Long Time Gone (Rough Riders) Read online

From just a kiss.

  Cal couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed a woman with no agenda beyond learning the shape of her mouth as it moved beneath his. Experiencing the unique flavor of her. Exchanging breath as the hunger expanded. Feeling her blood pulsing in her lips. Each kiss drove the need higher until he couldn’t think. Until his heartbeat thundered in his ears, in his chest, in his cock.

  A sharp pain forced him to ease back, changing the tenor of the kiss from sizzling hot to sweetly warm.

  He smiled when she chased his mouth, demanding more. “I’m not nearly done with you, but there’s a crick in my neck so I’ve gotta move.”

  Then shy, inexperienced Kimi disappeared and she shifted to straddle his lap, with her knees touching the back of the swing. They were face to face. Mouth to mouth. She kept her eyes on his as she followed the contours of his shoulders to his neck with her hands. She swept her thumbs over the section of skin between his jaw and his earlobe. Then her gaze zeroed in on his mouth. “Can I tell you something?”

  Please tell me that you’re really eighteen and I can do all the dirty things to you I’ve been dreaming up since I saw you lick that ice cream cone. “Sure.”

  “You were right.”

  “About?”

  “I’ve never been kissed like that.”

  Cal curled his hands around her hips and squeezed. “You want more of them lip-melting kisses, darlin’?”

  She whispered, “God, yes,” and affixed her mouth to his, her lips parted in invitation, but she paused, waiting to let him lead.

  This time he drew out the pleasure. This time his hands didn’t stay idle. He ran his palms down her strong back, across her surprisingly muscular arms, up her taut thighs, around to squeeze her lush ass and then back to cradle her head, all the while feeling the softness of her hair across his knuckles as he touched her.

  And fuck if he didn’t love the sexy sounds she made when he did something she wasn’t expecting. Like the first time he trailed his lips down her throat and sucked on the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  Her surprised, throaty gasp tightened his balls.

  Kimi’s hands went from clutching his neck, to pulling his hair, to unconsciously pushing his head where she wanted his mouth.

  Cal kept his hands away from her breasts and avoided touching her between her thighs. But when her body figured out what to do and she started grinding on him, he backed off immediately, before he lost the ability to do so.

  “Kimi,” he rasped against her throat, “time out.”

  “Okay.” She swallowed hard. “Now I understand when people say they got carried away. It’s never been like that for me before.”

  Don’t tell her it gets even better than that.

  She shifted and moved off his lap, giving his cock some relief. She rested her cheek against his chest, tucking the top of her head beneath his chin. “Is it weird if I just wanna stay like this for a while?”

  “Not weird at all, darlin’.” He swept his hand up her back. “Although I wish I had a couch we could stretch out on.”

  “Next time.” She yawned. “I’m tired. It’s been exhausting dealing with my family the past couple of days.”

  “I’ll bet. Go ahead and close your eyes for a bit.” He kissed her forehead.

  As Kimi fell asleep in his arms he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so content.

  Chapter Four

  Kimi woke up with a jolt, surrounded by darkness and heat.

  Warm, hard, delicious-smelling heat.

  Soft lips brushed over her forehead. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

  God. She loved the deep rasp of Cal’s voice. And the way his breath stole across her skin stirred something deep inside her. Everything about him was so…manly. Even the way he’d put the brakes on when things had gotten too hot between them. None of the boys she’d messed around with before had that kind of control. They got pissed if she said stop, or slow down, and were especially angry if she said no. Then they called her a cock tease or lied and told everyone that she’d done slutty things. Being with Cal the last few hours really drove home the difference between boys and real men. And not just in the way they kissed.

  She rubbed her mouth across the soft cotton of his T-shirt and breathed in the heady scent of his body. “Sorry I conked out.”

  “No worries. I liked it enough that I fell asleep too.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “An hour, hour and a half.”

  Kimi pushed herself away from him and turned so her legs dangled off the swing. She snickered. “I’m so damn short that my feet don’t touch the ground.”

