Suspended by Taryn Elliott Page A

him and picked up one of her new shirts to
fold. “What time do you want to leave?”
    “I have a few things to do in the morning, and then we can
leave.”
    She smoothed her hand over the plum-colored T-shirt. “Do you
want me to come with you this time?”
    “Yes. Be ready at seven.”
    She nodded but still couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d
want more. And she needed to think tonight. She let out a relieved breath when
she heard the door close behind him. Tomorrow she’d be in his company nonstop.
The thrill of it warred with her unease. Everything was changing. Her life had
been static for so long she couldn’t imagine having the freedom to go and see
and experience different places. And now she was doing just that. With a man
who made her realize what she’d been missing.
    Could she treat this trip as an adventure? She slipped her
arm across her midsection.
    She just wasn’t sure.

Chapter Six
    Shane slammed the tailgate of his truck. The back was empty
save for sleeping bags and his locker of tools. It was a crisp mid-November
day, and the sun beat back the fog that had blanketed the coast. He’d been up
well before dawn mainlining coffee. If they stayed on course, they should be
able to make it across the states in a little under seven days. It was a big
if. And the big if was because of Kendall.
    She’d been laughing with Kain all morning. She was so easy
with him. Shane envied their friendship. Hell, he envied anything that had to
do with enjoyment and Kendall. The three days away from her had nearly killed
him. The skin-on-skin contact was addicting enough, but he found that he missed
her acerbic wit and the wide, sassy smirk when she tried to get him riled up.
    She was a means to an end. But when he was around her, he
could forget how angry he was. He’d taken so much for granted being a
California Justice. He’d worked on his furniture nightly, and it had been a
solid goal for his future. But it had been a future with no end date.
    This was real. And this was his future.
    And Kendall was part of the now. Their reality was soldered
together in two misshapen forms. Did it make something ridiculous that would
need to be fired apart, or was it something interesting that might fit better
than anything else he’d ever known?
    Was he even in the right frame of mind to decide?
    All he knew was that she made him feel alive. And it seemed
to be the only thing he could focus on.
    Her peal of laughter dragged him out of his thoughts. She
was hanging off Kain with a good two feet of air between her feet and the
ground. His best friend had her up on his hip, grinning like a lunatic as he
whispered something to her.
    She laughed again and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. I don’t remember the last
time I’ve been so pampered.”
    Shane’s jaw snapped closed. She dropped to the ground and
gave Kain one more hug, her nose pressed into the middle of his chest. Shane
couldn’t hear what else she said, but he could see the light of interest
blazing in his friend’s gaze.
    He fisted his hands.
    He couldn’t blame his friend. Kendall was a pocket of
sunshine with her warm, dark eyes that were at odds with her mane of
almost-white hair. But that smile. Man, that smile was a blast to the gut. If Kain
didn’t get his damn hands off her, he was going to snap his fucking wrist.
    She bent to pick up her backpack, but Kain waved her off.
    Fuck.
    Shane walked toward them and took the bag from Kain. What
was it about this woman that drove him crazy and negated any manners his mother
had instilled in him? Kendall had him so freaking twisted up. And it pissed him
the fuck off. “Thanks, Kain.”
    “I can’t believe you’re leaving me to fend for myself in
California, cuz.”
    The familiar Hawaiian jargon loosened the lock on his jaw.
He smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, brother.”
    Kain hauled him in for a full-body-blocking hug and whomped
his