Chapter Fifteen

B y Saturday, Kendall's week hadn't settled down. If anything, it had amped up even more because someone leaked security camera footage of the Rodney James takedown to Sassy in Savannah, a social media site popular in the LGTBQ+ community. The video clip of Kendall bringing the fugitive to his knees and knocking him unconscious started out as a local story but quickly went viral. He had received and rejected interview requests from all over the world. Kendall wasn't sure who was behind the leaked video, but he didn't appreciate having his life turned upside down. Drew had addressed the situation with the employees and said further instances would result in immediate termination.

If that wasn't bad enough, Rebecca had followed up on her dinner invite. When Kendall had ignored her, hoping she'd give up, Stan had sent him a brusque text message. Saturday at 7:00 . No excuses . Kendall didn't owe the asshole a damn thing, but Rebecca had reached out three additional times. She was trying, and though he could think of a hundred things he'd rather do on a Saturday night, Kendall jogged up the steps of the Burkhart mansion and rang the doorbell. Moments later, a petite, dark-haired woman opened the door. Her cool, professional smile morphed into one of pure delight when she saw him.

"My boy," she cried, opening her arms wide for him. "I've missed you so much."

Kendall stepped into the housekeeper's embrace and held on tightly. She always smelled like vanilla and cinnamon, two fragrances that always brought him comfort. "Hi, Adelaide. I've missed you too."

She dropped her arms and stepped back, assessing him with a shrewd gaze. When their eyes met again, Adelaide's worry was evident. "You look too skinny. Are you eating?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Adelaide swatted his arm playfully. "None of that ma'am stuff. And why are you ringing the doorbell? This is your home."

Stanton Burkhart's mansion had never been his home. It was a prison Kendall had escaped. "It just felt like the right thing to do." After all, the summons he'd received from his stepfather had held as much warmth as a subpoena.

Adelaide patted his cheek and stepped aside so Kendall could enter. "Everyone is in the drawing room."

"Everyone?"

"Your parents, Travis, and his new girlfriend," Adelaide said. "Poor girl. Your mother thinks she could be ‘the one,' but I think the nice young lady should run." Yet another clueless woman Travis had trotted out in front of his father. "There are a few more guests yet to arrive. I thought you were them when you rang the doorbell."

"What other guests?"

Stan's text was the first communication he'd had from his stepfather since he'd moved out. He thought the summons would result in a stern lecture in Stan's study. His stepfather couldn't be happy about Kendall's name being tied to the club, even though no one had connected Kendall to Stanton. Yet. It was only a matter of time until somebody discovered his mother was married to the wealthy CEO of an investment firm. Stan would be livid because that "trashy club" was the hill Kendall had chosen to die on.

"William Everly and his family," Adelaide said. "He's a potential client your father is trying to impress," Adelaide said.

"Stepfather."

"Yes, dear. I'm sorry."

"So why am I here?" Kendall asked her.

Stiletto heels echoed against the marble floors, and Kendall looked up to see his mother approaching. She looked stunning in an icy blue dress and matching heels. Rebecca had pulled her hair up into a classy bun and left a few wispy strands free to frame her face. In a surprising move, she opened her arms and embraced him. This wasn't the cold hug he'd grown accustomed to receiving from her but the warm, lingering embrace from her pre-Stan days. Right then, she wasn't Rebecca Burkhart, trophy wife of Stanton Burkhart; she was Becca Blakemore, Kendall's mother.

She pressed her lips to his cheek and kissed him before pulling back to look into his eyes. "You're the guest of honor tonight, and I don't want to hog all your time, but do you think we could have a private word before you leave?"

"Why am I the guest of honor?"

"To celebrate your bravery, of course." When Kendall continued to stare, she added, "When you helped capture the fugitive in the club. So, will you make time to have a private chat with me?"

Kendall nodded and walked beside her to the drawing room. This had to be a weird dream.

"I made all your favorites," Adelaide said as she followed behind them.

Rebecca looped her arm through Kendall's. "Adelaide, I just received a text from Amber Everly. They've run into a bit of traffic and are running late," she said over her shoulder.

"No problem, ma'am," Adelaide said as she veered off toward the kitchen.

"You don't seem very happy about your celebration dinner," Rebecca told him.

"I'm not. You could've warned me about the other guests. I thought I was here to get lectured."

