WalkingSin

by Lynn LaFleur

  Alaina looked at Rye. “What do you think? Should we wait until spring? The restaurant is scheduled to be finished by March first.”

  “That’s if we don’t get any really bad weather to slow us down.”

  “Then maybe we should have the wedding in the early summer.”

  He shrugged. “It’s up to you. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”

  She frowned. “It doesn’t work that way. I need a little more input from you.”

  “It’s the bride’s day.” He leaned closer and spoke into her ear. “I’ll be happy with the wedding night.”

  Dax chuckled as a lovely blush filled Alaina’s cheeks. She’d lived with Rye since April, yet still blushed when he teased her about sex.

  Emma rolled her eyes. “Men. They always think with their cocks.”

  “I don’t hear any complaints about that when we’re in bed,” Griff said before nipping her neck.

  Still chuckling, Dax glanced at Kelcey to see if she enjoyed the playful banter as much as he did. She held her glass with both hands, staring down into the last drops of wine. She seemed lost, alone, instead of part of the group. He wondered what was going through her mind right now.

  Dax set his empty glass on the pool table behind him. “I have an idea.”

  “Uh oh,” Emma said. “That means trouble.”

  “Actually, I’m going to be nice to my brother and his new fiancée and give them some alone time tonight. Kelcey, you should come home with me.”

  That comment brought her head up in a hurry. Her eyes widened. He thought he saw apprehension flash through them before they narrowed. That nose went back up in the air and she released a snort of laughter. “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m serious. I have two extra bedrooms. One of them has its own bath. You’ll have it all to yourself. Rye and Alaina should have some private time to celebrate their engagement.”

  “You’re very sweet to offer, Dax,” Alaina said, “but it isn’t necessary for Kelcey to leave. She just moved in here yesterday.”

  “I know that. I also know that y’all can be alone in your bedroom no matter who is in the house. But if you and Rye are completely alone, y’all can run around the house naked and you can scream as loud as you want to.”

  Alaina hit Rye’s arm. “You told him I scream?”

  “Ow.” Rye rubbed the spot she’d hit. “I didn’t have to tell him. He can probably hear you at his house.”

  She blushed again as everyone laughed—everyone but Kelcey. Her cheeks as red as Alaina’s, she lowered her head and stared into her wineglass.

  “It’s only for one night. I’ll bring Kelcey back tomorrow in plenty of time to watch the Cowboys’ game.”

  Rye and Griff looked at each other. Dax knew what that look meant—they figured he’d make a move on Kelcey when he got her alone in his house. While the idea tempted him, he hadn’t made the suggestion to get Kelcey alone. He honestly wanted to do something nice for Rye and Alaina.

  He faced Kelcey. “The bedroom has a lock on the door. I won’t bother you.”

  “I’m not worried about that.”

  “Is there something you are worried about?”

  Her gaze touched everyone in the room before she looked at him again. “Of course not.”

  “Okay, so it’s settled.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost eleven. If you’ll get whatever you want to take with you, we’ll head out.”

  “I’ll help you, Kelc,” Emma said, standing.

  “Me too.” Alaina also rose from her chair.

  The three women left the room, Kelcey leading the way. Dax enjoyed the view of them walking out, then turned his head toward his brothers. Neither of them were smiling.

  “What are you doing, Dax?” Griff asked.

  “I’m doing something nice for Rye. Why is that a bad thing?”

  “It isn’t a bad thing, if that’s really what you’re doing and not trying to get in Kelcey’s panties.”

  Dax grinned. “That wouldn’t be a bad thing either.”

  His teasing didn’t earn him the slightest chuckle from his brothers. “Hey, I’m joking. I’m not making a move on Kelcey.”

  “I hope not.” Griff set his empty glass on the table beside his chair. “Kelcey isn’t outgoing like Emma and Alaina. Emma told me Kelcey never dates, that she’d rather stay home and read than go out with a guy.”

  Rye leaned back in his chair. “Sounds like someone hurt her.”

