by Tina Bass
“Kade! It’s about time you bring your fine self to see me. I was beginning to wonder if you were only coming around for the cooking.” She smiled so sweetly that Krista couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Oooo, you must be Krista. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Minga finished and Krista stepped forward.
“It’s nice to meet you too, and everybody just calls me Kris,” she stated and watched Kade walk over to Minga and place a kiss on her cheek.
“How you doing, doll?” Kade asked, then stepped back and dropped his arm around Krista’s shoulder, pulling her up to his side.
“Better. Will be fine as soon as someone…” Minga started but dragged out ‘someone’ as she looking in Lee’s direction. “Let’s me walk across the floor on my own.”
“The doc said you need to take it easy, so you’re goin’ ta fuckin’ take it easy,” Lee stated in a way that there was no use arguing with. Krista watched as Minga just rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, ‘whatever,’ then she turned back to them.
“Sit, sit. Would you like something to drink, eat, or anything?” Minga invited.
“Babe, why don’t you two talk a bit? I got to talk to Kade for a few, and then I’ll fix something to go with these muffins that Kris brought.” Lee didn’t wait for a reply as he turned to walk out of the room. Kade leaned down to Krista’s ear and whispered where only she could hear him.
“That okay, baby?” Kade asked her. She nodded and felt his lips slide across her cheek before he walked out. She turned back to Minga.
“It really is nice to meet you and I’m glad you’re doing better,” Krista said.
“You too, hon, now come on and sit down beside me, so you can tell me how you and Kade met.” Minga scooted around on the sofa to make room for her. “But, first. You gotta tell me. Where did you get those fabulous shoes? I love them!”
Kade walked into the office behind Lee. “You did not get this from me. In fact, you do not have this, have never seen this,” Lee stated as Kade took the file from him, looked up at Lee and then back to the file as he opened it up.
“Fuck,” Kade mumbled.
“Yeah,” Lee responded and looked back at his face.
“This the whole file?”
“Yep, everything we know about that son-of-a-bitch is in there. But, still don’t get why you’re so interested in this one case.” Kade looked back down at the open file in his hand, at the picture of Damon Price staring back at him. The serial rapist transport that Kade had handled for Lee, the same day he’d met Krista.
“Don’t know, man, just a gut feeling.” Kade didn’t move his eyes away from that picture. He was missing something. He knew it, but he just didn’t know what the fuck it was. Hoping that going over the record would jar something loose, he closed the file and directed himself at Lee, “Thanks, man, I appreciate this.” Lee gave him a chin lift and then grinned.
“So, tell me about Kris…”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Now, explain mudding to me,” Krista said as they were driving down to the river that bordered Kade’s ranch. They had spent most of the day with Lee and Minga. They talked, they laughed, and Krista realized Kade was right. She was just herself, and they seemed to genuinely like her. Krista knew she liked both of them very much. After they returned to the ranch, Kade told her they were going to switch trucks, and for her to put on some old jeans and tennis shoes. She changed clothes and they walked out to an old, really old, looking truck. It was about the same size as his other truck, but the tires were a lot bigger, and the truck was higher up off the ground.
The sun was beginning to set, and Kade was telling her where he was taking her and what the purpose was. “Baby, it’s muddin’, but basically you have a 4X4 with some big ass tires, a big fuckin’ mud puddle, and you see who wins.” Of course, that didn’t explain much of anything to Krista.
“Never mind,” she huffed. “I’ll figure it out when we get there. Wait, where is there?” she asked.
“It’s down by the river, still on my property, but at the edge. The river is more or less the border. At least, it is for now, until I buy the land on the other side of it.”
“What are you going to do with the land on the other side of the river?” she asked, genuinely wanting to know.
“Probably nothing, but it will be mine to do nothing with. More importantly, no one else can do anything with it,” he answered. It didn’t make much sense to her. I mean, why would he care if somebody did something with it, or not, but before she could say anything, he answered her unasked question. “It keeps it clean, baby. No one can build or cut down all the trees.” He explained to her and then she got it. If he owned it, then all of his amazing views wouldn’t change. They were riding in comfortable silence for a few minutes, when she asked him if she could turn on the radio. “Yeah, baby,” was Kade’s short answer, and she flipped on the radio to hear Luke Bryan’s I Don’t Want This Night to End, blasting out of the speakers. She couldn’t stop herself from seat dancing the rest of the way to the river.
Kade was damn near ready to turn the truck around and take Krista back home. The way she was moving beside him, dancing in the fuckin’ seat, was hot as hell, and she was just sitting on her ass. I agree with Mr. Bryan, he thought to himself, because he sure as hell didn’t want this night to fuckin’ end. Then the river and it all came in to view, and he reached out to turn the radio way down. “This is it, baby,” he said, and he watched as Krista looked around at all the other trucks parked here and there, and a big bon-fire that was already lit. She just sat and looked around and he started getting a little worried. He loved muddin’ and wanted Krista to enjoy it also, but at the moment, he wasn’t quite sure if she would or not. He couldn’t ever remember a time when he’d felt so unsure with a woman. She finally turned her head and looked at him. Then she smiled and said one simple thing that eased all of his worry.
