Chapter 14 #2
His mind wandered to Keegan, and his foot eased off the accelerator.
“No!” he half-shouted at himself. “Not now.” He forced his foot onto the accelerator again, and pushed images of workout routines, and conditioning clinics into his mind.
If this was going to work, he was going to have to stay focused on the team and his career, not the girl he left behind.
It wasn’t time for that to happen yet. It just wasn’t time.
~~~
Lucas pulled up in front of his house and killed the engine.
He kicked his shoes off before he even stepped up onto the porch so the sound of him walking across the wooden porch wouldn’t wake Keegan or Tia.
Both were shifters and carried magics from their mother so making an intentional effort to move quietly while they slept was appreciated.
He opened the door and let himself inside the house.
His nose twitched as he took in the scent of breakfast sausage and English muffins.
He followed the scent to the kitchen and smiled when he saw Anahla standing at the stove taking patties of breakfast sausage out of the skillet and laying them on a paper towel to drain.
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing the side of her neck.
“I will have you know that I did not burn the sausage,” she said, leaning her neck to the side so that he could have better access.
“I see that. Smells delicious.”
“It is delicious. And I made English muffins, too. Well, I toasted them. I bought them at the market yesterday morning.”
“I love English muffins,” he said, kissing the other side of her neck.
“And I’m making fried eggs to put on the muffins, too. And I’m putting cheese on them.”
“I love sausage, egg and cheese English muffins.”
“I know. And I bought hash browns, too. They’re in the air fryer.”
“Look at you being all fancy and shit,” Lucas said, still hugging her and kissing her from behind.
“I decided that my male needs to be able to eat at home instead of at the restaurant every day. So, Maia’s been teaching me. And Keegan, too. Did you know she can cook?”
“I did. Seems to come naturally to her,” Lucas said. “Speaking of…”
“She’s sleeping. Seemed a little unsettled but I think it’s because Tia has decided to talk about Kaiser non-stop,” Anahla said.
“Why is Tia talking about him?” Lucas asked.
“Wishful thinking. He’s all over the news. In the magazines and celebrity reels and he’s easily accessible — he’s Pride.”
“What did Keegan say?”
“Threatened to beat her stupid if she didn’t stop going on and on about him.”
“Do you think she knows?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t think so. I think she feels something, but isn’t even sure about why she’s feeling it. You talk to him?”
“Yeah. We’re all on the same page. He’s headed home for now. I’m glad I went to talk to him. It went well.”
“Me, too. One less worry,” Anahla said.
“It’ll all work out,” Lucas said.
“I think so, too. Until then, we don’t know anything,” Anahla said.
~~~
Down the hallway, in her darkened bedroom, Keegan lay in the darkness, an ever widening chasm spreading through her chest — figuratively, of course.
She didn’t know why she felt such a loneliness descending on her.
It was so overwhelming that it woke her from a deep sleep.
She didn’t know where the feeling was coming from, but it was so heavy that she could barely breathe.
She closed her eyes and sent her senses out into the night, searching for someone, anyone that could be radiating the sorrow she was experiencing.
She couldn’t zero in on anyone in particular, or at least anyone she knew, so she did the only thing she could do.
The same thing she’d have done if she’d have identified one of her friends or one of her Pride as the person suffering with the crushing sense of loss.
She focused on the pain she felt and pushed a warm, inviting, supportive burst of love toward the center of that pain.
The pain Keegan was feeling seemed to falter, the radiation of emotion she’d sent weakened the sense of loss just enough to make it bearable.
Deciding to ignore the desire to get up and search out the source of the pain, Keegan turned over to her side and closed her eyes. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
~~~
Miles from his family home, Kaiser focused on the route he’d take until he arrived at his home in Atlanta.
He planned every minute detail of the workout he’d start in the morning and stubbornly ignored the suffocating pain that was threatening to drag him into oblivion as he drove further and further away from the only thing that mattered to him anymore — Keegan.
The increasing loneliness became a physical pain as he put more miles between them.
“At least I know she’s not feeling this.
I’ve saved her that much at least,” he said to himself aloud.
Then without explanation, the pain eased a little. He felt a wave of warmth envelop him, almost as though someone had extended their arms and hugged him tightly. Keegan’s voice echoed in his mind. “It’s going to be okay.”
Kaiser jerked the steering wheel so hard he almost drove off the road as he looked around the cabin of the car.
His gaze darted around outside the car as well, searching the darkness for any explanation of what had just occurred.
Realizing there was no explanation, but that the pain had eased to a manageable level, he did the only thing he could.
He sent the warm, supportive feeling back to wherever it had come from.
If it was Keegan, he hoped she received it.
If not, then maybe the fates were taking pity on him and they’d take it as a sign of thanks for the bit of relief they offered him.
Shaking his head to clear it of the startle he’d just gone through, he focused on the road again, the sunrise coming up in the distance, and settled in for a long ride.