She stopped and looked up at him. "Stan said he'd taken care of it, so I assumed he had."

Kendall repeated Stan's text verbatim. "Was I to surmise a celebration dinner from that?"

"You know how Stan is. He's too busy to waste time on pleasantries. He cuts straight to the chase."

His stepfather found plenty of time to fuck around behind his mother's back but couldn't find an additional few seconds to word his text messages better? Bullshit.

Rebecca sighed. "This is our first family dinner together in three years. Can we try to get along?" Of course it would be his fault when everything went to shit.

Kendall tightened his jaw to keep his thoughts to himself and to keep from asking the question burning hottest in his mind. What the fuck was going on here? It was morbid curiosity alone that caused him to nod and say, "As you wish, Rebecca."

She blew out a frustrated breath and continued to the drawing room.

Stan glanced up when they crossed the threshold. "Ah, there he is."

Kendall wasn't surprised Stan was wearing a three-piece suit to a family dinner, but the smile on his stepfather's face gave him pause. When was the last time Stanton Burkhart had smiled at him? Maybe the night Rebecca had introduced them when they'd first started dating. The millionaire would've wanted to make a good impression on the leggy blonde he'd hired as his secretary, at least until he'd gotten her into bed.

Just like that fateful night nearly two decades ago, Stan strode across the room and clapped both of Kendall's shoulders in a firm grip. He had to give Stan credit. His stepfather had aged well, still spending his free time in the gym and thwarting the middle-age spread. Stan's steel-gray eyes hadn't softened either. Kendall knew all too well how quickly his gaze could cut a person to the bone. The man was a predator—in and out of the boardroom. Firm lips parted, showing off a brilliant white smile. My , what sharp teeth you have .

But Kendall wasn't a gullible eight-year-old any longer. He'd bled enough for this man and wasn't willing to give him so much as another nibble.

"It's good to see you," Stan said, the lie rolling off his tongue as smooth and silky as Adelaide's chocolate pudding.

Stanton Burkhart resented the very air Kendall breathed and viewed him as an embarrassment. Kendall took immense joy in living up to the man's low opinion of him. What was it costing Stan to pretend to care about his stepson? And what was behind the farce?

"Hi, Stan," Kendall said, knowing how it grated on his stepfather's nerves.

Stanton narrowed his eyes but managed a dry chuckle. Then he raked his shrewd gaze over Kendall's outfit. The tan chinos, white shirt, blue and gold striped tie, and navy blazer earned a rare approving nod. "It's good of you to dress for dinner."

Rather than respond to Stanton's dig, Kendall said, "I didn't know I was dressing for dinner at the time. I'm dressed for work."

"An improvement over those skimpy boy shorts, huh, Dad?" Travis said. His voice was slow and thick, and Kendall knew without looking that his stepbrother had already been hitting the liquor hard.

Kendall forced himself to face Travis, and his stepbrother's lips curled into a sneer as he lifted his tumbler of whiskey in a mock salute. "To Kendall, our hero."

"Hello, Travis," Kendall said coolly. He glanced at the woman sitting next to his stepbrother and introduced himself when it became apparent no one else was going to do the honors.

She was a petite woman with platinum-blonde hair and icy blue eyes named Sandra. Boy, did Travis have a type. Kendall would bet a month's salary that she was from a prominent family, well educated, soft spoken, and had no clue what she'd signed up for when she'd accepted a date from Travis. He'd also guess they hadn't made it past first base. "It's nice to meet you," Sandra said sweetly.

"Likewise." He wanted to tack on "run for your life" but kept his mouth shut.

"Have a seat," Stan said, returning to the leather loveseat he'd vacated. "Rebecca, get Kendall something to drink."

"Nothing for me, thanks." Kendall lowered himself into a club chair facing Stan and Rebecca. The other options placed him across from Travis, and he'd rather avoid that at all costs since his stepbrother wasn't always the nicest when he was drunk. Kendall had no desire to be his target.

Rebecca lowered herself onto the loveseat beside Stan. She crossed her legs primly and placed her hand on her husband's knee. Stan scowled at the gesture as if his wife touching him was wholly unexpected and inappropriate. He turned and stared at Rebecca until she cowered and withdrew her hand, placing it on her lap. Kendall should've felt a pang in his heart for his mother and spoken up in her defense, but it had always blown up in his face. You made your bed , Rebecca . Too bad your husband isn't sleeping in it .

