Chapter 10 #2
Her question seemed to discomfit him and his shoulders shifted restlessly, drawing her eyes to the play of muscles beneath all of that beautiful golden skin.
“You looked uncomfortable,” he said, sounding a little self-conscious.
“I was fine. Thanks to those painkillers I was out like a light. I could have been sleeping out on that porch swing last night and I wouldn’t have known it. There was no need for you to be uncomfortable in my stead.”
She stopped, considered her words and recognized how ungrateful they sounded.
“But thank you. It was thoughtful of you.”
His eyes flickered and he averted his gaze before nodding.
“The bed is free now. Why don’t you get some more sleep?” she suggested. “You still look tired.”
He yawned, as if her words had reminded him of his interrupted sleep.
“Maybe just a couple of hours,” he acquiesced.
He got up in one lithe movement and brushed by her on his way to the bedroom, one warm hand grazing lightly over her elbow as he turned sideways to scooch by her.
The brief touch scalded her flesh and she was still absently stroking her tingling skin when he retreated to the room and shut the door.
She sank onto the sofa that he’d just vacated. It was still warm and smelled like him.
Warm and spicy.
So painfully familiar.
She was ready to wrap herself in the abandoned blanket and envelop herself in that scent.
Yeah, because that’s totally healthy, she thought with a snort.
She removed herself from the temptation and shifted to the easy chair instead, sitting there quietly for a long while, just staring into space as the room lightened around her.
She jumped when her phone suddenly screeched out its signature falsetto dummieeeees tone reserved for her sibling chat.
Her brothers had never heard it, and she was pretty certain they’d take exception to it if they ever did.
But as the youngest of four and the only girl, Kenny had frequently been aggravated by her brothers.
She considered ignoring the chat, but the silly tone went off again. And again. And…
She glared at her phone, which was still on the coffee table where she’d dropped it last night.
She groaned and leaned forward to pick it up.
She checked the chat and made an exasperated sound. Didn’t these idiots have anything better to do on a Monday morning? Surely they should be getting ready for work or something? It was seven-thirty, for God’s sake!
And so much worse, Kenny was the current topic of conversation.
Crap.
Cade
Christ! Am I the only one in this family who doesn’t do a runner when shit gets too hard?
Gideon
What’s going on?
Cade
Kenny’s pulled a Nox. She’s disappeared to parts unknown.
Nox
Technically, that’s called Pulling a Gideon.
Gideon
Fuck off, Nox. Everybody knew exactly where I was.
I haven’t pulled a Nox.
Nox
Come on, guys! we’re not calling it that!
Cade
You left town, Kenny. Took extended leave without saying a goddamned word to anyone about it. What would you call that?
A holiday?
Nox
That’s not like you, Kenny.
Gideon
Come to think of it, you have been acting a little weird lately.
Nox
Weird how?
I haven’t. I’m just tired. Overworked. I desperately need this holiday.
Nox
WEIRD HOW!!?
Gideon
You’d know if you bothered to show up for family events.
Gideon never missed the opportunity to take potshots at Nox.
Cade
Gideon is right, Kenny. You looked on the verge of tears at Christmas. And then you left early.
Tired.
Gideon
Bullshit!
Cade
Agreed.
Nox
On the verge of tears? Kenny, what’s wrong?
Nothing. It was just my allergies.
Kenny shook her head. Why was she lying? Why did she always do this? Hide the truth? Hide her feelings?
Her brothers loved her.
I’m sorry. You’re right. I was upset at Christmas. Smith left me.
Gideon
He did what?!!! How the fuck dare he?
The chat call line buzzed. Cade wanted to conference. Gideon immediately joined. A second later, Nox did as well.
Kenny dropped her face into her palm and groaned before lifting the phone and answering. Her brothers all had varying degrees of fury and concern on their faces.
Nox was sporting a full beard and a dark tan and Kenny’s eyes widened for a second. It had been a while since she’d seen her middle brother in person. His black, bushy beard was even longer and more unkempt than the last time he’d bothered to show up to one of their gatherings.
