Kemp shuddered and shook his head. “It takes all kinds.”
“I feel for the guy. Judging by everything Duke found, he’s completely clean, although I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if there is a connection there, too. Her postings strike me as those of a jealous female and not just righteous indignation.”
They’d risen early that morning to make plans for the day. Ace knew it bothered Summer to talk about the situation now that she knew there was a child who might suffer because of it. They heard a door open upstairs and then Summer’s soft footfalls on the stairs. Ace smiled when he noticed she was wearing the shirt he’d worn the day before. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkled playfully as he opened his arms to her.
“Good morning, my handsome men.”
Ace kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo, and enjoyed the feel of her soft, bountiful breasts pressed against his abdomen. “Did you sleep well, kitten?”
“Mmm-hmm! Have you been up long?”
“An hour or so. I like you in my shirt,” he murmured as she tilted her head and kissed him. Her kiss was sweet and short, tasting of mint.
“I hoped you would.”
“Are you hungry, darlin’?” Kemp asked as he removed a plate from one of the cabinets.
“I could eat.”
Kemp served her from the skillet scramble Ace had made a few minutes before. They’d been about to start eating. He toasted a piece of bread for her, buttered it, and then served her at the dining room table where she’d taken a seat with Ace.
“This is delicious. I’m going to cook for you tonight, so don’t make any plans, okay? I’m going to make you my specialty.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
Ace grinned and asked, “What is it?”
“A surprise. I hope you like it. It’s my version of Southern comfort food.”
They chatted for several minutes, finishing their breakfast, and were about to go upstairs to dress and start their respective days when the doorbell rang.
Summer took one look at herself and held up a finger. “Let me get up the stairs before you answer that.” Her eyebrows furrowed a bit as she looked at the front door. “I wonder who that is?”
The large glass panel in the heavy oak door let in light, but the rippled and etched effect in the glass still allowed for privacy. Even so, Ace hesitated when he made out the glow of red hair and the womanly build of the person standing on the other side. He only knew one person who fit that height and hair color.
Kemp summed it up perfectly when he muttered, “Oh, crap.”
Summer turned and looked up at Ace in confusion.
“I’ll explain in a few minutes, kitten. Why don’t you go on upstairs and let me deal with this.”
She was about to say something else when the doorbell rang again, and then a knock was heard at the door. Making this moment seem even worse, he cringed when he saw the redhead bob a little as though in excitement or nervousness. A painful, confusing lurch went through him at Summer’s befuddled look before she turned and mounted the stairs.
He reached for the door and opened it.
“Kathleen.”
She stood on his front doorstep, dressed to the nines, in all her sophisticated glory. Her red hair sparkled in the sunlight, and he could recall a time when looking in her green eyes was like looking at his future. He’d loved this woman in a way that had almost scared him. She’d left in a mysterious rush, breaking his heart in the process, and now he wanted answers, but not if gaining the answers hurt Summer.
“Hello, Ace.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Summer watched from the landing, wondering if Ace knew she could see his profile clearly in the mirror by the door as he answered it.
Do the mature thing and go upstairs. This has nothing to do with you. Despite knowing that was the right thing to do, Summer paused on the landing, watching Ace’s obviously conflicted expression.
“The house looks beautiful. Even better than I remember. I’ve missed you. Could we talk?” Her voice sounded sorrowful and sincere. The sound, directed at the man Summer loved, tore at her heart.
Summer heard Kemp shift and move across the room. He came to a stop and looked up at the stairs, a sad expression in his eyes when he made eye contact with her in the mirror.
Kathleen continued, “Oh, hello, Kemp.” She sounded genuinely happy to see him and added, “I wanted to talk to you, too. I know it must be a shock to find me on your doorstep after so long, but I swear I had a good reason for leaving like I did. I’m—I’m really sorry about that. I had hoped—”
Still gazing at Summer, Kemp interrupted. “Why don’t we take this conversation on the back porch, Ace. Kathleen, we have company.” Summer turned on her heel and trudged up the stairs.
“Oh.”
Summer frowned at his announcement as she took the steps silently. She was a little angry at Kemp for revealing her presence. It was none of Kathleen’s business if they had company. She resisted the immature urge to slam the bedroom door to punctuate Kemp’s statement so they’d all know how she felt about it.
She sat on the bed, which she’d made before going downstairs. Her emotions started churning, and she fidgeted. She moved to the divan and lay down, looking out at the beautiful view of the Hill Country.
Ace had bought this house two years ago and renovated it himself. Kemp had mentioned Kathleen the first night they’d shared and the possibility that they might have formed a threesome with this woman. Chances were good that as Ace had worked on this house he had envisioned her luxuriating in the gigantic bathtub and swimming in the pool. Perhaps Ace had imagined sharing the enormous bed, the reclining divan, and the two decadent outdoor beds with Kathleen when he had ordered them.
Suddenly she felt like a usurper in this house. If the woman speaking to Ace and Kemp on the back deck was the one this house had been designed and renovated for, what right did she have to be there? Why would she want to be somewhere originally intended for another? She didn’t need anyone’s hand-me-downs.
