Moments later, her cell phone vibrated in her hand. Glancing at the numbers, she wondered who it could be since not too many people had her number and this one looked local.
“Hello?”
“Laurel?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“It’s Kale.”
I gave him my home number, not my cell.
“How did you get this number?”
“You have it on your answering machine at home and you gave me that number last night, remember?”
Crap. I forgot about putting it on the answering machine. “Um, yeah. What can I do for you?”
“I want to talk about what happened this morning. Can I buy you dinner?”
The ability to talk disappeared while she chewed her lips and contemplated seeing him again. He wanted to know more about her and her life. The thought terrified her and she wasn’t ready to give into the temptation of Kale Dunn for anything other than sex—not yet.
Hesitation and avoidance had to be clear in her voice when she said, “Um, I can’t tonight. I’m working.”
“I thought you told me you were off tonight?”
“I was, but something has come up and the department needs me. I’m in the middle of trying to figure out where I can find someone to watch my daughter for me.” Back and forth she walked, not paying attention to the hurry of feet or the blare of police radios. “I’m sorry, Kale. I really can’t talk now.”
“I’ll do it.”
“What?”
“I’ll watch your daughter for a few hours.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?”
“How much experience do you have watching a three year old?” The pause on the line answered her question. “I appreciate you volunteering, but I think you would be so out of your league with her. I’d probably find you sitting in one of your dining room chairs with one of those ropes you cowboys use, wrapped around you, when I got back.”
A warm chuckle reached her ear through the phone line. She closed her eyes at the sound, reliving it and their rendezvous from this morning, in her mind.
“All right. I’ll tell you what. Let me make a phone call and see if a friend of mine would be willing to watch her for you. She’s great with kids.”
“She?” Jealousy raced down Laurel’s back and she chided herself.
“Yeah. Natalie is married to my best friend and she’s an elementary teacher. Let me call her real quick and I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
Natalie? Isn’t that the name of the woman I heard the ladies at the picnic table talking about?
“Red?”
“Sorry. My mind drifted there for a minute.” She inhaled a steadying breath and said, “Okay. I would appreciate any help. I’m at wits end here. The lady who normally sits for me has an appointment and I can’t ask my sister. Jeff’s home and I won’t let Kimmy go over there.”
“I’m sure it will be fine, but I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks, Kale,” she murmured, her heart thumping loud in her ears.
“Talk to you in a minute or two.”
The phone disconnected with a click and she flipped hers shut. Thoughts zipped across her mind even as she tried to corral them. Who is this Natalie to Kale? Those women mentioned Kale and someone named Cade. Should I ask? Hell no! He would get the impression I’m jealous or something.
“Did you find someone to watch your daughter?” Jim asked as she wandered back to his patrol car.
“I’m not sure.”
“You better figure it out soon. The chief is getting antsy.”
“I know. I’m waiting for a phone call from someone.”
Her cell phone vibrated in her hand and the screen showed the same number Kale called from earlier.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Red.” The nickname had started to grow on her especially coming from Kale's lips. “Nat said she would watch your daughter for you. I’ll have to pick her up and take her out to their house though. Her son is down for a nap right now and Cade isn’t home at the moment.”
A heavy sigh left her lips as she glanced at Kimmy still sitting in the patrol car while she chatted like a magpie to Jim. “All right. I don’t have a choice I guess.”
“Where are you and I’ll come and get her.”
“No, meet me at my apartment. I need to get her car seat out of my car and I’m at the park on Fourth.”
“It’ll take me about ten minutes to get there anyway. Can you get home before then?”
“Yeah. No problem.” The address of her apartment complex rolled off her tongue. “Apartment two-ten.”
“Great. I’ll see you in a few.”
Once he hung up, she told Kimmy to stay there with Jim for another minute and walked to where the chief stood talking with two officers.
“Officer Hayes. What’s the verdict?”
“I’ll be able to investigate, sir. I’ve got a friend coming over to pick up my daughter, but I need to go back to my apartment and get her a few things. Will it be all right if I come back in say an hour?”
The chief stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets and rolled back on his heels as he squinted at her. Trepidation rolled down her back. The look on his face didn’t bode well, but she was probably the most experienced officer on their force with homicide investigation.
“One hour. I expect you back here before two.”
“Yes sir.”
Not wasting any time, Laurel gathered up Kimberly and walked back to her apartment to get ready for Kale.
“Hey baby girl, I need you to be a big girl for mommy, okay? I have a friend coming over to pick you up and take you somewhere to stay while mommy works for a few hours.” Kimberly’s lip came out in a pout and Laurel felt like a heel. Today should have been their day together, but here she was pawning her daughter off some strangers. “I promise we will do something special tomorrow, all right? We’ll go for ice cream.”
Kimmy nodded, but Laurel knew she wasn’t happy.
“Let’s get you some clean clothes and a few of your toys packed in your backpack.”
The two of them went into her daughter’s room hand-in-hand and she let Kimmy pick out which toys she wanted to take, along with a pair of clean clothes and pajamas, just in case she would be later than she thought.
