Secretly Hers (Sterling Canyon) (10 page)

Can’t make it tonight. Flying to Denver. Dad had a heart attack and is having surgery. Not sure when I’ll be back.

He put the phone in airplane mode and shoved it in his jacket pocket before buckling his seat belt and staring out the small window. Despite the wide beige leather seats, Trip had always felt cramped in the cabin. He glanced around at the burled wood and five empty seats.

It had been several years since he’d stepped foot on this plane. The last time had been six years ago, when he’d flown back from Mason’s Caribbean wedding with his father and Deb. Trip had tried to keep out of Deb’s way by reading and sleeping and listening to iTunes, but he couldn’t avoid her entirely without appearing rude. So he’d suffered through her recitation of every
remarkable
thing about Mason’s wedding: the ideal weather, the exotic floral arrangements, the phenomenal band, the delicious food, and the perfect bride.

Trip couldn’t help but snicker at the thought that Deb probably didn’t consider Jen to be the perfect bride any longer, then immediately derided himself for being petty at a time like this. He had to set aside his battle with Deb and Mason, at least while he was in Denver.

Trip didn’t spend much time worrying about death, especially considering the risks he took on the mountain. But he’d faced losing a parent before. Although most memories of his mother’s death were blurry and indistinct, a few sharp images tightened his throat: the one and only time he ever saw his grandfather cry, clutching his mother’s hand as she drew her last breath, his new dad squeezing his shoulder while Trip walked out of his childhood home for the last time—crying—with his suitcases in hand.

Now, as the jet hurtled across the sky, his father was going under the knife for some kind of heart surgery. He could die before Trip had the chance to sit with him, man to man, to talk about why they never quite connected.

He pinched his nose to stop the tingling, then wiped the tear from the corner of his eye. Thirty minutes until landing, and then another forty-five or so before he could reach the hospital. Closing his eyes, he reclined his seat and prayed.

He entered his father’s hospital room, where his old man lay in bed, hooked up to monitors, with his eyes closed. Mason and Deb sat together holding hands and talking quietly. Trip hadn’t seen Deb in years but she hadn’t aged much. Botox, most likely: that and auburn hair dye.

He’d never considered her brittle kind of beauty appealing. Today her uncharacteristically splotchy face and red-rimmed eyes shocked him.

How bad
was
his dad?

Mason looked up, as if hearing Trip’s thoughts. His weary eyes barely flickered their normal resentment. “You made good time.”

Trip nodded. “Thanks for sending the jet.”

“Dad wanted you here.” Mason glanced at Trip and then to the floor. “Sorry we couldn’t get you here before the surgery. We were really caught off guard.”

Trip stood across from Deb. “What have the doctors told you?”

Deb straightened up and donned the detached expression she’d always used with him. “It’s better news than we’d anticipated. They inserted a stent in the collapsed artery. Fortunately, his heart muscle didn’t sustain overwhelming damage from the heart attack and he didn’t need a bypass. He’ll go home tomorrow, but be on medication from now on, and will be in cardiac rehab therapy. The good news is that the recovery from this procedure is relatively quick. After a few days of taking it easy, he can slowly start to resume normal activities.”

“Thank God.” Trip briefly closed his eyes and blew out a deep breath. Now he had time to work things out with his dad. Not in the next few days, but in several weeks, once he’d recovered more fully. “Sounds like the best-case scenario under the circumstances.”

His dad’s eyelids fluttered open. “Gunner?”

Trip moved to the edge of the bed and touched his dad’s arm. “Right here, Dad. Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.”

“You’re here now.” His dad flashed a weak smile then winced when he tried to shift in the bed. “Help me raise the bed.”

“Dad, can’t you just lie still for a while?” Mason asked. “Consider it practice for slowing down and working less.”

Before addressing Mason, Trip shook his head and winked at his dad. “Dad won’t slow down until it’s over. Nothing wrong with that, though.”

“Nothing wrong with ignoring the concerns of his wife, children, and grandchildren who’d like him to stick around longer?” Mason rubbed his hands on the arms of the chair, muttering to himself. “Not that you’d miss him.”

Deb placed her hand on Mason’s thigh to silence him.

Trip bit his tongue even as his body flashed hot and cold. Mason had a way of twisting all of Trip’s words around so they ended up sounding different than he’d intended. Still, he couldn’t upset his father by engaging in an argument with his brother.

