Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (18 page)

As evening approached, they relaxed on the blankets
underneath the old maple. They'd had a long day and had used up some major
energy. Now, they stretched out on the blankets and waited for the fireworks.
The last band performance was beginning to wind down.

“I don't know about you guys, but I had a great time today.
I haven't been to one of these celebrations in years,” Brooke stated, lying on
her back with her head resting in Logan's lap. He rubbed her cheek with the
back of one finger. “That being said, I'm still not convinced that this was the
best celebration ever. I can recall one, in particular, that stands out above
all the rest. It was hands down the best to date.” She had a mischievous grin
on her face.

“Oh, God,” Karissa groaned. “Please, let's not recount that
day. It's bad enough that it will be etched into my memory for the rest of my
natural life.”

Chuckles were heard around the group.

Ashley tilted her head to look at Karissa. “Now you
have
to share,” she said. “You can't make a statement like that and then not spill.”

Brooke started. “It was the summer following our freshman
year at Harvard. Logan and I had come home for the summer,” she said, glancing
up at him. He grinned, remembering the incident all too well. “So Chase must
have been about....oh, seventeen at the time.”

Seth picked it up from there. “There we all were, in the
midst of the festivities, when we heard this loud, raging voice coming from
over by the pond. Apparently, Chase was caught with his pants down, literally,
when Jessie Evanson's daddy found Chase giving his little girl a hands-on
lesson in anatomy.

“Chase came tearing out of the bushes with his pants, and
boxers, around his ankles, trying to run from a crazed Mr. Evanson with a
pitchfork in his hand,” Logan continued. “Since Mr. Evanson was kind of old and
on the chubby side, Chase was actually able to outrun him with his pants around
his ankles for a while. He chased him around the park for a good ten minutes
before he got close enough, and when he did, he threw the pitchfork and stuck
Chase dead in the ass with it.”

Laughing hysterically, Brooke took over again. “Chase
stumbled and fell, and landed right smack on top of Karissa, who screamed her
pretty head off. It was Rissa's first up-close-and-personal look at a naked
guy,” Brooke explained to Ashley, “and it traumatized her. I can still hear her
screaming, “Eww, get it off my leg, get it off my leg.” Brooke laughed until
her eyes teared.

Ashley sat there, stunned, not sure what to make of that.

“Alright now, I'm glad I could give y'all a good laugh,”
Karissa said, trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile.

“Not that it was any great hardship to stare at Chase, all
naked and built and....stuff,” Brooke commented.

“Hey,” Logan said, ruffling her hair playfully. “I'm sitting
right here, you know.”

Brooke could only laugh. “Well, it's true,” she said,
pleased by the fact that Logan seemed bothered by her comment. It earned her a
devilish grin and a wink from Chase, which didn't go unnoticed.

“Yup, still here.” Logan decided that if his brother winked
at his woman one more time he was going to blacken his eye. Winking wasn't so
damn easy when your eye was swollen shut, now was it? He relaxed a little when
Brooke guided his head down to her mouth for a totally hot, totally sensuous
kiss.

“Needless to say, it was the talk of the town for the rest
of the summer.” Seth said. “And mama and pop made you go over to the Evanson's
place and apologize to Mr. Evanson 'like a man'.”

Chase grimaced. “Don't remind me.”

“He looked like a man on his way to the gallows,” Seth said.

“Really, how do you apologize to a man for boning his baby
girl, in the middle of the town park, in broad daylight, during a holiday
barbeque?” Chase asked, the serious look on his face utterly hysterical.

“From a distance, evidently,” Seth answered. “Mr. Evanson
wasn't receptive at all to Chase's little visit. He gave him five seconds to
get the hell off of his property and issued a warning to stay away from his
daughter, or else he was going to hunt Chase down and shoot off his balls.”
Seth feigned a pained look. “The old bastard was probably crazy enough to do
it, too.”

Night fell over Angel Ridge, bringing with it a hint of
coolness in the air. They lounged on their blankets, waiting for the fireworks
show to begin. In keeping with tradition, they were being shot off above the
pond that was situated near the center of the park, but from their spot near
the maple they had the perfect view.

Raelyn and Paul had left for home a few hours before. Raelyn
had grown tired and wanted to get home and rest. Diana and Nicholas had left
not long after. They were heading out early the following morning to spend the
day in Helena with Diana's sister and her family, and wanted to make it an
early night. Their group had dwindled down to just the six of them.