"So," his stepfather said, then aimed a round of rapid-fire questions at him. Stan didn't do small talk; he conducted interrogations. Kendall preferred being ignored over Stan's sudden interest in his life.

Most of Stan's curiosity seemed aimed at Kendall's job at The Cockpit, which was an abrupt change in attitude. The club's name alone had made Stan's face red with fury, and the uniforms had caused the veins to bulge in his forehead and ultimatums to spew from his mouth. Kendall noted Stan refrained from using the club's name when posing his questions. Since Kendall's heroics—the media's terminology, not his—Stan seemed almost approving of his choices. There had to be a catch. Kendall knew it was only a matter of time before his stepfather revealed his hand. And since he had a few hours to kill before his shift started, why not settle in and let the game play out.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Stan asked when he ran out of questions about the club.

Before Kendall could reply, Travis let loose an obnoxious snort. "From fighting off dirty old men," he said. "You've seen the indecent uniforms they wear around there."

Kendall turned his head to look at his stepbrother, who was too busy knocking back another drink to look at him. Travis had loved peeling him out of those shorts, but no matter how angry Kendall was, he'd never redirect Stan's wrath toward his only son.

"Travis," Stan said sternly, "don't be crude."

Travis smiled at his father. "Yes, sir." Travis lifted his left hand off the back of the sofa and flipped Kendall off behind Sandra's lovely head. Travis craned his neck and leaned forward to meet Kendall's gaze.

"Whatever happened to paralegal school, anyway? Was it just another thing you couldn't see through?"

"Travis," Sandra said softly, "what's the matter with you?"

Kendall could answer her question, but no one would like his answer, so he saved his breath. Instead, Kendall said, "I did finish school and graduated with honors."

"Then why aren't you pursuing that career?" Travis pressed.

It was a legitimate question but not one he wanted to get into with any of the people gathered, especially not Travis. The doorbell rang, saving Kendall from having to answer.

Stan rubbed his hands together. "The Everlys are here."

Kendall figured his stepfather was about to reveal his hand, so he rose with everyone else and turned to face the door. Stan and Rebecca were halfway across the room when Adelaide ushered an elegantly dressed couple into the space.

"Bill. Amber," Stan said jovially. "We're so happy you could join us."

"Welcome to our home," his mom said. Kendall bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning when Rebecca sized Amber up. The brunette woman was svelte, leggy, and buxom, three traits Stan loved in a woman.

"I thought Graeme was joining us," Stan said.

"He is," Bill assured him. "He had to take a call from the hospital. He's not on call tonight, but he never turns his patients away."

"Sounds like father found a real lively one for you," Travis said.

Kendall was too busy observing the power play between his mother and Amber to notice Travis approaching. He turned and looked up at his stepbrother. "What are you talking about?"

Travis snorted and shook his head. "Oh, did you think Stan invited you to dinner because he missed you? Ha. This is just the first time your queerness has come in handy. He'd already been planning this coup with Bill Everly, but your heroic little stunt was the icing on the cake. Or should I say you're the carrot father wants to dangle in front of Bill and Amber's gay son?"

Kendall looked at the two couples who'd moved over to the wet bar. Bill was attempting to talk to Rebecca, but she was too busy glaring at his wife. Amber's hand had lingered longer than necessary on Stan's when she accepted the drink he passed her, and his stepfather aimed a predatory smile the brunette's way. "Is Stan trying to seal a deal with Bill's company or his wife?"

"Both," Travis said.

"Gross," Kendall and Sandra said at the same time. The two exchanged a smile before returning their attention to the tableau unfolding across the room.

Rebecca hadn't missed the exchange between her husband and Amber and had moved to stand between them. Yeah , like that would stop Stan . For all he knew, Amber and Stan were already intimately acquainted. Kendall caught the faint echo of footsteps on marble and turned his head toward the door in time to see a tall man with dark hair and alluring hazel eyes enter the room. Graeme Everly had worn dark denim jeans and a light blue button-up instead of a bespoke suit like his father. His hair was on the long side, shaggy even, but the soft strands framed his face, accentuating his masculine bone structure.

"Oh, he's handsome," Sandra said.

