Bordering On Love (A James Family Novel Book 3)

by Carolyn Lee

  "I'm good for now. Thanks."

  "Okay, then. Why don't you find something to listen to on the radio? Preferably something that will drive my brother crazy."

  "You should just go to hell," Kaiden mumbled from the backseat. "I'd kick your ass right now but I'm too tired. Maybe when we get to Ma's place."

  "Sounds like fun. I look forward to it."

  "Ugh. Why couldn't I have been an only child?"

  "Because Mother Nature knew you'd need a smarter, more logical brother to keep you in line."

  Kaiden grunted in response. Keegan just smiled to himself and kept on driving. It wasn't often that he won a sparring match with his twin but he just had and it felt good. Really good. Maybe being around Nikki was good for his confidence. God knew she was good for other parts of him.

  He had to remember to drop Margot an email and thank her for ruining his former life. The future had prospects far better than anything she ever had to offer him.

  18

  Keegan

  Nikki listened to the banter that passed between the brothers and couldn't help but smile. She missed out on having siblings growing up. Most of the time she didn't mind but with her mother being gone since she was nine and her father, well with her father's condition, Nikki was pretty much alone in the world. A sister or a brother would have been nice to have.

  In less than five minutes Kaiden was snoring in the back seat.

  "I think his little run wore him out."

  "Good. I didn't want to listen to him run his mouth all the way there. He either talks about Katie or how I need someone like Katie and it gets old quick."

  "Katie must be pretty amazing."

  "She's great. My brother is totally in love with her."

  "How did they meet?"

  "Kaiden was shot in the shoulder about a year and a half ago when Logan's wife was being chased by a hit man. Katie was his nurse."

  "That's sweet. The whole Florence Nightingale syndrome."

  "Actually, yes and no. When Kaiden was in the hospital, Katie was engaged to some dirty politician that she didn't actually know was dirty. He got into a mess of trouble with Homeland Security over some scheme with contagious diseases. Katie got picked up and Kaiden was assigned to the case."

  "How romantic." She laughed. "I guess."

  "It gets better. Kaiden was at Logan's wedding. He showed up at the interrogation in a tux and Katie was wearing pajamas."

  "Did they recognize each other?"

  "From what Kaiden says, yes. Immediately. But neither one would admit it at first. He spent a lot of time wondering about her. They are meant to be and I am glad they found each other again."

  "Love has a way of sneaking up on a person, doesn't it?"

  Keegan looked over at her. "Yes. It does."

  They fell silent for a time. Nikki watched the dark forms that were trees pass as they headed further and further west. The Blue Ridge Mountains were one of her favorite places to visit. Add to that her curiosity over Keegan's mother and she was anxious to get there.

  "I'm looking forward to meeting your mother," Nikki said, when the silence had stretched out for too long.

  "I promise you, she is not like anyone you have ever met. Ma is unique, for lack of a better word. She comes on a little strong sometimes."

  "Nothing I can't handle."

  "You know she is trying to marry me off. You need to be careful or she'll be ordering wedding invitations before we leave."

  "It must be nice to have a mother that cares enough about you to want to see you happy."

  "Yours doesn't?" Keegan glanced over at her, a questioning look in his eyes.

  "My mother died when I was nine so I have no idea what she would be like."

  Keegan reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. My father died when Kaiden and I were babies so I understand how it feels to grow up lacking a parent."

  "Don't get me wrong, I had a good life. I just wish I had someone to talk to about things, you know? Like hair and make-up and college and love. I'm usually a magnet for psychos. My ex, Troy, thought we were still a couple weeks after I broke up with him. He still calls and comes over, shows up at my job, sends flowers. He can't get it through his head that we are through. Having a mother's perspective on that stuff could help sometimes."

  "Well, I can’t give you a mother's perspective but I can have a talk with him when we get back into town, if you like. I can let him know you are going to be unavailable at least until this case is wrapped up." He gave her hand another squeeze. She loved the feel of his hand on hers. They fit together as though they were made for each other.

