Chapter 6 Show Her Support
SHOW HER SUPPORT
“She knows who you are,” Nelson said when he opened the door after dinner to his brothers.
She’d spent the afternoon with him, they’d had lunch, they talked about their lives somewhat. Kenzie hated the embarrassment she felt sharing her past.
The fact he was open about his helped some. She found it hard to believe that he didn’t have much growing up, but then he’d pulled his phone out, found several articles and she read them all.
Everything from his father dying when he was six, his mother being a single parent for eight kids, and West going to college, working, and returning each weekend to help.
That the three youngest of the family ended up with much more growing up than the others thanks to the man who just walked in the door.
No smile on West’s face. Not one on Braylon’s either, though Nelson had said Braylon was one of the laid back brothers in the family.
She stood as the tall men came closer and put her hand out.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Kenzie Raye. I’m more than willing and able to cooperate with what’s happening to Nelson.”
“And to you,” Nelson jumped in to say. “It’s not just me.”
She turned at his sharp tone. The past several hours she’d gotten a glimpse into another side of him.
A fun one. Charming, sweet, maybe even a little irresistible under other circumstances.
She felt some responsibility for his predicament after watching that video.
In her sloppy state, she all but attacked him, giving the illusion they knew each other and were just another drunken couple coming to Vegas for fun.
To get herself out of this mess, she had to stick close to him.
Knowing who his family was, the last thing she wanted was to be the scapegoat with her reputation and future career being on the line.
West only lifted his eyebrow at his younger brother. “We’re aware of that,” West said shaking her hand. “And we appreciate your willingness to cooperate.” West turned to Nelson. “Your lab results should be in by this time tomorrow.” This brother wouldn’t be ruffled.
Which meant money was being tossed around quickly. Not surprising either.
“I’m glad no one was hurt,” Braylon said. At least Braylon seemed more human.
“Other than my pride that it happened. No way two drinks did this to me.”
“Highly unlikely,” West said. “We reviewed the tapes from the hotel and the chapel. Management here is aware that there is no way you could have made the call to housekeeping, so they’ve got their first lead.”
Nelson walked over and flopped on the couch, she went and sat close by him. Might as well show her support. Not like she was going anywhere. At least until tomorrow when she had to return to school.
It wasn’t so much about proving herself to this family, but to get out of it unscathed herself she had to stick close to get answers.
“We should talk about the divorce proceedings,” Braylon said. “You’ll have to both appear in court, other documents and meetings have to take place as long as it’s not contested. You will be compensated—”
She snarled. Loudly.
Nelson grinned. “Don’t say it,” he said. “I already brought it up and she bit my head off.”
“I don’t want to be bought,” Kenzie said.
“That is what this is about. So I don’t talk?
Do you think I want to do that? I’m graduating from law school in a month.
Then I’m taking the bar. I’ve got a long career ahead of me and the last thing I want is this to get out.
Nor do I want anyone to think I took some hush money.
Are you both nuts? Do you think you can just buy anyone or anything you want when you walk in a room? ”
Nelson was laughing, Braylon with him, West’s expression remained unmoving.
Yeah, she just insulted one of the richest men in America. Too bad and too late to apologize.
“Wow,” West said. “Good for you, but that wasn’t what this was about.”
She wasn’t buying it. Her arms crossed in front of the old T-shirt she had on with her shorts. Everyone in this room had clothing on worth more than her entire wardrobe, but she refused to be intimidated.
Just because she worked a farm most of her life and none of these men had probably ever seen a cow up close didn’t mean they could make her feel inferior to them.
“Then what is it about?” she asked.
“Your time. Everyone’s time is valuable. You’ll need to return here for the proceedings,” Braylon said. “Nelson explained your situation.”
“What situation is that? That I’m poor in your mind?”
West snorted. “We know a thing or two about being poor whether or not you want to believe it. It’s nonnegotiable that we will pay for whatever fees or time to get this situation resolved.”
“That’s it?” She couldn’t really dispute that. She didn’t have the money or time to be off of work to keep coming here to get this resolved. Heck, she wasn’t sure her car could even handle too many more trips.
“If that is your wish,” West said.
“It is,” she said, nodding her head.
“What’s the plan?” Braylon asked Nelson. “Are you flying back with us tomorrow or staying here to finish work?”
Nelson looked at her. “I’ll stay but not here. I know they will assure me this won’t happen again, but it doesn’t feel right. With everything else that is going on, it was easier for the night.”
West nodded. “I’m sure you can make arrangements on your own.”
“I’ll look for houses to rent today.”
“How long are you here for work?” Kenzie asked. She didn’t know any of these things. Their afternoon was spent talking about college, his job that she had somewhat of a better understanding of, and some of her childhood on the farm.
“Another week,” he said. “I’ll be fine once we can put this behind us.”
“We want whoever did this found,” West said.
“I’m sure they will. Do you think the police will get involved?” Nelson asked.
“Not likely,” Braylon said. “Everyone would like this kept quiet. I’m assuming you as well, Kenzie?”
“I would appreciate that.”
Even if she wasn’t staying at the hotel and nothing of hers was taken, her name associated with this could come back on her in the future.
She just wanted this nightmare to end.
Then she looked at her handsome husband and told herself he wasn’t a nightmare.
“Did you fly here?” Braylon asked her. “When do you need to leave?”
“I drove with my best friend and her fiancé.”
“And where are they?” West asked. “Do they know what is going on?”
“They are still fighting. Or making up. Not sure. I haven’t talked to her much. I knew that today I would have been on my own if they had actually gotten married. The only thing she is aware of is that I woke up with Nelson. She thinks I just had a few drinks and brought someone back to my room.”
“Do you do that often?” Nelson asked. “Bring strange men home with you?”
Her nose twitched several times. If laser beams could shoot out of her eyes and burn his butt cheeks, she’d get in her stance and light him up.
“No,” she growled. “Never. And if I hadn’t had so many shots, I wouldn’t have done it this time.”
“How many shots did you have?” Braylon asked.
There was no reason to hide any facts. She didn’t know Nelson’s brothers enough to trust them, but oddly she trusted her temporary husband.
“Three before Bethany and Joshua took off. Then I guess Nelson and I had some too. Those I don’t remember.”
Nor did she remember the way the video showed them holding each other, their hips pressing together, Nelson’s mouth on hers.
Not just little pecks, but making out. In public!
She’d never done anything like that in her life. The fact that it was on video was appalling to her.
There wasn’t much she could do about it either other than play it off as she was married at the time.
It’s not like they made out before the “I dos” were said.
But once the words were out, Nelson yanked her into his arms, plastered his mouth to hers and she held on for what she assumed was a delicious ride.
Not remembering what she did was bad enough but seeing it all on camera was downright brutal.
Worse yet was the tingling that swept through her body when she saw her actions with the handsome man sitting next to her.
Braylon pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Nelson, management would like to see us.”
Nelson stood up with his brothers; she did the same. “I can leave,” she said. “I’ll get a taxi back to my hotel.”
“No,” he said. “Stay here. Please. It will be easier to let you know what is going on than calling.”
She looked around the beautiful lodging. An idiot would say no to staying here over her dingy room. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” West said. “We’ll be back.”
She didn’t miss the narrowing of Nelson’s eyes toward his oldest brother. A move she’d made behind her father’s back plenty of times when he told her what to do.
“Please,” Nelson said softly. “Stay. I’d like you to.”
She nodded and sat back down.
That was the Nelson she was slowly warming up to.