The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (21 page)

I
tried to envision the type of person who would have fashion magazines and
mimosas delivered to her boyfriend’s house and promptly decided I should meet
Gabi.

“Okay.
I’ll bring some coffee and my French Press over.” I wasn’t about to miss my
morning fix.

“I
don’t drink coffee,” Kadyn responded.

“I
do!” another man hollered over Kadyn.

“We're
in apartment four-oh-three, which is located on the fourth floor. Why don’t you
bring Cade? I’ll make him breakfast too.”

I
smiled. “Okay. We’ll be over in a few minutes.” I quickly finished getting
ready. Then I gathered up my coffee, French Press, and Cade and walked over to
Kadyn’s apartment building.

A
man, who was clearly not Kadyn, opened the door when I knocked. “Did you bring
the coffee?”

I
smiled as I handed him the French Press. I set Cade loose, so he could check
the place out. Then I introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Kri. You must be Mason.” I
wasn’t sure what to make of Mason. His light brown hair was a bit disheveled
looking, and he was wearing orange and brown plaid board shorts with a Hawaiian
shirt. One thing was certain. He
looked
like he needed coffee.

“I’m
not qualified to operate this machine,” Mason responded. He shoved the French
Press back at me. “I thought you were making the coffee.”

I
tried not to laugh. “Okay. Sure.” I followed Mason into the kitchen. I stopped
abruptly when I saw Kadyn cooking bacon in loose fitting sweats and a black
ribbed tank top that fit snugly over his back and chest. His biceps flexed as
he turned the bacon.
Holy Mary, mother of God. It should be a crime for that
man to stand in front of a stove.

Mason
nudged me as he raised an eyebrow. “The coffee?”

“Oh
quit picking on her. You could at least let her say ‘hi’ to Kadyn before you
bully her into making your coffee,” a very young, petite girl chided Mason. She
had pretty blue eyes, a big smile, and straight brown hair. “You’ll have to
excuse him. He’s part Neanderthal.”

Mason
rolled his eyes.

Gabi
held out her hand. “I’m Gabi, the self-proclaimed Jewish princess that Kadyn
was referring to on the phone.” She winked at Kadyn. “By the way, Kadyn, Jews
don’t eat bacon. So don’t bother cooking any of that stuff for me… unless, of
course, you’re cooking turkey bacon.”

Kadyn
looked at Gabi like she was on crack.

Mason
was tapping his fingers against the counter. He looked at me expectantly.

I
set the French Press on the counter. “Do you guys have a tea kettle I can use
to heat the water?”

Kadyn
and Mason exchanged glances.

Gabi
burst out laughing.

I
was confused. “What? What's so funny?”

“Like
they’d
have a tea kettle. What a hoot!” Gabi doubled over and laughed
even harder.

Mason
muttered something unintelligible. He grabbed a six quart pot from one of the
bottom cupboards and handed it to me. “
This
is our tea kettle.”

I
looked down at the pitiful excuse for a tea kettle. I bit my lip as I tried not
to smile. “Wow. That’s just… sad.”

Gabi
suddenly stopped laughing. “I know, right? That’s why I didn’t order any food
from the grocery store. I didn’t think they had anything to cook it in.”

“Hey!
I cook,” Mason protested.

“What???
What do you cook?” Gabi demanded with both hands on her hips.

“I
cook pizza,” Mason replied.

“Frozen
pizza does not count,” Kadyn responded.

I
filled the pot with tap water and set it on the stove.

Kadyn
nudged my shoulder before turning the burner on for me. “Thanks for coming
over.”

I
smiled. “Thanks for inviting me.” I dug through a couple of drawers in search of
a spoon. I scooped three heaping teaspoons of coffee into the French Press before
returning to the stove. I watched Kadyn crack eggs into a second skillet while
I waited for the water to boil. I filled my French Press with boiling water,
leaned against the counter, and watched Kadyn cook while the coffee brewed.

