“How’s the house?” Aurora asked. “It’s so old. Are you really going to be able to fix it up?”
“Sure. It won’t be too much work, and I’ll enjoy the challenge.” Kari pressed her lips together. She felt both startled to hear from her mother and guilty about the house. Her grandmother, Aurora’s mother, had left it to her, not her mother. Of course, her mother had never been around. She and Kari’s father had been traveling the world.
“I think your plan to sell it is a good one,” her mother said. “I had thought you might want to keep it for old time’s sake.”
“I don’t want to do that.” Kari drew in a breath. “So, um, how’s Houston?”
“Hot and humid.” Aurora sighed. “I can’t wait for your father’s next assignment. We should be heading overseas soon. I’m hoping for something in the Far East, but you know the company. We never know for sure until he gets his assignment.”
There was a pause and then, “Are you sure you’ll be all right there in Possum Landing, darling? It’s such a small, stifling town. You could always hire someone to update the house, and stay with us for a few weeks.”
Kari felt a surge of irritation. The invitation was coming a few years too late. “I’ll be fine here,” she said. “I’m enjoying reminiscing.”
“I don’t understand why you would want to stay in Texas after living in New York, but it’s your choice.” She paused, then said, “I was thinking of coming up for a quick visit in the next few weeks.”
Kari stiffened. “Sure. That would be great.” What she really wanted to ask was “why?” but she didn’t. Aurora had many faults, but since being cruel wasn’t one of them, Kari refused to be cruel herself.
“I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.”
“Okay. Well, I need to get back to work. I’m starting the painting.”
“All right, darling. You take care of yourself.”
“You, too, Mom.”
Kari said goodbye, then hung up. She stood in the kitchen for several minutes, trying to recapture her good mood. When it didn’t happen, she figured Gage was the best antidote for a burst emotional bubble and headed up the stairs.
“You’re late,” he complained, the second she walked into the room. “I’m going to have to—” He broke off and stared at her. “What happened? Bad news?”
“No. Just my mom calling.”
“And?”
“And nothing. She might come to visit.”
Gage didn’t say anything. He clearly remembered that her relationship with Aurora had always been difficult.
She shrugged and moved toward the tray of primer he’d set up for her. “I know I should let it go.”
“No one is saying you have to.”
“I guess.” She walked to the last bare wall. “It’s just that I can’t get past what she did. I mean, why have a kid if you’re just going to abandon it?”
She hunched her shoulders, anticipating that he would defend Aurora’s decision, but he didn’t.
Kari was grateful. Sometimes she was okay with the past—mostly when she was happy in her life and her mother didn’t call. But sometimes she felt the same sense of loss and confusion she had when she was young.
Her parents had married when her mother was barely eighteen. Her father was a petrochemical engineer working for a large oil company. Kari had come along sixteen months after the wedding, and four months later, her father had received his first overseas assignment. Somehow the decision was made to leave Kari with her grandmother. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement—there had been some concern about taking such a small child so far away. But somehow, Aurora had never returned to claim her daughter.
“I spent my whole life waiting for her to come back for me,” Kari said as she rolled primer on the wall. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved being with Grammy and, after a while, it would have been weird to leave everything and go live with them. But even though I was happy, it hurt.”
Gage lightly touched her arm. She smiled at him gratefully. “The thing is,” she continued, “they always used the excuse that they didn’t want to take a baby with them overseas. But my brothers were born there and never sent back here.”
“It’s their loss,” he said gently.
She attempted a smile. “I tell myself that, from time to time. Sometimes I even believe it.”
She tried to shake off the emotional edginess, along with the pain. Her life was great—she didn’t need her family messing things up.
“I’m okay,” she said. “Really. Those of us who weren’t raised in the perfect family have to learn to adjust.”
Gage grinned. “We weren’t perfect.”
“Sure you were. Parents who loved each other. A home, a brother you actually got to know and spend time with. What more could you ask for?”
“I guess when you put it like that.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t always good for Quinn, though. He and Dad never got along.”
Kari had never met Gage’s younger brother. Quinn had left to join the military before Kari met Gage.
“What was the problem?” Kari asked.
“I never knew. Quinn was a bit of a rebel, but the trouble started long before that. It’s almost as if…” His voice trailed off.
Kari didn’t want to pry, so she changed the subject. “What’s he doing now?”
“Still in the service.”
“Really? Doing what?”
“I have no idea. He’s in some special secret group. They travel around the world and take care of…things. Quinn eliminates people.”
Kari nearly dropped her roller. “He kills them?”
Gage nodded.
“For a living?”
“Yeah.”
She couldn’t imagine such a thing. Killing people for any reason was outside of her realm of imagination. She wanted to ask more questions, but had a feeling Gage didn’t want to talk about it further.
“Okay, then,” she said. “I guess the fact that one of my brothers is an accountant and the other is a zoologist is really boring by comparison.”
“It sure is.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Childish,” he muttered. “I see you haven’t changed at all.”
