The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (30 page)

“I
like your family,” Kadyn confessed as he dug into the pasta.

I
chuckled softly. “Well, I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.”

“But
they just met me,” he noted in between bites.

I
shrugged as I swallowed a mouthful of lasagna. “You like them… and you just met
them.”

“Yeah,
but I’m a really good judge of character,” Kadyn insisted.

I
shot him a curious look. I wondered why he found it so difficult to believe my
family liked him. “Is this where I’m supposed to admit I’ve been talking about
you?” I goaded teasingly.

Kadyn
raised an eyebrow. He didn’t bother responding. Instead, he shoved another
forkful of lasagna into his mouth.

I
rolled my eyes at him. “Kadyn, you’ve been so good to me. Why wouldn’t I want
to share that with my family?”

Kadyn
smiled as he reached for his bottled water. “It’s good to know you’re talking
about me.”

“Have
you mentioned me to your family?” I inquired curiously before taking another
bite of lasagna.

“Yes,”
he admitted as he scraped the last piece of lasagna from his plate.

I
waited for further explanation, but he didn’t offer any. I resisted the urge to
inquire further. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what he was sharing about my
train wreck of a life. I finished my lasagna, then stood and reached for
Kadyn’s plate. “The bathroom is the first door on your left. Why don’t you get
ready for bed while I clean these dishes up?”

Kadyn
stood. His eyes lit with amusement as he kissed the corner of my mouth. “You
had a bit of tomato sauce there.”

I
narrowed my eyes at him as I balanced the two plates. “Really? Anyplace else?”

Kadyn
took advantage of my predicament. I balanced the plates on either side of his
body as he leaned in for another kiss. “Here… and here… a little bit down here…
and some behind here.” His lips burned a trail from my lips to my chin, all
along my neck, then settled behind my ear.

I
nearly dropped the plates.

Kadyn
chuckled as he backed away. He reached down and pulled some sleepwear out of
his duffle bag, then strode off in search of the bathroom.

I
admired his backside as he made his way down the hall. I cleaned the dishes
before digging pajamas and a toothbrush out of my suitcase. I ducked into the
bathroom as soon as Kadyn was done. By the time I finished in the bathroom,
Kadyn had already set our pillows and blankets on opposite sides of Lexie’s
massive sectional couch.

Kadyn
looked thoroughly pleased by the fact that I was wearing the Eeyore pajamas he
had given me. He was wearing gray plaid pajama bottoms that hung low on his
hips. He was bare from the waist up.

I
took one last admiring look at his ripped abdomen and chest before flipping off
the lights. I waited for my eyes to adjust. Then I forced my hands in front of
me as I crossed the room.

Kadyn
reached for my hand in the dark. He gently tugged me against his chest. “I was
hoping you’d indulge me in a good night kiss,” he murmured huskily.

I
ran my hands over his abs as he lowered his mouth to mine. My hands slid over
his chest and shoulders before settling at the nape of his neck. Kadyn pulled
me closer as he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept against mine in slow,
intoxicating strokes. Desire spun from my abdomen all the way to my fingers and
toes.

Kadyn
clung to my hips as he trailed open-mouthed kisses down my neck. My head fell
back as his lips danced along my collarbone. Kadyn’s hands traveled up my sides.
His thumbs grazed my breasts before he cupped my face in his hands and kissed
me thoroughly on the lips.

“How
the heck am I supposed to sleep after that kiss?” I grumbled irritably.

Kadyn
laughed as he steadied me on my feet. “At least I know you’ll be dreaming about
me.”

We
crawled under the blankets on opposite ends of the couch. “Who else would I be dreaming
about?” I asked teasingly. I had been plagued with nightmares involving my
ex-husband until shortly after I met Kadyn. Somehow, he had released me from
all of those bad dreams.

Kadyn
chuckled. “Your knight in shining armor?”

I
laughed. “You’re my knight in shining armor, Kadyn. You have thoroughly swept
me off my feet.”

