Forbidden Miles

by Claire Kingsley

  It was strange, but I’d barely noticed Dad’s absence since Mom had kicked him out. You’d think my father having totally disappeared from my life would hurt more. I guess that was the upside to growing up with an absentee father. I’d never been close to him. I was angry for what he’d done to my mom, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I never saw him again.

  I paused on the front porch, feeling a twinge of guilt. Maybe it was wrong for me to be so apathetic about him. But he’d never given me a lot of reasons to care. Between my brothers and Ben, Salishan’s groundskeeper, I’d had plenty of positive men in my life. Mostly I felt sorry for my dad. He’d had this great family and he’d thrown it away.

  The hum of conversation greeted me as I walked in. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who’d descended on Mom’s place for Saturday breakfast.

  Roland and Zoe sat at the big farmhouse dining table. They both had coffee and were picking at a huge cinnamon roll. I was so glad Roland had gotten his head out of his ass and found a way to work things out with Zoe. With the two of them married again, living close by, Roland running the winery, and Zoe still working events, it felt like so many things were as they should be.

  Leo sat across from them, his long hair obscuring part of his face. My heart always hurt when I looked at Leo. His scars weren’t as bad as he seemed to think. They’d taken some getting used to, because he did look different, but the damage ran far deeper than the burns on his skin. He was different. He’d never been wild like Cooper, but Leo had been outgoing and fun. Now he was so reclusive. Sometimes even angry. I wished there was something I could do to help him, but I wasn’t sure what he needed. I figured the best thing was to treat him the same—not make a big deal of his injuries—and maybe coax him out of hiding to spend more time with the family.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Mom said. She stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing a plate. Her dark hair had little streaks of silver that I liked to call her pixie dust, and she had it pulled back in a ponytail. “There’s cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs if you’re hungry.”

  “Thanks, I’m starving.”

  The cinnamon rolls were the size of my head, so I cut a piece off and dished up some eggs. After pouring myself a cup of coffee, I sat at the table with everyone else.

  “How was your first week back?” Zoe asked.

  “It wasn’t bad.” I poured some cream into my coffee and stirred. “It’ll be nice when I get more of my stuff put away. But at least my old apartment is all cleaned out.”

  Mom sat down at the table next to me just as Cooper burst in the front door.

  “I knew it.” He beelined for the cinnamon rolls and grabbed a whole one, not bothering with a plate. He peeled off a huge chunk and stuffed it in his mouth. “You assholes are lucky there are some left.”

  “Really, Cooper?” Mom said.

  “Sorry,” he said through a mouthful of food and winked at her. “Oh my god, these are so good. Mom, you have a talent. If you ever stop making wine, you could become a baker. But don’t stop making wine because you’re even better at that than you are at making cinnamon rolls. And I don’t think I want to share your baking. It’s bad enough I have to share with these guys.”

  Cooper walked over to the table, still shoving cinnamon roll into his mouth, but didn’t sit down. He paced around the room as he ate.

  “You’re very chipper this morning,” Roland said.

  “I’m always chipper.” Cooper finished the cinnamon roll and went straight for another one. “Brynncess, how’s my baby sister? You aren’t still mad at me, are you?”

  “No, Cooper, you’re fine.”

  “What happened?” Mom asked.

  Oh god, Cooper, don’t tell her. “Nothing. Just Cooper being Cooper. It’s fine.”

  Cooper met my eyes and winked. At least he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it.

  “Since we’re all here…” Zoe fidgeted in her chair and smoothed down her hair. “We have some news.”

  The room went silent. Even Cooper stopped moving.

  “Roland and I are having a baby.”

  Mom shrieked and stood, grabbing Zoe in a hug. Roland looked happier than I’d ever seen him. He beamed at Zoe, his eyes shining. Cooper got in on the hug, wrapping his arms around both Zoe and Mom. Even Leo cracked a smile.

  “This is so exciting,” Mom said, wiping a few tears from the corners of her eyes. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Uncle Cooper,” he said. “That sounds awesome. What do you think, Auntie Brynn?”