“Of course I have. I’m even more charming than when I left.”
“That wouldn’t have taken much. Besides, I’m the charming one in this relationship.”
He grinned as he spoke, and she couldn’t help laughing.
“What is it with you?” she asked.
“I think it’s something in the water,” he said with mock seriousness. “After all, the Reynolds family has been in Possum Landing for five generations. That makes us very special.”
“Do you ever wonder what made them stop here in the first place?”
“Good sense.”
“Right. Because everyone in America wants to live in a place called Possum Landing.”
“You bet.”
She continued to paint the wall, while he put a coat of primer on the closet door. They didn’t talk for a time. When they finished the room and started to leave, she touched his hand.
“Thanks,” she said. “For coming over and making me laugh.”
His dark eyes flared slightly. “I’m glad I can help. No matter what, Kari, we were always friends.”
Friends. Was that what she wanted, too?
They spent the rest of the afternoon moving furniture out of the second small bedroom, patching the walls and waiting for the primer to dry. By three, they’d put on the first coat of paint.
“It’s such a girl color,” Gage teased as he rolled yellow paint over the walls.
Kari looked up from the door frame, where she was painting trim. “It is not. Pink is a girl color. Yellow is neutral. I wanted something bright and cheerful that would open up the room.”
“What about a skylight?”
She turned away to hide her grin. “I’m ignoring you.”
“Your loss. Are you doing all the bedrooms up he
re in yellow?”
“I haven’t decided.” There were a total of four on this floor. Hers, her grandmother’s and the two they were working on. “I want to do Grammy’s room next, which means moving her furniture into here.”
“Are you giving it away?”
“I’d like to keep the dresser, but, yes, the rest of it will go.” She hesitated, feeling faintly guilty. “I want to keep all of it…or even if I don’t, I think I should.”
“Why?”
“Because it was hers. Because of the memories.”
“I doubt she’ll mind if you only keep what you like. Her purpose in leaving you the house wasn’t to make you unhappy.”
“I guess.”
Sometimes Gage annoyed her by being sensible, but sometimes he got it just right.
They worked well together, she thought as she moved to paint around the window. The banter made her laugh, the companionship lightened her spirits. Being around Gage made her happy.
She shook her head slightly. Happy. When was the last time she’d enjoyed that particular emotion? She’d been content, even pleased with the direction of her life. But happy?
“I’m done in here,” he said a few minutes later. “I’m going out back to start cleaning up the brushes and rollers.”
“Okay. I’ll just be a little longer.”
He grabbed the equipment and headed for the stairs. Kari finished painting and followed him. She went out the back door and around to the side of the house—a spray of cold water caught her full in the face.
She screamed. “What on earth—?”
But that’s as much as she got out before another blast of freezing water hit her in the chest. She shrieked and jumped back to safety. Okay, she thought as she brushed off her face and arms, if that’s how he wanted to play it.
She ran to the other side of the house. Sure enough, she found a coiled hose, which she unscrewed from the tap and dragged around to the back door tap. A few quick twists had it connected. She turned the water on full, then went on the attack.
Gage obviously thought she’d headed into the house, because he stood bent over, cleaning brushes in a bucket and chuckling to himself. She caught him square in the backside.
He jumped and growled, then turned on her. The battle was on.
Kari raced to the safety of the far side of the yard. Her hose stretched that far, but his didn’t. While she was able to attack directly, he was forced to arc water toward her. She danced easily out of its reach.
“Big, bad sheriff can’t catch me,” she teased as she blasted him. “Big, bad sheriff is all wet.”
“Dammit, Kari!” He muttered something, then disappeared around the side of the house. Seconds later he appeared without the hose. He walked toward the tap by the back door and turned it off, then put his hands on his wet hips and stared at her. He looked unamused.
She dropped the hose and took off toward the far end of the yard. It had been about nine years since she’d tried to take the fence, but she was willing to give it a try. The alternative was getting caught.
“Don’t you dare!” she yelled as she ran, not sure what she was telling him not to do.
“I dare just fine,” he said, sounding way too close.
But she was nearly there. Just a few more feet of grass and then she would be—
He caught her around the waist, pulling her hard against him and knocking most of the air out of her. She struggled, gasping and laughing the whole time, but it was pointless. Gage’s arm was like a steel band. A very wet, steel band.
“Let go of me,” she demanded.
“Not until I teach you a lesson.”
“You and what army?”
“I can do it just fine myself, little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl.”
“No. You’re an all grown-up Yankee.”
“Who are you calling a Yankee?”
He carried her like a sack to the center of the lawn, then released her. She took off instantly—and didn’t get more than one step before he grabbed her again. This time when he pulled her against him, they were facing each other.
Her hair dripped in her face, as did his. They were both breathing hard and very, very close.
“Troublemaker,” he murmured, staring into her eyes.
