by Lynn LaFleur
“Dax could work on you if we were home,” Emma said.
Kelcey swirled a French fry through the ketchup on her plate. “I don’t want Dax to work on me again.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t.”
“Well, you know that answer isn’t going to satisfy me.”
“Or me,” Alaina said.
Yes, Kelcey knew all too well that she couldn’t be evasive with her two friends. She laid the fry back on her plate. “Because I did the incredibly stupid thing of falling in love with Dax and I don’t want him touching me when I know I’m nothing to him but a sex partner.”
It wasn’t often Kelcey could render her friends speechless, but her statement did it. Instead of waiting for the barrage of questions they would ask, she decided to tell them everything.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.” She released a humorless laugh. “I didn’t even like Dax at first. I thought he was nothing but a conceited, selfish womanizer. He proved me wrong with the way he loves Walker, and how much he cares for his friends and family. It blew me away when I learned he gives massages for free, just because he wants to help his friends. That’s so generous. And completely out of character for a supposed selfish person.”
“I could’ve told you Dax isn’t selfish,” Alaina said. “Just because he’s slept with a lot of women doesn’t make him a bad person.”
“Yeah,” Emma said. “I’ve been with a lot of guys. You don’t think I’m a bad person, do you?”
“Of course not. Sleeping with several partners doesn’t make anyone bad. And that’s beside the point. I was wrong about Dax. Once I got to know him, I realized what a caring person he is. That’s the man I fell in love with. How could you not love a man who’s so wonderful with his dog?”
“Did you tell him how you feel?” Alaina asked.
Kelcey shook her head. “There would’ve been no point in doing that. He isn’t interested in anything serious with one woman.”
“I wasn’t interested in one guy either until I met Griff.” Emma swished her straw through her Coke. “I never planned to fall in love, wasn’t the least bit tempted to fall in love. One look at Griff and I lost my heart. There’s no reason why Dax can’t feel the same way about you.”
It was a lovely thought, but Kelcey doubted it would happen. Dax had spent thirty-two years as a happy bachelor. She didn’t believe he would ever want to be involved with only one woman.
“I agree with you, Emma, that it can happen. But I feel here,” she said, touching her stomach, “deep down inside that Dax isn’t like that. Will he fall in love someday? Maybe. But I can’t keep seeing him, hoping for that, and end up with my heart broken.” She blinked several times to keep tears from forming in her eyes. “Dax helped me get past what my uncles did to me. It’s a fresh start for me, a new beginning. Maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams here in Lanville.”
“You already did,” Alaina said softly.
If her friends kept up this conversation, Kelcey would burst into tears at any moment. “Okay, that’s enough of that topic. We have shopping to do.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Emma reached for the check next to Kelcey’s elbow, but Kelcey snatched it away from her. “Hey!” Emma said, frowning. “I offered to buy lunch.”
Kelcey shook her head. “Nope. My treat. I’m celebrating, remember? Besides, I haven’t used my credit card in weeks. My bank will think I don’t love them anymore.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want your bank to be mad at you.” Emma reached for her purse hooked over the back of her chair. “Let’s walk down to the bookstore. I finished my book last night, so need something new to read. Preferably something hot and sexy.”
“You always read something hot and sexy,” Alaina said as she stood.
“Erotic books are more fun.”
Chuckling, Kelcey followed her friends to the cash register. As long as she had Alaina and Emma in her life, she could handle anything. Even unrequited love.
* * * * *
Dax leaned over the pot of chili and took a deep sniff. His stomach rumbled loudly. “Man, that smells good. Isn’t it done yet?”
Griff chuckled. “Soon. You have no patience, Dax.”
“Not when it comes to food and my empty stomach.”
“Why don’t you finish looking at those paint samples Emma picked out while I finish lunch?”
“You’re making cornbread too, right?”
Griff pointed toward the door that led out of the kitchen and into the family room. “Out of my kitchen, Dax!”
“Sheesh. A guy can’t even make a request around here.”
Stepping into the family room, Dax found Rye sprawled in the recliner, studying a spreadsheet on his open laptop. “Problem, bro?”
“No. Just doing some figures on the work at Alaina’s place. I promised her a final bill by next Saturday.”
Dax flopped down on the couch across from Rye. “I can’t believe you’re charging her for our work. She’s gonna be your wife, man. Charge her what’s necessary to pay our guys and cover supplies, but not for what you, me and Griff did.”
“She insisted I charge her what I would charge any other customer.” He looked over the laptop and grinned at Dax. “She doesn’t know about the fiancée discount.”
Dax returned his brother’s grin. “You sneaky devil.”
“Gotta take care of my lady wherever I can.”
Rye’s words had an image of Kelcey flashing through Dax’s mind. He remembered her lying on his massage table as he’d worked on her. He enjoyed giving massages, knowing they helped his friends feel better. With Kelcey, it had been more. He’d needed to help her, to ease her pain any way he could. Whenever he saw her wince in pain, a little part of him died inside. He wanted to hold her until she didn’t hurt any longer.
“Where are you, Dax?” Rye asked.
Dax looked at his brother. “What?”
“I asked where you are. I lost you.”