“Let’s go muddin’.”
An hour later, she was dancing on the back of someone’s truck to music blasting from someone’s speakers. She’d met so many people, that she was having a hard time remembering everyone’s name. There had to be at least a hundred people and about half that many trucks parked every which way in a big field. But so far, she hadn’t seen any ‘muddin’,’ or trucks fighting with mud puddles, going on. Kade had been with her, holding her the whole time, and he’d just stepped away a few minutes ago. Then a girl she’d met, but couldn’t remember her name, came up to her and started gossiping to her about somebody else that she wasn’t sure she’d met. The nameless girl then pointed toward a giant puddle that looked as if it had very little water, and a whole lot of mud and told her they were getting ready to ‘hit the mud.’ Krista watched as a big truck pulled up to the mud, stopped, backed up, and then took off straight through it. She saw tires spinning and mud flying everywhere. Everybody started screaming, ‘go, go, go,’ until the truck made it to the other side. It was crazy fun to watch and Krista yelled at nobody and everybody. “I want to do that!” And everyone on the truck with her started talking all at once.
The gossiping girl from before spoke up. “Brad is going next, I think, and maybe if you’re really nice, he’ll let you ride with him.” The girl pointed at one of the guys who was sitting on the side of the truck bed. Krista turned to Brad.
“Are you going to do that next?” she said.
“Hell, yeah.” Brad stood up and walked toward her. He’d just stepped up to her and leaned down to say something, when she heard her name called.
“Krista!” Her name was shouted loudly. She turned and saw Kade walking up to the downed tailgate of the pickup truck.
“Irish!” she yelled back, and then ran and jumped off the tailgate and right into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as his hands went to her butt. “Hey,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hey, beaut
iful.” His hands gave her butt a squeeze.
“Did you see that? That truck went right through all that mud!” she exclaimed to him excitedly.
“Yeah, baby, I saw it. What did you think?”
“That was awesome! And, I want to do that! I want to go through the mud!” she breathed, reverently.
“Then let’s do it.” Kade smiled at her. He moved his hands so her legs would fall to the ground, and when her feet touched, he draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. Kade did a chin lift to some other nameless person, and then she heard him yell to everyone. “We’re next!” He started walking them both toward his old truck. Kade helped her in, then got in himself. “Having fun, baby?”
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled at him and watched as a return smile grew across his face. He started up the truck, and drove over to the puddle. He stopped and sat there, looking at her for a minute.
“You ready?” he asked. She rose up, and kissed him lightly on the lips, then sat herself back in the seat.
“Yep. Ready.” She was looking straight ahead. Kade busted out laughing. He put the truck in gear and they went through the mud, sliding this way and that, and before she knew it, they were on the other side. “That was crazy!” she screeched. “That was crazy fun! I want to do that!” She laughed and looked at Kade.
“Baby, we just did. You wanna go again?” he said.
“No, I mean yes, again, and again, and again. But, I want to do it.”
“You want to do what?” Kade didn’t understand what she was asking.
“I want to do that!” Krista was pointing at the mud. “I want to drive. Can I, Irish? Will you let me drive? Please?” she finished softly.
Kade looked into her smiling face. She was really having fun, not just pretending she was or putting up with it just to be seen with him. But, fuck! She wanted to drive his truck! Had anyone ever driven his truck besides him? He didn’t think so, and he knew damn well no woman ever had. He also knew for damn sure, that nobody but him had ever taken his truck through the mud. Then his eyes met hers, and they were shining so bright. Bright eyes. Big, fuckin’ beautiful smile, and fuck him, that soft ‘please’ of hers. Yeah, she was gonna drive his truck through the fuckin’ mud, and he was going to sit beside her and enjoy every single minute of it. “Yeah, baby, you can drive.” He barely got the words out of his mouth when there was a happy screech. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, closed mouth, right on the lips. He then felt her little tongue slide across his lips, then her mouth was at his ear.
“Thank you,” she whispered right before she nipped his ear lobe, then she sat back and spoke firmly to him, “Now, get out.” He couldn’t believe what she’d just said and he was speechless for a second. “Get out, get out!” She repeated, sing-songing and laughing.
“You’re killing me, baby,” he said, shaking his head as he was getting out of his own damn truck. He stood in the open door so when she slid under the steering wheel, he helped her adjust the seat to her height. He stood there, looking at just how damn far she pulled that seat up. Yeah, he was going to have a fuckin’ painful ride. Thought for a beat about changing his mind, until he looked back at her face, and caught her eyes…yep, one painful ride. He shut her door, walked around to the passenger’s side, and he caught the hush of the crowd. Fuck, he was never going to live this one down. After he got in, he tried like hell to get comfortable. But how fuckin’ comfortable could he get, with his knees in his chest.
“Are you okay?” she asked and he turned his face to hers.
“Yeah,” he grunted.
“Comfy?”
“Yeah.” He repeated, but narrowed his eyes at her and then watched as she busted out laughing. He loved to hear her laugh. She had that sweet and innocent sound, every time she laughed, but to see her face, fuck, if he hadn’t already fallen in love with her, that alone would have done it.
