Opening the door, Kendall enjoyed the look of surprise on Frank Reeves’s face. Frank squinted, and recognition registered in his eyes as his lip curled.
“Warner. What are you doing here?”
The self-important asshole moved forward as though he expected Kendall to back away and allow him to enter, but Kendall didn’t budge. Reeves’s days of horning in where he didn’t belong were over.
“I should ask you the same question, Reeves.”
“I need to talk to Maya. Where is she?” Frank demanded, attempting once again to enter Maya’s home, but Kendall wouldn’t allow it.
If Maya had already broken it off with Frank, then his presence in her house would be a trespass on her wishes to see him again. If she’d forgotten to call him, then she had not resolved the issues between them and definitely would not want him in the house while she was showering. Kendall could hear the water still running.
“She’s unavailable at the moment.”
“I’ve been trying to reach her all evening. Why hasn’t she been answering her phone? How long have you been here?”
“Like I said, she’s unavailable.” Permanently, you stupid prick. “Why I am here is none of your business.” Kendall wanted to kick this aging, jock, preppy throwback off of Maya’s porch but wondered if it might be better to get this confrontation over with. The decision wasn’t his to make. “Wait here.”
He shut the door in Frank’s face and slid the bolt home because if this guy was taking liberties with Maya he’d think nothing of walking into the house while Kendall checked with her.
He grinned at the muffled expletives he heard through the door as he walked away from it, down the hall. He tapped on her bathroom door and heard her faint response.
He cracked the door open and said, “Frank Reeves is on your front porch. May I kick his ass off of it, or should I let him in?”
She peeked from behind the shower curtain and appeared to debate for a moment. “Shoot. He called and left several text messages while I was asleep. I didn’t check the messages. It might be best to let him in and keep him in the living room. I’ll finish up and be out in a minute.” She held the curtain back for a moment, and her brows knitted together as she added, “Kendall, I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“Sorry you have to deal with him.” Relief filled him because for a second he was afraid she’d changed her mind about coming with him.
Kendall grinned and winked at her. “You sure I can’t kick his ass off your front steps? Because I’m up for that.”
A faint chuckle came from behind the shower curtain. “No, you big He-Man. I’ll deal with him.”
Kendall returned to the door and allowed Frank to come in the house. “Maya said to have a seat in the living room and she’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Reeves and Kendall spent the next few minutes in a staring match that Reeves lost. He took out his cell phone and toyed with the screen, probably trying to appear as though he had pressing business at eleven o’clock at night.
Maya emerged from her bedroom with damp hair and a fresh face. She was dressed for the trip home in soft, form-fitting pants and a snug white T-shirt. Kendall rose when she walked in the room as she looked at Frank, who remained seated on the couch. Ill-mannered asshole.
Kendall drew near and murmured, “You okay?”
“Yes. It’s fine. Could you give me a few minutes to talk to him?”
Quietly, so Frank wouldn’t hear him, Kendall said, “I’m not leaving you alone with him, Maya. Not after what you told me.” He had no intention of giving Frank an opportunity to get physical with her again.
“You can wait in the kitchen,” she whispered as she caressed his forearm. Her eyes showed appreciation for his concern.
Kendall cast a black look at Reeves, who returned it. He walked into the kitchen and sat at her table. He kept an ear open for any change in the tone of their faint conversation as he took out his phone and sent a series of text messages to Boone. Richard didn’t like to text, and Kendall knew Boone would relay the messages to him. He grinned as he heard the whiny tone in Reeves’s voice. She must’ve delivered the bad news.
* * * *
Boone did a mental fist pump as he slipped his phone back in his shirt pocket. Richard held the shopping basket as they perused the women’s beauty products department of the local drug store. It was the only place open late that sold “girlie” stuff, as Richard had recently called it.
“Tell me again why this is a good idea?” Richard inquired as Boone opened and sniffed at a bottle of bubble bath.