by Rye Hart
“Honestly? I couldn’t get ya off my mind.”
I looked up at her so I could take in her reaction. I wanted to get a feel for where she stood on things. Her grin softened into a light smile, and her eyes began to twinkle. She dropped her hands from her chest and started walking toward my desk. Her eyes stayed connected with mine as she cocked her hip up, laying it sweetly on the edge of my desk before she reached for my hand.
Her touch was soft. Inviting. And I liked where this was going.
“I thought a lot about you, too,” Katie said.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” she said with a wink.
Wait and see? What was I waiting and seeing about?
“I wanted to dance with ya Friday night, but I wasn’t sure how Hunter would like that,” I said.
“Don’t worry. I think we were all keeping our distance.”
“All?” I asked.
“I mean—I just mean that, you know, having Hunter there’s always sort of a—”
I furrowed my brow as she continued to stumble over her words. My heart was thumping against my chest with nerves. She’d used the word ‘all’. I could feel her hand shaking as she pulled it from mine, and I wanted to scramble for it. I didn’t want her putting any sort of distance between us or having her thinking I was trying to put her on the spot. She slid from my desk as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I was kicking myself in the ass.
Why the fuck did I have to say something about it?
“Katie? You already here?”
Dylan’s voice pierced through the haze of tension building in my office as Dylan’s shoes clopped across the floor.
“There you are. I thought that was your car outside,” he said. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve had enough coffee,” Katie said.
“Well, let me get ya some,” Dylan said. “Cream and sugar, like always?”
“Yes. Thank you, Dylan. That’s very kind of you,” Katie said.
Dylan looked up at me before Katie initiated a hug. The way she hugged him close and the way he wrapped his arms around her forced me to look away. I jammed my hands into my pockets and bit down on my tongue, trying to keep from making a bigger ass of myself. I’d made Katie uncomfortable. I’d done the one fuckin’ thing I didn’t need to be doing right now while she was sniffing us all out. The way she greeted Dylan was just as comfortable and inviting as how she’d greeted me, and it didn’t get any better when Caleb came walking down the hall.
“Mornin’ Katie,” Caleb said. “You’re not supposed to be in until ten today.”
“I figured I could come in and get a head start,” Katie said.
“You need anythin’?” Caleb asked. “Coffee? Some breakfast? I can have the kitchen whip ya somethin’ up.”
“You’re so kind, Caleb. But no, that’s okay. Dylan’s getting me some coffee, and I had breakfast before I came in,” Katie said.
“Well, if ya need anythin’, just come knockin’ on my office door. Ya know I’m always here,” Caleb said.
The way she smiled up at him curled my stomach. Her eyes twinkled like they had with me when she first came around into my office. It was like she felt the same way for all of us, and I was about to test my theory when I heard Wyatt booming down the damn hallway.
“Katie! Mornin’!”
“Wyatt! Hey! How are the horses doing?”
“Fed and walked. Gotta get a couple of ‘em ready for that engaged couple again,” Wyatt said.
“If they fuck up that gazebo again, you’re cleanin’ it up this time,” I said.
“I don’t even want to know,” Katie said with a grin.
Wyatt went in for a hug, and Katie hugged him close. Way too close and way too long. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and sniffed him in like I wasn’t fuckin’ there watching the two of them. Like we hadn’t just established the fact that we’d been thinking about each other all weekend.
“I missed ya this weekend,” Wyatt said.
“You saw me Friday night,” Katie said with a giggle.
“I know. I just wished I could’ve danced with you without Hunter breathin’ down our necks,” Wyatt said.
“Well, I missed you this weekend too,” Katie said.
I watched her cup his cheek as I stood up from my chair.
What the fuck was going on?
I couldn’t stay here for any more of this. My stomach was growling for breakfast, and my head was spinning with all the friendly bullshit that had just happened. I walked around from behind my desk with my hands jammed into my pockets, slid past Wyatt, and made my way to the dining hall.
