by Robin Kaye
He did one of his one-shoulder shrugs. “Yeah, actually, they were. But, Kendall, they didn’t mean anything to me. No one did. That was my problem. Once I woke up, I realized I’d spent most of my life either going to school or doing my job, and I didn’t know why. I mean, I was good at it, and, sure, I guess I got some enjoyment from it, but I didn’t choose it. I was groomed. It’s a family business, and I’m all the family that’s left.”
“Your parents?”
“They’re gone. I have some uncles, and when I graduated, I was supposed to take my rightful place in the family business.”
“What did you want to do?”
“I don’t think I ever thought about it. It’s kind of like being born a prince. You don’t choose to become a king—you just do. I didn’t think there were options. I loved swimming, but . . .” He shook his head. “My folks died right before the Olympic Trials, and I was transferred to an all-boys boarding school. I lost my home, my team, my coaches.”
“And your sister?”
“All-girls school.”
“You lost everyone you loved and your dreams on the same day?”
“It felt like it at the time.”
She felt tears welling in her eyes, and she realized that with Jack, she’d lost all the ability to see him and his situation clinically. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shit, sweetheart, don’t cry. Please. I can’t stand to see you cry.” As he pulled her to him, her face found that spot in the crook of his neck. He smelled so good, like soap and laundry detergent and something intrinsically him.
She sniffed. “I’m not crying.”
“Right, your eyes are just leaking.”
“You know how women are when they’re PMSing—we just dissolve into tears for no reason.”
He wiped the tears with his thumbs and shook his head. “You slay me, Kendall. You’re the first woman I’ve ever cared about. I can’t help but think that means something. Whatever this is, for me, at least, it’s serious. I guess you need more time.”
“Jack, it’s not like that—”
He cut her off with a kiss. The kind of kiss that speaks volumes but leaves you wondering if you’re translating it correctly. “I’m going to go sand some drywall and put on another coat of mud.”
She’d suddenly lost her appetite, but she knew she had to cook something just to get her thoughts in order.
And then she had to make a list.
*
Jax stepped out to the porch and squinted at the bright morning sun. He needed to grab another load of firewood and cool off. Kendall was in the cabin cooking breakfast half-naked. He turned to find Jaime striding through the snow, looking like he needed a stiff drink or a cup of coffee at the least, which meant he needed to warn Kendall.
As Jaime drew closer, Jax grew more concerned. Not only did Jaime not look happy—the guy usually walked around with a smile on his face—but he also looked more than a little pissed off. “What’s wrong?”
Jaime came up on the porch and stomped the snow off his boots. “Well, good fuckin’ morning to you too.”
The last time Jax had seen Jaime this pissed, both of them had ended up bruised. “It was going great until you got here.”
“Oh, I can imagine how great. You’re enjoying the hell out of yourself, and you’re leaving me to clean up after you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Addie stopped by the shop just before the storm hit, worried about Kendall being up here all alone during the storm.”
“And?”
“She was afraid Kendall was running out of food, so I told her that Kendall was fine and that I lent her the truck to go Concord to do some shopping and to pick up a part for me.”
“Good. That’s good. So we have no problems then, right?”
“No problems? Are you serious? Jax, if you haven’t told Kendall who the hell you are yet, you’ve got more problems than you can count.”
“Funny. Very funny.”
“I’m deadly serious. There are some things men shouldn’t do—having sex with a woman under false pretenses is one of them.”
“Kendall knows exactly how I feel about her.”
“And who does she think has all these feelings for her? Jackson Finneus Sullivan the Third, the Grand Pooh-Bah of Harmony, or some carpenter named Jack who got knocked upside the head by a tree?”
“Jaime.”
“Yet you’ll let her think she’s sleeping with someone you’re not. Isn’t that the same thing?”
“I care about her.”
“Yeah, and which one of you is that—Jax or Jack?”
“Jack. I don’t know if Jax will ever come back, or even if I want him to.”
