Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) (14 page)

The two men were getting into the car when the screen door banged open behind Kayli. She turned as Lori ran across the porch and down the stairs, still dressed in her sleep shorts and t-shirt, her hair flying out behind her.

"Dad! Daddy!"

Kayli moved to go after her then stopped, unwilling to take this goodbye away from Lori. She walked to the lower step and gripped the railing, watching as Lori hurled herself at Jake, as he picked her up and held her, his face buried in her hair.

Ian got out of the car and moved away, giving them privacy. She looked over at him, their eyes meeting across the distance the separated them. Her heart lodged in her throat at the emotion she saw in his eyes, at the tears welling in their dark depths. Their gazes held for a long minute, silent communication passing between them as Jake and Lori said their goodbyes.

Then Lori pulled away and turned and ran back to the house, past Kayli as she bounded up the porch steps and inside, her hurried footsteps loud against the stairs. From inside, Kayli heard a door slam, and knew that Lori had closed herself off in her bedroom. She closed her eyes for a brief second, then opened them and looked back toward the car.

Jake was walking around to the passenger side, pausing to say something to Ian. Ian nodded and clasped a hand on her brother's shoulder, then moved to the driver's side. He got in and started the engine, then backed the car up and turned it around.

Kayli watched as it moved down the drive, her hand still raised in a wave long after it disappeared from sight.

Ian paused in the hallway, listening for sounds in the house but hearing only silence. It was if the house itself wanted to leave its occupants in peace, to give them time to come to grips with the emotions of this morning.

This morning was not something he wanted to repeat, ever. The strength involved in saying goodbye like that, of never knowing if there'd ever be another hello...

He understood now why Jake wanted to make sure any loose ends were tied up before he left. And why Jake didn't want to tell them he was being deployed, leaving again in a few days. But the secrets Ian now suddenly possessed weighed on him, and he wondered if he was doing the right thing.

He let out a deep breath and continued through the hallway and out to the back screened porch, thinking that maybe Kayli and Lori were up at the big barn, or maybe the pond. He stepped through the porch door and paused, his gaze moving over to the huge willow tree behind the house. Kayli was laying in the oversized hammock, her hands folded behind her head, her face turned toward the expanse of the back yard. The hammock was as still as she was, and Ian thought that maybe she was asleep.

Or maybe she just wanted to be left alone.

He paused at the bottom of the steps, uncertain, wondering if he should have called before coming over. He hadn't thought to ask earlier this morning, and then, later, he had just assumed she would want some company.

Ian was still standing there, wondering if he should turn around and leave, if he was intruding, when Kayli turned her head toward him and gave him a small welcoming smile.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Ian walked over to the hammock and smiled down at her. She shifted, sending the hammock swinging as she moved over to the side, and motioned for him to join her. Ian gave the hammock a dubious look, wondering how he was supposed to climb in without sending them both flying onto the ground.

Kayli laughed then lowered her left leg to the ground, holding the hammock still. "Just ease your butt down and swing your legs onto it."

"Yeah, if you say so." But Ian did as she instructed, clutching the side with both hands as everything shifted with his weight. When he was certain the thing wasn't going to flip, he pulled his legs up and settled back, finally stretching out next to Kayli.

She pushed off with her leg, sending the hammock into a gentle swing, then turned and curled against him, draping her arm across his stomach and resting her head on his chest. He brought his arms around her and held her close, running his hand up and down her arm.

"You okay?" Which was a really stupid question to ask, because of course she was going to say yes. But she surprised him by merely shrugging.

"It's been a long day." She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes quiet and tired. "Thank you for this morning."

He leaned forward to kiss her, just a warm brushing of his lips against hers, then eased her head back down. "There's nothing to thank me for."

"You might think so, but I know better. Jake was impressed that you brought the Shelby and offered to let him drive." Kayli shifted, moving even closer against him, her hand drawing lazy circles on his chest. "He likes you. And he trusts you."

"Yeah?" Ian swallowed at the sudden guilt that clogged his throat. He wanted to ask her if she trusted him, but couldn't drag the words out, not holding the secret he held. So he grabbed her hand, twining his fingers through hers and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.