But I heard the clicking of heels right behind me as I whipped around the corner.
“Andrew?”
I tried to ignore her voice, but she caught up to me and took my hand in hers.
“Andrew, look at me,” Katie said.
I looked at her and her eyes were wide. Her hand was still shaking, and I could tell she was more tired than she let on. I was wondering if all this was too much for her. Two jobs, a needy best friend, and being volleyed between all of us. Maybe her emotional state was finally giving way. Maybe she was finally processing what had happened to her.
Whatever it was, that shit show I’d just witnessed was hard for me to stomach.
It was hard for me to even look at her now.
“Are you gonna make me ask what’s wrong?” Katie asked.
“I’m confused by you, Katie,” I said. “I don’t know what ya want.”
“I want you guys,” she said.
“You guys.”
“Yeah.”
“And by that you mean?”
“All of you. I think. There was a question Wyatt asked me last week. You know, when we all had that pizza lunch,” she said.
“Yep. I remember,” I said.
“He told me he was in love with me. That he’d always been. Then he asked me if I felt the same way.”
“He told you that?” I asked.
“He did. But when he asked me how I felt back, Caleb and Dylan came in with food. I never did get a chance to answer him.”
“So, you love Wyatt.”
“I do, I think. But I also think I’m in love with you. And Dylan. And Caleb.”
“So, you think you love all of us. But you’re not sure,” I said.
“Look, I’m still sorting through it myself. I’ve always cared about you guys. And you know me. The moment we shared at that bonfire all those years ago. I wanted you then, and I wanted you the night you took me out. But I want them, too. I want all of you.”
“Kinda figured that,” I said. “Does put us all in a predicament though.”
“Please don’t tell anyone else,” she said. “I’m as confused as you are, and I haven’t sorted through everything yet.”
“I ain’t tellin’ no one,” I said with a sigh. “But ya should talk to my brothers. I can tell ya they like ya. I can tell ya we’re all sort of tryin’ to figure out what ya want. What’ll make ya happy.”
“And that’s what makes you guys even more incredible,” she said breathlessly.
“Coffee for you, doll,” Dylan said.
Katie dropped my hand immediately and cast her smile toward Dylan.
“Thank you so much,” she said.
“Not a problem,” Dylan said. “Anythin’ else I can getcha?”
His eyes volleyed between the two of us as Katie looked back at me.
“Nope. But I should start reading through some more things before ten o’clock comes around. Two hours isn’t anything in the world of lawyers,” she said.
“Then I won’t keep ya,” Dylan said. “And neither will Andrew, right?”
My eyes grew hard on his before I nodded my head.
“Yup. I won’t hold ya up,” I said.
“I’ll see you guys later today,” Katie said.
“See ya later,” I said.
“The hell w
as all that?” Dylan asked.
But I stood there in silence, keeping to the promise I’d made Katie as she sashayed back to her office.
“Just catchin’ up,” I said.
“Didn’t look like just catchin’ up,” Dylan said.
“Not my problem if ya can’t accept my answer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got a hell of a lotta sittin’ around and waitin’ to do.”
CHAPTER 26
CALEB
Tuesday mornings were my favorite at the resort. Sundays were our slowest check-in day, but Tuesdays were our slowest guest day. Some Tuesdays there were only one or two guests checked in at a time, which meant an easy day for everyone.
The sun was shining bright, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. My brothers had gone out for lunch, which meant I was here alone with Katie. She was working hard in her office, filing paperwork and settling old disputes our former in-house counsel hadn’t gotten to yet. She was looking through stuff for the Charleston installation and was hunched over her desk reading legal mumbo jumbo that didn’t make sense to me.
I was leaned up against her doorframe, just watching her eyes flutter over the pages.
“Ya hungry?” I asked.
“Oh, my gosh! Caleb. You scared the hell out of me,” Katie said.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to. The guys all went out for lunch. Want me to get the kitchen to whip us up somethin’?”
