Rebel on the Run (15 page)

“Too much?” She pivoted from her place at the stove and nibbled on her lower lip. “I wasn’t trying to be pretentious or anything. It’s just that I’m grateful to you all for helping me, for opening your house and
your arms
to me. It meant a lot.”

Kaelyn paused, looking from Bryce to Holden while flushing furiously.

“I guess I wanted to say thank you. And maybe pull some of my own weight, that’s all.” She took her own plate and smooshed the bacon and egg concoction until it was destroyed. The wreckage looked more like generic scrambled eggs after her rearranging. It would taste a million times better, though.

Eli glared at Bryce from his place at the bar. “Rebel, this isn’t the time for your prejudices. Pack that shit away. I get now why you might have tried to distance yourself from everything that reminded you of where you came from, but there’s no need for that anymore. There never was. Hell, I think most of us would like to be classier if we just knew how. Don’t let a bad habit hurt Kaelyn. I know that isn’t what you want. But it’s what you’re gonna do if you’re not careful.”

Fuck
. Cobra was right. Bryce swallowed hard and abandoned his food, although he wanted to gulp it down like a Scooby snack without hardly chewing since it smelled so damn divine. Doubly infuriating since he felt like he’d have to find some fine silverware to do her meal justice.

“I’m sorry, Kae. This is amazing. Perfect.” He touched her cheek a moment before leaning in to press his mouth to her parted lips. “You did great. I appreciate having something warm in my stomach before work.”

“That’s what she said.” Holden couldn’t help but jump on that one.

Sally smacked him upside the head and shushed him.

Kaelyn pulled away from Bryce’s kiss, lacking the pliancy of the night before. “I swear, I wasn’t trying to show off or anything. I wanted to say thank you, and this is what I know. Stuff for parties. Or for my father’s guests. I’ve never made scrambled eggs. But I’ll figure it out for tomorrow.”

“That’s not necessary.” His response was curt. Partially because she’d rejected the move he’d tried to put on her and also because the idea of her waiting on them didn’t sit right.

“Hey, speak for yourself,” Kaige chimed in. “I loved breakfast, Kaelyn, and I’m happy to eat anything you’d like to cook, any time of the day or night. A man could starve to death around this place. I’m getting tired of pizza and takeout all the time.”

“You must be getting old, Nova,” Alanso teased. “I could eat pizza for every meal.”

“I’ve noticed.” Kaige poked his bald friend in the gut. “Careful or you’ll start looking like a pepperoni.”

Al fought back. “Don’t you worry about my sausage. Besides, I do plenty to work it off.”

Sally smiled wickedly at her husband and moaned softly.

“Yeah, that too.” Alanso reached down and patted her ass. “But I mean real work. It’s getting
loco
downstairs. Speaking of… We’d better go open, Cobra.”

Eli glanced at his watch, then shoveled more food in his face.

“Maybe I could help out?” Kaelyn offered tentatively. “I’m not sure what I’m qualified to do, but I’m willing to learn. There must be grunt work like stocking stuff, or answering the phones, that anyone can do, right?”

“You’re not our indentured servant.” Bryce couldn’t say why her meek offerings mashed his buttons so much. “Why don’t you rest? You didn’t get much sleep last night. Stay up here and relax. Maybe have a do over on that bath, minus the sparkle bomb someone planted. That wasn’t funny, by the way. Who bought that thing?” 

“I kind of liked the glitter-titties look.” Holden sighed, confirming the prankster had been at it again.

Bryce threw his napkin at the bastard. He was turned away and so the smack of Kaelyn’s hand against his abdomen caught him off guard.

“Fuck you,
Rebel
.” She didn’t even give him the satisfaction of hearing his name in her haughtiest tone, which probably would have made him hard as a rock. “I’ll do as I please. Just because I came to you with my problems doesn’t mean I can’t look out for myself.”

Disgusted, she tossed the rest of her food in the garbage after a single bite.

“Eli, I’m going to introduce myself to your dad.” She ignored Bryce as she pivoted toward the head of the garage. “It feels like the proper thing to do. After that, I’ll clean up the kitchen. Enjoy your breakfasts, okay?”

“Sure, Kae.” Cobra smiled at her. “Make yourself at home. Do as much or little as you feel like. Anything is fine with me.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek, got a wink from Alanso, and Mustang Sally squeezed her hand before she separated herself from the gang and went out the door, shutting it harder than was entirely necessary.

