Chapter 5
His sour mood at not finding his mom home turned black. Memphis Creed’s red GTO and Daphne’s brown Jeep joined his truck in the shade. Fucking hell. He secured his helmet to the handlebar and got the box of eclairs from the storage compartment, stomping the porch floorboards with displeasure as he made his way to the back of the house, confident that’s where the women would be.
Mom was always welcome. She had a key, but she rarely used it. The back bifold patio doors were unlocked on most days. No one in their right mind would enter the lair of Javier Cabrera. His reputation guaranteed it.
He rounded the last corner.
Daphne gazed up and bathed him with a warm smile, taking the edge off. “Good morning, honey. You look a little stormy. How can that be on such a perfect day? I’m having a nice talk with this lovely young woman. What’s that under your arm?”
He glanced at Memphis then back at her, planting a kiss on her white hair. “I was bringing you eclairs, Mom.”
“I was just starting to sample this scone Memphis brought you. She was about to fill me in on Ransom. Can you believe it? His daughter. I’ve started drinking the coffee she brought, also intended for you. Did you make some this morning?”
“Yeah. It’s probably still hot.”
“Good. Sit. I’ll get you a fresh cup, and you too, dear,” she said, addressing Memphis. “We can have a nice chat together out here.”
“Mom—”
“Sit, Javi. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She disappeared inside.
He remained standing. There was no arguing with Daphne Kayce when her mind was made up. The question was, what was her agenda? Judging from the twinkle in her eye, she had one.
Memphis watched him. “You’re not happy I’m here.”
“Astute. Who told you where I live?”
“A little birdie.”
“Hm.” He could play the game, too and unzipped the mesh jacket. Eyes locked on hers, he shrugged out of it, revealing the black wicking sleeveless tee that hugged his muscles and displayed a lot of ink.
Her eyes widened and rounded, and her mouth hung open, making him recall her expression when he had been showering.
“I’d strip off the rest, but my mom wouldn’t appreciate that. And you’ve seen all of it anyway.”
“What has Memphis seen?”
Shit. Mom was too quick, spoiling his fun. He hurried to grab the tray she carried, filled with plates, forks, knives, napkins, a carafe of coffee, and stacked mugs.
“Nothing.”
“Behave yourself, Javi. Memphis is family.”
Notfamily, he corrected silently. Not his niece, he reminded himself, but a sultry redhead he intended to hook up with. Memphis had told Daphne about Ransom, but not that he was dead, or Daphne would be upset. The fact that she wasn’t and was not returning to the topic of Ransom could be proof that his mom knew far more. Or it could be that she was far more intrigued by Memphis and why she had shown up at his house so early on a Saturday morning. Nothing seemed to escape Mom. Did she know Ransom was dead? Or was she playing her waiting game?
He set the tray in the middle of the rectangular table, pulled a chair out for his mother, and eased into a chair across from Memphis, praying this wasn’t going to evolve into a shitshow.
* * *
With Daphne present, Memphis was able to relax and study Javier. He adored his mother; that much was obvious and, at her request, oozed charm. He excelled at small talk and frequently flashed a smile—at his mother only. So much so that Memphis’s guard slipped.
Daphne poured a fresh mug for her. Javier placed an eclair on her plate and cut another in half, putting it on another small plate and sliding toward Memphis.
“Thanks, but I don’t think I can eat anymore. That scone filled me up.”
He grinned in return. A broad one with two impressions evident in his salt-and-pepper stubble.
Oomph.She was a sucker for dimples and seeing them on him lit her blood on fire and had her pulse accelerating. The transformation was astonishing. Javier no longer appeared moody and unapproachable but open and devastatingly handsome. If he pursued her, she’d be unable to say no.
“If you don’t try it, you’ll regret it, Memphis.” Sexual heat lit his eyes. The innuendo was deliberate.
Digging into a second eclair and taking in the scenery, Daphne missed the nuance. The diminutive woman sure could put away some food.
Memphis took a small bite of hers. Flavor and texture exploded in her mouth. A moan escaped her before she could stop it. Shit, shit, shit. She looked up, right into Javier’s eyes. The heat in them burned brighter and the corner of his mouth hitched up. He read her correctly. She was in trouble.
“I should leave you two.” Daphne’s focus moved from Javier to her. “After all, honey, Memphis has been waiting to see you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll catch Javier later.” Memphis watched his brows shoot up.
“If you say so, Memphis. I’m overdue for a ride on that bike of yours, Javi.”
“Mom, you’re not dressed for riding.”
