Page 96 of Kaden & Keegan
Chapter Sixteen
“In,” Bristol blurted almost immediately. “We … um… we should eat in.”
Kaden glanced over, watching as she began fidgeting, her gaze bouncing rapidly between them as though she was afraid they might disagree.
“I can order it,” she quickly added. “Since, you know, it’s my address and all.”
She was far too nervous. Why? he wondered. Because she thought they might want to be seen in public with her? They’d already agreed to keeping a low profile for the time being. Was it really that big of a deal? Enough that she went into a panic at the thought of them wanting to take her out to lunch?
He let that thought slip away because he did not want to go there right now. They were on even footing, back to where they were supposed to be, and the last damn thing he wanted was for this to become a pissing match between Keegan and Bristol the way it had been before.
Plus, Keegan had managed to put her at ease when he’d poked fun at what she had in her refrigerator, and Kaden didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have her relax a little around them. Not to mention, Kaden had really been looking forward to a little alone time with her since she made the offer of lunch.
So, they argued over whether to order fried chicken or sandwiches—chicken won out—then relocated to the living room while they waited for the meal to be delivered.
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” Keegan said, a teasing hint in his words. “So very … retro.”
Kaden’s back stiffened as he watched Bristol, curious as to whether she would take offense to the comment.
A strangled laugh came out of her as she stared at him. “Do you know you’re the first person who’s ever called me out on it?” Her gaze swung around the room. “I figure if I wait long enough, it’ll all come back in style.”
“It’s possible,” Keegan agreed. “I mean, record players are a thing again. I’m just not sure green, blue, and mauve were ever a good combination to begin with.”
Kaden knew Bristol had a sense of style because the daycare had a modern yet rustic flare that somehow suited her personality. This place… He seriously doubted anyone would’ve guessed Bristol Newton lived here if it had been on a test.
“My parents did some updates when we moved in after my grandparents passed. But my dad never updated anything after my mother left us,” she explained. “This place is still as she left it, and truth is, I hate it, but I haven’t gotten around to doin’ anything about it. Well, other than clean out my father’s bedroom. Bianca insisted I do it because it would help ease the pain of him being gone. It took me about three years to get around to it, but it’s empty now.”
“Do you plan on stayin’ here?” Kaden asked.
“First person to ask me that, too,” she muttered, her gaze swinging through the room. “I’ve given it a lot of thought. More so right after my dad passed. It was hard to be here, but at the same time, I felt a connection to him so I moved back in. I don’t know what I’ll do in the long run. I’ve considered sellin’ it, but real estate’s not cheap, nor is it readily available in Coyote Ridge. And honestly, it’s a comfortable place. Needs some updates, probably a new air conditioner.”
Kaden wouldn’t tell her as much, but he was already wondering how they should approach her moving in with them, which of the other bedrooms would become the nursery. From the moment she’d told them she was pregnant, he’d known that was where she belonged. Then again, he’d thought the same thing before he found out she was having their baby.
“Well, the first thing you need to do is update the television,” Keegan told her, reaching for the clunky remote.
He clicked it on, the three of them staring at the blank screen.
“I don’t have cable, but I did invest in Apple TV, so I can stream whatever I want, though I haven’t messed with it in a while.”
“You mean that thing’s new enough to have HDMI input?” Kaden asked.
She chuckled. “No, but the one in my bedroom is.”
“I don’t remember a TV,” Keegan said with a smirk.
Bristol blushed.
Yeah, the television hadn’t exactly been important when they’d been in that room.
Instead of going down that rabbit hole, Kaden shifted on the uncomfortable couch, smiled. “You’re not here much, are you?”
“Only on the weekends. Weekdays I’m at the daycare from five in the morning to roughly seven in the evening. On a good day, I can sneak out at six. Now that Kayla’s there, I’m hopin’ I can start alternating times with her so I can have a few hours to myself during the week.” Bristol smiled but it was weak. “What about y’all? How’s the ranch comin’ along? Word around town is you’re doin’ a gut job on the place.”
“Not quite that extensive. Mostly cosmetic,” Kaden explained. “We’ve been doin’ what we can for the past few weeks, bits and pieces here and there.”
He didn’t mention it had kept them busy while she had been ignoring them.
“I take it you don’t miss Kaleb’s old house?”
