Treasure Me (One Night with Sole Regret Book 10)

by Olivia Cunning

  Owen shrugged. “He admitted he should have told us where he was going. He seemed sorry.”

  “But he didn’t say it.”

  Owen shook his head. No surprise there, but Kellen knew Adam felt deeply, no matter how much he tried to hide his emotions.

  “Adam’s always been unapologetic,” Kellen said. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel remorse. He just doesn’t express it.”

  Owen looked down at Lindsey. “We’re going to do whatever we can to keep Sole Regret together. No more crying over this.”

  Well, at least three of the band members wanted to fix this shitstorm. If it came to a majority vote, they’d win, but they couldn’t force Shade to sing. Couldn’t force Adam to play.

  Lindsey wiped at her face with the back of her hand and nodded. “I came to tell you dinner is ready and overheard you talking about the band.”

  “I can’t stay.” Gabe stood and inched toward the door. “I’m going to see if I can find out some real information. Maybe I can corner Jacob outside the news studio if I hurry.”

  Owen bumped fists with Gabe. “Keep us posted.”

  “Once things settle down, I want a backgammon rematch,” Caitlyn said.

  Gabe stopped retreating and grinned over his shoulder. “Eager to lose again?”

  “Oh, I’ll be winning this time,” she promised.

  Kellen smiled to himself. He really did like Caitlyn. She was a good match for Owen. Kellen wondered if his own good match was having a nice time in Prague.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  After a quick wave, Gabe left. Should Kellen have tried to stop him? If Gabe confronted Jacob while he was angry, he would probably make Jacob defensive, and he’d be acting like that unbendable oak again. But at least Jacob would know that his bandmates weren’t going to accept his decision without a fight. Kellen preferred to have a plan and a united front before confronting Jacob. He wanted to put more thought into what he’d do before he acted. He was sure he and Owen could come up with a strategy if left to their own devices.

  “Are you staying?” Owen’s question drew Kellen from his thoughts.

  “Free home-cooked meal?” Kellen sniffed at the delicious aromas wafting through the house. “Fried chicken, if I’m not mistaken. Do you need to ask?”

  Owen chuckled, and Kellen followed Lindsey back to the kitchen.

  At the table, Kellen sat across from Owen. He was surprised that Caitlyn was capable of releasing Owen’s hand long enough to pick up her fork. He had a hard time watching their tender affection. Kellen supposed it was because seeing the couple together made him miss Dawn. She should be landing across the globe within a few hours and could take her phone off airplane mode. Those long trans-Atlantic flights were going to put a damper on his communication with her. He knew she wanted to be with him—supporting him through this crisis—and he could feel her in spirit, but she still wasn’t there in person the way Caitlyn was.

  Kellen waited for Owen and Lindsey to say grace. He wasn’t Christian and apparently neither was Caitlyn. Her eyes met his and then darted downward in respect as Owen thanked God for their meal and Lindsey gave off an aura of reverence. The rest of the meal was far less uncomfortable.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to touch raw chicken ever again,” Lindsey said. “I never used to have a weak stomach. Or mood swings. Or stretch marks.”

  “Or such a swollen face, I’m sure,” Caitlyn said, with a sweet-as-honey smile.

  Kellen struggled not to laugh as Owen loaded up his plate with mashed potatoes. Did he really not see that Caitlyn was beside herself with jealousy?

  Lindsey’s eyes widened. “You can tell?”

  “Of course not,” Caitlyn said. “Well, maybe a little, but I’m sure you’ll lose all that extra weight when the baby is born.”

  “I like curvy women,” Owen said, offering Caitlyn an approving wink.

  Based on her scowl, Caitlyn didn’t seem to appreciate his compliment, but the woman did have amazing curves in all the right places. Personally, he preferred Dawn’s tall, lean form, but he could clearly see why Owen was so turned on by his dark and sexy engineer.

  “This is the best fried chicken I’ve ever had,” Owen said, digging into his second piece. “Don’t tell my mom I said that.”

  “That’s quite a compliment,” Kellen said to Lindsey. “As far as Owen is concerned, his mom is the only woman who knows how to cook properly.”

