by Celya Bowers
“Here’s the funny part.”
“Is there one?”
“Yes, there is. While we were being escorted to our cars, your mother mentioned Charlie catching you two the other week on the couch. The next thing I know Zenora and Martha are planning the wedding and how many kids you and Cole are going to have. So it all turned out fine. The women are speaking again and my life is as quiet as it should be.”
Kendall sat up straight. “Except the fact that my mother will have a bee in her bonnet about Cole.”
“Don’t you like him?”
Kendall evaded the question. “Dad, that’s really not the issue.”
“And that answers my question. So have you guys set a date? How do you get along with his son? Martha said he arrived unannounced.”
Kendall shook her head. Evan was her last hope for nipping this in the bud, but he was as bad as her mother. “Daddy, please. There’s no date, we’re just having a good time.”
“Oh well, that explains everything.”
Kendall was in too deep now. She’d have to tell her father something a little more concrete just to reassure him. “Dad, Cole and I are seeing each other, just not exclusively and now that his son is here, we’re kind of on hiatus.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“So when’s the big day?”
Kendall sighed. Parents were the same no matter what. Her stepfather heard what he wanted to hear and that was it. She’d never convince him or her mother there was no wedding to be planned until they were ready to hear it.
“I’m going to the kitchen to see if Mom needs help,” she announced to her stepfather.
“Okay, baby girl.” He turned back to the television.
Kendall knew she was about to be interrogated by a fierce force named Zenora Stone-Duncan. It would take all of her diplomatic skills as a doctor to convince her mother there would be no wedding. She squared her shoulders and entered the kitchen.
Her mother was in her element. She loved to cook. Although her mother tried to abide by Kendall’s vegetarian lifestyle as much as she could, she didn’t believe in a meal without meat. In honor of Kendall, they were having roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and salad. Looking up from one of her pots, she noticed Kendall in the doorway. “Hi, honey.”
“Hey Mom. Dad told me about the country club. Thanks.”
Zenora shook her head as she placed the silver lid on the blue boiler, a Christmas present from Charlie. “No need to thank me. I told Martha you didn’t have to ask Cole for the donation. Charlie told me about catching you guys on the couch like teenagers in heat.”
“Mom, I’m forty, you know. I can have male company without consulting you. As a matter of fact, I’ve had several dates.”
“With Cole?”
“No.”
“Baby, I just want you to be happy. After Martha and I talked we decided we just want our children to be happy. Cole is very successful and he’s got a good future in writing. Martha said he just signed at multimillion-dollar book deal a few months back. You could do a lot worse than a millionaire.”
Kendall should have known her mother would find out every detail of Cole’s life. It was as if she were sixteen again and her mother was looking over a prospective beau. Her mother could ferret out information better than any reporter on CNN.
“Martha said his son showed up last night.” Her mother immediately proved her worth to the gossip community. “She said she hasn’t even seen him, but Cole promised her very soon. Can you believe he’s sixteen years old and Martha has never met the boy? Cole said he just appeared in his bedroom doorway.”
Was that just yesterday when the bottom dropped out of her world? “Yes, Cole didn’t realize he was in the house until we woke up.” Kendall realized her mistake, but it was too late. She’d just told her mother that she’d slept with Cole. She could only hope that her mother was too occupied with dinner to notice.
Zenora smiled at her daughter. “Well, I guess if you’re waking up with him that’s a good sign.” She held up a slender, bejeweled hand. “Before you get all stuffy on me, it’s perfectly fine for two adults to talk about sex, and we are two adults. We just happen to be mother and daughter. Now, I don’t need details. That smile says everything. So I guess he knows what he’s doing.”
Kendall just wanted this evening to be over. It was only going to get worse as her mother started pumping her for more information.
“Mmm, I think the chicken is ready. Want me to call Dad for dinner?”