The sounds of talking and laughter died down when, all of a
sudden, the first group of fireworks lit up the night sky. One after another,
they illuminated the dark sky in beautiful colors and amazing designs. The
sounds as they exploded over the water, and then cascaded downward and
dissipated, were thunderous. The crowd loved it.  The smiles on the faces of
children were definitely worth the big fuss. Brooke loved watching their
reaction to it. After about forty-five minutes, the energy slowly fizzled out,
and the show came to an end.

Throughout the show, Brooke was reminded of the summer she
and Logan were in Paris nearly a decade before. They didn't celebrate
Independence Day in France, as that was obviously an American holiday. They
did, however, celebrate Bastille Day on the fourteenth of July, which was
characterized by large-scale public celebrations of French culture, and
included parades, musical performances, communal meals, dances, and spectacular
fireworks displays.

She and Logan had celebrated with some friends they'd met
while staying in Paris. After the celebration, Logan took her for a boat ride
on the River Seine. He pulled a flower, a beautiful pink stargazer lily, from
out of nowhere and tucked it behind her ear. Then he'd kissed her, and
afterward she kept her eyes closed, simply listening to the fireworks that were
still audible in the distance. He said her name softly. Just her name.

She slowly opened her eyes. He had knelt before her. The
shock of what he was about to do hit her forcefully. On bended knee, Logan
proposed to her. Brooke couldn't think, couldn't speak. She was taken
completely by surprise. She laughed, and cried, simultaneously.

When she finally found her voice, she accepted Logan's
marriage proposal and he slid the most beautiful, most exquisite diamond
engagement ring she'd ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon, on her wedding
finger. He'd proposed to her under a million twinkling stars, with the
moonlight dancing across the water. Then he took her in his arms and showed her
the absolute depth of his love for her.

To Brooke, it seemed like another lifetime. So much time had
passed since that night, and with it so many opportunities missed, so much
heartache and pain endured.

As much as Brooke had enjoyed herself, she was ready to go
back to Logan's place, where they could make their own fireworks. It had been a
really long day, and all she wanted was to spend some time alone with Logan.
She'd been dying to get her hands on him all day.

They lingered for a little bit longer, talking, and then
began to pack up their belongings, which were much lighter as they carried them
back to their vehicles. There were people heading in every direction, toting
kids and babies, who were likely eager to get home after a long, eventful,
fun-filled day.

When they neared Brooke's car, Karissa's voice came from
behind her. “I'm parked over that way.” She indicated the direction with a wave
of her hand.

Brooke stopped and turned. “Ash, are you sure you're okay
with staying at Rissa's? Because if you're not, I'll go back to the ranch with
you tonight.”
Please say you're okay with it. Please, please, please.

“No, it's fine,” she replied. “Rissa and I are going to have
our own little slumber party. You know, stay up late watching chick flicks,
painting our toe nails, talking about men.....”

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

“Sounds like fun.” Brooke gave her sister a hug, and then
hugged Ashley in turn. “Night, my girlies. I'll see you tomorrow,” she said to
both of them.

After she and Logan said their goodbyes to his brothers,
they settled into the comfort of her BMW. As Logan pulled away from the curb,
he reached over to take Brooke's hand in his, and placed a warm kiss on it,
something she'd become used to him doing over the past few weeks. She looked
down at their joined hands. While hers were small and delicate, his were big
and strong. They were a sharp contrast, yet they fit perfectly. They drove in
comfortable silence as they headed away from town, the light from the lamp
posts that illuminated Maple Street fading as they got farther away. Sometimes
no words were necessary.

It was nearing 10:30 when Karissa quietly made her way
downstairs. Normally, she was an early riser. But it was Sunday, and she'd been
up late the night before. She'd ended up inviting Seth and Chase back to her
place, and the four of them had watched a couple of movies and ordered a pizza,
and just hung out.

There was a debate as to which movies to watch, so they
compromised. The girls got to choose a movie they wanted to see, and the guys
had to watch it with them. From the get-go, Chase complained about having to
sit through two hours of
You've Got Mail
, but romantic comedies were a
girl thing, so what did he expect?

When it was over, the guys could choose their own movie,
and, likewise, the girls would be committed to watching it. Ashley was glad
that she and Karissa got to choose first, because she had a feeling she'd be
sleeping long before
Die Hard 5
came to an end.

