by Rachel Hanna
"Well, Mother, I am shocked that you are giving me grief over this," Kyle said shaking his head.
"Not grief, darling. Just a warning. I hope you know what you're doing."
"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting down across from her.
"Kyle, this woman tore your heart out all those years ago. I watched you claw your way back to a normal life, and it took a long time. Surely you remember all of this," she said in her Southern drawl.
"Yes, I do, Mother."
"Why would you want to put yourself through that all over again?"
"It's just a job. We're not getting back together. I've explained that to Jenna."
"She and her child are going to be living with you, Kyle."
"And?"
"You don't think that's going to be very tempting?"
"I thought you liked Jenna."
"I adore Jenna! I fully expected her to be my daughter in law. But she broke your heart, Kyle, and I love you more. I just don't want to see you get your hopes up and something happens to tear you apart yet again."
"Mom, I promise that I am going into this arrangement with my eyes wide open this time. It's just about finding her a job to support her daughter and giving them shelter for a few weeks. That's it. Now, are you in agreement about giving her a job?"
"Of course. Whatever I need to do."
"Good. So, how are you feeling today?"
"Still pretty tired and worn down. Glad to be home, though."
"You gave us all quite a scare. Where's Jackson?"
"He had to head out early this morning for a closing in Atlanta."
"Wow. That was a short stay."
"Yes. You know how Jackson loves the big city. January Cove has become too small for your older brother, I suppose." She smiled wearily, and Kyle knew it was time to go.
"Get some rest, Mama. I'll check in on you later."
"Kyle?"
"Yes?" he asked turning around at the door to her bedroom.
"Be careful."
"Careful of what?"
"Hold your heart close, son. Protect it, okay?"
"Don't worry, Mama, I will."
Kaitlyn sat on her bed, eyes full of tears, with her arms crossed in defiance.
"I will not, Mommy! I will not pack up my toys!" she said pursing her lips.
"Sweetie, I know this is hard for you," Jenna said trying to soothe her upset daughter.
"I can't leave Lila! We just started our own club and we were going to build a tree fort!"
"Honey, Lila will always be your friend no matter where you live."
"I don't want to move, Mommy! Please don't make me move!"
Jenna felt wracked with guilt inside. She knew all of these changes her daughter was going through were partly her fault. Sure, Nick had cheated on her, but what she had done had certainly contributed to it. Her daughter could never know that. She certainly wouldn't understand it.
"Kaitlyn, sometimes in life we have to do things that we don't necessarily want to do. This is one of those times. Mommy doesn't want to move either, but some things have happened that have caused Mommy to have to move. I'm sorry, but we are going to move at the end of this week. You're my big girl, and I need your help packing up these things, okay?"
Kaitlyn wouldn't look at her mother. "Fine, but I'm going to hate the new place."
"I doubt that. Where we're going is near the beach too, and my friend Kyle will be there with us. So you'll have a lot of new adventures."
"I don't like him either."
"You don't know him, Kaitlyn."
"I don't want to know him."
"Well, you'd better be nice because he's coming to take us to dinner tonight."
"No!" Kaitlyn yelped and ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Jenna sighed and wondered how in the world she was going to navigate this new storm in her life.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Looking at the clock, she realized it was just before five.
"Hey," Kyle said, as he stood on the porch with his hands in his front pockets. Man, was he sexy at the end of the day with a little stubble along his jaw line.
"Hi."
"Everything okay?" he asked. He was always able to read her facial expressions.
"Not really. Kaitlyn is upset about all of this. She doesn't want to move, and it's all my fault. I feel like the world's worst parent."
"It's not your fault. It's your sorry ex husband's fault."
"Kyle, I have to tell..."
"It's also my fault for making you move. Jenna, if there was anything I could do to let you guys stay, I hope you know I would. It's just that I bought this place using private lending, and the interest rates are very high. Plus, I bought it with one of my partners so I didn't tie all of my own money up."
"Kyle, this isn't your fault or your responsibility. I don't blame you. I'm just thankful that you are helping us at all, given our history."
"Let's try not to think about it anymore today because I'm starving and it might ruin my appetite," he said smiling, causing Jenna to remember the wonderful sense of humor he always had.
"Okay. Let me go get Kaitlyn."
She walked upstairs and Kaitlyn was still sitting on her bed looking out the window.
