The Strong Family Romance Collection

by Cami Checketts

  If only his mind didn’t keep sliding to the golden-haired beauty he’d spent the morning with. He wanted to go find her, eat lunch with her in the lodge, and keep skiing down the bunny hill, holding her close, until Austin found them at four and the three of them skied together. Like some happy family or something.

  He startled and quickly pushed those thoughts away. He and Austin were a family with Mama, Papa, and all of his siblings making up the perfect picture. He didn’t need some fanciful romance writer popping into his life and distracting him. His son was his focus, exactly as he should be.

  Gavin worked steadily and almost kept his mind focused, only occasionally daydreaming about an intriguing pair of blue eyes. By the time three-thirty rolled around, he was in his car, heading down the valley to the grade school to pick up Austin. Focused. That was him. If only he could finagle an invitation to ski with Austin and Kari at four.

  Chapter Four

  Kari met up with Austin at four and thought she was skiing pretty well at that point. The little man was an impressive skier and showed her up constantly with tricks and jumps, but he was patient and cute with her just like his big brother had been. Okay, maybe not just like. Gavin couldn’t be cute, more ultra-attractive. She hadn’t dared ask where Gavin was this afternoon. Though she’d found herself looking for him throughout the day.

  The lifts shut down at four-thirty, but Austin talked the operator into letting them go up one of the longer lifts. “It’ll be awesome,” Austin promised as they rode up the lift that seemed to take forever. She was checking out the incredible view of the lush mountains and the occasional glimpses of the valley far below, but she was a little nervous. “It’s not any steeper than Little Falls, it’s just a lot longer,” he reassured her. “It’ll give you a chance to really work on your turns, and we’ll go by one of the terrain parks so I can show you some jumps and tricks.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. “I can’t wait to see your tricks.”

  “I know.” He grinned at her.

  She adored this little man and hoped to spend much more time around him and Gavin. “Gavin was too busy to come ski with us?” she finally let herself ask, hoping the ten-year-old wouldn’t see right through her.

  “Yeah. He works really hard. But he’ll be ready to take me to practice at six. I’m pretty much his favorite person on the planet and the only one he’d ever take time off for.”

  Kari felt a rush of warmth. Gavin had taken almost three hours off this morning to spend with her. If what Austin was saying was true, maybe she was something special to him. Yet Austin was at school most days of the week. Maybe his brother regularly took time off during the day to ski with women from the lodge and Austin knew nothing about it. Maybe the whole line about poles and coming to her room was a ploy he’d used repeatedly. Maybe the brooding hero attitude was all an act to yank all the unsuspecting females in. Kari rejected that stupid theory. Her hero would never be so underhanded. She rolled her eyes at herself. Gavin wasn’t her hero.

  “I bet he loves to spend time with you,” Kari said.

  Austin nodded confidently. “All my family does.”

  “So your siblings are all older than you, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Who’s married already, or getting married?” She wished she was staying longer than Monday and could meet some of his family. If they were anything like Austin and Gavin, she’d love them all.

  “Let’s see. Heath and Hottie Hazel are getting married as soon as Nick gets back. They’re in Connecticut right now at one of Heath’s resorts. Same with Cassie and Jed, they’re away helping kiddos in …” His face screwed up. “I think Costa Rica right now, but they’ll come back when Nick gets here and get married soon. Trey and Ella are married already. They’re really smoochy.” He winked at her. “So just me, Stetson, Gavin, and Nick aren’t married.”

  “When does Nick get back?” She thought they’d said he was in the military.

  “Two weeks.” Austin smiled happily. “It’ll be so fun. He gets home at the end of February, and then Stetson has spring break the first week in March, so everybody’s promised to come home and be together that whole week. I think that’s when the weddings are. Hey … you should come too!”

  Kari found herself wishing she could be part of a huge family gathering like that. Her family was just her mom, dad, and her brother, Miles. But she had no right to push her way into the Strongs’ reunion. “That’s really nice, Austin, but I’m sure your mom just wants your family.”

