Page 21 of Tempt (Peachwood Falls #1)

C hase

Boom !

“Damn these roads,” I grumble, stabilizing the truck as it recovers from a direct hit to a pothole.

I circle my right shoulder and wince as a blast of pain shoots down my back and across my neck.

The sky glows half orange and half a deep, inky black. Work was long and hard. I wondered all day if time was slower than usual or I was just anxious to go home.

Because I am anxious to get home. It’s pointless to pretend I’m not.

I’ve been on edge all day, and it’s pissed me off. I was short with the crew. I nearly got fired for telling the superintendent he was a dipshit—even though it’s true—and when Luke texted me that he thought Alyssa might be pregnant, I had less sympathy than the situation required.

Because sympathy was needed. Neither are ready to be parents.

I regrip the steering wheel and ignore the new blast of pain shooting down my back.

My phone rings as I pass Cotton’s. When I see it’s Gavin, I answer. Thank God it’s not Luke .

“Hey,” I say.

“What’s up, lover boy?”

“Gavin, this isn’t the day, and now isn’t the time.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a bad day.”

I roll my eyes and turn up the volume on the speakers. “Have you talked to Luke today?”

“Yes, and that dumb motherfucker thinks he knocked up Alyssa.” He pauses. “I’m assuming he told you that.”

“He did.”

“What in hell’s bells was he thinking?”

“Clearly, he wasn’t. Typical Luke shit, you know? Do what feels good now and worry about the consequences later. Well, buddy, later is now, and the consequences are hitting hard.”

Gavin chuckles. “I hate it for him, but, man, does it make me feel better about myself.”

I grin.

“So is this a better time because I want to talk about that dime living in your house,” he says cheekily.

She’s a ten, all right . I wipe my hand down my face.

I expected to struggle with this setup. Hell, it’s why I refused it in the first place. There was no getting around being distracted by Megan. She’s a dime. She’s a ten. She’s fucking perfect , and just like I figured, the more I get to know her, the more I want to know.

My stomach forms a knot. It pulls tighter and tighter the closer I get to home.

The real problem—one of them, anyway—is that it’s easier being around her than not.

When she sits across the table or walks next to me through a muddy field, I don’t think about how it could go wrong.

I’m just sucked up in her world. I’m listening to her laugh, waiting for her next joke.

I’m watching her smile and feeling it warm the inside of my cold, black heart.

I’ve reasoned with myself. I’m probably this way because I haven’t allowed myself to get to this point in so many years.

Women have served a particular purpose. That purpose can occur at their house, a motel, or on a blanket in the back of my truck if the situation requires it.

For no reason—absolutely none—have I allowed a woman in my house who didn’t share my blood or wasn’t fucking one of my brothers since Kennedy was in first grade.

And here we are.

“Are you okay with Megan being there?” Gavin asks. “I’ve given you hell about it, which you probably expect. But it occurred to me this morning that I’ve never asked you if it’s what you want or if you just agreed to the whole thing because you don’t have a choice.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t have a choice.”

“But you’re okay with it?”

I exhale. “It’s fine. Things are fine.”

“Dammit, Chase. I know things aren’t fine. I’ve seen her, remember?” He whistles. “But fuck if she isn’t fine.”

I half laugh, half groan. Thank you for stating the obvious.

That’s the thing, though. She’s more than fine.

I meant everything I said to her last night. If those girls could see her now … But what stayed with me after we said good night was the pain in her eyes. The raw despair. The tears forming. “ And I was shamed and dirty because of it .”

That has rolled around my head ever since. Each time I recall those words, my blood pressure rises. Fuck .

I hate that she had to go through that, but I truly hate that she still carries the weight of it. That a part of her still connects to those disgusting words. That they still affect her.

I would dismantle anyone who ever said anything remotely close to that to Kennedy. Because, perhaps, her mother had been forced into a similar situation. And I didn’t know. I don’t know . And that slices me open too.

At least Monica left my identity with someone so they could relay it to the authorities. Thank God I was given Kennedy to love and raise. I’m also thankful that Megan was the one who showed up to help this month. Megan—the bewitching woman who’s entirely more than a hot nanny.

“We’ve all heard about people who were just meant to be,” he says. “And when?—”

“ Whoa . Gav.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“You don’t think this whole thing is … I don’t know— fate ?”

My eyes go wide. “No, brother, I abso-fucking-lutely do not.”

“Well, I abso-fucking-lutely do.” I can almost hear his smile through the phone. “But maybe I have my signals mixed.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“Maybe she’s in Peachwood Falls for me— not you .”