Dax spread his arms wide. “I’m right here.”
“Maybe in body, but not in mind. What’s up?”
“Cornbread’s in the oven.” Griff stepped into the room, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. “We’ll eat in about twenty minutes.” He looked from Dax to Rye. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out from Dax.”
“Nothing’s going on! I was thinking. A guy isn’t allowed to think?”
“What are you thinking about?” Rye asked.
“Or maybe we should ask who.” Griff sat on the other end of the couch from Dax. “I’m guessing Kelcey.”
“No.” The lie tasted sour on his tongue. Better that than catching grief from his brothers. “Why would I be thinking about Kelcey?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Rye said. “Maybe because you love her.”
The automatic denial almost came out of Dax’s mouth. He stopped before he uttered it. He honestly didn’t know how he felt about Kelcey. He wanted to be with her, he knew that. Their lovemaking was incredible, yet he didn’t need sex to be happy to be with her. He enjoyed her company more than any woman he’d ever been with.
“No arguments?” Griff asked. “No telling us we don’t know what we’re talking about?”
“Not this time.”
“What’s going on between y’all?” Rye asked.
“Nothing. Unfortunately.”
“She spent Monday and Tuesday nights with you.”
“Yeah, but she had that car accident Monday. That’s why she was at my house. And then I asked her over for a massage Tuesday. I swear I didn’t plan to seduce her.”
“Alaina told me Kelcey seduced you.”
Of course Rye would know that because Alaina would’ve told him. And Griff probably knew too, since Alaina would’ve told Emma and Emma would’ve told Griff. Dax wondered if there was anything those three friends didn’t discuss. “Well, yeah, she did, Monday. I started things on Tuesday.”
Griff stretched one arm along th
e back of the couch. “But she didn’t fight you.”
“No. It was consensual.” Dax leaned forward, clasped his hands together between his knees. “It was consensual Wednesday too, but then she told me she doesn’t want to see me anymore, that she doesn’t want to be just another sex partner.”
“How do you feel about that?” Rye asked.
“Hell, I don’t know.” Dax ran one hand over his face. “And the fact that I’m talking to y’all about feelings is completely wrong.”
Griff tossed the dishtowel at Dax. “Afraid you’ll lose your membership in the Macho Club?”
Dax chuckled. “Something like that.”
“There’s a simple way to figure out how you feel about Kelcey,” Rye said. “Think about the women you usually date. Do you give any of them another thought once you’re away from them?”
Easy question to answer. “No.”
“Do you think about Kelcey when you’re away from her?”
Dax nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do you want to be with her all the time?”
“Yeah to that one too.”
“Can you imagine your life without her?”
It hurt deep in his gut at the possibility of not having her in his life. “No.”
“Sounds like love to me,” Griff said.
Dax blew out a breath. “So what the hell am I supposed to do about it?”
“Tell her how you feel.” Griff punched him on the arm. “You’ll only choke up a couple of times before you get the words out.”
“Gee thanks, bro.” Dax scowled at his brothers when they laughed. “I fail to see the humor in this. How does a guy grovel and keep his balls at the same time?”
“It ain’t easy,” Rye admitted.
“But worth it,” Griff said. “Every minute with the woman you love is precious. Don’t waste too much time before you talk to Kelcey.”
Dax rubbed his hands together. “Shit, my palms are sweaty.”
His brothers laughed again. This time, Dax joined them.
The timer on the oven rang. Dax jumped up. “Hot damn! Food’s done.”
Rye set his laptop on the small table beside his chair. “I guess that means serious talk is over.”
“Damn straight.” Dax headed for the doorway into the kitchen. “Let’s eat.”
* * * * *
He sipped his coffee as he scrolled through the information on his laptop, searching for any new evidence of where Kelcey might be. At least the sun shone through the window of his hotel room, unlike the clouds that had filled the sky the last few days. It would be much more pleasant to be outside in the sunshine, should something appear to give him a clue where she might be.
Two credit card transactions caused him to stop scrolling. Kelcey had done some shopping and eating out yesterday. Jotting down the names of the businesses where she’d used her card, he opened another window on his browser. A quick search showed him both businesses were located in a town called Lanville. Another search and he discovered Lanville had a population of around 3,000 and was about an hour’s drive away.
He smiled. It was a perfect day for a drive.
* * * * *
Trying to decide how to talk to Kelcey kept Dax awake most of the night. He considered calling her at least a dozen times. He even considered walking over to Rye’s place to see her. The uncertainty of what to say to her kept him in his house.
The first football game would start in fifteen minutes. His dad or one of his brothers would call if he wasn’t at his parents’ house by noon to watch the game with them. Kelcey would arrive with Alaina and Emma shortly to help prepare the big Sunday family dinner. If he didn’t show up for that, his mother would demand to know why he wasn’t there. He couldn’t claim sickness or she’d show up at his house with soup and a thermometer.
Being a coward sucked big-time.
Walker looked up at him with an it’s-time-to-go look. Even his dog wouldn’t let him put off going to his parents’ house. “You’re supposed to me on my side.”
Tilting his head, Walker let out a soft, “Woof.”