“Way to go, Rebel.” Swinger crossed his arms. “Don’t fuck this up. I like your girl.”

“I bet,” Bryce practically growled. “I saw exactly how much you
liked
her last night.”

“You invited me in,” Holden reminded him. “Is it a problem that I think she’s sexy as hell and I can’t wait to have a chance to do more than embarrass myself on her fabulous, sparkling rack?”

“Damn it.” Alanso pouted. “What did we miss out on?”

Roman held Bryce back. Probably for the best since they didn’t have time for a fist fight this morning.

“Only Rebel here reuniting with Kaelyn properly while I watched.” Swinger gloated a little, though not enough to be disrespectful. In fact, he seemed awed. Reverent. “She was glorious. And if he chases her away, I might go after her myself.”

“The hell you will.” Bryce didn’t give a shit if all six of the other Hot Rod guys tried to immobilize him, they wouldn’t keep him from Kaelyn or from destroying anyone who tried.

If only he’d given himself the same lecture.

“I’m going to hit the shower, then get to work.” He rubbed his temples, finished his breakfast in three chomps then stormed off before someone could say something else to make his head explode.

As he was walking away, he heard Kaige mutter, “And I thought
I
was the idiot with the temper.”

Bryce had a lot to think about. He hoped manual labor would work off some of his frustration and maybe help suppress the hunger for Kaelyn that pesky pseudo-kiss hadn’t done shit to sate.

Kaelyn knocked softly on the door to the cute cabin across the driveway from the Hot Rods garage. She was about to search for a doorbell when the door opened and a man who looked a lot more handsome and buff than she’d expected told her to come on in.

“Wow.” She blinked a few times. “You look just like Eli. I mean, I know he’s your son, but…he’s a lucky guy if he turns into you in a few years.”

Tom barked out a laugh. “Nice to meet you too, Ms. DuChamp. You’re a polite one for sure.”

He didn’t offer to shake her hand. Instead, he wrapped her in a paternal hug that had her longing to lay her head on his shoulder. As she’d never done with her own father.

“No, she’s a smart one. A good eye on her.” A middle-aged black woman sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea.

“Please, call me Kaelyn,” she said to Tom before turning to his visitor. “But is this a bad time? I can come back. I didn’t know you had company and I don’t want to interrupt.”

“There isn’t any such thing as a guest at Hot Rods. I’ve learned you just make yourself at home. Then you are.” The woman stood and shooed Kae toward their gathering before pouring her a cup of tea. “I’m Nola’s mom, in case you’re wondering.”

“Ms. Brown.” Kaelyn smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, lovely girl.” She passed Kaelyn the simple cup that held a delicious-smelling brew, then nudged a ceramic pot of honey toward her. A spoonful dissolved quickly in the rich amber liquid.

“I wish it were under better circumstances.” Tom sighed. “We’d gotten lucky there for quite a few years. It seemed like my kids had put their troubles behind them. And now…”

“I think the universe was waiting for them to be ready. They’re grown. They can hurdle these obstacles tossed in their way. You’ve proved that already, Tommy.”

Tommy?
Kaelyn giggled inside at how Ms. Brown handled the eldest Hot Rod.

“I guess.” He scrubbed his hand through his hair, making his silvery spikes stand on end. “I’d rather be able to take care of it for them.”

“You’ve raised them right. They’re equipped to deal with this stuff,” Ms. Brown promised him. “Look at Alanso, Sally and Kaige. They’re moving on after facing their pasts. The rest will do fine battling their demons. And then everyone can go forward. Happy. Whole.”

Though she spoke to Tom, she looked straight into Kaelyn’s eyes, broadcasting her message loud and clear.

“She’s right about one thing for certain, Kaelyn.” Tom cleared his throat. “No one will hurt any of our Hot Rods under my watch. That includes you. I’m pretty sure your dad isn’t going to let you go as easily as Bryce’s dad did with him. You’re a loose end. There’s no way for him to explain where you’ve gone. He doesn’t have anything on you to hold over your head like he did Rebel. He’ll come for you.”

“I know,” she whispered. “Should I leave before he gets here? I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

“Don’t you dare, child,” Ms. Brown snapped. “Let us help you. Tommy’s been collecting dirt on Bryce’s dad. And yours. They can’t be lifelong politicians and never have stepped in it somewhere. We’ll find something you can use to buy your freedom.”

