Suspended (11 page)

“No?”

She folded one of the shirts, stacking it on top of the
pants. “No.”

He stepped inside. “And you’re not interested in Kain?”

“I’m not interested in anyone at the moment.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.”

He stopped a foot away from her. “No one at all?”

She turned to face him. “It was just fucking, remember?”

“Right.” The gold color at the center of his hazel eyes
caught her attention. A tiny flicker of heat was alive in all the cool green.
Without the suit, he was a walking ad for LL Bean. Especially with the almost beard
he was sporting. All he needed was a plaid shirt, and he’d be like every other
man who came to the Heron. Except none of the fishermen made her feel like
Shane did. Not that she hadn’t been interested in a few over the years, but
knowing they would be leaving within a week or less tended to put a damper on
any ideas besides a fling or two.

Most of the time it wasn’t worth the hassle.

Most of the time she didn’t have time to think about it.

As usual, Shane didn’t expand on that one word. The
intensity was a living thing inside him, but it was behind a wall so thick she
wondered if it could possibly be breached. Did she even have the right to
wonder? Was it even smart to?

Their options were lousy, and nothing about this attraction
was smart. He was in her life for one purpose: to become her partner or sell
her bed-and-breakfast so they could each start a new life. Part of her wondered
what it would be like to be free to do something else, but a larger part
couldn’t face the idea of losing her home. It was everything she knew.
Everything she’d built with her mother.

But she did have this one slice of freedom.

A few days to see the rest of the country and forget about
responsibilities.

She closed the distance between them until her breasts
brushed his chest. His nostrils flared, and his jaw tightened. At least she
wasn’t the only one who reacted when they were close. “So we’re really going to
drive across the country?”

He nodded slowly. “I sold what I could and sent on the
materials for my furniture to the Heron.”

The first fingers of annoyance crawled up her spine. “Just
like that? Without talking to me?” What the hell was she going to tell her
mother?
Oh, Mom…by the way. Our home
isn’t ours anymore. We have to share it with the boy that replaced us. But
that’s okay, right?

It just didn’t make sense that she’d even be attracted to
Shane. And yet her painfully tight nipples said otherwise. Even now she wanted
to take that final step and surround herself in the outdoor scent that was as
much a part of him as his skin.

“I have just as much right to use the property for storage.
It is half mine.” The gruff words were chased with a gentle pull of her hair.
He wrapped the tail of her braid around his thumb.

He was a constant source of mixed messages. Each stroke
tugged the braid lightly, keeping her nerve endings frazzled. As tempting as he
was, they were forced to be in each other’s company. Would she want to be
around him if she didn’t have to be? Would he want to be around her?

Would this gnawing hunger exist if they’d met each other
through friends or at a Christmas party?

She just wasn’t sure.

She took a step back to prove that she could.

The ache didn’t go away, but at least she could think.
“You’re right. You have every legal right to be at the Heron, whether it’s your
body or your furniture materials. I’ll call my mom in the morning so she can
direct the delivery to go into the barn.”

“I appreciate that.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say
Hallelujah!
, but she stifled it. This was the first time he’d been
civil to her. She turned away from him and picked up one of her new shirts to
fold. “What time do you want to leave?”

“I have a few things to do in the morning, and then we can
leave.”

She smoothed her hand over the plum-colored T-shirt. “Do you
want me to come with you this time?”

“Yes. Be ready at seven.”

She nodded but still couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d
want more. And she needed to think tonight. She let out a relieved breath when
she heard the door close behind him. Tomorrow she’d be in his company nonstop.
The thrill of it warred with her unease. Everything was changing. Her life had
been static for so long she couldn’t imagine having the freedom to go and see
and experience different places. And now she was doing just that. With a man
who made her realize what she’d been missing.

Could she treat this trip as an adventure? She slipped her
arm across her midsection.

She just wasn’t sure.