“Don’t dig my grave just yet. The doctor assured me I’d be okay,” their dad said to Mason. Then he turned to Trip. “How long will you stay in town?”

“Not sure. I got coverage for a client expedition tomorrow. Don’t have anything on the books for the next day, but if things come up I can probably get more coverage. Figured I’d play it by ear and see how you were doing.”

“Are you staying at the house?” His dad glanced at Deb, who quickly masked her displeasure, and then back at Trip.

Trip had planned to camp out in a hotel, but he lied to avoid being rustled into staying at the mausoleum the rest of his family called home.

“Actually, I thought you’d be in the hospital longer, so I made other arrangements with a friend. But I’ll hang out all day and help Deb however I can while I’m here.” His father’s disappointed expression landed like a sucker punch to the gut. “Maybe I could change my plans, if that’s what you prefer.”

“Do that, son.”

Trip caught Mason rolling his eyes behind his mother’s back.
Great
.

They sat in strained silence for a few minutes while his dad raised the bed so he’d be a bit more upright, then Trip’s phone vibrated. Welcoming a distraction, he removed it from his jacket and checked the screen. He looked at everyone apologetically. “Let me grab this in the hallway. Be right back.”

Once he exited the room, he answered. “Kelsey.”

“I’m sorry to call, but I got so worried when you didn’t return my texts. How’s your dad?”

Although he was loath to admit it, her concern burrowed inside his chest, opening it up and making it a little easier to breathe. “He’s out of surgery and it sounds like everything will be okay. Not too much damage.”

He heard her sigh of relief through the phone. “Oh, I’m so glad, Trip. I was sick thinking of how you would feel if you missed the chance to resolve things.”

“Me too.” He rubbed his hand over his face. He’d gotten lucky this time. Maybe he ought to stay a week or two and spend some quality time with his dad.

“What about your stepmom and brother?” Kelsey asked sympathetically. “Are they there with you?”

He liked the feminine quality of her voice through the phone, and the way her concerned tone relaxed him. “Of course.”

“Are you okay? Do you need company? If I drive out first thing in the morning, I could be there by noon.”

For the first time in hours, Trip smiled. Hell, yes, a big part of him would love to have Kelsey at his side for comfort, among other things. But the fact that his heart had swelled at the offer troubled him. He didn’t want to care too much, or rely too heavily on her.

The anxiety he’d experienced during his flight had served as a harsh reminder of the kind of suffering Trip sought to avoid by keeping things light. She’d already begun to drift into his mind and beneath his skin too easily and often. He needed to maintain distance for his sake, and hers. “You’re a sweetheart to offer, but I’m good, Kelsey. Stay put.”

“Okay.” A beat of silence passed between them before she spoke again. “I’m snuggled up here with Cowboy, anyway. He likes to cuddle up on my chest and purr.”

“Already taking after his namesake, it seems.” Trip smiled when she giggled, picturing her lounging on her sofa with the kitten under her chin—in that silky black nightie, of course. He squeezed his eyes closed, hoping to rein in his thoughts before he became overly excited here in the middle of the hospital.

“When will you be back?” she finally asked.

“Not sure.” The connection growing between them beckoned like a highly addictive drug. Much as he genuinely liked her, he knew he couldn’t give her what she most wanted. He had to keep things light, so he affected a glib tone. “But don’t think about me. Plan your trip to Cabo. I’ll be just fine.”

“If something changes, please call me. Anytime, Trip. You’re not alone, okay. Remember? We made a deal.”

“I know all about our deals, princess.” Trip frowned, thinking about the fact that, sooner or later, she’d meet some new guy and then call on Trip to hold up his end of their bargain. The fact that these thoughts thrust his heart into a deep freeze did not bode well.

Deb walked out of his dad’s room and drank from a nearby water fountain. Trip didn’t need her eavesdropping or sizing him up. Time to hang up with Kelsey. “Listen, I probably shouldn’t stay on the phone long. We’re not supposed to use them in the hospital.”

“All right.” She sighed, sounding dissatisfied. “Get some rest. And,” she hesitated, “I think you’re wrong about your dad. You’re a kind man, Trip, and I’ve no doubt he sees that and loves you.”

