Meant To Be Family (Meant To Be Series Book 3) Read online

  She slung the strap over her shoulder and kept one hand over the gaping side. With resolve mustered from…somewhere, she pressed her lips together and pinned him with as stern of an expression as she could manage. “So much for that truce, huh?”

  Eyelashes longer than any man should possess rested against his cheekbones for lengthy, agonizing seconds. But that was preferable to the crystal blue irises revealed when they opened. “Kels—”

  She held up the palm of her free hand to face him. “Remember this is your last chance, Connor. Neither of us is going to have fun over the next eight weeks, but we can manage. If you make this a living hell for me, you’re going to be inpatient, and no matter what you think of me, that isn’t something I want to see happen.”

  Kelsey turned on her heel and forced her feet into a moderate pace. She managed to keep the body-shuddering sobs at bay for the twenty-minute drive back to her apartment. The place was even colder than she remembered. All the warmth and comfort that wrapped around her simply from crossing the threshold into the house that was once her home was a painful juxtaposition to the cramped one-bedroom walk-up.

  Her pillow was enough to soak up every tear she cried for herself, but mostly for the broken boy she wanted nothing more than to hold and put back together.

  Chapter Four

  Connor

  Six Years Earlier

  It was a kiss.

  Just a kiss. There was no way in hell it should haunt his mind in waking and sleeping hours. Not to mention the fact that it was a full week ago. Ancient history.

  He’d tried to position himself in places where she would “just happen” to stumble across his pathetic self, but somehow he’d always just missed her. Twice he’d caught a glimpse of her auburn waves practically sprinting across the campus, but he’d managed to always be too late and would lose her to the sea of students.

  He felt a little bit like a stalker—and his always encouraging younger brother and best friend Dean managed to confirm that for him—but today he stood at the end of the walk in front of her dorm. Another day without seeing her was just not on his list of acceptable.

  Maybe she’d blow him off, maybe she’d think he was a creep, but either way he needed to talk to the girl who managed to always hover at the periphery of his consciousness after just one night. Hell, maybe he’d get as lucky as his older brother and this would be the girl he was meant to marry, meant to start a family with.

  Or maybe he needed to slow down a little and start with getting a second date. And hopefully not ending the conversation with a shot of pepper spray straight to his eyes.

  “Connor?”

  Her soft voice cut through the conflicting thoughts racing through his head, and he blinked the remnants away before smiling. “Hey.”

  The gray eyes that had been seared on his memory lit up as she approached him. When she was only a few steps away, her foot paused in midair, caution settling on her face. “A-are you here to meet someone?”

  “Yep. I am. She doesn’t know I’m coming yet.”

  Her full lips made a perfect O, and the excited flare disappeared from her eyes. “Well, I-I’m sure whoever she is will be out shortly.” She clamped her teeth together, and her jaws flexed. “Have a good night, Connor.”

  He absolutely, positively should not be encouraged by her not-so-secretly jealous reaction, but he absolutely, positively was. “She actually just came out a few seconds ago, but now she’s looking like someone kicked her puppy, so…maybe I should come back another time.”

  Kelsey looked behind her at the completely empty sidewalk leading to her front door and then back at him. Rose stained her fair cheeks, and she pointed at herself. “Me?”

  Concerns of the fine line between smitten admirer and creepy stalker still raced through his mind. “I never got your number that night, and I can’t stop thinking about you. Would you please put me out of my misery and go out with me again? And this time maybe…” He held his phone up, rotating it slightly in his hand.

  She twisted her lips to the side in a repressed smile and stole the device from his hand. After a few swipes of her fingers across the glass, she returned it. “There ya go.”

  “And tonight?” His mind raced on what to do if she said yes. He hadn’t thought this through in the slightest, and a repeat dinner at a diner would be boring. Shit, he should have planned this out a little better.

  She captured her bottom lip between her teeth and looked up at him through her lashes. “That…sounds great.”

  He blinked once. Twice. Then the proverbial light bulb flashed above his head, and his vision for the night fell into place. “Does the creepy stalker thing of hanging outside your dorm so I can talk to you mean you don’t trust me to drive?”

  Kelsey squinted at him and rocked her head from side to side. “I’d say yes, except I think I’m in love with your Jeep, so I may just throw caution to the wind and say, ‘Let’s go.’” Hesitantly, she slid her hand into his. “So where to?”

  Connor’s heart thudded against his ribs at the feel of her soft skin. He cleared his throat before tossing her a wink that was far more confident than he actually felt. “Hey, I’ve got to try to keep some mystery about me.”

  His hand gripped hers more firmly as he led her to his Jeep and opened the door. He might be a bit of an asshole for doing this, but tonight was sort of a test. If she liked the simplicity, the understated, the decidedly not four-star-restaurant-and-night-on-the-town kind of evening he had in mind…

  Love at first sight was much better reserved for movies and the sappy romance books his mom read with a tear in her eye, but Kelsey was definitely intrigue at first sight. He wanted more with her. More time, more talking, more learning, and most definitely more kissing.