~~~
The next morning Remi was busy preparing breakfast in the restaurant when the bell above the door let him know that someone had walked in.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Cristie chatting with one of the girls who alternated with the other waitresses as hostess to seat customers when they came in.
He pretended he didn’t see her, and continued filling orders.
“You see her?” Richie asked, from the other side of the kitchen.
“Yep.”
“Pretending you don’t?” Richie asked.
“Yep,” Remi said.
“You just looking to stir shit up,” Richie said on a laugh.
“Naw, just not playing games anymore.”
“Which is why you bring her coffee over here and prepare her favorite breakfast every morning now. You know she can just as easily go to the store next door and get the same thing.”
“That’s not playing. That’s being smart,” Remi said.
“How’s that?” Richie asked.
“I’m taking care of her, providing her with what she needs, giving her the opportunity to choose me, or the store and not me. But even when she does choose me…”
“Every day,” Richie said.
Remi grinned, “I never disappoint. Her coffee is made to perfection, her breakfast is waiting. But regardless of the comments she may hint at, I never take the bait when she drops it. I barely even look her way when she’s in here.”
“Mmhmm. And how’s that working for you?”
“I don’t know. This is the first day I’m trying it this week. A few days last week, though. But like you said, she’s here, instead of the store, so, that’s something at least.”
“That’s true,” Richie said.
“Good morning,” Cristie called out to a few different people as she made her way across the dining room toward the kitchen. “Y’all having a good day?” she asked here and there.
“She does know how to charm the people, doesn’t she?” Richie asked.
“Always has,” Remi answered.
“Morning,” Cristie said, as she walked into the kitchen.
“Morning,” Richie and Remi both answered.
“Thought I’d stop by and wish everybody a good day today,” she said, looking nervously around herself.
“Right back at you,” Remi said.
“And a good day to you, Cristie,” Richie said.
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to the day,” Cristie said.
Remi still didn’t look her way.
“Anything special on the menu today?”
“Chicken Fried Steak,” Richie said.
“Ohhh, my favorite,” Cristie said.
“Yep. It’s popular. We usually sell out early,” Richie said.
“He’s not working you too hard, is he?” Cristie asked Remi.
Remi continued cooking and didn’t answer.
“Remi?” she asked.
Remi looked toward her.
“I asked if he was working you too hard,” Cristie said.
“Oh. Sorry. No, not at all. It’s a refreshing difference from being on top of a roof all day long.”
“When the spring time is in full swing, you’ll be looking for a work crew to join,” Cristie said with a smile.
“Maybe. We’ll see,” Remi said, turning his attention back to the grill.
Cristie stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, then pushed her hands into her pockets and shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll be on my way, then.”
Remi took off the clear plastic gloves he wore while preparing food for their customers and walked over to the coffee station.
He took a disposable plastic quart bottle from between the two filled coffee pots, then headed back toward Cristie, stopping at the warming lights to take a brown paper bag from under the lights, then stopped right in front of her.
“Don’t forget to eat. You have busy days,” he said, holding out the quart of coffee and the paper bag of food toward her.
“What’s this?” she asked, feigning ignorance.
“Your favorite sandwich, a hash brown patty, and a quart of coffee with enough sugar to kill an elephant.”
She took the quart of coffee and the bag of food and held them both to her chest, as she looked at him. “Thank you, Remi. I really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned away from her and went back to his place at the grill, reaching for a fresh set of gloves to wear.
He looked up at the clock on the wall above his work station.
“About time to get lunch started, Richie,” he said, dismissing Cristie by switching his attention from her to his job.
She watched him working for a few seconds more, then walked toward the door to leave the kitchen.
She stopped and turned back to Remi and Richie both focused on their jobs.
“Remi, I was thinking that if you have some extra time this evening after work, maybe we could go get some shopping done.
I remembered that you haven't had a chance to personalize your place and thought I might help.”
He looked up at her, his hands going still for the first time since she’d arrived. “You want to take me shopping?” he asked.
“Yeah. I mean, I’d like to, if you wanted to get some done, I could take you and help you pick out a few things here and there.”
He looked at Richie. “You think I need something in my house?”
“Yeah. It still looks like it’s a guest house. No personality, just sufficing. Make it yours,” Richie said.
Remi thought about it. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“It’ll be fun,” Cristie said.
Remi cut his eyes disbelievingly toward her.
“Oh, come on. It will be fun.”
“Alright. We can go pick out a few things I guess. I just don’t really know what to buy. It’s already got everything I need.”
“But it’s decorated like all the other guest homes. It’s generic. I’ll help you make it special.”
“Okay, I guess.”
“Good. I’ll come get you about six.”
“I’ll be ready,” Remi said. He watched as Cristie hurried out to get to work. The sound of applause behind him had Remi turning to look at Richie.
Richie made an exaggerated bow. “And I bow to the master.”
Remi grinned at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. The male who couldn’t get his mate to give him the time of day, now has that same mate taking him shopping to decorate the house the way she wants it.”
Remi laughed. “We’ll see. She might not show.”
“Oh, she’ll show. I have no doubt.”