“You don’t need to account to me. It’s not like you’re on the clock. I’m just grateful you’re finishing this for me at all,” she murmured.
“Okay then. I wanted to say good-bye,” he said.
She grinned. “Good-bye, Kane.”
He smiled wide. “So long, beautiful.”
He liked the flush that always stained her cheeks when he used that word. He started to turn, then paused. “Have you heard from your mother?” From her carefree demeanor, he doubted it, but he needed to ask.
She bit down on her lower lip. “No… but I have had one hang-up. Maybe she’s nervous to talk to me?” she asked almost hopefully.
He was really worried about the situation, though he’d never let on to Halley. He figured her aunt had good reason and knowledge to be concerned about her mother’s motives. On the other hand, he understood Halley’s need to know the woman, and if she was disappointed in the end, at least she’d take heart knowing she’d tried to give the woman a chance.
Kane just didn’t want her heart broken, and he’d be there to pick up the pieces if the worst occurred. “I guess you’ll see what happens.”
She nodded, her hand on the edge of the slider, as if waiting to close the door behind him.
“One more thing,” he said.
“What’s that?” She tipped her head to the side curiously.
In for a penny, he thought. “I was hoping you’d do me a favor,” he said, pushing his luck and he knew it.
“Name it.” She obviously felt she owed him for the deck work, something he was shamelessly trading on… and she’d realize it as soon as he told her what he desired.
“Tomorrow night is a family dinner. On Sundays we get together at Dad and Andi’s house. She and Nicky live with him,” he added by way of explanation. “Anyway, it’s casual. But I was hoping you’d come with me.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Kane…”
He reached out and grasped her paint-speckled hand. “It’s not a big deal. I just want you to be my buffer so I don’t get into it with Dad and end up upsetting everyone in the process. Please,” he said before she could argue.
“But you said yourself it’s a family dinner and I’m sure I don’t belong there.”
He shook his head, anticipating this argument. “Wrong. Dad often has a friend come, sometimes Nicky brings someone from school or camp. Dinner is just an excuse to get us all together. It doesn’t matter if someone else joins in.” He raised an eyebrow. “So what do you say?”
“I—”
“Pretty please?”
“You’re not going to stop until I say yes, are you?”
He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Nope.”
Her wavering smile turned true and she laughed. “Fine. I’ll go.” She sounded nervous and he’d make sure she both showed up and was at ease.
“Thank you. I’ll pick you up around five forty-five tomorrow. Dress casual. And don’t worry. We’re typically normal,” he promised. “You’ll be fine.”
She looked at him uncertainly, like she wasn’t sure she believed him. She would, soon. Because he had an ulterior motive in inviting her, one that involved showing her that she wasn’t the only one with a dysfunctional family. Considering there wasn’t a family dinner that passed without a mention of his father’s bad habits, Kane wanted Halley to see that family was messy.
One of the reasons she withdrew into herself was because she hadn’t grown up with family around her. She got upset when her sister was angry, pulled away from her aunt, who tried to win her over with extravagant gifts. And she hid inside her house to avoid it all.
It was all obvious to him.
But if he could show her how normal it was to be around family who loved you despite your faults, he could open her up to new experiences, both with her family and hopefully with him.
It wasn’t a purely selfish desire, either.
Of course, he wanted her to be with him willingly, in a relationship she didn’t mind acknowledging publicly. But he also wanted to give her family back to her. In a way that didn’t make her want to curl up and be alone because she felt odd, in her words, or different.
He raised a hand, knowing it was time to leave before she changed her mind. “Bye, Halley.”
She smiled back at him. “Bye, Kane.”
* * *
On Sunday afternoon, closer to evening, Halley stood in front of a full-length mirror behind her bedroom door, taking in the pile of clothing on the bed behind her. She’d already tried on a few dresses and a pair of jeans. Now she stood in her bra and panties, completely undecided.
What did casual mean? A dress like she wore every day to paint? Or a pair of jeans that she didn’t really like wearing in the summer because she hated the feeling of denim sticking to her skin in the heat and humidity but really did meet the definition of casual?
She was about to pull yet another dress from her closet when her cell rang. Her sister’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hi, Phoebe.”
“What are you doing?” her sister asked. Sometimes Halley thought Phoebe had radar, catching her at the most inopportune times. Like when Kane had been working on her deck.
She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “I’m trying to decide what to wear.”
“Since when? Throw on a dress and call it a day. That’s what your closet is filled with anyway. Oh. Wait. Why are you getting dressed when the day’s about to end? Where are you going so close to dinner time?” her snoopy sibling asked.
She really didn’t want to tell her but she could use the advice. “Kane asked me to go to dinner at his father’s house,” she admitted.
“I knew it! He’s into you.”
“We’re friends,” she insisted. If friends kissed. Hot, steamy, sensual kisses on the beach like in the movies. “He wants me as a buffer because he has some family issues.” Ones she wouldn’t tell her sister about because she would keep Kane’s secrets to herself.
“Sure you are. Okay, what are you choosing between?”
“One of my dresses or a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He said be casual.”
Phoebe paused, obviously thinking.