Mason
pulled two large mugs from the cupboard before joining me at the counter. 
“That thing seems like a lot of work. Why don’t you just use a regular coffee
pot?”

I
smiled. “The coffee tastes smoother when you brew it in a press. Besides, this
was easier to carry over here than my coffee pot.” I pressed the coffee and
filled the two cups. “Gabi doesn’t drink coffee?”

Mason
shook his head. “Nope. It’s just you and me. Do you need milk or sugar?”

I
raised the coffee cup to my nose and inhaled deeply. I sighed contentedly. “Nope.
I’m good.” I glanced at Kadyn. “Would you like some help?”

He
removed the biscuits from the oven with a dishtowel. “No. I’ve got this.”

Mason
pulled a stack of plates from the cupboard and set them on the breakfast bar. They
didn’t have a dining room table.

I
ducked out of Mason’s way and wandered into the living room. Their apartment
had an open floor plan, but it was much larger than mine. Their bedrooms
appeared to be on opposite ends of the living room, with the kitchen tucked
just to the left of the foyer. The living room was stylishly decorated in
shades of gray, black, and white.

I
was surprised to see a real oil painting hanging over the couch. The lack of a
tea kettle and coffee pot had led me to believe I might find a black velvet
poster of dogs playing poker. The oil painting was at least four feet long. The
contemporary piece had vertical and horizontal streaks of gray, silver, and
black across a stark white canvas.

“Whose
artwork?” I asked curiously.

Kadyn
handed me a plate with a breakfast sandwich and a glass of orange juice.
“That’s mine. Do you like it?”

I
smiled. “Yes. I do. It’s very nice.”

He
returned the smile before walking back into the kitchen to retrieve his
breakfast sandwich and juice.

Gabi
popped her head out of the bedroom. “Is breakfast ready?”

“Yes,”
Kadyn responded as he joined me on the couch.

Cade
tunneled behind Kadyn’s legs. His chin rose and his nose twitched as he
registered the smell of food.

Kadyn
glanced at me. “Can I give him some bacon?”

I
nodded. “Sure, as long as it’s a small piece.”

Kadyn
handed Cade a piece of bacon. “Here you go, boy.”

Cade
didn’t bother chewing the bacon. He swallowed it whole. Then he curled into a ball
behind Kadyn’s legs.

I
stared at my dog. I couldn’t believe Cade was forfeiting his rights as the
alpha male.

Mason
and Gabi wandered into the living room with their food. Mason settled into an
oversized chair with a breakfast sandwich in one hand and his coffee cup in the
other. Gabi perched on the arm of his chair. She was balancing a plate of scrambled
eggs and a wine glass, which presumably held a mimosa.

Mason
studied me. He took a few bites out of his breakfast sandwich before finally speaking.
“So, are you guys dating or what?” 

Gabi
set her mimosa on the end table before punching him in the arm. She knocked the
breakfast sandwich right out of his hand. “Did you seriously just ask that? Did
your mother teach you
nothing
?”

He
gaped at her incredulously. “What? What’s wrong with asking that?” He caught her
clenched fist in one hand while reassembling the sandwich with the other hand.

I
tried not to laugh.

“Are
you
two
dating?” Kadyn asked.

“No!”
they shouted at the exact same time.

Kadyn
winked at me. “Huh. I guess we aren’t the only ones ‘not dating’ then.”

I
shook my head and laughed. Mason and Gabi were like an old married couple. If
anyone should have been dating, it was them.

After
spending most of the weekend with Kadyn, I found myself wishing away my work
week, just so I could see him again. Kadyn began texting me each morning to let
me know he was thinking of me. Then he’d text or call in the evening to make
sure I arrived home safely. Charlie was the only other friend who regularly
texted me. He would text inspirational messages and scripture readings a couple
times a week. I was never really big on texting, but I found myself looking
forward to Kadyn’s messages.

I
was thrilled when he agreed to go to Patrick and Jonathan’s party with me. I
was on the fence about whether the party could be considered a date. In the
end, I decided the party was a public event and not a date. This was the only
way I could reconcile my desire to see Kadyn against my moratorium on dating.

