Chapter 6
JENNA
I’m glad Kellan double-checked that I keep my phone on silent at night. When I wake up, I see a flurry of texts sent between midnight and four in the morning.
Kellan: I miss you already. I know that's crazy, but it's true. Also, I might be on my third Red Bull.
Kellan: First draft of the app is done, and there are only four glitches!
Kellan: Down to one glitch! Woot!
Kellan: And that’s pencils down. DONE! Hopefully you can help test it over the next day or two before we roll it out to the public. I know you’re sleeping right now, but I'm still thinking about you, baby.
Kellan: PS I really like calling you baby. Hope that's OK.
Laughing with a sexy adorable mountain man is my new favorite way to start the day.
I spend the morning catching up on my photography work, and wait until around two to text back, since I figure he must be sleeping late.
Very glad the coding went well. You guys are maniacs for getting it done in one night!
He responds almost immediately.
Kellan: The app itself was no problem. It was getting the map sensitive enough to track an approximately 10-foot window.
Kellan: May I still pick you up at 10 past 4 today? We could hit the grocery store, then do dinner at my place?
Sure, sounds good.
How should I dress for a casual dinner at his house? It sounds like more of a hangout than a date. But I still want to look cute.
I end up putting my hair into a bouncy ponytail, and select a long, dark purple short sleeved dress that feels like wearing a cozy sweater, but much prettier.
At quarter to four, Kellan sends me a link to download the test app. It looks super slick for being thrown together literally overnight. At four on the nose I feed Monster, who looks personally offended that I'm not going to stand over him while he eats.
I grab my jacket and purse and step out the door just as Kellan is about to knock.
"Hey." He grins, wrapping an arm around me as if we've been together for months. This feels so right – the way we're so comfortable already and can’t get enough of each other.
He's correct: it feels like our relationship is on fast-forward. I'm also thrilled that he's using the word relationship already. I’ve read that most men are notorious for avoiding that whole topic. Kellan, however, seems like he’s been waiting for me to appear.
I wasn’t planning on staying in Old Hemlock Valley for more than a week or two, but for a gorgeous mountain man like Kellan, I can certainly change my plans. Apart from anything else, my house has recently become an uncomfortable place to live.
Kellan and I stare into each other’s eyes, reconnecting after being apart for the night, then his lips crash to mine in a kiss that consumes my entire body. Thank goodness I’m leaning on the doorframe: my knees threaten to give out as his tongue finds mine.
Every sigh I release makes him moan. Every touch of my fingers along his neck or behind his ear triggers a low grinding sound in his throat.
“Is this how to make a Wolfe growl?” I giggle.
He groans in agreement, then his warm palm works up my ribs to dip into the front of my dress.
His fingers slip into my bra and flutter over my tight nipple as I gasp against his lips.
Nobody driving by could ever see, with his broad back blocking us.
Still, excitement floods my nervous system from his confidence and the way he takes charge.
“So hot,” he murmurs. “My gorgeous girl.” This time the sound that falls from my lips is nearly a whimper. His. Why is that so wildly satisfying to hear?
He steps back, clasping both of my hands. “Sorry ’bout that. Missed you.”
"That’s okay." I smile up at him, wired from the electric buzz now coursing through me. "Oh – that pothole app installed itself in seconds. It looks great. Very polished."
"Cool. Let's get some food, then test it out.”
It turns out that Kellan wants to try his hand at taco salad. He explains that the chef at the Mexican restaurant in West Stoneburg gave him the recipe.
I can’t help but notice that people in the supermarket give us some odd looks.
Initially they smile and nod when they see Kellan, which makes sense if he is well-known here in town.
But when they see me they blink in surprise, looking me up and down before snapping their eyes away and whispering to their shopping buddy.
It happens four times in rapid succession. What the heck? All I can do is stare down at the floor, and hope nobody is saying anything mean. Would I have to get used to this if I start an actual relationship with Kellan?
He must notice it too, since he takes my hand after helping me into his truck and gives it a soft squeeze.
"I'm sorry that everyone was checking us out together," he says gently.
"I was thinking they might, since the town has never seen me out with a woman before.
But I'm very glad it happened. It means… you know… We're official already."
I squeeze his hand back. "You think so?"
"Oh, I know so, baby."
