A Safe Surrender: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Donnelley Brothers Book 2) (13 page)

On top of all his astonishing sincerity, Kyle never once made me feel guilty for my decision to remain only friends with him. He joked, laughed, and teased me like any friend would. I would have thought that he had absolutely no feelings for me anymore, if I hadn’t caught him staring at me with deep longing a few chance times.

I leaned against the counter, passing a couple their rental climbing equipment. They’d been here for the last week learning to climb and they seemed to enjoy the sport.

The girl smiled as she tugged her gear from the counter. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I returned her smile with one of my own before I cast my attention to the clock on the wall. I had another thirty minutes before I could flee the gym.

“Don’t you look eager to get out of here?” Kyle’s voice sounded beside me and I flinched in surprise.

“When did you get there?” I asked. He hadn’t been standing right next to me a moment ago, had he?

“Couple seconds ago.” He shrugged. “Do you have plans, or something?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“With?” He asked, his voice sounding a little more growly than normal.

I frowned. “I’m going out with Reese and Gracie. They’re going to sample wedding cakes today and asked if I wanted to go.”

“Huh,” he lifted his chin. “So, you’re hanging out with my mother and sister in law? For how long?”

I narrowed my eyes, folding my arms over my chest. “Why so curious?”

“No reason.” He assured, but I didn’t believe him. “When will you all be back?”

Now, I definitely didn’t trust the big conniver! “What are you planning?”

“As if I’d tell you.” He chuckled.

I raised a brow. “Then I’m not telling you when we’re going to be back.”

“Hmm, where did you learn the art of negotiation?” He rubbed his chin and I beamed.

“I’m not bad, am I?” I felt quite proud of myself.

Again, he chuckled before flashing me that shit-grin. “Actually, I was going to say you should sue whoever taught you. You suck at it.”

My mouth popped open. “Pardon me?”

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as he watched me with those dark brown eyes of his. “You girls have a good time, sweets.”

I didn’t have time to say anything, or peel my mouth off the floor, before he was walking away. My mind was reeling with a thousand questions and my heart was pounding a thousand miles an hour. Kyle had touched me - well, he’d touched my hair. He had kept a safe distance from me since that heartbreaking morning, but he’d just touched me. And I felt like breaking out in an insane happy dance at the gentle, hopeful contact. On top of that, he’d called me
sweets
! I’d thought the endearment had been lost in the ending of our very short physical relationship.

My inner self was squealing with delight when I turned to find Gracie and Reese standing at the entrance of the gym with big round doe eyes and creepy looking smiles that took up half their face.

I frowned, walking toward them like a puppy afraid of losing my tail. “Hey, I still have another ten minutes left of my shift.”

Reese nodded slowly. “We figured Kyle could handle it until Clea came in.”

Gracie nudged Reese with her elbow. “I think Kyle’s been handling more than the gym, don’t you?”

Reese nodded and I gasped. “Oh my!” My palms connected with my cheeks as horror flooded my system. “You’re his Mom! Oh, you did not just go there.” I shook my head. “No, no, no.”

Reese grinned. “Oh, yes she did. Mom or not, Gracie has an eye for cupids arrow.”

Gracie nodded matter of fact, speaking loudly. “And I definitely think someone’s been shot.”

“Shh,” I scolded, my eyes darting around the gym, instantly finding Kyle. He was busy with a customer, guiding her along the wall verbally. I thanked my lucky stars before swinging glaring eyes at both Gracie and Reese. “If you’re both done trying to humiliate me to death, we can go now.”

Gracie made a show of thinking, and I thought I just might die, when she shrugged. “Okay, we can go.”

“Thank God!” I breathed. I loved Gracie, but I seriously didn’t know how Reese put up with her as her Mother in Law. “You two are little minions. Seriously!”

We walked to Gracie’s car and Reese called out loudly and excitedly. “Shot gun!”

I chuckled. “You two are like children.”

“Hey!” Gracie grinned. “If you can’t beat em, join em. I learned that lesson long ago and I’m loving life.”

“Harassing others.” I grumbled, pinning Reese with a look. “What’s your excuse?”

“Oh,” she rubbed her belly. “I’m gonna be a momma too soon.” She laughed. “I asked Gracie for lessons. I have a feeling this one’s going to be a crazy boy just like his Daddy. I need all the help I can get.”