“I hope so.” She swallowed the last of her tea, letting it warm the chill in her core.

More important now, she had to break loose. She wanted to stay. Here. With this amazing family. If they’d have her. At least long enough to come up with a long-term plan. If Bryce wasn’t flipping from hot to cold.

He’d scorched her last night. And froze her this morning.

The tea, and Tom’s concern, thawed her. Ms. Brown’s too.

“It’s not only your father that’s upsetting you, is it?” Ms. Brown asked softly.

“No.” Though ridiculous to spill her guts to near-strangers, they made it easy to confide in them. If the Hot Rods respected these two, she knew they were worthy of her trust. “I’m still in shock that I found Bryce again, I guess. So thrilled. But angry too. Part of me wants to kick him in the balls.”

She put her hand over her mouth, embarrassed that she’d admitted it.

“It’s a common occurrence around men.” Ms. Brown chuckled. “Especially ones you love.”

“I don’t—” Okay, there was no point in denying that either. She’d loved Bryce since they were children. Except now, she might
love
him love him. Or could pretty easily if she wasn’t careful.

“Look, Kaelyn. I’m gonna be blunt. I don’t know why certain crap happens in life, especially to good folks. But I wouldn’t pass up another shot with the woman I lost if I found out she was still around. Circumstances wouldn’t matter a damn. You’ve got something most people never get. More valuable than a thousand of your dad’s estates. Maybe there is such a thing as fate.” Tom blinked a few times. “For my sake, give it a chance. Give
Bryce
a chance.”

“That’s good advice, honey.” Nola’s mom nodded. “I lost my husband young. Forever ago. It still hurts every day. I know what you felt when you thought your Rebel was gone. But if I had the chance for even one more second with my man, I’d take it. Time is not something you should waste.”

Kaelyn brushed tears from her cheeks. She hated that she’d cried so much in the past week. Still, their truth was undeniable. “But he has to let me be who I need to be, not who he thinks I am.”

“Those are details. You can work on showing him he’s being a dumbass.” Tom spoke to Kaelyn, but his hand snuck across his lap to Nola’s mom’s, as if her words had worked miracles on him too. “When you have that attraction to someone, it’d be a shame to waste it.”

The sparks flying between Tom and Nola’s mom could have burned down the kitchen. Kae hoped that they took their own advice. Time
was
precious and, if what Bryce had confided in her last night was true, both of these lovely people had spent decades grieving.

Sure, they’d had their families to raise. But now…

“Hell,
Ms. Brown
, I don’t even know your name.” Tom shook his head with a wry grin. “But I never asked, and shushed you when you tried to tell me anyway, ’cause it kinda turns me on to call you Ms. Brown.”

“Tom! Not in front of the girl.” Ms. Brown put a hand to her chest as if scandalized. However, the twinkle in her eyes proved she was teasing. “Wilhelmina.”

Tom snorted at such an old-fashioned label for such a spunky lady.

Ms. Brown snorted. “You can call me Willie. I know, I know, joke all you want.”

“Willie Brown. It has a nice ring to it.” Tom smiled at her, edging closer on the bench seat of the table.

“I think I should leave you two alone.” Kaelyn cleared her throat.

Tom didn’t seem to notice as he stared at Nola’s mom, leaning in slightly until Kaelyn wondered if he was going to kiss the pretty older woman right then and there.

“You come back any time, you hear?” Tom spoke to Kaelyn, though he didn’t glance away from Ms. Brown. “My door is always open for you or any of the rest of my kids.”

“
Our
kids,” Ms. Brown corrected.

“Thank you, Mr. London.”

“Tom, remember?” he corrected, finally peeking at her with a devilish grin that reminded her a lot of Eli when he was near his soul mates. “And by ‘my door is always open’, I mean, unless it’s shut. Just for a little while.”

“I’ve waited too long for this to last ‘a little while’.” Ms. Brown harrumphed then rested her palm on Tom’s cheek lightly so he knew she was only teasing.

“
O
-kay.” Kaelyn laughed as she wrinkled her nose in mock disgust at the mushy display from the Hot Rods’ parental units. She normally wouldn’t have risked being rude to someone she’d barely met, but they’d put her completely at ease. She couldn’t wait to torment Nola and Eli with their parents’ escapades. “I’m going back to the house to take care of the mess I made of the kitchen. Then I guess I’ll be in the garage. Thanks for the chat.”