  “I have no intention of hurting Kelcey. I’ll admit I’m attracted to her. Those blue eyes could drive a man to his knees. If I can charm her into my bed, I won’t complain.”

  “She isn’t like the women you usually date, Dax,” Griff said. “She won’t fall into your arms the first time you snap your fingers.”

  “Then I’ll have to work harder. I think she’ll be worth it.”

  * * * * *

  Kelcey laid her toothbrush and toothpaste in the tote on top of her pajamas. “Guess that’s it.”

  “Are you sure you want to go with Dax?” Alaina sat on the bed next to Emma. “You don’t have to leave. You won’t disturb Rye and me if you stay.”

  “I agree with Dax.” Kelcey zipped her tote shut. “You and Rye should have the house to yourselves tonight so you can celebrate your engagement.”

  “You can spend the night with Griff and me, if that would make you feel more comfortable.”

  Kelcey caught herself before her mouth dropped open. Emma’s offer shocked her. Kelcey figured Emma would be the first one to tell her she should take advantage of being alone with Dax. Before she became involved with Griff, Emma had loved to party and went through a couple of different lovers a week. “You’re telling me to give up the chance to jump Dax’s bones?”

  Emma shrugged. “You aren’t the type to jump his bones. Me? In a heartbeat, if I wasn’t so crazy about Griff.”

  “You’re always nagging at me to date. Now I have a handsome hunk inviting me to spend the night at his house and you aren’t telling me to go for it. What’s wrong with this picture?”

  “Maybe I decided it wasn’t right of me to push you. When you’re ready, you’ll find a guy with the perfect bones to jump.”

  I wish. Kelcey picked up her tote. “Dax said we’d be back before the Cowboys’ game. When is that?”

  “Noon,” Alaina said. “Since the guys’ parents are out of town, we won’t go to their house tomorrow for dinner. Emma’s making pizza.”

  Emma stood up as Alaina did. “Perfect football food. We can talk about the wedding during commercials.”

  “The wedding.” Alaina giggled like a girl half her age. “I’m getting married.”

  “You bet you are.” Emma gave her a quick hug. “You’re going to have the most beautiful wedding this town has ever seen.”

  A dull ache settled in the pit of Kelcey’s stomach. She’d never have the man who loved her, the engagement ring, the beautiful wedding. She’d never know how it felt to walk down the aisle toward the man who would be her partner for the rest of her life.

  It hurt. Sometimes it hurt so much, she could barely draw a breath.

  Kelcey tugged the tote straps over her shoulder. Thinking about what she didn’t have, instead of concentrating on all the good things she did have, would only make the pain worse. She walked out of the bedroom and met Dax in the hallway. He slipped the tote from her shoulder.

  “I’ll carry that. Ready to go?”

  “As soon as I get my jacket.”

  She said her goodbyes to everyone and followed Dax outside. The air was crisp and cool with a strong feel of autumn in the air. Though the calendar said it would be Halloween tomorrow, it had been unseasonably warm until a couple days ago. The high today was only seventy-three instead of in the high eighties. Now it truly felt like autumn. She sniffed deeply of the clean air.

  “Yeah, the weather is finally nice.” Dax opened the passenger door of his pickup for her. “I’m glad the heat is gone.”

 
“So am I.”

  She slid onto the seat and watched him close the door, then circle around the hood. The truck smelled like Dax’s profession with the touch of paint and paint thinner. For a reason she didn’t understand, the scent tickled every feminine part of her each time she inhaled.

  He was an incredibly attractive man, she couldn’t deny that. Strong hands gripped the steering wheel. A light dusting of dark hair covered his fingers, the back of his hand and his forearm. Her gaze slowly traveled up his arm. The dark green T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and chest. She continued down his flat stomach to the impressive bulge behind his fly. Part of her had no desire to know what existed behind the denim. Another part of her longed to explore that fascinating male flesh.

  Moments later, Dax drove the pickup into his garage and parked next to a vehicle covered by a gray tarp. Kelcey climbed out and grabbed her tote from the floorboard. He took it from her and closed the door.

  “I can carry my tote. It isn’t heavy.”

  “Let me be a gentleman, okay?”