Long gone was the impeccably groomed Nox with the perfectly styled hair who wore bespoke three-piece suits. This guy looked like an outdoorsman. And wholly unfamiliar.
“Christ, Nox, do you even possess a mirror?” Gideon asked, momentarily diverted, his voice shaking. “Are you living off the land somewhere? Hunting, fishing, chopping your own wood?”
“This isn’t about me, dickhead.”
God, Nox and Gideon were always so insufferable. They loved each other but they mixed about as well as oil and water. They could be so exhausting. And if Cade’s exasperated expression was anything to go by, he thought so too.
“Stop this shit,” Cade barked, immediately silencing their brothers, who blinked into their cameras in astonishment.
In the past, Cade would’ve attempted to redirect the conversation with some random unrelated comment. This was the first time in literal years that he’d actually raised his voice at them and directly commanded them to stop.
Kenny rolled her lips between her teeth to hide her grin as the other two hung their heads deferentially and muttered surly sorries.
“Kenny, what do you mean Smith left you?” Cade demanded to know.
Not so grand when that bossy voice was directed at her.
“I think the statement was pretty self-explanatory.”
“Where are you right now?” Nox asked, his voice only slightly less bossy than Cade’s.
“I’ll tell you only if you promise not to interfere.”
Three remarkably similar glowering faces stared back at her without comment.
Well, four could play that game. She plastered her own glower on her face and maintained a stubborn silence.
“Define interfere.” Unsurprising that Gideon, the most easygoing of the four of them, was the first to break the silence.
“You will not show up here unannounced. You will not threaten to kill or otherwise maim Smith, and you will absolutely not contact him in any way, shape, or form whatsoever,” she itemized, then sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as she considered her words.
“And no badmouthing him to me either. I don’t need to hear your unsolicited opinions about my choice of husband. ”
“That’s unreasonably restrictive,” Nox protested.
“You’ll respect my marriage, my husband, and me,” Kenny insisted.
“The fucker walked out on you, Kenny. He clearly doesn’t appreciate you or deserve you,” Nox said, his straight black brows beetling. “So why protect him from our—um—gentle reproaches?”
Cade facepalmed, while Gideon nodded in agreement to Nox’s preposterous question.
“He had his reasons for doing what he did.”
“Are you okay?” Cade asked, his voice grave.
Kenny gnawed at her upper lip before shaking her head.
“Not really.” Her voice was small and shaky, revealing a vulnerability that she would usually keep hidden even from her own brothers.
Gideon swore beneath his breath.
“You can come and stay with Beth and me for a while, okay? We can—”
“No, Gideon, that’s…that’s unbelievably generous, but you don’t have the space.”
“We have two houses,” he scoffed.
“One of which is your workplace.”
“It doesn’t…”
“She’ll stay with Fern and me,” Cade interrupted in a voice that brooked no argument. Once again stepping in with that bossy decisiveness which had been absent for so long.
Kenny laughed, even though her brother’s authoritative statement had warmed her heart.
“You and Fern are on your honeymoon, I wouldn’t dream of intruding.
” Cade and Fern had decided just a couple of weeks before that they wanted to be together permanently.
They even confessed their love to each other after a dramatic showdown with Fern’s awful stepfather, coming as shock to precisely no one.
“Where are you?” Nox asked, redirecting the conversation.
“Still awaiting that promise,” Kenny reminded him.
“Fine, f’fuck’s sake!” He rolled his eyes.
“Sure, no interfering,” Gideon said, the words emerging slowly. “But I reserve the right to kick his arse if he hurts you again.”
“Same,” Nox jumped in eagerly. “You’ve got to give us that at the very least, Kenny. It’s our sacred duty as your big brothers.”
His dramatic proclamation coaxed a laugh from her. Cade remained silent, face fierce and eyes intent. He was in super scary mode.
