Reckless Read online

Chapter 3: Honesty

 

  Gavin and his children stayed at our house all afternoon. We spent the bulk of the sunny day playing board games in the living room; Hailey cleaned up in Monopoly, my dad kicked everyone's butt at Scrabble, and Kellan and I dominated at Pictionary, which sort of surprised me since I had no talent in drawing. Kellan was just an exceptionally good guesser.

  By the time evening rolled around, Kellan seemed perfectly at ease with his newfound family, and the earlier incident with Joey was pushed to the back of everyone's minds. That was when my burgeoning-with-life sister showed up, baby-daddy in tow.

  Without any sort of warning, Kellan's front door burst open and slammed back against the wall. I jumped off my seat, my heart thudding in my chest. Everyone's attention snapped to the entryway. I was positive that we were being attacked, and that a swarm of policemen were about to blaze into the room, weapons drawn.

  Standing, Kellan protectively stepped in front of me. That's when Kellan's blond jackass of a bassist sauntered through the door. Relaxing when he realized who was here, Kellan glowered at his band mate. "Griffin? You ever heard of knocking?"

  Griffin sniffed and tucked his chin-length hair behind his ears. "We're family, dude, I don't need to knock. "

  I sighed, not sure if Kellan could argue that point or not-not since Griffin had impregnated my sister. He really was family now. Lord help me.

  Kellan opened his mouth to try and argue anyway, but Anna stepped through the door after Griffin and soundly smacked him across the back of the head. "Neanderthal," she muttered.

  Mom and Dad rose from the couch to greet Anna. Dad's expression darkened as he examined his grandchild's father. By the way Dad looked at Griffin, I was sure that Kellan was suddenly perfect in comparison, the "golden" son-in-law who could do no wrong.

  Recovering from the shock of Griffin's surprise entrance, I joined my parents in greeting my sister. Anna was one of the most beautiful women I knew. Her face dropped men to their knees; her body made boys follow her around like lovesick puppies. Even pregnant, her curvy figure still drew men's eyes. She had impossibly silky hair that rippled when she walked and eyes that were so green it was almost hard to stop staring into them. She was a knockout, and growing up with her perfection hadn't always been easy. But I was starting to be more comfortable in my own skin, and for once her absurd good looks didn't send a zing of jealousy up my spine. No, all I felt when I hugged her tight was happiness to see her. Even if she had brought the Neanderthal with her.

  "Hey, sis. " As I pulled back, my eyes roved over the clingy maternity top she was wearing. I wasn't sure how my sister had managed to find such provocative pregnancy clothes, but nearly everything she owned was designed to show off her ample cleavage. Griffin must be in hog heaven. God, I really hated having thoughts like that.

  Anna was in the adorably cute stage of pregnancy, just rolling into her fourth month. She wasn't throwing up nearly as much anymore, and her energy level was returning. Not that you would know that by the way she waddled when she walked; Anna played up her condition whenever she got the chance. But I knew she was more active than she let on. I was pretty sure her evening with Griffin had been particularly athletic.

  Anna looked over to where Gavin and his children were politely waiting. Her brow scrunched in a way that only made her more attractive. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had company. "

  Kellan met her eyes. "It's all right. Come on in. "

  Dad walked Anna into the living room, holding her by the arm like she would fall if he didn't help her. Kellan gave her a brief hug and then introduced her to his family. "Hey, Anna, I didn't get a chance to introduce you last night. This is Gavin, my . . . biological father. " Scratching his head, he shrugged.

  A flash of pride went through me that Kellan had admitted such a profoundly personal thing so easily. He was really getting comfortable with the idea of having a parent in the world again.

  Anna's eyes grew just a bit at Kellan's admission. She hadn't known about Kellan's sordid past. As Anna shook Gavin's hand, Kellan introduced her to his half siblings. Her wide eyes opened even more with each addition to his family. Gavin made a space for Anna on the couch, and Dad helped her sit down.