I chuckle. The sound houses an angry edge that amuses Gavin. He laughs, not bothering to hide his entertainment with my reaction.

“Would that bother you?” he asks. “Would it be a problem if I, say, ask her out? Buy her flowers? Bury myself in her hot little body.”

I grit my teeth. “Can you not complicate this?”

“How would it be complicating it? You don’t want her, so I’ll occupy her for you. I’ll distract her—dazzle her. She won’t be able to stop talking about me, which will irritate you so much that you’ll forget how much you want to fuck her.”

I pull into the driveway. We picked up Mom’s car yesterday, and she’s parked it on the right side of the gravel—the side I usually park on.

“Gavin,” I say, killing the engine. “You talk about fucking her again, and I’ll throttle you. Cool?”

“Why do you care?”

“I know you’re joking and trying to get a rise out of me, so stop it. Okay?”

“Dude, I thought about her sweet little?—”

“I’ll demolish you.”

Gavin bursts into a fit of laughter. Even though he’s frustrating, I can’t help my smile.

“Fine,” he says. “Women can buy their own flowers these days. That’s what I keep hearing, anyway.”

I grab my Thermos and phone and step into the cool evening air. The light in the kitchen is on, and shadows dance along the walls.

Excitement takes over me like a little kid at Christmas. Except that present has to stay wrapped.

I sigh. But at least I can look at it.

“I’m home,” I say. “I gotta go.”

“Hey, Chase?”

“What?”

“I’m just kidding with you. I mean, I’d totally fuck her brains out. But there’s one reason I won’t even try.”

I start slowly to the house. “Why is that?”

“Because from the moment she came into the bar the other night, she was all about you . She’s a nice girl. She’s fun. So you should just relax a little—let things work out however they do.”

“Oh, I know how they’d work out.” With my cock halfway down her throat . “That’s the problem, Gav. That’s the problem right there.”

“Hardheaded motherfucker.”

“It is what it is. Talk to you tomorrow, all right?”

“Later.”

I enter the mudroom and drop my shit on the floor. The distinct smell of Mexican food wafts through the air. My stomach growls, reminding me that I skipped lunch.

Once my boots are off, I open the kitchen door.

Oh shit .

Post Malone is playing through Kennedy’s phone on the table. She’s at the island with a spoonful of what appears to be brownie batter dripping into her open mouth. Megan stands at the oven with mitts on, laughing at my daughter.

I’ve come home a thousand times to see my mom and Kennedy busy in the kitchen. But never like this.

“Hey,” I say, barely loud enough for them to hear.

They both jump, twisting their attention toward me. Kennedy smiles brightly. Super weird . Where’s the combative teenager refusing to do algebra? Megan waves an oven-mitted hand.

“You two look like you’re having fun,” I say.

“Enchiladas and brownies,” Kennedy squeals. “I’m licking the bowl. Want some?”

“No. Not with your spit all over it.”

She scoffs. “Oh, like that stopped you from stealing my Dr Pepper the other day.”

“It was hot out, and you had good ice.” I tap her on the head. “This all smells amazing.”

“It’s Megan’s recipe,” Kennedy says. “Well, it’s someone’s recipe from Los Angeles who Megan used to know. We were both starving after school, so we ran to the store and picked up the stuff to make it.”

“I hope that’s okay,” Megan says.

Her face is glowing. Shiny eyes, rosy cheeks. She looks prettier than ever before.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I say. “I should’ve left you money. I didn’t think about it. I’ll pay you back. How much was it?”

“It’s fine,” she says, running a hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it.”

I give her a look not to fuck with me, but she winks. Naturally .

“Got all of my homework done,” Kennedy says, stopping Post Malone. “I have a piece of paper for you to sign from Ms. Falconbury, but it’s not a big deal.”

“ Ken …”

“It’s not.”

“Get it. I want to see.”

“It’s in my room.”

I point at the hallway. “Then go.”

She groans, huffing out the room and glaring at me the whole way. Ah, there’s the girl I know.

Megan holds her hands out. “I didn’t know anything about that until now. I have no idea what she’s talking about.”

“It’s probably a detention,” I say, making my way closer to the stove. “Kennedy has this habit of skipping Ms. Falconbury’s class, and Ms. Falconbury has a habit of handing out detentions.”

“Well, she can’t skip class.”

“No, she cannot.”

I stop next to Megan and inspect her enchiladas. “And you said you could cook … what did you say? Decently?”

“Yeah.”

“This looks great, Megan.”