Jaime shook his head. “There was nothing wrong with my friend Jax that a realignment in priorities couldn’t fix. All work and no play . . .”
“No life.”
Jaime leaned against the porch rail. “Yeah, pretty much. Look, word in town is that Grace and Teddy are expected back any day. The nor’easter might have slowed them down a little, but, dude, you’d better come clean with Kendall, and soon. If not, I don’t see this ending well for either of us.”
“Us? What are you worried about?”
“What am I worried about? I’m up to my eyeballs in your lie. It was one thing covering for each other when we were kids. I could even deal with slowing down the axle repair—Kendall doesn’t have a clue how long car repairs take. But as for the rest, if Kendall gets hurt and Addie finds out I had anything to do with it, she’ll turn me into a eunuch. Painfully and slowly.”
Jax had known Addie all his life—sure, he hadn’t see her often, but people didn’t change that much. “She’s a kindergarten and Sunday-school teacher. How scary could she be? Face it: Addie’s a pussycat.”
“Oh no, she’s not. She’s a small mountain lion who has already tasted blood. You don’t know. She’s very protective of her friends. And what’s going to happen when Teddy and Grace get wind of it? And they will, because I seriously doubt you and Kendall are just playing tiddlywinks in there.”
“Shit, Jaim.” He sat on the porch and put his elbows on his knees. “What the hell am I going to do? I’ve tried talking to her about us, the future, but she’s skittish as hell.”
“Can you blame her?”
“No, but I can’t help but think that when she finds out the truth, she’s going to think I’m just as bad as that dirtbag David.”
“She might, but you still need to tell her the truth and beg for forgiveness. Oh, and don’t you dare tell her I knew anything about your alter ego.”
“She’s going to hate me. She’s been hurt by her ex, and she’s going to think I did the same thing.”
“Then you have to prove to her that you’re not usually a dirtbag. Look, I’ve known Kendall for a long time. She’s reasonable, and if she’s sleeping with you, she cares about you.”
“I need more time.”
“No, you’re all out of time. If you wait any longer, you’re just being a selfish prick.”
*
Kendall hollered out the door, “Jack, breakfast is ready.”
“Sweetheart, we’ve got company. You might want to get dressed.”
Shit. She knew cooking almost naked was a mistake. She ran to the bedroom and threw on clothes, and hoped to hell she wasn’t still blushing when she stuck her head back out to find Jack and Jaime in what looked like a Mexican standoff. As soon as they saw her, the two of them went from looking like they were about to beat the crap out of each other to best buds. “Everything okay?”
“Hey, Kenny.”
“Jaime, what are you doing here?”
Jaime grabbed her and wrapped her in a bear hug, lifting her right off her feet, and gave her a kiss on the cheek before setting her gently back on the floor. “I just dropped by to check on you. How’s it going, beautiful?”
She looked from Jaime to Jack and back again. There was definitely something going on between them she wasn’t privy to, and it didn’
t look anything like a bromance. “I’m doing well. Breakfast is ready and I made a ton of food, so why don’t you come join us?”
“Don’t mind if I do. Thanks.” He shot Jack a smug grin and sauntered in, pulling off his hat and coat.
Kendall didn’t have time to figure out what was going on between them, so she ran back to the kitchen to get another place setting and more coffee.
She set Jaime a place and told the guys to dig in while she went to hunt down her coffee. She needed a cup with an alarm that went off when she moved more than three feet away from it, because she was forever losing her coffee. When she returned, the guys had their heads together, and they were fighting under their breath. “Okay, what’s going on? I know something’s wrong, because neither of you have touched the food.”
Jaime looked up from his cup and shrugged. “Addie came by the shop the other day asking me to check on you. She said you were up here all alone, and, with the storm coming, she was worried you’d run out of food.”
“I’ll give her a call later.” She turned to Jack. “Addie’s a bit of a worrywart. She wasn’t happy I came up here on my own. I’m surprised she hasn’t stopped by before now.”
