Bryce smiled, shaking her head. Evidently Vashti had put ideas into Ashley’s head about her and Kaegan. Soon enough they would both see just how wrong they were about that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

BRYCE OPENED HER car door and stared at the monstrosity of the house erected before her. Usually when she came here for a party or cookout it was always at night. Now she was seeing the place in all its splendor in the daylight. When the builders had completed this place, Kaegan hadn’t wasted any time tearing down what had been his parents’ home. She knew that house had held very few good memories for him.

She wondered how he liked living in the huge house alone. The one thing she did know was that he loved the bayou. He said leaving here when he moved away had been hard. She was not surprised this house took full advantage of the view of the bayou.

One of her favorite things about the house was the wraparound porch that faced the water. The chairs on the porch looked so inviting and she could see herself sitting in one for hours while reading her favorite novel. No sooner had the thought entered her mind than she shook her head. No, she couldn’t see herself sitting in one for hours. This was Kaegan’s home and not hers. A home until just last month she hadn’t been welcomed to.

Walking up to the porch, she hoped he remembered she was coming today. When she’d seen him at the café for breakfast yesterday, he hadn’t mentioned it. And it might have been that he hadn’t wanted anyone to know. She knew what a private person Kaegan was, but couldn’t see him not mentioning that he’d hired her as his real-estate broker to Sawyer and Ray. She had certainly mentioned it to their wives.

Reaching the door, she knocked.

“The door’s unlocked. Come on in.”

The deep, rich huskiness of Kaegan’s voice reached out to her, and when she opened the door it all but lured her inside. She glanced around. Kaegan always had this thing for neatness and it seemed he still did. There were even fresh flowers on a table in a massive foyer that had to be at least ten feet wide with the prettiest wood floors she’d ever seen.

“Kaegan?”

“I’m in the kitchen. You know the way.”

Yes, she knew the way and remembered what had happened the last time she’d been in his kitchen. When she reached the massive kitchen, which was any cook’s dream, she paused in the doorway. He was standing at the sink cleaning fish. She had heard from her parents he’d gone fishing with Sawyer yesterday, and from the looks of it, they’d had a good day.

She drank in the sight of him, shirtless and in a pair of jeans. She shouldn’t have been surprised by the missing shirt. Kaegan never liked covering his chest. It wasn’t uncommon once they were out of the schoolyard for him to whip his shirt over his head and stuff it in his backpack.