“Your mother seems to adore him,” Faye said, wiping down the bar. “Doesn’t she know he cheated on you, among other things?”
“She knows.” Felice had told her in more than one way that she felt Kylie’s inability to allow intimacy had torn their relationship apart. Therefore, it made their failing relationship her fault, not Paul’s.
“She’s got blinders on then. He’s a jerk.”
“I don’t want Trey to know they’re here.”
“I don’t see how you can avoid it,” Faye said.
Joey snickered at that. “Trust me, cupcake. He already knows. If there is one thing my big brother is good at, it is keeping track of the people who come in and out of this town. And I hate to point out the obvious, but I have a feeling that he and Paul aren’t going to be buds.”
She had the same feeling. “Hit me,” she said again.
16
After calming down—or rather three shots of tequila, Kylie decided she needed to confront her mother before she came back to confront her. That would only lead to problems all the way around. She had to get Paul on a plane back to Montana—and soon. Hopefully, before he ended up crossing paths with any more Callahans—one Callahan in particular.
Kylie knocked on the door to her mother’s room. After what seemed like an eternity, Felice finally answered, a towel wrapped around her head.
“Oh, it’s you. I thought maybe it was the maid bringing more towels. This place is rather…” her voice broke off and she just sighed.
“Mother, we need to talk.” Kylie shut the door behind her as she entered. She had to admit the motel was far beneath any standards Felice Rhodes would have had. The room was done all in browns. Not attractive browns either. Dirty browns. The place smelled of stale smoke—another peeve of Felice’s.
“I agree. Would you like a soda? I grabbed some from the lobby.”
“No, thanks.” Kylie sat down in one of the small chairs near the window. “I don’t know why you brought Paul here but he needs to go back home.”
Felice poured herself a glass of soda. “He’s here because he loves you, Kylie Marie. He’s sorry for how he has behaved.”
“Never once has he said he’s sorry,” Kylie pointed out. “Besides, that’s not the point. We aren’t in love with each other, Mother.”
Felice sipped her cola daintily for a moment. “Kylie, marriage isn’t all romance. Sometimes couples have to work at the relationship to make it successful. God knows your father and I do.”
“He cheated on me, Mom. Do you not remember that?”
“Yes, I do. I also remember the fact that you were unable to commit to him intimately. And I understand your reasons for that. However, I also understand that he was frustrated with the situation. He had a momentary fall from grace. I chalk it up to temporary insanity, if you will.”
“He cheated more than once. And if I took him back, he would cheat again.” Kylie sighed, irritated. Why couldn’t her mother see Paul for what he really was?
“You don’t know that. People change. He is committed to this relationship now. You have to spend some time with him and then you will see that.”
“I don’t want to spend time with him. I want him to go home. I am spending time here with my friends, Mom. If you want to stay, I would welcome it. But not Paul. He has to go.”
Felice frowned. “You don’t think it’s a little unfair that you won’t even hear him out?”
“I’ve heard him out before. And I have realized over time that I never really loved him in the first place. I think that was part of the reason I wasn’t able to take our relationship any further.” Kylie could see her mother was contemplating everything she was hearing. At least she was trying to understand.
“Well,” Felice finally said, sighing. “I suppose if you’re sure that’s the way you feel I can understand you wanting him to leave.”
“I’m sorry. I know you really liked him.”
“I’m concerned for you, Kylie. As much as I would love to see you and Paul married, I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
“I would be unhappy if I married Paul.”
“He asked your father for your hand in marriage. I suppose you should know that before you talk to him.”
“He did what?”
“He was going to surprise you over dinner and propose. I saw the ring. It’s quite stunning.” Felice smiled, dreamily. “A huge solitaire. Beautiful.”
Kylie felt anxious all over again. “You need to stop him, Mother.”
“How can I?” Felice held her arms up, helplessly. “I had no idea you felt so strongly about this or I wouldn’t have encouraged Paul to come here.”
“Well now you’re going to have to encourage him to leave.”
Felice’s brow crumpled. “I’m not sure I can. He was angry after he left the bar today. But he is tenacious.”
“Try,” Kylie said, standing up and heading for the door.
“If that’s what you want.” Felice followed her. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Kylie felt marginally better as she walked down the stairs to the parking lot. At least her mother understood her feelings. Maybe now she would respect them and let the Paul thing go.
She headed back down the block toward the restaurant, pausing when she reached the front of the sheriff’s office. Trey’s rig was parked at the curb. She supposed now was as good a time as any, to let him know they had some unwanted visitors. That is if Joey wasn’t right and he didn’t already know.
She pushed through the double doors and stepped inside. The cool air from the air conditioner immediately engulfed her and she sucked it in gratefully. It was scorching outside.
“Can I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked. She was a petite brunette, with a friendly smile. Kylie smiled back.
“I’m looking for Sheriff Callahan. I saw his truck out front and wondered if he has a minute.”