She served them both the buckwheat pancakes she’d made, which looked so good, she’d even taken a picture to post on Pinterest when she got home.
Jaime took the syrup Kendall passed to him and drowned his sausages.
Kendall risked a quick side glance at Jack. He looked almost ill for a nanosecond.
Jaime took a bite, groaned, and speared another sausage. “If Addie says anything, you tell her I lent you my truck to go shopping in Concord, okay? Oh, and you picked up a part for me. It was the only way I could keep her from coming out here and finding you and Romeo.”
“Okay. But I’m not too worried about it. I’m sure if I call and tell her about Jack, she won’t freak out too badly.” She reached over and gave Jack’s thigh a squeeze. “She’s a little overprotective. Besides, it’s about time Jack met some people. It’s not as if he’s been hiding back here—he just hasn’t had a car.”
Jaime looked up from his plate and shot Jack another look.
She cleared her throat. “And speaking of cars, how’s the Jeep coming along?”
“It’s finished. You can pick it up today, if you want. It’s in the garage at the house, and I plowed the lane.”
“How much is it going to cost? I forgot to pack my checkbook, so I need to stop by the bank and get cash. I wish I’d thought of it when we were in Concord.”
“Don’t worry about it. Jack paid for the parts, and I just worked on it in my free time. It was no big deal.”
Jack glared at Jaime, and Jaime glared right back between bites of food.
“What’s going on between you two?”
Both men shoved pancakes in their mouths and the groan fest began. She was used to people praising her food, but, right now, it only annoyed her. She sat back, sipped her now-cold coffee, and watched them. “You might want to slow down. This isn’t a competition.”
“The faster we eat, the sooner Jaime will leave.”
“And miss a third cup of coffee?”
“You’ve only had one.”
“I know. The first is to warm me up, the second is to enjoy after we eat, and the third to savor on the walk back.”
“Then I’d better put on another pot.” She hightailed it into the kitchen and reheated her cup in the microwave while she made fresh coffee. She really missed her Keurig—well, David’s Keurig. But, then again, there was something about listening to the gurgle and perk that reminded her of home and family.
She popped her head around the corner. Both men were going at it again in angry whispers and pointing their forks at each other. She was glad she hadn’t bothered to set out knives. She took a deep breath and grabbed the fresh pot. “You guys doing okay?”
They sat ramrod straight when she rounded the corner, as if they had been caught lighting matches behind a barn.
“We’re fine, gorgeous.” Jaime’s smile looked tight and drawn. “I may have to steal you away from Jack.” The name Jack came out on a hard consonant, with a whisper of an -ass at the end.
“Try it, and you won’t ever eat again.”
“Why’s that?”
“You’ll be dead.”
Jaime guffawed. “You’re the one on borrowed time. All I have to do is sit back and wait.”
“What are you two talking about?”
“How much will it cost me to get you to leave right now?”
Jaime picked up his plate. “It’s only fair that I do the dishes after such an amazing breakfast. I should walk up here for lunch and dinner. I’ll get to eat great food and make my hands Palmolive soft.”
Jack took the plate out of Jaime’s hand. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
“Not at the moment. Hey, Kendall, aren’t your parents due back tomorrow?”
Jack gripped the plates so hard, his knuckles turned white.
“Umm, I’m not sure. What day is it?” She was glad she hadn’t eaten much. The thought of leaving Jack turned the coffee in her stomach sour.
“Tuesday. The airport opened back up this morning, and most of the roads are cleared.”
“No, they’re coming home on Thursday, if I remember correctly. But, then, I left their itinerary in Boston.”
She watched Jack visibly relax.
Jaime raised an eyebrow. “You’re not picking them up at the airport?”
“No, the Grand Pooh-Bah gave them the trip. I’m sure he arranged for a limo.”
Jack looked like a guy with a bad case of colitis. “You saw that on their itinerary?”
