way to the kitchen. “Come on, let’s go see if they left us any chocolate and banana toppings for our Ears.”
“Sounds good.” He grinned as they entered the house.
“What the hell are you doing here when you should be in school?” Dylan’s large frame filled the doorway, his voice hard and unyielding as he stared down at his little brother and waited for an answer.
Derek’s happy laughter disintegrated. Minutes ago, she’d promised herself she’d do what she could for Derek while she was here, and although it was one thing to lie to the others, lying to Dylan’s face was a lot harder.
And it shouldn’t be. Years ago, she’d gone all out to break through the wall he’d built between them, and when he’d finally succumbed, she’d thought they would be together forever. That he was her destiny.
She’d been so naive. Dylan had only wanted another notch on his belt. Lying to him now shouldn’t mean a damn thing.
“He stopped here on his way to school because he wasn’t feeling well. I told him to stay until he felt better.” The lie rolled right off her tongue without a glitch.
“Since when do you have the right to interfere?”
Kayla knew he wouldn’t appreciate her help, but it was too bad. The boy needed a champion, and for the next week, he’d found one. “You weren’t around. For heaven’s sake, get over yourself. It’s just one day.”
“One day of many. Something you wouldn’t know anything about since you never come around.”
“Well, maybe you don’t know everything, either.” Dylan’s jaw would have hit the floor if it was possible.
Point for me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dylan demanded, stepping closer.
Derek’s eyes widened in alarm. He would never trust her if she failed him now.
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters to you. It didn’t before, and it doesn’t now.” Years of pain echoed in her words, demanding their place in the universe.
Another point for me.
Dylan’s expression hardened. “Is this about Derek, or about you and me?” The deadly calm of his voice made her nervous.
She swallowed hard, trying to find a way to answer. “Derek. There isn’t a you and me.” Another lie, but a necessary one.
“That’s one point of view,” Dylan said, turning to his brother. “What’s going on? The truth.”
“Um, I told you I didn’t feel good this morning, and you didn’t believe me. It got worse, so I stopped here, j-just like Kayla said.” Derek squirmed under Dylan’s gaze.
One eyebrow arched questioningly. “Ms. Anderson to you,” Dylan said.
Derek stood a little taller. “She told me to call her Kayla. We’re friends.”
“Is that a fact?”
Chapter Six
Dylan didn’t know how his brother had managed to pull Kayla into his little skip-school game, but he intended to find out. First chance he got, they would need to have a good long chat. But there was something entirely different going on with Kayla, her words loaded with deeper meaning. Finding out what probably wouldn’t be as easy as a chat, but he’d find a way.
He wiped at the sweat dripping down his face with the cotton sleeve of his T-shirt, stood up straight, and rolled his shoulders to ease the tightness. They’d moved hay and cleaned the barn for three hours and it probably hadn’t looked this good in fifty years.
The barn door creaked open. Dylan stopped to watch Kayla lug in a giant picnic basket. Tommy managed to get to her first, and the pair shared a laugh as he took the basket from her arms and carried it to the table. Dylan stayed partially hidden around the corner but had a clear line of vision to watch her.
She was like a cool drink of water to a man in the desert, and right about now, the barn was as scorching hot as a desert, without all the sand. But he wasn’t complaining if the result was seeing Kayla dressed in short shorts and a skimpy tank top. The image reminded him of the last time he’d seen her exposing almost as much flesh. It was the one and only time he’d lost control, something he couldn’t afford to do again.
It had been a day that started like any other day. A day that went completely right and completely wrong in the space of an hour. He’d been a fool to think he could give in to her and walk away without paying a hefty price.
He should have sensed something was different when she called him and asked him to meet her at the tree house. Her voice had been different, but he’d ignored it. The gleam in her eyes had been different, but he’d ignored it. Her innocence at odds with the curiosity of a woman testing her boundaries, but he’d ignored it. He’d thought he could handle it. He’d thought everything was under control.
He’d thought wrong.
Unprepared for her version of show and tell, the minute she’d pulled her T-shirt over her head, he’d known he was in trouble. His brain had said run like hell, but his feet had stood rooted to the spot.
The dark-blue fabric of her lacy bra barely covered her breasts, their smooth, creamy complexion begging him to touch. She’d leaned up against the tree, her long, sexy legs barely covered by cutoff shorts, their frayed edges curled up seductively, beckoning the eye higher to her flat belly button, pierced and bejeweled with a red ruby. God, she’d been a sight to behold.
Bolder than any cowboy he’d ever met, her intense gaze had crippled his ability to think straight. He’d been completely and irrevocably lost the second her top hit the ground. Never again had he been able to see her as a pesky little sister. She was all woman. Sexy. Bold.
Their first kiss had been filled with an awakening fire that burned hotter and hotter, her body melting into his arms, full of trust.