“Why didn’t you go with your brothers?” she asked.
“They’re goin’ to that barbecue joint I can’t stand,” I said.
“I could stand to eat, but the kitchen needs a break. How do you feel about that Chinese place up the road?” she asked.
“They got the best Kung Pow chicken ‘round Dallas. Whatcha want? My treat.”
Her eyes fluttered up to mine, and she held my gaze. She was a breathtaking woman, and I was ready to have a bit of alone time with her. This was my shot, what with my brothers gone to lunch. She smiled at me, and her cheeks flushed, then she dipped her head back down to her paperwork.
Like she was trying to hide it from me.
“Sesame chicken’s fine,” Katie said. “With vegetable fried rice?”
“Whatever ya want, Katie. I’ll be right back.”
I went and ordered the food, then ran to the kitchen and grabbed us some drinks. Our chef made the best sweet tea in the state of Texas, so I grabbed a pitcher and two glasses of ice. I walked back to her office, ready to shut the door behind me so we could be alone. The resort was completely empty, and my brothers were across town, and I was going to take advantage of every second I had with this wonderful woman.
“Sweet tea?” I asked.
“Bless you,” Katie said breathlessly.
“Food should be here in about half an hour,” I said. “‘Til then, figured we could talk if ya wanted.”
“Fine by me,” she said. “What do you want to talk about.”
“I’m up for anythin’. I’m just glad I’m gettin’ some time with ya. Haven’t had much since ya been back.”
“And that’s my fault, Caleb. I’m sorry. I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to plant my feet and get these jobs secured and read through these papers.”
“You ain’t gotta explain nothin’ to me. I hired you for these jobs, remember? I know how swamped you’re gonna be for a while,” I said. “Plus, I should’ve pushed for the time more if I really wanted it.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve pushed for it now,” she said with a smile.
“Can I just ask ya one question?”
“Of course you can, Caleb. You can ask me anything.”
“Was Whitney the one that helped ya with the drinkin’ in college?”
“Ah, and we’re back to this topic.”
“I just saw the way she was lookin’ at ya when she was here. In the hot tub and at the weddin’ and stuff. Was she the one that helped ya?”
“She was. Lizzie and I are close because I’ve known her for so long, but Whitney and I are close because she helped me through a really troubling time in college,” she said.
“You got it in check now?” I asked.
“I do. Have for a few years. I don’t stop myself from drinking, but I’ve got hard and fast rules I live by. No drinking before six—”
“In the evenin’, I hope.”
“Yes,” she said, giggling. “In the evening. No more than three at a time, and I always drink with someone. Never alone.”
“Them’s some good rules,” I said. “It hurts my heart you were strugglin’ like that, but I’m glad you’re better.”
“I think that was another reason why I stuck around with Michael longer than I needed to.”
“Did he help, too?”
“To keep me on track, yeah. Whitney was the one holding my hair back and convincing me I had an issue, but Michael was the one that kept me on track with my rules. Went with me to all my parties and helped me keep my grades up. The rules were his idea in the first place. I wanted to stop cold turkey and never touch the stuff again, but he wanted to be able to enjoy a drink or two with me every once in a while. So, the rules were born from that.”
“Sounds like he was a good guy once,” I said.
“Once. But, things change. Like I told Dylan, I think Michael was good for me then, but he wasn’t good for my future. We fit when we needed to, then didn’t once we’d run our course. But because he did all that stuff for my mother’s funeral and flew me back and forth when she was sick, I figured I owed it to him.”
“Listen here, Katie. You don’t owe nothin’ to no one. Not me. Not my brothers. Not Whitney. And you sure as hell don’t owe Michael anythin’.”
“I’m coming to find that out. Everyone thinks I’m strong, but it’s only because of who I surround myself with. I don’t do it on my own. I’ve got support.”
