Page 14 of Threatened

She nodded and focused on finishing her food—not that she was really tasting it. As much as she was looking forward to spending the day outside with the twins, being close to Gage all day would definitely put her willpower to the test. He wasn’t even trying to flirt with her—at least she didn’t think he was—and already she was under his spell. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall right over into lust with the guy and then it was only a few quick hops and they’d end up in the sack together.

Kylie was all for fun little flings. If anything, after her last breakup, she’d decided flings were what worked best for her. No commitment, no talk of the future and family. Gage wasn’t fling material. Something about Gage warned her that a night with him wouldn’t be a one and done. He was the kind of guy that had forever written all over him. Women like her, who couldn’t give a man like him the children he so obviously wanted and deserved, couldn’t do long-term romance. The thought that a real relationship was forever off limits to her was so disheartening. She’d tried to make peace with it. After all, she’d had years to accept that she would be childless. It still got her, though.

She picked at what was left on her plate before standing and carrying her dishes over to the sink. “I’ll take care of this stuff. Why don’t you focus on packing the stroller, so we can get out of here?”

He set his plates on the counter beside her, his arm brushing hers and sending fresh zings of awareness through her left side. “I’m glad you’re coming with us.”

“Me too,” she murmured, not looking at him. She briefly wondered if she could still get out of the little trip. At the same time, she knew that whether or not she went with them today, it was already too late for her to withdraw. Despite all her efforts, Gage had wormed his way beneath her barriers, and now she wasn’t sure she’d ever get him out of her system—or if she even wanted to.

A few hours later, Gage pulled into a spot near the scenic overlook he liked to visit and jammed the transmission of his SUV into park. Kylie had been awfully quiet in the passenger seat since they’d left his house. Amazingly, the kids had been, too. They’d happily babbled to each other and finally fallen asleep for the last fifteen minutes of the trip. He’d have to remember that they liked car rides.

He wasn’t so sure about his adult companion. He’d tried to get Kylie talking several times to no avail. He hoped maybe the nature would do the trick. Not that he planned on getting too deep into things with her, but not talking was awkward too. And damn if he wasn’t still curious about why she’d fled the kitchen so quickly the night before.

“Here we are,” he said, with far more enthusiasm than required. “I’ll get the stuff unloaded from the back, if you want to get the twins out.”

“Sure,” she said, not looking at him as she exited the vehicle.

Yep. Something was up there. Even a guy who kept to himself like Gage could tell.

They’d stopped at a deli on the way up here and picked up a couple boxed lunches for them. He’d packed the backpack that was now serving as the twins’ diaper bag before he’d left the house with changes of clothing for both and plenty of baby food options.

They were about two hours from home near Puerco Canyon and the ocean. There were several nature spots closer to his house, but Gage liked the views from here and the weather was perfect. Besides, none of them had anywhere to be, so why not enjoy the gorgeous day?

He walked over to a clearing with a view of the canyon below and the Pacific in the distance and spread out the plaid blanket he’d brought on the ground before setting the cooler atop it along with the diaper bag. Then he went back to the SUV to help with the twins. Once they were all settled on the blanket and the babies had been changed and fed, he and Kylie sat and ate their lunches while soaking in the peaceful vibes of the area.

“Hey, in case I said something to upset you last night, I’m sorry,” he said, around a bite of his Italian sub.

She shook her head, still staring out over the beautiful vista below. “No. It’s fine.”

A shadow of sadness passed over her face, so fast Gage might’ve missed it if he hadn’t been watching her so closely. She nibbled on her veggie burger and sighed.

“You know, I always wanted a family of my own, but never imagined it would happen so suddenly with the twins arriving,” he said, not sure why he was continuing to spill his guts to her.He’d done that the night before, too. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her. And it felt nice to have someone he could share things with again. Since leaving the Navy, he’d been a bit of a loner. It was even worse now, without his best friend. Before Kylie arrived, he’d been feeling very alone. It helped that Kylie had a great smile, and, for some reason, he wanted to see it again. “Honestly, a lot of the time I doubt I’ll make a good father. With what happened to my parents and all, I have no idea what I’m doing. Probably shouldn’t tell you that, considering the position we’re in with custody and all, but…”

“You’re a natural at being a father,” she said, glancing over at him finally. “You do great with the twins.”

“Thanks. That’s nice to hear.” Especially since he didn’t think she was just saying it to make him feel good. “You do really well with them too.”

Kylie gave a small shrug her expression still bleak. “I always wanted kids of my own.”

He almost said she’d make a great mother someday, but stopped himself, remembering that he’d said something similar the previous night just before she’d fled the room. He couldn’t be sure that was what had set her off, but it was the best guess he had. Still, she’d opened the door a crack and he wanted inside, so instead he tried a different tack. “They’re a huge responsibility though. Hard to raise a family when you’re also trying to build a career.”

“I’m sure it is.” Kylie held his gaze a moment before returning her attention to the view. “It’s spectacular here. I’ve never been.”

“Whenever I was missing my parents, had a fight with my uncle, or was struggling in school, I’d come up here and just sit for afew hours. Something about this place clears my mind and heals my heart.”

“I understand about places that can do that for you. This one is special,” she said. The sadness lacing her tone had turned to reverence instead as she gazed out over the natural beauty surrounding them. The twins, who had been crawling around on the blanket and expending lots of energy in the fresh air, were now playing with a set of brightly colored stacking cups.

“I think they like it, too.” He gestured to the content kids. A slight breeze blew, rustling the leaves in the trees and carrying the scent of pine and earth and the far-off fragrance of the sea. At home, things might be chaotic and confusing, but here in their own private bubble, all seemed right with the world.

“Seems so.” She took a deep breath then exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging slightly. He waited, knowing something was coming, something difficult for her to discuss. “The reason I don’t have kids of my own is because Ican’thave kids of my own.”

Gage blinked, taking that in. So that was why his comment had upset her so much. He wished he could take it back. “I’m sorry, Kylie.”

“Me too.” Kylie gave a sad little ironic snort. “I was diagnosed with endometriosis in college. The condition makes it difficult, if not impossible, to conceive. My boyfriend at the time acted like he was okay with it at first, but then he broke up with me because he wanted a family of his own. Since then, the few men I’ve told about my condition have hightailed it out of my life pretty quick.” She shook her head and smiled, a brittle affair. “I get it. I do. I’m broken. Defective. No guy wants to marry that.”

Moving slowly, Gage sat up, not wanting to startle her. He moved in closer beside her and gazed out over the landscape, his arm brushing hers. “For the record, you’re not broken. Or defective. And there are plenty of other ways to have a family besides childbirth. Just look at me and the twins. Or me and my uncle. Sometimes the families you choose yourself are even better than the ones you’re born into. It’s the bonds that matter. The connections. Not the blood.”

For a while she didn’t respond, just stared out at the horizon, and Gage started to worry that he’d said the wrong thing again. Then she leaned in to kiss his cheek and smiled brighter than the sun in the sky and his whole universe tilted in the best way. “Thank you for that.”

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