Shane slammed the tailgate of his truck. The back was empty
save for sleeping bags and his locker of tools. It was a crisp mid-November
day, and the sun beat back the fog that had blanketed the coast. He’d been up
well before dawn mainlining coffee. If they stayed on course, they should be
able to make it across the states in a little under seven days. It was a big
if. And the big if was because of Kendall.

She’d been laughing with Kain all morning. She was so easy
with him. Shane envied their friendship. Hell, he envied anything that had to
do with enjoyment and Kendall. The three days away from her had nearly killed
him. The skin-on-skin contact was addicting enough, but he found that he missed
her acerbic wit and the wide, sassy smirk when she tried to get him riled up.

She was a means to an end. But when he was around her, he
could forget how angry he was. He’d taken so much for granted being a
California Justice. He’d worked on his furniture nightly, and it had been a
solid goal for his future. But it had been a future with no end date.

This was real. And this was his future.

And Kendall was part of the now. Their reality was soldered
together in two misshapen forms. Did it make something ridiculous that would
need to be fired apart, or was it something interesting that might fit better
than anything else he’d ever known?

Was he even in the right frame of mind to decide?

All he knew was that she made him feel alive. And it seemed
to be the only thing he could focus on.

Her peal of laughter dragged him out of his thoughts. She
was hanging off Kain with a good two feet of air between her feet and the
ground. His best friend had her up on his hip, grinning like a lunatic as he
whispered something to her.

She laughed again and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. I don’t remember the last
time I’ve been so pampered.”

Shane’s jaw snapped closed. She dropped to the ground and
gave Kain one more hug, her nose pressed into the middle of his chest. Shane
couldn’t hear what else she said, but he could see the light of interest
blazing in his friend’s gaze.

He fisted his hands.

He couldn’t blame his friend. Kendall was a pocket of
sunshine with her warm, dark eyes that were at odds with her mane of
almost-white hair. But that smile. Man, that smile was a blast to the gut. If Kain
didn’t get his damn hands off her, he was going to snap his fucking wrist.

She bent to pick up her backpack, but Kain waved her off.

Fuck.

Shane walked toward them and took the bag from Kain. What
was it about this woman that drove him crazy and negated any manners his mother
had instilled in him? Kendall had him so freaking twisted up. And it pissed him
the fuck off. “Thanks, Kain.”

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me to fend for myself in
California, cuz.”

The familiar Hawaiian jargon loosened the lock on his jaw.
He smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, brother.”

Kain hauled him in for a full-body-blocking hug and whomped
his back.

“Christ, don’t crack my spine. I still have to drive a
million miles.”

“I wish you’d let me—”

Shane stepped back and held up his hand. “We’ll be fine.”

Kain sighed and nodded. “Stubborn ass. You just want to
road-trip with the hot girl.”

“You got me.”

Kendall looked up at him, that half grin making him want to
return the smile. It would be so easy to slide his arm across her shoulders and
drag her in. To stamp himself on her skin. Instead he looked back at his
friend.

“I’ll let you know what happens when we make it to New
York.”

“You’re welcome to come out during the holidays, Kain. My
mother would love to meet you.”

Kain glanced at him, then back to Kendall. “I might do
that.”

Would he still be there? Or would Kendall just like to see
Kain? Shane swallowed down the acid burning up his throat.

Kain kissed the top of her head. “Aloha, `ânela. Be safe.”

“Still not going to tell me what
`ânela
means?”

Kain grinned. “Shane might bust my lip.”

Kendall turned to him, then back to Kain. “Nah.”

Oh, he would. He’d pulverize his face if Kain didn’t stop
touching her.

“Now I have to go hijack the GPS. Shane doesn’t know it yet,
but we are going to be taking the scenic route.”

His fingers loosened, and his chest tightened when she
wrapped her fingers around his pinkie. That was not on his agenda, but her huge
grin killed any reason to deny her. “Yosemite?”

