Daring Wes: Cade Brothers Series Read online

  Kaylee didn’t want to know his ideas for them. But someday, hopefully soon, she would. “Come on. They’re waiting for us. We better go.”

  * * *

  “Tell me again why we’re meeting at Blue Casino instead of the Fireside Lounge?” Kaylee scanned the casino floor. Neon blue with orange accents decorated the loud gaming area.

  Adam and his new wife Hayden worked at Blue in management, but they’d only just returned from their honeymoon. Kaylee didn’t think Hayden had gone back to work yet, and she’d heard Adam was helping Levi and Emily with the tournament all week. She wasn’t sure if it was a conflict of interest for Adam to work at Blue Casino and to be a part owner of Club Tahoe, but clearly Blue didn’t seem to mind.

  Wes placed his hand at the small of her back as she walked up the few steps to the Monte Belle lounge, where his brothers and their significant others were waiting. “It’s two-for-one beers until seven tonight. We couldn’t pass it up.”

  She scanned his face. “Are you serious? You guys are probably the richest men in town and you’re bargain drinking?”

  “Who doesn’t like a good two-for-one?”

  She threw up her hands. “Apparently, not even billionaires.”

  “Not sure billionaire is accurate. Multimillions, possibly. Haven’t checked the trust in over a decade.”

  She tripped on the carpet. “Excuse me?”

  Wes stopped and turned his back to his brothers. “You know I never cared about that stuff.”

  “I know you never cared if others had money, and I know you’re not a snob. But who doesn’t know how much they have?”

  He scratched the back of his neck. “I know how much I have, just not how much my father put into a trust for me. That was always his money.”

  “And he gave it to you. Wes, there are people struggling out there who would kill for a fraction of what your father gave you. If you don’t want it, donate it.”

  He sighed. “I hear you, and I’ll consider it. Right now, Levi is pulling from all of our trust funds to keep things moving at the resort. Afterward…I’ll consider what to do next.”

  She wrapped her hand around his thick upper arm, and they continued walking toward the group. This was Wes. The multimillionaire who lived in a simple one-room cabin and went to two-for-one beer nights. He wasn’t materialistic. He wasn’t a cheater. And he cared about her. He was a man who was making it damn hard to not fall in love with him again.

  She sighed and put on a smile for the larger-than-normal group tonight.

  Emily stood and gave Kaylee a hug. “I’m so glad you guys could make it.” She looked at Kaylee and waggled her eyebrows with a glance at Wes.

  “We’re friends,” Kaylee said quietly, reading Emily’s mind. All of Wes’s brothers and their significant others had made assumptions about Kaylee and Wes, but she refused to define their relationship.

  “Anyway,” Emily said, clearly not believing her. “Let me introduce you to a few of our friends. This is Jaeg and his fiancée Cali, along with Cali’s cousin, Ireland. Ireland just started working at Blue Casino.”

  The pretty redhead, sitting next to Jaeg’s fiancée, waved. “Nice to meet you.” Her gaze skittered to Bran.

  Poor Bran. Personally, Kaylee thought Wes was the most handsome Cade, but there were some women who couldn’t take their eyes off Bran. Unfortunately, Wes’s brother was seriously shy.

  Kaylee and Wes greeted the rest of the group and took seats at the three round tables pushed together to accommodate everyone. Wes’s brothers were pretty big guys. Add Jaeg to the mix, and it was like a table of quarterbacks.

  “So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Kaylee asked. “What can I do to help? Keep the kids away?”

  “Actually,” Emily said, “I was thinking we could bring them. Most of the parents in town will be at the event. We might not have many kids at Club Kids that day, but the ones who are there can enjoy the tournament. Adam is our extra pair of hands for the week.” She turned to Adam, who had his arm around Hayden’s waist and appeared completely in love with his new wife. “You don’t mind putting together a picnic for Club Kids, do you?”

  “I’m at your service.”

  Hayden smiled up at him. “I’ll help too. I’m taking tomorrow off. Blue knows we aren’t mentally back from our honeymoon, and they’re giving us tons of leeway this week.”