  Cal’s hand skated down her arm. “I like that you’re pint-sized. And darlin’, you may be short, but you’ve got great gams.”

  Most guys were so busy staring at her chest they didn’t see any part of her beyond that. And how charming was it that he didn’t make his compliment crude? “Thanks.” She hopped off the swing and faced him, holding out her hands to help him up from the swing.

  A wolfish grin lit his face before he took her hands and pulled her right back onto his lap. Then he kissed her with sweet surety. “Thank you, Kimi, for comin’ over. This is one of the best nights I can remember.”

  “You don’t get out much, do you?” she teased.

  “I get out more than you know, but it don’t change nothin’. I meant it. And if you lived around here, I’d ask you to come over tomorrow too.”

  Kimi arched up to kiss him. “If I lived around here, I’d be over so often you might as well ask me to move in with you.”

  He laughed. “Oh, Eli West would have me arrested for sure for corrupting his underage daughter.”

  “Like you said to Carolyn, Cal…I’m not gonna be sixteen forever. In fact, I’ll be seventeen next week.”

  “Happy Birthday. Maybe I oughta give you a birthday spankin’ before you go.”

  “Save it for next time.”

  Cal’s eyes searched hers. “There’ll be a next time?”

  “Yeah. Next time I’m around here.” She trailed her fingers down his jaw. “You think it’s weird that I feel like I’ve known you more than two days?”

  “It’d make me weird too, then, ’cause I feel the same way.”

  “I like you, Cal McKay. A lot.” Crap. Why had she said that? She probably sounded like a love-struck teen.

  Aren’t you?

  He gave her a sexy smile that made her pulse race. “I like you a lot too, Kimi West. So you’d better call me when you come back for Christmas break.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, sweet darlin’. I’d like that more than you know.”

  “I will.” Kimi forced herself to move or she might stay right there, lost in his blue eyes forever. “I have to go.”

  “I know.”

  Cal carried her bag to the car. Then he gifted her with a kiss that could only be described as devastating.

  When she pulled onto the road, she noticed he stood at the end of the driveway, watching her go.

  ***

  Kimi tried to be as quiet as possible when she entered the house.

  But she needn’t have bothered since her dad had pulled over the easy chair and parked it in front of the door.

  “Where in the hell have you been?” her father demanded. “It’s almost midnight.”

  It took everything inside her not to cower and revert to that small child who was fearful of Daddy. “Out with a friend.”

  “I don’t know who in the hell you think you are, girlie, bein’ ‘out with a friend’ until goddamned midnight, but you are sixteen years old. We have rules in this house.”

  “Which are? I’ve never been real clear on them because you seem to have one set of rules for your sons and one for your daughters.”

  “You watch that smart mouth,” he snapped.

  Don’t react.

  “Things are gonna change around here. You will abide by my rules. As of right now, you’re grounded. You’re only allowed to go
to the store.”

  Kimi squinted at him. How drunk was he? She should’ve let it go, but she wanted to point out that as of tomorrow he’d have no power over her. “You remember who you’re talking to, right, Dad? It’s Kimi. I’m goin’ back to Billings tomorrow.”

  “Like hell you are. Now that your sister married that McKay bastard, I’ll need you around here to take care of your mother and make sure that Carolyn doesn’t turn against her family. We both know she won’t cut us out if you’re livin’ here fulltime.”

  A slap in the face couldn’t have hurt worse. They didn’t want her here because they missed her. She balled her fists and said, “No.”

  Her dad stood. “No? You don’t get to tell me no, little girl.”

  “Watch me.” She shouted, “No, no, no, no, no!” at the top of her lungs. “I don’t know how damn drunk you are, but I’m goin’ back to St. Mary’s to finish school.”

  “Wrong. As of tonight you’ll finish out school here. You’re running wild up there and I won’t have it.”

  “Have you talked to Aunt Hulda about this?” she demanded.

