Keeping the Beat: An Adrenaline Novel (3 page)

              After a moment of tense silence Wyatt spoke, “We can change her mind. I’ll sit on her if I have to. This is our home. Kenzie belongs here with us.” I began nodding in agreement before Wyatt had finished talking. There was no way Kenzie could leave the farm. I wouldn't survive it.

              “It’s no use. She’s already gotten to Mrs. Cooper and Reece.” Sighing in resignation, Declan closed his eyes briefly before walking out of the barn. “It’s a done deal.”

              Not if I had anything to say about it.

Chapter 2

Kenzie

              By the time dinner rolled around the next night everyone knew about my plan. The first step of it anyway. Only Garret, Reece, and our friend Lane knew the rest.

Wyatt had already given me a list of reasons why I was needed on the farm while Lucas used Simon to try to lure me into staying. We both knew he was playing dirty. The only one I hadn't heard from was Jace for which I was both grateful and disappointed.

              Grateful because I didn't think I would be able to say no if he asked me to stay and disappointed because he didn't care enough to bother.

              “Who is going to help me with my homework?” Simon asked as he sat next to me at the kitchen table. He looked so much like his dad and uncle, it was easy to imagine what a handsome man he was going to become. “Don’t say dad will. He doesn’t know as much as you.”

              “I don’t think anyone knows as much as Little One does, son.” Lucas frowned in my direction, his eyes crinkling in concern. “The boy does have a point though. What if his school work suffers because of this?”

              “That’s not fair,” I glared at both of them when they pouted at me. Setting the book I was reading down I gave them my full attention. “Simon, of course I will still help you with your homework, either here or you can come see me in town. Maybe we can make it a regular date and get ice cream after.”

              “Yes!” Simon exclaimed, clearly won over by my sugar incentive. As he turned away to grab a plate I stuck my tongue out at Lucas. He flipped me the bird discreetly behind his hand.

              “Knock it off, Lucas,” Mrs. Cooper gave her son a swat on the back of the head. “That goes for the rest of you too,” she continued giving everyone around the table a hard stare. “Leave Kenzie be.” As she turned away, the guys all started muttering under their breath, stopping when she turned around, her eyes flashing in warning.

              Reece hid a smirk as she picked up her water glass, laughing outright when Wyatt received the same swat his brother had gotten a moment before.

              “Hey!” He exclaimed indignantly. “I didn't even say anything.”

              “You were thinking it,” Mrs. Cooper clucked her tongue in disapproval.

              “How does she always know,” Wyatt murmured rubbing the back of his head. He turned to eye his mother warily over his shoulder.

              “A mother always knows,” Mrs. Cooper replied serenely as she sat at the head of the table.

              I went back to reading my book as everyone sat down, glancing up when the back door opened. Garret and Jace walked in looking larger than life, kicking off their shoes before grabbing plates. Garret moved fast taking the empty seat next to me earning a scowl from Jace. I looked at Garret to see what that was all about but he only smiled and tugged on my hair making me swat his hand away in annoyance.

              “This is amazing, Mrs. Cooper.” Reece grinned as Jace slammed his plate down on the table with a huff.

              “You think all food is amazing,” Wyatt commented with a roll of his eyes.

              Declan shot him a look but Reece only laughed and stole a french fry from his plate. “That’s because I’m eating for two, you ass.”

              The annoyed look faded from my brother’s face shifting to one of pure adoration as he watched Reece. Leaning forward he pressed a kiss to her temple and grabbed all the fries from Wyatt’s plate placing them onto hers. Wyatt grumbled in disapproval but he gave Reece a smile before standing from the table to refill his plate.

              When everyone had finished eating I offered to do the dishes. Reece had basically fallen into a food coma along with Simon and Mrs. Cooper had done the cooking. Wyatt and Garret skipped out right after Mrs. Cooper had gone to bed, no doubt knowing they were going to be selected for clean up duty. As I watched my brother carry Reece out the door after Lucas and Simon I suddenly realized that I was alone with Jace.

              “You really don’t have to help.” I started gathering the empty plates from the table into a neat stack that I carried over to the sink. I heard Jace move behind me, grabbing the glasses and moving to set them on the counter next to me. “Seriously, Jace. I can handle this if you want to go.”

Chancing a look over my shoulder I saw that Jace was standing with his back towards me, using a rag to wipe down the dinner table. The angle gave me a nice view of his strong back and toned arms. Sighing I turned back to the sink, tensing when Jace came to stand next to me. Taking the wet dishes from my hands he began to dry them as we worked together in a steady rhythm that came from years of routine.

              The first time I had seen Jason Craw he had intimidated me. That had been until he’d flashed that wide grin, the one that was so wide it could swallow you whole if you weren't careful. He was more than a foot taller than me, which I had always liked but I suspected it reminded him that I was like his little sister. All of the women in his life were tall and willowy. My complete opposite.

              When the dishes were done I backed away from the sink, wiping my hands on the dish towel to dry them before offering it to Jace. “Thanks for the help,” I said giving him a tentative smile. Looking up into his eyes I waited for him to say something, growing increasingly frustrated when he only continued to stare at me. “Do I have food on my face?” I asked snatching the towel from his hands to run it over my mouth self consciously.

              “When’s the big move?” He spoke at last, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes were laser focused on me making my heart stall in my chest as I started fidgeting with the towel in my hands.

              “Probably Saturday depending on everyone’s schedule.”

              Jace nodded sharply, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Declan says you need space from the farm. He said you needed space from us.” Bending down to look into my eyes, Jace studied them momentarily. “He also said you were lying. I’d like to know why.”

              Sucking in a breath, I took a step back right into the kitchen table. “It’s not a lie.”

              “But it’s not the whole truth is it?”