  Standing, one arm hooked over Hailey's shoulder, Kellan told Anna, "Gavin, Riley, and Hails are visiting from back east. Pennsylvania. " His focus shifted to Gavin. "Do I have any other family there?"

  Gavin smiled; the grin was eerily similar to Kellan's. "My brother and his family live there, and my parents as well. "

  Hailey elbowed Kellan in the ribs. "You'll love Grandma, Kellan. She's feisty. "

  His face wondrous, Kellan looked over at me. "I have grandparents, Kiera. " He looked back to Hailey. "I've never had living grandparents, or an uncle either, actually. " He chuckled, amused and amazed by the information. My heart swelled as Kellan's family just kept getting bigger and bigger.

  Griffin, absorbing the conversation but not understanding any of it, looked around the room. "Wait. Dude, I thought your dad was dead. Who the hell are these people?"

  Everyone ignored him.

  Anna's gaze lingered on Gavin just as much as Mom's did. Griffin, either oblivious or indifferent, didn't notice. Then again, he was still trying to puzzle out who Gavin was. A pleasant smile on her lips, Anna asked, "So, Gavin, is your wife here as well?"

  Gavin looked down at his children sitting on the floor finishing out a board game. "No, I'm not . . . I'm not married. " He looked back to Anna, a sad smile on his lips. "Widower . . . since Riley was two. " Hailey glanced up at her dad, her expression equally glum.

  Anna's small smile fell. "Oh, I'm sorry. "

  There was a moment of silence as everyone reflected on Gavin's statement. Griffin broke it by walking over to Kellan and whispering, "Dude, seriously, who are these people?"

  Chuckling, Kellan socked Griffin in the shoulder. "Come on, I'll get you a beer and draw you a diagram. " Laughter eased the tension in the room as Kellan led his bassist into the kitchen to tell him the truth about his origins. Griffin would be the first band member to officially know that Kellan's deceased father wasn't actually his father. Hopefully the imbecile could grasp the concept.

  By the time everyone parted ways, it was late into the night, nearly morning. Anna and Griffin headed off to her apartment to make the most of their limited time together. Gavin and his children went back to their hotel; they had a flight in the morning. My parents shuffled off to the guest room to spend yet another night on my old, lumpy futon. Dad sighed when Kellan and I waved good night from the doorway of our bedroom.

  Reluctant to waste what little time we had left together sleeping, Kellan and I stayed up the remainder of the night. Still dressed, we cuddled together in bed and talked until the gray, early morning light filtered through the window. Kellan stroked my hair as I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and his soothing voice. The comfort I felt in his arms was palpable. His embrace cocooned me in a warmth that would hold back the deadliest ice storm, I was sure.

  Wishing he didn't have to leave me in a few hours, I clenched his shirt and hugged him tight. He stopped speaking and kissed my hair. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "Kiera?"

  I peeked up at his face. His eyes were dark in the faded light, but glowed with happiness. A small smile curving his lips, he asked, "Will you marry me?"

  My heart raced against my ribcage as I sat up on my elbows. "What?"

  His smile widened. "Will you marry me?"

  I glanced at the ring on my left hand, then the ring on his. "Didn't we already get married?"

  Kellan's chest under my arms rumbled as his amusement bubbled up in a deep laugh. "Yes, but I just realized that I never actually proposed to you. " Sighing, he brought his finger up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. When he was finished, he stroked my cheek. "And you deserve a proper proposal. "

  After he said that, his face shifted
into an expression of contemplation. Before I could answer his question, he gently pushed my body away from him. I tried to pull him back, to eagerly tell him yes, but he slid out from under me and stood up. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he stared at me for several long seconds. Just as I was about to ask him what he was doing, he let out a slow, controlled breath, and slowly sank to one knee.

  I'm not sure why, but just watching him move to the floor made a sob rise up my throat. My vision hazed and I swiped my fingers under my eyes to clear away the tears. I wanted to see every part of this.

  His eyes glossy in the dim light, Kellan stared up at me. "Kiera Michelle Allen, will you do me the absolute honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"

  I was nodding long before he finished speaking. Reaching down, I grabbed his face. "Yes, of course, yes. " I kissed him over and over as I pulled him back into my arms.