  “I think it’s the best news ever.”

  Zoe smiled. “Thanks, everyone. It’s still really early, but we couldn’t wait to tell you.”

  “When is the baby due?” Mom asked.

  “July first,” Zoe said. “So he or she will probably come sometime in late June or early July.”

  Mom launched into questions about Zoe’s health, how she was feeling, and whether they’d started thinking about names.

  I finished my eggs and picked at my cinnamon roll. Roland and Zoe having a baby was such amazing news. I knew they’d wanted kids, and their new house was perfect for a family. It was like things just kept clicking into place.

  “Where’s your laptop?” Leo asked me out of the blue.

  His question caught me by surprise. “It’s at home, why?”

  “Bring it by later. I should take a look to make sure everything is up to date and you don’t have any viruses.”

  I picked apart a piece of cinnamon roll. “Okay, but I don’t have any viruses on my laptop.”

  He raised his eyebrows, like he didn’t believe me.

  Before I could answer—I was trying very hard not to let this irritate me—Roland turned to me.

  “Brynn, we should go over your budget when you have a few minutes.”

  I blinked at him. “My budget? Why?”

  “Just to make sure everything is on track,” Roland said. “When is tuition due?”

  “I already paid it.”

  “What about next semester?” He shifted in his seat. “Plus, books cost a fortune. And you need to factor in the increased gas cost from commuting.”

  I took a deep breath, telling myself Roland was only trying to help. I wasn’t going to be a jerk and throw it in his face that not long ago he wouldn’t have given a crap about me or my budget. This was my brother’s way of caring.

  “Yeah, I know about the gas. And books. I’ve got it under control, but thanks.”

  “You should take him up on that, Brynncess,” Cooper said. He leaned against the table and licked frosting off his fingers. “Roland is really good at this stuff.”

  “I know. I appreciate the offer, but my budget is fine. My scholarships cover tuition this year, so that’s not a problem. You have enough going on with a baby coming. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “Scholarships?” Roland asked. “Wow, I’m impressed.”

  I knew Roland meant that as a compliment, but it was hard not to prickle at the surprise in his tone. I’d spent countless hours applying for scholarships since my senior year in high school. It had always been important to me to be as self-sufficient as possible. Was that so shocking?

  “Thanks.”

  “Of course we’re going to worry about you.” Cooper pulled out the chair next to me and started eating off my plate. “We’re your brothers. It’s what we do.”

  “I’m good, really.”

  Mom paused her pregnancy interrogation. “Honey, I meant to ask, have you met with a student advisor lately?”

  “Not recently,” I said. “Why?”

  “I just want to make sure you’re on track to finish all your requirements for your degree,” she said.

  Deep breaths, Brynn. Deep breaths. “I don’t actually need to because I have it all mapped out.”

  “Maybe you should make an appointment anyway,” Mom said. “Just to be sure. You wouldn’t want any last-minute surprises. That can mean the difference between graduating on time and having to
go another semester.”

  “That’s a good point,” Roland said.

  I shoved down the desire to snap at everyone. I didn’t need to meet with an advisor because I knew more about the requirements for my degree than they did. I’d figured it all out, made sure I had my prerequisites done, and planned all my classes until graduation. I was double majoring in business administration and accounting, so I’d gone to school over the summer to get more of the requirements out of the way. I had a plan, down to the last class.

  “Okay, well, I have a lot to do today, so I’m going to bounce.” I went around the table and hugged Zoe from behind. “I’m so happy for you guys. This is the best news ever.”

  “Thanks, Brynn,” Zoe said.

  It was a good thing they let me out of there. Happy as I was for Roland and Zoe, I was ready to blow up at everyone—tell them to leave me alone and quit babying me. But throwing a tantrum would make me look like I was exactly what they thought—a child.

  Did every girl with older brothers feel this way? I’d been home less than a week, and I was already starting to wonder if being this close to my family was such a good idea. Cooper had always been overprotective, but what was with Leo and Roland? And my mom jumping in on it?

