Chapter 6
Lady Friend?
Clay
I’ve barely stepped out of the Mercantile before my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket.
I already know that it’s going to be the group chat.
Bertie looked like she was bursting with a secret when I asked her which flavor of creamer women were into these days.
I hadn’t made it to the door before I saw her pick up her phone and tap away on it.
Once I’m in my truck, I fish my phone out and open our thread, named by Mercer.
Kane Bros Group Chat
E-Man
I have updates on our Clay situation
There is no situation
Addy
Finally! I’ve been waiting all day for this
Tobes
It better be good. I’m having a shit day
Addy
He means that literally. Tello bucked him off into a steaming pile in the round pen
Merc D
Brooky has left the Kane Bros Group chat
Merc D has added Brooky to the Kane Bros Group Chat
Brooky
Addy
Everybody shut up! E…dude…what’s the update?
E-Man
I have it on good authority
Tobes
*whisper shouts* he means Bertie
E-Man
As I was saying…
good authority that our brother was in the mercantile asking for advice on coffee creamer
Brooky
Who the fuck buys coffee creamer?
Tobes
I think…
I think that’s the point big bro.
Maybe I just wanted to change it up? Ever think of that assholes?
E-Man
I might have bought that but Bertie said you were asking which one a lady friend might like
Addy
*snorts milk* Lady friend? How old are you Traeger?
I’m not that fucking old asshat.
And shut up Ethan. Tell Bertie to mind her own damn business
Merc D
I don’t suggest that. Last time I told her that she trespassed me from the bar…
FOR A MONTH
E-Man
Yea…won’t be doing that
Tobes
Wait. So who are you fucking then? Didn’t you move back two seconds ago?
Addy
I have similar questions…
I’m not fucking anyone! Leave me alone
Brooky
Good luck with that
Mer D
Didn’t we just talk about this?? You can’t be secretly screwing anyone because we need you to get Leni back home.
Tobes
*groans*
E-Man
Addy
Not this again Merc. Come on.
Merc D
No you come on. Do you guys not remember the massive crush she had on him? Or the way he used to watch her when he thought no one else noticed?
E-Man
That sounds…
Tobes
Kinky
Addy
Creepy
Brooky has left the Kane Bros Group Chat
Addy has added Brooky to the Kane Bros Group Chat
Brooky
Goddamn it. leave me alone assholes. I do not care who Clay is or is not fucking and I do not have time for this shit
Tobes
…
Addy
You know you can just put your phone down right?
Maybe turn off the ringer
Or throw that bitch on do not disturb
Brooky
I’m going to throw it in your fucking face the next time I see you
Addy
Sheesh. who pissed in your corn flakes big bro?
Merc D
I feel like we’ve lost focus here
E-Man
Leave him alone Addy. Brooky just put the phone down
You have left the Kane Bros Group Chat
Merc D has added you to the Kane Bros Bros Group Chat
FML
Taking Adler’s advice, I switch my phone over to Do Not Disturb.
I’m nervous enough, knowing that I’m going home to Leni.
It was bad enough staying in her space, where every little thing reminded me of her.
Now I’ll have the actual Leni in my face and after that kiss last night…
I don’t know how I’m supposed to act. Do I pretend it didn’t affect me?
Do I pretend I didn’t sit at my desk for half the day, replaying the entire night over and over again in my head?
Any other night, I’d take the long way home.
Swing by the main house to see if Marcy had any leftovers or take Mako out for a ride.
Maybe see if Brooks had any last-minute things he needed help with.
I’m worried, though, that Marcy will take one look at me and figure everything out.
The last thing I need is Leni thinking I can’t keep my word.
So, I suck in a deep breath and head home to the ranch, a cinnamon coffee cake creamer in my front seat.
I walk into the cabin to find the living room rearranged.
The sofa and coffee table are pushed off to one side, while Leni lies on the floor in front of her laptop, a yoga video playing on the screen.
She doesn’t notice me coming in right away, so I stay there in the entryway, watching… like a creeper.
She’s wearing a white sports bra, her tan skin seeming darker next to the light-colored fabric. Her back muscles are flexed, shoulders bunching together as she pushes her upper body away from the floor into a cobra pose.
I’m trying to convince myself to look away.