  His body settled over mine and we kissed, laughed, and even cried a little, until the faded morning light turned into brightly streaming rays of sunshine. I heard my father exiting the spare bedroom that had once been the room I'd shared with Denny. Kellan and I paused in kissing each other to stare at our closed bedroom door.

  Dad took an inordinately long time about it, but he eventually shuffled downstairs to make some coffee. An ecstatic grin on his face, Kellan looked back at me. Lacing our fingers together, he whispered, "Why do I feel like I should be hiding in the closet?"

  He ground his hips into mine and leaned down to kiss my neck. I closed my eyes and angled my head, perfectly content. Kellan's attentions started waking my body up. I wrapped my legs around his, wondering just how quiet Kellan and I could be. Silent sex with him was difficult, but not impossible. As his lips wandered farther down my neck, I murmured, "Mmm . . . because you're a villainous boy who is only using me to satisfy his baser instincts. "

  Kellan pulled back from kissing me. "Is that really what your dad thinks of me?"

  Caught off guard by his abrupt change of pace, I blinked and stammered, "Uh, I don't . . . no . . . I don't think so. "

  Kellan shifted to the side of me, and I twisted my body to face him. "Yeah, he does. He thinks all I want from you is sex, and that I have a different version of you in every city that I visit. "

  I pursed my lips, trying to think of some tiny falsehood in Kellan's assessment. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure that was the bulk of Dad's problem with Kellan. He just didn't trust him, not with his lifestyle. I shrugged. "I'm sure he doesn't think it's every city. "

  Kellan frowned, then hopped out of bed again. Sitting up, I let out an exasperated grunt. "Now what are you doing?"

  Kellan walked over to his dresser and started stripping. My objection left my lips as his boxers hit the floor. Kellan watched me watching him with a smirk. Slipping on fresh underwear and jeans, he rummaged for a shirt as I blatantly stared. As enticing as his bare body was, there was something overly erotic about him standing there with his jeans unfastened. Especially with the intriguing lines of definition on his perfectly sculpted abdomen stretching and flexing as he moved. I really wanted that body lying on top of me again.

  Amused by my intense inspection, Kellan found a shirt he liked and slipped it over his head. I smiled as that fabulous body was encased in deep red cotton. Even dressed, he was stunning. Zipping up his pants, Kellan shook his head as he walked over to me.

  "You do know that if I stared at you the way you stare at me, I would get yelled at. "

  I gave him a light kiss when he leaned down to me. "I would never yell . . . but yes, I know. " His face was a mixture of amusement and irritation when he pulled away. Giggling, I told him, "Life is full of unfairness. " I frowned. "Like you leaving me right now. Where are you going?"

  Kellan smiled as he ran his fingers through his hair, effortlessly arranging the longer layers into an irresistible mess of bed-head. "I'm going to go show your dad that there is more to me than he thinks. My only interest isn't sleeping with his daughter. " He winked, then turned to leave. Hand on his doorknob, he twisted back. "Although, that really is what I would like to be doing right now. " His eyes trailed down my body, igniting me. Kellan sighed as I squirmed under his scrutiny. Meeting my eyes, he added, "See the sacrifices I make for you?"

  He smirked and left the room before I could comment.

  I thought of joining Kellan and my father, but decided against it. Dad needed to get to know Kellan one-on-one if he was ever going to bond with him. And besides, I didn't want to distract Kellan with my sexy allure. Yeah, right, sexy. Smiling at my own ridiculousness, I hopped out of bed. Kellan was the alluring one in the relationship, which was a perk for me. I was . . . the lucky one.

  I bumped into Mom in the hallway as I made my way to the bathroom. Kellan's place was a little on the small side. The upstairs only consisted of two modest bedrooms with a bathroom tucked in between them. Running into people in the hallway was almost unavoidable. It was how I'd first officially met Kellan.

