Read Razing Kayne for Free Online Page A

fishing stories. “What did I miss?” It was obvious something had happened.
    Polly leaned in close. “It was the strangest thing...he looked close to tears.”
    Del interrupted her. “He lost his wife and children a couple years ago.”
    “He said his daughter died.” Jess watched Kayne lead the kids up the hill. He hadn't
     said anything about a wife or more than one child.
    Del studied her closely. “Is that all he said?”
    Jess nodded. Surely it couldn't be worse than that.
    “I should tell you to ask him, but...look, all I'll say is that his wife drowned their
     children, waited until he got home, and shot herself right in front of him. Anything
     else you're going to have to get from him.”
    Jess stared at Del in wide-eyed horror. She couldn't have heard him correctly. “Oh, dear merciful God!” She managed to croak out.
    Jess wasn't naïve. Having been a dispatcher, she was regrettably aware of what the
     worst of humanity had to offer. She knew how badly it hurt to lose a loved one, but
     she couldn’t begin to understand how Kayne could still function after losing everything
     that mattered . Worse, his children had died at the hands of the one person who should have protected
     them the most. She didn't understand how anyone could cope with that type of loss.
    “Oh, sweetie, it's okay.” Polly wrapped her arms around Jess. It wasn't until then
     that Jess realized she was crying.
    She brushed the tears away. “When?”
    “It was about the same time Jarred died, so maybe you don't remember it. They suspected
     Kayne for a while, because they never found the baby's body. But I've seen inside
     that boy's soul, and there’s no way he could have done what they tried to accuse him
     of. Now, enough of this depressing gossip, why don't you go play and let me have that baby?” Del pried a
     still-sleeping Grace out of her arms.
    From the bottom of the hill, Jess watched Kayne, with Isabelle on his lap, line their
     disks up with the other kids on an imaginary line.
    “On your mark, get set...go!” Kayne reached over and gave Ash a big push, then did
     the same for Maddy before he shoved off himself. They came screaming and giggling
     down the hill and finally stopped a few feet away from her.
    “Will you race me, Mommy?” Ash asked excitedly.
    “Sweetie, there aren't enough sleds.”
    “Here, ride with ‘Sabella.” Kayne held out the disc for her to accept.
    “I think I've climbed that hill enough for one day.”
    “Just once?” Kayne asked.
    Even with his emotions in check, she could still see the sadness. She wanted to wrap
     her arms around him and not let go. Not good.
    “Once,” she relented.
    They all cheered.
    ***
    Three runs later, Jessica stood again at the top of the hill, Kayne by her side. The
     last run had ended in a tie, and the children demanded a rematch between Kayne and
     her. They would be the judges.
    “I don't know why you bothered coming up the hill; you know I'm going to win,” Kayne
     taunted.
    “Uh, probably because you threw me over your shoulder and dragged me, kicking and
     screaming, like some Neanderthal.” She huffed. She still couldn't believe he'd done
     that. Acted as if she weighed nothing.
    “Trust me, short-stuff, if I'd gone caveman, we wouldn't be standing on a hill talking.
     You'd be naked in my bed.”
    Jess gasped as an illicit shiver snaked down her spine.
    “And I've yet to make you scream,” he tacked on.
    No, after he'd smacked her on the ass, she'd been too shocked to do anything other
     than be still, afraid she'd hurt both of them if she struggled. And then when his
     thumb had started caressing her inner thigh, she'd thought it was her imagination.
     Now, after that comment, she had to wonder.
    “I'm still going to win.” He smirked
    “Ha!” Jess scoffed. “I could stand up on this disc and still beat you to the bottom.”
    “This I gotta see.”
    Jess planted first one foot then the other, treating it like a snowboard. Kayne