  She followed him to the door that led into the house. Just like Rye’s house, they stepped into the mudroom. From there, she expected the similarities to end. She imagined Dax’s house to be a bachelor pad done up in gaudy colors, maybe a combination of red and gold and black. She expected to see big screen TVs in every room and paintings of naked women on the walls.

  Instead, she found a cheery kitchen painted in a soft butter yellow with white cabinets. Earth tones made the living room warm and inviting. Photographs of his family and the area around Lanville adorned the walls.

  “Not what you expected?” he asked from behind her.

  “No.” Realizing that sounded rude, she quickly turned to face him. “I mean, you’re single so I thought your house would be more…” She stopped, unsure which descriptive word to use.

  “Decadent? Nasty?”

  “Well…yeah.”

  Dax shrugged. “I like comfort. I wanted my house to feel like a home, not simply a place to shower and sleep.”

  “It’s lovely, Dax.”

  “Mom helped pick out the furniture, just like she did for Rye. Jana picked out most of the furnishings for Griff’s house.” He chuckled. “Emma’s taste is completely different than Jana’s. She’s already talked to me about paint colors. She’s getting rid of every bit of pastel.”

  “Emma likes things bold.”

  “So does Griff, but he always let Jana do whatever she wanted.”

  Some people might consider Griff weak to cater to his wife the way he had. Kelcey thought him loving and romantic.

  “This way to your room.”

  She followed him once again into the hall. Two steps through the doorway, she stopped. Framed photographs lined the walls on both sides of the hallway. More pictures of family, more of scenery. A large sepia photo in a gilded frame of a young, smiling couple caught her attention. Their clothing appeared to be from the early nineteen hundreds. The woman held a small baby in her arms.

  “My great-grandparents,” Dax said. “That’s my grandfather—my dad’s dad—in her arms.”

  “Is this the great-grandfather who was hanged for the murder of Alaina’s ancestor?”

  He nodded. “My grandfather had the original picture. I scanned it, played around with it and fixed the flaws. I had enlargements made and gave everybody one of the framed photos for Christmas last year.”

  Kelcey thought that was a wonderful, thoughtful present. “You’re lucky to have such an incredible picture of your ancestors.”

  “Do you have old pictures of your family?”

  The mention of her family tightened every muscle in Kelcey’s body. “No.” She brushed by him, ignoring his confused look at her abrupt comment. “Which room is mine?”

  He opened the door to a large bedroom, decorated in ivory and coffee. A large four-poster bed dominated one wall, a triple dresser the other. Framed photographs graced the walls here too.

  “Who’s the photographer?”

  “I am.”

  Another surprise. Dax had sides to him Kelcey never expected. She stepped closer and peered at an eight-by-ten of three does standing in a grove of cedar trees, munching on tall grass. “You took this?”

  “Yeah, at the back of my property.”

  “It’s amazing.”

  “Thanks.” He stepped up beside her. “I get a lot of deer through here. I have dozens of pictures on my computer.”

  “I’d love to see them.”

  “Sure.”

  They stood less than a foot apart. She continued to stare into his eyes. Awareness flickered in the brown depths. He glanced at her lips, then her breasts. That look made heat swirl low in her belly.

  Knowing she had to ignore the heat, Kelcey took a step back. Something nudged between her thighs. With a yelp, she whirled around. The biggest German Shepherd she’d ever seen sat behind her, his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  “There you are.” Dax squatted and rubbed the dog behind the ears. “It’s not nice to give my guests a wedgie.”

  The dog had a beautiful, shiny coat. His tail went crazy as Dax petted and talked to him. Her heart melted. Dax obviously loved the dog very much.

  Dax stood, his hand resting on top of the dog’s head. “Kelcey, this is Walker. Walker, this is my guest. Be nice.”

  Walker lifted one paw toward Kelcey. Laughing in delight, she shook it. “Can I pet him?”

  “Yeah, but once you start he doesn’t want you to stop.”

  Kelcey dropped to her knees. Walker lowered his head and whined softly. He inched toward her until she buried her hands in the soft fur at his neck. Walker rewarded her with a lick on her cheek.