Despite everything that had happened between us I couldn't help but react to the plea I heard in his voice. Shaking my head I took a deep breath and looked down at my feet before looking at him again.

              “No, but it’s still true. I need to be on my own for a bit. I can’t keep going on like this.” I hesitated trying to think about what I wanted to say. “I need a change.”

              “Kenzie,” he said my name in a husky voice and my hands got clammy. I tried to look anywhere but into his eyes knowing that if I did I would crack and tell him anything he wanted to know. When I continued to look just over his shoulder, Jace took my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. “What’s going on with you?” 

              Feeling unbelievably tired I leaned back against the table. Jace’s hand fell from my face but he remained still as a statue in front of me. I gave him a long look as I started to fidget with my hair. “Why are you so concerned all of the sudden?”

              “Don’t be like that, Kenzie.” Frowning at my tone, Jace shifted on his feet shoving his hands into his pockets. “All I have ever wanted was for you to be happy. I love you. We all do. Don’t go.”

              I closed my eyes at his words, feeling a sharp pain in my heart knowing he would never mean them the way I wanted him to. Taking a deep breath, I blinked back the tears I felt rushing to the surface and pushed away from the table, stopping short when Jace shuffled to block my path.

              “You have to let me go, Jace,” I ordered softly.

              The man didn't budge, he just shook his head infuriating me. “No.” The word rang with a note of finality I didn't miss. “Not until you tell me the whole truth.”

              Gazing up at him, I almost smiled noticing his long brown hair curling over his ears in a way I knew irritated him but I had always loved. No doubt he would steal one of my hairbands before long to keep the silky strands from falling into his eyes.

              I forced myself to remember the pain I had felt when I had finally worked up the nerve to tell Jace the whole truth, only to hear him fucking Sydney West minutes later. I should have gotten out then but apparently I was a glutton for punishment. Since that night it seemed he had done everything in his power to push me away from him.

              He’d done a fantastic job.

              Squaring my shoulders I forced myself to meet his gaze, ignoring my splintering heart. “I need to get over you, Jace. Moving away is the first step of my plan.”

              This time when I walked past him he didn't try to stop me.

Jace

              I hadn't slept a wink in the past week.

              After my confrontation with Kenzie in the kitchen, I had returned to my house only to roam through it aimlessly. Her words were cycling around in my head and I couldn't seem to get them out.

              I knew Kenzie thought she had a crush on me. That had been undeniable after what had happened on her birthday, but I hadn't thought she was still carrying a torch. Not only had Kenzie admitted that she still had those kinds of feelings for me, she had implied there was a plan in place to get rid of them.

              Knowing Kenzie, the plan was foolproof.

              Now the big day was here and Kenzie was setting her plan into action. I had no fucking idea what to do about it. I'd reluctantly agreed to help Kenzie move to Reece's place in town but I couldn't bring myself to walk over to the big house to watch her pack.

              "Of course your lazy ass isn't moving," Wyatt commented as he walked through my front door without an invitation. His cocksure smile grew when he took in my rough appearance. "You look like absolute shit."

              "Fuck you, Wyatt," I snarled. If the idiot had any sense he would have left it at that, but Wyatt never knew when to quit.

              "Someone has their cranky pants on." He gave a low whistle and rocked back on his heels. "Put the death stare away man. You're gonna give someone a heart attack."

              "Not you unfortunately," I grumbled. "Did you come over here just to irritate the shit out of me?"

              “While that is a productive use of my time, I was sent here." Wyatt moved further into the room holding his hands out in front of him. "This is one of those don't shoot the messenger type situations."

              I felt my nostrils flare. "Spit it out, Wyatt."

              "You've been kicked off of the moving crew."

              "Who the fuck did that?"

              "Garret."

              My vision hazed as I shot to my feet nearly knocking the recliner I had been sitting on over. I saw Wyatt take a step in retreat, his brows raising at the force of my reaction. "You better explain better than that, Wyatt."

              My cousin Garret and I had always gotten along in the past. We’d been best friends from almost the moment my aunt and uncle had moved me to the farm. Garret was easy to get along with but lately my older cousin had done nothing but piss me off. It didn't seem to matter what he did.

              Wyatt's blue eyes had clouded over as he watched me. The easy going smirk he usually had painted on his face was nowhere to be found. "I thought he was being an ass at first but now I think maybe he was right. Kenzie is really excited about this, Jace. The way you're acting right now would ruin it for her."

              I felt my stomach roll even as I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

              "I think you do," Wyatt's voice sharpened, his lip curling as he gave me a disgusted look. “You know what,” he started to take a step towards me before throwing up his hands. “Just… stay here while we finish loading up the truck. I'll let you know when we're back from town." Without another word Wyatt walked out the door, tugging it closed behind him.

              I shot a look at the window wondering if I would be able to catch a glimpse of Kenzie before deciding against it. If I couldn't watch her pack there was no way in hell I was going to be able to watch her leave. I had been kidding myself to think otherwise.

              Running a hand through my hair I started up the stairs that led to my bedroom letting out a harsh breath. Garret and I had a reckoning coming, it was only a matter of time. Since we had gotten back from the tour he and Kenzie had been spending every spare moment of their time together. Before last year, that had been me.

              The strain our relationship had gone through recently was almost too much to bear. For the first few months after her drunken confession, Kenzie had given me the silent treatment. She treated me like I hadn't existed before finally thawing, almost making me wish she'd kept on with the cold shoulder. Now instead of treating me like I wasn't there, it was like she was barely able to stomach the sight of me.

And now she was moving away.

              As I walked past the window my gaze drifted across the yard immediately zeroing in on Kenzie. Her blonde hair was piled onto the top of her head in a messy bun and she was laughing at something with her head tossed back. I couldn't help but think about how fucking pretty she looked.