She lost the point of her story and gazed at them while she tried to recollect it. Boy, they were some lookers, the sort of guys-like Christian-who were so fun to be bad with. "Now what would you say if I was a bad girl?" she wondered, then realized she'd spoken the words our loud. "No, really-" she took another swig of her drink "-go ahead."
Jordan looked at Luke. They both grinned. "You have nice pecs too," Jordan offered.
Kezia recalled Miss September. "And they're not cold to the touch, either. Wanna feel?" She fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Jordan and Luke caught a hand each.
"Unfortunately, Kez," said Jordan, regret in his tone, "we're obliged to take your word for that."
"Okey doke, then." They were such nice guys. Gorgeous and wickedly funny and charming, even when they'd suggested that a third glass of Muriel's fine whiskey might not be wise. Perhaps Marion's recovery had been toasted enough?
"Nonsense," she'd said, feeling damn fine by that stage. "I don't know why I don't do this more often."
"You will in the morning," Luke said dryly, but other than putting a jug of water in front of her, hadn't argued with her. Not like Christian!
Kezia scowled. "An' who the hell does he think he is, being better than I am at helping people. Whass' his motivation, huh?"
The men looked at her affectionately. "Now there's a question we can answer," Luke said, but she waved him to silence.
"The oldies love him. So do the preschool mums-well, okay they're women, but the mayor isn't and he wants him to stand for council. 'Cept for me, the only one who sees through him is Roland." She'd told them all about the missing Roland.
Jordan seemed to be having trouble with his face. "The rat?"
"Sssssactly. Very sound judge of character is Roland. Only thing he's hopeless at is ringing bells. Yeah, he sucks at that."
"The rat?" Luke choked.
"No, Christian. Pay attention!"
"Oh, Kez." Jordan burst out laughing. "He's gotta keep you."
"He intends to," said a dry voice behind them.
"Christian!" The men got to their feet.
Kezia rolled her head back to check. "Nope," she corrected. "The rat."
Christian helped her lift her head. "How much have you had to drink, babe?"
"Not nearly enough, you f … .fff … flock-stealing wolf in sheep's clothing! You insulting, secret-hiding-"
"Four whiskeys," Jordan volunteered.
"Straight," added Luke.
Kezia frowned in their general direction. "I refuse to drink with tattletales." Gathering her dignity, she tried to stand but sank back in her chair. "Hey, this floor's ssstill out of level. I thought we had it fixed?"
"Uh-huh." Christian hauled her up and she found herself hanging over his shoulder staring at the offending floor.
"Even the floorboards aren't straight." She yelped and grabbed a hold as Christian swung around and headed for the door.
"Say good-night, babe."
She pushed against Christian's butt to bring the guys back into view. Grinned. "G'night, babes."
"Good night, Kez. See you in the morning."
But she was already distracted. "Now you can't tell me," she called back, her hand still curved around that deliciously rolling rump, "that anyone's got a nicer ass than this."
Jordan glanced at Luke. "You have," he replied, and both men grinned when Christian missed his stride.
"I'll be back." He threw the words over his shoulder.
Luke waited until Christian was out of earshot. "Kez's invitation … "
"Breast kept between us?"
"That's what I admire about you, Jord. Your sense of the proprieties."
In the bedroom, Kezia found herself propped up by one of Christian's hands while he pulled back the duvet with the other. "I'm fine," she insisted, pulling out of his hold and toppling into bed.
He took off her shoes. "You are so ripped."
"This is what it would be like to be married to me," she warned him. "You'd be stuck at home wiss kids and I'd be out getting drunk evreee night."
"Uh-huh." He pulled off her skirt, unbuttoned her blouse.
Even in her drunken haze Kezia noticed his care. That would never do. She stuck out her lower lip aggressively. "Thought you couldn't stand the ssssight of me?"
He sighed and sat on the bed. "That was a lousy thing to say and I'm sorry. I don't trust Marion's judgment but I trust yours, so I'll try to give this Joe a chance."
"Is that why you didn't come home, cause you were mad at me?"
He hesitated. "No, Bob and I had business. Incidentally, I don't have to play bells on Sunday, do I?"
"Nope, jus try'n to put you off marrying me."
"So how am I doing on this ridiculous test of yours?"
"You're passing," she wailed. "People like you more'n me."
Christian stroked loose strands of hair away from her face. "Why don't you want to marry me, Kez?"
She rolled away from him and thumped her cast against the wall. "I just wish I'd answered when Marion called!"
"And I wish I'd repaired the damn stairs. But she's going to be fine, so dump the guilt and let's get on with our lives."
"I can't, not until she knows. You see, I le' go," she whispered. "When she fell, I grabbed her. But I le'go."
"Kez, you had a broken wrist." He reached out a hand and she flung away, shunning the comfort she didn't deserve.
"I didn't grab her with that hand."
His momentary shock was enough to supercharge her shame. "Oh, Kez-"
"Don't say anythin'." She rolled onto her stomach and put a pillow over her head. "If you really love me," she said from under it, "you'll leave me alone."
It was a dirty trick, but it worked.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHRISTIAN SHUT KEZIA'S door and hesitated, reluctant to leave her. But she wasn't in any fit state to see sense tonight-to understand that Marion's momentum and greater weight would have made it impossible for her to hold on.
Still, he couldn't leave. Didn't he know that misery intimately? Only Kezia's suggestion that his mother knew what she was risking by seeing him had eased his conscience. And only Kezia's confession to Marion, would ease hers. At least he hoped it would.
Hurt soul to hurt soul, he understood her so well. He had no doubt Marion would forgive her, but Kezia's intolerance of her own failings bordered on pathological. She refused to hear a word against her parents, but they'd set the bar too high. Muriel-irascible, accepting and loving as she was-had relied on the young Kezia more than she should have. So, for that matter-he'd noticed this week-did everyone else in Waterview.
It was time Kezia had someone to lean on. Guess he had to grow up to realize how much he wanted-needed-the job of protecting the protector.
Unable to help himself, he opened her door. She lay sprawled across the bed asleep, flushed and disheveled. The bedroom smelled like a brewery. Christian opened the window then straightened the rumpled sheet and covered her with it. "I love you, Kez."
She answered with a light snore and he grinned. He kissed her forehead, breathed her in. Feeling more optimistic, he headed back to his guests. It was a good thing all the cards were finally on the table. Now they'd get somewhere.
KEZIA WOKE UP WITH A MOUTH so dry, she could taste sand. She rolled over, shielding her eyes against the shaft of light slicing through the drapes, and her stomach rolled with her.
Maybe if she didn't move it would-Tumbling out of bed, she dashed for the bathroom and threw up, then changed into a nightdress and crawled back into bed. Aspirin and a water jug were on the bedside table. She took two pills, chugging the water straight from the jug.
Lying down, she tried to think. Marion okay … good. Too much whiskey … bad. Two gorgeous men, one dark, one fair … She drifted back to sleep.
Kezia jerked upright two hours later with one thought. I can never ever see Christian's friends again. While she'd been sleeping, she saw, someone had delivered dry toast and a cup of tea. Beside them, were two dozen red roses in a crystal vase with a gilt-edged card propped against it. "Sorry if we made fools of ourselves last night. Drank so much we can't remember a thing. Your fans, Jordan and Luke." Relieved, Kezia hid the toast with a napkin and sipped the cold tea. That was one problem solved. But there was another, something terrible trying to wriggle into her consciousness. It was … it was …