Leni is Mercer’s little sister.
Leni has been put through enough of your shit.
Leni deserves better.
Keep it in your pants, man.
“And now we transition back into our downward dog.” The woman on the screen moves, but I can’t take my eyes off the woman in front of me.
Leni shifts her weight from the tops of her feet to her toes.
As her hands press into the yoga mat, her upper body moves backward, hips push up toward the sky.
Annnnd...there’s her ass. Right there, looking fucking edible in those tiny beige shorts.
A strangled groan comes from my lips, causing Leni to yelp.
She loses her balance, toppling onto her side.
Sitting up, she swipes the sweat from her brow and glares at me.
I cock an eyebrow, giving her a what the fuck did I do look.
She huffs at me, snapping the screen of her laptop down as she gathers her things.
Brat, I almost snap at her. Clearing my throat, I kick my boots off and head into the kitchen, only now realizing the mouthwatering aroma that’s coming from it.
A crockpot sits on the counter, some kind of spicy meat marinating on low heat inside.
As much as I want to open the lid and sneak a taste, I learned long ago not to mess with shit in a Kane woman’s kitchen.
Leni crosses the cabin as I’m putting the coffee creamer into the fridge. “What kind did you get?”
I pull the bottle out for her to inspect, hoping she’ll like it. “Bertie said it was good.”
“Oh my God! You asked Bertie?” Her eyes dance with amusement, lighting up the little flecks of gold in her irises. She’s radiant when she smiles.
“I know,” I groan, struggling to hide the way I want to stare into her eyes. Maybe lose myself in them. “Rookie mistake. I’ve already heard about it from the boys.”
She stifles a laugh, biting into her lower lip, drawing my eyes down to her mouth. Fuck, that kiss. I can’t get it out of my head. I’ve kissed a lot of women since leaving the ranch at eighteen, but nothing ever came close to the way Leni kissed me.
The way she tastes. The way she feels in my arms. Leni was my home, and I’m starting to wonder if I’m in a losing battle trying to keep my distance.
“Clay?” Leni breathes my name, making me realize that I’ve drifted closer toward her. Too close.
She’s leaning up against the counter, big green eyes looking up at me.
I lean down, placing both hands on the counter on either side of her hips.
I want to run my nose up the length of her neck, breathe her in, maybe press a kiss to her pulse point.
Taste her skin. I don’t do any of those things.
Instead, I stand there, staring into her eyes, breathing in the air that she breathes out.
I shouldn’t be here, staying in her cabin or standing in her space. I spent years trying not to think about her. Trying to convince myself that I don’t want her.
Looking down at her, being this close to her, I can’t help but think that if anyone is worth total annihilation, it’s Leni Kane.
Her eyes dart back and forth between mine, like she’s trying to read me, to figure out what it is that I want. Good luck, sweetheart. I’m not sure what it is that I want right now.
I lean further, attempting to close the distance between us when she stiffens. Her body tips away from me. Fuck.
I move back, running my fingers through my hair. I want to tell her she doesn’t have to be afraid of me, but what I blurt out is the question I haven’t been able to shake since last night. “Why don’t you want your family to know you’re home?”
“Because I don’t,” she snaps, defiance shimmering in her eyes.
“They’d be thrilled. You should see the way they talk about how much they miss you. They want you home.”
“What they want is to micromanage my life,” she spits, eyes narrowing.
“What the fuck happened?” I haven’t seen the whole Kane family together since that summer before her senior year. It certainly was never like this. The way the boys talk about missing her, I never would have assumed she was staying away on purpose.
“What do you care?” She moves toward the stairs, hard eyes staring back at me, challenging me to answer.
“I care,” my voice dips low, a bit of my father’s temper rising to the surface. “I never stopped caring.”
“Could’ve fooled me, Traeger.”
I want to throw up, my stomach rioting as I watch her ascend the stairs. Little pieces of my heart going with her.
Is that what she thinks of me? That I didn’t care?
If I didn’t care, I would have let her stay.
I would have let her ruin her life as she tried to piece me back together.
I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t need things to change with us.
She can hate me for the rest of our lives if she wants to, but this rift between her and the family?
That needs fixing.
And I’m going to be the one to fix it.