  Lindsey beamed, and Kellen was surprised her wide smile didn’t make him long for Sara. In fact, he noticed he wasn’t thinking about Sara much at all. Not the way he had been fixating on her every time Lindsey caught his eye in New Orleans. But that was before his wonderful weekend with Dawn. Before she’d helped him begin to move forward.

  By the time everyone had finished, Kellen’s sleepless night was catching up with him. He couldn’t have stifled his yawn if he’d tried. “Good food leads to really good naps.”

  “You’ll have to take the couch,” Owen said. “Lindsey’s got the guest room, and Caitlyn and I will be napping or not-so-napping in my bed.”

  “We can finish what we started before your mom showed up,” Caitlyn said, her tanned face flushed.

  Lindsey cringed. “I won’t be able to hear you two going at it, will I?”

  “That’s a definite yes,” Caitlyn said, and Kellen bit his lip to hold in a chuckle. He wasn’t sure how vocal Caitlyn usually was, but with Lindsey within earshot, she’d likely scream Owen’s name at top volume.

  “Well, that’s my cue to start the dishes,” Owen said, rising from his chair.

  He leaned over Lindsey as he reached for her plate. “Have you gotten any job interviews yet?” he asked her.

  She released a morose sigh. “Not yet, but I’ve had a few good leads—most telling me to come back in six months. The problem is that no one is going to offer me a job when I’m going to need to be on maternity leave very soon.”

  Kellen knew it bothered her to be out of work. Or at least it seemed that way. The longer he was around her, the more he started to believe she hadn’t shown up late in her pregnancy because she wanted a handout. She wanted a father for her baby. Emotional support. And he knew from experience that when you were broke as fuck, it was hard to feel stable in any capacity. Not being able to offer your newborn baby stability had to be a frightening proposition.

  “I don’t have a problem with you waiting to find work until after the baby is born,” Owen said.

  Kellen grimaced and shook his head. That wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to be useful. Wasn’t that obvious? Was he the only guy paying attention here?

  “I have a problem with it,” Lindsey said. “I’m not a mooch.”

  Caitlyn collected their drinking glasses and headed for the kitchen. “I might have some contacts in Austin that could help you out,” she said over her shoulder. “I’ll look into it when I return to the office.”

  “That’s nice of you,” Lindsey said with a smile.

  “Have you thought about temp work for now?” Kellen suggested with an encouraging smile. “Maybe an agency has an assignment that will last a couple of months. And then you can find something permanent later.”

  “That’s a great idea, Cuff!” Lindsey placed the dishes she carried into the sink and offered him a nice hug.

  Something inside his brain clicked. He could take a bit of the burden off Owen and help him take care of Lindsey. Why not?

  “Have you been to the doctor?” he asked, suddenly worried about her well-being. Before, all he could see was how much she looked like Sara. All he could dwell on was how guilty she made him feel. But he didn’t feel that way at all now. And he was starting to see why Owen put up with her. She needed their help. And the Mitchells had instilled in him a response to her need as much as they had their biological sons.

  “Joan took me to meet her ob/gyn yesterday. We scheduled a thorough appointment for Friday. I’m going to have an ultrasound and everything.”

  �
��And a paternity test?” Kellen asked. He figured Owen wouldn’t pressure her about it, so it was his responsibility to remind her as often as necessary.

  Lindsey glanced at Owen, and then Caitlyn. Her face turned red. “If I have to.”

  “If it’s not Owen’s baby, do you still plan on staying here?” Caitlyn asked.

  “I suppose I’ll have to leave.”

  Lindsey looked at Owen, her desperation tangible, and even before he spoke, Kellen knew what the big softy was going to say.

  “She can stay here.” Owen shrugged. “Even if it’s not my kid.”

  A loud clang from the direction of the sink gave Kellen a start. Apparently Caitlyn didn’t know Owen quite as well as he did. Or maybe she hoped Owen would abandon the young woman if Caitlyn was passive-aggressive enough.

  “I’d accuse you of being an idiot,” Kellen said, “but your family took me in and made me feel welcome, so I can’t insist you offer Lindsey any less.” He smiled at Lindsey, and said, “I can help you out too.”

