Chapter 14

“So, how exactly do you define ‘walking distance’?” Kurt asked after they’d been walking for about thirty minutes.

Kelsey was pointing out interesting shops and popular taverns he might enjoy while staying at the Raven estate. The while part was a bit of a downer for her. He and the dogs and the house had become such a sudden but immense part of her life that it would be strange to swing by the quiet, empty house to feed a cat who’d probably be crankier than ever when Kurt was gone. And strange wasn’t the right word for it. It would be downright sad.

“Without the detours we’re taking, it’s about a mile and a half,” she answered. “I’m guessing with them, it’ll be about double that. You aren’t getting tired, are you? When you go to Hodak’s, it’s important you’re sufficiently hungry.”

“Trust me. I’ll be sufficiently hungry.”

She brushed her fingers over his triceps before thinking about it. “One more detour, but trust me, it’s worth it. This one is the best of all. I’m hoping it won’t be too dark to see it.”

He followed her down a side street without comment.

It had taken him less than three minutes, but he’d jogged upstairs before leaving and come down in a black V-neck long-sleeved shirt, perfectly molded blue jeans, and a pair of understated cowboy boots. Considering the short time he was upstairs, he couldn’t have done more than finger comb his thick, brown hair. It was just messy enough without being unkempt, and Kelsey could easily imagine slipping her hands into it.

She was super thankful she’d still had a basic faux-cashmere sweater in her trunk from a planned family dinner she opted out of the other night when things took longer than expected at the Raven estate. Not only was it considerably cooler now that the short storm had blown through, but she’d been told more than once the snug-fitting lilac sweater looked great on her. She’d also ditched her tennis shoes for the pair of comfortable, tall leather boots she’d had in the trunk.

“Here,” she said a few minutes later.

Kurt seemed skeptical as he took in the narrow but deep empty lot they’d stopped in front of. It was sandwiched between an antebellum home in the process of being renovated and a single-room brick house with the windows boarded up. Dusk was setting in heavily, making the edges of the lot hard to distinguish. The streetlights were kicking on, but none were close enough to really light up the area.

“Let me guess,” he said. “You’re hoping to turn it into a dog park for dogs who don’t play well with others?”

Kelsey giggled. “I don’t think I could get a permit for that if I tried. I thought you’d like to know that we’re standing in front of what’s believed to be an Underground Railroad site.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Really? Cool.”

“Like about everything around here, this story ties to the caves that spiderweb through this part of the city. The house that used to be here had a tunnel hidden under the back porch that connected to caves leading to the Mississippi River. The river’s less than half a mile that way as the crow flies. If you believe the old stories, escaped slaves would hide in a now-demolished graveyard down the street until one of the German abolitionists who owned the home came and got them under the cover of darkness. After feeding them a good meal, they’d send the escaped slaves on their way through the caves to the river. From there, they headed north. Unfortunately, the house was torn down by the city before it was officially registered, but there’ve been a few archeological digs here since. Several archeologists believe the artifacts they found here prove it was part of the Underground Railroad.”

Kurt rocked back on the heels of his boots as he surveyed the area. “That’s freaking awesome.”

“I think so too. Unfortunately, the construction of Interstate 55 tore up miles of caves, as have a lot of the demolishing and new construction around here, which makes the claim all but impossible to prove.”

“That’s a shame, but sometimes the mystery of a place is what keeps it famous. Think of all the old ghost tales that are told.”

“True. That’s the other thing about this area you’ve probably heard about. These last five or six square blocks make up what is considered one of the most haunted spots in America.”

“I remember watching the America’s Most Haunted episode that was filmed here awhile back, but I didn’t realize the Raven estate was so close to here. And I thought you didn’t believe in hauntings.”

“I don’t believe in hauntings. That doesn’t mean spirits don’t linger, does it?”

He grinned. “No, I guess it doesn’t.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him. “I hope this little tour tidbit doesn’t make sleeping in that big house all alone a problem for you.”

He chuckled the soft, rolling laugh that made her chest turn to pudding. Or at least thick molasses. “I suspect I won’t miss any more winks than I already do. But this is great, Kelsey. All that you’ve shown me tonight. Consider me a bona fide fan of South City.”