It did not escape Kenny’s notice that he hadn’t promised not to interfere. But she was confident that he was too preoccupied with his pregnant wife and work to get too wrapped up in Kenny’s business.
“I’m in Riversend.”
“Where?” Cade asked blankly.
“A small tourist town on the Garden Route,” she elaborated.
“The fuck are you doing there?” Nox asked, looking baffled.
“Smith’s here.”
Cade’s face expression went frosty. “Why are you there?”
“It’s my marriage, Cade. I thought I could save it. It’s become clear that I can’t.”
“Come home immediately.” Again with that no-nonsense tone.
“No. I…I need a break. I’ve taken leave from work and I just need a little time to figure things out before I—”
“Jesus Christ, what the hell?” This from Nox, whose gaze was fixed on some point beyond her.
Kenny winced, not needing to turn around to know that Smith was standing right behind her. A glance down at her image in the corner of the screen confirmed it.
“If he’s left you, if your marriage is over…why in fuck is that arsehole standing behind you with his shirt off?” Gideon asked, sounding more baffled than irate.
To be fair, the question was very valid.
“I came here to talk. He very graciously offered me a place to stay for a couple of nights while I make alternative arrangements.”
“Talk about what?” Cade asked, his face and voice were dark with suspicion.
“The divorce,” she said, sighing impatiently.
“Why are you making alternative arrangements? When are you coming home?” Cade again. Nox and Gideon seemed content to let him ask the questions.
For now.
“I’m on holiday.”
“You can be on holiday at home,” Cade said.
“But I like it here.”
“He doesn’t look too thrilled about that,” Gideon observed, indicating Smith with a thrust of his jaw.
“He doesn’t get a say in where I spend my vacations.”
“I never did.” Smith’s grim, unsolicited response startled her. She hadn’t expected him to comment.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Nox asked, his beard practically bristling with irritation.
Smith yawned rudely and scratched his chest, before shrugging in disinterest. “Your sister always went where she wanted when she wanted, without ever requiring my input—or even my presence. Why should now be any different?”
“You’re not fit to—”
“Nox.” Kenny’s low voice interrupted the start of what promised to be a nasty rant and Nox—belatedly remembering her rule about interference—instantly shut his mouth.
Smith’s lip curled into a disdainful sneer. He flipped her brothers off, and sauntered to the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.
“I really, really dislike that arsehole,” Nox complained. “Never understood what you saw in him. You’ll be well rid of him.”
Kenny’s lips trembled and she looked away from the screen for a second as she fought back her tears.
“Nox.” There was quiet censure in Gideon’s deep voice. “This is her marriage, man.”
Kenny looked back in time to see Nox wince. His brows slammed together as he lifted a hand to the nape of his neck.
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Kenny. It’s just—”
“It’s okay, Nox. Just drop it, okay?” Kenny whispered.
“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” her brother lumbered on awkwardly.
“I know.”
“Kenny,” Cade said, choosing his words with care. “You could go literally anywhere on earth, why stay there?”
“I’m just so…” Kenny paused as she considered what to say, not sure if she should tell them about her toe. “I’m so tired. I want—need—to stop and process everything that has happened. This is as good a place as any to do that.”
“But—” Gideon stopped with a confused shake of his head. “Kenny, I’m not sure this is entirely healthy.”
Nox nodded. Great. Of course, they’d choose right now to start agreeing with each other.
“I know what I’m doing. I’ll be fine.” She lied.
“Kenny…” Cade’s face was somber, his eyes full of concern.
“I’ve got to go. I have a lot to do today.” Number one being finding an actual place to stay. “Thank you for caring. Love you guys.”
They all looked ready to protest, but she quickly disconnected the call and placed her phone on silent. She knew they’d probably talk for a while longer, arguing back and forth about how they could circumvent her “no interference” mandate.
That said, Kenny was confident that they would keep their word, take a step back, and trust her to figure this out for herself.