  “But it’s definitely not yours, Cuff.” Lindsey rubbed her belly protectively.

  “I don’t have to be responsible to want to help you, do I?” Kellen asked, because in reality he wanted to help Owen—to relieve some of the burden troubling his friend. And if the baby was Owen’s, Kellen hoped the child would be part of his life too. He always thought he’d make a good uncle.

  Caitlyn’s passive-aggressive loading of the dishwasher intensified as she jammed silverware into various slots with as much noise as possible.

  Lindsey hugged Kellen again, this time nuzzling into his bare chest. “Thank you so much, Cuff. You’re almost as nice as Owen is.”

  “Almost.” Kellen winked at Owen, who seemed confused about Kellen’s sudden change of heart. Kellen hadn’t yet had time to talk to him about his weekend or how he was finally moving on after losing Sara. The part about Kellen being sexually attracted to his best friend? Well, he’d be keeping that little secret all to himself, even though he did finally recognize it for what it was.

  The baby was something he could share with Owen beyond their music. He could be the child’s godfather, if they’d allow it. And maybe Dawn would like to have a baby of her own. Their sons or daughters could grow up together. Kellen cringed inwardly. What was he thinking? The woman didn’t have time to be a mother at this juncture in her career. Hell, she barely had time to be a girlfriend. And if she signed that contract with Everlong—he was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to refuse it once she had time to consider the opportunity—she would be traveling the world for her inspiration to write more songs. He doubted she’d need him at all. Pushing thoughts of future babies aside—he had no business considering children when his own career was so rocky at the moment—he couldn’t help but grin as Owen completely missed Caitlyn’s pissed-as-hell and jealous cues. Kellen might have come to terms with Owen becoming a father, but his new girlfriend was obviously still struggling with the idea.

  “Excuse me,” Caitlyn said, giving Owen a pointed look he didn’t understand. “I need to use the bathroom.” When he didn’t respond, she added, “Upstairs.”

  Kellen feared his friend was in big trouble.

  Owen blinked at Caitlyn like a clueless idiot. Kellen stifled a laugh as Caitlyn glared at Owen so hard, he was surprised the poor guy could remain standing. Apparently giving up on Owen reading her mind—or her very clear body language—Caitlyn dried her hands and stormed out of the room with a frustrated snarl.

  “You’re supposed to go after her,” Kellen advised as she tromped up the stairs like she was performing the stomp dance his grandfather had taught him.

  Owen crinkled his nose. “No thanks. What she does in that bathroom is her business.”

  Lord, was he clueless. “Trust me,” Kellen said. “You need to go after her.”

  Owen didn’t seem too keen on following her upstairs. Every interaction Kellen had had with Caitlyn, she’d come across as even-tempered and easy-going. He doubted she was planning to take off Owen’s head at the neck, but she was pissed. She probably just wanted him to put up a few barriers around himself when it came to Lindsey. Lindsey was obviously trying to court his favor, and she did have the added pull of a baby on the way. And now that Kellen was onboard with helping, Owen would likely get behind the idea of becoming a father even more.

  Owen shrugged, but before he could go upstairs to get his deserved tongue lashing from Caitlyn, his phone rang. He looked visibly relieved when he answered it.

  “Hey, Mom, we just fin—” His body stilled as he listened to whatever his mother was saying on the other end of the line.

  His lips trembled when he asked, “What’s wrong?” Owen visibly paled. “I’ll be right there.”

  Before Kellen could ask what had happened, Owen dashed out of the house at a full run, not even bothering to shut the front door.

  Kellen took off after him, watching him race down the sidewalk toward his parents’ house. “Owen, what is it?” he called, but Owen didn’t miss a step.

  A hand grabbed Kellen’s arm. “Where’s he going so fast?”

  Kellen didn’t even bother to look at Lindsey when he said, “Something’s wrong.”

  “Do you think it’s Joan?”

