Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Shelby
“Why do you have to go meet Kaleb again?”
I pinch my lips at Leonard’s question. Something in his tone makes me think he wouldn’t appreciate me smirking right now.
“He wants my help fixing things with Sam,” I remind him softly.
“His relationship issues aren’t your problem.”
Sighing, I stop folding laundry. “Sam is like a sister to me, so I’m making it my problem. Besides, Kaleb doesn’t know that I know,” I point out. “Also, you’re not supposed to know. I’m still not sure how you figured it out.”
Leo reaches for a pair of Riley’s jeans, adding them to a pile near him.
“My lips are sealed,” he swears, raising three fingers.
I narrow my eyes. “Were you even a Boy Scout?”
“No.” He shakes his head nonchalantly.
Laughing, I reach for one of his shirts. “Sam isn’t the only one who’s family. I love Kaleb.” I watch him swallow at my confession and quickly add, “I love all the Cromwells. They’re a second family to me. Plus, if we did this whole move in and help each other out thing, I’d get days off, right?”
“Of course.” He nods sharply. I remain standing beside his bed where he sits. We sort clothes for a few more minutes before his deep voice cuts through the silence. “Well,” he huffs, “who can argue with that?”
I give him a toothy smile. “I’d better go. He’ll be here soon.” Bending, I drop a quick kiss to his cheek.
“Shelby,” he calls out, halting me in the doorway. “Pack a few things to bring over. Stay a few more nights in the guest room.”
Leo might have phrased it as a question, but I know an order when I hear one.
Is moving in with him and Riley insane? Maybe, but my heart pounds at the idea. I can’t wait for my mystery man forever.
If this doesn’t work out, I’ll just move in with Sam. Scrunching my face, I unlock my front door. On second thought, I don’t know how fun sharing a house with Sam and Kaleb would be.
Her mom and dad it is. I won’t even need to ask. Helen and Christopher would insist.
With my backup plan in place, I secure the door behind me and head to my bedroom. Might as well get a start on packing.
Lost in thought, I don’t hear Kaleb arrive.
“You and I need to have a word,” he tuts.
“Ahhh!” I scream, startled. Whipping around, I grab the closest thing to me and raise it, while my other hand grips at my chest. My heart races beneath my palm.
Being the smart-ass that he is, Kaleb makes a quip about how he could have been a killer. Tilting my head back, I take slow, deep breaths and try to remind myself of all the reasons I can’t murder him.
Strangely, I’m coming up empty. That means I can do it, right?
His chuckle makes me glare. “How did you even get in?”
“The door.” He snarks.
I’m going to have to have a word with Sam about her taste in men. Not that I can talk.
“I’m starting to see why Sam isn’t talking to you,” I quip.
Kaleb gasps, clutching his chest. “You get mean when you’re scared.”
And just like that, the anger and annoyance leave my body. “I’m sorry. That was mean.”
My mind clears. I know I locked the door. Finding the necklace where it hides under my shirt, I fiddle with it.
Is he here?
“I locked the front door is what I should have said.” The words are offered as an apology. Kaleb hasn’t done anything wrong.
The man in front of me frowns. “It was unlocked. I’ll check the house.”
“Kaleb . . .” I’m unsure of what to say. How am I supposed to reassure him that there’s no danger when I don’t know who my mystery man is?
“It’s okay. It’ll give me something to do while you finish getting ready.” He gestures to the clothes I have on the bed.
“Why do I have to be the buffer between you and Sam again?”
“Because you love me like a brother.” He smiles, leaving me alone in my bedroom.
My mind drifts to the last time my man was here.
“Did she tell you?” he calls from the spare room, but I don’t answer.
Opening the drawer, I stare down at the now useless condoms.
“I didn’t realize that you were seeing someone,” Kaleb states, peering over my shoulder.
His closeness scares the shit out of me. I swear the man was a ninja in a past life.
Embarrassed, I slam the drawer shut and lean my hip against it. If you can’t see it, it’s not there, right?
Wrong.
“Careful,” he chides.
Kaleb leans around me to tug the drawer open.
Not happening.
“She told me.” I try to distract him.
It doesn’t work.
We stare it out, but it’s useless. I take the smallest step I can, but it’s enough for Kaleb to crack the drawer open.
Humiliation consumes me.
Why can’t I have a normal love life? My fingers find the necklace again.
“Do I need to take care of someone?” Kaleb asks.
I quickly shake my head. It’s not like that. I answer in my head.
When I don’t answer aloud, he captures my chin. “Do you need help, Shelby?”
Pain shoots through my lip when I chew a little too hard. “No,” I whisper. Desperate for him to understand, I add, “It’s complicated.”
Kaleb holds my gaze. I don’t look away, not even when I feel his fingers pulling the necklace from my shirt.
“It was a gift,” I force out.
Silently, I plead with him to understand. To let it go.
“Okay,” he relents. “Let’s go make him jealous.”
“Why would I want to do that?” I breathe.
Kaleb motions to the drawer. “Because he wants you pregnant before you’re ready.”
I narrow my eyes. “And why would you help me?”
“Because I have someone of my own to make jealous.” Kaleb grins.
“Are you going to tell Sam about . . .” I motion to where the condoms lay.
“I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine,” he proposes with a shrug.
“I don’t have one, not really,” I mumble, still in denial.
Kaleb rolls his eyes. “You’re a terrible liar.”
Is this what Doc feels like every time I do that to him?
“You should see a doctor about that.”
I pull a face at his words. There’s no way he knows. Suddenly, I understand why Daniel and Michael occasionally feel the urge to hit their brother.
Needing to poke back at him, I mutter, “Are all brothers this annoying? I’m suddenly very grateful I’m an only child.”
Shoving him in front of me, I follow him out of the house, filtering questions about the Halloween party last week. How does that feel like it happened weeks ago?
My skin prickles, remembering what happened after the party ended.
There’s no way Kaleb knows, right?
Right.