She was breathing hard, as was he, more so when her hand slid beneath his shirt, her cool fingers brushing against his abs. Fucking hell.
This had to stop.
Kaden took a deep breath, reached for her wrist, and removed her hand, though it pained him to do so.
“You’re gonna leave, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice so soft he barely heard her.
“We are, yes. But when you’re ready … really ready, Bristol … just know we’re waitin’ for you.” Kaden lifted his head, met and held her gaze. “Only you.”
He could see the hint of uncertainty in her eyes, but Kaden knew this was the only option. Falling into bed with her would be amazing. They could rock her world all fucking night long, but Kaden wanted a hell of a lot more than one night with her.
Forcing himself to his feet, Kaden met Keegan’s eyes. His twin nodded once. They were on the same page, thank God.
“Dream about us,” Keegan said softly, smiling down at her.
When Kaden stepped out into the hallway, his body ached with the need for her, but he was getting used to it. As it was, he’d wanted Bristol for so long, he wasn’t sure he remembered a time when he wasn’t aching for her.
“She’s gonna push us away,” Keegan said, lifting the vodka bottle to his lips as they headed toward the elevator to their floor.
“She is,” he agreed, but good things came to those who waited.
And Kaden was willing to wait as long as it took, because in the end, it would be so fucking worth it.
Chapter One
Present Day
Monday, October 19, 2020
Keegan Walker stared at his twin, doing his damnedest to get the man to come over to his way of thinking. Being as he’d been working on Kaden for the better part of ten minutes, it wasn’t looking good for him.
“All right. What about a bakery?”
“Coyote Ridge already has a bakery,” Kaden countered.
“Pet store?”
“No.”
“Gym?”
“No.”
“Vape shop?”
Kaden shot him a get real look. “No.”
“Thrift shop?” Of course, that had Keegan doing his rendition of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.” “I’m gonna pop some tags … only got twenty dollas in my pocket.”
A little too much twang, he thought, but not terrible.
“Stick to your day job, Keeg.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. “Fine. No thrift shop. What about an arcade?”
Kaden narrowed his eyes in that manner that spoke of disbelief combined with a modicum of concern. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Seriously.” Keegan was serious, and he wasn’t sure how much clearer he could be. Yet Kaden didn’t seem to be on board, hence the reason he was feigning ignorance.
“Is this some sorta midlife crisis?” Kaden questioned, his dark eyebrow lowered at a sharp slant, his incredulity evident.
“First off, we’re a long damn way from midlife. And two, it’s a damn fine idea and you know it.”
“Oh, yeah? And who in their right mind is gonna hang out in an arcade? In Coyote Ridge?”
“Just because you’re old doesn’t mean we all are,” Keegan argued, staring at the man who was more or less his mirror image. “Have you seen the town lately? They’re finally gettin’ with the program.”
“Yada, yada, I got it,” Kaden sniped. “Ever since Rex opened the B and B, blah, blah. I know the spiel, Keeg.”
But what a spiel it was. The Double R Bed and Breakfast had been open for a year, and it had proven to be a fruitful venture in just a short time. The big, renovated farmhouse right in the heart of town had been at capacity every weekend since the opening, and it didn’t appear they’d be letting up anytime soon. What more could a small-town hotel ask for? Or those who had invested in the project from the jump?
Keegan grinned wide. “Damn good idea, wasn’t it? I knew that place would be a helluva investment.”
“Frog giggin’, cow tippin’, and a B and B. What more could Coyote Ridge possibly offer?” Kaden grumbled.
“An arcade,” Keegan answered, deadpan.
Kaden rolled his eyes again.
Keegan had known his brother would react this way. They might share the same DNA code, but there was no denying their personalities were polar opposite. Kaden had always been the level-headed one, the one who came up with a plan even when a plan wasn’t necessary. Keegan was more of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda guy. He tried not to take things too seriously, while Kaden spent more time thinking than actually doing. And sure, Keegan could admit his brother was usually right when it came down to their arguments.
Didn’t mean Keegan agreed with his twin. In fact, most of the time they didn’t see eye to eye at all.
But…
Yes, but. Backing Rex Sharpe in the bed-and-breakfast had been a stellar idea if he did say so himself. And now, who was to say an arcade couldn’t bring some life to this sleepy little town? Of course, Keegan was only considering it because his true dream couldn’t be realized yet. It had always been his goal to own a ranch, but without one available to acquire, that was unfortunately on the back burner.
“Well”—Keegan lifted his coffee mug, offered his brother a casual one-shoulder shrug—“I think it’s a smart idea. Think about all the things Coyote Ridge has goin’ for it. Just in the time we’ve been here, they’ve opened a toy store and a bookstore, right on Main Street. I heard they’re plannin’ to expand the bookstore to include a coffee shop. An arcade might kick it up a notch.”
“I get my coffee at the bakery,” Kaden retorted.
“Options, Kaden. We’re always open for options.”
“No. No way,” Kaden retorted. “I’ll admit, I doubted the B and B in the beginning, and it turned out all right, but I’m not at all on board with an arcade.”
“Okay, fine,” Keegan conceded. “What then? It’s not set in stone and the place is still for sale. We can snatch it up, put in somethin’ of our own.” He leaned in, lowered his voice. “For fuck’s sake, everyone else is doin’ it. Why can’t we?”
“If everyone else was jumpin’ off a cliff, would you wanna do that, too, Keeg?”
He grinned. “Damn straight I would.”
Those familiar steel-blue eyes glinted with incredulity. “You’re serious? You want… Us? You and me…?” Kaden exhaled with a sigh and shook his head. “Ain’t gonna happen, Keeg.”
Keegan chuckled. He happened to enjoy getting his brother riled. Especially first thing in the morning.
“I’ll come up with somethin’,” he told his twin. “You just wait.” Although he certainly wasn’t giving up on the arcade.
Kaden challenged him back with a simple tilt of his eyebrows upward.
Keegan knew that look. Kaden thought he was off his rocker. And perhaps he was, but hey, everyone else seemed to be making their mark on this town. Why couldn’t they?
Kaden leaned back, allowed the waitress to set his plate down in front of him. “Thanks.” He turned his full attention to Keegan. “Might I remind you, we’ve got enough on our plates.”