“Yeah, yeah, you just want to see Kelcey.”
The mention of Kelcey’s name had Walker running to the back door and releasing a more forceful bark. Knowing he couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer, he walked to the back door and let Walker out in the sunshine. The dog ran off into the trees, probably to chase a small animal. By the time Dax made it to his pickup, he knew Walker would be there to jump up in the back for the two-mile ride to Dax’s parents’ house.
All the vehicles parked in front of his parents’ house proved to Dax that he was the last to arrive. He didn’t see Kelcey’s car, but assumed she’d ridden over with Rye and Alaina. Taking a breath for courage, he climbed out of the pickup. Whistling for Walker, who had already taken off to explore, he headed for the back door.
The kitchen was chaos, as usual. The four women scurried around the room, preparing the feast that would be served in three hours. The scent of roasting beef already filled the air. Dax’s gaze snapped to Kelcey and his heart seemed to swell in his chest. She stood at the counter, peeling potatoes. She looked beautiful with her hair pulled up on top of her head. Faded jeans covered her legs, a short-sleeved blue T-shirt that matched her eyes flowed over her breasts.
Walker passed him and went directly to Kelcey. Smiling brightly, she dried her hands, dropped to her knees and buried her fingers in his fur.
“Hey, Walker.” She laughed when he swiped his tongue over her cheek. “Emma’s cooking her famous prime rib. I’ll make sure you get a nice big piece.”
Still petting the dog, she looked up at Dax. He frowned. She moved her neck much too slowly.
“Dax, you’re here. It’s about time.” Emma grabbed Kelcey’s arm and tugged her back to her feet. “You have to work on Kelcey’s neck. She can barely move it.”
“Emma, I’m fi—”
“Don’t you dare tell me you’re fine when I know better.” Grabbing Dax’s arm with her free hand, Emma tugged them both down the hallway to his parents’ bedroom. “Your dad set up your mom’s massage chair in here. The massage oil is on the nightstand.” She pointed a finger at each of them. “I don’t want to see either of you out of this room until Kelcey is better. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dax said.
Emma left, closing the door behind her.
Dax blew out a breath. “She’s like a tornado, isn’t she?”
“Definitely.” Kelcey stared at the purple contraption in the middle of his parents’ bedroom. “What is that?”
“It’s a massage chair. You sit down, kneel on the leg rests, lay your hands on the arm rests and place your face in the hole. My mom bought it and usually keeps it in her craft room. After scrapbooking for a while, her neck gets really stiff. I come over once a week or so and work on her.”
“It’s better than your table?”
“It’s different than my table. Sometimes Mom gets a full-body massage, but I usually just work on her neck here.”
“Oh.”
She looked very uncomfortable, and Dax suspected her discomfort wasn’t completely due to her neck hurting. She obviously didn’t want him touching her again. “I just want to help you, Kelcey.”
She looked into his eyes. “I know that.”
“You’ll need to take off your shirt, but that’s all.”
Despite the intimacy they’d shared, a blush crept into her cheeks. Wanting to give her a little privacy, Dax jerked his thumb toward his parents’ private bathroom. “I’ll wash my hands while you get ready.”
He came back into the bedroom to find Kelcey on the chair as he’d instructed. She’d removed her blouse, but left on her pale blue bra. It looked feminine and sexy against her ivory skin. A flick of his thumb and he could have it unsnapped in a few seconds…
You’re here to help her, not try to seduce her.
Dax squirted a generous amount of oil into his palms and laid them on Kelcey’s shoulders. She tens
ed beneath his touch.
“Take a deep breath and relax. Trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“I hope so, because I would never hurt you.” He ran his thumbs up and down the back of her neck. “How long has your neck been hurting?”
“Off and on since Friday.”
“This should help you for now, but I’d like to get you back on my table again.”
She remained silent for several moments. “That isn’t a good idea, Dax.”
“Why not?”
“You know why not.”
“Tell me anyway. Refresh my memory.”
Her shoulders tightened, as if she was about to lift up. Dax gently pressed down on them so she couldn’t move. “Sometimes talking is easier if you don’t look the other person in the eyes.”
Silence again. When she didn’t speak for almost a minute, Dax decided it was up to him to break the silence…to tell her everything he felt.
“Okay, if you don’t want to talk, I will. I’ve missed you, Kelcey. I’ve never missed a woman once the sex was over. I never gave her another thought. It’s been different with you. I enjoy being with you both in and out of bed. I like the way your nose wrinkles when you laugh. I like the way your eyes sparkle when you’re happy. I like how you don’t hold back your opinion on my photographs, but always tell me the truth. I like how much Walker loves you. I like how much you care about Alaina and Emma.”
He stopped to give her a chance to comment, if she wanted to. He waited almost a minute again.
“What are you saying, Dax?”
He leaned over so he could speak directly into her ear. “I’m saying, I love you.”
She lifted her head very slowly. Eyes wide, lips parted, she stared at him. “What?”
“I’m pretty sure you heard me.”
“You love me?”
He nodded. “So much, I don’t know how to put it into words.”
Tears filling her eyes, she raised one trembling hand and touched his lips. “I love you too.”