“If you get another Logan, yeah, you’re going to need a lot more help.” I settled back into the seat, grinning smugly at Reese’s gaped mouth.

“Speaking of men, what’s going on between you and Kyle?”

“Nothing.” I squeaked, my eyes darting between Gracie who was smiling mischievously and Reese who looked like a cat with milk.

“That didn’t look like nothing.” Reese purred.

I glared and Gracie chuckled. “When a man looks at a woman the way Kyle looks at you, it’s never nothing, Kami.”

My face was on
fire
! Kyle’s mom was telling me that he looked at me with feeling. Oh, kill me now.

“What kind of cake are you thinking of trying?”

Reese snorted. “I might be pregnant, but I’m not that easy.” She turned in her seat to pin me with determined eyes. “Spill. Everything.”

“There’s nothing to spill.”

“Okay, you’re in denial. I’ve been there.” She settled back into her seat. “One day you’ll see.”

I didn’t reply.

***

I nearly pressed my face against the window to catch a better look at the billowing smoke in the air behind the Donnelley house. “What’s going on?”

Gracie huffed. “The boys figured out we were gone and decided to make a bonfire. Now that it’s roaring into the night, they know I won’t make them shut it down. Gotta love them boys!”

The car rolled to a stop and Gracie unfolded from the drivers seat as Reese asked, “Are you coming?”

“Um, I left Kyle’s Jeep at the gym. Shouldn’t I get it?”

Gracie waved it off. “Come join us, Kami. Kyle will drive you to the Jeep soon.”

I pulled myself from the car. “Isn’t it a little cold to be having a fire? I mean, there’s still loads of snow on the ground.”

Gracie winked. “We’re country people. We build a fire no matter the time of year. Plus, it’s almost spring.”

“Uh huh.” I nodded. “Alright then.”

I followed Reese and Gracie into the back yard where the boys were all gathered around a large fire, whooping and hollering the way boys left to their own devices often do. As soon as Logan caught sight of Reese, his expression turned serious and he moved quickly away from the fire, walking toward her. Or, should I say prowling?

She smiled widely, her steps growing quicker. It was really nice to see how in love the two of them were. It was inspiring - it made me think of Kyle - it made me want him.

Reese threw her arms around Logan’s neck as he picked her up into a warm embrace. His voice was low and growly as he asked. “Did you like the cake?”

She tipped her head back on a sigh. “So good.”

He chucked, pressing his lips quickly to her exposed throat and she giggled. “I’m happy you had fun, city girl. Come sit with me by the fire. I brought a blanket.”

“Of course you did.” She sighed lovingly and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them.

Looking away, my eyes instantly found Kyle. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, staring intensely at me. The heated look in his eyes made my body warm and my blood flow.

It was hard, breaking the connection, but I did. When I looked to the snow, I felt chilled almost down to my bones and I shivered, hugging my arms around my frame.

Gracie leaned into me. “I know you saw that, Kami. That look in my son’s eyes, that was how a man looks at the woman he wants.”

I blushed, blinking up at her. Before I could say anything, Kyle was standing beside me. “You should come stand beside the fire, Kami. You’re bound to catch a cold wearing that thin jacket out here like this.”

Gracie nodded mischievously. “You should listen to the man.” I knew the look in her eyes was saying ‘see, he wants you’ and I just didn’t know how to react to that, because with every fiber of my being, I wanted Kyle, too. But he said nothing would happen between us until marriage - and that was just too much commitment for me right now.
Maybe, just maybe, I could change his mind.

Tearing my eyes away from Gracie, I nodded to Kyle. “Yeah, it’s pretty chilly. I think the fire’s a good idea.”

His hand found my lower back, guiding me gently across the packed down snow to the fire. Reese was standing in front of Logan, cozied up in a large blanket with his arms around her - but her eyes were watching me with Kyle. I could only imagine the smug thoughts rolling through her wayward brain. I adored Reese, but damn, the woman was determined to dig up the goods on a relationship that was still very rocky and new and might not even exist at all.

Kyle stopped walking when we got closer to the fire, leaning down, he said. “We were going to roast hot dogs - you know, have the first cookout of the year.”

“In March, with snow still on the ground.” I laughed. “You guys are so hick, but I love it.”

“You do?” He asked gruffly. At the sound of his voice, I found myself looking up into his intense chocolate eyes.

