Page 48 of Crossroads

I didn’t elaborate, but I knew she understood which family I was talking about because her eyes widened. She reached out and gripped my hand, “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing you can do about it.” Her hand dropped and I nearly cursed.

“I realized I’ve never taken you out.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. Well. That’s fine.”

I shook my head. “Let’s go to dinner. What do you say? I owe my brother dinner at his new place since I’ve never eaten there. And I might as well figure that out. And you deserve time away from this cabin. Don’t you think?”

She stared at me then, looking as confused as I felt, before a smile spread over her face. Her eyes brightened, and it was like a kick to the gut. I didn’t know what I felt about Kiera, but it was something that I couldn’t name. And perhaps something I should worry about sooner than later.

“I’d really like that. If you’re sure.”

“The town’s going to talk. They’re going to stare. But they do that for me no matter what.”

“And they never stare at me because I’m not an oddity at all when it comes to Ashford Creek.”

I grinned then and reached out to brush her hair back from her face. She leaned her face into my palm, and I licked my lips.

“As long as you’re fine with the stares, I am too.”

“The world already knows that I’m here. There might be cameras that want more.”

“Nothing I can do about them.”

“I think I need to put on something other than jean shorts with holes in them for a place like The Range, do you mind if I change?”

“Take your time. I need to call my brother to get a table at the restaurant.”

Her eyes widened. “You are going to use the brother card in order to get a reservation?”

“Fuck yes. I do the same thing for when I want to go see Atlas down in Denver. It’s what I do.”

She shook her head. “Even though he’s not technically your brother.”

“His sister is dating my brother, it counts.”

“I like your convoluted way of thinking,” she teased. She leaned forward, put her hand on my chest, and lifted to her toes. She was still too short for what she wanted, so I bent my head down and captured her lips.

She tasted of coffee and everything Kiera, and I let the kiss go on probably a little longer than it should, but both of us were left panting.

“It’s a date?” she asked.

“It’s a date.”

And with that I watched her walk back to the small bedroom to change, and I pulled out my phone, wondering if I knew what I was doing.

Courtney hadn’t answered me. I didn’t have a plan. But I knew it was time for me to start taking steps into the light. Into life itself.

Kiera would be leaving soon, I knew it. But before she did, I was going to learn to live. I’d owed it to the family beneath those stones, and to the woman who wouldn’t leave my mind.

Chapter 14

KIERA

“I’m not even that famous. Why are they here?”

While we had gotten a couple of days’ worth of peace, the floodgates were now open once again. My phone had been ringing off the hook to the point that it was now turned off, and I just wanted some space. Cameras were constantly being put in my bandmate’s faces, asking about when the next album was, who was having the next baby, and if the Wilder band was breaking up. Somebody was fanning the flames, and I had a feeling it had everything to do with my ex. My sister was now in rehab, though I didn’t know how long she would last in there. I’d gotten her into rehab before, and she had found her way back out. She didn’t want to help herself; the drugs and addiction were far too malicious in their intent. But I had tried my best. Only I wasn’t sure it was going to be enough this time. Or ever at this point. I just wanted everything to quiet down, and I didn’t think it was going to do so anytime soon.