  Dax smiled. “He likes you. He’s usually stingy with his kisses.”

  “He’s so beautiful.” Walker tilted his head back when Kelcey scratched beneath his chin. “How old is he?”

  “Four years. I got him when he was about two months old. There was a lot of frustration when he went through the chewing stage, but we made it past that. He’s been a great dog. No one comes in the house if Walker doesn’t want them to.”

  Kelcey continued to scratch Walker’s chin and ear. She glanced up at Dax. He ran his hand down Walker’s back, over and over, but his gaze focused on her.

  “This is unusual, Kelcey. Walker doesn’t normally take to a person this quickly. He was around Emma three or four times before he’d let her touch him.”

  “Does he like her now?”

  “Yeah. But I think part of that is because she sneaks pieces of prime rib to him.”

  Kelcey laughed. It felt good to be here with Dax, which surprised her. She normally avoided being alone with a man. Having the huge dog between them gave her a sense of security, as if nothing bad could happen to her as long as she had Walker close.

  “Well, fella,” Dax said, ruffling the top of Walker’s head, “shall we get out of here and let the lady get some sleep?”

  The dog answered with a soft “Woof.”

  Dax offered his hand to help her stand. Once on her feet, she bent over to give Walker one last scratch behind his ears. “It was nice to meet you, Walker.” Straightening again, she looked at Dax. “Good night.”

  He winked. “Good night.”

  Dax headed for the door. Instead of following his master, Walker moved closer to Kelcey until he leaned against her leg. Dax stopped in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder at the dog.

  “Walker. C’mon.”

  Walker whined and rubbed his head against Kelcey’s leg. Confusion passed over Dax’s face. “He’s never done that. It’s like he’s protecting you.” Dax patted his thigh. “Walker. Let’s go, fella.”

  The dog whined again and looked up at Kelcey. She smiled and scratched behind his ear. “You want to stay with me?”

  He answered her question with a loud “Woof!”

  “He sleeps at the foot of my bed,” Dax said. “He’ll want to sleep on yours too.”

  “Tha
t’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  Walker ran over to the bed and jumped up on the foot. He turned in a circle, then lay on his stomach with his head between his paws. He looked back and forth between Kelcey and Dax, as if making sure they wouldn’t change their mind.

  “That is the weirdest thing he’s ever done. You really made an impression on him.” Dax playfully scowled at his dog. “Traitor.”

  Walker responded to Dax by blowing out a breath through his nose and closing his eyes.

  Dax shook his head while Kelcey laughed. “If he bothers you, tell him to leave.”

  “He won’t bother me.”

  “Okay. Guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Dax looked at her another moment, then backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  Kelcey slipped into her jersey pajamas. After touching the light switch to turn off the lamps on either side of the bed, she slid between the crisp cotton sheets. Walker moved enough to rest his head on her feet. The weight comforted her. With a sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes.

  Chapter Three

  “Damn, she’s a pretty little thing.”

  “We shouldn’t be in here, Kirt.”

  “Who’s gonna know? I won’t tell anyone and neither will you.”

  The male voices seeped into Kelcey’s consciousness. She frowned. She didn’t want to wake up. She was dreaming of the new dollhouse her mom had promised to buy her for her birthday tomorrow. It would be even bigger and better than the one she had now, the biggest and bestest one ever made.

  “You wanna do this as much as I do, Frank. Admit it.”

  “It isn’t right.”

  “That boner in your pants says otherwise.”

  “Claudia will be really pissed if she finds out.”

  “Our sister won’t find out. I’ll make sure of that.”

  A cool draft passed over her legs. Kelcey frowned again and blindly reached for the covers. Instead, she felt a hand on her hip. Her eyes flew open. Her two uncles stood beside her bed. Still groggy from sleep, she blinked to bring them into focus. They shouldn’t be here. It was dark outside and everyone should be in bed.

  “Hi, baby,” her Uncle Kirt said. He sat on the edge of her bed, his hand still on her hip. “Sleeping good?”