Secretly Hers (Sterling Canyon) (4 page)

Curiosity urged her to pry into this story, but intuition warned her not to press for details. She laid her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Trip.”

He patted her hand, his cool green eyes warming. “No need to turn your birthday into a pity party. I love my life now.”

“Hey!” Fee appeared from nowhere and clasped his long leg like a koala in a eucalyptus tree. “You said you’d play with Lolly and me.”

In a swift move, he hoisted her up onto his hip and tweaked her nose. “I did, and I never break my promises. Where’s Lolly?”

Fee pointed to the living room sofa, where her baby doll lay near a toy cradle. Trip smiled at Kelsey before wandering away. “Excuse us for a bit.”

Kelsey watched Trip sprawl out on the floor with Fee, who taught him how to change, swaddle, and bottle-feed Lolly. Fee then crawled onto his lap with an
Olivia
book, which he proceeded to read to her while she snuggled Lolly and sucked her thumb.

A ribbon of warmth traveled from Kelsey’s heart through her limbs while she spied on them. This was the second time she’d observed Trip with Fee, the second time he’d displayed wonderful instincts with a child. Who could believe Trip had a heart? Did this also mean he might even be able to love someone other than himself? That he could be a good father some day?

Everything in Kelsey screamed to reject the idea, because she could
not
afford to think of him as anything other than a calculating man-whore. She twirled on her heel and dashed off to find the nearest glass of champagne before anyone caught her staring at Trip Lexington—most especially Trip Lexington.

By the end of the evening, Kelsey surveyed the damage: the ravaged buffet table, the half-eaten birthday cake, Maura and Bill struggling to settle their hyper kids. She wistfully acknowledged that these happy family gatherings sometimes made her yearn harder for her own home and husband and kids.

She and her sister had always assumed they’d be raising their children together. At the rate Kelsey was going, Fee could be in high school before Kelsey had a diamond ring on her left hand.

“What’s that look about?” Maura asked as she approached Kelsey.

“Just appreciating the evening. This was really sweet of you.” Kelsey deflected her grim thoughts by wrapping an arm around Maura’s shoulder and directing her away from the group. “I may be pretty buzzed now, but don’t think you fooled me tonight. You railroaded Avery to get Trip over here, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maura did her best to appear innocent, but she didn’t fool Kelsey. “I asked Avery to invite a few friends, that’s all. But Trip did bring those gorgeous lilies, so he can’t be all bad.”

“He did?” Kelsey turned, tottering a bit on her heels, to look at the stargazer lilies in the center of the dining table, which she’d assumed her sister had added for decoration. “Are they for you or me?”

“I think he brought them as a hostess gift. I’d told Avery no birthday gifts because I thought you’d be uncomfortable otherwise.” Maura glanced at the flowers. “But you can take them home with you.”

“No, don’t be ridiculous.” Kelsey hiccupped and scrunched her nose before she said, a little too emphatically, “I don’t want flowers from him, anyway. And I already got a gift from Emma and Avery.”

“Did I hear my name?” Avery appeared out of nowhere. “Maura, the food was delicious. Thanks so much for including us. I think we’re going to get out of your hair so you can put the kids to bed. Can I do anything else to help clean up before we go?”

“No, no!” Maura waved her hands. “Bill and I have got it covered.”

“Okay. Well, our gang is heading out, then.” Avery turned to Kelsey. “Do you want to walk back with us?”

“There might be live music at On The Rocks tonight,” Trip chimed in from a few feet away. “Let’s move the party there.”

Kelsey hesitated, resisting the pull of his eyes. Already beyond buzzed, she knew drinking in a bar with Trip, of all people, would likely end badly. “You all go. I’m going to tuck my little lovies in and hang with my sister a while longer.” Kelsey looked down at Fee, who was now clinging to her leg. “Thanks for coming, everyone.”

She stood at the door and kissed everyone good-bye. When Trip passed through, he leaned close and whispered, “Sweet dreams, princess.”