  Mom smiled as she listened to her husband having a civil conversation with mine. I gave her a brief hug as I listened as well. Dad was asking Kellan if he could really make any money off his band "thing. " As Kellan started to explain that he would probably make out "okay," Mom focused her attention on me. "We should hit some wedding boutiques while I'm in town. Find you a dress before I head back home. "

  I cringed at the idea. "Mom, I really don't need a big production. I just want to keep it simple. "

  Mom swished her hand. "Even simple, you'll still need a dress. "

  I contained the sigh of defeat stirring in my lungs. I really couldn't argue with that. "Okay, sure thing. "

  Before she could comment further, I popped into the bathroom and quickly locked the door behind me. I just knew that ninety percent of my wedding would be mapped out before Mom left. Who knew she was so obsessed with weddings? We'd certainly never discussed it before this. It just hadn't really come up when I was with Denny.

  Maybe Mom saw the connection between Kellan and I, and knew, just like I did, that I'd found the one. My soul. My better half. My reason for being. Nothing in this life would ever fill me with as much joy and peace as Kellan did. I really didn't know what I would do without him.

  When I came out of the bathroom after my obscenely long shower, Kellan was back in our bedroom, but he'd changed into his track pants and he was lacing up his running shoes. My expression must have been an odd one, for he did a double take when he noticed me. Of course, that could have been because all I was wearing was a thin, white towel that barely covered my body. I really needed to do laundry.

  An amused smile on his lips, he finished tying his shoes.

  "What?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

  Kellan shook his head, his grin growing. "Nothing. " I started to again ask what was entertaining him so much, but he finished with his shoes and stood up. "I'm going to go for a quick run. "

  "All right. " Wondering if my dad had been hard on him in my absence, I added, "Everything okay?"

  His deep blue eyes drifted down my nearly naked body. I was instantly aware of the fact that I wasn't wearing any underwear. When his eyes returned to mine, there was a definite edge of heat in them. "Everything's fine. Just need to do a little maintenance. " Switching his expression to a casual smile, he ran his hand up his shirt and patted his rock hard abs. Lucky hand. Walking over to me, he withdrew his hand from under his shirt, then reached down to pinch my butt. "Wouldn't want to get all flabby now that I'm married. "

  I giggled and batted his hand away when it started drifting up my towel. Slinking my arms around his neck, I let myself get a little lost in his physical perfection. "I'd rather have you flabby than gone. "

  Kellan held me close to him; he looked a little lost himself as he gazed at me. "I just need . . . " He paused for a second and then told me, "I need a little fresh air. " He gave me a quick kiss and seemed perfectly at ease, but I swear he'd just altered what he was go
ing to say to me. Or maybe I was just being paranoid. Our relationship hadn't always been the most honest one. But we'd sworn that we were going to hold nothing back from each other anymore, and I trusted him.

  Nodding, I released him. His smile never faltered, but I thought the light in his eyes dimmed a little as he turned away from me. Opening my dresser, I watched Kellan as he started to open the door. He stopped before he did, though. Laying his head against the door jamb, he muttered, "Damn it, I can't do this. "

  Ignoring my clothes, I twisted to him. "Kellan?" Was I right just now? Had he lied to me?

  Inhaling a deep breath, Kellan stared at me in silence for several long moments. The tension in the room tripled as each second ticked by. The cool air washed over my damp skin, chilling me, and each drop of water that fell from my hair felt like an icicle piercing my body. I started to shake as my nerves amplified the sensation.

  Seeing my fear, Kellan took a step toward me. "You said complete and total honesty, right?"

  I nodded, not able to talk yet. Kellan looked away. His mind was clearly spinning over some problem. I just didn't know what it was. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I managed to ask, "What is it?"

  He looked back at me. "I'm sorry. I purposely misled you right now. I'm not leaving the house because I want to exercise, or because I want air. I need to do something . . . and I need to do it alone. "

  The ice settling over my skin instantly burst into flames; I swore I could hear the sizzle. "You . . . lied to me? About what? What exactly do you need to do alone?"

