Page 19 of The Beautiful Mess

Kerry huffed out a sigh. “Fine. Be careful tonight, okay?”

“I’ll practice defensive driving and make sure I have Tums on hand for potential heartburn from eating greasy pizza late at night.” He glanced over toward the truck where Nate waited. “And I don’t think my co-pilot is into me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Kerry hooked his finger in the open V of Keegan’s dress shirt and released him as soon as their skin connected. That brief touch of bare skin was enough to transport him right back to the tiny locker room, where he came so close to knowing what Kerry tasted like. “Everyone is into you.”

Along with the memory came the brief resurrection of his confidence. “Well, maybe this night will end better than I hoped. See you later.”

Kerry called out his name before he made it three steps, but Keegan didn’t slow his stride. Keep him guessing. That’s what Sven would do.

Kerry checked his watch again, but it was only three minutes later than the last time he looked. The air stirred beside him, and he caught a whiff of Sven’s cologne. Kerry braced himself for a confrontation with his brother, but Sven remained silent. He should’ve embraced the quiet, but it only unsettled Kerry more than the clock creeping closer to six with no sign of Keegan. He’d known the little minx wouldn’t show, but he couldn’t stop himself from hoping Keegan would change his mind. And what kind of dickhead did that make him? He’d warned Keegan away, pulled him closer, and then pushed him away again. When Keegan had done precisely what he’d asked, Kerry had gotten his feelings hurt. Yeah, he hadn’t meant Keegan should neverlook at him again, but the previous shift at the Feisty Bull was torturous. The last thing he’d ever wanted to do was hurt Keegan, but he’d done it anyway.

So much for honesty being the best policy. Not to sound like Jack Nicholson, but sometimes people couldn’t handle the truth. Better to find out now before things got too deep with Keegan. Who the fuck was he trying to kid? That ship had already sailed. And Sven still stood beside him, an unusually silent sentinel who somehow still radiated enough sass to get under his skin. “What?” Kerry snarled as he turned to face his brother. “You’ve never been this quiet a day in your life.”

Sven’s serene countenance was even more suspicious than his silence. The man didn’t do calm. That could only mean Sven had a secret knowledge of something, and he planned to wield it like a weapon. His brother was as lethal as a rapier, cutting and deadly when he needed to be, and Kerry had a feeling he was about to bleed badly.

“It’s nearly dinnertime, and Keegan isn’t here yet,” Lucinda said. “It’s not like him to be late.” For Lucinda, on time was late. When she said dinner would be served at six o’clock, she meant people should arrive a minimum of thirty minutes earlier.

Sven’s expression reminded him of the viral meme of a little girl smiling wickedly as a building burns in the background. Christ, he hoped his mother’s fire extinguisher hadn’t expired. Kerry shook his head to discourage his brother, but when had that ever stopped him? “Keegan isn’t coming tonight.”

The disappointment was a palpable thing in the room. Did Keegan have a clue just how much Kerry’s family adored him? Not likely. And Kerry would not pile guilt onto Keegan’s surprisingly toned shoulders. The guy hid a rocking body beneath his modest clothes. Walking away from that temptation in the locker room had been one of the hardest things Kerry had ever done. Sven raised a brow to bait Kerry, daring him to ask where Keegan was or why he wasn’t coming. No way. He’d be in the doghouse for sure if Lucinda and his aunts thought Kerry had scared Keegan off. Thank goodness the newlyweds were still too enamored with one another to attend the family dinners, or Rueben would help Sven lead the charge.

“Why not?” Lucinda didn’t bother to hide her disappointment.

Sven kept his gaze locked on Kerry. “He met someone.”

“Ohhhh,” came the collective reply from many in the room. A few others asked who it was, how they’d met and when.

Not Lucinda. She marched right up to Kerry and placed both hands on her hips. “Do you know anything about this?”

Both her expression and tone transported him back to when he was a seven-year-old boy with major-league ambitions. Seth had pitched a strike right over the makeshift home plate, and Kerry had hit the game-winning grand slam…right through the family room window. He’d been too stunned to run and hide like Seth had, so he literally got caught red-handed, still holding the bat. Lucinda had struck the same pose and asked the same question. He hadn’t been smart enough to save his ass back then, but he could talk his way out of nearly any situation as an adult. “I only know that he went to get pizza after his shift last night.”

“With who?” Debbie asked.

“Nate and a few others,” Kerry replied. He’d only sensed platonic vibes between Nate and Keegan, but he must’ve misread the situation. His mopey mood threatened to turn downright mean.

“Nate’s a good kid,” Debbie said. His aunt and uncle didn’t have kids of their own and doted on their staff like family. “I’ve never seen him flirt with Kerry, so I didn’t think he was interested in guys.”

Sven snorted. “Not every gay or bi man wants to take this big lug to beg.”

Kerry arched a brow and pinned his brother with his patented “you wanna bet” look.

“I can’t speak to Nate’s sexual orientation, but he’s not the guy Keegan is going on a date with tomorrow night.” Sven explained that the crew had driven to Colorado Springs for pizza, where Nate ran into an old high school buddy who was also there with some friends. “A friend of Nate’s buddy took a real shine to our sweet Keegan. He bailed on his group to hang out with the Feisty Bull crew and get to know Kee better. His name is Danny, and he’s really cute. They exchanged phone numbers and have been chatting and texting ever since. They would’ve gone out tonight, but Danny had prior commitments.”

“I still don’t understand why Keegan couldn’t join us, then.” Lucinda huffed a resigned sigh before heading to her kitchen.

“Did you have to break her heart?” Kerry asked quietly when they were alone.

“Did you have to break his?” Sven countered.

Kerry’s stomach dropped. “How much did he tell you about our conversation?”

“Aha!” Sven said. “I knew something must’ve happened during his shift at the Feisty Bull.”

Kerry gestured with his hands for Sven to keep his voice down. “How?”

“Because Danny wouldn’t have stood a chance otherwise,” Sven said. “Keegan wouldn’t have given the guy his phone number, let alone stay up until two in the morning texting him.”

That punched Kerry in the gut. “Sounds like they made a serious connection.”

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