His were dark and unreadable, but that was okay. While she couldn’t tell what was going on in his brain, there was enough action in his body to keep her occupied. He seemed to be pressing against her in a way that made her think of games more adult than a water fight. The expression of his face had changed as well. His features tightened with something that looked very much like passion. Which was okay with her—sometime in the past three seconds she’d gone from shivering to being filled with anticipation.
“Maybe you need a little trouble in your life,” she said softly.
“Maybe I do. Maybe you do, too.”
She didn’t have an answer for that, which was a good thing, because there wasn’t any time to speak. His mouth settled on hers and all rational thought fled.
His lips were still damp from the water, but not the least bit cool. The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her even closer. They connected everywhere that was possible, with her hands touching his shoulders and his tongue brushing against her bottom lip.
She parted for him instantly, wanting, needing to taste him. The second he stroked the inside of her lower lip, shivers began low in her belly and radiated out in all directions. Her breasts swelled within the confines of her damp bra. Her thighs pressed together tightly. A light breeze cooled her wet skin, but parts of her were getting plenty hot.
He cupped her face as he deepened the kiss. She clung to him, wanting him to claim her, mark her, do with her whatever he wanted. She longed to be possessed by him.
Her fingers curled into his shoulders. Then she moved her hands to his back where she could feel the hard breadth of his muscles. His tongue circled hers, teasing, touching, seducing. She answered in kind, straining toward him. Every part of her melted against him.
Her breasts ached where they flattened against his hard chest. Her nipples tightened unbearably. When his hands moved to her waist, her breath caught.
His fingers moved higher and hers moved lower. While he inched his way up her damp T-shirt along her rib cage, she slipped down to his waist. Her heart thundered loud and fast until it was all she could hear. Her body trembled. Her thoughts circled, almost frenzied, unable to figure out what to concentrate on. The fabulous kiss? The slow ascent to her chest? The brush of damp jeans against her palms as she moved lower still?
He reached her breasts at the same instant she cupped his tight, high rear. Which was remarkable timing, because when his hands brushed against her, fire ripped through her body, making her gasp and nearly lose her balance. She grabbed on to him and squeezed, which caused him to arch against her. As his thumbs swept over her hypersensitive nipples, his hips bumped hers and she felt his need.
Pleasure shot through her. From their kiss, from the gentle stroking on her sensitive, aroused flesh, from the ridged maleness pressing into her belly. It was too much. It was amazing.
Gage pulled back just enough to put a little space between them. Before she could protest, he cupped her breasts fully, and she saw the wisdom in his actions. He explored her curves, brushing slightly, smoothing and inciting. Want filled her until she couldn’t think about anything else…then he broke their kiss and began nibbling along her jaw and by her ear.
His hot breath tickled, his tongue teased, his teeth delighted. She clung to him as her world began to spin. There was only this moment, she thought hazily. The feel of Gage next to her, and what he did to her body.
She gasped when he nipped at her earlobe. Either he’d learned a whole lot while she’d been gone, or he’d been even more gentle back when they’d been going out because she didn’t remember anything like this. Not ever. Back then, he’d kissed her and left her breathless, but he’d never—
She gasped as
he walked behind her, licking her neck and sucking on her skin. He cupped her breasts at the same time and played with her nipples. Involuntarily, she opened her eyes and saw his large, strong hands moving against her. The combination of feeling and sight nearly made her collapse.
That was why the alarm bell caught her by surprise.
The alarm began as a distant, indistinct noise that grew louder with each beat of her heart, until it filled her head and made it impossible to concentrate on the delights Gage offered. It twisted her mind, clearing the sensual fog that surrounded her and forcing her to think sensibly.
What on earth was she doing? Did she really want to start something now? Like this? What would happen if she and Gage made love? Would it just be a quick trip down memory lane or would it be more? She hated that her brain insisted on being mature right now. Why couldn’t she simply give in and then have recriminations later like everyone else?
Unfortunately the mood had been broken. She stepped away and sucked in a deep breath. It took more courage than she would have thought to turn and face him.
“I can’t,” she said, not quite looking him in the face. “I mean, I’ve never done the sex only thing. I’m not sure I could start now. So if anything were to happen—physically, I mean—it would lead to trouble. At least, for me.”
She risked a glance and saw that he was looking at her with an intensity that made her take another step back. Not that she could read a single thought, which left her in the position of stumbling on with what she was trying to say.
“I’m leaving at the end of the summer. I would like us to be friends, but anything else…” She cleared her throat. “I just don’t want to get my heart broken again. I mean, you already did that once.”
Gage stared at Kari. He could accept that she wanted to call a temporary halt to their afternoon activities. Even he was willing to admit they’d gone a little too far, too fast. But that she had the guts to stand there and go on about him breaking her heart? His temper flared.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded.
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t break your heart. You’re the one who left. You walked away without a backward glance. No warning, nothing. I was going to propose to you, Kari. I had planned to spend the rest of my life with you. You changed your mind and dumped me. So don’t go telling me about your heart. You trampled mine pretty damn good.”
Good Husband Material Page 8
