Keys and Kisses: Untouchable Book Three

by Long, Heather

  Here was hoping he did.

  Frankie rode in the back, sandwiched between me and Archie. I wasn’t complaining. She was holding both of our hands. Jake played music for a while, then turned it down when Archie brought up rides. Bit-by-bit, the conversation dodged out of uncomfortable territory and toward something fun.

  Roller coasters.

  Frankie hated them.

  “But I’ll go,” she offered.

  “You don’t have to,” I assured her.

  “It’s your birthday.”

  “Yeah,” Jake said from the front. “It’s your birthday.”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Doesn’t mean she has to torture herself.”

  “Who knows,” she said, elbowing me. “Maybe it will be fun.” The impudent note in her voice and the first flash of a real smile had me dropping a kiss on her lips.

  “Fine, we’ll try the kiddie coasters, and if you don’t freak out, we can try something else.”

  Her indignant denial of freaking out set everyone off laughing—even Bubba. I hadn’t missed the look on his face, and man, I was sorry he was on the outside looking in at the moment, but he made that bed.

  We grabbed drive-thru as promised, and Frankie got three of the hash browns—her favorite—and a breakfast sandwich. I gave her my extra hash browns when she was still hungry.

  When we reached the park, we had like five minutes to spare, which was good. We all needed a bathroom break.

  After, with tickets bought, we headed inside and the best part—we were just five kids in the throng of people heading into the amusement park. It wasn’t super busy, but we didn’t know any of these people.

  Frankie clasped my hand. She shared an ice cream cone with Jake. Archie kissed her when he got her up on one of the rides. I laughed my ass off when after she’d proved her mettle on the kiddy coasters, we went on the big one. She screamed through the whole thing.

  Admittedly, I was a little deaf, but her eyes were sparkling, and we got off and got back in line and did it again. The thing about having her hair loose, after the rides and whipping upside down, it had gotten bouncier and curlier. She didn’t care, she was having fun.

  We dropped too much money on competing to win her a toy. None of us would leave the shoot shack until we got something. Jake finally landed one, and then Archie did. Not enough points for what we wanted, so Bubba and I raced to get the last one, and we nailed it at the same time.

  “The bear,” I said. Birthday boy privileges. It was a psychotic looking bear in psychedelic colors with eyes that looked a little helter skelter. Half the reason we even noticed the place was Frankie staring at it as we walked past. When I handed it to her, she grinned and gave me a kiss.

  “Hey, it was a team effort here,” Archie protested, and she gave him a kiss. Then Jake, and she paused at Bubba. The tension suddenly ratcheted up, but she settled for pressing a quick kiss to his uninjured cheek.

  “Thank you,” she said, withdrawing and hugging the bear. “Now I expect a present on everyone else’s birthdays, too.”

  The comment amused, and I laughed along with everyone else, but damn, I felt for Bubba. She’d missed the way the hope flashed up in his eyes and then disintegrated when she retreated.

  Thankfully, he kept it cool, and we hit a couple more rides before it was getting time to head back. We could have hung out the rest of the day and that would have been fun, too.

  I’d had a blast. My best friends and our girl? Yeah. Great birthday.

  Date with Frankie tonight? Without the fashion show and Cheryl?

  Even better.

  On the way back out to the SUV, I wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into me.

  I was never going to take this for granted. Not even a little.

  I’d meant it when I said I wasn’t going to regret what I missed out on. We had way too much to enjoy.

  “Good birthday?” she asked me as we lagged behind the others, and I grinned.

  “Smile for me?” I asked. When she grinned, I winked. “See, there, it’s the best.”

  Then she laughed, proving my point.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It’s His Birthday!

  The day at the park had been alternately wonderful and heartbreaking. Anytime I caught myself stealing looks at Ian, he’d seemed miserable. What used to be as easy as breathing—talking—had become a nail-biting affair. I didn’t want to mislead him or make him feel self-conscious. At the same time, it was exhausting to straddle that line. Jake and Archie helped to keep it upbeat, and I focused on Coop.