Several minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. Her stomach flipped over itself knowing Kale stood on the other side. Wiping sweaty palms down her pant legs, she tried to calm her shaking hands before she opened the door.
Blowing out a ragged breath, she pulled open the wooden panel and plastered a smile on her face so he wouldn’t know how nervous she felt facing him again this soon.
Damn, he looks good. Brown eyes twinkled and the smile she knew could turn her upside down graced his lips.
“Hi.”
“Hi. Come on in,” she replied, waving him inside with a sweep of her hand. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No thanks. I’m fine.”
You certainly are.
She cleared her throat and shut the front door before she turned and faced him. “Um. Have a seat.”
“Nice place.”
“Thanks. It’s not much, but we don’t need a lot.”
Moments later, her little blue-eyed blonde, came rushing into the living room and wrapped her arms around her leg.
“This is Kimberly,” she said, glancing down at her daughter and then up at Kale.
He got down on his haunches at her feet so he was about Kimberly’s height. “Hi pretty girl. I’m Kale.”
Kimmy hid her face behind Laurel’s leg, but peeked out and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Laurel got down on her knees and wrapped her arm around her daughter’s waist.
“Baby girl, this is Kale. He’s a friend of mine. He’s going to take you somewhere to stay while mommy works, but I’ll come and get you later on today. Okay?”
Blonde curls bounced when her daughter shook her head.
“Kimmy, lis
ten,” Kale said, running his big hand down the little girl’s back. “You’ll have fun where I’m taking you. My friend is going to watch you and she has a couple more kids over there today for you to play with.”
“Oh?” Laurel asked, confused because he hadn’t mentioned other children.
“Nat invited a couple of her friends over who have kids about Kimberly’s age so she would have someone to play with.”
“She didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but it’s the way Natalie is. You’ll like her.”
I doubt it if she’s had sex with you.
“And Kimmy? Natalie has horses and two big dogs for you to play with.”
“Doggie?” Kimmy asked in her little, tentative voice.
“Do you like dogs?” Kale asked, eyeing Laurel with his questioning glance.
“We haven’t had one, but one of our neighbors in Los Angeles had a couple.”
“She’s not afraid of them, is she?”
A snort left her mouth. Kimberly wasn’t afraid of anything. “No. She loves animals.”
“Good.” He stood and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Shall we get her car seat and stuff?”
“Yeah. I’ll grab her bag and be right back. We can walk out together and get her seat out of my car.” She returned a few moments later with Kimberly’s backpack. “All set.”
“Great.” Kale reached for the door handle, swung open the door and held it for her and Kimmy.
Laurel locked up everything tight and took her daughter’s hand to walk down the stairs, fully aware of the devastatingly handsome man bringing up the rear and probably checking out her ass at the same time. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed her suspicions when she caught Kale’s gaze resting on her backside.
“What?” he asked innocently with his beguiling smile.
She rolled her eyes and kept walking. They reached her car and she unlocked it to grab Kimberly’s seat. Kale took it from her hands and they moved toward his truck.
After the seat was buckled in and Kimmy had been strapped into the seat, she kissed her daughter and stepped back.
“Do I get one, too?” Kale asked with his little boy pouty look.
“No,” she snapped a little too harshly.
“Don’t be such a hardass, Laurel, but then again, I didn’t mind your ass this morning.”
A strand of red hair drifted across her cheek and she watched as he captured it with his fingers to tuck it behind her ear. The smallest touch of his hands made her tremble and wish things could be different. “Look, Kale. I appreciate you doing this for me and I’m thankful to your friend for watching her. But let me get something straight. What happened earlier was a mistake.”
One dark manly eyebrow shot up. “Mistake?”
“Yes. Nothing good can come of any kind of relationship between us. I’m not looking—”
He pressed a finger against her lips and stopped her words.
“I’m not looking for a relationship, Laurel. I asked questions about you this morning because I’m not the type of guy who hooks up with a woman, has sex with her and then moves on without even knowing her name. You are fascinating, sexy-as-hell and I’d like to get to know you a little better before we have sex again.”
She brushed his hand away from her mouth and said, “Again?”
The rough pad of two of his fingers trailed down her cheek and the warmth of his breath flittered against her lips. “Yes, again. You frustrated me this morning with your evasive answers, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want you. I’m far from finished with you.”
Her gaze skimmed down his chest and came to rest on the bulge behind his fly. She knew what it felt like to have him buried inside her and God help her; she wanted it again and again. A callused finger under her chin brought her gaze back to his face.
“Call me when you’re done doing whatever it is you need to do this afternoon and we’ll go out and pick up your daughter together.”
He brushed his lips over hers in a soft, non-demanding kiss that left her wanting a lot more.
Chapter Five
Kale slipped into the cab of his truck and glanced at the blonde tike in her car seat. Even if Laurel didn’t think she looked like her mother, he could see the devilish glint in those blue eyes and the wrap-your-heart-around-my-finger smile on the kid’s lips.