“Thanks, Kelsey.” He swallowed through the tight knot in his throat. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Good night.”

Trip returned the phone to his pocket just as Deb came back to where he stood. “Was that Kelly?”

“Kelly?” Trip’s facial muscles contorted with confusion while the shock of Deb starting a conversation with him subsided.

“Your father told me about some woman he saw when he visited you . . . she had an unfortunate nickname.” Deb raised one disapproving brow. “He thought you had a thing for her. I thought her real name was Kelly.”

Panic gripped Trip’s lungs. He didn’t need Deb digging around in his business. “Close enough, Deb. Close enough.”

“So was your dad right? She’s someone important to you?”

No way in hell would he risk giving Deb any personal information. If she mentioned something to Mason, then he’d use it to screw with Trip back in Sterling Canyon.

The best way to throw Deb and Mason off his trail was to make believe Kelsey didn’t mean squat to him. “Nope, not important. Just one of many pretty girls I know.”

The lie singed his tongue, but he had no choice.

“As I suspected.” She turned on her heel and went back into his dad’s room.

Trip let a heavy sigh loose. Between his dad, Mason, Kelsey, and his intention to derail Wade’s plans, Trip’s life was quickly becoming a complicated web of half truths and secrets. He doubted he could keep juggling all the balls without dropping one. Whenever that happened, he hoped it wouldn’t completely upend the life he’d been building this past year.

Chapter Nine

Kelsey stood in the kitchen of the fourth condo she’d shown Mason and watched him inspect the sleek, modern cabinetry. His streaks of gray hair glinted in the morning sunlight. She noted his intelligent, rich brown eyes analyzing every detail of the condo as he fingered the drawer pulls and inspected the storage space. It had been hard to focus on being professional when she kept mentally comparing the appeal of Mason’s cultured refinement with that of Trip’s masculinity and charisma.

“This is nice, especially with the dark granite.” Mason ran his left hand—one without a ring, she confirmed—along a stretch of counter space. He stepped close to her again, like he’d been doing all morning. Unlike Trip, who smelled like soap and pine most of the time, Mason obviously wore light cologne—something citrusy. He wasn’t witty or playful, but his sober, careful manner put her at ease—a not entirely unwelcome change of pace from the roller coaster she’d been riding with Trip.

Trip, who’d been in Denver for nearly two weeks and kept putting up a wall whenever she tried to get emotionally close. Although she had no right to be angry, his boundaries hurt. They reminded her of Maura’s warning back in late July. They urged her to return her focus to her real goals instead of trying to spin gold from hay.

“It’s masculine yet understated.” She thought the apartment suited him. “Fits your Cary Grant vibe.”

“Cary Grant?” Mason chuckled, then proceeded to shoot his cuffs. “I’ll take that.”

She smiled and gestured toward the open-concept floor plan, which was anchored by a massive stone fireplace. “This is probably the best we’ll find. It’s got both a spacious living area and nicely proportioned bedrooms.”

“I agree.” A slightly pained expression crossed his eyes. “I think my girls will like visiting me here.”

“Oh? I didn’t realize you had a family.” Although highly curious, she maintained a friendly but professional tone.

“My girls, Lisa and Linda, are with their mom in Denver.” He rubbed one hand over the back of his neck. “I’m in the midst of a divorce. Not sure how often they’ll come, but I want to be prepared.”

“I’m sorry, Mason. That must be hard.” Kelsey refrained from probing for details about his wife and the reason for the divorce. “How old are they?”

“Three and five.” His entire expression warmed. “The loves of my life.”

Few things were more attractive than a man who adored his children. So what if Mason didn’t strike her like lightning? Exciting men like Trip had always let her down. She had to wise up if she wanted a family of her own, and give other kinds of men a chance.

“My niece is five, so I’m up to speed on all the cool places around here for kids,” Kelsey said. “I’ll send you a list of things to do so you can show them a good time in our little town.”

“That’d be great.” Mason flashed a humble smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets, but his confident stare drew her in. “How about a list of grown-up things to do, too? In fact, perhaps you’d agree to be my escort?” Mason winced and his cheeks reddened. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I didn’t mean
escort
 . . . I just—”

Kelsey chuckled at his overreaction and discomfort. “Relax, Mason. I know what you meant.”