"Honey, our friend Kyle is here. We're going to get some dinner, so come on downstairs."
He's not my friend," she snipped.
"Well, he is my friend and he's doing a kind thing by taking us to eat dinner, so come on."
"But..."
Jenna kicked into mom mode. "Kaitlyn, do not talk back to me anymore. I'm not having it. Get your shoes on and come downstairs, young lady, or you will be on restriction from TV the rest of the weekend."
Kaitlyn was not used to her mother talking to her that way, but she knew she was serious so she put on her flip-flops and huffed downstairs.
"Hi there, Kaitlyn," Kyle said as she stood at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed.
"Say hello to Mr. Parker, Kaitlyn," Jenna chided as she walked up behind her daughter.
"Hello."
Kyle smiled at Jenna. "She's having a moment," Jenna rolled her eyes.
"Got it. Ready to go?"
"Yes. I'm starving," Jenna said smiling as Kyle opened the door for them both. As she walked toward the car, he stopped and stood in the yard.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I thought we were going to dinner..."
"We are."
"We're walking?" she asked confused.
"Yep," he said as he pulled a big picnic basket from behind his vehicle.
"What's going on, Kyle?"
Kyle walked closer where only she could hear him. "Well, I figured what better way to get her to like her new landlord than fulfilling something that her father never did?"
Jenna put her hand over her heart and took a breath. "Kyle, you don't have to do this..."
"Relax, woman. It's just a picnic on the beach. You live right across the street. Honestly, I don't know why you haven't done this yourself."
"I don't know why really. I guess I always felt like it wasn't enough for her to just have a picnic with me," she said softly.
"Well, now she has me, too. And I’m super cool," he said grinning that schoolboy grin that stole her heart so many years ago.
The three of them walked across the road onto the beach. No one was there, as this stretch of beach was mainly used by the locals and not the tourists, and most people were further down the beach. Kaitlyn said nothing as they walked onto the warm sand.
"How about over here?" Kyle asked pointing to a spot.
"Looks good to me," Jenna said smiling. She marveled at how they felt like a family already, but she quickly brushed those thoughts aside. He'd been very clear about where they stood, and she had to abide by that.
Kyle opened the picnic basket and spread a red and white blanket across the sand. "Have a seat, everyone.” Kaitlyn continued staring at the water as she sat down.
"
Miss Kaitlyn, I know you are not happy about moving. That would really stink. I think you should do your best to frown about it as much as possible." Kaitlyn shot a look at him that was irritation mixed with confusion.
"You do?" she said.
"Oh, yeah, for sure. The more you frown, the more friends you'll make."
Jenna stared at Kyle, unsure of where he was going with this conversation.
"I will?"
"Of course. People love to see others who frown. Don't you like seeing sad, angry people?"
"No..." she stammered.
"Oh. You don't? Maybe I'm wrong then," he said quirking his lip up.
"You're wrong. I don't like sad, angry people. My friends all smile."
"Well, then, you'd better turn that frown upside down, as they say," he said with a smile. "And I think I know just how to do that."
"How?"
"It's my super duper, out of this world, amazingly delicious 'Kyle's the Man’ cupcakes!" he said as he pulled a tray of pink fluffy cupcakes from the picnic basket. Kaitlyn's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "See these sprinkles?"
"Yeah," she said licking her lips and trying to avoid a smile.
"Well, these are my special happy sprinkles that make people smile. I've never fed them to anyone who didn't smile after eating one, but you have to be careful."
"Why?"
"Because they are so powerful that they might make you feel happy about moving, and we wouldn't want that would we?"
"Well..."
"Wait. You mean that you might actually want to feel happy about moving? I mean maybe you could think of it as an adventure?"
"Maybe," she said, sitting back and crossing her arms. "I do like adventures." Jenna was quiet watching the exchange in awe.
"I have adventures at my house all the time."
"You do?" she asked with her eyes wide.
"I do. You see, I also live on the beach only there is no road between my house and the water. Your bedroom will have its own balcony just like a princess. And, if you get up early enough, you’ll see Snickers."
"Who's Snickers?"
"My dolphin."
Kaitlyn couldn't contain her grin this time. "You have your own dolphin?"
"Actually, he's just my favorite, but I know his whole family. There's Snickers, Jumper, Flipper and Bob."