Senator
Rockefeller decided to send us home early on Friday, since Congress was still
gridlocked over the budget and already adjourned for the weekend. After
squeezing in some extra time at the gym, I texted Kadyn to let him know I was
on my way home. He texted me back to tell me he’d pick me up for the party at
seven. He recommended I dress warmly.

I
raced home to shower and walk Cade. I wolfed down a turkey sandwich while I
tore through my closet. My warm clothes were all so… practical. I settled on
blue jeans, a dark chocolate brown sweater, and some long brown boots. I dusted
some makeup on my face, then dried and curled my hair.

The
doorbell rang at precisely seven o’clock.

I
flung the door open. My eyes widened at the sight of Kadyn. He was wearing a
black leather jacket that showed off his wide shoulders and narrow waist, faded
blue jeans, and black combat boots. The guy screamed danger, and still he made
me swoon.

Kadyn
scowled. “You didn’t even ask who it was.”

I
rolled my eyes. “I knew it was you, Kadyn. Come in.” I gathered my coat and
purse.

Kadyn
pointed to my purse. “You might want to leave that at home.”

“Why?”
I asked. I wondered what the guy could possibly have against purses.

“I
thought we’d take my bike,” he responded with a killer smile.

My
purse hit the ground before my jaw did. “You have a bike?”

Kadyn
picked my purse up and set it on the counter. “Yes. Is that a problem? We can
take my car if you prefer.”

“No.
That’s fine,” I responded a bit too quickly. I shifted my phone, lip gloss, driver’s
license, and money into my coat pocket. I took a deep breath as my eyes met
his. “I’d love a ride on your bike.”

Kadyn
grinned. “Good. I thought we’d drive by the monuments before we go to your
friend’s house. They look even more amazing when they’re lit up at night.”

I
smiled. “Sounds good to me.” I followed Kadyn out the door. I froze when I got
a load of his bike. “What is that?”

“It’s
an Aprilia,” Kadyn responded as he strode toward the bike. He handed me a shiny
black helmet before tugging a similar helmet over his head.

I
had no idea what an Aprilia was, but it appeared I’d be draped over the top of
Kadyn’s back all the way to Patrick’s house. How in the heck was I going to maintain
my composure perched on the back of a crotch rocket, holding onto Kadyn for
dear life? I eyed the bike warily. “I think I have a headache.”

Kadyn
laughed, clearly amused by my feeble attempt to avoid the bike. “It’s not as
bad as it looks. Come on.” He swung his leg over the bike. He turned in his
seat and helped me climb on behind him. “Whatever you do, don’t lean and don’t
let go.” He wrapped my arms around his chest and started the bike.

I
tried not to wet my pants as the machine roared to life. I tightened my arms
around Kadyn’s chest and buried my head in his back. I could feel him chuckle
as he pulled away from the curb.

Kadyn
handled the bike carefully. He didn’t weave in and out of traffic, and he
didn’t speed. The air was a little cool, but Kadyn’s back kept me toasty warm.
I lifted my head as we passed by the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
They glowed majestically against the darkened sky. Kadyn pointed out the White
House before driving around the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the
Supreme Court. Then he drove to Patrick’s townhouse, which was located in a
residential area just a few blocks from the Senate side of the Capitol.

Kadyn
parked the motorcycle. He slid his helmet off, then reached around to help me
off the bike.

I
handed him my helmet, then sifted my fingers through my hair to untangle the
knots that had been woven in by the wind. I was a little embarrassed to look
him in the eye after holding on so tightly.

A
concerned look flitted across Kadyn’s face. “Hey, you okay?”

My
hands fell to my side as I forced myself to look into his eyes. “Yes. Thanks.”

Kadyn
swung his leg over the bike and joined me on the sidewalk. “How’d you like the
monuments?”

“You’re
right. They look even better at night.” I glanced at Patrick’s house, which was
practically pulsing with music. “Are you ready to meet my friends?”