  “Maybe, but think about this. We’ve got three new people in the family now: Jed, Hottie Hazel, and Trey. I mean, Trey is Gavin’s best friend, so he’s pretty much always been around, but the other two are new. If you married one of my brothers, you could be in the family too. Mama would love that.”

  Kari’s heart was beating faster and her palms were sweaty in her gloves. Could Austin tell how taken she was with Gavin? Maybe Gavin had said something to his little brother and was interested in her as well. Oh my. Living in the real world was fabulous and exhilarating.

  “I mean, I know you want to be my girlfriend, but that’s kind of a tease, right? You’re way too old for me.”

  Kari laughed, but it sounded unsteady to her own ears. “Way old.”

  “But if you married one of my brothers, that would be awesome.”

  Kari waited, hoping, praying he would say …

  “Nick.” Austin’s face lit up as if he’d solved world peace. “Nick’s awesome! He’s so tough but still funny. He’s been in the military for, like, forever, so he hasn’t seen pretty ladies and would be way into you ’cause you’re pretty, fun, and nice.”

  “Nick?” she repeated dumbly.

  “Yeah, he’s a stud. Will you come back in two weeks when he comes? Or maybe you could just stay.”

  “Nick? No, that’s not right at all. What about Gavin?” she blurted before she could stop herself. The top of the lift was fast approaching, yet she wasn’t even nervous about skiing down a bigger hill; she was concentrated on Austin’s answer.

  “Gav?” His brow wrinkled and his lips pursed. “Nah, that wouldn’t work. Gav doesn’t date girls.” He started laughing. “Gav dating …” His laughter increased and he shook his head. “No way!”

  Kari’s heart sank. Gavin didn’t date girls. It was bad enough Austin was laughing about the idea of them being together, but he didn’t even date? That … stank. Yet she was glad he wasn’t some womanizer. If she could somehow break through that exterior, she really would be special to him. How could an inexperienced woman like her have a chance with a man like Gavin Strong? Her spirits sank further.

  The lift ended, and they stood and glided off. She followed Austin down the long, winding ski trails. She thought she did pretty good, though he was obviously waiting for her at times. Yet her mind was churning with all things Gavin. By the time they reached the lodge, the sun was getting close to the trees. That was one thing she didn’t like in the wintertime—how early it got dark. It seemed earlier here than Arizona, probably because of the huge mountains shading the entire valley. This place would be great in the summer: gorgeous and a lot cooler than the hundred-plus temps she saw every day in Arizona. Maybe she’d plan another trip. Austin wanted her to return. Did Gavin?

  Austin jumped to a stop, spraying snow to the side. She snowplowed to a stop and then straightened her skis and shuffled over to him.

  He put out his fist to bump. “You did good for a newbie. Don’t tell Hottie Hazel this, but you picked it up way faster than her.” He wrinkled his nose. “Probably ’cause Heath babied her, hugging her down the slope and weird stuff like that.”

  Kari’s face filled with heat as she remembered the run down with Gavin hugging her. She’d rather be a horrible skier and ski like that any time. “Thanks for teaching me.”

  “Sure.” He popped his skis off and swooped them off the ground. “Hey, we have to go to practice, but you should eat dinner with us. You want to meet at the lodge for di
nner at eight-thirty?”

  “Sure.” She felt her heart thumping fast again. He’d said “us.” That had to mean him and Gavin, right? Austin didn’t think that Gavin would date her, but she still held out some hope.

  “See ya.” Austin walked to the lodge.

  Kari took her skis off much more slowly than Austin had and carried them around to the ski shop. She wished she could see Gavin again right now, but a long bath and some makeup would be nice before she saw him again. He’d promised to come get the poles from her room, and she was meeting them for dinner. She wasn’t going to bring the poles down to dinner. If he wanted to be with her, he’d come to her room alone for the poles. If he wanted a barrier, he’d bring Austin. Either way, she’d know if the kiss, and any kind of a relationship with that man, was in the script for her.