I nodded, feeling breathless the way Kyle often made me feel. “Yeah,”

“Good.” The corner of his lip curled into a half-grin. “I’ll go grab a stick and some smokies.”

“Sure,” my heart felt so impossibly warm as I watched him walk away. Suddenly, there was a body standing at my side and I glanced back. “Hey Luke.”

“What’s up?” He asked, rocking on his heels.

“Not much.” I frowned at the awkwardness.

“I hear you’re going on your first mountain climbing trip in the beginning of May.”

“I am?” I raised a brow.

He shrugged. “If it’s nice enough, that is. Kyle would never take you out if he thought there was a chance you’d encounter any danger.”

“Oh,” I tried to hide my frown. “When does Kyle usually start climbing?”

“Early April, usually.” Luke replied and I nodded.

“But he doesn’t want to take me out that early?”

As though sensing my trail of thought, Luke rubbed his brow. “Uh, I probably shouldn’t have said anything, Kami. I just figured I’d come talk to you as I haven’t seen much of you and Kyle talks so highly about you - actually, you’re kind of all he talks about.” He stared straight into the fire. “He just doesn’t want to put you into a situation where you’re in danger of being hurt.”

Wow, this man jumped from topic to topic so fast I nearly had whiplash. “I’ll talk to him about what I’m ready for and not ready for.”

Luke raised his hands. “He’s the experienced one. It’s his call.”

“What’s this call?” Kyle asked, reappearing at my side with smokies and two sticks. He handed me one, raising his brow at me as Luke walked away, shaking his head.

“I hear you’re planning on taking me out to climb in May?”

He nodded. “I think you’re ready.”

“Why not April?”

His jaw tightened. “Sometimes, that kid has a big mouth.”

“You don’t think I can handle April?”

“If you want, we can take a couple days out to hike in April, maybe do some easy climbing trails, but we’re not doing anything dangerous while the terrain is so unpredictable with the changing seasons.” His eyes were matter of fact and I decided that this was really not something I wanted to argue with. However, I did want to take a few days for hiking. Actually, I just wanted to spend time with him. Alone with him.

“Okay, I think I’d like to try some hiking in April though.”

He nodded, looking surprised. “Sure.”

I grinned, placing my smokie in the fire. He’d thought I was going to argue, but I was done fighting it. I was done fighting this. I wanted him. I wanted Kyle. I just didn’t want marriage. Finding a way around that shouldn’t be so hard. He was, after all, a man.

Chapter 13

We’d been standing outside by the fire for a good hour by the time I turned to Kyle. “I think my fingers are going to fall off soon.”

He frowned, looking surprised. “You’re cold?”

“Very.” I shivered.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” He glared, already turning away from me to go into the house. I waited, startled, for him to return. When I saw he had a blanket in his arms, I almost shrieked with joy. “You want to sit?”

Collin hooted from the other side of the fire. “You can come sit over here in my lap, Kami. I’ll keep you warm.”

I blushed and Reese rolled her eyes. “Are you on a mission to get beat six feet under by one of your brothers, Collin?” She looked at me, shaking her head as she wore an incredulous expression. “Seriously, he tried this crap with me too.”

Logan announced. “Only then, Kyle thought it was amusing.”

“Not anymore.” Kyle’s voice was gravelly and tense.

Collin leaned back in his chair, grinning. “I’m just sayin’ Kyle’s doing a lousy job of keeping his girl warm. If he doesn’t do it, someone else will.”

“Ah shit,” Luke bowed his head to hide his grin, and beside me, Kyle stiffened.

Kyle was pretty chill, but I didn’t want to cause any sibling rivalry and with the way Kyle was glaring, his jaw grinding, I knew he was angry.

I shook my head at Collin. “I think I’ll stick with Kyle, but thanks for the offer.”

Linking my arm through Kyle’s I tugged him to a chair that had been brought closer to the fire. There was only one left - I had a feeling Gracie neglected to bring out an extra one on purpose. Reese and Logan were sitting together, sharing their chair and Gracie was playing cupid. She wanted me to sit with Kyle.

Kyle gestured to the chair. “Take the chair, Kami. It’ll be warmer if you sit with the blanket around you. I don’t mind standing.”

Glancing at Gracie, I saw her nod encouragingly. Seriously, for a mother, she was a pushy little cupid.