"Very," Kendall agreed. Travis had intimated Stan wanted to fix Kendall up with Graeme Everly, but that couldn't be right.

"There's my boy," Amber said, waving Graeme over. "Come meet Stanton and Rebecca."

Bill made the introductions, and Graeme shook each of their hands. They exchanged pleasantries for a few moments before Stan brought the tall gentleman over to meet Kendall, Sandra, and Travis. Stan introduced his son first, and Travis was smart enough to drop the sneering jerk act to welcome their guest. Stan made a dismissive introduction of Sandra, but Graeme stopped and made small talk with her. Then he finally joined Stan in front of Kendall.

"Hello," Graeme said, his voice deep and rich like a decadent brownie.

"Hi," Kendall returned.

"The two of you have a lot in common," Stan said.

"Oh?" Kendall asked. Based on what? Their assumed sexuality? Kendall was curious to find out how much, or how little, Stan knew about him.

"And how would you know that?" Graeme asked. His voice sounded more curious than annoyed.

Neither Stan's smile nor his arrogance faltered. "I feel like I've gotten to know you through the many conversations I've had with your parents."

"Interesting," Graeme said in a voice that expressed the opposite.

Just then, Adelaide stepped into the drawing room and told them dinner was ready. Usually, he would've been grateful for her interruption, but Kendall wanted to see Stan squirm like a worm on a hook.

Unsurprisingly, Kendall found himself seated beside Graeme and opposite Travis and Sandra. The staff moved in to fill soup and salad bowls as soon as they were seated.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Stan asked Graeme. "Or a cocktail?"

"I don't drink," the dark-haired man said, "but thank you."

"Another thing you and Kendall have in common," Stan said.

Graeme held up his glass of water to Kendall. "Cheers."

Smiling, Kendall clinked his glass against Graeme's.

The conversation began in earnest with most of the questions and comments being aimed at Kendall and Graeme. The attention was weird and unwelcome, making him long for the days of being ignored. Stan beamed with false pride at Kendall while his mother glared at Amber. Sandra kept her eyes in front of her while Travis oscillated between staring daggers at Graeme and making passive-aggressive remarks to Kendall. Neither Bill nor Amber said much, but maybe it was because the former was too busy knocking back the liquor to stay engaged while the latter was doing her best to catch Stan's eye. Of course, Rebecca saw it all too. She tried to interject herself into the conversation only for Stan to offer her a not-now-dear pat on the hand.

The tension thickened in the room until Kendall felt like he couldn't breathe let alone eat. He felt horribly guilty Adelaide had gone to the trouble of making boeuf bourguignon for him. Kendall had taken tiny bites, but it felt like the meat and vegetables kept getting stuck in his throat. He excused himself to use the restroom when the staff cleared the main course dishes.

"Is everything okay?" Adelaide asked him in the hall outside the formal dining room. "Didn't you enjoy your dinner?"

"Oh, Adelaide, it was delicious as always. Stan didn't tell me we would be having dinner, so I ate before I left the house."

She narrowed her eyes, and Kendall could tell she didn't believe him. Instead of pushing, she patted his cheek again. "Would you like me to pack up some leftovers?"

"There's nothing I'd love to eat more after a long night at the club." Kendall hugged the housekeeper and breathed in her comforting fragrance once more. Adelaide had been the best part of living under Stan Burkhart's roof.

"Swing by the kitchen before you leave."

Kendall nodded, kissed her cheek, then headed to the bathroom. He didn't really need to use the facilities. He just wanted a few moments of peace and quiet to pull himself together. Kendall didn't care about pissing off Stan or his mother, but Graeme seemed like a nice guy. Unfortunately for Stan, there was absolutely no spark between them. His stepfather would need to close the deal and bag the babe on his own merit. Christ . What has my life become?

Kendall eased the door shut behind him and braced his hands on the marble vanity. Taking a deep breath, Kendall allowed his head to fall forward, and he peered into the sink for a few moments to clear his mind. When that didn't work, he turned on the cold water tap and splashed his face. With the shock came clarity. It didn't matter how kind Graeme seemed. Staying in this house for another minute wasn't healthy for him.

He'd just turned off the water and reached for a towel when the door opened behind him, and Travis stepped in. Kendall's stomach soured and threatened to reject the little food he'd managed to swallow.