  Both of her brows shot up when he pulled into the line of the drive-thru for the fast food restaurant. She waved her hand and nodded with a smirk when he asked if a double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink sounded good. Their provisions secure on the console between them, he merged onto 74 and quickly lost himself in Kelsey’s excited response to his questions about her degree.

  Medicine grossed him out, but hearing her passionate descriptions about physical therapy and how much good she wanted to do with her career was becoming one of Connor’s favorite things in the world. Hell, just her voice reading the phone book would be fine by him.

  Nearly fifty minutes later, he pulled into the cement parking area overlooking Lake Lure. It was close enough that he could drive here when he just needed to clear his head from school. And the view always provided inspiration for sketches. His fingers itched to draw the sight before him, especially as the sun dipped behind the tree and the sky began its metamorphosis from blue to orange, pink, and purple. Instead, he collected the food, hopped out, set it all on the hood, and moved to open Kelsey’s door.

  She stepped out of the Jeep and stood near the front fender. Her breath caught as she stared out across the glassy surface. Her eyes never left the lake as she reached out to entangle her fingers through his. “Connor, this is beautiful. I had no idea this existed.”

  He curled their joined hands against his chest and leaned close to her ear. “Trust me?”

  That brought her slate irises to latch onto his. “Yes.”

  A band of warmth tightened around his ribcage at her quick, affirmative response. He moved to grasp her around the waist and lifted her up to sit on the hood of his Jeep. The startled “eep” she squeaked out was possibly the most adorable sound he’d ever heard.

  He divided the fast food meal between them, and they talked about everything and nothing as the sun disappeared and stars twinkled above them. Crickets created an unrivaled melody, and fireflies swirled around them.

  Kelsey nudged his shoulder with hers as she threw the wrapper from her burger in the empty bag with the rest of their trash. “This was a pretty good date for a creepy stalker.”

  Connor slid off the hood and held out his arms for Kelsey to jump into. Holding her close
to him, he grinned, pressing his forehead to hers. “It’s not over yet.”

  ***

  Kelsey

  Six Years Earlier

  He was obnoxiously charming. And damned if he didn’t have that fifties throwback gentleman routine down. Jaded as she may have been, she had to admit it was pretty obvious it was completely genuine.

  But the date—their second—had been sweet and romantic and simplistic in the best possible way. She was as far from the “hundred dollar a plate restaurant” kind of date as she could possibly be. A pseudo picnic watching kids and families play in the lake surrounded by tree-covered mountains was exactly what she would have chosen. It only got better as their conversation stretched out to the hours when only silence reached them from the beach and darkness cocooned them in a blissful serenity.

  How the hell did he know?

  She narrowed her gaze at him, trying to hide the effect his strong arms had on her as they held her close. “What do you have up your sleeve now?”

  As he lowered her the few inches to allow her feet to touch the ground, she bit back a gasp at the fire flaring from the friction. Something in her gut that was definitely not the greasy cheeseburger rocked and churned. This wouldn’t be their last date if she had anything to say about it.

  Connor pulled up one of the navy blue short sleeves of his shirt, revealing a shockingly toned bicep. “Nothing there, Kels.” He released his hold on her and held up a finger. “Just…wait right here. Don’t move.”

  He stuck the top half of his body inside his car for a few minutes. Kelsey lifted onto the balls of her feet to see if she could tell what he was doing, but it didn’t take long for the familiar strains of an old classic to reach her ears. Seemingly before she could blink, Connor was standing in front of her again.

  Kelsey bit her lip and gripped his shoulder when he wound his arms around her waist. “I…didn’t realize you’d be a Beatles fan. I definitely pictured you being more of a southern rock type of guy.”

  With a small laugh, he pulled her hand from his shoulder and held it in his. “If anyone out there isn’t a Beatles fan, I don’t want to know them.” He tilted his head to the right. “Will you dance with me?”

  For a moment, her heart stuttered to a halt. There wasn’t a chance in hell this guy was real. “I’d love to.”

  The arm around her waist tightened a fraction, as did his grasp on her hand, and he slowly began to sway them both to the rhythm of the song.

  The sultry tones of Connor’s voice singing about bright stars shining in dark skies near her ear calmed her mind, and she laid her head on his chest. The music died off, but they continued to move at a slow pace to an invisible rhythm.

  She lifted her head and searched for his eyes in the moonlight. Before she could speak, his mouth lowered to hers. A soft and gentle swipe of his lips across hers. She pushed up onto her toes, taking control of the kiss and pouring more passion and intensity in the action.

  Her tongue danced inside his mouth, taunting his. His responding groan echoed through her and propelled her to wind her arms around his neck and pull him more firmly against her.

  When she lightly sucked his lower lip, he growled and lifted her off her feet, depositing her on the hood of his Jeep without breaking their kiss. His hands left her waist and cupped her cheeks. He deepened the kiss with a hunger that was surprising and yet the most intense experience of her twenty-one years on the planet.

  Kelsey locked her legs around his hips, keeping him in one place. Anything from sixty seconds to a hundred hours ticked past without her noticing. Connor Carlisle was the only thing in existence in this moment in her world, and she was determined to enjoy every blessed moment.