“No, but my parents didn’t ask me to pick them up, and since they thought I’d be in Boston, I’m sure they would have. Besides, the Grand Pooh-Bah had a limo take them to the airport. I’m sure even he would realize they’d need a ride back.”
“Come on. This guy can’t as bad as you make him sound.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Jack’s face; it was as if he were insulted for the poor little rich boy. “Ask Jaime—he was best friends with him growing up.”
Jaime just smiled. “Oh, he’s worse. Jax and I have been friends all our lives, and you know he’s never once invited me to visit him in Chicago.”
“Chicago? Hey, Jack’s from Chicago too.”
Jaime shook his head. “What a co-winki-dink. Well, I’d better hit the trail.”
She got up. “I thought you wanted another cup of coffee.”
Jaime tugged on his coat. “I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll take a rain check. Your Jeep is out of the garage, and I left the keys in it for you, so whenever you want to drop by to get it is fine.”
“Are you sure I can’t pay you for labor?”
“I’d rather trade in food. When you get tired of Jack, you just come down to my place. I have an extra bedroom, and I’ll give you carte blanche at the grocery store.”
Jack stood, pushing his chair back so hard, Kendall was surprised it didn’t hit the wall. “I’ll walk you out.”
Kendall rose and followed him to the door “Thanks for coming by, Jaime, and for all your help with the Jeep. I really appreciate it.” She gave him a hug.
“You know where I am if you need anything, Kenny. Anything at all.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.” She pulled away, and the look he gave her made her feel like someone had walked across her grave.
Jack gave her a worried look and then followed Jaime out. It was a wonder she wasn’t overcome with testosterone poisoning with those two. She picked up the dishes and tried to figure out what the hell just happened.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jax wanted to kill Jaime. He gave Kendall a kiss before he followed his ex–best friend out, thinking he’d have to wait to get far enough away so Kendall didn’t hear Jaime’s screams.
Jaime stepped off the porch and knocked his shoulder. “Sorry,
man. I went too far. But in my own defense, I didn’t know you told her you were from Chicago.”
Jax stuffed his hands in his pockets and trudged down the lane. “I don’t lie to Kendall.”
Jaime shot him a what-the-fuck? look.
“I just didn’t tell her my full name. I’ve never lied to her about anything. She asked me where I was from, and I told her.”
“Right, Jack. You’re absolved of all sin. Feel better now?”
He looked around, noticing how the snow-covered trees cut the bright blue sky. He felt like shit.
“She talked about you—the Grand Pooh-Bah—and you didn’t tell her. You had the perfect opportunity.”
“With you right there?”
“At least you’d have some protection.”
“Jesus, Jaime. I’m going through hell here, and you’re roasting marshmallows and enjoying the show.”
“You’re not the only one in deep shit, Jax. Kendall’s never going to forgive me for going along with your plan. You’d better tell Kendall I advised against your dastardly little plan. But, then, by the time I found out about it, it was already a done deal, wasn’t it? The only choice I had was to go along with it or blow it for you. And God help me if Addie gets wind of it. Fuck, you have no idea the shit storm you just rained down on me.”
“Did you try to talk me out of it?”
“Hell, I don’t remember. All I know is that for the first time in years, I looked at you and you looked like my best friend again. I don’t know what the hell it is about Kendall, or maybe it was the knock on the head, but it was like the prick you’ve been since you went away to that hoity-toity boarding school disappeared. I was just happy to have the real you back, man.”
“All these years you thought I was a prick?”
“Well, yeah. Whenever we got together, all you would do was talk about work. If you weren’t on the phone, you were on the damn computer.”
“I had responsibilities.”
“Right. And no one but you could handle that stuff when you were on vacation.”
“Exactly.” Jax took a deep breath of crisp air and felt it in his stomach muscles. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Kendall had just about worn him out last night. He couldn’t believe she was the same woman he found sobbing in a car a few weeks ago.