  Kellan cringed and held his hands up. "See, I wanted to avoid this reaction, that's why I lied. But we're trying to do the honesty thing, so I changed my mind and decided to tell you the truth. So don't get mad. "

  So hot with anger that I felt like my hair was going to dry by itself in the next five seconds, I bit out, "But you haven't told me the truth. You haven't told me anything. You're being vague and mysterious . . . and I don't like that. "

  Kellan closed his eyes. "It would have been easier to just keep walking. " I started tapping my foot, and Kellan slowly reopened his eyes. "Joey called while you were in the shower. I'm going to go meet with her, and I want you to stay here with your parents. "

  My jaw dropped. "No! I don't want you to meet her without me. I'm coming with you!"

  Kellan shook his head. "I don't want you anywhere near her. I want you to stay here. " His tone was firm, commanding. It really pissed me off.

  "You're not the boss of me. If I want to go-" Sighing, Kellan turned away from me. I grabbed his elbow and swung him around to face me. "Hey, I wasn't done talking to you. "

  Mouth set in a firm line, Kellan retorted with, "I know I'm not the boss of you, Kiera. I got that loud and clear when Denny walked back into your life and you didn't say a word to me. But you're not the boss of me either, and if I want to do this on my own, then I will. "

  With that, he turned and left. And I let him.

  Tears were stinging my eyes as I sat on the bed. Absolute honesty wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

  I fumed for a long time after he left. My dad tried to make me feel better by telling me that maybe Kellan wasn't the right person for me. He stopped talking when my cold glare turned deadly. My mom was suspiciously quiet as she flipped through a wedding magazine; I had no idea where she got the magazine, but by the delight on her face as she scanned the pages, and her silence at my obvious displeasure, it was clear she was hoping Kellan and I would patch things up soon. And I wanted to. I didn't like being angry with him. I didn't like it when we snipped at each other.

  I knew disagreements were inevitable, though. It was finding a way through the disagreements that made a relationship work, or broke it apart completely. Kellan and I had fought many times before, but it seemed like most of our fights were over the big stuff. We hadn't had the tiny spats. Not really. This was all sort of new for us, and I really didn't know how to handle it.

  All I kept thinking about while he was gone was what he might say or do with Joey. Well, no, I didn't really think he'd do anything with her. He loved me, considered us married. He wouldn't break that for some floozy he'd had sex with years ago.

  So was I scared over what he'd say? Well, no, I pretty much knew what he'd say. He'd call her names, tell her she was a huge mistake, and throw a wad of money at her, hoping to shut her up. I smiled at the image of him all ticked off. He was absurdly attractive when he was angry.

  My tiny smile thawed my nerves. No, I wasn't worried or concerned about Kellan in all of this. It was the unknown element. It was Joey. I didn't know what she would do or say to him, and that made me anxious. And that's exactly the reason Kellan didn't want me to go. He did know her, used to live with her. He knew she had a fiery temperament. He was trying to protect me by meeting her alone, and I'd bitten his head off for it.

  My anger faded as I considered Kellan's view of the situation. He must be embarrassed. Not for the tape, but for the way it was exposed-in front of my parents and me. He wanted Joey appeased so she'd move on. He must have known that bringing me along would only drag out the process, or possibly even halt it all together. Surely Joey would say or do something that would offend me, and I'd end up going off on the woman. Kellan was probably right about having me stay behind. If I were him, I think I would have wanted me to stay behind too.

  When Kellan finally came home about an hour and a half later, my anger had vanished. Everyone looked over at Kellan when he entered the house. He inhaled a deep breath as he shut the door. He cast me nervous glances, not ever fully turning to look at me. His hair was dripping with sweat and his arms glistened. I figured he'd decided to go for a hard run after all. Maybe he'd needed it after dealing with that trollop.

  Knowing I needed to apologize, I set down the notebook that I'd been writing in and cautiously made my way over to him. He looked away from me and murmured something about needing a shower before heading out to the airport. A slice of pain went through me at the thought of him leaving, but right now, his avoidance was concerning me more. As I walked into the entryway, he turned and bounded up the stairs.

