WalkingSin (7 page)

“I don’t think Alaina is into…that kind of
thing.”

“I have no idea if Rye is either, but I’ve
always believed what two people want to do together is cool, no matter what it
is.”

So many images popped into her head at that
statement…images that came from her imagination since she hadn’t experienced
anything like that in real life.

Dax lifted his camera and snapped a shot of
the creek. “The bank by that pool would’ve been a great spot for Alaina to build
her B-and-B if she hadn’t been so determined to refurbish Stevens House.”

“Yes, it would’ve been nice for her place
to be on the water, but…”

Kelcey stopped. She couldn’t believe the
perfect name for Alaina’s place had been under everyone’s noses all along.
“Dax, does this creek have a name?”

“Yeah. Crystal Creek. Why?”

My gosh, that’s perfect
. A huge smile turned up her lips. “Dax, you just solved the biggest
problem Alaina has.”

“Great.” He frowned, obviously confused.
“What did I do?”

“You came up with the perfect name for
Stevens House.”

Eager to tell Alaina her idea, Kelcey took
off at a jog for the mansion. “What did I come up with?” Dax called out.

Without turning around or slowing her pace,
Kelcey shouted, “The Inn on Crystal Creek!”

Chapter Six

Alaina squealed when Kelcey told her the
name she’d come up with for the B-and-B, which made Emma come running to make
sure everyone was all right. Emma joined in the squealing after Alaina told her
what Kelcey had said. Holding on to each other, they jumped up and down while
turning in a circle.

Emma pulled out of the circle first. “Now I
know the name of the restaurant too.”

“What?” Kelcey and Alaina asked at the same
time.

“Café Crystal.”

Alaina beamed. “It’s perfect! I can’t
believe I didn’t think of such a perfect name.”

“You were trying too hard,” Kelcey said. “I
wasn’t trying at all, so it came to me when I was talking to Dax.”

“However it came to you, I’m so happy with
it. Okay, now that we have a name, we have a lot to do, like order the
invitations.”

“I’ll do that today.”

“I’m going back to the restaurant,” Emma
said. “I’m getting really good with the nail gun.”

Once she left, Alaina looked at Kelcey
again. “Does that scare you as much as it does me?”

“Definitely.”

Kelcey giggled with her friend until Alaina
turned serious again. “Several things before I forget. Bob got tied up at his
other job, so we rescheduled for Wednesday. I spoke with Ally Briscoe at the
Lanville
Journal
about my website and brochures. She’s the newspaper’s bookkeeper,
but she’s also an amazing graphic artist. She’s coming Wednesday too. Michaela
and Jax Greene are coming Thursday to interview me and take pictures for the
article and ad in the paper. UPS delivered the accounting software I ordered,
so it can be installed whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.”

“Great! I’ll let you play while I go back
upstairs before Rye yells for me again.”

Alone in the office, Kelcey unwrapped the
accounting software and slid the DVD into the disc drive. While the software
installed, she went to the kitchen for a Coke and a couple of Emma’s peanut
butter cookies. With her sugar fix close by, Kelcey opened the program,
prepared to work.

The sound of rain pattering on the window
glass captured Kelcey’s attention. It surprised her to see how dark it had
become outside. Sunset wouldn’t occur for another hour, yet the thick, gray
clouds made it appear much later.

Everyone had left half an hour ago. Alaina
told her she and Rye were headed to Rye’s parents’ house after they cleaned up
to tell them about the engagement. Since Kelcey would be responsible for her
own supper tonight, she saw no reason why she shouldn’t stay and finish up the
work she’d started. Another thirty to forty-five minutes and she’d have all the
accounts set up and the files the way she wanted them.

A rumble of thunder sent a chill up
Kelcey’s spine. She’d never been crazy about thunderstorms. Emma loved them
while Kelcey would be happy if she never experienced another one.

When a flash of lightning lit up the room,
Kelcey knew it was time to go home.

She shut down the computer and straightened
the folders on the desk. After making sure everything was secure in the office,
she locked the door and headed toward the parking lot.

The clouds opened up as she made a fast
dash for her car. The downpour quickly soaked her clothes and made her hair
stick to her head and neck. Shivering, Kelcey started the motor and turned the
heater on high. Blessed heat poured from the vents in only moments.

Once she’d stopped shivering so badly, she
put the car in gear and backed out of her parking place. Rain fell so hard, she
could barely see out of the windshield, even with the wipers on the highest
speed. Logically she knew she should wait until the rain let up before she
tried to drive, yet she had no idea when that might be.

Alaina’s house was only a few miles away.
Deciding she could make it if she took it slow, Kelcey pulled away from the
mansion. Thunder rumbled in the distance, lightning flashed and lit up the
entire sky. Ten minutes later, Kelcey wondered if she’d made a mistake in
attempting this trip. The drive to Alaina’s house normally took about twelve
minutes and she guessed she was only about halfway there. Turning around would
be silly, so she continued on, gripping the wheel and leaning forward in her
seat to better see out of the windshield.

Through the driving rain, she saw Dax’s
house about one hundred feet ahead. That meant Alaina’s house was only another
mile away. She could do this. She’d be one big knot of tension when she pulled
into Alaina’s driveway, but she could do this.

A bright flash of lightning quickly
followed by a booming crack of thunder caused Kelcey to jerk the wheel. Her
tires hit a deep puddle on the side of the road. She screamed as she lost
control and headed straight for a tree.

* * * * *

Dax looked up from his laptop when Walker
lifted his head, ears cocked. “What did you hear, boy?”

The dog growled low in his throat. Dax
didn’t know how Walker could hear anything over the rain pounding on the roof.
He leaned over and rubbed the top of Walker’s head. “It’s okay. No one would be
out in this storm.”