Kayli turned, stretching so her face was inches from his. Her clear hazel eyes locked on his, searching. His heart hammered at the open emotion reflected in them, and the seconds dragged around them as he waited to see what she was going to say.

"Yeah. I kind of like you, too." She offered him a quick smile then leaned closer and pressed her lips against his. The kiss started softly, almost teasing, before she deepened it, sweeping her tongue against his lips then delving inside.

Ian tightened his arms around her and pulled her further up his body, settling her comfortably between his legs as his mouth fed on hers. He told himself he wasn't disappointed that she hadn't said more, that he really hadn't wanted her to say more, that it was too soon and he didn't need that kind of attachment or entanglement.

And then he didn't care, because every inch of Kayli's body was pressed along his, teasing, hungry. He wrapped his hands in her hair and devoured her mouth with his, tangling his legs with hers, securing her firmly against him. He tilted his hips, pressing his erection against her, and groaned out loud when her own hips thrust even closer.

"Kayli." His voice was so hoarse, so thick with need, that he barely recognized it as his own. What was it about this woman that made him want to forget everything? What was it about her that made him lose control? Because he wanted nothing more than to drive his cock deep inside her, to possess her, to brand her as his.

And then he did forget where he was, because he tried to roll to the side, to urge her under him, so he could possess and brand her...

The hammock tilted and dipped dangerously and Ian jerked back, automatically pushing her away, closer to the middle. She gave a small squeal of surprise as she rolled to her back, as the hammock continued tilting.

Until it went from a tilt to a roll and cleanly dumped Ian onto the ground. Clear laughter came from above him as Ian rolled to his back and sucked in a deep breath. He let it out slowly, thankful at least that he hadn't had the wind knocked out of him and that he wasn't laying there gulping air like a fish out of water.

"Are you okay?"

Ian opened his eyes to see Kayli stretched out on the hammock, resting on her stomach as she hung half off the damn thing and looked down at him. And while the hammock was slightly tilted, it showed absolutely no signs of trying to dump her on the ground.

He grunted and pushed himself to his elbows, then jumped to his feet. Kayli watched him with a smile on her face, her laughter twinkling in her eyes.

"I don't know what's bruised more: my ego, or the mood." Ian brushed the dirt and grass from the back of his pants as Kayli laughed again. But he noticed that she didn't invite him back to the hammock. In fact, she rolled off it, deftly landing on both feet with absolutely no effort.

Which would have bruised his ego even more except that she stopped to give him a warm hug and an all-too-brief kiss. "Are you hungry?"

Ian grabbed her and pulled her closer, dipping his head to claim her mouth in a ravenous kiss that ended too quickly. "Starving."

Kayli's eyes were hooded and glazed with passion, and Ian felt a small sense of satisfaction at the desire that tinged her cheeks a light pink. She pulled back just a little, putting too much distance between them even though their bodies were still touching. "Then um, we should go get something to, you know, eat."

He opened his mouth to reply but Kayli shook her head and stepped out of his arms, a smile on her face. "I meant food. As in real food."

"I wasn't going to say anything!"

"Yes, you were." The laughter was clear in her voice, and Ian couldn't stop himself from smiling--and not only because she was right. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, then stepped back.

"Actually, I was going to offer to take you and Lori to dinner anyway. I thought you guys might want to get out of the house for a little bit tonight. So how about it?"

"Lori's not here."

"She's not?"

"Nope." Kayli shook her head and walked past him, heading back into the house. He followed, staying by her side and holding the door open for her.

"Where'd she go? I figured the two of you would want to hang together or something tonight."

Kayli shrugged then turned into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea, then reached for a glass. She motioned to him, silently asking if he wanted some, then took out a second glass when he nodded.

"She wanted to go to a friend's house tonight for a sleepover. I figured it might help get her mind off things so I said yes." She handed him his glass, then drank from hers, watching him over the rim. He couldn't read the expression in her eyes, which surprised him.

The quiet of the house descended on them as a dozen different thoughts went through Ian's mind. He didn't have a chance to voice any of them, because Kayli finished her tea and spoke again.

"And I'm kind of hoping that having my own sleepover will help get my mind off things, too."