Zenora walked to the large wooden table and took a seat. She motioned for Kendall to do the same. After she did, her mother looked at her with a serious look in the brown eyes. “No, you’re going to tell me just how many times Cole has awakened beside you.”
CHAPTER 16
It was nearly ten when Kendall opened her door to her house. Her mother hadn’t been satisfied until Kendall filled her in on most of the details of her relationship with Cole, not that there was much to tell.
She entered her house with a sigh and braced herself for what she thought she’d find in her living room. She had expected to see Dylan’s toys scattered all over the place, but there was no visible evidence there was even a child in the house.
In fact, there wasn’t any evidence that anybody was in the house.
Kendall noticed her mail was on the counter in a very neat pile. A yellow notepad bearing the logo of Briarwood Hospital sat next to the stack of letters. She glanced at the message and did a double take. She picked it up and read the message again. Cole had left a not-so-cryptic message about meeting him at “their” spot for some hot sex on a platter!
“That man has a lot of nerve,” she muttered, as she wadded up the note and threw it in a nearby wastebasket. She grabbed her mail and took a seat in her favorite oversized leather chair.
She was opening the electric bill when Jami entered the room dressed in bright red silk pajamas with a matching red robe. Jami took a seat on the couch and crossed her legs. “Hi, Kendall. Would you like me to get you something? Dylan and I had McDonald’s this evening, and I got you a salad just in case you were hungry when you came home.”
“Jami, you don’t have to do that. I had dinner at my mom’s tonight. I hadn’t intended to stay as late as I did, because I wanted to make sure you guys were settled. But my mother found out about Cole, so I had to explain. Between his mom and mine, I’m going to have a crapload of trouble. They’re already planning a wedding.” She shook her head.
Jami nodded. “Kendall, you’ve been such a help to me when I had virtually nowhere else to turn. Max wanted to help, but he’s in a dodgy situation himself. Besides, I couldn’t take money from him. I just want to show my appreciation to you.”
Kendall sighed and placed the unopened mail aside. “Jami, you’ve shown me appreciation for the last five years. Let me do this for you.” She wanted Jami to feel at home, not like a visitor. “For now, this is your home, too. You don’t have to fix me dinner, you don’t have to get my mail, and it’s okay if Dylan’s toys are around the house.”
Jami studied her, letting Kendall’s statement filter through her brain. She toyed with the belt on her robe as she thought. “Thank you, Kendall, but I don’t mind doing those things for you. Did you get your phone message from Cole? He told me to call him that,” Jami quickly explained.
“That’s fine, Jami. What time did he call?” Kendall fought the urge to get the note out of the trash.
Jami smiled slyly. “About an hour ago.”
Kendall tried for a little levity. “Don’t you look at me like that. I’m not going to meet him. His son just arrived today, so he needs to spend time with him.”
“So that’s who that was.” She cleared her throat. “I saw Cole and a young man walking around the area earlier this evening.”
“Yes, that’s Cole’s son, Taylor. He’s going to be living with Cole.”
Jami nodded. “Oh, my. That’s going to take some adjustment
for you guys. So that explains what he said.”
Kendall was almost afraid to ask. “What did he say?”
Jami stood and readjusted her sash. “He asked me if I knew any good books for teenagers.”
Kendall was relieved, envisioning Cole saying something off the mark to Jami. Thank goodness she was wrong. “Oh, I’ll have to call my nephew and ask him tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, James will probably call. He wants to do dinner one day this week.”
Jami nodded, but said nothing.
“Yes, I remember what he did to me,” Kendall said. “He thinks he’s going to worm his way back into my life. Like I’m going to forget about all his cheating.”
“I’m glad you’re cautious, Kendall. I don’t want him to hurt you again. No one should have to live through a hurt like that a second time. I understand about revenge and closure, as long as you know which is which.”