  “Excellent,” Emily said. “So with the kids taken care of, the merchandise and corporate tents ready to go, the food vendors and restaurants prepared”—she looked at Bran, who nodded—“the golf course and tournament people lined up, thanks to Wes and Levi… We should be good. Unless something goes wrong. Which it always does.” She sank her forehead onto her hand and closed her eyes. Levi rubbed her back.

  “Is she okay?” Kaylee asked.

  “She’s fine,” Levi said. Emily lifted her hand, waving in agreement. “She’s just stressed.”

  “But you’re not?”

  Levi shrugged. “Emily stresses enough for the both of us. It’s my job to keep her calm.”

  Wes snorted and Kaylee looked at him.

  “He means in the bedroom,” Wes said.

  Levi shot Wes a scowl.

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Cali asked.

  “This is major,” Jaeg said. “We should be on hand tomorrow as well.”

  “Absolutely,” Cali agreed. “Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if my boss and the entire construction crew took the week off to enjoy the tournament. It’s not often something like this comes into town.”

  Wes had told Kaylee on the way over about the friends joining them tonight. Apparently, Cali worked for one of Jaeg and Adam’s friends, who owned a local construction company.

  “And me too. I’ll be there,” Ireland chimed in. This time she didn’t glance at Bran, but Kaylee caught Bran frown anyway.

  He really didn’t like this girl. And that made no sense. She was very pretty, and seemed sweet.

  “I’m here for the foreseeable future,” Ireland said. “I’d love to get more involved.”

  Bran grumbled lightly.

  Ireland’s shoulders stiffened at the sound, but she tried to smile. “I’ve worked in just about every field as I paid my way through college and graduate school, so I come experienced.”

  Bran glanced over, and this time, there was a hint of surprise on his face. Maybe even admiration. But it quickly faded and he looked back at his brothers. “So long as we don’t have any food-poisoning incidents, all should go well.”

  “Are you kidding?” Hunt said. He’d been checking his phone nonstop. “Anything can go wrong, and probably will.”

  Emily sucked in a breath, her eyes widening.

  Levi scowled. “Shut it, Hunt. You’re not helping.”

  “In that case,” Hunt said, “we done here? I’ve got plans.” He scanned Ireland. “Feel free to join me. No need to stick around with the couples.”

  Ireland blushed and glanced at Bran. “Not everyone has a significant other.”

  Hunt shook his head. “Who, Bran? You won’t find him with a woman.”

  “I’m with plenty of women,” Bran grumbled. “Just not the kind you go out with.” He looked at Ireland, as though she were an example.

  Her face turned bright red to match her hair. She looked away and said, “No thank you. I’m hanging out with my cousin tonight.”

  Cali bumped Ireland’s shoulder in solidarity.

  Ouch. Bran’s comment and the look he shot Ireland? Harsh.

  Ireland was really pretty. Striking, even, with her bright red hair and fair skin. She was also curvy. So basically, the kind of woman most guys drooled over. Come to think of it, Kaylee would expect Wes to drool over her too, but he was busy trying to inch his hand up Kaylee’s thigh. He also kept leaning in and sniffing her hair.

  “You smell good,” he whispered in his sexy, low voice.

  Wes was a menace; they’d just had sex! But Kaylee smiled. She’d never had to worry about him w
ith other women. Once he settled, he was a one-woman guy.

  And then her smile died. Had he settled?

  They were having sex. And though it seemed he’d been free with his affections before she’d arrived in town, she’d not seen him with anyone since. He’d confirmed it when he said as much. And now they were having sex in a friends-with-benefits sort of way.

  Okay, so the lines of relationship and sex buddies had thinned. But if he hadn’t been a one-woman kind of guy, she wouldn’t have agreed to the arrangement.

  Adam waved at the waitress in the lounge, who seemed to be waiting for his signal. A couple of the guys were drinking beers, but some had opted for bottles of water.

  The waitress came over with several small yellow shot glasses.

