CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Kyle—

I open the door as boots stomp up my steps. Green stands there, twirling a set of keys on his finger.

"All right, here's the Love Machine." He tosses the keys to me.

"Love Machine?" I smirk. "Please tell me it's got clean sheets. Or do I need to buy a black light?"

"I would not recommend that." Green winks. "But yeah, it has clean sheets in the cabinet above one of the pullout couches."

"Got it. Anything else I need to know?"

"Follow me. I'll give you a quick tour."

I trail behind him as he climbs into the RV.

"These couches pull out. You lift these arm rests out and then pull it down."

I watch as he maneuvers one of the couches into a bed, leaving barely any room.

"You said it had two beds," I grumble, realizing these two practically form a king bed.

"There's an aisle."

"The size of my credit card?"

"Well, you're not planning to make a move on your brother's girl, are you?" Green snips.

"Hell no. But would you want me riding off with Sarah in this thing?"

"No, but I'm in a serious relationship with Sarah." He wiggles his ring finger at me.

"Rafe and Sutton aren't serious?"

"Would you have let your girl go off with your brother on a three-day trip where they share an RV?" He raises his brows.

"You're the one who was giving him shit about letting her come," I defend.

"Yeah, ‘cause that's my job. Besides, none of you little shits listen to a word I say, anyway. If he was really into her, he'd have come himself."

That gives me pause. Green seems to know he made his point and moves on with the tour.

"Here's the bathroom."

I poke my head in, noting the sink, toilet, and enclosed shower.

"The generator runs off the gas tank. When it gets down to a fourth a tank of gas, it shuts off, so you don't get stuck somewhere. Speaking of not getting stuck anywhere… there's some wood in this cabinet." He moves to the couches, lifting one of the cabinet doors to reveal sheets of plywood. "Use these if it rains. I don't want my baby getting stuck in the mud."

"We're going to the desert. I don't think we'll be seeing any rain."

"You never know, kid. Well, I think that covers everything."

We move down the steps. Sarah waves at me through the windshield of the SUV she waits in.

"What's this ladder for?" I gesture to a ladder going up the back.

"Oh, the roof is walkable."

"Nice."

"Well, gotta go. Mia's got a soccer game today."

"Isn't she only like four?"

"Three. They kick the ball around with basically blowup bumpers around the field. It's really just watching a bunch of toddlers run back and forth. But my girl is going to kick ass."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from your little girl."

"Damn right. Good luck, kid. Make some money."

"Thanks, Green."

He climbs in the SUV

As he pulls away, I walk through the RV, taking in the two sofas. This is such a bad idea. We'll practically be sleeping in the same bed. I shake the thoughts from my head. Tribe is the opportunity of a lifetime. I need to stay focused on that. This could be my big break, and there's no room for me to fuck it all up by letting my thoughts of Sutton get in the way. I cannot let myself fall for this girl.

Rafe drops Sutton off about an hour later as I'm getting the food trailer hitched to the RV.

The breath whooshes out of me as I rise.

She's in a pair of cutoffs that show her slender, tanned legs that go on and on for miles. She has a loose-fitting white shirt with a generous plunging neckline and some kind of loose, pale green cover up.

I quickly avert my eyes when Rafe approaches, a duffel slung over his arm.

He carries her bag into the camper.

I tense, waiting for the hell-raising I'm sure will come if he notices the couch-bed layout. But when he steps out, he seems unfazed.

"Hey, man. Good luck." He pats my back, then turns to Sutton and pecks her on the cheek. "Have a fun time, but not too fun." Then gives a small wave to us both, climbs into his truck, and drives away.

I can't help but think if my girl was going off for several days, I'd have given her a hell of a lot more than a peck on the cheek. But then again, maybe they said their real goodbyes this morning. It's not my business, so I shake the image from my mind and push back the jealousy surging through me.

Clearing my throat, I glance over at Sutton. "Ready?"

"Yes, let's make you a famous chef." She gives me a brilliant smile and climbs into the passenger side.

I huff a laugh, realizing just how excited I am to spend time with her. "How about we just sell some food?"

"Sure thing. How long is this trip, anyway?"

"Including stops, it should take us about five hours to get to the Mojave Desert. Thankfully, Tribe is held on the California side." I drop the gearshift into drive and roll onto the street.

"Well, good thing I brought travel snacks." Sutton lifts a large purse onto her lap and begins taking out Cheez-its, M&Ms, little packages of donuts, a can of Pringles, and a bag of miniature cookies.

"Jesus, did you rob a junk food store?"

"Ha ha. Half the fun of traveling is eating all the cheat food. It's basic knowledge calories don't count on a road trip."

Now she has me belly-laughing. "Okay, pass me some Cheez-its, then."

She hands them over, and I tear into them.

"I pulled up a list of the lineup and made a playlist. That way, we can decide if we want to sneak off to watch anyone after we shut down each night. Oh, and one of my favorite bands is going to be there, so I'm kind of stoked."

I glance over, her excitement contagious. She really is a ray of sunshine. "Who's your favorite band?"

"Whiskey Mirage."

"No kidding? I love those guys."

"Awesome! We can go see them together." She crunches on a Pringle as she hooks her phone to the RV's Bluetooth.

Soon music blasts through the speakers.

She dances along, and warmth spreads through my chest. This girl is a perfect catch. I bite my cheek. Focus. I tamp down those feelings and tell myself for the thousandth time, she's your brother's girlfriend . She's off limits. But damn, does being with her feel right.

We roll into the festival grounds around four and observe a sea of tents and cars. I flash the permit they sent me in the mail and drive through, looking for my spot amongst the other venders.

"There's twenty-eight." Sutton points to an open area with a yard sign labeling it.

After parking, we climb from the vehicle.

"Hey, why don't you go check things out, and I'll get everything prepped for tonight?" I suggest.

"Are you sure?" she asks, already walking backward away from me.

I grin, because she's obviously taking me up on it. "I'm sure."

"Thanks, boss man," she calls over her shoulder and takes off for a booth selling jewelry nearby.

I could tell she wanted to check out the vendors, but that's not the real reason I told her to go. After being stuck in the same car for the last six hours, I need some time away from her. I need to distance myself so I can get my head screwed on straight. She's taken, Kyle. She's your brother's girl.

I repeat the mantra over and over in my head as I prep the ingredients I need for tonight's dinner rush.

I almost have myself convinced I have no feelings for her when she walks in, carrying a small bag.

"Already spending money?" I chide.

"Just a necklace I liked."

I nod and go back to chopping.

A few moments later, she slides next to me. "What's on the menu?"

My eyes are drawn to the necklace now dangling around her throat. It consists of two gold chains, one at a regular length and the other dipping low, right to the top of her cleavage, where a sage-colored desert glass pendant rests. Her breasts look full, and I ache to touch them. My heart beats a mile a minute as I try to think of the question she just asked.

"Ahem," I clear my throat. "Is that your new necklace?"

She looks down. "Yeah. Do you like it?"

"It's nice."

"So… is the menu a secret?"

"What? No." That was her question. "We're going to make all the hits—cheeseburgers, onion rings, chicken chili, and cornbread."

"Great, I'll go write it on the chalkboard."

The first night we have quite a crowd. I rack in as much money as I do in a week in San Jose. Sutton handles the customers like a pro, so I can focus on cranking out the food. We work together like a well-oiled machine. I can't help but wonder if we would work this well in other ways.