“Be yourself. You’re a floaty-dress kind of girl. Don’t change for any man,” her sister advised her.
“I wasn’t trying to change. I just didn’t want to stand out.”
Phoebe cleared her throat. “If this were anyone else, I’d think they were silly, but because it’s you, I know this is serious. For one thing, you never go out on a date and this makes it a big deal. And for another, you rarely go out at all, which makes it a bigger deal. Either way, be yourself. Wear one of your pretty dresses. And relax. Nobody there will bite, I’m sure. Or maybe Kane will if you ask him nicely.”
“Phoebe!” Halley said, laughing. “Behave yourself.”
“What fun would that be? Want me to come over and help you pick something out?”
Halley sighed. “No. I don’t have that kind of time.”
“Then wear something with blue in it. It matches your eyes.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Any time. And you owe me a dinner. I was calling to see if Jamie and I could come by for your fantastic cooking.”
Halley smiled. If not for her sister’s pushy—in a good kind of way—personality, Halley wouldn’t see nearly enough of her sister or her nephew. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
She chose a pastel white-and-light-blue everyday dress, as Phoebe suggested, with a pair of strappy silver sandals. Something she’d wear if she was just going into town for an errand, but one she wouldn’t paint in because she liked it too much to risk ruining it.
She put on minimal makeup because that’s who she was. She didn’t overdo the foundation, eye shadow, or lipstick. She wasn’t into the whole made-up look, and Kane seemed to like her as she was. Although she told herself this wasn’t a date, she had no doubt it was something. Every tummy flutter and wave of nerves confirmed that.
A little while later, Kane picked her up in his Camaro, wearing a pair of dark denim jeans, cleaner than the ones he wore during the week to work, but which fit his lean frame the same way. With his hunter-green tee shirt, he looked rugged and sexy.
He whistled when he caught sight of her. “Looking beautiful, beautiful.”
She blushed. “I baked cookies for dessert. And as a thank you to your family for having me.”
“You didn’t need to but I’m glad you did. What kind?” he asked, eyes twinkling.
“Chocolate chip.”
“A girl after my own heart. You ready?” he asked.
She grabbed her purse and the cookies covered in tinfoil. He held the dish so she could lock up the house, and they headed to his car.
A little while later, they pulled up in front of a well-maintained house with manicured shrubbery on a residential street. With light gray clapboard and black shutters and a white front door, it looked warm and welcoming.
Nicky was shooting baskets into a hoop at the far end of the driveway when they pulled in.
Kane climbed out of the car and walked around to her side. “Hey, sport. How’s it going?” he called to his nephew.
“Good! Want to play?” Nicky asked, dribbling the ball and shooting it toward the basket, missing by an inch.
“I promise to shoot a few before I leave. Right now, let me introduce Halley to your mom, okay?”
“Okay.” The boy turned back to his practicing.
“He’s adorable.”
“And a good kid,” Kane said. “I’m glad my sister doesn’t have a pain in the ass like me to deal with.”
Halley frowned. “From all you’ve told me, I think you were just as good as Nicky.”
“Maybe until puberty hit,” he muttered.
She grinned and they headed up the walk. He let them into the house, where a set of stairs was immediately in front of them. They walked up and she found them facing the kitchen. To the right was a living room and around to the left of that was a dining room.
“Kane!” A pretty woman with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail walked out of the kitchen to meet them. “And you must be Halley. Welcome.”
“Nice to meet you,” Halley said. “And thank you for having me.”
“Any time. Ooh, what is that? It smells delicious!” Andi said.
Halley handed her the plate of cookies. “Chocolate chip.”
Andi accepted the plate. “Thank you! Come on inside. Dinner’s almost ready. Dad’s grilling steak. I hope you eat red meat?” She turned to Halley. “I can throw chicken on the grill if you prefer.”
“Steak is fine. Don’t worry. Can I do anything to help?”
“Nope. Why don’t you call Nicky in, Kane,” Andi said. “And then we’ll sit down.”
Not long after, they were all seated at the table. Halley was, as Kane promised, comfortable with his family. His father was charming, despite his flaws, and he talked to Halley about her painting when Kane mentioned it. Andi, who was obviously a doting mom and doing a great job as a single parent, was also sweet and warm.
She found herself relaxing when, midway through the meal, Nicky said, “Uncle Kane, want to play cards with me?”
“What game?” Kane asked.
“Poker.”
Andi coughed and dropped her fork onto the table. “You don’t know how to play poker.”
“Grandpa taught me! We can play with Cheerios until I have real money,” he said. “Then, when I’m older, Grandpa’s gonna teach me how to really gamble.”
Kane’s gaze zeroed in on his father, and Halley stiffened for the fallout.
“Nicky, please go outside and play until dessert,” Andi said to the boy, who’d already finished eating and had been fidgeting in his seat anyway. Her hands were curling into fists on the table.
As if sensing his mom’s upset, he scrambled out of his seat and ran to go outside.
Andi waited until Nicky was out of earshot before turning to her father. “You taught my son how to play poker and to gamble?” she asked angrily.
“It’s just a card game, darlin’.”
