Reckless (Thoughtless, #3)(10)

From beside me, I heard my mother mutter, “Oh . . . my . . .”

Mom and I exchanged knowing glances as Kellan and his father shook hands. Elation on his face, Kellan gestured inside his house. “I’m glad you’re here. Come on in.”

Gavin nodded and stepped inside. Right behind him were his two children—Kellan’s half siblings. I waved at Kellan’s sister, Hailey. Giggling, she waved back at me. Hailey was close to my age, maybe a year or so younger. She had also inherited her father’s deep blue eyes, but, surrounded in natural light, I could now see that her light brown hair was a just a touch blonder than the boys’. Close on her heels was Kellan’s little brother, Riley. Cute as a button, Riley looked to be around ten years old, just a couple of years shy from the age Kellan was when he’d first experimented with the opposite sex. I really hoped Riley hadn’t yet; he was far too young. With eyes the color of a spring morning, Riley looked up at Kellan with awe on his face. Obviously, Riley already idolized his rock-star big brother.

Kellan rumpled Riley’s hair as he walked through the door. Once the trio was inside, Kellan indicated his small living room. “Please, have a seat.”

I stepped away from the couch so Kellan’s father could sit there. My parents stood so they could shake Gavin’s hand. My dad gave him a firm, hearty handshake. My mother tittered, then tried to cover it by clearing her throat. Dad was frowning as he watched his wife shake hands with the older version of Kellan. He wisely moved over so that he was sitting by Gavin on the couch and my mother wasn’t.

Riley plopped down on the floor, stretching out his legs as he looked around Kellan’s home. I’d recently enlisted my best friend Jenny’s help in painting the living room. It had been a drab, off-white color for as long as I had been here. She helped me paint it a warm, beige color with a deep, red focal wall. Along the corners of the red wall, Jenny had used her artistic ability to freehand music notes. She had also painted lyrics from one of Kellan’s songs. In big, bold letters above the sliding glass door, it said: Every single day I’ll keep you with me, no matter how far from me you are. Kellan thought it was a little pretentious to have his own words on his own walls, but I thought it was beautiful and wouldn’t let him paint over it. It was my home now too.

Coming up beside me, Hailey wrapped her arms around me. By the delight on her face, it was clear to see that she loved me by Kellan’s recommendation alone. I found it almost laughable now that I’d once suspected Kellan of cheating on me with her. But he had been pretty secretive about discovering his birth father and hiding it from everyone, including me. I think most girlfriends would have leapt to the same conclusion I had.

I thought Kellan’s face might split apart, his grin was so big. As his eyes settled over his parent having a conversation with my parents, he smacked his hands together. “Well, I’ll get started on brunch, since it’s getting close to lunch time.” Laughing a little, he held his palms up to his father. “I’m sorry I was so late in calling you.”

Gavin’s deep blue eyes took in his son, then swung my way. As I felt my cheeks heat under his gaze, it was easy to imagine how this man had seduced a married woman. Sure, it was an awful situation—just as awful as the situation I’d found myself in a couple of years ago—but it was easy to see why it had happened. Gavin’s face was not one that many women would say no to. I was instantly grateful that Dad was acting like a buffer between Gavin and Mom. Not that Gavin was going to hit on my mom while he was here, and not that my mom would go there, but still . . .

A warm smile lifted Gavin’s lips as he nodded at me. “Yes, I hear you got married last night. Congratulations.”

My cheeks felt even hotter as Hailey squeezed me tight and squealed. “You’re part of the family now, Kiera! Like it or not!”

My dad sighed.

Walking over to me, Kellan extracted me from his sister and gave me a soft kiss. His eyes drank me in like he’d never seen me before. The way he looked at me made my knees wobble, my heartbeat spike, my breath quicken. He was amazing.

“Like it or not,” he murmured before kissing me again.

Feeling sappy and romantic, I breathed, “Like.”

My dad sighed again.

Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, Kellan faced our families. “We’ll be in the kitchen. Do you guys need anything?”

Grinning as she stared at Gavin, my mother muttered, “No, we’re just fine here.” Dad peeked over at her and leaned forward just a bit, blocking her view of Kellan’s father.

Oblivious, Gavin shook his head. “We’re fine, thank you, son.”

Kellan was chuckling when we walked around the corner into the kitchen. Leaning down to my ear he whispered, “He called me ‘son.’”

I smiled up at him, ecstatic for the bond that was growing between him and his father. Kellan stopped us in front of his refrigerator, and the smile fell off his face. His perfectly soft lips pulled down into a frown. “What the hell do I make them to eat?” He peered down at me, his face a mixture of panic and concern. “I’m not the greatest cook.”

Releasing me, Kellan pulled open the refrigerator door and aimlessly looked inside. Trying to think of any meals I’d made that were half-decent, I tossed out, “I can make eggs?”

Kellan’s bright smile returned as he found a carton in the fridge. “Yeah, okay . . . that will work.” Handing me the carton, he closed his eyes for a second. “Please tell me we have bacon.” I was just about to tell him that I’d picked some up the other day, when he opened the freezer door and spotted it. His face flooding with relief, he exhaled, “Thank God.”