“Irish, you can’t be comfortable sitting like that. Scoot over here.” She patted the seat right beside of her. “Sit here, and stretch your legs out that way.” She pointed at the floor by the passenger’s side. He did what she suggested, and yeah, that was better. “Better?” she asked softly.
“Yeah, baby, I’m good,” he answered back. She looked over at him to make sure he was okay, and she liked what she saw.
“Let’s do this!” she exclaimed, smiling, as she reached over to turn up the radio. Krista backed up and put the truck in gear, slammed her foot down on the gas, and all he could think was, please, don’t let us get stuck in the middle of knee high fuckin’ mud. They hit the mud with a bounce, fish tailed, threw mud everywhere, but then she got it under control, and spinning the shit out of his tires, they reached the other side. “That was f-en awesome!!” Krista yelled excitedly.
After they went another two times, once with her driving, Kade took over. They pulled back up to where they were parked before, so others could have a turn. She was up on the back of another truck, back to dancing and talking to whoever was around. She heard some of the other guys teasing Kade, who was never far from her, about letting a ‘girl’ drive his truck. At that, Kade’s response was always the same. “My woman owned that shit.” And, she couldn’t help but smile big. She was having fun, dancing, laughing, and talking to different people. And then Kade leaned down to her ear. “I’ll be right back, baby. You good?”
“Yes, I’m good.” He kissed her and jumped off the side of the truck. Krista turned to watch another truck going through the mud, when the same girl that had talked to her earlier came up beside her.
“Hey, seen you driving Kade’s truck,” the girl said as she nodded toward the mud.
“Yes, and it was so much fun! I’d never even heard of muddin’ before.”
“Well, Brad saw you too,” the girl said while she was pointing at Brad, who was walking toward them. “He said he thought you were really good and maybe you could show him how you did it.” She finished speaking as Brad reached the side of the truck. Krista sat down on the side, facing Brad.
“Have you been through yet?” Krista asked.
“Nope. You kinda’ jumped in front, and well, the rest of us had to wait,” Brad told her, but he was smiling and didn’t seem mad at all.
“So, you’re going now?”
“Yeah, you wanna’ ride?” Brad asked and just as Krista started to answer, she heard that familiar voice.
“No, she fuckin’ does not,” Kade answered for her, sounding pissed off. They all looked at Kade as he stepped up to the truck and grabbed her off the side to stand beside him. He then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Brad, you thinkin’ of taking my woman with you?”
“Hey, man, I didn’t know. Dee was the one who suggested asking her about going out. She said you wanted to talk to her, but Kris was hanging all over you. Dee said you needed a way to ditch Kris,” Brad said, looking none too happy at Dee.
“Who you here with?” She heard Kade ask, and when she turned to look at him, he was staring right at the girl she assumed was Dee.
“Just some of the girls sugar. Thought we could hit the mud together again.” The girl, Dee, purred back at Kade. She was hitting on Kade with Krista standing right there in Kade’s arms. Oh, no. She did not think so!
“Seriously? You’re going to try and hit on him with me standing right here?” Krista walked out of Kade’s arms and hopped back up on the tailgate. Dee looked her up and down.
“Girl, you really think he’s going to choose you over me?” Dee said as she moved her hands down her body.
“He’s with me now, girl, not you!” Krista pointed at herself and then at Dee. “I’m staying at his house, not you.” She started again, pointing between the two of them. “I’m—” Krista had more to say, but Dee interrupted her.
“Bitch, please,” Dee stated. “Kade don’t let anyone s
tay at his house.” Dee rolled her eyes.
“What did you call me?” Krista’s voice had dropped and she took a step toward Dee, right before she felt arms come around her waist.
“Easy, baby,” Kade whispered to her. “You need to get the fuck gone! Now!!” Kade said in a tight voice to Dee.
“But sugar, she’s the one talkin’ shit. Did you hear what she said?” Dee shot back, eyes glaring at Krista.
“Yeah, I heard. I also heard you call her a bitch.” Kade leaned around Krista and got closer to Dee. “That fuckin’ shit is not happening. Now, get the fuck gone before I have your ass carted off.” Krista watched a very pissed off Dee walk to the end of the tailgate, just about ready to jump down, when Kade spoke up again. “And, Dee. Just so you know, her…” He looked at Krista, then back at Dee. “Every fuckin’ time. No contest. You…” He continued as he moved his head to indicate her body. “Or her…” He added when he looked back at Krista, then back at Dee. “No fuckin’ contest. That’s why she drove my fuckin’ truck. She’s in my house, and she’s in my bed.”
Oh, my goodness, he did not just say that in front of all these people. Krista turned into Kade’s chest, trying to hide her burning face. That’s when she heard his voice.
“Baby?”
Krista looked up at Kade. “I can’t believe you said that,” she whispered, forgetting all about Dee.
“Said what? That you’re in my house? Because, baby, that’s where you are.”
“No, the other part.” Krista was still whispering. Kade moved them and then bent down, so they were face to face.
“You got a problem being in my bed?” he asked, not sounding happy about it.
“No, I don’t have a problem being there. I do, however, have a problem with you announcing it to half the world.” Krista shot back.