“Oh, yes. I want to see the mountains and all the colors.
I’m assuming you have color changes in California?”

Shane started to reply, but Kain interrupted him. “Yes. It’s
gorgeous out there this time of year.”

There were places he could show her. And if it stayed as
mild as it was today, he knew just where to take her. “We’ll take a few
detours.”

She snagged her bag out of his hand. “I’m going to go look
at my California travel book.” She bounded forward and dragged Kain down for a
kiss on the cheek. “Make sure you come visit me.” She laid her hand on Shane’s
arm, squeezing lightly. “I’ll let you two talk for a few minutes.”

Shane fingered the end of her messy braid. “Thanks.”

He watched her hoist herself up into the truck.

“You’re a dead man.”

He turned back to Kain. “I’m afraid you’re right.”

Kain’s eyebrows rose. “You have funny way of showing it.”

“Why the hell do you think I took off?”

“Yeah, I had a feeling. I have a soft spot for her, but it’s
not what you think, so you can stop orchestrating my death.”

Shane’s lips twitched. “Caught that, did you?”

“Subtlety has never been your strong suit.”

Shane pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, I guess it
hasn’t.”

“Just enjoy her and yourself. We have plenty of time to be
grown-ups, brother.”

But what happened at the end of the trip? Would they have to
sell the bed-and-breakfast, or could she buy him out? When they needed to go
their separate ways, would he want to let her go?

He had nothing but Avery Furniture to offer, and that was
fledgling at best. He needed the money from the sale of the property to give
his dream a shot at reality.

Kain crossed his arms. “It’s a shitty time to make any
decisions. Just take things a day at a time.”

Kain had always been the voice of reason when he and his
father butted heads. Why would now be any different? “I’ll be in touch.”

“You better. Looks like I better sign up for frequent flier
miles.”

“Marcus wouldn’t mind the change of pace.”

Kain laughed. “I’m sure my pilot already has a honey
stationed in New York.”

“A few.”

“No doubt.” Kain’s face sobered. “Things won’t be the same
without you.”

Shane held out his hand. “You’ll be taking over the world,
just like usual.”

They clasped forearms. “I prefer to do it with you by my
side.”

“I need to do this on my own.” He needed to find out if he
could do this on his own now more than ever.

“I know.” Kain tightened his grip, then stood back.

Kain understood that more than anyone in his life. Shane
opened his door and climbed into the cab of his truck. It smelled of her. Crisp
apples and shampoo. It would always be Kendall.

She was true to her word. The GPS was hooked up and
coordinates set.

“So where are we going, copilot?”

She tucked her chin on her shoulder and grinned at him. “I guess
you’ll find out in four hours.”

He smiled. It was getting easier to do. He waved to his
friend, and the
pop
of his gravel
drive led to pavement and finally the open road.

* * * *

“Did you know the Yosemite Falls is twenty-four hundred and
twenty-three feet high?”

“Nope.”

She simply eyed him. She’d been spouting off facts for the
last two hours. But it saved him from trying to come up with conversation, so
he didn’t mind. She sat cross-legged with her seat belt on and a bottle of
water between her legs. Evidently she didn’t get car sick, because she’d had
her nose in the California guide since they’d left.

“It’s the largest falls in North America.”

“I did know that.”

“You did?”

“I did. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve gone a time or
two.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “I’m boring you, huh? Sorry.
I’ve just never had the chance to go anywhere. Mom and I didn’t have a lot of
money, and the Heron doesn’t allow much in the way of vacation time.”

His stomach flipped. His father had left her and her mother
to fend for themselves. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem bitter about it. More
like resigned. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his
father had a daughter he’d never spoken of.

“How old are you?”

She quirked an eyebrow. “You and manners don’t get along too
well, do they?”

He rolled his eyes. “Just answer the question.”

“Why?”

“I’m curious.”

She turned in her seat. “You’re never curious.”

“How do you know?”