  "You don't need to talk to Troy. I can handle him."

  Keegan shrugged. "Okay. Let me know if you change your mind. I'm always here for you if you need me."

  The words were so simple, something Nikki might say herself to a friend in need, but Keegan's voice held a hint of a promise she hoped to further explore as soon as possible.

  19

  Keegan

  "How much further?" A very groggy Kaiden asked as he wiped a little drool away from his chin with the sleeve of his shirt.

  "Shh…Nikki's asleep."

  "Oh, sorry." His brother dropped his voice to a whisper. "How much further?"

  "Has it been that long since you've been out here? We area about a mile from the mountain."

  Kaiden let out a long yawn. "I was asleep. Are you worried about Ma meeting your girl?"

  "She's not my girl."

  "Yeah, right. I hope she isn't scared of our dear mother."

  "I'm pretty sure Nikki can handle her. She's tough."

  "True. She won you over and that is no small task." Kaiden sat up and leaned between the seats.

  "Why do you keep harping on it?"

  "Harping?" Kaiden sounded hurt. "Wow. I'm just happy you finally met someone who seems like she could put up with you. This may shock you but I do care about you and I know that mess with Margot was pretty bad. You didn't deserve that."

  "Why do you keep bringing it up then?" Keegan signaled and took the turn onto the barely paved road that would take them to their mother's home.

  "I don't know. Maybe I am hoping you'll talk about it. Get it off your chest."

  "Oh, is that what we do now? Talk about our feelings? I don't remember you calling me while you cried into your ice cream over losing Katie when you left the hospital."

  "That's different. I didn’t have Katie. You were in a relationship with a woman that broke your heart and you have never admitted that to anyone."

  "I'm fine."

  "You quit a job you loved and moved to another state because of her."

  "Yes, and now I'm fine." The truck hit a deep rut in the road causing the cab to bounce hard. Nikki fell sideways and whacked her head on the window.

  "What the hell was that?" she grumbled, still half asleep.

  "Sorry," Keegan said. "The road up to our mother's place is pretty rough."

  "We're there?" Nikki asked, smoothing her hair and tucking it behind her ears. "I'm sure I look a hot mess."

  "No worries. It’s the middle of the night. Ma won't be looking at your appearance. It will be too hard to get past the fact that my brother showed up with a woman," Kaiden replied in a burst of laughter.

  "You are such a jerk sometimes," Keegan said.

  "Good thing we share the same DNA. It makes you more tolerant."

  "Right. If you say so." Keegan took one last turn and pulled up in front of a small cabin.

  As soon as he parked, bright spot lights turned on. Keegan and Kaiden jumped down from the truck as Nikki moved a bit slower. He could see she was trying to make sense of what she saw.

  "Is that a windmill?"

  "Yes," Keegan replied.

  "And a water tower?"

  "Yup."

  "Who the hell is out there?" a voice yelled from the direction of the door.

  "It's us, Ma! Your favorite sons!" Kaiden yelled back. "Don't
shoot!"

  Nikki turned to Keegan. "Did he just say don't shoot?"

  "Yes."

  "Whose truck is that then?" their mother yelled back.

  "Mine!" Keegan replied.

  "For crying out loud! Now I got me two sons with confidence issues! What is it with you boys and the big, flashy trucks? I've changed your diapers, you got nothing to worry about!"

  "Ma!" they yelled in unison.

  "So, you two coming in? Who you got there with you?"

  "I'll introduce you when we come inside. How about turning the lights down and putting your shotgun away?"

  The lights went out instantly, washing them in pure blackness. Keegan took Nikki's hand and led her to the front door. Kaiden was ahead of them and the first one Clara grabbed up in a big hug. She did the same to Keegan before stepping back and eyeing Nikki.

  "Keegan? Who's this?"

  "This is Nikki. She works for the DEA. We’re on a case."