Kendall took in her new friend’s advice. “That’s very true, Jami. But I know what I’m doing. I need to know for myself that it’s finally over. And today while he was in my office, I knew that it is over. He hurt me one time too many, and I’m not going to relive that. Unfortunately, both Briarwood and InfaCare are in his sales territory, so I have to deal with him on a professional level.”
“I understand. It’s for the hospital.”
She didn’t understand, Kendall knew, but it would take more than a night to explain it. For so long the hospital had been the only thing in her life, but now that was different. But how could she put those emotions into words? Kendall was living it, and she didn’t know if she understood it. “Partly, but close enough for tonight.”
“I’m going to bed,” Jami said as she left the room. “Good night, Kendall.”
“Good night, Jami,” Kendall called as she decided that salad didn’t sound too bad after all and headed to the kitchen.
* * *
After Kendall devoured the salad, she went upstairs to find her skating companion. Any other time, Jordan would have been at her heels the minute she walked inside the house, but tonight he was nowhere to be seen.
She went to her bedroom because that was where she’d assumed he’d be, stretched out on her king-sized bed and waiting for her. But he wasn’t there. She knew he wasn’t in the garage. As she started for the spare bedroom, she heard a bark. She heard another bark and Dylan’s laughter. Then more barking, more laughter, and finally Jami telling Dylan to be quiet. The barking and laughter only increased.
“Come on, guys, you’re going to wake Kendall, and then you’re going to be in trouble,” Jami threatened.
Kendall didn’t know if she liked being the bargaining chip with Dylan. Besides, it didn’t work anyway. Dylan and Jordan were bonding, much to her dismay. She knocked on Jami’s door, and for a moment all Kendall heard were hushed whispers between mother and son. “Come in, Kendall,” Jami said hesitantly.
Kendall plastered a smile on her face, so Jami and Dylan would feel comfortable with her. Jami was perched on the end of the bed, ready to defend her child, no doubt. She worried needlessly because the picture before her captured Kendall’s heart. Dylan and Jordan were lying side by side facing each other, sharing the same pillow. One of Jordan’s paws rested lightly on Dylan’s
T-shirt-covered chest. It was a Kodak moment that warmed her heart.
“Hey, guys, I was just wondering if I could borrow Jordan for a little run.”
Dylan looked at her with his big brown eyes. “Are you going to bring him back? We promise to be quiet from now on,” he said honestly.
“Yes, honey. You can play with him whenever you want.”
His big brown eyes were going to be her undoing. Kendall sat on the bed next to Dylan.
He sat up and crawled into her lap and hugged her.
“Dylan, get out of Kendall’s lap,” Jami scolded. “How many times have I told you that you have to ask first?” She looked at Kendall with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry. He does that with Keerya and Max.”
Kendall wrapped her arms around the child and squeezed him gently. “You can crawl into my lap anytime, Dylan.”
“Can I go skating with you and Jordan?” He slid off her lap and stood on the floor. “I can change clothes.”
“No, baby,” Kendall said. “I think it’s too late for little boys to be up. You need all your rest.”
“Why?” Jami and Dylan asked simultaneously.
Why indeed? Think, Kendall, think. It was summer. What did kids do in the summer? “We have to go shopping for you some new toys.”
“Why?” mother and son queried again.
Kendall had to get a lot better at this. “Because it’s my housewarming present to you.”
Dylan seemed satisfied with that answer, but not Jami.
“Kendall, you don’t have—”
“Any toys here,” Kendall circumvented. “I know. We’re going to remedy that tomorrow, right after work.”
That answer satisfied both mother and son, or either Jami didn’t want to jeopardize her job. Either way, Kendall finally won. “Good. We’ll go shopping right after work. I’m having dinner with Cole and Taylor tomorrow night,” Kendall explained for no reason. “So do we have a date, Dylan?”
He nodded.
Kendall looked at Jami, who also agreed. She felt very satisfied. “Good, tomorrow at five.” Kendall rose and whistled for Jordan to join her. She didn’t actually think he’d leave Dylan’s side, but if Jordan was anything, he was loyal. He knew where his gourmet dog food came from. He followed Kendall out of the room and down the hall.