He no sooner said the words than Walker
jumped up and ran to the front door, barking nonstop. Walker didn’t act that
way for nothing. That meant he’d heard something—or someone—outside.

Laying his laptop on the coffee table, Dax
hurried to the door and pushed Walker aside. A blast of cold rain immediately
hit him in the face and chest when he opened the door. Blinking against the
rain that flew into his eyes, he looked up and down his road for a sign of
whatever Walker heard.

The German Shepherd raced past him and
leaped off the porch. Dax almost yelled for Walker to come back when a flash of
lightning lit up the area. He saw the small car plowed into a tree less than
seventy-five feet from his house.

“Holy shit,” he muttered.

Dax took off running toward the car. His
heart began to pound the closer he got. It looked like Kelcey’s car.

Walker had his front paws on the driver’s
door, scratching as if trying to get in. Dax grabbed his collar and pulled him
back. Jerking open the door, he saw that the airbag had deployed. Kelcey sat
with her head back and eyes closed.

His heart dropped down into his stomach.

“Kelcey! Can you hear me?”

She rolled her head toward him and opened
her eyes. “Dax.”

She knew him. That had to be a good sign.
“Can you move?”

“I think so.” She straightened in her seat.
“So far, so good.”

He didn’t give her a chance to do anything
else before he unhooked her seat belt and slowly slid his arms beneath her.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you out of the car.”

Scooping her up in his arms, he pushed the
door closed with his hip and headed for the house. Walker ran ahead a few feet,
stopped and looked back at him, then ran ahead again.

“I can walk, Dax.”

He ignored her protest and kept walking. By
the time he made it the short distance to his house, they were both soaked. He
walked through the front door, kicked it shut, and headed straight for the
couch in the living room.

“Don’t you
dare
put me down on that
beautiful couch. I’m soaked.”

She was also shivering. First order would
be to get her dry and warm. Dax continued on through his bedroom and into the
master bath. He let her slide down his body, holding her close to be sure she
didn’t fall.

“I’ll call for the ambulance while you get
dry.”

“
No
. I don’t need an ambulance. I’m
fine
.
The airbag and seat belt kept me from hitting anything.”

He frowned. “You should be checked out. I
can take you to the ER—”

“
NO
. I don’t need to go to the
hospital.”

“You’re shivering.”

“I’m wet. So are you.” The dog let loose a
loud bark, then shook the water from his fur. “So is Walker.”

Once he was certain she wouldn’t fall, Dax
released Kelcey and crossed to the towel cabinet. He removed two thick, fluffy
towels and handed one to her. “I’ll give you some privacy so you can dry off.
Or take a shower if you want to. I’ll leave some sweats for you on the bed,
okay? Then I’ll throw your clothes in the dryer.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

He peered closely into her eyes. They
looked clear and as blue as usual, her pupils reactive the way they should be.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kelcey smiled. “I promise I’m okay. I just
need to dry off and drink something warm.”

“Coffee or hot chocolate?”

Her eyes widened a bit. “Oooh, hot
chocolate please.”

If she could get so excited about
chocolate, she must be okay. “Hot chocolate coming up. Let’s go, Walker.”

He closed the bathroom door behind him.
Quickly searching through a dresser drawer, he located a gray sweatshirt and
matching pants and laid them, along with a pair of socks, on his bed. Grabbing
more socks and a pair of navy sweatpants for himself, he headed for the laundry
room with Walker by his side.

After stripping off his wet clothes, he
swiped the towel over his body and donned the sweatpants and socks. He took a
beach towel from the cabinet above the dryer and dropped to his knees before
Walker.

“Let’s get you a little drier, okay?” The
dog answered his question with a lick to Dax’s cheek. Dax chuckled as he rubbed
the towel over Walker’s back. “Yeah, I thought you’d like this. You probably
want to be brushed too.”

Walker barked, which made Dax laugh. “I
know you well, don’t I, boy?”

Movement to his left caught Dax’s
attention. He saw his socks encasing a pair of small feet and curvy calves. The
socks stopped just below Kelcey’s knees…her bare knees. His gaze slid up smooth
thighs to the hem of his sweatshirt, which hit her a couple of inches below her
crotch.

“The pants wouldn’t stay up,” she said
softly.

Dax had no complaints about that. If he
leaned forward a few inches, he could nuzzle Kelcey in that warm place between
her thighs.

His gaze lifted, pausing long enough to
notice her hard nipples pressing against the fleece before he continued on to
her face. Pink bloomed in her cheeks. She was obviously embarrassed to stand
before him in next to nothing. Ordering his randy hormones to behave, he stood.
“Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. You’re a lot more…” She stopped
and her gaze passed over his chest and stomach. “Husky than I am.”

He wanted to touch her. He wanted to touch
her more than he wanted to draw his next breath. Worried about scaring her
away, he pushed aside his desire and reached for her wet clothes. “I’ll put
these in the dryer for you.”

“Thank you. Could I maybe borrow a blanket
or something to wrap around my legs?”

He thought it a shame to cover up those
pretty legs, but he didn’t want her to be cold. “There’s an afghan on the back
of the couch. Why don’t you grab it and I’ll meet you in the kitchen?”

She gave him a small smile. “Sounds good.”

Concentrating on taking care of her clothes
gave him the chance to get his body back under control. He added his wet
clothes to hers and started the dryer. After tossing the wet towel he’d used on
Walker on top of the dryer, he headed for the kitchen.

She came into the kitchen as he removed the
milk from the refrigerator. She’d wrapped the afghan his grandmother made ten
years ago around her and tucked in one end at her waist to make it look like a
sarong. A sheepish expression brought the pink back to her cheeks.