“Don’t darlin’ me. The games are harmless but gambling sure as hell isn’t. You’re an addict, Dad. And addiction runs in the family. I don’t need you exposing my son to gambling with Cheerios or money. It’s careless and stupid.”
“The boy needs to know these things. It’s a life skill,” he argued.
Andi thumped her hand on the table and rose to her feet.
Kane caught her hand in his and urged her to sit back down with softly murmured words.
Then he turned to his father. “Dad, Andi is raising her son her way. You know how we both feel about gambling. That means you need to respect her wishes. Don’t teach Nicky bad habits and don’t go behind her back. Because if you’d given it any thought, you’d know she wouldn’t like it.” He kept his tone measured, but Halley sensed the leashed anger inside him.
Halley felt like an observer to a movie except this was real life, and she felt guilty for being here when something so serious was happening.
“Maybe I should—”
Kane stopped her next words with a well-placed hand on her thigh. “It’s fine,” he said to her. “Stay put.”
She swallowed hard.
“Fine,” his father finally said, in a child-like sulking voice. “I won’t play with my grandkid,” he said, deliberately misunderstanding her point.
Andi groaned and put her head in her hands. Then she rose and began clearing the table.
In the silence that remained, Joe Harmon also stood. “Excuse me. I have things to do,” he muttered and walked out.
“I think that’s the end of the meal,” Kane said, turning toward Halley and shooting her a sad glance.
“Let me help your sister.” She pushed her chair back and began collecting plates. Kane helped, and while Andi cleaned, she and Kane cleared the table.
Andi insisted she could handle the rest on her own and all but begged them to go do whatever they wanted. “Let’s go outside,” he suggested.
She followed him out the front door. Then, while he and his nephew played a friendly game of H-O-R-S-E, she watched the two males dribble and shoot and have fun. It was nice seeing Kane interact with the young boy, teaching him pointers on the game and things that would help him when his league started again in the winter. Not to mention, he didn’t suggest they leave until he’d fulfilled his promise to the boy to play hoops with him, something she admired.
Once he’d exhausted the child, he sent him inside. They stopped in to say good-bye to Andi. His father was hidden away somewhere and they left him alone.
Back in the car, he turned on the ignition, set the air conditioning, and met her gaze. “I gotta say, my plan to take you to a normal family dinner backfired. This was way worse than usual.”
She smiled and placed a hand on his forearm, feeling the strength in his muscles there. “It’s fine. I enjoyed your family. I’m just sorry if I made things more uncomfortable by being there.”
“You didn’t. Dad did that all on his own. What was he thinking teaching a seven-year-old the basics of gambling when he knows it’s an issue for himself?”
She shrugged. “He doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge that at all.”
“True.” He placed a hand on the wheel. “Sorry we missed out on your cookies.” He pouted at the realization.
“It’s fine. I hope Nicky enjoys them. And I can always make it up to you with a fresh batch.”
He grinned. “That makes me a happy man. Now… what do you say to some Italian ices? Ever been to Hank’s?”
She shook her head. “I’ve passed it but there’s always been a ridiculous crowd of people out front.”
“Well, it’s worth the wait. Feel like going on the way home?”
She nodded. “If you can keep me occupied while we wait, then I don’t mind.”
He laughed. “I think I like that challenge.”
When they arrive
d at Hank’s, an outdoor ice cream and Italian ices stand, they discovered a short line. Not enough for him to have to entertain her, and before they knew it, they were ordering.
Because they also had ice cream, Halley changed her mind when it came to ordering and asked for vanilla ice cream with hot fudge topping. Kane got a red Italian ice.
They took their desserts and walked over to a short brick wall and hopped up, sitting side by side, legs swinging as they ate.
He finished his first. “Good?” he asked, putting his cup down beside him.
She glanced over, laughing. “Your tongue is red.”
He stuck it out at her and grinned.
“Want some of mine?” She held out the spoon of vanilla and chocolate mixed.
“No, doesn’t exactly mix with my cherry.” He paused, as if thinking of something. “Unless…”
“Hmm?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Unless I’m kissing you.” And before she could react, he leaned over and swept his tongue over her lips and into her mouth, devouring her quickly but thoroughly.
She moaned into him, leaning in close, savoring the warm cherry flavor he brought to her dessert.
Before she was ready, he lifted his head and met her gaze, his eyes dark and hungry. “Now that is how to eat an ice cream.”
Her perky nipples and needy sex agreed.
* * *
Kane parked in front of Halley’s house and braced his hand on the steering wheel, unwilling to leave her just yet. That kiss had lit a fire in him that needed quenching, and a good-bye peck wasn’t going to do it. Until tonight, he wouldn’t have said she seemed ready for that next step, but she appeared more relaxed around him now and she definitely wanted him as much as he desired her. One thing he knew, he wasn’t letting her go without at least an attempt at taking things further.
Before she could let herself out, he hit the button on the automatic locks, closing her in.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Before I get out of the car, there’s something you need to know.”
Curious eyes met his. “What is it?” she asked.
“If I walk you to your front door, I’m not leaving.” His words lay hot and heavy between them, leaving no doubt as to his intention and desires.
Fearless (Rosewood Bay Series Book 1) Page 7
