Chapter Five
Where had he put his keys? Whenever Kace forgot something, he didn’t know if it was normal forgetfulness or the concussion. Just another symptom he tried to hide, but after the episode in the kitchen this morning, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could fool everyone. He wasn’t fooling Tara.
He retraced his steps to the bedroom. The keys weren’t there. He opened the window and let the cool breeze wash over him and clear his head. Fall was his favorite time of year because the championship races were about to happen. Except this year they would happen without him unless he found a way to invest in this new team. He had always wanted to win the Southern November. Investing in an unknown team would most likely be his only chance.
Looking out the window, Kace focused on Gage’s cottage. How many times had he told Gage not to be upset that he had to return home when he was recently divorced and had a baby to take care of? That had been sixteen years ago. When Gage’s life fell apart, it had wrecked him. Now he was the one wrecked. He was the one who needed to come home because he couldn’t hack it on his own, and it killed him too. He understood his brother far better than before, and he was surprised Gage hadn’t decked him for saying something so stupid.
Back in the living room, he had to dodge unpacked boxes standing three tall. He had never planned to stay on the ranch after the accident, but the symptoms had knocked him on his ass, and his family was worried. Just climbing the steps to his apartment over the garage had tired him out. When he fell down those steps because the dizziness made him black out, and Lock had found him sprawled on the ground, he’d lost the battle with his brothers and mother. He’d moved back.
The keys sat abandoned on a box by the kitchen. He must have dropped them there when he came back after Tara had her hands on his neck. He definitely hadn’t been thinking straight after that. He hadn’t expected to bump into a beautiful woman in the main kitchen when he was dirty and sweaty. And a little angry also, thanks to the concussion. He hadn’t missed the way she backed away from him when he raised his voice. He would try and do better next time, but he couldn’t always control his emotions.
He had planned to drive back to the main house and get that massage before he misplaced his keys. If Tara didn’t have time for him this afternoon, he would wait until after the last appointment and pay her double her usual rate. The dizziness had stopped when he inhaled that lemon scent. The smell reminded him of the polish his mother used to clean the wood.
That oil and Tara’s hands were the magic cure. He hated the exercises prescribed by the doctor and hadn’t been doing them. They made him feel worse afterward. He needed more of her. And fast if he was going to drive again.
He grabbed a jacket off the hook by the door, and the doorbell rang. He hadn’t made plans with anyone and didn’t want uninvited guests. He never used to mind people dropping by the garage and his apartment, but those days were over. Avoiding people meant he didn’t have to explain how he felt or see the pitying look on their faces. He could almost hear what they thought. Such a shame. He almost won .
He peered through the peephole and hung his head. If he stayed quiet, maybe she’d go away.
“Kace, I know you’re in there. Your truck is outside.” Kennedy Stark stood on his porch with a brown bag in her hand.
At one time her presence would have been welcomed, but since the accident, he had no interest in women. And before the accident, she’d never thought of him as anything other than a friend. After he came home from the hospital, she had been around every corner, sending signals she was ready for more. He didn’t understand the shift in her interest except that she liked the idea of taking care of a sick man. And he was having none of that. He didn’t want to be thought of as sick. A man did not get sick. A man was a man.
He could run out the back, cross the yard to Gage’s house, and wait until she left. Or he could pull his shit together and stop acting like a child. He opened the door, but he really wanted to make a run for it.
“Hey, Kennedy. What brings you by?” He tried to keep his tone light and forced the anger not to surface. He wasn’t sure how long he could continue to pretend and resisted the urge to look at the time on his phone. He wanted to get to the spa as soon as he could.
Kennedy was tall and thin with the same long, light-brown hair and bangs since they’d been in high school. Her skin was almost as dark as his because of all the hours she spent in the sun during the summer on the lake and hiking in the mountains. Owning the local pub gave her days off and long nights.
“I brought lunch.” She held up the bag. Her smile broke open and crinkled the skin around her eyes.
“Thanks, but I was on my way out.” He held up his keys.
“Are you going to therapy? I could come if you need help. You know, be your cheerleader or something.”
He never went to therapy alone. After the rigorous work, he was always too dizzy and tired to drive. One of his brothers usually went with him. “Actually, I am, but it’s better if I go by myself. It’s boring for someone to sit and watch.”
The smile fell from her face, and he wanted to kick himself. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he wasn’t capable of giving her what she wanted. The only emotion he seemed to even feel these days was anger. Love and tenderness were too out of reach for him. Once he got another car to race, then he could think about a relationship or at least having sex. Okay, he had already been thinking about having sex again, but he didn’t want Kennedy for that either.
“Do you have plans tonight? I could come back. I’m not working today. We could light a fire. Roast marshmallows.”
“I’m usually wiped out after. Maybe another time.”
“Sure. Well, here. It’s your favorite.” She handed over the bag.
His stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten any breakfast before or after his run because he had taken off in a hurry. He didn’t like Jett implying he would take advantage of Tara. And if he were being honest, after Tara had her hands all over his neck, even he wanted to put on some clothes around her.
The smell of a juicy double hamburger with bacon and tomato floated from the bag. “Did you bring the sweet potato fries too?” He should be ashamed of himself for allowing his stomach to dictate his actions. At least it wasn’t another part of his body. He couldn’t send her away while she was being so nice to him. They were friends after all, and he had never promised or even hinted at anything else. Not since that one kiss over a year ago, and that had been an accident. He didn’t have to end the friendship because she dropped heavy suggestions about taking their relationship to the next level.
“Of course, I included the fries. You aren’t happy unless you have them too.” She fluttered her eyelids.
He should send her on her way. She might misunderstand his invitation, but she looked up at him with an expectation in her eyes. He didn’t want to be an ass. “Come on in and share it with me. I can spare twenty minutes before I have to leave.”
The smile returned as she nearly skipped past him. Her hand grazed his arm and lingered at his wrist. He ducked away and grabbed some plates. After they ate, he would head over to the spa and get that massage from Tara.
He only wanted to get better. No one could blame him for that. Tara’s talent and beauty were a bonus. Her dark hair bounced with curls. She was much shorter than him, but her feisty comebacks were twice as tall. And he liked the way the tiny nose piercing twinkled in the light. He never expected to enjoy the sight of a nose piercing, but on Tara it was something like artistic. Noticing her beauty and personality didn’t make him interested. He had just met her. Those oils and her skills as a masseuse had his attention. That was all.
He cut the burger in half and scooped out half the fries onto each plate. He carried everything over to Kennedy, sitting at the small, round table. Besides the sofa and his bed, the table was the only furniture in the place. She squirmed in her seat as if she couldn’t find a comfortable position.
“Here you go.” He placed the food in front of her.
“I don’t want any. I brought it for you.” She pushed the plate away and took a long look around the living area. “I can help you unpack one day if you want.”
“I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay here. There’s probably no point in unpacking.” He tore a bite out of the burger. A piece of the tomato slipped down his chin and dropped onto the plate. Kennedy reached over and wiped his chin with a napkin.
He lost his appetite.
“Kennedy, I know we’ve been friends a long time, but—”
“No buts. We’re friends. Nothing more.” She waved his words away while a red blush crept up her neck.
He wanted to believe her, but he wasn’t so sure she meant what she said. The only thing that mattered to him was getting another shot at the pros. He didn’t want a relationship. He wanted his career back.