Ian's mouth suddenly went dry, and he gulped down the rest of his tea. He finally looked back at Kayli, at the invitation in her eyes.

And the hesitation as she cast him an uncertain gaze, as if she wasn't sure of herself, wasn't sure if he would accept her invitation.

Ian put the glass on the counter then walked toward her, closing the distance between them. He reached out and cupped his hand around her cheek, stroking her smooth skin with his thumb before lowering his mouth to hers, brushing his lips gently against hers.

"I'm really hoping that means you just invited me to spend the night. All night. In your bed."

"Nah. I thought I'd make you sleep on the sofa again." The corners of her mouth lifted in a teasing smile. "Of course I meant all night. In my bed. If you want to, that--"

Ian silenced her with a quick kiss. "I want. Yeah, I definitely want."

"Good. That's good." Kayli stepped out of his arms and motioned around the kitchen. "So I guess I'll throw something together so we can eat."

"No, you're not going to throw anything together--we're going out. And then we can cruise around on the motorcycle." He watched her eyes light up at the mention of his bike, and he couldn't help but smiling. He reached out and grabbed her hand, then tugged her through the house and out onto the front porch. The Fat Boy was parked in the shade, next to his pick-up truck, the afternoon sun glinting off the polished chrome. "So you decide. Where are we going to go?"

Kayli looked him up and down, from the collar of his athletic polo, down along the worn denim of his jeans, down to the tips of his scuffed work boots. Her gaze travelled slowly back up and when she met his gaze, there was a glint in her eye. And damn, the lazy travel of her gaze along with the look in her eyes had succeeded in getting him worked up again. He wondered if she knew he was standing there with half a hard-on.

From the smile on her face, he guessed she probably did.

"Do you like ribs?"

"Yeah, why?"

"There's a tiny place down in Cockeysville. Great ribs and crab cakes."

"Works for me. Let's go."

He waited for her to go back in and grab her keys and close the door, then led her off the porch and across the yard to the bike. He straddled the machine and kicked it to a start, then motioned for her to get on.

Kayli climbed on behind him, her thighs pressed tight against his legs. She wrapped her arms low on his waist, her entire front pressed against his back.

Ian sucked in his breath when her hands drifted down to his hips as she grazed the back of his neck with her lips. He had no idea where they were going but he hoped that it was a good distance away because he was really enjoying the feel of Kayli behind him on the motorcycle, enjoying the way she clung to him and touched him as he sped out of the drive.

He only hoped that he didn't become so distracted by the feel of her hands that he dumped the bike with both of them on it before they got there.

#

Ian stopped the tractor and brushed his forehead against his shoulder, wiping the bead of sweat away. Not that it mattered, because the heat and bright sun guaranteed he'd be sweating until at least this evening. He reached down for the jug of water near his feet and brought it to his mouth, taking a long drink and not caring that some of it spilled down his shirt. Why he was even wearing the damn thing, he didn't know.

Oh wait, yeah he did. Because he hadn't worn a shirt yesterday while he was helping cut the hay, and his back was now fried. Which is what he deserved for trying to show off his bare chest to Kayli while he was working.

Although he wasn't sure if he was actually helping, or just making a mess of everything.

Kayli had shown him how to use the tractor, and what was involved in cutting the hay. It had looked easy enough. In fact, he figured if Kayli could do it, he shouldn't have any problems at all. He thought it was going to be just like mowing a lawn.

Except a multi-ton, aging, temperamental behemoth of a tractor was a far cry from a riding mower. Even Kayli admitted the aging equipment made the job more tedious than it should be, that a newer tractor would make life much easier. He wanted to ask why she just didn't get a new one, but stopped himself just in time.

He knew why: the damn things were expensive, more than he would have thought. And he knew Kayli didn't want to spend the extra money, to borrow against the property to buy it, not when this one was working.

Ian toyed with the idea of just going out and buying one for them. After all, he had a stake in everything now. Except he didn't, not really, no matter what Jake had made him agree to.

Besides, he knew Kayli would never agree to it. First, he knew Kayli would go through the roof if he did something like that. She would look at it like it was a hand-out and insist on paying him back.