Slow Burn: Iron Horse Series

by Danielle Norman

  Wally stood. Even though he was a rugged old ranch hand, he was still a Southern gentleman, and as such, he stood when a lady walked into the room. “Morning, London, Holland.”

  “Hi, Wally, welcome back. We hope that your vacation was great.”

  “It was, thank you. I was just getting ready to tell Paris about Mount Rushmore.”

  “Is that where you went?” London slid into a seat opposite him, and Holland took a seat at the end of the table.

  “Yep, it was our first vacation with the whole family. Both of our daughters went, plus their husbands and the grandkids.”

  “I know that you and Anne must have been in heaven having the kids with you,” I stated.

  “We were.” Wally shoved the rest of the biscuit into his mouth. “Well, I’ll get to work.”

  “Hold up, Wally, I’d like to talk with you about something.” London chewed on her bottom lip. She was clearly nervous about whatever was on her mind.

  Wally leaned back into the chair. “Is everything okay? You look a little stressed.”

  London folded her hands and rested them on the table. “Yes, everything is fine.” She waited a few seconds, then recanted her statement. “Well, no, not really.”

  Wally was genuinely confused as he asked, “What’s going on, London?”

  “Cora, that’s what’s going on.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s back.”

  I felt as if I was watching a tennis match, the back and forth between the two of them.

  “She showed up here while you were gone and said you told her about Dad and about Tera.”

  Wally’s face went pale. “London, I’m sorry, but it was what your father asked me to do.”

  “Daddy asked you to talk to her?” I interrupted, wanting Wally to talk more about Dad’s final wishes.

  “Yeah. He told me that she’d probably call someday looking for him. I was to tell her that he was gone, how you three were doing, and that she’d missed her chance.”

  “Missed her chance for what?” London asked.

  “No clue, that was all he said. I was assuming missed her chance to get to know you three. I had no clue she’d actually show up here. Why now?”

  “That’s what I’d like to figure out.” London tilted her head and stared at me.

  “What?” I threw up my hands. “I don’t know what she wants. I think she just wants to get to know us.”

  I groaned when Wally and London shared a look.

  “Wally, you’re the closest thing we have to a father now. Please don’t share anything about us with anyone.” London was hurt. I’m not sure that she’d be as hurt if it would have been anyone else.

  “London, I want to respect your wishes, and from here on out, I will. But that was one of the final things your father asked of me, and if you want to fire me over it, then so be it. But I feel as though I did right by your dad.”

  London grabbed hold of Wally’s wrinkled hands. I studied the two; London’s were smooth, whereas his were callused. A person’s hands revealed a lot about their journey in life. “No one is getting fired. I’m glad you did what Daddy asked.”

  Asher

  The rest of my week sucked. Paris never tried to call again, and I was too upset to try to call her. But fuck it, I was in such a bad mood that I decided to tell Ellie I needed a few days alone. My story probably sounded more like a country song than it did anything else . . . just a man with a broken heart all alone in his pickup truck. Yeah, I could hear it.

  I was thinking about said song when I turned into the Elbow Room and then found myself sitting back in my spot, drinking a pint of Yuengling.

  “Hey, you’re getting to be one of my best patrons. Well, you would be if you actually paid,” Marcus said. “What’s on your mind today? Still Paris?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “Start with the no, please. I’m sick of hearing about Paris.”

  I punched him in the arm. “That’s okay, I’m sick of talking about her. Have you met Cora?”

  “I know she’s back, but I haven’t seen her. London is pissed.”

  “Why? I thought they were all happy to have their mom back.”

  Marcus scoffs and gives me an incredulous look. “Not London. She thinks Cora is up to something, and according to her, Holland is pretty damn indifferent.”

  “Oh, the woman is up to something, all right.”

  “Why would you say that? Have you talked to her?”

  “The other day when I went by, she was in London’s office going through old boxes of paperwork. When I asked her what she was doing, she lied. She had no idea that I had been watching her for a good five minutes before that.”

  “What did Paris say when you told her?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to. As soon as she got home, Cora started acting all sick and demanding that Paris not leave her side. We were supposed to talk. Needless to say, that was fucked.”

  “You think she faked it to keep you from talking to Paris about it?”

  “I definitely think she faked it. Whether that was the reason, or she just doesn’t want us together, I don’t know.”

  “I never thought I’d say this, but that house seems to be all drama.”

  The thought of stepping away from the Kelly sisters was disheartening, and I could tell by the grief that crossed Marcus’s face that he felt the same way. “But that’s what bothers me most, it never used to be. Not until Cora came back.”

  “Are you sure? Didn’t you and Paris stop talking before Cora showed up?” He held up a finger before walking around the wall that divided the dining area from the kitchen and coming back with a basket of fries.

  “It isn’t the same. Paris was just shocked, that was all. I think she would have come to her senses and come around.” I stopped talking when the door to the bar opened and Braden walked in.

  “Hey, you two.” He waved at both of us.

  “Just get off shift?”

  He didn’t really need to answer, since his green Seminole County Sheriff's Department uniform did so for him. “Yeah, I was headed home when I saw your truck out front, so I thought I’d stop by. Got a few?”