“Good,”
he responded smugly.

The
house grew quiet as we settled onto the couch. “Kadyn?” I whispered into the
dark.

“Yes?”
he replied sleepily.

“Will
you hold me for a little while?”

Kadyn
crawled out of his blankets and moved to my side of the couch. “What if I fall
asleep? Will your dad try to take me out?”

I
scooted to the edge of the couch so I could make room for Kadyn behind me. “No,
I think he’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t catch us doing anything else.
Besides, it’s my uncle you need to worry about. He teaches karate. I think he’s
still a grand master. He has somewhere around a million black belts.”

Kadyn
chuckled as he locked my back securely against his chest. “Good night, Kri.”

I
resisted the impulse to turn around and kiss him. I knew that would be tempting
us both into a compromising position. “Thank you for finding a way to bring me
here, Kadyn.”

“Hmmm?”
Kadyn responded. He was already half asleep.

“Thanks,”
I whispered as I burrowed deeper into his arms. “I’m really glad you’re here
with me.” I sighed contentedly as I drifted off to sleep, still locked firmly
in his arms.

*
* * * * *

The
entire family camped out at the hospital until they discharged Lexie three days
later. Lexie worked as an oncology nurse at that very same hospital, so I
suspected the physicians trusted her to follow doctor’s orders a bit more than
the average person.

Nate
got Lexie settled onto the couch with a pile of blankets and pillows. Then he
retired to the bedroom to take a nap. I sat on the couch, sandwiched between my
dad and Lexie, who was lying down. I propped her ankles on my lap so I could massage
her feet through her fluffy red socks. Annie was curled up next to Lexie at the
base of the couch. Lexie’s arm hung over the couch as her fingers sifted
through Annie’s fur.

My
aunt and uncle were pulling snacks together in the kitchen. My mom was
shuttling things between both rooms while she and Lexie spun wild stories about
me. Kadyn was sprawled out on the floor with his arms resting comfortably
behind his head. He looked to be thoroughly enjoying all of the embarrassing
stories, which were being embellished considerably.

Three
stories in, I decided it was time to defend myself. “Yeah, well, the only time
I ever got into trouble was when
this one
was running the show.” I held
Lexie’s foot up by the pinky toe as I nodded in her direction.

She
laughed, knowing full well she was the instigator in most every misadventure we
had stumbled into.

My
aunt set a tray of chips, salsa, and queso on the ottoman in front of us. She
shot Lexie a nervous look. “Honey, are you sure you want Mexican food tonight?
Can your stomach handle that after so many days of being sick and in the
hospital?”

Lexie
rolled her eyes. “They gave me anti-nausea meds, mom. My stomach can handle
anything.”

My
aunt looked unconvinced, but she returned to the kitchen to roll her famous
fried bean burritos, which had long been a family favorite. My mom was already
chopping lettuce for the taco salad.

My
uncle nudged Kadyn with his foot. “You’re going to get soft lying around like
that. Why don’t you come out into the backyard and spar with me while they’re
cooking dinner?” 

“Uncle
Chuck,” I warned in a low tone. “I don’t want you beating up my boyfriend.”

Kadyn
laughed as he sprang to his feet. “I could use a little exercise.”

My
uncle eyed him skeptically. “Do you know any Karate?”

Kadyn
shrugged. “A little.” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. I knew
that smile. Kadyn knew more than he was letting on.

“I
promise not to break any bones,” my uncle conceded in a voice that suggested he
was making some monumental sacrifice.

“I
better supervise this,” my father announced as he reached for Annie’s tennis
ball. “Come on, Annie. Let’s play catch in the backyard.”

I
glanced at Kadyn. “My uncle nearly made the Guinness Book of World Records for
breaking the most cement blocks with one strike of his hand, so consider
yourself warned.”

Kadyn
grinned as he followed my uncle out the door. “I’m not one to shy away from a
challenge.”