The woman appeared to size her up, with curiosity. “Well, I’ll have to check. He asked me not to disturb him. He’s catching up on paperwork. He doesn’t get a lot of time for that, what with doing rounds and stuff.” The woman pushed a button at her desk and picked up the phone. “Trey, there’s someone here to see you. A—” The woman paused and waited for Kylie to relinquish her name.
“Kylie,” she filled in.
“Kylie,” the woman finished and hung up after a moment. “Say, you’re Faye’s friend from Montana, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“I heard all about you. Your mother was in here asking for directions this morning. Did she find you?”
Great. Kylie grimaced. “Oh yes, she definitely found me.”
“Good. Well, Trey said you could go on back. It’s the last door on your left, down the hall.”
Kylie made her way down the hall and stopped at the last door on the left, which stood open. Trey was inside, sitting behind one of the messiest desks she had ever seen. There were papers everywhere.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said, breaking the silence. “I actually know what each pile is.”
She had to smile at that.
“Come on in.” He stood up and walked toward her.
“I don’t want to interrupt you. Your receptionist said you were busy.”
“I only tell her that when I don’t want to be bothered with more papers. Gotta get through the piles I have first.” He reached around her and shut the door to his office. “So what can I do for you, Ms. Rhodes?”
He was standing close to her and it made her head swim a little. It was crazy what this man was doing to her. “I was in the neighborhood,” she began, almost forgetting why she had stopped by.
“Really.” He reached for her and pulled her into the cradle of his thighs. “I tried calling you earlier. No one answered at the farm.”
“I was at the restaurant. Faye had a surprise for me.”
He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. “Oh yeah? What kind of surprise?”
She couldn’t think w
hile he was licking at her neck that way. “Trey, someone might see us.” In spite of herself, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.
“I shut the door.” His mouth brushed against hers, his tongue quickly darting between her lips. And just like that, she was lost. The kiss seemed to go on and on. He pulled her more tightly against him and she let him. Her control had completely evaporated.
“Trey,” she muttered his name breathlessly.
“Yeah?” His mouth was moving down her neck again.
“We can’t do this here.”
One of his hands had moved under her shirt and was tickling her belly now. The other reached around her and flipped the lock on the door.
She inhaled deeply. She had never wanted anyone like this. She found her own hands pulling at the hem of his T-shirt. The next thing she knew he had lifted her against him and turned them around. She was against the wall and he was reaching down for the clasp on her shorts.
“Trey,” she heard herself groan.
“Sh,” he said, his mouth sliding against hers. He pulled at her shorts and she let him slide them down her legs. She yanked at his belt buckle and then dragged at the buttons of his jeans. They were undone in seconds.
“This is crazy,” she heard herself say breathlessly, as she pulled him free of his pants. He was inside her seconds later and she gasped at the initial invasion. The pleasure was so intense she came apart immediately. She might have screamed if he hadn’t put his hand over her mouth and silenced her. She watched as he thrust against her one last time and then let out a hiss of breath and stilled.
They were both motionless for a moment and then she felt him smile against her neck. She couldn’t help but smile, herself. She had never felt anything like what she had felt with him seconds earlier. It had been the most intense pleasure she had ever experienced.
He lifted his head and met her gaze, his nose bumping against hers softly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better than okay,” she heard herself say. She was so completely content that she didn’t want to move, despite her awkward position against the wall.
He slowly disengaged himself and let her slide to the floor. He grabbed her shorts and handed them to her, before reaching down and adjusting his own clothing back into place. When they were both dressed again, he grinned sheepishly. “Well, how’s that for service from the county sheriff?”
She was dumbfounded at first and then she started laughing. He leaned back against his desk and watched as she tucked in her shirt and went to work putting her hair back into place in a ponytail.
“I can’t believe we just did that,” she finally said, a little awkwardly.
“Actually, me either. I’ve been thinking about you all day and when you walked in here, I just lost it.”
She hooked her fingers in his belt loops. “I guess that means you missed me, huh?”
He brushed at a stray lock of hair near her face. “I guess it does. So why did you really come here? I assume it wasn’t for a booty call.”
She narrowed her eyes, but smiled when he did. “No, it was not, Sheriff. I’m surprised you haven’t already heard, but my mother is in town. I thought I’d better warn you.”
“I met her this morning. She was in here looking for you. That was one of the reasons I tried to call you at the house.”
“You met her already?” This was a surprise. Her mother hadn’t mentioned meeting him. But then why would she? She had no idea her daughter was sleeping with the county sheriff. Thank God.
“I did.” He squeezed her hands and then stepped around her and back to the other side of his desk to sit down. “I also met the obnoxious ass she had with her. He told me he was your fiancé.”
Kylie’s face reddened. “He was lying, Trey. I never told him I would marry him. I did not ask him here. He just showed up with her.”
Trey leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk in front of him. “Do you think we would have done what we just did if I thought he was telling the truth?”
She supposed he had a point.
“Unlock that door for me, will you? If Cia sees it’s locked she’ll think we’re up to no good in here.” He grinned and she rolled her eyes and reached behind her to pop the lock open.