  Chapter Five

  Gavin had worked hard to get through the day, especially the hour Austin spent with Kari skiing, without dwelling on her completely. Hockey practice went well, but on the way home, Austin chattered away about Friday tomorrow and how he wanted to ski with Kari again, show her more tricks, and help her get better. His son explained in detail the way he’d tried to make her feel like she wasn’t a “slow Joe”.

  They’d just entered Lonepeak Valley when his son dropped the bomb. “Kari’s going to meet us for dinner at eight-thirty. At the lodge.”

  “Excuse me?” Gavin sputtered. He’d told her he’d come get his poles from her room later and had looked forward to the interaction, but he’d planned on making it brief. He didn’t know if he should keep letting himself spend time with her. He’d looked over her reservation when he’d gotten her room number so he could go get the poles tonight. She was checking out Monday morning, so he had less than four days to be around her. He couldn’t develop a relationship in that short of a time, and he didn’t want to fall for her and then have her leave him behind.

  He glanced over at his son, who was obviously as taken with Kari as he was. Would it hurt Austin when Kari left? Austin went through “girlfriends” so quickly, he didn’t appear to care too much about a particular one, but what if there was some underlying need with all of these older girlfriends? Austin never went after a girl his own age. Maybe he was truly searching for a mother figure. No! Austin believed Mama was his mother, and Gavin didn’t psychoanalyze crap like this.

  “Yeah, I asked Kari when we got done skiing.”

  Gavin blew out a breath.

  “Is that okay, bro? I know you like it just being the two of us.” Austin looked apprehensive, as if he knew he was overstepping bounds or pushing Gavin too hard.

  “It’s okay,” Gavin quickly reassured him. “Of course I like it just being the two of us, but Kari’s … a nice person.”

  “For sure. Plus she’s hot.”

  They were pulling up to the lodge now. Gavin resisted the urge to correct him; “hot” seemed like such a punk teenager term, but Gavin knew it was commonly used. He didn’t love hearing it out of Austin’s mouth, and Kari was too intriguing, too smart, too beautiful, and too classy to be merely another “hot” girl.

  “I told her I’d set her up with Nick,” Austin said.

  Gavin buzzed into a parking stall, slammed it into gear, and whirled on his son. “You did what?”

  Austin shrank back. “Don’t you think Nick would like her?”

  Gavin drew in a steadying breath. His hands shook and his heart was thrumming out of control. Nick and Kari. They’d be a perfect couple, both model gorgeous, tall, and fun to be around. Nick would tease Kari about the crazy romance writerly things she said, and her expressive blue eyes would light up as she teased him right back. Nick was like the perfect hero for someone like Kari: an elite Army Ranger, tough, smart, loyal, yet still able to joke.

  “Gah!” Gavin spat out. “No! Nick is not right for her at all.”

  Austin shrugged. “Sorry?”

  “It’s okay. It’s not you.” Gavin patted his son’s shoulder. “It’s not you. I’m probably just … hungry. Shall we go eat?”

  “Yes, sir!” Austin’s happy mood was restored. He popped out of the car and raced toward the grand front entrance of the lodge.

  Gavin trudged behind. Nick and Kari. He shuddered again at the perfect, torturous picture they created in his mind.

  He entered the front doors and his eyes were drawn straight to Kari. She was dressed in a blue sweater and gray pants, her hair lifted away from her face with soft curls spilling over her shoulders. She looked … incredible. She was focused on Austin as he was talking to her a mile a minute, but at Gavin’s approach, she looked up. Her blue eyes lit up as she lifted a hand to him in greeting, and for the first time in eleven years, Gavin wanted to ditch his iron self-control. He wanted to grab Kari, push her against the nearest wall, and kiss her until this craving for her was satiated. He shook his head in disgust at himself. First, he would never treat Kari like an object, and second, the craving for her would probably just grow if he allowed himself to kiss her.

  “Hey,” she said softly. “Is it okay if I eat with you?”

  “Of course.” He forced a smile. “We’d like that.”