It was only after they’d made love that he’d realized the magnitude of his mistake. Her declaration of love and her determination to stay with him and forsake all her dreams had been a rude reminder of what was at stake.
There was no doubt she’d belonged to him, but there was nothing anyone could do to convince him to let her stay. If she’d stayed, he would have destroyed her.
His dreams had died with the death of his parents, but Kayla’s had still been out there, full speed ahead. He hadn’t wanted to derail her.
Their magical time together had ended with soul-wrenching finality, but it had
been a small price to pay compared to the price his mother had paid for the same mistake.
A shrill whistle broke into memory lane. “Come and get it. Dad, Randy, Tommy, lunch is served,” she hollered.
He’d taught her how to whistle like a cowboy. Shrill, long, and loud. She had it down to perfection.
Food was like gold to a cowboy, and it didn’t take long for everyone to gather around.
“Where’s Dylan?” Randy asked.
About time someone noticed his absence.
“I’m coming. Keep your pants on, cowboy,” Dylan said, stepping out from behind the corner stall.
“That’s not what my lady friend said last night when—”
“That’s enough, Randy. Watch your mouth in front of my daughter.” Lou shot Randy a look of warning.
“Sorry, sir. Sorry, Kayla.” Served him right for running his mouth. Randy was keen on the ladies, and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Kayla since she’d walked through the door. But Randy knew the score. Friends didn’t poach in friends’ territory, and the Fearless Five were more than friends. They were like brothers. Should count for a whole lot more.
“Sorry, Dylan, I forgot you were here.” Kayla said, her apology void of any sincerity. A little too lighthearted, and a little too late.
“Ouch,” Tommy said. “Lady knows how to make a man feel special, don’t she?” He laughed, grabbing another bottle of water.
“She does at that.” Dylan shouldn’t have said it, but the temptation was impossible to resist. He was rewarded with a stony gaze meant to kill. She knew exactly what he meant. Luckily, the others didn’t.
The conversation switched back to wedding preparations and what still needed to be done before they could call it quits for the night.
“I better get back to the house. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.”
“Wait, Kayla,” Randy called out. “We need your help.”
“Randy’s right, honey. None of us have a clue about decorations, and we’re all finished with the cleaning part. Can’t you stay and order us around? Surely that would appeal to your sense of humor?” Lou tossed out the challenge, knowing Kayla wouldn’t refuse. When it came to challenges, Kayla never backed down.
“Okay,” she agreed with a grin. “But I’m in charge.”
Hour after hour, Kayla directed, and everyone marched to her orders. The place began to look less and less like a barn and more like a fairy tale wedding scene out of a Disney movie.
Balloons and streamers. Tables and chairs. Centerpieces. Flowers. Candles that had no business being in a barn. He hoped no one was foolish enough to light one. And the archway. It was a barn, for Pete’s sake. What was wrong with getting married under a barn door instead of hauling in some fancy wrought-iron artwork archway decorated with horses? There were plenty of horses in the barn to add ambience, including the soft whinny of a mare for real music. No metal archway could do that. And no number of scented candles or flowers would change the aroma of manure.
The only bonus of the entire afternoon had been watching Kayla in action. When she deigned to speak to him, it had been to give orders, but it was a start. Five years ago, she’d taken charge and let him know what she wanted, and it seemed like she still had no problem taking charge, only now it was with more confidence.
She possessed an undeniable strength. Unlike my mother.
The wayward thought struck him hard, like a hammer to the chest. Kayla was strong without a doubt, but would she have been strong enough? It was a question doomed to remain unanswered.
He turned the corner and didn’t see Kayla hunched over in front of Dizzy’s stall until all of his six-foot-two frame collided with her slender form, sending her flying. His hands shot out to grab her hips before she landed unceremoniously in a heap on the ground.
“Are you okay? Sorry.” His hands lingered longer than necessary, but he couldn’t let go. Touching her again was like fire in his veins.
She turned around to say something, her mouth hanging open in surprise, but she didn’t say a word.
“Kayla, what is it?” he asked. Her eyes misted, tears threatening to swell and overflow. Night after night, he’d dreamt of holding her again, but this wasn’t how he pictured it.
Dylan closed his eyes and dropped his arms. The temptation to kiss her was strong, but he couldn’t afford to make another mistake. Sucking in a deep breath to calm his racing heart and hormones, he sensed the exact moment she fled. Her flight would delay the inevitable discussion they would have, but they would have it. If nothing else, her reaction was proof nothing between them was over.
…
What was she thinking? Kayla tried so hard to ignore everything about Dylan, but her eyes gravitated back to watch him while he worked. Hard, lean muscles flexed like bands of steel across his naked back. The guys had shed their shirts in the stifling heat of the barn, but it was only Dylan’s half-naked body causing her trouble. A body she knew intimately and remembered as if it were yesterday.