"What are you doing in here?" Kendall whispered. His stepbrother's lustful gaze and sneering lips projected his thoughts before his liquor-addled brain could convince his limbs to act on them. Kendall stepped to the right just as Travis lunged for him. The bigger man tipped forward and braced his hands on the marble, catching himself before his forehead smashed into the mirror. "No, Travis."

"Are you pissed because I brought a date?"

"Nope," Kendall said emphatically. "I'm outraged on her behalf, though. What's the matter with you? I understand why you don't want to tell Stan the truth. Your father didn't exile me for being gay. I just wasn't the kind of gay he approved of. It could've been you he introduced to Graeme."

Travis barked a dry laugh. "You say that because you weren't privy to the things my father said behind your back. He used to laugh at you in front of his friends." Travis's lips quivered. "I used to join in because it was expected. God, I fucking hate myself."

Travis's words were like a knife to his heart. Not the part about Stan making fun of him behind his back. On some level he knew it. It shattered Kendall that Travis thought so badly of himself.

"It's okay, Trav," he said softly. "I know you didn't mean anything you said. And I understand why you don't want to come out to Stan, but surely you don't want to hurt innocent people with your deception."

"Hurt her? I haven't touched Sandra." Travis collapsed into himself and fell against the wall. He looked at Kendall with a crestfallen expression that would've crushed him in the past. "I've tried. I wish I could want her, but I…"

Kendall shook his head vigorously. "Please don't."

"I love you."

Kendall forced himself to harden his heart. Travis didn't know the first thing about love. And yeah, he might not know what love was either, but he sure as hell knew what it wasn't. "You're horny and confusing lust with love."

"Two sides of the same coin," Travis slurred.

Kendall shook his head. "That's love and hate, Trav. You don't feel either of those for me. I was nothing but fun and games for you."

Travis shook his head vigorously, which made him sway a little. "Not at first. You were everything to me. But there—"

"Was no future for us," Kendall finished. Travis hadn't been willing to sever his relationship with his only living parent. "I understand that better now. But you started turning to me whenever you wanted to spite Stan."

Travis flinched like Kendall had slapped him. "That's not true. You were my safe place. You're the only person who truly knows me, Kendall."

"I deserve better." For the first time in his life, Kendall meant it. "I don't want to be only a safe place. I want to be somebody a guy is willing to risk it all for."

Travis straightened to his full height and snorted. "Love like that doesn't exist anymore. Probably never did."

"Yes, it does. I'm not going to settle for anything less."

Travis slowly raised his hand and cupped Kendall's cheek. "Take me back. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Kendall shook his head. "There's no future for us. You were right about that, and I never should've—"

Travis suddenly pushed off the wall and boxed Kendall in against the vanity. Tears filled his eyes. "Please don't say you regret me."

Kendall shook his head. "Never that. Growing up, you were the only person who ever really saw and understood me."

"I've loved you since you moved in here," he admitted. "You had such sad eyes, and I wanted to take on the world for you." Travis closed his eyes and tears spilled down his cheeks. "And I hurt you just like the others did."

Travis's rejection had hurt him more than anyone else's, including Rebecca's, but it would serve no purpose to air their grievances. They weren't innocent little boys or hormonal young adults anymore. They were grown-ups, and it was time they acted like it.

"I want you to be happy, Travis," Kendall said. "You'll never find it in lies and pretense. Come find me when you're ready to live your truth. I'll repay the kindness you showed to a little boy with no champion in the world."

Travis took a deep, shaky breath, fisted Kendall's navy blazer, and leaned his forehead against Kendall's. "I don't think I can ever be as brave as you."

"You can. Step one is breaking off this awful farce with Sandra. She seems like a really nice woman."

Travis sighed. "She is. I want to love her."

"You can't wish it to be true. You'll figure that out eventually."

"It's too late. I've already lost you."

Kendall didn't want to rehash parts of their conversation. Travis wouldn't likely recall their bathroom chat anyway, and if he did, he'd be pissed Kendall saw him in a vulnerable state. "We need to get back, Trav. They'll get suspicious if we stay in here much longer."

"Just one last kiss?" Travis tried to smoosh his lips into a pucker, but it looked more like a childish pout. Either way, it wasn't the least bit attractive.