“You can’t say that before you’ve tried the chicken. It was supposed to be the tipping point.”

“Speaking of chicken…” he said, placing the flat of his hand over his wonderfully carved abs and reminding Kelsey how it had felt to touch them. “If we don’t get there soon, I think my stomach is going to start eating itself.”

“We don’t want that, do we?” At her lead, they took off in the direction of the restaurant, their arms accidentally brushing against each other. Kelsey knew she should be hungry too, but the whirlwind of sensations in her stomach had nothing to do with hunger.

* * *

Kurt sat back in the booth and stretched. He’d have to give serious consideration before eating a single additional bite.

“That was pretty much an entire chicken you just ate,” Kelsey said. “I thought you were messing with me when you ordered two entrées. I figured you were going to take one home.”

Home. It’d been a figure of speech, he was sure, easier to say in conversation than the Sabrina Raven estate, but the word lingered, reverberating through his mind. Aloud, as he examined his plate, he rebutted, “I only doubled the chicken, not the sides. A breast, thigh, wing, and drummy didn’t sound like enough.” He pointed to his two untouched pieces. “And the second wing and drummy are still ripe for devouring, if you’re hungry.”

Kelsey shook her head, laughing, sending her thick, blond hair tumbling over her shoulders. “No, I feel like I won’t be able to eat for a week as it is.”

“Nice place,” Kurt said. “You chose well.” He looked around, once again taking in the impressive collection of chicken and rooster decorations covering every wall. Vegans, beware. He finished his beer and pulled his credit card from his wallet. When she popped off the back of her phone case to pull out a credit card, he added, “No, I’ve got this. You bought the pretzels earlier.”

She looked about to protest, then shrugged it off. “Thanks. I’ll get coffees on the walk home. My weight-lifting brothers would be curious to know how you stay so fit and eat like you do.”

“If you want the truth, I don’t pay much attention to it. I’ll admit I worked out a lot in the service. It was a good way to release tension. Lately, I haven’t had time to do anything aside from a couple dozen push-ups and a few rounds of pull-ups in the attic using the support beams. I feel better when I’m not lazing around.”

“Of course,” Kelsey said, giggling. “The man who never stops moving ‘lazing around.’ Now I have this image of the ceiling rafters giving way and you being trapped under a pile of rubble. When I have time, I’ll swing by my parents’ and see what weights I can find deserted in their basement. My brothers moved out over a decade ago, and my parents have long since claimed the right to donate whatever they didn’t take to Goodwill. My mom just hasn’t gotten around to it. You’re welcome to come along and have a look. I’m sure my dad would love another chance to talk to you. He served in the National Guard to help pay for college. If my mom hadn’t gotten pregnant with my brother Brian and they got married, I think he’d have ended up joining the marines when he finished.”

“That’s a nice offer. Thanks. Your parents are cool, by the way. And very supportive of you.”

“I think they finally gave up hope I’d find a better job with benefits and whatnot. It took a few years, but they seem to get it now.”

“I think it’d be impossible not to. It’s easy to see how much you love your job. Which reminds me… I talked to Rob earlier, new cell phone and all,” he added, winking at her. “Were you serious about that pit you saw when you toured the warehouse? The one with those facial injuries?”

Kelsey sat straighter, her face revealing her sudden rapt attention. “Please tell me he’s doing okay.”

“He’s fine. He’s healing well and has no sign of infection. Most of his wounds were superficial, though he’s probably not going to be a pretty boy. Rob’s happy to bring him over when he finds a spare minute. That is, if you haven’t changed your mind. You’re going to have your hands more than full in a few weeks when those Rott pups are born. Keep Devil in the mix, and things will start to look like a zoo, not a rehab.”

“Are you kidding? Of course I want him.” She closed her hand over Kurt’s wrist automatically. “I keep dreaming about him. We’re going to find him the best home in St. Louis. The absolute best, I tell you.”

Experiencing her touch, hearing her words, Kurt remembered a snippet of a new dream. Unlike his typical dreams that took place in random homes or buildings that were quite different from anywhere he’d ever been, his dreams with Kelsey were in the house, the Sabrina Raven estate. The only differences were that there were far fewer dogs and the house and yard looked beautiful once again. Sabrina’s old garden was overflowing and surrounded by flowers and buzzing bees. Ida was next door, but in the dream, she was blended into his memories of Nana.