  The kitchen make-out following Coop’s one hell of a morning kiss and fingering me right into another orgasm that morning, and all of that on the heels of the night and morning with Archie had left me loose and lax. A state I could barely comprehend, considering my mother’s abandonment.

  On the ride back, I settled my head against Coop’s shoulder while Archie played the fingers of my right hand. Once again, Ian had taken the shotgun position. No one said anything, he just headed there while Archie held the door open for me to climb in.

  Awareness of being watched hit me, and I caught Jake’s gaze in the rearview mirror. I gave him a tired smile, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Some of the worry faded, but it didn’t erase fully. A yawn stole over me, and I pressed my cheek into Coop’s shirt.

  He smelled like sunshine and the sticky sweet snow cones we’d had after the wild ride on the roller coasters. They’d scared the crap out of me, but I’d had fun, too. Especially after his smile when I asked to go again. The guys weren’t really talking, and the music wasn’t too loud. Between that and the steady hum of the car, I dozed right off.

  Coop nudged me awake when we were back in the lot of the apartments. Everyone slid out of the car, pee breaks were required after that drive. I led them all up to my place, even Ian.

  Mine.

  That nervous twitch in my gut redoubled as I considered the fact that Mom had moved out.

  Was she still paying the rent? Or was that the plan? Wait until I was evicted and had nowhere else to go?

  I’d sleep in my car first. But that wasn’t good for the cats. One thought crashed into another. The stress of worrying about Ian while trying to enjoy Coop’s day left me wrung out. The cats were very vocal once we were inside.

  The guys jostled jokingly as they raced for the bathroom. From the sudden laughter and playful curses, Jake had slid in there first. It wasn’t the first time today the four of them had found rapport again. The tension was there, sure. But their friendships seemed to be relatively intact, and as envious as I was for their ease in adjusting to my breakup with Ian, I wish I could do the same.

  As much as I needed to pee myself, I waited and got the cats fed. You’d think they never got to eat the way they attacked the wet food when I put it down.

  I should have made a cake or something for Coop’s birthday. It wasn’t that late, I still could.

  “Dude, are you doing your nails or something?” Archie called, and I grinned. Jake was making them wait.

  Ian’s huff of laughter had my smile fading, and I turned to the fridge. I had a cake mix in the pantry, but…no eggs, and milk that was perilously low if not expired, and what leftovers were in there weren’t edible. I’d pretty much eaten most of what could be devoured from the perishables.

  Long-formed habit, I ate those first, or they just spoiled and wasted money. Not wasting money had been beaten into me young. Closing it, I checked the freezer.

  Mom had never transferred that grocery shopping money. I guess the dinner had soured her appetite for that. I couldn’t really call and complain, could I? There was some chicken, a dead pair of frost-burned pork chops, and a bag of tilapia. Ugh.

  Birthday dinner and cake, and I had nothing.

  Okay, first things first, I needed to get the guys moving and then I’d head to the grocery store. I had money in savings and in my checking account. Maybe Marsha would give me an extra shift to make up the difference.


  Unable to put it off any longer, I made it to the hall in time for Jake to come out and Archie to push in before Coop or Ian could. Laughter and grumbling filled the air, but the guys looked far from upset.

  “Hey, baby girl,” Jake murmured as he gave me a hug. It was an easy gesture, and he pressed his forehead to mine lightly. Those pale blue eyes always saw too much, and he searched my gaze now. “You okay?”

  “No,” I told him honestly. I could have lied, but Jake tended to push and prod. Coop would just power right past it with a simple bullshit. Jake dragged it out of me. So, I didn’t bother with the subterfuge, no matter how mild. “But I will be.”

  I had no other choice.

  The corners of his mouth curved, and then he pressed a kiss to forehead. It was gentle, earnest, and very affectionate. “Yes,” he promised against my skin. “You will. I have your back, you know that, right?”

  Rising on my tiptoes, I hugged him tightly and closed my eyes. “I do,” I answered in the same hushed voice. I felt more than saw his smile against my ear.

  “Have fun tonight, okay?”

