Page 60 of Slow Ride

Instead of laughing, Kason looked sheepish.“I bought this house because my financial advisor told me I needed to diversify my portfolio with some real estate, and to be honest, once I saw the listing, I fell in love.It’s a hell of a splurge, but…”

“You don’t have to justify your choices, about houses or anything else, to anyone.”Wren went into his arms and hugged him tight.“It’s gorgeous, Kason.Thank you for inviting us.”

“Would you mind if I saved the tour for later?”He hugged Jordan too before facing them both.“Dinner is almost finished and I don’t want to burn—”

Just then a piercing shriek cut through the evening.

Kason’s emerald eyes widened.He sprinted inside yelling, “Shit!Shit!Shit!”

They followed, but he didn’t go as far as the kitchen.He slapped his hand on a security system right inside the door and started talking to the box on the wall.“Hey, Van.Turn that off would you?Donotlet the fire trucks come.It’s just me trying to cook.”

The alarms were silenced in moments.

“I told you, you should have hired Devra to do it for you.”Van was cracking up on the other end of the line.“You sure you don’t need me to call for takeout or stay around here tonight?”

“Next time I’ll listen.And yes.Go hang out with Ollie like you planned.”Kason looked over at Jordan and Wren and winked.“You can bitch and moan about how gorgeous Kyra is and how neither of you have the balls to ask her out.”

Van quit laughing pretty quick after that.“One date makes you an expert, huh?Hell, Kyra and I practically did it for you.”

“True.”Kason softened his blow.“Thank you.I’m going to spend the rest of the night enjoying my company.I’m resetting the alarm now.Your guys are down in their post at the gate.We’ll be fine.Take the night off, Van.”

“Not planning on letting them leave, huh?”Van tried to get some of his own back.

“Jordan and I weren’t intending on going home tonight anyway,” Wren spoke up.

From the choking and coughing on the other end of the line, Van hadn’t realized they had arrived yet.

“Oh, hey, Wren,” he said in a tight voice.“I have to do…something.Bye.”

Jordan laughed, the deep, resonating sort she hadn’t heard in years.

Kason winced.“Sorry.I was trying to make everything perfect.”

Wren leaned in and kissed him lightly.“It is.We’re here with you.That’s all I hoped for.”

Jordan nodded.“She’s right.The only thing that matters is that we’re together.”

“Well then, I hope you’re hungry for some dinner made with a lot of good intentions and little skill.”Kason waved them to follow him as he headed through a soaring great room complete with a stone fireplace, more of those glorious windows flanking it, and exposed beams that were like the great grand-daddies of the ones in her cottage.

She’d been right, the sunset made the lake below glow with pastel pinks and oranges, taking her breath away.But it couldn’t captivate her attention for long because she was distracted by witnessing Jordan stare at Kason’s ass as their host escorted them to the open kitchen.A dining table suitable for at least a dozen sat on the other side of a bar made from a slab of a tree nearly wider than her entire tiny home.

Kason took the rolls he’d been baking from the stove and waved a hand towel over them to dissipate some of the smoke.They looked like bricks of charcoal.

“Bread is probably bad for us anyway,” Wren said with a grin as he tossed them in the garbage can.

“Go sit at the table.”Kason pointed.“I’m going to serve you both.I…uh…don’t get to do stuff like this often.Humor me.”

Jordan led the way, pulling out the chair for her at the head of the table, where a place was set.He took the one beside her and left Kason the spot on her other side.The thought of perching between them for an entire meal made her shift in her seat.

It wasn’t long before Kason carried over a wooden tray with three salad bowls and matching plates of pasta with a cream sauce and shrimp on top.There was already a pitcher of iced tea and a saucer of sliced lemons on the table.It wasn’t a five-star meal, but it had obviously been cooked with…love.

“This looks fantastic, Kason.”Wren picked up her fork and prepared to dig in, suddenly ravenous.

The three of them ate in silence for a while, enjoying what turned out to be a really tasty dinner.Jordan finished first and kicked back in his chair, his hands folded on his six-pack.“Damn.If that’s your idea of half-assed, I’d like to see you when you think you’re great at something.”

“You have.”Kason looked up then.“Music is what I’m meant for.”

Wren couldn’t argue with that.“I loved seeing you perform at the concert.I’ve always thought your songs were soulful, but that night…you’re right.You were a superstar.”

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