These dreams were light and happy and created a fullness in his chest he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced in life. He’d never had dreams as powerful as these. This brought to mind Kelsey’s comment about lingering spirits. He toyed with the thought half a minute, wondering if it could have anything to do with why he’d been so comfortable there from the start. If there were any spirits hanging around in the Sabrina Raven estate, he had no fear of them. He could almost swear the house had its own energy, and it was one he enjoyed.

“You okay?” Kelsey asked, pulling her hand away.

Kurt was struggling to find the right thing to say when the server walked up and took his card, promising to be back in a cluck.

“I think I’ll take you up on that coffee” was all he said when they were alone again. After that, the conversation lost its easy, natural flow. He had a feeling Kelsey was wondering if she’d said something wrong.

As promised, the server was back in no time. Kurt tipped and signed, and they headed outside into the dark night. A few stars shone between patchy, rolling clouds.

“Holy crap, the temperature keeps dropping,” Kelsey said, closing her arms over her chest. “Poor Pepper’s going to be cold.”

“When we get back, we can move her to one of the upstairs bedrooms.”

“That would be good.” She shuddered and drew closer to the brick wall they were passing as they started heading back.

“I’d offer you my jacket, but I don’t have one. Would you like my shirt instead?”

“Thanks, but I don’t think the world is ready for your pecs.”

Kurt broke into a laugh. He wondered if she was doing it on purpose, keeping the mood so light and airy to stop his thoughts from straying back to his mother’s predicament. The fact that Sara was only sixteen years older than he was and had breast cancer kept washing over him in waves. Even though he’d been unable to shake much of his long-held resentment in regards to her, he still loved her. He couldn’t lose her in the wake of losing Nana so unexpectedly. Neither could William. It just couldn’t happen. Hell, maybe this would be the scare that Sara needed to get her life together and stop chasing one loser after another.

This wasn’t just Kurt’s opinion of the guys she went for either. She was the first to say that if a guy had his crap together, there wasn’t a thing about him she’d find attractive. That might have worked when she was a teenager, but sooner or later, she needed to face the fact that she was in her midforties and start living like she knew it.

That’s what Nana would say, only in a softer tone.

Deep in thought, Kurt draped his arm around shivering Kelsey. She stiffened at the precise second he realized he’d done it. “Better than my exposed pecs,” he said, which made her laugh and relax.

They fell into step, and it felt so damn right to have his arm around her, to experience her curvy hips brushing inches below his, to feel the cool air sneaking in from the hourglass of her figure where their sides weren’t touching, to smell her citrus-mint body wash that made him want to stop and inhale. The wind picked up, sending her thick, silky hair blowing across his neck.

“It’s this next street,” she said, pointing. “If you’re still in the mood for a good cup of coffee.”

“I won’t complain if it isn’t good as long as it’s strong.”

“How about we make sure it’s both?” In the west, there was the distinctive rumble of thunder. “Shoot, I guess the storm was predicted to come in waves, but the sky looked so clear to the west before we left. Here’s hoping we make it home before the next round.”

Home. Again, he thought of his dream. The air had been light and breezy, and the house had smelled like apple pie. Kelsey had wrapped her arms around him, and he’d closed one hand over the back of her hair. How could he have known it felt like this? Her hair kept blowing across his shoulder and brushing the skin of his neck.

They made it to the corner coffee shop with only a few more cracks of distant thunder and the wind picking up slightly. Loosening his hold on her was harder than he would have anticipated.

“What do you like?” she asked, eyeing the chalk menu over the bar.

You. “Just a large black coffee will be fine.”

“Oh, come on, they have so many good drinks. While I’d bet my last dollar you aren’t the pumpkin-spice type, that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t like the rosemary–brown sugar or a mocha or even a simple latte.”

“Tell you what, I’ll run to the bathroom while you order for me.”

“Okay, but were you serious about the extra caffeine? Because I can have them do a double shot.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Hit me, lady.”