  I chuckled. “We will.”

  He gave me another kiss, this one even lighter as his lips brushed mine before he said, “I’m out, guys. Don’t be stupid.”

  Coop snorted, but Archie’s voice muffled as he called his goodbye. As Jake moved, my gaze snagged on Ian’s. He jerked his attention away, as if I’d busted him for staring.

  “Yeah,” Ian said. “I’m going, too. Have a great birthday, man.” He clapped Coop on the shoulder, and I moved to press against the wall so he could pass me. When he paused in front of me, I wasn’t sure what I expected him to say, but “See you tomorrow?” wasn’t it.

  “Yep. It’s a school day, I’ll be in the cafeteria getting my coffee infusion.” It came out flip and easy, neither of which I experienced. He stared a beat longer. For a moment, I thought he would say something else, but he compressed his lips and gave me a nod before turning to where Jake waited in the living room.

  Jake had definitely waited, and while he wasn’t staring at us, I was under no illusions about whether he’d been waiting to see what happened. Despite the strained awkwardness lingering between them, Jake and Ian left together.

  I sagged against the wall as the backdoor closed. Then Archie was out of the bathroom, and he and Coop shared a look. Then Coop gave me a quick smile. “You need it?”

  “Go ahead,” I told him, and waved him on.

  Archie strolled toward me, his expression concerned but gentle. “You really okay?” Had he heard Jake asking me? Maybe. Though he’d been murmuring. Or maybe I just looked as bad as I felt. Archie had been there last night when I burst into tears. He’d held me while I cried, and then he’d made me smile again.

  “Nope.” I told him the same thing I’d told Jake. “But I will be.”

  “Damn straight.” He cupped my face and pressed a kiss to my lips before he pressed one to my forehead. “You need me, you know where I am.”

  I wanted to tell him I would always need him. I needed all of them. But that was a big declaration, and if my life had taught me nothing, it had taught me I had to stand on my own two feet. “I do.” Covering his hands with mine, I raised my brows. “You know that goes for you, too, right?”

  He grinned. “Thank you. I will definitely call. If it weren’t Coop’s birthday, your phone would ring the minute I was out the door.”

  I laughed. Not just because it was funny, but because there was so much emotion there. He wasn’t kidding. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I promised.

  “I’ll be in the cafeteria with your coffee, babe.” He winked and then gave me another kiss. “I’m out, Coop. Happy birthday!”

  The bathroom door opened. “Thanks, Arch…see you tomorrow.”

  Then there was just us, and Coop raised his eyebrows. “You’re doing the happy pee pee dance.”

  The dry comment made me giggle snort, even as I flipped him off. Chuckling, he backed off to let me in the bathroom.

  Ten minutes later, washed up and changed, we headed for my car. “I’m serious, Frankie. I can order food for us,” he offered.

  “So can I,” I said with an exasperated grin to try and soften the snap that almost escaped. “But it’s your birthday, and I want to make you dinner and a cake, and I’m the world’s worst friend because I didn’t get you anything.”

  “I don’t a need a present,” he told me flatly. “I’m getting to be with you, and that’s the best gift there is.”

  The moment elongated as we stared at each other over the roof of my car. Then the corner of his mouth kicked a little higher, and a laugh escaped mine. Giggles assaulted us as his smile deepened.

  “Too bad we can’t buy wine to go with all that cheese,” I deadpanned once we were in the car, and he braced his hand on my seat.

  “Ha ha,” he said with a grin. “Yuck it up.”

  At the grocery store, Coop and I debated the list. He nixed the birthday cake idea and pointed out cupcakes in the bakery. There were some obnoxious ones with blue frosting. It would totally turn our tongues and teeth blue. But the puppy dog expression in his gray-green eyes had me saying yes. We got four. Then we went in search of staples that I needed. When I tried to go for food for his dinner, he kept redirecting us elsewhere. Like me, Coop knew how to shop a sale and we never missed the rack in the back with clearance items. So what if part of the bread was smooshed, it was a steal at fifty cents.