I
looked at Lexie. “Do you want to watch?”

Lexie
sat up and swung her legs off the couch. “No way am I missing this.”

I
grabbed the blankets and followed Lexie out to the porch swing on her back
deck. We wrapped the blankets around our shoulders and settled onto the swing as
my uncle and Kadyn took their positions across from one another on the lawn.

Both
men bowed. They transitioned into a series of smoothly executed moves, stopping
just short of physical blows. My uncle occasionally offered instruction, and
they both yelled “Kiai” as they ran through the drills. The tempo increased,
and the instructions stopped.

“It’s
really quite graceful, more like dancing than fighting,” I mused. I couldn’t
take my eyes off Kadyn. His muscles rippled through his shirt as he moved.

“You
really like him,” my cousin speculated as she watched the two men spar.

“Yes,”
I whispered. I began rocking the swing.

“Are
you in love with him?” she asked as she turned toward me.

My
heart tripped as I assessed my feelings. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m too afraid
to consider the possibility.”

Lexie
frowned. “Why are you afraid?”

“I’m
scared. It’s too soon,” I responded with tears in my eyes. “What if he’s too
good to be true? What if he waits until I’m committed to show his true colors?”

My
cousin’s eyes turned fierce. “If you let what Tom did ruin this relationship
for you, then he wins, Kri. He’s still controlling you.”

I
nodded as I brushed a stray tear from my cheek. I knew she was right, but I
hadn’t a clue how to overcome my fears.

“He
loves you. I can tell by the way he looks at you. This guy would move heaven
and earth just to see you smile. You can’t possibly think he’d hurt you.” She
nudged the deck with her toes as she resumed rocking the swing.

I
shrugged, refusing to trust my instincts.

“Have
you two had sex?”

I
winced at having to answer such a personal question, but Lexie had insisted
there be no more secrets between us when I admitted Tom’s abuse. “No, not yet.”

“Because
of what happened with Tom?” she surmised.

I
slowly nodded.

Lexie
pulled me into her arms. “Oh, Kri. What am I going to do with you?”

My
uncle and Kadyn bowed just as my mom opened the sliding glass door. “Dinner is
ready!”

Lexie
sidled up to Kadyn as we filed into the house. “You’re not half bad. Clearly,
you’ve studied Karate.”

“Yes,”
he admitted with a smile. “And you?”

Lexie
snorted. “My dad’s a grand master. Of course, I’ve studied. I have a double
black belt.”

Kadyn
glanced at her admiringly. We settled in next to each other at the table.

My
aunt set a platter of burritos in the center of the table. “I hope you like
Mexican food, Kadyn.”

Kadyn
smiled. “I practically grew up on the stuff. My best friend in Illinois is
Mexican. His mom is an amazing cook, so I drummed up every excuse I could to
eat over at their house.”

“You’re
in for a real treat between Linda’s burritos and Anne’s taco salad,” my father declared
as everyone dished up.

We
paused as my uncle led us in prayer. “Dear heavenly Father. Thank you for
healing my daughter and for allowing her to come home today. Thank you for
bringing our family together, for blessing us with safe travel, and for
bringing this young man into Kri’s life. Please bless this food for the
nourishment of our bodies. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

When
I bit into my burrito, my eyes practically rolled into the back of my head.
“Aunt Linda, you really need to teach me how to make these.”

“Yes,
you do,” Kadyn agreed. He took another bite out of his burrito.

“You
like them?” my aunt asked. She had a surprised look on her face, like she had
no clue she made the best burritos on the planet.

“Love
them,” Kadyn clarified between bites, “and the taco salad.”

“I
told you,” my father bragged.

My
mom’s eyes met mine. “When do you and Kadyn have to head back?”

I
reached for my drink. “The day after tomorrow. We're going to spend a night in
Helena with Kimme and Dan before we head back to Spokane. How about you? When
are you and dad heading back to Hamilton?”