“Son, when will you learn to not underestimate me? My gear’s in the Jeep. I’m going to go get it and change.”
Memphis and Javier sat in silence, watching each other. She broke eye contact first, stood, and walked to the railing. “It’s amazing here. I find it difficult to believe it’s yours.”
“Because?”
“It’s peaceful. Serene. You strike me as rough and broody.”
He chuckled derisively. “You think you know me. You have no idea who I am. Why are you here, Memphis?”
Footsteps sounded down the front steps. Daphne had left the bifold open when she had carried the tray outside.
“Mom used her key. She doesn”t do that very often. Must feel that we need a few minutes alone, so let’s make it count.”
“I came to Torch River at my father’s request, just before he passed. I was famished when I arrived and stopped at the diner. I spoke with a lovely woman. Rose.” She paused as understanding surfaced. “Your sister from what I understand. So, also my father’s sister. More family ... Daphne mentioned that this morning. You”re one of them too, aren”t you? My father”s brother.”
“I claim Rose as a sister. Your father was a brother. It’s water under the bridge.”
So, it was as her father indicated—an estrangement. “Why was?”
“Leave it, Memphis.
“I don’t want to leave it. And I’m going to bet that me showing up here has that water rising and you thinking about whatever happened to separate my father from his family.”
“Uh-uh. You tell me why you’re here. Your reservation is through the following weekend. That’s a long stay in the Narrows. Most people stay in the Cliffs if they’re here for any length of time.”
“How do you know about my reservation?”
“We’re a tight community, Memphis.”
“Pops wanted me to get help. As soon as possible. It was the first time he mentioned having a family, which shocked me. He did say he had fallen out of contact with them and to start with the gray wolf. I guess that’s you, but you’re more silver-haired, than gray. Why didn’t he just say Javier?”
“Javier is a common enough name in the Narrows. And only my kin knew the alias.”
“Okay, that makes sense. What’re the Cliffs?”
“He extended his arm and pointed in an eastern direction. Across the river.”
“Oh, I didn’t see a sign with ‘the Cliffs’ on it, like the one over here for the Narrows. I ate at the Overlook yesterday. I’m going to head to the Cliffs later and check out the shops. There’s a lot more commerce on that side of the river.”
“Yup.” He smirked and lounged deeper into the chair.
She stared at the flexing muscles as he stretched his legs, then realized what she was doing and looked up—right into brown eyes that were so dark, they were unreadable. But she felt it—the sexual tension sizzling between them, the dampness between her thighs, the pebbling of her nipples, and the rising of her pulse. Change the subject. “I need you come back with me.”
“To the inn? I don’t think Cissy would appreciate that.” He drawled, an amused glint flashing in his eyes. “We had a thing.”
“No!” Her face heated. “I’m not asking for sex, you ass. You-you-you’re my uncle! Well, not really, right?”
His thick dark brows shot up, but he didn’t say anything. He just smirked.
“Mama was pregnant with me when she and Pops met. My biological father was killed in a threshing machine accident months earlier, so the wedding never happened.”
“Ransom adopted you?” Surprise laced his words.
“Yes.”
Javier narrowed his eyes and slowly shook his head. “Hm. Never thought he’d do something like that.”
“What?”
“You have no idea what your father was capable of.”
“The hell I don’t. Pops was the kindest, most hardworking man. A wonderful father and a man of great integrity.” She argued stridently.
He looked like he was about to speak but snapped his mouth shut when Daphne rejoined them.
“I’m ready. I made a picnic for us, Javi. We can grab it on our way out. I also brought you the washed shirt and jacket hanging in the laundry.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Javier stood, pulled off the tee, and slipped into the fresh one, the corded muscles gliding during his efforts. His head reappeared. He addressed Memphis. “Sounds like a different Ransom Creed than the man I knew.”
“I’m not done talking with you. Tonight works for me.”
“Maybe I have a date.”
Daphne slapped the table. Her laughter was musical. “A date? You don’t date. You?—”
“Mom …” He warned.
Daphne dismissed it with a wave of her hand and winked at Memphis. “He’ll be at the Wake tonight.”
“See yourself out,” he said before placing his hand on his mom’s shoulder and ushering her indoors. He followed, closing the doors shut and locking them.
After the rumble of the motorcycle receded, Memphis got up and left. Convincing Javier Cabrera to come to the ranch and help her would be more difficult than she realized. She’d think on it all day and come up with some plan. If all failed, she could seduce him. There was definitely an attraction there. He cleared up any issue of being his niece, so that path was open.