“Good. So, would you consider going out with me sometime?”

“Maybe.” Kelsey smoothed her hair to hide a flutter of nerves. Odds were Mason wouldn’t end up being the great love of her life, but at least he wasn’t proposing a superficial sexual tryst. At the very least, he’d be a great business contact. “In the meantime, let’s go back to my office and complete the paperwork so you can move in as soon as possible.”

“Perfect.” He held the door open for her. “At least let me buy you lunch today, okay?”

“Oh, thanks, but I can’t,” she lied. Trip’s list of tips raced through her mind, followed by an immediate heaviness in her chest. Her reckless heart wished he wanted more from her than sex, but her head knew better. So even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to go out with Mason, she was determined to play hard to get. It felt a bit dishonest, but she’d been getting used to a certain level of dishonesty thanks to her relationship with Trip. “I’ve got another appointment.”

“You keep busy.” Mason sighed. “Or perhaps you just don’t want to get mixed up with a divorcée with two kids?”

“Don’t be silly. I love kids.” Maybe his situation wasn’t ideal, but at least he’d proven an interest in committing to someone. Unlike Trip, she thought to herself. Trip, who she hadn’t seen in almost two weeks and, despite a couple of pretty interesting rounds of phone sex, was probably spending his nights in Denver with any number of women.

“Hmm. You look preoccupied. Is there someone else in the picture?” He tilted his head, narrowing his gaze.

Startled by his perception, Kelsey pressed her lips together and shrugged one shoulder. “Let’s just say I’m better off focusing on my professional life than my personal life lately.”

“Okay, Miss Callihan. I won’t press you today.” Mason followed her down the stairs and out to her car, where he opened the door for her. “So far, meeting you has been the best part of my relocation. I’m on my way out of town again this weekend, but don’t be surprised when you hear from me soon.”

Kelsey’s heart thrummed a little at his compliment. She started the ignition and smiled. “Thanks, Mason. That’s nice to hear.”

Cowboy was lapping up the milk Kelsey had set out when she heard her phone ping. Could it be Mason? He said she could expect to hear from him, but he probably didn’t mean in just a few hours. She glanced at the screen and saw Trip’s name.

I’m outside ur office. Where r u?

Apparently he’d finally returned from Denver. How like him, breezing back into town and expecting to see her as if she were just waiting around for him. Another reason she needed to move on from this secret fling and free—no,
force
—herself to go out with other men. Available men who wanted a real relationship.

This was it. She’d end things today, she vowed while typing: “Home early with Cowboy.”

B there in 5.

Her stomach flipped. Setting the phone down, she steeled herself. In an attempt to create distance between her heart and Trip, she tried to conjure up Mason’s face. Epic fail. Not even his kind eyes could shove away her excited anticipation of seeing Trip.

When he arrived, she buzzed him in and unlocked her door. Despite her private pep talk, her lungs ballooned the instant he strode through the door with his characteristic smile and swagger. Dark denim jeans clung to his powerful legs. Legs she yearned to grip again. Why couldn’t he want more from her than a few laughs and good sex?

He crossed the room as if he owned it—cowboy boots clacking on the wood floors—and lifted her off her feet. “How can you look prettier every time I see you?”

Then he kissed her hard. Without thought she kissed him back, her body naturally molding to his, content in his embrace. When he cut the kiss short and set her back on her feet, she struggled to find her balance.

“How’s your father?” she asked, ignoring her earlier vow to maintain emotional distance.

“Better.” Trip squeezed her waist.

“Your brother and stepmom?” She kept her arms loosely thrown over his shoulders, her fingertips brushing the hair around the base of his neck, temporarily fooling herself into believing they were more than friends with benefits.

“We’re all still standing. But let’s not talk about them.” He reached into his jacket pocket, his eyes twinkling, and retrieved a small box. “I brought you something. A thank-you for all the calls and sweet texts you sent me while I was away. I’m not used to anyone looking out for me. It was . . . nice.”

“You didn’t have to buy me anything, Trip. I cared about how you were doing. That’s what friends do.”

“Not all friends. Just like not all friends treat their friends to a Cabo trip.” He gently touched her breastbone and winked. “That generous heart of yours is almost as sexy as the package it comes in. But I can be generous, too, with people who deserve it.”

