Page 19 of Redemption

Kelsey

Charlee pulls me up a small set of wooden steps, through the front porch, and into the newer of the two cabins. “After riding with those two, I’m sure you could use some decent coffee and a bit of a break.”

She leads through an entryway that has an archway on my left that leads to an open living with a set of double doors at the far end. A hollowness settles deep inside my stomach as I take in all of the baby stuff that’s thrown around the room. It’s proof that her life has gone on here without me. While I was stuck in my own personal hell, she was busy building a life. We’re the sam age, but at entirely different places in our life. I’m not allowed much time to dwell on it because Charlee nudges me further inside to the back of the house that opens up into a modern farmhouse style kitchen.

She drops my hand and walks over to the sink where a fresh pot of coffee rests. “Have a seat,” she says over her shoulder.

I take in every detail of the distressed wooden cabinets and a marble countertops as I sit in barstool at the island in the center of the kitchen. A corner of my mouth to lifts into a small smile the more I study her decor. It’s very artsy and all Charlee.

“Here you go.” She hands me a bright red mug and leans back against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. Her features are much softer than when I left. Like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders and with all the shady stuff her dad was into it’s no wonder.

“Thanks.” The second the warm liquid hits my tongue I’m in absolute bliss. It takes everything in me not to groan. Nothing compares to a homemade brew. My hands cup the sides of the mug as I keep my attention planted on the steam wafting off the dark liquid. A silence has stretched between us, but neither of us moves to break it. While silence stretches between us, I shift in my seat and bite down on my bottom lip as the humming of the fridge fills the void. After a few more beats pass I finally manage to find my tongue. “You look good. Happy.” Motherhood definitely agrees with her.

“Thanks. I am. We didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, but I think it all worked out in the end exactly how it was meant to be.” Color stains her cheeks as she continues to talk. “Sometimes these things just have a way of working themselves out, you know?” Her words carry more weight than she’ll ever know and how I wish they were true.

I listen as she fills me in on the two years I’ve missed and I absorb every word, fighting the tightness building in my chest.

“What about you?” She tilts her head of dark hair to the side, seeing more than I want her to.

I squirm running through several scenarios. “Not much to tell here. I mainly just worked a lot.”

“Still, must have been nice living at the beach?”

“I guess it had its perks.” I shrug and dip my head back down to the marble counter.

“I bet the views out there were amazing. I’d love to see your drawings.”

The tip of my finger traces along the edge of my cup enjoying the smooth glossy finish as I fight the onslaught of tears. “I haven’t picked up a paintbrush in a couple of years.”

The front door slams putting an end to our brief reunion. Heavy footsteps stomp along the wooden floors and I know who it is without even turning around. Only one person can walk that loud. Then the door opens again and two more—much quieter—sets follow behind.

Axel storms into the kitchen, nostrils flaring, but his demeanor softens the second his eyes land on me. The heat behind his gaze has my throat going dry. He plants a kiss on the top of my head before helping himself to my cup of coffee and takes the seat next to me. My body stiffens at this gesture. I’m still pissed at him, but I’m not going to ruin my time with Charlee by yelling at him in front of her.

Asher enters the kitchen, heading straight for Charlee. He wraps the arm not holding Lily around her and pulls her into his side, dropping a kiss to the side of her temple.

Zane is the last to come in. He doesn’t utter a word as he fixes himself a cup of coffee and hangs back near the fridge doing what he does best—watching.

With all three brothers occupying the same space it’s beginning to feel a bit cramped. Their massive forms command all the space in the room. There’s no missing the family resemblance between them either.

Asher’s gaze lands on me and I fight the urge to squirm. The last and only time I talked to him I was covered in Charlee’s blood while we were fighting to save her life.

“Kelsey.” He dips his chin in my direction. I return a polite nod of my own in greeting. His eyes stay fixated on me for a few more beats causing my hands to clench tighter around my mug until I’m sure the ceramic might break. When I don’t wither under his stare, he lifts an eyebrow and turns his focus onto the ass next to me. “We should talk.”

“It can wait, Ash.” Axel stands to his feet and stretches his arms over his head. The motion causes the edge of t-shirt to ride up giving me a slight glimpse of the wall of muscle he has underneath. Muscles that I’ve felt contract under my tongue as I trail down to my favorite part. Heat builds in my core as the memories surface. My thighs clench together and I bite back a moan that wants to escape. Then all of the lies he’s told me surface. It’s the bucket of ice water I need to return back to sanity.

“Ax,” he lets that one word hang with hidden meaning.

“Let me handle it my way, big brother.” Axel helps me up to my feet and ushers me toward the door.

“He’s not…” Charlee starts from behind me, but Asher cuts her off.

“It’ll be fine.”

Axel never slows his steps until we’re through the door of the other cabin and upstairs inside a bedroom. It all happens so fast that I don’t have to process what’s happening until I’m through the doorway, taking in the new space.

The walls are plain, but it’s the oversized window on the foot of the queen-size bed that catches my attention. It takes up the whole wall, giving way to one hell of a view. Nothing but trees surround the setting sun for miles, reminding me just how secluded we are out here. Not good; I need to get out of here as fast as I can.

I spin around to face him and put my hands on my hips. “Where’s your phone?”

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