  I nodded. So much for my peace and quiet. I sincerely hoped Braden didn’t get all fucking girly and want to talk about feelings and Paris.

  “Can I get you something to drink or eat?” Marcus asked.

  “Just a water, thanks. Not going to be long, London’s making dinner.”

  “Wow, since when does London cook?”

  “Since Cora showed up and London started avoiding the big house.” Braden took the glass from Marcus. “I have a feeling it is only going to get worse.”

  “Why’s that?” I matched Braden’s movements, but I was drinking a beer instead. I didn’t have anyone to rush home to.

  “Paris has decided to ask Cora to move in.”

  I almost choked. “She what?”

  “I guess the girls talked about it and they left it up to Paris to decide, since she’s at the house more than anyone else. Anyway, Cora has been staying at the La Quinta over by the university.”

  I couldn’t decide whether that news was the hammer or the nail, but whichever it was, it was sealing my future with Paris shut. “Is that why you stopped by? To tell me this?”

  “No. I stopped by to ask for your help.”

  “My help? With what?”

  “The girls are going to go through their dad’s old room tomorrow and clean it out. No one has been in there since Samuel died. Anyway, they are going to make it up for Cora. I wanted to know if you were free to help me move some furniture.”

  I let out a long, drawn-out sigh, because tomorrow was Saturday and my only day off this week. I also didn’t want to do anything that would bring Cora and Paris closer together.

  “Before you say no, London wants you there. She thinks we’ll find something when we’re cleaning out his room.”

  “What?”

  “Not sure, some missing piece. Wha
tever it is that Cora is back for. She’s been going through London’s office when no one is around—”

  “London knows?”

  “She suspects. Wait. You know for certain?” Braden’s eyes were wide with surprise.

  “Yeah, I caught her. But I didn’t get to tell anyone because that was the day she suddenly got sick and I was pushed out so she could rest.”

  “Then I take it you’ll help?” Braden asked.

  “Damn right, I’ll help.”

  I was going to ask Marcus, but he was on the phone.

  “You don’t mind? Thanks. I owe you,” Marcus said, then disconnected before turning to smile at us. “I’m going to help too. I’m tired of our own little dysfunctional family being divided. I kind of liked knowing where to go for food.”

  I laughed. “Do we want more help? I can ask Reid. He really is a nice guy.”

  “Sure, I’m always up for ruining Holland’s day,” Braden said and laughed.

  “Yep, you’re family, all right. She just endears herself to being picked on,” I agreed.

  At seven o’clock the next morning, I pulled in front of the Kelly house.

  Get out of the truck, Asher, you’re a grown-ass man. What the hell are you doing just sitting here? Okay, mental talks weren’t my strong suit, but determination was.

  I got out and walked up the three steps to the front door, which opened before I even had a chance to knock.

  “Morning, Kitten.” I leaned down to kiss her on her cheek, just like I had done for years, and froze midway. Fuck. She wasn’t my Kitten, and we weren’t in that type of relationship anymore, where I would give her a peck. Maybe being here wasn’t such a great idea. I righted myself. “Sorry. Old habit, hard to break. But I will.” I walked past her, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I heard her whisper.

  “Don’t.”

  I took a deep breath, every instinct in me wanting to turn around, sweep her into my arms, and kiss her until she admitted that she was madly in love with me. I paused for a moment and took her in.

  “It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.” Her words were soft, and she sounded sort of broken.

  I tilted my head slightly and decided to keep the banter going for as long as she was willing to play. I stuck a finger in my left ear and wiggled it around, pretending to clear out my ear canal. “Did I hear wrong, or did someone actually admit that she missed me?”

  “You wish,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You totally need to get your hearing checked.”

  “Sure. Okay, whatever you say.” I pursed my lips together, not believing for one second that I’d heard her wrong, then turned to head toward the master wing.

  I’d only been in Samuel’s room twice. The first time was when I was a kid playing Hide and Go Seek with the girls, and second time was when I asked him for Paris’s hand . . . I couldn’t think about that. Whatever. Still, it was the last time I was in there, and I was so nervous that I hadn’t realized that everything was exactly as it had been when I was a child.

  Well, almost exactly: Reid was a new addition.

  “You’re early, I didn’t see your truck out front,” I greeted Reid, who had a screwdriver in his hand and was removing a bracket from a wall that had hung curtains.

  “I walked over.”

  “Just start on anything,” Braden hollered. I couldn’t see him or where he was, so I stepped deeper into the room and found him removing stuff from the top of Samuel’s closet. “London is feeding the baby, but then she’ll be in here to direct. Holland is taking care of the horses, and I’m not sure where Paris is. Anyway, they’ve decided they want everything out. Paris went and bought some paint.” Braden didn’t get down from the ladder as he caught me up. He just dropped another stack of jeans onto the floor to join the rest he’d already thrown down.

  Since Braden seemed to have that under control, I started removing drawers from the cabinets, so we could get the piece out without breaking our backs. “Where’s all this furniture going?” I asked as I slid the first nightstand away from the wall.

  “We’re going to move it out to the porch and then take it to one of the back rooms over in the stables. Holland wants to strip it and refinish it, since it’s well-made,” Braden said.

