Grind (Powertools The Original Crew Returns #3)- Jayne Rylon Page 0,20

hadn’t been closer to the edge than he’d realized. He rolled right off the swim platform and into the lake with a plop and splash worthy of a slab of iceberg shearing off into the ocean.

Dave laughed so loud he swore he startled birds from the trees on the bank furthest from them. And even better, so did Kayla. It eased his heart so much to hear his wife cracking up that he held her even closer to his chest than he had before.

Joe surfaced, shaking his head. A cone of water ringed his head like a distorted halo, making him look half man and half dog. “Funny, huh?”

He reached up and snagged Mike’s ankle, using his grip to yank the other blissed out guy into the lake too. And soon it was a full-on aquatic fight.

Dave kissed Kayla’s cheek, then unwound himself from her and stood so that he could lumber toward the edge and cannonball—even if one leg was tucked tighter to his chest than the other—into the cool, refreshing water. The splash rained down on the women on the platform, who shrieked and laughed as they snuggled up together.

He wondered what it would be like if they could simply erase the big black mark the destruction of Bare Natural had left on their souls and start over. Maybe somewhere exactly like this.

8

Kayla looked out the window and bit her lip as Morgan drove her from the house they were renting over to Hot Rides, the motorcycle sister-shop of Hot Rods. It just so happened to be owned by Kayla’s brother, Gavyn.

“Are you nervous or something?” Morgan shot her a glance out of the corner of her eye before returning her focus to the winding forest road. Kayla stopped tapping her fingers around the door handle.

“I mean, kind of?” She wasn’t sure what exactly to call the complicated ball of feelings that overtook her every time she dealt with her family. It wasn’t like she’d ever really fit in with her ultra-successful and very traditional siblings and parents. But a whole lot of distance had been jammed between them as they sank deeper into their own lives and routines. “I guess things have been tense for a while now. You know how it is. Gav’s got his own life here now, and it’s so…different…from before.”

“Better, you mean?” Morgan asked. “Because he’s sober and doing something he loves instead of working a job that makes him miserable just for the sake of earning a living?”

Kayla shrugged. If she were a good sister, that’s what she would mean. “I’m glad he’s out of the divorce business, yes. And of course I’m thrilled he’s gotten his shit together and is actively managing his addiction. Yeah, all that.”

“But…” Morgan waited with the patience only a parent could have developed.

“Is it wrong that I’m still afraid of trusting him completely?” Kayla hated that she even thought something so disloyal. “Things aren’t like they were before—when we were kids, or even ten years ago. He was the only relative who ever fully accepted me, and then…”

“He let you down.” Morgan sighed. “I know how much he hurt you. It’s not unreasonable to want to guard your heart.”

“It’s been years. I need to get over it. It wasn’t like he did something malicious to attack me personally.” Kayla toyed with the piercing in her lip. “If Amber can forgive him, I need to too. All the way. It’s just—we never really closed that loop fully and now it’s kind of awkward, always hanging there in the space between us, you know?”

“Well, if you’re going to be spending some time here, maybe it’s best to have a conversation or two with him and get this bullshit sorted out.” Morgan smiled sadly at Kayla. “Especially now, you could really use your brother. Don’t let old shit fester between you and keep you from a meaningful relationship with someone you love.”

Kayla nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk to him. It’s just a lot on top of everything else right now.”

She thought of the spreadsheets she’d abandoned when Morgan asked if she wanted to take a ride over there with her. Dozens of hours and tons of research, and she felt like she’d hardly begun the inventory of Bare Natural, never mind her and Dave’s house or the lodge. And that was only the first tiny step toward rebuilding.

Ugh.

They turned into the Hot Rides driveway, rolling past the flaming motorcycle sign Sally had painted for the shop. Whether or not