Killian (The Sons of Dusty Walker Book 3) by Desiree Holt Page A

absorbed in her painting while the hordes knocked down the door of Heart Starter.
    She was thankful her parents hadn’t asked many questions about the blowup with Rick, its effect on her career, and her abrupt return to Red Creek. After two years, she still wasn’t ready to discuss it. But getting back to her art was proving to be great therapy for her. Maybe one of these days—
    The ringing of the telephone interrupted her thoughts. She looked at the number on the screen and sighed. The town gossips had probably been at it again.
    “Hi, Mom.”
    “I know you’re always up early,” Sarah Choate said. “So I don’t think I’m waking you.”
    “No, I was up. How are you?”
    “I’m fine. I’m calling to see how you are? I haven’t heard from you since last weekend.”
    “I’ve been—” Been what? Busy with the sexiest man she’d ever met?
    “I hear another of Dusty Walker’s sons is in town,” her mother went on. “Rumor has it he’s become a regular customer at Heart Starter.”
    “Mom.” Lexie sighed. “He likes my cinnamon rolls.”
    “And a lot more, the way I hear it.” Her mother chuckled. Then, in a more serious voice, she said, “Honey, I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
    “Because I had dinner twice with a good-looking man?” She ground her teeth then reminded herself her mother was just really concerned for her. “It’s okay, really. He’s here for a week and then gone. I’m having a little fun for a change. Isn’t that what you’ve been telling me to do?”
    “Of course. You can’t blame me for being a mother, though, right?” Then, as if knowing it was time to stop pushing, she said, “How about coming out for dinner Sunday? Your brother is going to Skype from Afghanistan, and I know he’d love to talk to you, too.”
    “Sure. That would be great.” She worried about her brother all the time, his being in such a dangerous place. Talking to him this way would make her feel better, as it always did. And take her mind off the fact that by then Killian would be gone.
    “Okay. Good. Make it around noon.”
    “See you then.”
    Hanging up, she glanced at the clock. Time to get dressed and open up for business. With a sigh of reluctance, she cleaned her brushes, closed the door to the room, and headed for the shower.
    Despite the early rush of business and a steady stream of customers after that, the morning passed so slowly, Lexie wondered if someone had tied cement on the movement of time. She had glanced at the clock for maybe the hundredth time when the jangling bell signaled the door opening again. She turned away from the back counter where she’d been restocking the machines in time to see Killian walk into the shop.
    She felt as if the sun had come out, casting its golden glow on everything and surrounding them with a shimmering heat. The same heat she felt when she and Killian made love.
    “Morning.” The scar at the corner of his mouth dimpled when he grinned at her.
    “Morning to you. The usual?”
    He laughed. “Am I getting predictable?”
    “You know what they say,” she told him. “Predictability is a good foundation.”
    “They also say there is pleasure in the unexpected.” He winked. “Maybe the best thing is a mixture of both.”
    “Maybe. So on that note, would you like a couple of slices of coffee cake instead of cinnamon rolls today?”
    He laughed again, the sound rolling through her like sunshine. “Sure. I’ll live dangerously. But don’t mess with Abby’s sticky buns.”
    “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
    “I think I’ll eat mine here today. And how about straight espresso instead of my usual plain old dull coffee with a shot?”
    Lexie had a feeling they were discussing something way more intimate than food and drink here.
    “Something to give you a jolt?” she teased, and was rewarded with a darkening of his irises and a flash of light in the deep obsidian.
    “If you think I can handle it.”
    “I’ll make sure of