  He allowed a smug smile. “Don’t gotta talk to her, bein’s you’re my kid, not hers, and I don’t need her opinion.”

  “You can’t do this.”

  “I think it’s time you learn that I can.”

  Kimi cut around the chair and headed toward her mom’s room.

  “Get back here!” her dad bellowed.

  She threw open the door and flipped on the lights.

  Aunt Hulda sat up. “Kimi? What’s going on?”

  Kimi walked over to her mother’s bed. Her eyes were open but she remained lying on her side. “Did you do this to spite me or to spite your sister?”

  Her mother blinked and tried to turn her head away.

  “Oh, no you don’t. You’ve put your head in the sand way too long. And you’re crazier than I thought you were if you think I’ll stay here and coddle you and be a slave to him and my brothers since Carolyn was smart enough to get the hell out, or just because he says so.”

  “This is why we’re not letting you go back to Billings, Kimberly.”

  “Letting me?” she shouted.

  “What?” Aunt Hulda said from across the room.

  “You need to be reminded whose family you belong to,” her mother said with false bravado.

  The bed creaked and then Aunt Hulda stood next to her. “Clara. What on earth are you talking about? Kimi is finishing out her education at St. Mary’s.”

  “Not anymore, she ain’t,” her dad said behind her.

  Kimi whirled around and faced him. “The only reason you want me here is so you don’t lose Carolyn. You’re afraid she won’t come around anymore. And why would she? I wouldn’t.”

  He pointed at Hulda. “I shoulda put a stop to this bullshit years ago. You’ve had too much control for too long and I’m takin’ it back.”

  “You can’t keep me here,” Kimi said.

  “You are a minor, girlie. I can lock you in your fuckin’ room if I chose to and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

  “If you lock her in her room, will you hire a housekeeper, cook, laundress, nursemaid and gardener to take care of this household?” Aunt Hulda demanded. “Because we both know you won’t cook, or clean, or buy your own food, or even take care of your wife. You leave that responsibility to your children.”

  Her father glared at his wife. “I told you your sister would turn your daughters against us. Now do you believe me?”

  Kimi looked at her mom. “You agreed to this?”

  “He’s my husband and your father. You’re still a child, Kimberly—”

  “I’ve never been a child! You didn’t allow it! You expected too much from me.” She tried to keep the petulance out of her voice, but this wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t right.

  Aunt Hulda put her arm around Kimi and sent her brother-in-law a pitying look. Then she looked at her sister. “Listen to her, Clara. Eli is just upset that Carolyn married a man he didn’t approve of. He’s taking out his anger on your daughter. Are you going to let that happen?”

  “Eli’s decision is final, Hulda. I agree with him.” She wheezed. “When you leave tomorrow, Kimberly won’t be going with you.”

  Her stomach cramped. She felt the bile rise in her throat at the thought of being trapped here, in this house, for the next year until she could legally walk away.

  “I’m sorry it’s come to this, sister,” Hulda said softly.

  Kimi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was the one woman she’d counted on giving up that easily? “Don’t make me stay here,” she pleaded. “I’ll run away the first chance I get and no one will ever see me again.”

  “I know, sweetheart. But they’re mistaken. They can’t force you to stay here.” Aunt Hulda glared at her sister. “In order to enroll your minor-aged daughters at St. Mary’s, you gave the school guardianship over them. So technically, St. Mary’s makes the final decision. And do you really think that they’ll agree to terminate Kimi’s education and their guardianship when neither of Kimi’s parents has bothered to set foot at the school even one time in the six years she’s been a student? No. I checked. And even if the school opts to remain out of the family issue, I can guarantee you I will not stand by and watch Kimi become an indentured servant.”

  “Feminist, hippie bullshit,” her father grumbled. “A woman’s job is to take care of her family.”

  “Then Mom failed at that pretty spectacularly, didn’t she?” Kimi snapped.

  “I have a parental consent form, signed by you, Clara, giving me guardianship on weekends, the summer and holidays,” Aunt Hulda stated. “If you cared so much about her, then maybe you should’ve read the paperwork the school sent, rather than just signing it without reading through it. Although now, I am so very glad you didn’t.”