But a nice butt, bulging pecs, and a swoon-worthy face weren’t qualities that meant a damn thing compared to ones like trust, or the true heart of a man.
For one split second she forgot the past. Forgot why she hated him. Forgot everything, except how much she wanted to kiss him again. To feel his mouth pressed against hers. For one split second she’d been the same naïve little girl chasing after him.
Dylan’s kiss and touch had promised her the moon, but in the aftermath of making love, his words had dealt her a killing blow topped off with a healthy dose of betrayal. There wasn’t a single reason to give him the time of day. Except one. Dylan Hunter still made her feel things she shouldn’t. Feelings that should have died after his betrayal. Feelings that should have been dead and buried with their son.
She was positive he wanted to kiss her. She’d seen the same look in his eyes once before. But unlike last time, this time he stopped. And unlike last time, this time she was grateful.
Kayla gathered up all the lunch plates, glasses, and discarded napkins, looking for a quick escape back to the house. Good food and hungry men always made cleanup easy.
The barn door scraped open, and Kayla turned to check out the new arrivals.
“Sophia,” she cried out in excitement. She dropped the lunch basket back on the table to hug Sophia. Her cousin’s timely entrance was the rescue she needed.
“Oh my gosh. Look at this place. It’s beautiful. I knew you’d make it perfect. I’ve missed you so much.” Sophia hugged her tight again. She stepped back to look around with tears in her eyes.
“I’m so glad you agreed to be a part of my special day.” Sophia smiled.
“I wouldn’t miss it for all the Elephant Ears in Texas. Although couldn’t you have found someone other than Ethan? I mean really?” she said, grinning up at the big lug standing next to Sophia, his arm around her possessively. The same big lug Kayla had always considered as a big brother.
“Hey, I resent that, squirt.” Ethan ruffled her hair.
“That’s saying a lot, because I know how you are with those Elephant Ears. I remember a time you hid three in a shoebox in your bedroom so no one else would get them and then forgot them until a week later. Rock hard and useless.” Sophia laughed.
“See, there you have it. And as for you, Ethan, I know you better than most, so don’t you forget it.
“I’m sure. You followed us around like a puppy dog and invaded our privacy on more than one occasion. Lord knows how many times we didn’t know you were hiding and watching.” He winked.
“The stories I could tell. But for now, my lips are sealed. Unless you break Sophia’s heart, then I would have to spill my guts. Right down to Mr. Todd’s bathroom, er, um, let’s call it a prank.”
“Kayla. Stop. You know about that?” Shock was etched across Ethan’s face as clear as the morning sun on a cloudless day.
“What? You have to tell me.” Sophia laughed.
“I know lots of things, so behave, is all I’m saying.” Th
e guys had teased her endlessly for years, so it didn’t hurt to give back a little now that she could hold her own.
“I promise to love and hold her, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part,” he said, his hand clutching his heart in an exaggerated gesture of affection.
“Save it for the vows tomorrow. Just one of those boys-will-be-boys pranks, Sophia. No worries,” she said, sending her cousin a devilish wink.
Doing Jenny Hopkins in the bathroom hadn’t exactly been a prank. Kayla had hidden in the broom closet of the bathroom, curious what the two were up to. If she’d have known, she would have made her presence known and left. But it was too late by the time she knew what was happening.
Everything she’d learned that day had changed her attitude toward Dylan. It was the first time she’d ever pictured Dylan doing to her the things she’d heard Jenny and Ethan doing. Things a man and a woman did to each other for pleasure. It was enough to make her want to put an end to Dylan’s sisterly treatment, to make him want her as a lover.
The others came over to welcome Sophia and Ethan. Easy laughter, teasing, and honest to goodness, real downhome pleasure, just like old times. How could she have forgotten this part?
The more they talked, the more Kayla noticed she was an outsider looking in. A part of the group and yet apart from the group, and she didn’t care much for the feeling.
“Hey, sorry guys. But I need to head up to the house to help Mom get dinner ready while you finish up. Sophia, you coming?”
“Of course. Bye, guys,” Sophia said, giving Ethan his own special goodbye kiss.
Her cousin was lucky. She’d found the love of her life, and tomorrow, they would be joined together, happily ever after. She knew it didn’t always turn out that way. Lots of her friends and acquaintances back in the city had already been married and divorced, some with kids caught in the middle.
Something she wouldn’t ever have to worry about.
The young doctor at the hospital hadn’t been able to explain her second trimester miscarriage, and he hadn’t been very reassuring about her future ability to have a baby safely. But his words had been enough to make her steer clear of even thinking of trying to have a baby. There was no way she could go through the heartache of another miscarriage, and the risk was too great.