She showered quickly and dressed. Her heart pounded the whole time as she did her makeup and her hair. Just as she was slipping into her shoes, she stepped to the window and glimpsed the interior of the garden room below. Ace was holding Kathleen and gently rocking her within the circle of his strong arms.
Her heart felt as though it had been ripped from her chest as she watched him tenderly stroke a lock of her hair from her cheek. From her flushed cheeks it was easy to tell the beautiful, sophisticated woman had been crying. He spoke to her, and she shook her head and smiled at him. He wrapped his arms around her again and kissed the top of her head. Fresh pain raked over Summer’s heart, and she stepped away from the window dry-eyed. She couldn’t watch this, and she’d be damned if she’d cry right now.
She checked her purse for her car keys and turned off the bathroom light. As she slipped from the master bedroom, her eye was caught by movement outside the windows that looked out on the upstairs deck. Kemp leaned against the railing, looking pensive. She could tell in the set of his shoulders and the way he gripped the railing.
Funny how she’d come to notice those little nuances about him in so short a time. She wanted to go to him and hug him. Make it better. But she was almost afraid to find out what troubled him.
She turned and headed down the stairs to the garage. She knew once she hit the remote for the garage door that he would know she was leaving, so she waited until the last possible second. She started the engine on her Miata and hit the button on the remote they’d given her and backed the vehicle out as soon as there was enough clearance under the door. Luckily, the Mercedes Kathleen drove was parked outside one of the other garage doors. It would’ve been awkward to go back in and ask her to move her car. The men probably wouldn’t have let her leave in her present state.
She drove down the long driveway, her conscience pricking her at the immaturity of running like this. She was a grown woman and had always prided herself
on facing difficult situations head-on. The good Lord knew she’d had enough experience with man problems to face painful realities with dignity and class. But not today. Today, she ran. Right when it was time to put faith in the trust she had in those two men, she ran, without explanation. Isn’t that what Kemp had told her Kathleen had done?
It didn’t take a genius to see that her knee-jerk reaction was way off base. Ace told her he loved her, and she believed him. She believed Kemp loved her, too. She could tell in their eyes that they meant it. She sighed heavily as the distance between her and her men grew.
As if on cue the radio cut out, and the car’s audio system announced an incoming call. She hit the “talk” button on the steering wheel and said, “Hello?”
“Kitten? Why did you leave?”
Summer sighed heavily and felt a sob ripple through her chest. She pulled over onto the shoulder on the state highway headed into Divine.
“Because my feelings are hurt.” Might as well be honest.
“Where are you headed?”
“Divine.” From there? Who knew?
“Why are your feelings hurt?”
“You two appeared to be very intimate on the back deck. I needed to get away.”
“Why did you think we were being intimate?” He didn’t voice his question as an interrogation but as a means to help her work through her feelings.
“I saw you kiss her head and hug her close and hold her. It made me jealous.”
“You realize she can’t hold a candle to you, right?”
“No, I don’t realize that. It was really her house I was staying in. I felt like a usurper.”
“Usurper? This house has seen more of you than it has of her. It was a shell the last time she saw it. I’d just gutted it and started the major renovation.”
“Oh.” Sweet relief swept through her, and she tilted her head back against the head rest. “That’s not her bed I slept in last night?”
His voice was smooth and calming, and carried a note of regret. “No, kitten. I bought all the furniture after she was already gone. I should have explained all about her to you before this happened.”
“That’s okay. I’m a firm believer in letting that stuff stay in the past. I just didn’t like thinking I’d made love in a bed that was originally intended for another woman.”
“Territorial?”
Summer chuckled a little sadly. She really should have stayed there and talked it out face-to-face. “Very. Evidently.”
“Kathleen came to apologize and explain. She never got in touch after she left so suddenly and felt that she owed me an apology. She also hoped that I was available still and wondered if the three of us might have a chance after all. She was more interested in Kemp than she let on.”
That explained Kemp’s pensiveness out on the deck. What a revelation.
“Why did she leave you?”
“It’s a complicated story best told over a stiff drink. I’m sorry if you saw me hug her and kiss her head. It was meant to be a comforting, parting gesture.”
“I forgive you. It made me a little crazy to see you touch her.”
“But you understand now, right? I don’t want you to be upset, kitten. I love you.” His words were sincere, and his velvety tone made soft shivers slide up her spine. It was a good thing he was a decent man because he could use that voice and tone to get his way with any woman.
“I love you, too, Ace.”
“Kemp was very worried when he saw you drive away. He told me he saw you on the landing and you looked really hurt. He was waiting for you to get done in the bathroom because he wanted to talk to you and make sure you were okay. Then he saw you leave.”
Telling her that made her want to cry. Kemp had never done anything to hurt her. He’d probably been trying to protect her by cutting Kathleen off and announcing her proximity to their conversation. She never wanted to do things to make them hurt or worry about her.
