“To going out in public? No. But I assured her we’d go somewhere secluded and no one would be the wiser.”
Kaden exhaled his disappointment.
“Fine,” he said, shifting his attention back to the task at hand: relaying their official resignation to the boss.
He’d been putting this off, but he knew it was time to make the leap, to put in their notice at the demolition shop and shift to taking over the ranch duties full-time.
Kaden wasn’t exactly sure why he’d been waiting to tell Autumn. Perhaps he’d thought he would have more news to share than merely a resignation. Something along the lines of,hey, not only did we buy a ranch, but we’re also havin’ a baby and gettin’ married. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gotten anywhere in that regard.
Nope. No coming out to anyone yet. Bristol was still insisting they keep things quiet for the time being, and Keegan seemed entirely content with that, though Kaden wasn’t sure why. Probably had to do with the fact they were getting laid multiple times a day. Morning, night, whenever they were with Bristol—always at her house—the three of them were rarely clothed.
And the more encounters they had, the more he noticed Bristol settling into this routine of seduction. She’d gotten good at steering him away from conversation. Almost as good as Keegan. Kaden had caught on to her ploy, and he’d made the decision that they would be having a heart-to-heart in the very near future. Which meant he wanted to have the rest of their shit in order, so they’d have something to present her with.
Yes, something along the lines of marriage and a future together.
Maybe tonight. At the lake. He couldn’t imagine there would be any seduction on Bristol’s part. Not when there was the chance someone might see them. It would be the perfect opportunity to chat openly, on neutral ground.
With a plan for later taking root, Kaden pulled up to the office, a single-story, two-room building that housed a couple of desks, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Considering it was rarely occupied, it didn’t make sense they’d have much more than that.
He noticed another car in the parking lot, which was little more than a dirt section worn down by years of tires rolling over it.
“Holy shit,” Keegan said as they climbed out. “Nice car.”
Yeah, it was. A 1969 cherry-red Chevy Camaro. Damn nice.
He had no idea who it belonged to, but knowing Keegan, they’d befriend the owner and likely be getting an up-close glimpse beneath the hood.
Because he didn’t know who was on the other side of the door with Autumn, Kaden knocked before opening it then stepping inside when they were summoned by a “Come in.”
“Hey,” Autumn greeted from her spot at her desk.
Sitting in a chair across from her was a pretty black woman whose smile was both bright and genuine but had nothing to do with them. Oh, no, that smile was all for Autumn.
“We can come back,” he told her quickly.
“No. Come in.” Autumn stood, as did her friend. “I’d like you to meet Charlotte Miller. Charlie, meet Kaden and Keegan Walker.”
Kaden offered a hand, smiled.
When she faced him head on, he amended his earlier description. Charlie Miller wasn’t merely pretty. She was strikingly beautiful, but he wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint exactly why if asked. Her shoulder-length black hair was board straight and angled around her long, narrow face. Her brown eyes were so dark it was hard to tell the pupil from the iris. She wore little makeup, but what she wore accentuated her high cheekbones and her long lashes. She was tall, probably just a few inches shy of six feet, but the short-heeled boots had her hitting close to the mark. The clothes she wore seemed tailor-made to fit her trim, athletic body.
“Nice to meet you,” he greeted kindly, noticing the sideways glances Autumn was stealing of Charlie.
“Likewise. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She shook Keegan’s hand. “Both of you.”
“Good, I hope,” Keegan replied.
Charlie’s smile widened, her dark eyes glittering with mischief. “Mostly.”
“Charlie’s the newest member of Brantley’s task force. She’s a Taylor police officer.”
“Oh, yeah? How’d you find Brantley?” Keegan inquired.
“He found me, actually,” Charlie said easily. “I previously worked on a task force with Sebastian Buchanan. Apparently, I impressed him.”
Kaden didn’t know Sebastian Buchanan—known as Baz to those around there—all that well, but he’d met the guy, seen him around a couple of times. More importantly, he’d heard good things about him from Brantley and Reese.
“Well, welcome to Coyote Ridge,” Kaden said in response.