  “Lemon drops,” Levi said. “Emily’s choice, since she single-handedly orchestrated the tour bringing in hundreds of workers, hired fifty new employees, and got the casino and hotel primed for the event. Bran and I simply bumped around as urban Sherpas, hauling things and cracking skulls when needed.”

  Hunt held up a glass, and everyone else did too. “Kind of a fruity shot, but I’m game. To Emily for saving us, to Wes kicking ass on the course tomorrow, and to no one getting stampeded by the crowd.”

  “Cheers,” they all said.

  Chapter 25

  The first day of the tournament came and went in a haze of activity. Not only did the hotel and casino pull it off while Wes was busy playing the round of his life, but Wes made it into the top twenty-five with a score of four under. And it didn’t end there. The days to follow were even better.

  There was no way in hell Wes could have predicted he’d make it past the first round with such a high placement on the leaderboard. He was even more surprised to make the cut after the second day, beating half the pros. And now he was halfway through the final round of the tournament in the top ten, with a legitimate chance of finishing high enough to get an exemption into the next tournament.

  It was mind-blowing.

  He scanned the bleachers. He’d been so focused today that this was the first moment he’d had a chance to look for Kaylee. Not that he had any hope of seeing her. She’d been busy with the kids all weekend, and the buzz of having a local boy near the top in the final round drew even larger crowds.

  Wes should have been nervous. He had been at the beginning of the tournament, but taking over the running of the golf course changed him. He had other dreams to focus on besides golf championships.

  Dreams like running a children’s golf program. Like being with Kaylee.

  Life was good with or without being at the top of his favorite sport, but he wasn’t complaining, because this was incredible.

  He putted in another birdie on the second-to-last hole and picked up his ball, glancing once more at the bleachers. Still no sign of Kaylee.

  Thank fuck the event had gone well so far. They’d experienced one minor incident, with the club running out of pool and beach towels, but Levi had rented a massive truck and sent Jaeg to two different Costcos for backups. Turned out, after people had been on the course all day, their next move was to hit the pool. Late night gambling followed. There were two situations Wes heard about where spectators got into brawls. Adam took care of it, though, by reaching out to his connections at Blue Casino for extra off-duty guard help.

  They’d hired additional security, but apparently some golf fans could be assholes when they drank and became hyped from the competition. Not that Wes could blame them. He was the most competitive of his brothers. Which was why it was such a surprise to find that when he focused his competitive streak on something else—like, say, a sassy brunette—it left him room to just play the game.

  Amazing. He should have brought Kaylee to all of his golf events in college.

  But he hadn’t. He’d been a selfish dick. He thought he had the girl, and all he’d needed was to get on the pro tour. God, he’d been an idiot.

  Wes followed his caddy and the crowd to the last hole. No time like the present to stay on course—the course being to make Kaylee as happy as possible. He only wished he could let her know she was the most important thing to him. Because she was, he’d realized.

  After Kaylee told him about the miscarriage and why she’d left him, he’d decided they’d not been given a fair chance with all that had happened. Yes, he’d made mistakes, but his heart had always been with her. Now he just needed to convince her they were right for each other.

  It wasn’t until Wes was about to make his last putt that he finally caught a glimpse of Kaylee. She was smiling behind the eighteenth green with her arms wrapped around the shoulders of two kids. She stole his breath. And a good thing too. He was so focused on how amazing she was, he’d subconsciously lined up his putt, and then calmly rolled the ball into the hole for yet another birdie.

  Wes ran a hand down his face, smiling. The tournament was over, and he’d made it into the top ten. Which meant he automatically qualified for the next tournament.

  Holy fuck.

  * * *

  Wes handed in his scorecard and headed straight for Kaylee. And got tackled by an excited Bella.

  “You did it, Wes! You did it!”

  “You’re going to be out there too someday, Bella.”

  “With hard work, right? Just like you tell me.”

  “That’s exactly right.” He set her down and shook her parents’ hands. They were equally excited, and appeared genuinely grateful for the work Wes had put into helping their daughter learn the game.