“Shall we go find you some other kids to play with, Kimmy?”
Twin dimples peeked out of her cheeks when she smiled and his heart was gone. Both of her feet bobbed up and down while she bounced in her car seat. “Yes!”
He laughed at her enthusiastic bobbing and knew Natalie would be in heaven with this little bit of a girl at her house. “Well, you obviously know that word rather well, huh?”
The truck turned over with a twist of the key and when he glanced in the rearview mirror, the worried look on Laurel’s face tore his heart in two. The love shinning in her eyes for her daughter spoke volumes to Kale’s spirit and he knew he had to be careful or she would have him roped and tied in no time at all.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into Natalie and Cade’s place on the outskirts of town. The quaint wood trimmed, white house sat back off the road surrounded by pasture. Cade had built this place himself over time almost like he knew Natalie would be sharing it with him.
“Doggie!” Kimberly squealed when the dogs ran up to the side of the truck barking their fool heads off.
Kale slipped out of the driver’s side and walked around to get Kimberly out of the car seat.
“Hey,” Natalie said, coming up behind him.
“Hey, Nat.”
“So this is your girlfriend’s daughter?”
He spun around and saw the teasing glint in her eyes and the saucy grin on her lips. “Laurel isn’t my girlfriend,” he replied, pulling open the door on the passenger side. “She’s a friend.” Once the car seat was unbuckled, he lifted Kimberly from the truck and set her on the ground.
“Doggie!” the little girl screamed and ran toward the big white dog sitting on his butt with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Kale knew the dog wouldn’t hurt Laurel’s daughter except maybe to lick her to death.
“Just a friend, huh?” Natalie teased, stopping next to him and cocking her head before she reached up and wiped something from his lip. Holding her thumb up for his inspection revealed a smear of strawberry colored lipstick. “Have you slept with her?”
“None of your business.”
“Never mind. You just told me the answer.”
A heavy sigh rushed from between his lips and he glanced at the barn in the distance.
“How long have you known her and why didn’t you tell me about her when we caught you at the bar the other night?”
“It’s not like anything is going on, Natalie. She moved to town not long ago and I met her at the bar about a few days ago.”
“A bar fly?”
The snort from his mouth made her smile. “Not even close. Laurel is a cop.”
“Really. Interesting.”
“Are you going to be all right watching Kimberly? She’s not going to be too much trouble is she?” he asked, scuffing the ground with the tip of his boot.
“Please, Kale,” she huffed and rolled her eyes. “I take care of twenty-five six year olds every day. Karen and Audrey should be here soon with Jacob and Anna so she’ll have some other kids to play with.”
“How’s my godson by the way?” he asked while he kept an eye on Kimberly running around the yard chasing Natalie and Cade’s white German shepherd.
“Getting big. You need to come out for dinner next week or something. You haven’t been out for a while.”
“I know. Things are getting busy at my place and I’m down a man now.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I had to fire one of my guys the other day.”
“Fire him, why?”
“Seems he’s been heavy-handed with his wife and it’s something I won’t tolerate.”
> “How did you hear about it?”
He scuffed his boot in the dirt again, debating on how much to tell Natalie since it all came back around to Laurel and his friend sure didn’t need to grab onto anything else to do with Red.
“Fess up, Kale. You’re keeping something from me. I can tell. I’ve known you way too long.”
“All right, fine. The night I met Kimmy’s mom, she came into the bar and decked Jeff Cox. It seems he had been beatin’ on his wife who is Laurel’s sister. Laurel took matters into her own hands, came to the bar and laid Jeff out on the floor.”
Her eyes widened and she put her hands on her hips. “Seriously? She hit him?”
“Not only did she hit him, but she dropped him with one punch.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I told him I wanted to see him in the mornin’ and to bring his gear. He was done on my place.”
A white truck rumbled down the driveway toward the house.
“Must be Karen and Audrey.”
“I’ll leave you to your friends then. I’ve got a few things to do at my place, but when Laurel calls me, I’ll call you and let you know when we’ll be coming by to pick up Kimberly.”
“Did she say what was going on?”
“No and I didn’t pry. It’s not my business, but I know it had to do with police work,” he replied, pulling out his truck key. “Thanks again for watching her, Nat. You’re the best.”
“Remember that when I bug you for more details later on. And I’m really looking forward to meeting Laurel.”
“Great,” he grumbled, pulling his cowboy hat down lower on his forehead.
“I heard you.”
“Good.”
She kissed him on the cheek and then turned to wait for her friends to unload from the car. The other two women waved and he raised his hand to wave back.
Climbing into his truck, he sat for a moment and watched Natalie while she greeted her friends and then chased Kimberly down to take her into the house. He often wondered if Natalie felt any self-conscious issues having to do with him, but her attitude when they were around each other didn’t let on anything was amiss. The one and only time the two of them had sex was when he and Cade had a threesome with her. The friendship between her, him and Cade might seem weird to some people, especially if they knew about what happened. Not like he told anyone, but he knew people talked.
Before The Night Is Over Page 7