He jogged down the porch steps and disappeared into the dark with the others. Kelsey closed the door, leaning against it for a minute. She told herself the tingling sensations jetting down her arms came from all the champagne she’d consumed, not from
him
. Nodding to herself, she pushed off the door and grabbed Fee’s hand to take her to bed.

“Who wants to hit On The Rocks?” Spending a couple of hours in the loving bosom of the Callihan family had left Trip rather desperate to get back into his familiar habitat—a bar filled with anonymous faces.

“I’m out.” Grey tucked his arm around Avery’s shoulder. “But something tells me you’re on a solo mission anyhow.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “What’s new?”

“Fine. You all go home at—” Trip glanced at his watch, “ten o’clock on a Saturday night. How pathetic.”

“Different strokes,” Emma’s quiet voice offered.

“Damn straight.” Trip stopped in front of the bar. “See you all later.”

As soon as he stepped inside the rowdy space, he felt better. The memories of Maura and Bill’s modest home, filled with comfortable furniture and lots of love, began to fade. Good thing, too, because watching the casual affection between Kelsey and her family had reminded Trip of the life he’d lost when his mother died.

A life that seemed more like a dream than reality after so many years. And the kind of loss he’d never suffer again so long as he didn’t risk re-creating a happy family for himself. Free and easy, the only sane way to live.

He cut through the crowd without stopping until he got to the bartender. “Red Rocket.” Trip threw his money down. While he waited for the cold bottle of beer, his thoughts ran backward again, first to the few hours he’d spent across town, and then to his mom.

In addition to old memories being dredged up by his dad’s recent visit, tonight he’d been forced to watch Kelsey in her element. The prickly vibe she gave off around him had disappeared thanks to her comfort with the group and multiple glasses of champagne. She’d smiled and laughed and patiently attended to Fee and Ty, love oozing from every pore of her body.

She’d looked hot, too. Funky high-heeled shoes with a little bow at each ankle, pink shorts, sleeveless lace top. That hair hanging loose, swaying every time she moved or laughed.

His growing obsession with her was Grey’s fault, dammit. Clearly the promise Trip had made not to touch her had only made him want her more, like the chocolate cake women craved when forced to diet. He just needed a bite to be satisfied, then he could get on with his life.

Hell, if he couldn’t have Kelsey, maybe he could find a substitute for the night. Someone to distract him from all the memories now swarming his brain. Someone who wanted from him only what he wanted from her: a good-time girl who wasn’t searching for a relationship.

He tipped back a swig of his beer and turned to scan the crowd. Ten minutes—and a second bottle of beer—later, he spotted a cute blonde near the front window.

She didn’t look familiar, which surprised him. She must not have been from Sterling Canyon, because he’d have noticed her before. He pushed off the bar and sauntered over to her and her friend, adjusting his Stetson and pasting a smile on his face.

“Good evening, ladies.” He stood beside the blonde.

She smiled at him, jutting one hip outward. “Hey, handsome.”

Bingo.

“You having a good time tonight?” he asked, nodding politely at her friend before returning his attention to her.

“It’s getting better.” She pushed a section of hair behind her ear and held out her hand. “I’m Susie. This is Beth.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Trip.” He took a swig of beer. “You mustn’t be from around here, ’cause I’m sure I’d have noticed you if you were.”

“Oh, no. I’m from here, I just haven’t spent much time in bars.” She sipped her drink.

“Don’t like the crowds?”

Susie glanced at Beth and then laughed. “I love crowds, but I only turned twenty-one last month.”

Twenty-one. Legal. But eleven years his junior. Was that too young? Jesus, even having that damn thought depressed him a little. Made him feel old standing there in the bar—alone. He shoved aside the unwelcome realization. “Ah. That explains it.”

Through the window, he caught sight of another blonde tottering along the sidewalk under the streetlights—a very familiar blonde.
What the hell is she doing walking alone at night
?

“Excuse me a minute, I need to check on someone.” He hurried away without thinking about it and dashed onto the sidewalk. “Kelsey? What are you doing?”