  Austin tugged on her hand, and they approached the hostess. The restaurant was quiet this late on a Thursday night. Tomorrow afternoon, the weekend crowd would pour in, the lodge would be filled to capacity, and it wouldn’t be quite as intimate as this dinner with Kari. Not intimate—quiet. He couldn’t think of intimacy and Kari in the same sentence and stay sane.

  “Hello, Mr. Strong, Austin.” Lolly, the hostess, beamed at them.

  “Hi, Lolly,” Austin sang out.

  “Three for dinner please, Lolly,” Gavin said.

  “Of course. Follow me, please.” Lolly walked toward an intimate back booth. No, not intimate—comfortable.

  Austin pranced after her. Kari waited for Gavin. He walked to her side, and she leaned close and whispered, “Sorry if I’m intruding. Austin invited me, and I can’t tell him no.”

  Gavin felt a genuine smile on his face and warmth in his abdomen. She was taken with Austin. She also smelled incredibly good with that sweet, musky, drive-a-man-crazy scent. He hoped his Tom Ford cologne wasn’t gone from being around stinky hockey players for two hours. “I can’t tell him no either,” he admitted.

  Right then, he did the craziest thing he’d ever done in his life: he rested his hand on the small of her back, like he’d seen his whipped friends and brothers do, and directed her toward the table. She let out a soft sigh and eased in closer. Her arm brushed his abdomen, and his arm was pressed against her back and side. He was fighting not to sigh himself. Who knew physical touch with a woman could feel this good? He couldn’t remember anything this amazing, even with Janielle.

  “I’m glad Austin invited you. We’d love to eat with you, Miss Kari Love,” he heard himself say. Had he really just said the love word and then added her name all cheesy like?

  She let out the most appealing laugh, almost a giggle, and he found he didn’t care what he said or how cheesy it probably sounded. He’d say something stupid like that in front of all four of his brothers, Trey, and Jed to be rewarded with a laugh like that.

  They made it to the table, so there was no time to say more. She slid into the booth, and he slid in next to her. His leg touched hers under the table, and his heart and body revved up. Maybe he wasn’t averse to touching someone besides Austin, his mama, and his sisters. Maybe he just hadn’t found the right woman to touch. That scared him enough to make him pull his leg away from hers.

  “Jade will be your server,” Lolly said.

  “Can I have a pen?” Austin piped up.

  Lolly smiled and handed him the one in her pocket before leaving.

  Gavin focused on the menu Lolly had handed him, though he had it memorized.

  “What do you recommend?” Kari asked.

  Gavin’s gaze darted up to her. Austin was busy, probably writing a love note on his napkin to Jade. She was one of his favorite girlfriends, and
the pretty brunette was really cute with him. Gavin sometimes was uncomfortable with the lingering looks and flirtatious way Jade treated him, but she was a great waitress and had never done anything overt. “Austin likes the chicken strips and fries.”

  “Yes, I do,” Austin chirped.

  “Okay.” Kari wrinkled her nose as if that wasn’t the recommendation she wanted. “Any other recommendations?” she asked quietly, glancing at Austin, but he was busy scribbling away.

  “Well … Mama loves their salmon, and Heath always gets the steak and gorgonzola pasta.”

  “But what do you love, Gav?” she asked, her eyes dipping to his lips, then back to meet his gaze.

  Gavin’s heart beat hard and fast. He noticed two things from that sentence: her inflection on what he loved, and her use of his nickname. He was a goner. If they’d been alone, he’d be officially sunk. How would she respond if his answer was a simple you?

  He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Forcing himself to look at the menu so he didn’t get lost in those tempting blue eyes, he said, “I really like the teriyaki chicken, or the filet mignon is great.”

  “There’s my favorite boyfriend.” Jade’s voice distracted him from Kari.

  “Hi.” Austin grinned and waved. He handed over the napkin. “For later,” he said with a sly wink.

  Jade chuckled and pressed the note to her heart. “I can’t wait.” Her grin turned to Gavin. “How’s my favorite boss?”

  Gavin forced a smile. “Good, thanks. Restaurant’s quiet tonight?”

  “Giving me a break before the weekend. We’ll be closing as soon as you’re done eating. If you … need anything later.”