  “You conniving witch,” her mother said.

  “I expected name calling from Eli, but not from my own sister.” She patted Kimi on the shoulder. “I was afraid something like this would happen, so I already put your things in the trunk of my car.”

  “This ain’t over,” Eli warned.

  “Yes, it is,” Kimi said. “Now that I know neither of you have any power over me? I won’t ever come back here. Ever,” she emphasized. She gave her mother, who’d started crying, a scathing look.

  “Kimi, I’m sorry.”

  “Yes, you are. Goodbye, Clara.” And because she was so upset, heartsick and disgusted, she looked at her Aunt Hulda and said, “Thank you for bein’ the mother to me that she couldn’t be. Now can we please go home?”

  She walked out of the house and didn’t look back.

  Chapter Five

  One year later…

  Carson showed up at Cal’s house an hour earlier than usual, so he knew something was wrong.

  Cal poured his brother a cup of coffee and waited for him to speak, knowing even if he asked Carson what’d happened, he wouldn’t talk until he was good and ready.

  After a sip of coffee, Carson said, “Clara West died last night.”

  That surprised him, even when he’d known Clara wasn’t in good health. “Sorry, man. How’s Carolyn?”

  “In shock mostly, even when we both knew this was comin’.” Carson finally looked at Cal. “I fuckin’ hate that I can’t go along and support my wife without makin’ it worse for her. The Wests don’t want me there while they’re deciding on final arrangements. It pisses me off that Eli will expect Caro to deal with everything because he’s gotten used to it in the last year. And all of the years before it. If I don’t go, I’ll be worthless around here because I’ll be worried about her. So I don’t know what the hell to do, Cal.”

  Cal scrubbed his hands over his itchy face. He hadn’t shaved in days. “You gotta go with her. If there’s stuff they don’t want you involved in, sit in the truck. But the bottom line is this ain’t about them. It’s about you bein’ close by when your wife needs you. Because we both know
she will need you. And the Wests don’t got the right to keep you away from her.”

  Carson sighed. “Thanks for confirming what I already knew.”

  “Just needed to hear it from someone else?”

  “Yeah.” Carson stared into his coffee cup. “Caro asked me this morning how I got through Mom dyin’. I felt like a total shit because I didn’t wanna tell her I don’t remember much of that time, just the shock that she was gone. And the anger when Dad turned into a raging asshole because she’d died. And I sure as fuck can’t tell her that I was mad at him because I didn’t think he missed her—he just missed havin’ a wife to cook for him and make his life easier.”

  Cal bit his tongue against asking whether Carson had said that shit to their grieving father. His twin had the subtlety of a jackhammer and zero tact. Carson ruffled feathers and left it up to Cal to smooth them.

  “Dad learned to manage without Mom. Eli has been managing without Clara for long enough that caring for her father shouldn’t fall on Caro’s shoulders.” Carson clenched his fist. “Goddammit, I won’t let it. She’s done more for her family than should be expected.”

  “That’s what’s bugging you. You’re afraid you’ll get thrown over for Eli West.”

  “The son of a bitch did it once, didn’t he? Made Caro promise to look after her mother, while she was fuckin’ dyin’ and then made her also promise not tell anyone about it—including me, which caused problems between us.”

  “Whoa.” Cal looked at his brother. “Run that by me one more time?”

  “All that shit that went down after me’n Caro married? When I thought she regretted marryin’ me ’cause she was at her folks’ house all the time? That was because Clara was dyin’. She and Eli didn’t want anyone to know. So my new bride was expected to keep the secret.”

  “Jesus, Carse. They didn’t tell anyone?” Like Kimi? How mad would she be when she found out her sister and father had kept such a life-altering event from her?

  “Harland knew since he and Eli are thick as thieves. Then after Clara went into the nursing home last month—”

  “Did Carolyn keep that from her sister and brothers too?”