She turned, her eyebrows rising, appearing to wobble a bit on those shoes. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Why are you stumbling through town alone in the dark?” Trip felt himself frowning. “Not too smart.”

“I’m fine.” She waved her arms at him, all flopsy. “This is
my
town. I’m perfectly safe. I always walk to and from my sister’s house.”

“I can’t believe she and Bill let you leave like this.” Trip gestured up and down with his hand, concern warring with arousal.

“Let me?” Kelsey made a
phfft
sound. He hid a smile at her drunken behavior. Alcohol robbed her banter of its typical sarcasm, replacing it with bravado. “I wanted to walk home and so I did.”

“Well, how about you let me see you the rest of the way home?” He realized he was still holding the beer in his hand, so he chugged it and tossed it in a nearby garbage can. “Come on. Just how many glasses of champagne did you drink?”

Kelsey shrugged. “It’s my birthday. I celebrated!”

“For someone who’s celebrating, you don’t look too happy right now.” He grabbed her by the elbow to prevent her from falling over. As soon as he touched her, he felt that connection everywhere. “Which way?”

She pointed to the right then yanked her arm away and ran a hand through her loopy curls. “Happy? Ha! Happy . . . I’m flippin’ thirty-one. Thirty-one! That’s like . . . like
seventy
in guy years. Thirty-one, alone on a Saturday, and . . . and my feet are killing me.”

He heard a little squeak of exasperation. Before he said anything, she briefly covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “Oh, God. I
must
be drunk or I’d never give you any ammo to use against me later. Just pretend I didn’t say anything. You never saw me.”

She took two steps, twisted her ankle, then bent over with a frustrated groan to unbuckle her shoes. Trip enjoyed the nice view of her ass in those shorts until she kicked off her shoes and stood up.

“You can’t walk home in your bare feet, Kelsey. There’s broken glass and rocks and stuff.”

“Well, I can’t walk in these new shoes anymore, either.” She held them up, scowling. “They’re not broken in yet.”

“No amount of breaking those stilts in will make them good walking shoes.” He crossed to where she was standing and leaned down closer to her face. “I can appreciate heels as much as the next guy, but why do women buy shoes
this
high?”

“They make my legs look thinner.” She stared at him like he must be the dumbest man on the planet. He might’ve laughed if he weren’t feeling so stirred up while she obviously felt nothing more than disdain.

“You’ve got great legs. You don’t need shoes that make you practically as tall as me.”

“You think I have great legs?” Her genuine skepticism surprised him. He’d pleased her, which felt oddly good.

Great legs, great ass, great rack, great face . . . and awesome hair. Of course, he didn’t want to admit any more than necessary. Instead, he turned his back to her and squatted a bit. “Jump on. I’ll carry you home.”

“I’m too heavy.” She sighed. “I’m fine to walk.”

“I’ve carried backpacks up the mountain that weigh more than you. Just jump on so I don’t have to throw you over my shoulder.” Now he was getting annoyed by having to beg to help her.

But a whole lotta other sensations squeezed out his irritation the minute she wrapped her legs around his waist, rested her chin on his shoulder, and let some of her fragrant hair cascade around him. Holy hell, she felt good, like he knew she would. Made him wish he was carrying her face-to-face instead of piggyback style.

“Thanks.” Her soft voice brushed across his neck. He was just tamping down a new set of tingles when she lifted his Stetson off his head and stuck it on her own. “Now I’m a cowgirl instead of a princess.”

A cowgirl. He wondered if she intended him to note the sexual connotation of that phrase, which now had his jeans feeling too damn tight. He needed to dump her at home quickly and head back to the bar.

“One more block, that way.” She pointed up ahead. Ten seconds later, she asked, “Trip?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really think men like Wade would like me more if I were less nice?”

His grip tightened around her thighs as he frowned. It was rare—hell, never—that he had a girl wrapped around his body and all she could think about was other men. He set her down in front of her building.