  "What's this we business? Last I checked you were between jobs."

  "It's a long story. How about we grab a couple hours shut eye and tell you all about it in the morning?"

  "I was just about to ask why you are showing up here in the wee hours of darkness but I guess I should have figured some major crime had something to do with it. Seems that's the only way I can get my boys our here to visit me anymore so I guess I'll take it." She nodded to Nikki. "Nice to meet you."

  "Nice to meet you also, ma'am."

  His mother leaned her shotgun against the wall. "Please, call me Clara. I am not a formal woman."

  "Okay, it’s nice to meet the woman that raised these two."

  "They are something else, aren’t they?" Clara chuckled.

  "You know we are both standing right here, right?" Kaiden asked. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in a few hours." He kissed his mother and disappeared down the hall.

  "That brother of yours, never could go without his sleep. Not like you, walking beaches all night long doing God knows what."

  Nikki's face turned bright red at the reminder of how they had met.

  "I walk, Ma. That's pretty much it. Once in a while I run into an interesting, similarly sleep deprived person but that's all there is to it."

  "Well, that girl looks about dead on her feet. You can put her in Logan's room unless you two—"

  "She'll love Logan's room. Thanks, Ma. I'll see you in a few hours."

  "You better be ready to do a little explaining when the sun comes up. Fresh eggs, bacon and toast will be all mine if you and Kaiden don't spill."

  "Will, too. He'll be here in the morning. So, make a lot of food."

  "I haven't seen that nephew of mine in ages. This must be big time if you got the ATF involved."

  "It's pretty big. Night, Ma." Keegan motioned to Nikki to follow him from the little entry way.

  "Good night, y'all! See you at sunrise!" Clara called after them.

  "Sunrise?" Nikki asked.

  "My mother rises with the sun every single day. Sometimes before. She says those are the best hours of the day."

  "I suppose that's where you get your insomnia from?"

  He shook his head. "Nope. Ma sleeps like the dead. She can't understand how I can go days without a solid nights' sleep."

  They were walking down the hall where all the bedrooms were when Nikki stopped and looked around. "How is this possible?"

  "How is what possible?"

  "This hall goes on forever. I thought we were in a little cabin."

  "From the outside it looks like that. The place is actually huge. Three thousand square feet hollowed out of the side of the mountain."

  "Wow. Why?"

  Keegan directed her to the door that led into Logan and Angelina's room and grasped the door knob. "Because my mother likes to be prepared for anything that might come her way. The water tower and the windmill and the farm animals make her self-sufficient. When she designed the inside she made sure we all had as many luxuries as possible. Each of us boys got a master suite designed for us and any family we might have. Should the world come to an end, the James family could live for eternity."

  "That’s, um, odd."

  "Maybe." He turned the knob and pushed the door open into Logan's room.

  "This bedroom is breathtaking." Nikki stepped through the door and sucked in a breath.

  Done in southwestern décor and warm earth tone colors, the space was all stone and wood and masculinity and softness all wrapped into one. Keegan liked his cousin's space but his own was more his speed. "You should see mine."

  Nikki turned to look at him and he recognized the light that burned in the back of her eyes. It was the same desire currently churning in his abdomen. They stood looking at each other for so long he almost thought she might take him up on the unspoken offer. It was an effort to hide the disappointment when she finally whispered, "Maybe tomorrow."

  Keegan nodded. "Yes, tomorrow. You can find anything you need in the bathroom under the sink. Ma keeps all the bathrooms well stocked."

  "For the end of the world?"

  "Yes, and unexpected company. My room is the next door down. If you need anything just come and get me. I'll leave the door unlocked." There was too much hope in his voice. Keegan sounded desperate to his own ears but Nikki just smiled.

  "Will do. Sleep well."

  "You too." Keegan stepped in close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. After their earlier activities, it was all he trusted himself with that wouldn't keep them up the rest of the night. "Good night."