* * *
Cole watched Kendall from his bedroom window. On the pretext of trying to get some work done, he had gone to his room earlier that evening. But now, watching her skating with total abandon, he knew where he needed to be. He wanted to see her so badly he didn’t think he could last another day. He imagined his hands all over her slender body. He needed to show his son the love he needed, but his son was in his room playing on the new laptop computer Cole had purchased for him earlier that day. Surely Taylor would be okay for a few minutes while he took a short walk.
He walked down the hall and knocked on his son’s door. When he was invited inside, he opened the door. Taylor was sitting at the ultra-modern computer desk, also purchased that day, in a leather high-back chair. “Hey, Dad.”
Cole cleared his throat. “I’m going to take a walk. You’ll be okay for about thirty minutes on your own?”
Taylor turned around and faced his father. “How about I go with you?”
Cole hadn’t planned on that. But he should have known Taylor would want to accompany him. “Sure, if you really want to.”
Taylor laughed. “No, Dad, I was just messing with you. I saw Kendall skating earlier. She’s really hot, Dad. I couldn’t imagine Mom or Holly skating just for fun. You better make your move. I thought I saw some other dude following her.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I don’t think she knows he’s behind her.”
That was all Cole needed to hear. He had to find out what was going on. Kendall might be in grave danger. “Be back in thirty.”
* * *
Kendall breathed in the night air as she skated. Exercise always helped her to clear her head. Jordan was a few steps ahead of her, jogging merrily and looking for prey, when he suddenly stopped. Kendall started at his attack growl.
“Calm down, Jordan. There’s no way a prowler could get by security, baby. We’re safe.” She hoped the assurance would be enough for him to resume jogging.
But Jordan was on high alert and barking furiously even though she couldn’t see anyone. Suddenly, Jordan took off for the large oak tree in the middle of the park and barked at it. Kendall skated toward the tree and spotted a figure in black jeans and black shirt. “James?”
“Call off your dog.”
“Jordan, it’s okay. It’s just a two-legged dog.” She patted her leg twice and called him again with just a little attitude in her voice, so he’d know she m
eant business. Jordan trotted over to her and James descended from the tree.
He walked over to her and stopped just short of Jordan. “Hey, he looks like he’s going to take a bite out of me. Why don’t you tether him or something?”
Kendall looked from tiny Jordan to her taller-than-average ex-husband. Jordan could probably take James in one bite. “He won’t bite his own kind.”
“I see you can’t let that go.” He brushed leaves and dirt from his pants. “I came by to see you, but the security guard said he had to announce me. So I took matters into my own hands,” he said confidently.
“So who do you know in this subdivision?”
He didn’t even try to deny it for one second. “A charming lady named Eileen Chambers. She invited me back to her place for a drink.”
Kendall didn’t know which infuriated her more: The fact that he’d willingly used another female to get inside her complex, or that Eileen was a sweet person and probably thought James was genuine.
“You’re the same selfish bastard you were when I divorced you.” She started to skate away, but James caught her by her arm. Kendall fell facedown on the concrete.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” James said as he helped her up. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you for the world. I just want you to know what I’m willing to do to see you.”
Kendall sat down on the grass and surveyed the damage. There were a few scratches on her left leg, but her right knee was bleeding and was beginning to throb like hell. “Why don’t you just leave? And if you’re on this property again, I’m calling the police.”
“Baby, you don’t understand. I really wanted to see you.”
“And I think you didn’t hear what the lady said,” a deep male voice said.
Kendall knew that voice. “Cole, what are you doing here?”
“Watching this man attack you.” He looked at Kendall’s bleeding knee. “He did that to you?” He slipped his T-shirt off and kneeled down next to her. Not waiting for an answer he already knew, he began cleaning up her injury the best he could.