The guys had a few beers and, of course, Karissa didn't
think they should be driving, so she suggested they spend the night. None of
them had gotten to bed until at least three. Ashley slept with Karissa, while
Chase used the spare bedroom and Seth stayed downstairs in the living room. The
house was now quiet as everyone still slept.

As she passed through the living room on her way to the
kitchen to start breakfast, she stopped next to Seth, who was sleeping soundly
on the sofa. He lay on his back, with one arm bent at the elbow and his hand
resting behind his head. The other lay to his left side. He was almost
completely naked, except for a pair of black boxer-briefs. The blanket she'd
given to him the night before had been tossed off and lay on the floor.

He was gorgeous. That was all Karissa could think as she
stared down at him. He was so sinfully gorgeous that it should be illegal. His
chest was broad and muscular, with just a light smattering of hair. Even his
nipples were beautiful, she thought, in awe. They were small and pink and hard.
Perfect. She wanted to flick her tongue over that hardness, and nip at them
until he was wild with need.

His abdomen was every bit as tantalizing. It was a
combination of divots and squares, with piano keys running along the sides of
his abs. He was ripped. His lean waist narrowed, and the sexy thin line below
his navel disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxer-briefs. Which fit him
snugly, contouring every inch of him, Karissa observed. She blushed when her
eyes fell on the incredibly large bulge at the junction of his thighs. His legs
were muscular, his skin tanned and smooth. It was all Karissa could do to keep
herself from running her hands up and down every inch of his body. An insane
heat crept along her skin, and she was sure her body temperature had risen a
few degrees.

His face was so peaceful as he slept. Long, thick lashes
shadowed his cheeks. His lips were pink and full. Karissa wondered what it
would be like to take his sexy bottom lip between her teeth and suck on it.
God,
what am I thinking?
She felt the intense stirrings of desire loud and
clear.

Seth had heard her come down the stairs. She'd been quiet,
but he'd never been a deep sleeper. The years he'd spent in the Marine Corps
had served to make him sharp and aware. He heard every sound, as if it were a
pin dropping. He'd felt her stop next to him, and he'd smelled her fragrance.
He would know Rissa's scent from a mile away. He should have opened his eyes
and alerted her to the fact that he was awake, but this was so much more fun.

At first, he wondered what she was doing. She was so quiet
and still. When he opened one eye slightly, and glanced down, he realized that
she was checking him out.
Holy hell, she was actually checking him out.
The expressions that crossed her face as she let her gaze travel down the
length of his body, and then up again, were awesome. It was so hot, yet so
funny, at the same time. It was all he could do to contain his laughter, or
even to keep the grin off of his face. He was thankful that he didn't have a
raging hard-on, at least not yet. Between the way she was looking at him,
though, and the thoughts that were running through his mind, that wouldn't take
more than another minute or so.

Karissa leaned down to push away a lock of dark hair from
his forehead. She let her hand linger, and cupped his cheek with her palm,
caressing his face with her thumb. She trailed a finger downward toward his
chin, enjoying the strength and the masculinity she felt there. There was also
a roughness there, a result of missing his morning shave, she presumed. She'd
always loved his face; it was so handsome and so honorable.

She nearly screamed when his left hand came up and his
fingers closed gently around her wrist. Her head snapped up and her eyes locked
on clear green ones as he watched her silently. He was totally intrigued by
this bold side of her. And by the fact that Karissa, sweet, shy Karissa, had
just given him the once-over while she thought he was asleep. Damn, if that
wasn't a hell of a way to start his day, he thought, smiling.

“I'm sorry I woke you,” she said, softly. “Are you hungry?”
she asked, giving away nothing in her expression.

So that's how she wants to play this.
His lips turned
up in a smile. “I sure as hell am, sweetness.” But what he was craving had
nothing to do with food.

Seth sat, wearing jeans that were unbuttoned at the waist,
and nothing else, at the large oak table in Karissa's pretty, cheerful kitchen.
He held a mug of hot coffee in his hands and watched her while she busied
herself at the stove. She hadn't showered or dressed yet, and she looked
totally sexy. She wore a blue satin robe that was belted loosely and stopped at
mid-thigh. He'd been wondering for the past twenty minutes what she was wearing
underneath. In his fantasy, the answer was nothing. Her legs were long and
tanned, and the material of the robe outlined her magnificent ass every time
she moved. Her toes were painted a bright pink.

She turned around and smiled. He could have sworn he felt
his heart skip a beat. “Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes. I hope
you've brought your big boy appetite.”