Her lip quivered and she said, “Tell him I’m sorry.” A tear trickled from her eye. She looked in the rearview mirror, preparing to make a U-turn to return to the house when a dark shape rolled in behind her on the shoulder.
“You can tell him yourself, kitten.”
Two thumps marked the sound of doors closing, and then they were there, smiling down at her. They’d been in the Hummer rolling down the state highway trying to catch up to her the whole time, so Kemp had heard the whole conversation.
She pulled on her door handle, but nothing happened. Embarrassed, she fumbled with the ignition and the door lock mechanism. This was an instant replay of the day she met them as she went all “fumble fingers” trying to open the door to Kemp’s Escalade.
Kemp tapped on the window and said, “Press the button in the other direction.”
“My own car and I can’t get the doors to unlock,” she muttered to herself. Finally she got the door to unlock, and Kemp pulled it open. She stepped from the car and threw herself into their arms.
“I’m sorry I left. I got upset.” She kissed them both, uncaring who saw as they drove by.
“I’m sorry you were hurt, darlin’. It pained me to see you on the stairs, looking like you’d been sent to your room. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“It’s okay. I just want it to be all right between us. I won’t leave like that again. It was an immature knee-jerk reaction. I thought she was there to reclaim her place.”
“That’s not possible, kitten. You fill our hearts and there’s no room for any other woman.”
Kemp’s phone rang, and he removed it from his pocket and put his finger to his other ear so he could hear. His conversation was short and appeared to be bad news.
Ace looked at Kemp as he returned to them. “What is it?”
Kemp looked like he was gritting his teeth and then said, “A new blog post just got published. You’re not going to believe this.”
Ace sighed and said, “We’re already running late for where we were supposed to be this morning.”
Summer said, “Can I call a ‘do-over’ to this crap of a day?” Both men chuckled and hugged her hard.
Summer grabbed her wireless tablet and stepped carefully over to the passenger side of the Hummer. Ace opened the door for her and helped her up into the seat, and they waited while she pulled up her Internet browser and found the bookmark for the blogsite.
She pressed her fingers to her lips when the blogsite finished loading and nearly dropped the tablet on the floorboard. She dimly heard Kemp’s phone ring again, but they both stood there with her gazing at the image and the headline.
Outrageous Behavior at Discretion!
The image was a crystal-clear photograph of the three of them together last night, in the throes of passion, their bodies joined together.
Her fingers trembled as she scrolled down the screen. In the article, the blogger suggested that the act was Summer’s payment for the new security system installed at the shop. The rest of the blog consisted of the usual hatefulness.
She scrolled for comments, but none had been posted yet.
“Hit the refresh icon, darlin’. I’m curious what people think.”
“How would you know if they’d had a security system installed unless you were watching their shop yourself, you pervert?”
“I know for a fact that gazebo is built in their backyard inside a privacy fence. What Miss Heston does in her free time is her business!”
“Shameful. Just shameful and ungodly!”
“I’m a God-fearing Christian woman but I’ll tell you something for certain, you fruitcake! I have kids at home and this blogsite is supposed to be safe for me to open with them around. I’m un-following your blog and not admitting to anybody I ever followed it in the first place. You’ve gone over the line.”
“Wow. And how long has it been up?” she asked as she scrolled back up to the article. “Ten minutes.” She scrolled back to the picture, got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, and then looked at the two of them. “It�
��s going to be all over.” Anybody could save that photograph before it was taken down. It would be all over the Internet.
They looked horrified, and then it dawned on her. “Don’t go there, guys. I know we were indiscreet, but I don’t regret last night for anything and I never will. It was a wonderful experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’d just rather it wasn’t shared with the whole world.”
Kemp’s phone rang again.
“Yeah. Okay. Call Jake and ask him to hang out at the shop today. We’ll be right there.”
Summer chuckled, trying to find the humor in the situation. “Margot will love that.”
Ace smiled, “Actually, they seem to have hit it off after their rather bumpy start.”
“Really? I wondered what was up with them,” she replied.
“Opposites attracting, I think,” Kemp said. “Okay, darlin’. What are you going to do now?”
“What I always do when I have stress.”
“What’s that?” Ace asked as he helped her down from the seat of the Hummer.
“Go shoe shopping.”
* * * *
Summer browsed the shoe displays, elbowing Grace as she pointed to a wicked-looking pair of black stilettos that had a row of silver chains for ankle straps. “Who’s doing the buying for Stigall’s these days? Pretty racy for a traditional family-run operation.
Grace giggled and replied, “Leah is trying to get the buyers to select more trendy fashions. She cuts the fat, so he gives in a little,” she said indicating the shoe department. “It used to be that there were chairs here and they brought the shoes out to you, for you to try on. That was someone’s job, to help you. They’ve taken out the seating area and expect you to try shoes on standing up or perched on a little bench if one is available,” she said, holding on to Summer’s shoulder as she balanced her very pregnant body on one foot, trying to slip the stiletto on. She sighed and put it back.
“No luck?”
Rainier, Heather - Summer's Indiscretion [Divine Creek Ranch 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 22