  Was it all about my dad? I wanted to tell them that I was fine without Dad around. But I didn’t want to hurt Mom’s feelings or dredge up stuff she was trying to move past. But seriously? I wasn’t an idiot. I knew how to take care of myself. I’d been doing it for a long time. What did Roland and Leo think I’d done when they’d been away? I’d handled things. Being young didn’t make me stupid.

  When I got back to the cottage, I stopped. The hood of my car was up, and brown boots stuck out from underneath.

  What the hell?

  I tilted my head to try to see more, but all I could see was a pair of jeans. “Um, hello?”

  The legs moved, rolling out from under my car, revealing a muscular body in a black t-shirt. Thick arms with defined biceps pushed him the rest of the way out, and a familiar face grinned up at me.

  Chase had a smudge of grease on his cheek, mingling with the stubble on his jaw. He stood up and brushed his hands together. “Hey.”

  It was irritating that the sight of Chase made my heart beat faster. Not that I still had a crush on him—that was pointless—but he hadn’t stopped being gorgeous. He still had that adorable grin and those sweet gray eyes. That body that made girls want to climb him like a tree.

  But I couldn’t dwell on that. Little girl Brynn would have. I was totally over it.

  “What are you doing to my car?”

  He took a rag off the edge of the car and wiped his hands. “Changing your oil, checking your spark plugs, that kind of thing.”

  “Um… why?”

  He shrugged and put down the rag. “I kind of owe you after the other day. And I figured you could use a hand.”

  I stared at him. “But… how did you get the hood open?”

  “I found your keys.”

  “My keys?”

  “Well, yeah. I needed your keys to pop the hood.”

  I blinked at him a few times. “You went inside while I wasn’t here and took my keys?”

  His easygoing smile faded a little. “Yeah, they were right inside. And the door wasn’t locked, so…”

  I was so confused, I hardly knew how to respond. Since when did Chase do me favors? Had Cooper put him up to this? “But… why?”

  “I didn’t know how long it had been since you had any maintenance done,” he said. “And since you’re driving back and forth to school, I figured someone should make sure your car is in good shape.”

  “Someone should make sure?” My racing heart no longer had anything to do with Chase being stupidly sexy. My self-control was about to run out. “I know how cars work. They need oil changes.”

  “Yeah, and tune-ups. You have a lot of miles on this thing.”

  I took a deep breath. “Yes, I know it has a lot of miles. It’s old, but it’s what I could afford.”

  “Which is why it’s especially important to keep up with regular maintenance.”

  I was about to lose it. I did not need another older-brother type stepping in to take care of me. Especially Chase. Clenching my hands into fists, I bit back the snotty remark on the tip of my tongue and stormed into the cottage.

  And then Chase made the mistake of following me.

  Six

  Chase

  Brynn looked mad, which was the opposite of what I’d been trying to accomplish here. Why was she mad? Did I need to apologize again for ratting her out to Cooper? Because at this point, I’d get down on my knees and beg her not to look at me like that anymore.

  Seeing her was not making me less insane, apparently.

  In fact, seeing her standing there had only made the coal burning inside my chest flare hotter. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing this cute little pink t-shirt and a pair of distressed jeans. God, she was gorgeous. Those curves. Those eyes. That mouth. Even glaring at me, she was adorable.

  But I didn’t want her to glare at me. So when she went inside, I followed. I just wanted to explain.

  “Brynn, I was just trying to help.” I shut her door behind me.

  She whirled around, her hands on her hips. “Breaking and entering isn’t helping.”

  “I didn’t break in. The door was unlocked. And you should be more careful about that, especially on weekends. There are a lot of guests wandering around the property.”

  Her cheeks flushed—damn, that was sexy—and the heat in her expression beat at me like the sun on a scorching summer day.

  “Do I look like I’m stupid?”