She has no idea.
“I wish you'd let me help you with
something,” he said, getting up to refill his coffee mug. He filled it halfway
and then leaned a hip against the counter.

“Thanks for the offer, but there's not much to do.” He was
standing only a foot from her, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck
stand up. Her skin tingled all over.
God, what does he have, super powers or
something?
She was totally and completely aware of his nearness. It made
her uneasy, but at the same time, she liked it.

Logan pulled his sleek SUV into Karissa's driveway behind
Seth's truck and cut the engine. He glanced over at Brooke, who sat in the
passenger seat, and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Is it just me, or do you also find it odd that Seth's truck
is parked in Karissa's driveway on a Sunday morning?”

Brooke arched a perfectly sculpted brow. “It's definitely
not just you,” she said, unfastening her seat belt and opening the car door.
“Let's go see what's up.”

She made her way around to the side door of Karissa's pretty
two-story bungalow, with Logan two steps behind her, and knocked lightly before
opening the door and stepping inside. The wonderful aroma of pancakes and bacon
filled the kitchen.

Brooke and Logan took in the scene before them. Karissa
stood, wearing only a short robe, in front of the range flipping pancakes,
while Seth leaned against the counter next to her clad only in jeans, which had
been unbuttoned, Brooke noted, and a bare chest and feet, his dark hair a
disheveled mess. He leaned in close to her as he said something Brooke couldn't
quite make out, and watched as Karissa laughed and touched a hand to Seth's
bulging bicep.

She glanced over at Logan, who had a bemused expression on
his face.

“Morning,” Brooke called out, cheerfully. Karissa started,
spinning around to face them. Seth just stood there, looking sexy as sin on a
Sunday morning.

“Oh, hey guys. I didn't hear you come in,” Karissa said,
hoping the affect Seth was having on her wasn't obvious to everyone, but
especially to him.

“Apparently,” Brooke said, giving her her best
you'd-better-spill-the-beans-later-you-hussy stare. Karissa blushed
uncontrollably.

“We stopped at your place, but you weren't there,” Logan
said to Seth, already forming a mental image in his mind as to why exactly he
hadn't been there all night, and what he'd been doing. “Now we know why.”

“Yeah, we decided to hang out last night, watch a movie, order
in a pizza.”

“Mmmhmm,” Brooke said, not at all oblivious to the way Seth
looked at Karissa, like he wanted to eat her up in a single bite.

Seth cleared his throat. He couldn't say why, but he was
growing uncomfortable under Brooke's steady stare.

Footsteps on the stairs drew their attention, and a few
seconds later Ashley appeared in the doorway, her eyes practically closed and
her hair standing on end. She shuffled over toward Seth and rested her chin on
his bicep.

His biceps sure are getting a lot of attention this
morning.
Brooke couldn't help but notice this small fact.

“Ooh, coffee,” Ashley said. “Gimme.” She took Seth's coffee
mug out of his hand and sipped deeply. “Mmm, that's so good. Thanks, doll,” she
said, winking at Seth before she plopped down in a chair at the table.

Logan looked from Seth to Ashley to Karissa and then back to
Seth.

“No way,” Logan said, gaping at his brother.

Seth caught the meaning behind his words instantly. He
neither confirmed nor denied it. He just grinned, like the cat that ate the
canary. He'd let Logan believe it,
imagine
it, for a while. At least,
until Chase came downstairs and ruined it. He was laughing on the inside.

It was short-lived.

A minute later, Chase appeared in the doorway, looking
insanely rumpled and sexy from sleep. He'd never been an early riser. He was
the complete opposite of Logan and Seth in that respect. You practically had to
push him out of bed in the morning.

Karissa was already passing him a hot mug of coffee. “God,
you're a lifesaver.” He took it from her and dropped down into the chair next
to Ashley.

“Mornin', legs,” he said, running a hand through his
disheveled mop of sandy blond hair.

“Why do you do that?” Ashley asked, her death glare aimed at
Chase.

“Do what?”

“Call me legs,” she answered. “Like I'm a piece of meat. I'm
more than just a nice set of legs and tits and ass.” She took a slow sip of her
coffee. “I'm a person.” she said, her eyes on his. “A woman.” She paused before
going on. “I mean, based on what Brooke said yesterday at the barbeque, you
have one hell of a prime cock, but I don't call you 'dick' every time I run
into you.”

The room got totally quiet for about ten seconds, so quiet
that you could hear a pin drop. Then it erupted with laughter. Even Chase
couldn't help but wear a smile on his handsome face.