  "Kellan?"

  He disappeared around a corner, but tossed out, "I'll be right back . . . just need to clean up. "

  I tried not to interpret that in any way other than honesty; he was sweaty and wanted to be fresh for his trip. Briefly glancing back at my parents, I followed Kellan up the stairs. He was examining himself in the bathroom mirror when I caught up to him.

  "Kellan?" I asked again.

  He looked over at me and I gasped. In the mirror I could see an angry red line of torn and bloodied skin. It started at his cheek and stretched down to his jaw. That's why he wouldn't look at me downstairs-that bitch had attacked him.

  "She hit you?" My heart surged as I rushed up to him.

  Kellan glanced at his injury in the mirror, then sighed when he realized I could see it in the reflection. "I'm fine, Kiera. "

  Grabbing his face, I carefully twisted his head to examine the wound more closely. "She drew blood. That bitch drew blood!"

  "It's fine. " He smirked. "It's not the first time a woman has cut me. "

  I ignored his provocative reference to our steamy tryst in an espresso stand, my eyes watery. His smile slipped away from him as he examined my face as surely as I was examining his. "Things . . . didn't go very well. Maybe you should have tagged along after all. "

  I cupped his uninjured cheek. "Maybe it's better that I didn't. I probably would have gotten arrested for assault. "

  A faint smile lifted Kellan's lips, but it quickly faded. "I'm sorry I was sort of an ass to you. I just didn't want you involved in her ugliness. "

  I stroked his moist skin with my thumb. "I'm not involved with her, I'm involved with you, and I wanted to be there to support you. "

  Kellan looked down, his face a mixture of appreciation and concern. "I know. I just . . . I know her, and I knew how she'd be.
" He glanced up at me. "Especially now that she knows what you mean to me. I wanted to protect you. "

  I gave his chin a light kiss; his skin was slightly salty. "I'm not weak. I can handle it. "

  Kellan's smile was peaceful as he sat on the bathroom counter. "I know you're not weak. I think I'm the weak one. I needed to know you were safe, protected. I didn't want you to have to hear . . . " His voice trailed off as he let his thought die. "This was all about me, Kiera . . . and I'm sorry. "

  I could easily imagine just what Joey would have said to me-every intimacy she would have described, every bad behavior she'd witnessed from Kellan. She would have tried to drive a wedge between us, just because she hadn't been able to turn Kellan into one of her boy toys. It only reaffirmed to me just how dangerous jealousy could be.

  Straightening my shoulders, I laced my arms around Kellan's neck. "You can stop apologizing, you know. I forgave you a while ago. "

  His smile broad, Kellan wrapped his arms around my waist. The jagged line along his jaw didn't look quite as bad with his eyes glowing with happiness. "Yeah?"

  Stepping closer to him, I shrugged a shoulder. "Of course. You and I aren't always going to agree; we're not always going to get along. " Careful to avoid his cut, I grabbed both of his warm cheeks. "And . . . I am so proud of you for telling me the truth when you really wanted to lie. That means more to me than . . . well, that means everything. " My throat closed up on me, and I had to swallow to relieve the pressure.

  Kellan's eyes searched mine as he nodded in my hands. Moisture pricked my eyes as I thought of the many lies that had speckled our relationship. Honesty, while painful at times, was the best thing we could do for each other.

  Before the emotion of the moment could sweep me away, I made my mood brighten and asked him, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

  Kellan gave me a long, drawn-out sigh, reminding me that neither one of us slept last night. I stifled a yawn after that realization. "She wanted to meet here at the house, but I told her I'd meet her around the corner. I wanted to beat her there so she didn't show up here anyway, so I didn't have time to go to a bank. I didn't have enough cash, and she freaked out when I wrote her a check for the rest. I offered to drive with her to a bank, but she smacked me, and I told her to fuck off. I went for a run after that to blow off some steam. " Bitch. He rolled his eyes while I narrowed mine. "She's a touch crazy. I don't know how I ever lived with her. "

  I was more wondering how he'd ever slept with her. But he was already irritated, so I didn't say it. Kissing my head, he murmured, "I just want to shower now, get ready to go. "

  I stepped back so Kellan could step away from the sink. I hated that he was leaving today and I wasn't. I wished he could stay. I wished I could leave. But wishing doesn't change anything, and we would both have to be patient. Kellan turned on the water as I shut the bathroom door. I took over his spot on the counter and watched him adjusting the temperature of the shower. Hopefully the hot water had refilled since my epically long shower earlier.

