Brendon (Alluring Indulgence #8)(76)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow? Besides Zoey and Kaleb comin’ by. I hope they’ll bring Mason.”

There was a smile in Brendon’s voice when he said, “I say we just do what we did today.”

Cheyenne twisted her head around and looked up at Brendon. “I’m not sure I can keep up with you,” she told him seriously.

“You’re doin’ a damn good job so far,” he retorted.

Cheyenne smiled to herself and leaned her head against his chest.

This right here, sitting on the back porch with Brendon, listening to the sound of his breathing, the steady thump of his heart, was what she’d longed for her entire life. To feel wanted and safe, something she’d rarely experienced growing up.

And that thought had the other things once again battling inside her head. Making a promise to herself not to worry about things beyond her control until it was necessary to deal with them, Cheyenne promised herself she’d live in the moment.

Starting right now.

chapter TWENTY-FOUR

“Mason!” Cheyenne squealed, smiling from ear to ear as Kaleb carried the incredibly cute little boy into her house the following afternoon. Mason was wearing his usual getup, little Wrangler jeans and boots. Today he had on a bright red T-shirt with Elmo on the front. The only thing he lacked was his cowboy hat.

Mason eyed her warily, as he did everyone these days. Although she knew he was quick to open up, it generally took him a few minutes to get his bearings. The only person he didn’t seem to hesitate around was Curtis, and she knew for a fact the proud grandpa knew that.

“He just woke up from his nap,” Kaleb said, glancing at Mason. “There’s Aunt Cheyenne. Can you say hi?”

Mason, with his head resting against Kaleb’s shoulder, smiled and squeezed his hand in a brief wave.

Cheyenne waved back, her heart swelling with her love for the little boy. She’d bonded to him and found herself looking forward to seeing him every time she came to town. Now that she was there for a while, she hoped for the opportunity to spend more time with him.

“The place looks great,” Kaleb told her as he turned in a full circle, taking it all in.

Cheyenne had to admit, the new furniture transformed the entire space, making it feel significantly homier and far less like a construction site. “Thanks.”

Brendon passed through the living room. “Hey,” he greeted Kaleb. “Where’s your ol’ lady?”

“She’s comin’. She was on the phone with V, so she stopped on the front porch.”

“Can I get you somethin’ to drink?” Cheyenne offered, turning to follow Brendon into the kitchen.

“That’d be fantastic.” Hefting Mason higher on his shoulder, Kaleb fell into step behind her.

“We’ve got tea, lemonade, possibly a beer somewhere in there.”

“Tea’s perfect.”

“I bought some sippy cups,” Cheyenne mentioned. “Does Mason want somethin?”

“Water would be good, thanks.”

Cheyenne went to work making drinks while Brendon opened the back door and called Scrap inside. Once the little dog bounded into the kitchen, Mason giggled and insisted on being put down on the floor.

Cheyenne set the glasses on the table, then snuck into the laundry room where she retrieved a small basket that she’d filled with toys for this exact occasion. Returning to where the others were sitting, Cheyenne lowered herself to the floor in front of Mason and proceeded to show him what she’d bought for him.

“I’m so sorry,” Zoey said when she joined them a few minutes later. “That was V. She’s havin’ one of her mini-meltdowns.”

Brendon asked, “She okay?”

“Oh, she’s fine. As for the spa, I don’t know about that. Somethin’ about a shipment comin’ in wrong.”

“She’s at work?” Cheyenne inquired.

“Yep.”

“The woman’s always workin’,” Kaleb chimed in. “She takes that spa very seriously.”

Cheyenne knew that V managed the upscale spa at Alluring Indulgence, something she’d apparently always wanted to do. She could remember V and Zoey telling her stories about how the two of them used to clean houses for a living. Needless to say, V was significantly more animated when it came to talking about the resort than when it did her past life of cleaning toilets—as she liked to tell it.

“How’s the rest of it goin’?” Brendon asked, taking a seat at the table across from Kaleb.

“Good. Busy. Summer’s comin’ on quick and we’re fillin’ up fast.”