He headed for the bathroom and stopped in front of the sink. He was struck by the stranger facing him in the mirror, the one with the hint of a smile playing on his lips and the calm in his brown eyes. He might be a long way from not feeling the need to assess every crowd or jump to attention at every plate that crashed, but his tension fell away when he was with her. She’d felt so right against him that his muscles still felt like rubber bands. The implications sent his mind spinning. Should he risk it? Should he let her in?

No, idiot. Keep to the course you can handle.

For the first time in Kurt’s life, he wondered if that little voice he’d attributed to keeping him safe and alive always knew the best decision.

* * *

By the time Kurt stepped back into the shop, Kelsey was picking up their coffees from the barista. A flash of lightning lit the western sky.

“Seems like we’re going to get hit with another round. Want to make a break for it? It’s about a half a mile from here, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Probably closer to three-quarters.” She was still working to ignore the impression that his arm had left against her body. “Let’s step outside and check it out. There are awning-covered shops for the next quarter mile. We could get closer at least.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think awnings offer much protection from lightning.”

They stepped out into the dark, quiet street. On the way to the restaurant, the area had been bustling with people. Now, everyone seemed to have taken heed and headed home.

“So, may I ask what I’m about to have the pleasure of drinking?”

“Sure. I couldn’t decide, so I asked the barista, and she thought it was best to go with a basic mocha with whipped cream. And honestly, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy a mocha. However, if you want, we can switch. I chose the rosemary–brown sugar tonight.”

“And here I thought for sure you’d pick pumpkin spice for yourself. And this is good.”

They walked in silence at a clipped pace. Kelsey missed his arm around her, but with the coffees and the speed they were walking, it wasn’t warranted. They’d reached the end of the shop-lined street and were about to turn onto a residential one when a flash of lightning lit up the entire sky and thunder boomed all around. Before it quieted, large splashes of rain began to fall.

Kurt grabbed her hand and started to backtrack. “It’s too close. That covered bus stop a hundred feet back is the safest thing around.”

Kelsey nodded, needing no convincing after that flash. The individual splashes became a downpour twenty feet before they reached the bus stop. “Holy crap, this rain is so cold!”

She felt lost when they made it inside and he let go of her hand. The rain was coming in at an angle, so they huddled as close to the back wall as possible in the narrow space next to the bench.

Using his thumb, Kurt brushed a drop of water off her cheek. As much from his touch as from the run, Kelsey’s heart pounded louder than the rain.

“Are you cold?”

She shook her head. “No, not anymore.”

He was staring at her, not the rain. Thunderstorms are on the top of his list. He should be watching the storm, she thought.

How long had it been since he’d been with someone? she wondered. He might have been on active duty, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t had opportunities. But he didn’t seem like the type to get laid just to get laid.

Her mind was racing. She needed to focus, but he was staring at her as though he couldn’t see anything else. Say something, Kelsey. “Want to try mine? It’s not quite as sweet.” Seriously? That was the best you could do?

“Yes.” He sat his cup on the bench and reached for hers. Their fingers brushed, and a jolt of electricity raced up her arm.

She blinked in confusion as he set her cup next to his. When he turned toward her, his gaze was on her lips. He slipped one hand into her hair, gently cupping the back of her head above her neck. With his other hand, he traced her lips. She wanted to keep her eyes open, to know when the kiss was coming, but they closed involuntarily as his fingers moved lower, tracing her neck and sternum. Her lips must have parted because she felt his thumb return to her mouth, brushing over her lips and connecting with her teeth.

Then he shifted and his lips pressed against hers softly, as if seeking permission. She opened her mouth in reply, and the kiss intensified. It was like nothing she’d ever felt, the sweetness of his mouth against hers. His lips were firm, and he tasted so damn good. His hand left her neck and slipped underneath her sweater, caressing the skin at the small of her back.

Kelsey’s knees were turning to jelly. She draped her arms over his shoulders, lost her fingers in his hair. Please don’t ever let him stop. The kiss deepened, and his tongue met hers. Their bodies pulled together like magnets.

She was getting lost even further when he pulled away abruptly, stepping back just far enough to break the magnetic connection. “You’re wrong,” he said, his voice thick and husky. “It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Then he started kissing her again, and Kelsey was fairly certain nothing would ever be the same.