We leave the main streets and take a back road, where I use the new pothole app to track any road problems we see. "This is super easy," I comment in delight. "And I love that the accuracy level isn't that important."
When I hit the report button, it chimes softly.
“It's going to be great once everything is mapped,” Kellan chuckles.
"When they start working there will be red zones so people can avoid the construction area. And the potholes on the map will begin to disappear in little puffs of smoke as they get fixed.” He shoots me a sideways glance.
"Okay, that part was totally unnecessary, but it made us crack up at three in the morning.”
I report another pothole and burst out laughing when this time there's a duck quack.
"Oh yeah," he adds, "There are ten different random noises. Another one of our late-night decisions."
“You guys must be a handful when you’re all together.”
“Definitely. But we also get a lot done with…duh duh duhnn…The Power of Five.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
When we reach Kellan's house my eyes almost fall out of my head. It's not just huge, it's stunning. As if there was some kind of design competition to create the best forest house, and they worked on it for years.
Every detail is the perfect blend of woodsy charm and modern glamour. Massive glass windows. Huge wooden beams. Smaller accents of cedar shake shingles, and a beautiful porch that wraps all the way around the house.
"I know, I know." Kellan rolls his eyes as he grabs the groceries before we go inside. "It's a bit over the top. But I really hate moving, so I wanted to build a house that I'd be happy in for years."
The interior is just as thoughtful, with rich forest tones and oversized comfortable looking furniture. "I love it,” I breathe, admiring the gorgeous open space. “It's not fussy."
Kellan grins. "Plus, I needed enough room for five guys my size.”
We start prepping things in the kitchen, which is filled with every fancy appliance a person could think of. He looks up from where he's sautéing the ground beef. "Hey, you never mentioned if you have any sisters or brothers."
Suddenly, the cheese I'm grating is the most fascinating thing in the world. "Dad left when I was ten. For a long time it was just Mom and me, then she remarried just over a year ago."
Kellan reaches out and slowly drags his palm down my back. "I can tell from your tone you don't like this situation. Did you get saddled with some awful stepsiblings?"
"Mmm. My stepbrother Steven is okay. He's three years older, and we mostly stay out of each other's way." I sigh. How much can I share without sounding like I’m whining? "It's my stepdad. Brad."
"Damn." Kellan shakes his head. "I can tell just from the way you said his name that you hate his guts."
"Not hate, exactly. We just don’t click. He treats me like a child. He treats me like his child. He sold his house and used the money to start a business and just took over Mom’s home. I was ordered to move to the smallest bedroom.”
My hands begin to shake, and I nearly slice a knuckle on the cheese grater. “It's not his place to boss me around and try to take over my life. But Mom is like me. She can’t stand conflict either. So she won’t stand up to him."
"That sucks. I'm sorry.” He stirs the beef again, then comes over, gently setting down the cheese grater and pulling me against him. "So that's why you took off to stay with your aunt for a while?"
"Yes. Steven comes in handy once in a while.
You know, to move the couch when I'm vacuuming, or get cans down from the top shelf.
But Brad is a bossy weirdo who wants to insert himself into every aspect of my life.
" I shudder. "He was researching stock photography places because he thought I should be making three times the money. "
"He just got a number in his head and decided that was what it should be?"
"Yeah."
Kellan snorts. "I've known guys like that. I don't know where it comes from. They just want something to be true and think the world should agree with them."
"He wants me to make more money so I can move out. Of course, it's fine that his older son stays there. He says he doesn't know how to be a girl dad."
"You're twenty-one. I think you're pretty much finished with fathering."
"Exactly! I just need another six months or so to get some savings together."
Kellan kisses the top of my hair, cuddling me close. "I certainly think you are more than capable of being in complete control of your own life. And if you ever need a couch moved, you've got me."
I love how quickly he lightens the mood. "Thank you."
Then I realize Kellan is implying he’ll always be around. Isn’t it far too soon to be thinking like that?
Throughout cooking and then eating dinner Kellan and I chat endlessly about everything under the sun.
We agree that everyone is super weird when they’re a kid.
Our mutual goals for the future include travelling to Europe for an intensive museum tour.
We both like the idea of camping but prefer actual beds and bathrooms, so what we really crave is a cottage by the lake.
Wow. I’m falling hard for this man.
Everything feels like a video running at double speed, though. At some point, it’s going to make me dizzy. I might need to stop and take a breath.