  A last swipe across her lips and a final peck broke the kiss. They stared at each other, each breathing deeply. Connor stroked a thumb across her cheekbone and leaned down to press his lips to her nose. A sweet gesture that managed to balance perfectly with the heated passion sparking between them merely second earlier.

  “What do you want, Kels?”

  She blinked at him several times, the words barely penetrating through the haze of lust blanketing her mind. “W-what?”

  He cradled her face with a tenderness that left her speechless. “I know this is only our second date, but I really like you. I’m not really the kind of guy that dates a million girls or even more than one at a time—” He shook his head with a nervous chuckle. “What I’m trying to say is I-I want to date you. Exclusively. I want you to be my girlfriend. But…what do you want?”

  His light southern drawl managed to make it even more endearing. “You are…quite the gentleman.”

  Connor quirked his mouth into a lopsided grin and winked. “There’s a good reason I’m my mom’s favorite.”

  She pressed her fingers into the back of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers. Barely a breath separated their lips, and she smiled. “I kinda like that whole girlfriend idea.”

  Chapter Five

  Connor

  Present Day

  “I’ve got it.”

  Kelsey let out a huff that sent the loose auburn strands hanging free from her ponytail flying. “Why do you have to be so damned stubborn? Is this what a truce looks like to you?”

  With a matching—and admittedly overdramatic—groan, Connor narrowed his eyes into slits. A million biting retorts danced on the tip of his tongue, starting with the reminder that she was the one who bailed with no explanation.

  But then her challenging gaze fell, and she crossed her arms over her chest. The toe of the practical clogs he once teased her over dug at the floor. “This is the last time I’m going to say this. I’m sorry, and I get it. We have a history that makes this possibly the most uncomfortable situation in the world, but it’s also been over three months since we…and you’ve been making such good progress since we started your therapy.” Her pleading hazel eyes met his. “Please don’t let what I did ruin this for you. Let’s just try to work together for the next few weeks.”

  Oh damn.

  Connor pressed his fingers into the vinyl seat of the wheelchair. She was still Kelsey. She’d always be Kelsey, and he’d always be incapable of saying no to her. He ground his molars together. “Fine.”

  She rolled her eyes and resumed her stance in front of his chair. With only the briefest moment of hesitation, she put her arms around his torso, beneath his that were stretched out to the parallel metal bars.

  After the third attempt, Connor huffed and collapsed back into his seat. “I can’t do this, Kels.” Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he looked up at her. He hated himself for showing his frustration and pain, but once the dam cracked, the words flowed through the opening, and he spoke his deepest fear. “What if I never can?”

  Kelsey dropped to her knees and gathered one of his hands in hers, holding it against her chest. “Connor, don’t talk like that. I swear I can make you better.”

  It’s Kels, the same thought continued to play on repeat in his brain. If there was anyone in the world he believed could help him conquer this mountain, it was her. When she’d been by his side, the word impossible dissolved into a cloud of smoke.

  Without thinking, he tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing along her cheek. They’d been the couple everyone hated. While Kelsey had been in graduate school, Connor had secured an internship in Charlotte so they could be together. They’d supported each other endlessly through numerous ups and downs and managed to barely ever fight.

  His hand fell away. “Was that what was wrong?”

  Kelsey drew her brows together, and her lips turned down. “Nothing is wrong, Connor. You’re healing perfectly, and your muscles are getting stronger. I promise you that you will walk. Sooner than you think.”

  He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. “I’m talking about us. Is it because we never fought? Is that why you left? Was there…something that was eroding the perfect relationship I thought we had that you just never ment
ioned?”

  She dropped his hand like it was a grenade, popped to her feet, and took three large steps back. “This isn’t a conversation we can have. You’re my patient. Not my boyfriend. This is not personal, only professional. And discussing anything like that sure as hell violates the damn truce.”

  Heat crept up the back of Connor’s neck, the blood thrumming through his veins so loudly he could hear the pounding in his ears. “It’s never the right time, is it? It wasn’t the right time when you packed everything up and left.” He flipped the brakes off his wheelchair and rolled off the platform with more force than necessary. “It wasn’t the right time when I called you repeatedly. And it sure as hell wasn’t the right time when I showed up at your place on my knees begging for you to just tell me what went wrong and how to fix it.”

  Tears streamed down her face with every word Connor spoke, tearing at his heart. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d seen her cry in their six-year history, but it was the first time he couldn’t reach out to wipe them away or pull her into his arms to make it all better. It was the first time that fixing what hurt her was off the table for him. A position he didn’t appreciate being in.

  They stood—well, she stood because despite his multiple attempts the past two days, his legs simply refused to hold the full weight of him—locked in a silent standoff. Lines formed around her mouth from the pressure she placed on keeping them together.

  When she left, the ache that formed in his gut slowly grew into a gaping maw of vacancy. He had missed her more with every passing day until the agony morphed into bitter anger. Then he went to the salon, got his hair cut into a short, spiky style, and had the tips frosted white blond. After that, he took the hairstylist that had been shamelessly flirting with him the entire time he’d been there to a bar and drank more shots of tequila in one night than he had in his entire twenty-seven years on the planet.