  Maybe her parents weren’t so bad after all, and he was glad to know it. Wes watched Bella walk away holding hands with her father, her mother smiling beside them.

  He searched for Kaylee, but she seemed to have wandered off in the excitement. She was still working and in charge of at least a couple of kids. She must have taken them back to Club Kids. His shoulders slumped. He wanted to celebrate with her, but he understood she had a job to do.

  The next blow to his body came from Hunt, who nearly knocked him over. “Fuck you. I can’t believe it,” Hunt said excitedly. “You asshole. You never told us there was a chance you’d do well.”

  “I didn’t know either.” Wes chuckled. “It’s as much a shock to me as it is to you.”

  Soon he ran into all of his brothers as well as Jaeg, Cali, and a few other friends, who all congratulated him. His family couldn’t talk long, as they were on duty until the last tournament guest left the grounds, but it meant a lot to Wes to have them close during the tournament of his life.

  He checked in with his second-in-command of the golf program, as well as the head groundskeeper. All was going well, and sales of clubs were at an all-time high, something they hadn’t anticipated. Wes had figured they’d sell a boatload of T-shirts, but not clubs.

  It wasn’t until dusk that he finally spotted Kaylee walking toward him from the direction of the resort. She was kid-less, which meant she was off work.

  He jogged toward her and picked her up, taking her mouth with his.

  He swung her around, and she tilted her head back laughing. “Put me down before you make me barf!”

  Wes gently set her on the ground, not caring what a sap he looked like. “Can you believe it?”

  She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes. I knew you could do it.”

  Wes wasn’t the kind of guy to get choked up. Pretty much never did unless one of his stupid brothers turned on the waterworks, which was almost never. But he had to fight back the heat burning behind his eyes.

  He buried his head near her neck and breathed in her scent. “Thank you for always believing in me. Even when I was an oblivious ass.”

  “You were twenty-two. Most twenty-two-year-olds are oblivious asses. I forgave you a long time ago. Just needed you to forgive me for how I handled things.”

  He straightened and held her close. “Nothing to forgive.” He’d said it before, but he’d say it again. “I’m always here for you. From here on out, okay?”

  She studied
his eyes, and for the first time, he thought he might be getting through to her. That she might be looking at him in a different light. One that could mean a future for them.

  “Wes Cade?”

  Wes looked over his shoulder at a man walking toward them.

  He’d run into his buddy Tom, who’d hooked them up with the Tahoe Invitational, but Wes hadn’t met any of the lead organizers. He’d been too busy playing. And the way this guy was dressed in a navy blazer with a red patch appeared official.

  “I’m Wes.” He shook the guy’s hand and introduced Kaylee.

  “Great playing out there,” the tour official said. “Didn’t know our host was so good at the game.” He leaned closer as though imparting a secret. “Most people who take the sponsor’s exemption aren’t.”

  Wes chuckled. “To be honest, I had a few good days. That was all.”

  “Really good days, from what I’ve seen.” He turned to Kaylee. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. Wes, be sure to get in touch after the tournament. We loved your course. I want to talk about future opportunities if you’re interested.”

  “Absolutely. Thank you, sir.”

  Kaylee was silent as the man walked away, but as soon as he was out of earshot, she squeezed him around the waist. “Holy shit, Wes! This is your chance.”

  He nodded. Everything he’d ever wanted was coming together. But he was also trying to figure out how he’d keep all the balls in the air—this next tournament, working at the club, and Kaylee. As soon as he’d made her a priority, things had started to come together. But how the hell was he going to accept all the good being thrown at him and not drop something?

  Chapter 26

  Two weeks had passed since the Tahoe Invitational, and Wes had been gone nearly the entire time. His scores came in strong at the next tournament, so Wes arrived home for a couple of days, then left for the following tournament as well. He missed Kaylee like crazy, but she was being great about the travel and supporting his dream.

  Wes pulled into his driveway and Kaylee came running out of the cabin and into his arms. “Hi,” she said casually.