“Many people have that support, too. But they don’t tap into it ‘cause of pride. You ain’t got that kinda pride, and that’s why you’re strong. People who don’t like pain hide behind pride and never move forward. You have. Every damn time life knocked ya to the ground.”
“Thanks, Caleb.”
“You don’t owe me thanks for the truth, Katie. Can I ask ya another question?”
“You don’t have to ask me if you can. Just ask it,” she said.
“What is it ya really wanna do with your life? I mean, we’ve given ya a job, and ya got a place to stay, but that’s immediate. Fills an immediate need. Whatcha want—I don’t know—five years from now?”
“Like with my life? Or my career?” she asked.
“Start with your career. Paint the picture for me,” I said.
“My goal’s always been to be a pro-bono lawyer for single mothers. Whether I partner with a foundation that helps me with funds or I get donations from companies that want to advertise with me and support me. I’ve looked into a few avenues on how lawyers really drive their costs down to meet the needs of a specific market. After watching everything my mother went through growing up, I really want to try and help as many single mothers as I can.”
“That’s a good goal ta have. That momma of yours was a mighty fine woman.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I miss her a lot.”
“You’re always gonna,” I said. “Take it from someone who knows.”
“I’m sorry. Here I am going on about my issues when you guys are—”
“Stop that right now,” I said. “Momma and Daddy died a long time ago. What happened to them wasn’t no one’s fault but their own. They were good parents, but they were partiers. And that lifestyle catches up with people after a while. They loved each other, they loved us, and they loved you.”
“I wish I could’ve been at the funeral,” she said. “But I was still in the throes of trying to recuperate from the drinking, and it was—”
“Stop, Katie. I promise ya, it’s fine. We all knew somethin’ must’a been goin’ on if ya weren’t there,” I said.
“Lo
oking back, I should’ve left Michael sooner. He always thought my dream was a bit idiotic. He always teased me about getting this expensive degree then never making money with it.”
“Well, he ain’t in the picture anymore. And ya got plenty of time to get your dream back up on its feet,” I said.
“You think so?”
“I know so. You’d be amazin’ at it. Especially livin’ that kinda story. Ya know, bein’ raised by a single momma and all. Other single moms would trust ya because of that.”
I watched Katie’s eyes light up as she digested my words. I could’ve wrung that asshole’s neck for making her dreams seem stupid. What a fuckin’ bastard.
“Katie?”
“Yeah, Caleb?”
“I wanna apologize for the other night.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“For the kiss I laid on ya in the kitchen. It was pretty forward of me, and I put you in a weird position with all the guys and your brother bein’ right out there at the bar.”
“Caleb? I’m really glad you kissed me. I was hoping you would.”
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. We’ve always had the friendliest relationship out of everyone. You’ve seen me at my worst. Hair up in a messy pony. Teeth not brushed. I didn’t get pretty and everything to go fishing and hunting with you when we were younger. You’ve smelled me without a shower and seen me covered from head to toe in mud trying to sink a buck two hundred yards out.”
I watched Katie put her sweet tea down as she got up from her chair. She walked around her desk, her hand sliding across it. Her eyes landed on me before a cheeky little grin crossed her lips, and I could see that look growing in her eye again. That look she had when she walked toward me in the kitchen. It was a mixture of curiosity and heat, and my mind was screaming at me to take another chance. My heart was telling me to approach with caution unless I wanted to lose a good thing in my life.
But my mind was yelling at me to go for it.
I reached out for Katie’s hips and pulled her onto my lap. She laughed with delight. Her ass fell onto my thigh as her arm slid around my neck, and our eyes were level with one another as I held her close.
I felt her arms pull me closer as our lips hovered against one another. I could feel her breath pulsing on my lips as my cock began to twitch to life. I felt it pressing against the side of her leg as my arm wrapped around her body. This woman was going to be the death of me, and if I wanted a shot with her, I had to take it now.