If he kept bringing her gifts and telling her how pretty she was, how would she ever end things? Was it possible he cared more than he was willing to admit? And if so, how could she confirm it?

Trip held out the small box. Not a ring box, but her pulse still raced.

“Aren’t you curious?” he asked.

“You know I am.” She took the tissue-wrapped package from his hand and unwrapped two bejeweled vintage hair combs. Holding them up to the light, she watched sparkles cast around the room. “These are gorgeous. Are they real antiques?”

“Of course. Victorian era, fit for a princess.” His smile widened. He took them from her and gently tucked two small sections of her hair back with the combs, causing a light prickling sensation to race over her scalp and down her neck. “Now you can wear your hair down without it getting in your way while you’re working.”

She touched the combs, keeping her eyes on Trip’s face. If only he would tell her he felt something more than friendship and lust, her heart would burst. She’d wrap him up in so much love, all the pain and loneliness he’d felt since his mom died would become a faint memory.

Although she’d never considered herself a coward, she knew she wasn’t brave enough to have a frank discussion about their relationship. Perhaps a few subtle questions could uncover his true feelings. “Thank you. I have to say, you keep surprising me with thoughtful gestures. If you’re not careful, I’m going to start thinking you’re falling for me, cowboy.”

His brief hesitation gave her false hope—until he opened his mouth and brushed off her statement with flirtatious joking.

“Princess, I fell for you the first time I laid eyes on you.” He lowered his hands to her hips and tugged her against his body. “Now how ’bout we take this little reunion to the bedroom.”

Before she could protest, he swooped her up in his arms and carted her off to her room.

“Trip—”

“Call me by my real name, not the nickname Grey gave me.” Trip’s deep voice grazed her cheek just before he nibbled on her ear.

He laid her on the bed. After withdrawing a two-pack of condoms from his pocket, he tossed them to land next to her. “I want to hear you say my name when we’re alone like this.”

Trip looked her in the eyes, cradled her jaw, and then kissed her, long and slow, before reaching for the hem of her skirt. A streak of goose bumps dashed up her thighs. She was putty in his hands, unable to resist the intimacy of his request. “Gunner.”

He moaned in response, his hands quickly unzipping her skirt and removing her clothes and then his own. The sight of his bare chest and abs made her lick her lips as her hands caressed his well-defined muscles.

Before she could catch her breath, he rolled over and pulled her on top of him. “I want to see all of you. And when I’m buried so deep inside you that you fall apart, I want you to
scream
my name.”

He matched the urgency of his command with the force of his kiss, then his hands cupped her breasts. Her nipples hardened at his touch, and every muscle in her body trembled.

“Kelsey, you always feel so damn good.” His mouth covered her breast and one hand grabbed her butt.

“So you’re not bored yet?” She ran her hands through his silky hair, holding him against her chest, recalling their first conversation about marriage.

“Not even close.” The words resounded from deep inside just before he thrust himself inside her with a playful growl.

God, he’d missed her, and that scared him. He opened his eyes so he could watch her ride him. His heart beat hard against his ribs at the sight of her flushed skin and wild hair. Sitting upright, he forced her to wrap her legs around his waist so they could sit chest to chest.

He loved the way her hands felt on his back and in his hair. Loved the way her plush lips wet his neck and shoulder. Loved the way her supple body melded with his while her silky hair brushed against his skin. Best of all, he loved the way she somehow warmed him from the inside out.

With each mewl and whimper she uttered, he grew harder and hotter. And when she finally called out his real name again, he about lost his mind. Flipping her over, he pushed her hands above her head on the bed and drove into her over and over until they were both panting and breathless and completely spent.

Eventually, he fell to one side and pulled her up along his chest, hugging her close. “It’s good to be home.”

He thought he heard a small gasp, but then she teased him. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were lonely in Denver.”

“I was lonely in Denver.” He peered down at her, but she kept her face hidden, so all he could see was a tangle of golden hair fanned out on his body.

She lightheartedly pinched him. “Oh, stop acting like a man who just returned from a monastery. We both know that’s not true.”

Yet it was. He hadn’t been with another woman since he started up his little affair with Kelsey, and that realization surprised him. He gripped her chin and tilted her face up to meet his gaze, considering confessing the truth, when her doorbell rang.