  "Good night." Nikki dropped her bag by the bed and wrapped her arms around herself. "This is a pretty amazing bed. I can't wait to get in it."

  The king sized four poster bed was pretty amazing. Pictures of what he could do with Nikki in that bed filled his mind and tensed his body. He really needed to get out of there.

  "Sleep well." He stepped back through the door and pulled it closed.

  "You too." The words passed through the door so faintly he wasn't even sure he heard them.

  Continuing down the hall to the next door, Keegan stepped in his room and went straight to the bathroom. He needed a shower in the worst way. Cold water first to calm his heated blood then hot water to get the nastiness of the marina water off his body. As he waited for the water to warm and fog started to cover the large glass wall that separated the shower from the bathroom images of Nikki wrapped in nothing but a towel and his arms danced around in his mind. Tossing a silent curse in his brother's direction for interrupting what had promised to be one hell of a night, Keegan stepped under the cold spray and waited for his thoughts to follow suit.

  20

  Nikki

  The borrowed bed was every bit as luxurious as she thought it would be and then some. Every inch of her body ached but as she lay there listening to the sound of water running in the next room. What she really wanted to do was get up and go join Keegan in that shower but this was his mother's house and she would respect that. Despite all the blatant hints Keegan had thrown her way or how badly she wanted to recreate their earlier shower scene. She was tired but her mind wouldn't stop running through the events of the day. Her little swim in the ocean had definitely been unexpected as had Keegan pinning her up against the bathroom tiles. How the hell was she supposed to sleep with so much unfinished business?

  Apparently, her brain had no trouble with the sleep thing after all as the next thing she knew someone was sitting on the edge of her bed softly calling her name. Nikki stayed hidden under the pillow she had pulled over her head and grumbled.

  "Go away."

  She heard laughter as her body was shook gently. "Wake up, Nikki. Ma's got breakfast going. This is not a meal you are going to want to miss."

  "It's too early."

  "I thought you might need some persuading."

  Oh, she liked the sound of that. Nikki rolled on to her back but left the pillow over her face. "Yeah? What do you have in mind?"

  The next thing she knew, the covers were on the floor
and Keegan was on the bed jumping up and down like it were a trampoline. "Are you up yet? Are you awake?"

  "Okay! Okay! I'm up!" Nikki tried to roll out of the way. Instead she rolled into Keegan's legs and sending him into an awkward sprawl across her body with his face buried in her armpit.

  "Success!" Keegan called out as he rolled himself over so he was stretched along the length of the bed next to Nikki.

  "It's tough to resist such strong powers of persuasion." Nikki reached over and slid her fingers along the line of Keegan's jaw. "You haven't shaved in a couple of days."

  He shook his head. "I usually don't when I'm not working. Maybe once a week or so."

  "I like it."

  "Hey, you two coming out to eat or what?" Nikki looked at the door and saw a tall, blond man with the same blue eyes and strong facial structure as Keegan.

  Keegan jumped from the bed and met the other man with one of those manly half hugs where they both pat each other on the back. "Logan! It’s been way too long, man."

  "I know what you mean. Time moves quickly when there is a baby involved."

  "How's Angie doing anyway?"

  "Why don't you come out and ask her yourself? She's already eating for two at the breakfast table. I love that she is so happy being pregnant."

  "Can’t wait to be a dad?"

  "I’m ready. I'm going to do a hell of a lot better job than my old man did too."

  "Was there ever any question?"

  Logan looked past Keegan and caught her eye. "Who's your friend, Kee?"

  "Nikki, this is my cousin Logan. You are currently lounging in his bed."

  She ignored the flaming heat burning the skin of her face and waved to Logan. "It's nice to meet you."

  "My mother says you are with the DEA. I thought this was a gun case. Will's here. He was just telling us all about it."

  "It is now but it started out as a drug thing. I'd been working a case for a couple of months thinking it was heroin and cocaine that were being trafficked but it turned out to be something much more valuable."