  He didn’t even want to consider the possibility. The woman was a mother to him. Owen’s parents meant far more to Kellen than his own parents ever had. They’d given him the family he’d craved when his own had been worthless. As Kellen started up the sidewalk, his hurried steps hastened until he too was running. “Wait,” Lindsey hollered. “I can’t keep up with you.”

  He wanted to race after Owen, but slowed to give Lindsey time to catch up and then took her hand, urging her to waddle as fast as she could.

  When Owen yanked open the gate of his parents’ front yard, Kellen tried to get Lindsey to move faster. Owen didn’t slow down as he bounded up the porch steps and tore into the house. Kellen left Lindsey at the gate and raced after him. He stopped short in the foyer. Joan’s broken voice came from the living room, but he couldn’t understand her words. Kellen hurried in that direction and paused in the doorway. The sight of Joan crumpled on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she told Owen things that Kellen couldn’t comprehend, tore him to shreds. He didn’t go to her to offer comfort, knowing she’d rather lean on her real son, not the wannabe watching her fall apart from the doorway. The numbness in Kellen’s throat spread through his chest, down his arms, and all the way to his fingertips as what she was saying began to sink in.

  Chad—Owen’s older brother, the older brother of Kellen’s heart—was finally coming back from war. He wasn’t returning in a coffin—by some miracle—but he’d been injured. Grievously injured. A loud buzz filled Kellen’s head. There was no air in the room. He couldn’t breathe. Choking on emotion, he turned from the sight of Owen trying to comfort his distraught mother and stumbled to the front porch. He gasped for breath, surprised there was no air outside either. James’s familiar car roared up the driveway and into the garage off the side of the house. Kellen closed his eyes, glad he wouldn’t have to see James’s face when he heard the news about his eldest son. Kellen bit his lip, fighting the pain that threatened to suffocate him.

  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there when he heard footsteps stop behind him.

  He turned to find Owen, face white with shock, standing on the porch. His stunned expression blurred as the tears Kellen had been fighting flooded his eyes. He grabbed onto Owen, not sure if he was trying to comfort or be comforted, but he needed something to keep him standing. Emotions warred within him as he pulled Owen closer. And Kellen had no idea what possessed him when Owen tilted his head back to look up at him. Kellen leaned closer—wanting Owen to stop looking so sad, wanting him to smile again, wanting something . . . something more.

  Kellen kissed him, wishing Owen resisted, wishing Owen didn’t feel so right against him, wishing—some part of him wishing—that Owen was his. The feelings Kellen
felt as he deepened the kiss were even more confusing than the all-encompassing lust that slammed into his lower gut. Desire heated his blood, and the kiss, which had started as a way to comfort, burned through him so hot, he was completely out of his mind.

  When he tugged away gently, the need to tell Owen what had been building inside him for years outweighed his need to continue kissing him. “I want you,” Kellen said. He wanted him in every capacity of that word. Not just physically, but on every level.

  Owen blinked—awakening from his stupor. “You want me?”

  God, yes, why had he been denying it so long? “I want you.”

  Owen’s face crumpled with anguish, and Kellen was so shocked by his reaction that Owen slipped from his grasp. And then Owen was running. Running away. Not returning Kellen’s newly realized feelings. Running. Running so hard he crashed into the front gate and struggled to get it open before he stumbled onto the sidewalk and then jetted toward home.

  “Owen,” Kellen called after him, tripping down the porch steps. He covered his mouth with one hand, the feel of Owen’s lips still on his own.

  “What have I done?” he said into his hand.

  That had actually happened. He hadn’t imagined it while tied up and on the verge of orgasm. Kellen had kissed Owen, and while their mouths had been pressed together and Owen had gone submissive in his arms, Kellen had convinced himself that what he’d done had been natural. That it had been right.

  But there was nothing right about that kiss except the way it had made him feel at the time. But not the way he felt now. He’d taken advantage of Owen’s grief to take something from him.

  “Owen,” he called again, though Owen was much too far away to hear him now.

  “He wants you too,” Lindsey said from behind him. “I saw it in you both that night on the bus.”

  Lindsey was the absolute last person Kellen wanted validation from. He didn’t say a word to her as he walked toward the gate. And then he was trotting, then jogging, then running as fast as his legs would carry him.