  “Is that your way of saying it’s heavy as shit?” I asked, worried since I’d only just begun, and that was with the smallest piece.

  “Something like that.” He chuckled.

  I pulled out more drawers and stacked them on the bed. By the time I was done, there were fifteen drawers stacked in the middle of the king-sized, four-post bed.

  Reid had also finished, so the two of us moved the chest of drawers out, then the nightstands, followed by the dresser.

  When we returned, Paris was there. Actually, I smelled Paris before I saw her. She had always reminded me of sunshine and honey—sweet and warm at the same time. Peaches? Or maybe it was orange blossoms. She was sitting on the bed and going through the items that had been in the drawers, dividing them into piles. Every so often, I’d glance over, and she’d have a wide smile on her lips as she held something of her father's, like his old gray flannel shirt that was threadbare. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying as she flipped through old cards that she and her sisters had made for him when they were growing up. He’d kept everything. Some people thought Samuel Kelly was tough, but those three girls were his world.

  I knew I was wrong the moment I did it, but I couldn’t help it, this was Paris. My Paris, and she was hurting. All I could think of was how could I ease her pain. Cupping her face, I lifted it and gazed into her dark amber eyes. “He’s right here, P, he never left you.”

  She nodded and pressed her cheek tighter to my palm, so I was holding more of her face without breaking our eye contact.

  I wasn’t sure how long we had stood there, but when I followed Paris’s eyes to the side and noticed Holland, Braden, Reid, and London all staring at us, I figured it had been longer than I’d realized.

  “Keep going, don’t let us stop you,” Holland said.

  “I liked seeing you two make mooney-eyes,” London added.

  Paris pulled back and righted herself. Our moment was totally broken.

  “Fine, you two might as well get back to work, then,” Holland said as she tossed a roll of large garbage bags onto the bed.

  I returned to work, and Paris returned to sorting, but all morning, it was like an electric current was in the air. I could feel every time Paris’s eyes were on me, the hairs on my arms would stand up and I would look over, only to lock eyes with the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

  And whatever was going on with me, the feeling must have been reciprocated, because every time I got lost admiring the way the sun kissed her skin, she glanced up and caught me.

  Just before lunch, Paris left the room, and her absence was immediately a dark cloud over what had been a bright day. When she hollered for us to come eat, I grinned like an idiot. I was still grinning as London, Holland, and Braden took their seats, leaving me the one right next to Paris.

  I shook my head and winked at Holland when I realized that the only other person not sitting was Reid. “Wow, I get to sit by two beautiful women. The question is, which two will I choose? I can have London on my right and Paris on my left. Or I can have Holland on my left and Paris on my right. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.”

  Holland’s face turned red the moment she caught on. Yep, either way I’d be next to Paris, but she was the one who was going to be screwed. Because if I didn’t take the seat next to her, then it only left Reid.

  I sat between Paris and London and locked eyes with Holland.

  She let out a growl when Reid sat next to her.

  “You okay there, tiger?” Reid quietly asked Holland, which only made her growl louder.

  “Where’s Marcus? I thought he said he was coming to help?” Braden asked as we passed around the plates of food.

  “He is, actually, he should be here any time. He had to cl
ose last night, which means he didn’t get out of there until four.” I grabbed a roll just as the front door opened, and in walked Marcus. “Speak of the devil.”

  “And the devil shall appear,” Holland finished for me, but she was glaring at Marcus. I turned to see why, and my stomach dropped.

  Shit, this wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. Why in the hell was Ellie with him? Sure, I’d like her and Paris to get to know each other, but first, I had to convince Paris that there was nothing between us.

  “Look who I found walking down the road.” Marcus pointed to Ellie.

  “And why didn’t you leave her?” Holland mumbled.

  “Hi. Sorry to interrupt. I didn’t mean to.” Ellie gave a half-wave. “But Marcus kept insisting and wouldn’t let me finish my walk.”

  “No interruption at all.” London stood. “Braden . . .” But she didn’t even have to finish the sentence, because he was already up and grabbing two more chairs while London was getting two more plates and glasses.

  “Here, Ellie, you can sit next to your brother.” Holland stood and grabbed her plate.

  “No, I’m putting her right down here. You stay seated. You’ve been working so hard today.” London batted her eyelashes, and I fought back my smirk.

  Fuck you, Holland mouthed.

  I lost it. I couldn’t stop laughing. This was the most clusterfuck lunch I’d ever had at this table, and it was so emotionally strained that it would be a miracle if we all made it out alive. I wouldn’t be shocked if someone sprinkled someone else’s food with some anthrax, that was, of course, if we just happened to have anthrax lying around. I wouldn’t put it past Holland, though.

  “So, Ellie, are you here to stay, or are you just visiting your brother?” London passed the food over to Marcus and Ellie.

  “I’m here to stay. I’m going through a divorce.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Don’t be . . .” Ellie was explaining to them about Lance, but I was focused on Paris. She hadn’t said a word since Ellie walked in, and her demeanor had changed. A few hours ago, I had knocked down the walls we had put up against each other, but hers was back up, and she was safely tucked behind it once again.