Kendall shook his head and stepped out from between him and the sink. "I said no, and I meant it. Go back to the dining room."

"Or what?"

"I'll do to you what I did to the fugitive. Maybe worse."

Travis threw up his hands in surrender, then wobbled on his feet. "Fine. You win."

Kendall held his breath until Travis left the room, then he lunged forward and locked the door in case his stepbrother changed his mind. He wanted to pat himself on the back for saying no to Travis for the first time in…ever, but his reckless streak was a caged beast thrashing against the metal bars holding him in captivity. The unresolved sexual tension with Ridge was only compounding his problem. It was only a matter of time before Reckless bent the metal or tricked Kendall into setting him free so he could join his twin, Impulsive. He could battle inevitability or ensure he made the safest of dumb choices. Kendall wanted to fight the good fight, but his resistance was waning and dangling the key to the cage in front of the ferocious beast.

Reckless and Impulsive. They would make exceptional names for future sauces.

Kendall took a few deep breaths and exited the bathroom. Instead of returning to the dining room as expected, he took a detour to the kitchen where the staff was busy preparing dessert plates. Kendall nearly whimpered when he saw the poached pears dripping chocolate sauce with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side.

He heaved a sigh and said, "Pears Belle Helene."

Adelaide looked up and smiled. "I told you I made all your favorites." Then she opened the lid on a plastic storage container and showed off the cookies inside. "Palmier cookies too."

Kendall could almost taste the crisp, buttery cookies. "Could I get a few of those to go?"

Adelaide's smile fell from her face. "You're leaving so soon?"

"There's an issue at work that needs my attention." He hated lying to Adelaide, but he wasn't willing to divulge the truth and risk losing her affection.

She replaced the lid and carried the cookies around the long work island. "Take them all," Adelaide said as she shoved the plastic container into Kendall's hands.

"No, I couldn't."

"I made them just for you," Adelaide said. "Mrs. Burkhart is only expecting me to serve Pears Belle Helene to her guests."

"I shouldn't." His crumbling resolve made Adelaide smile. "But I will."

She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "That's my boy. Give me a few minutes to pack up your leftovers."

Kendall didn't bother protesting because they both knew it was as worthless as Monopoly money. Instead, he took the time to catch up on what was going on with her family. She'd been blessed with a beautiful grandson since the last time Kendall had seen her.

"He's adorable," Kendall said when she showed him photos on her phone. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Adelaide leaned closer and lowered her voice. "I haven't spoken to your mother about this, but I plan to resign at the end of the month. My son and daughter-in-law could use my help."

"And they're more deserving of your love and devotion," Kendall said. "Promise me one thing."

"Name it," Adelaide said without hesitation.

"Keep in touch."

Adelaide folded her arms over her stomach. "As you've done with me?"

"Touché." Kendall took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to include you in my clean break from this household."

She patted his cheek. "I know, love. I know. I should've called to make sure you were okay, but I didn't know if it was my place."

Kendall pulled the woman in for another hug. "I can't imagine what my childhood would've been like if not for you and the refuge I found in your kitchen. You will always have a special place in my heart."

Adelaide sniffled and pulled back after a few moments. "We'll both do better this time."

Kendall nodded.

"But give me your address so I can at least send you a Christmas card in case you forget this conversation."

"I won't," he said, but he wrote his new address down for her anyway.

She packed up a large tote with enough leftovers to feed a battalion before adding the cookies on top. Adelaide handed him the bag and said, "I'll make your excuses to your mother."

"Still running interference for me, I see." Kendall doubted Rebecca would notice or even care, but he appreciated Adelaide's gesture.

"Some things never change." Her dark eyes took on a somber expression. "Others take time, but they're worth the effort."

Her words reminded him of the internal war waging inside him, and he metaphorically tucked the keys to the cage away for the time being. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Kendall exited the house through the kitchen, choosing to walk around the mansion rather than risk running into Stan before he escaped. When he rounded the side of the house, he saw Graeme leaning against the wall near the front door. He held a phone to his ear and appeared to be in the middle of a serious conversation. Graeme glanced up as he approached and offered a friendly wave.

"Nice meeting you," Kendall whispered as he walked by.

"You too," Graeme mouthed.

Kendall didn't release the breath he'd been holding until he'd driven away from the Burkhart mansion.