  The deli was the next stop, and I figured out his plan. They had deals on the barbecue whole chickens, pre-cooked and ready to go that included a pair of sides for free if you buy the whole thing. One of those would feed me for the next few days, even after we had dinner.

  “Chicken?” He grinned.

  Eyeing him, I made a promise. On Coop’s next birthday? I was going to make him a huge meal and a perfect cake. “Sounds good.”

  The only real problem we ran into was when we got to the register. He’d wanted to pay for my groceries, but I beat him to the punch. A fact he sulked about on the way to the car with the bags.

  “Coop, it’s my food. I should be the one paying for it. Besides, I’m also the one with a job.”

  “I got a job,” he dropped in casually as we stowed the groceries in the backseat. It was way too hot in the trunk.

  “Since when?”

  He gave me a smirk and just climbed in the passenger seat. Slamming the door closed, I dove into the driver’s seat and started the car.

  “Since when?” I repeated. When had he gotten a job and why hadn’t he told me?

  “Since I got the car,” he admitted, smiling. “I’m delivering food. It’s not glamorous, and sometimes I don’t make much in tips, but it’s still money, and in the evenings I’m not with you or the guys, I’m going to keep it up. I needed to get back to saving money for school, too.”

  “That’s awesome,” I told him. I never thought about delivering food with the car. I had Mason’s, but it might be a way to pick up some extra money. An apartment on my own was really going to cut into my savings account.

  “Yeah?” That hesitant shyness was Coop to his core. He was so laid back about everything, except those things he might be uncertain about. A job that he’d just managed to acquire with his brand-new car?

  “Yeah.” I leaned over and kissed him. When he cupped my chin and nudged my mouth a little wider to deepen it, I sighed against his mouth. The fact we were making out in the grocery store parking lot surfaced, but then Coop tilted his head and sucked my tongue against his teeth, and I didn’t give a damn where we were.

  My body was humming by the time he lifted his head, and I was thankful for the air conditioning because it had gotten warm in here. With gentle fingers, he traced my cheek then the outline of my lips.

  “I really want to say something cheesy and deep right now,” he told me. “But all I got is damn, I like kissing you.”

  I grinned. “I’ll take damn, I like kissing you, because damn—I like kissin
g you, too. You’ve been making me crazy with all those wild kisses and then leaving or dragging me off to school.”

  “Yeah?” His expression ranged from tender to smug. “I wanted to make sure you remembered me.”

  “I’m not likely to forget you.”

  He chuckled. “Good. I’ll tell you a secret though.” When he crooked his finger, I leaned in closer and braced a hand on his thigh. Lips against my ear, he whispered, “I think about those kisses every time I rub one out. Nothing compares to the real thing though.”

  A shiver went all the way through me. “Now all I can see is kissing you while you do that.”

  His laughter choked off, and his pupils expanded. “Damn…never made it a spectator sport before.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’m really not into those.” It was fun to watch him strain for something to say as his mouth opened and then closed.

  Rendering Coop speechless had happened maybe five times in all the years I’d known him. I grinned. Touching my tongue to my fingertip, I drew a point in the air and made a sizzling sound.

  That set him off laughing all over again. “Yeah, yeah. You definitely win that one.”

  We laughed and teased all the way back to the apartment. Between us, we got the groceries in and put away, then turned dinner into a picnic in the living room, even if we had to fend off the cats while we ate our chicken, potato salad, and the hot rolls—though admittedly, they weren’t that hot now—he’d picked for his sides.

  “Okay,” I admitted after slurping down more chicken. “This was an awesome idea.” Hungrier than I realized, I devoured it. We hadn’t worried about cutting it neatly, since the meat practically fell off the bones. My fingers were a mess though, when I went to suck some of the barbecue sauce off my fingertips, Coop caught my hand and sucked the digits into his mouth.

  The flutter in my stomach intensified as he stroked each fingertip with his tongue, as if to be absolutely certain not a drop escaped him. Biting my lip, I locked gazes with him. The first real pull of suction against my fingers evoked an answering tug in my system.