“Faye invited her. I’m really angry about this.”
“Faye invited your mother, not your ex,” Trey said, watching her face, carefully. “I’m assuming he just came along for the ride. What did you say to him?”
“I asked him to get back on the plane and go home?”
He nodded. “That’s good. I can see him becoming a problem.”
“Yes, well, I just got done speaking with my mother. She’s going to have a talk with him, Sheriff, so you don’t have to worry.”
“She’d better,” was all he said.
“Are you going to be able to get away for dinner? Dusty has got something planned at the restaurant. In honor of my mom and all.”
“He called me already. You’ll learn that I know everything that goes on around here, almost before it happens.”
“So Joey said.”
“I have to make a stop and be sure things are okay at the reservation and then I can head over to the restaurant. You want to come with me?” He stood up and grabbed a set of keys from his desk.
She had not been on a reservation since she was a kid. In light of what had happened to her there, she hadn’t planned on going back to one ever again. But the more she stood looking at him, the more she realized she would have to face her demons sooner or later. “I guess that would be okay.”
He grabbed a stack of papers from his desk and headed for his office door. She followed him, waiting while he handed the papers to Cia and gave her instructions on what to do with them. “I’m out for the night. Dooley and Johnson are on and I’ll have my phone. Should be a quiet night.”
“Okay, see ya, Trey,” Cia said, taking the papers.
They headed for his Blazer and climbed inside.
“Does your mother still live on the reservation?” she asked, as she buckled up her seatbelt.
He tossed some sunglasses over his eyes and started the truck up. “She does—with Mamaw, her mother. I have several aunts and uncles that live there. And Elle and Leo still live there too.”
“But you never have?”
He steered the SUV into traffic. “I did for a short time when I was married. I grew up on the farm though. My dad loved the land the farm is on. He worked it every day of his life. While he was there, my mom loved it too. But when he died, she just couldn’t handle things there anymore—even with us there. All of us love it too much to leave.”
“It’s beautiful,” she agreed.
“It is. We don’t work it as much as Pop did. We enjoy it though.”
“I’d be in heaven living there. It’s so peaceful.”
He glanced at her a moment, then turned back to the road. “Yeah, it is. I really missed it when I lived in LA.”
“Speaking of LA, how did things go with Shayna?” She was almost afraid to ruin his good mood by mentioning his ex. He appeared unbothered. He just shrugged his shoulders.
“She’s staying with her parents now. We’re keeping an eye out for the husband though. He’s obviously violent and somewhat dangerous.”
“But she won’t be back to the farm?”
“No, she won’t be back to the farm. I told you that was temporary.”
“Is that why you’re checking on the reservation right now? Don’t they have their own police?” She asked the question that had been nagging her for a while.
“They do. My family lives there. I take care of my own.” He said the words curtly and she could tell she’d hit a nerve.
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“I get that you’re curious about Shayna. I don’t blame you. But I told you not to worry about her.” He rolled his window down as he pulled through some large iron gates that she assumed led to the reservation. He spoke with someone at the gates a
nd then continued down the dirt road.
They drove in silence the rest of the way. He stopped only once and spoke to Leo, who happened to be outside his house, working in the yard. After that, they exited the reservation and headed back to town. Trey parked in the parking lot of the restaurant and they both climbed out.
Faye met them head on, clearly frazzled, as she hurried into the parking lot toward them. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling your cell phone.”
Kylie checked her pockets and realized she must have left her phone at the farm.
“What’s going on?” Trey asked, sliding his sunglasses into the collar of his T-shirt.
“Your mother is here,” Faye said to Kylie. “And she’s not alone.” Faye’s eyes looked nervously from Kylie to Trey and then back again. Immediately, Kylie got the message. Apparently, Paul hadn’t left town yet.
“Oh no,” Kylie heard herself say, before she could stop it.
“He’s insisting on seeing you, Kylie. He says he’ll go after that.”
Kylie felt her heart pound harder. “I thought Mother talked to him.”
Faye could only shrug her shoulders, again eyeing Trey with something akin to worry.
Kylie was getting a little worried, herself. Trey’s expression was void of emotion. She didn’t know what to think of his reaction. He met her gaze.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Do?” she stared at him, dumbly.
“You want me to take him in? He’s borderline stalking.”
“You mean arrest him?” She winced. The idea of sending Paul to jail seemed extreme.
“He’s borderline stalking,” he repeated, clearly growing impatient with this situation.
“He is, Kylie. You’ve asked him to leave and he refuses.” Faye tossed a nervous glance toward the restaurant again. The double doors were opening and there was a crowd of people coming out. One of them was Dusty. In his grasp, he had Paul’s shirt. He shoved Paul roughly toward the parking lot.
“I’m done being nice to you. Beat it!”
“I’m entitled to my drink. I didn’t disturb any peace,” Paul said, standing up and straightening his shirt. “I don’t freaking believe this!” At that point, he turned and saw Kylie standing behind Faye.
After the Rain (The Callahans) Page 12