  “No, I—”

  “Because I’m not. I grew up here, I know there are guests around. I wasn’t gone very long, and I don’t need you lecturing me about locking my doors. And I don’t need you changing the oil on my car. I’m perfectly capable of doing things for myself.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Then why did you assume my car needed an oil change or a tune-up? I’m an adult, Chase. I can take care of myself.”

  No shit, she was an adult. It was like she’d grown up when I wasn’t looking. I wasn’t sure what else to say, but she saved me the trouble. She kept talking, getting madder by the second. This was going off the rails so fast, I didn’t know what to do. If she’d just shut her mouth for two seconds, maybe I could get a word in. Then again, as soon as I started talking, I’d say something stupid. Because I was an idiot like that, and I always said something stupid. Apparently it was my thing.

  But I still needed to make her stop. This verbal assault was killing me.

  “Brynn—”

  “Don’t Brynn me, Chase. I don’t know what your problem is, but—”

  Before she could finish, I grabbed her wrists, pushed her up against the wall, and covered her mouth with mine.

  There, now she couldn’t yell at me anymore.

  Except, oh… oh shit. What had I done? This was bad—so very, very bad. I was kissing Brynn Miles. Saying something stupid would have been much better than this. What was I supposed to do now?

  But instead of doing the smart thing and letting go—removing my lips from hers and releasing her wrists—I did the idiot thing. The Chase thing.

  I kept kissing her.

  She wasn’t quite kissing me back, but she wasn’t stopping me either—and she wasn’t talking. So despite the fact that this was the single stupidest thing I’d ever done in my entire life, it seemed like a good change.

  I could feel the pulse beating through the delicate skin of her wrists. Her body was rigid, but she didn’t struggle. And her lips. Oh god, her lips were soft. I tilted my head and slanted my mouth over hers to capture more of those delicious lips.

  This was shaky ground, but our tongues weren’t involved. Without tongues, it was barely a kiss at all. I just needed to keep her quiet long enough that I could fucking think.

  And then her body softened, her arm
s going slack. I loosened my grip on her wrists and lowered them. Let go. She stayed pressed against the wall, but her mouth moved, her lips exerting gentle pressure against mine.

  Okay, now she was kissing me back.

  I was going to stop—I really was—but her lips parted. My tongue swept out and brushed the tip of hers. It was instinct, I didn’t even mean to. She gasped and shivered. It was like being hit with a shower of sparks. I’d never felt anything like it.

  My fingers had found a little spot of skin at her waist, where her shirt didn’t quite touch her jeans. When had that happened? I caressed her smooth skin while I sucked her lower lip into my mouth. She made a little noise, a half-gasp, half-whimper. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard in my life. I knew I was supposed to be thinking about something—I’d started kissing her for a reason—but I couldn’t remember anything. I was too busy feeling.

  Her silky mouth. Her warm skin. Her velvety tongue and how it brushed against mine. She tasted sweet. Not like I thought she’d taste. Better. So much better. I loved how she tasted, and I wanted to keep tasting her. Touching her. Kissing her. I did not want to stop.

  At this point, I was already dead, so I figured I might as well enjoy my last moments on earth. Because when I finally pulled away from this kiss that was blowing my fucking mind, she was going to murder me. And if she didn’t, Cooper would.

  But even thoughts of my certain death at the hands of my—probably now former—best friend couldn’t pull me away from the sweetness that was kissing Brynn Miles.

  The sharp knock on the door, however, did.

  We both gasped. I pulled away, jumping off her like she’d burned me. Her lips were red and swollen, her eyes glassy. For a second, we stared at each other. I waited for her to get angry. For her to smack me. I deserved it, and I’d have taken it gladly. I’d pay the price for that kiss.

  But she didn’t hit me. She didn’t yell at me, either. She just looked at me like she wasn’t sure who I was.

  There was another knock and a thread of fear uncurled in the pit of my stomach. Oh shit. I was half-drunk from that kiss, but reality sobered me up quick. What if it was Cooper? Or Zoe? She’d know something was going on. So would Leo. That guy didn’t miss a thing.