  When the water was perfect, Kellan took off his shoes, socks, and T-shirt; the damp shirt clung to his skin as he removed it. Once it was visible, my eyes fixated on the tattoo over his heart. It was a good thing Joey hadn't seen my name etched into his skin. Kellan might have received more than a bloody line across his face. But Kellan didn't often show his tattoo to the world. It was ours, private. I would really miss seeing the scripted letters when he was gone. Just one of a thousand things I would miss.

  Kellan's fingers paused on his track pants. Roused from my melancholy thoughts, I glanced up at his face. He was frowning. "Am I making a mistake?" he whispered over the sound of the shower.

  With no frame of reference, I wasn't sure what he meant by that. Seeing my lost expression, Kellan clarified. "Making an album, going on tour . . . am I making a mistake?" The room filled with steam as I hopped off of the counter. Kellan grabbed my hand when I stepped in front of him. "All I want is a quiet life with you," he continued. "What I just signed up for . . . isn't exactly a quiet life. "

  Wondering how to comfort him-when I often thought the same thing-I reached up and ran my thumb over his healing wound. "Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what you do. " He laughed at my reference, the confusion on his face lifting. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. "You belong on a stage. It's what you were born to do. "

  Even though it was contradictory to the peace and quiet we both wanted, I knew without a doubt that my statement was true. Kellan was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was living out his destiny. But that didn't have to mean that we would give up on a peaceful life together. It just meant we had to be flexible. Giving him a soft kiss, I murmured, "We will just have to find moments of quiet in the chaos, and we're pretty good at that. "

  Kellan returned my soft kiss. "Yeah . . . we are. " Tilting his head toward the shower, he raised an eyebrow in question. I knew what he was asking: Want to join me? A large part of me wanted to say yes, but we had important things to do today, and I had two ever-watchful parents downstairs that we were trying to impress with our restraint. And I was pretty sure there wasn't near enough hot water left in the tank.

  Shaking my head, I gave him a final kiss, then gathered up his laundry. He frowned at me, then shucked off the rest of his clothes and put them in my arms. "Thank you for the pep talk," he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

  I tried to keep my eyes on his face, I really did, but I couldn't resist a peek or two at his body. "You're welcome. "

  My cheeks flushed as I watched him step into the shower. He swished the curtain into place and started humming a song. I paused with my hand on the doorknob, listening to him; I could listen to him all day. Suddenly, he sucked in a sharp breath and swore. I glanced back at his shadow through the pale curtain. "You okay?"

  He stuck his head out; his messy head of hair was completely slicked back and looked darker than it usually did, almost as dark as Denny's. "Yeah . . . damn scratch stings. "

  I wanted to frown at the pain that bitch had given him, but the petulant look on his face was so adorable that I ended up giggling instead. He wasn't amused by that and ducked back into the shower. "I could set some bandages out for you if you like?" I asked, a merry lilt to my tone.

  Kellan let out a loud exhale. "I'm good, thanks. "

  "Big baby," I mumbled, opening the door.

  Mom was coming up the stairs when I emerged into the hallway. Her face brightened as she saw me. Her long, elegant finger pointed to a section of the glossy magazine that she had in her hands. "I just found the most beautiful bouquet in the world. You have to take a look at this. "

  Arms full of Kellan's sweaty clothes, I tossed on a smile. "Sure, Mom . . . no problem. Let me just get these in the laundry first. "

  She nodded enthusiastically as she followed me into the bedroom.

  When were she and Dad leaving again?