"Bob?" Jenna said under her breath with a smile.
“Yes, Bob, thank you very much," he said with a proud grin. "His real name is Robert, but we don't like to be too formal." Jenna could barely contain her laughter. Kyle had always been funny and outgoing and adventurous. He'd always been the one to act out in public just to get a laugh. It was a big part of what made her fall in love with him in the first place, and it was also a big reason why her parents disliked him so much. He wasn't mature enough in their eyes. She wondered what they'd think now that he was so financially stable and her ex had left her without a penny.
"Can I see Snickers?" Kaitlyn asked breaking Jenna's thought process.
"Well, that depends. You see, Snickers has two requirements for being his friend. One, you have to smile. He won't come around frowning people. They scare him. Two, you have to live at Parker Place."
"Where is Parker Place?" she asked.
"It's the house where I live, the one with the balcony. As long as you live there and have a big smile that Snickers can see all the way from the ocean, he will come around because he knows he can trust you."
"I can do that! I swear! Look!" she smiled as big as she could, showing off her almost toothless grin.
"That's pretty good, but I can barely see your back teeth," he said egging her on.
"How about this?" she asked with an even bigger grin.
"Oh, yes! That's it. I know Snickers will come around for that."
Yay!" she yelped as she sprang from her seat and jumped up and down. "Mommy, when can we move in?"
"In a few days, sweetie," Jenna said incredulous.
"Can I go look for seashells before we eat?" she asked. Jenna nodded as Kaitlyn ran off yelling, "woo hoo" all the way.
"Kyle Parker, you are one amazing man," she said shaking her head.
"Excuse me?"
"How on Earth did you manage to take a sad and angry little girl and turn her into your biggest fan in five minutes?"
"I think she is Snickers' biggest fan, not mine."
"Still, that was a miraculous thing to watch. Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making this easier on my little girl. She has been so devastated, and you just gave her something to look forward to. Oh, please tell me Snickers is real..." Jenna said with a look of terror in her eyes.
"He's real. I've had a family of dolphins swimming by my house for years now."
"Thank God," she said laughing. They sat for a quiet moment watching Kaitlyn run through the surf and picking up seashells.
"Do you paint this?" he asked pointing to the ocean.
"I haven't painted since I met Nick, actually."
Kyle looked at her stunned. "What?"
"I haven't painted in many years, Kyle."
"Why?"
"Well, for one, my parents told me it was silly and not a real job. So, I ended up with a business degree I don't use."
"Still, you could have painted as a hobby."
"Painting requires inspiration, more than just a pretty scene to look at. For me, painting always had to be something that came from inside of my soul and had to burst out onto a canvas. I haven't felt my soul stirring in such a long time..." she trailed off and held back tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.
"You should paint again. You were an amazing artist, Jenna, and people need to see that. Your parents were so wrong. You should do what you love in life."
"Sounds good in theory, but a single mother doesn't have the right or ability to do what she loves. She has to do what makes money. I'd do anything for that little girl right there," she said biting on her lower lip.
"I can see that. Okay, another question. How is your father?"
"Fading fast," she said as she watched Kaitlyn do cartwheels across the sand. "We started noticing his memory slipping when Mom was still alive, but no one wanted to face it. It finally became apparent that he could no longer take care of himself when he came up missing from home. We had to call the police and finally found him sleeping under the pier. He kept burning things in the kitchen, eating his cat's food... It was so sad. Crazy thing is that he has these moments where he remembers things from so long ago, yet he can't remember what he just ate or sometimes what my name is."
"I'm really sorry, Jenna. I know how much you love him."
"I do, but he's not in there anymore. My father is gone."
They sat silently again for a few moments watching Kaitlyn run around.
"Now my turn to ask a question.”
"Okay, shoot."
"Did you date after I left?" Kyle froze in place for a moment.
"Of course I did. I had to move on."
"Anyone special?" she asked.
He sat there for a moment as if he was running through possible answers in his mind before speaking. "None as special as you were to me."
"Oh," she said trying not to smile.
"You ruined me, Jenna."
"What?"
"Ruined me for other women. No one ever compared to you, not even close. And I'm still looking," he said softly.
"I'm hungry!" Kaitlyn announced as she came running closer. The moment broken, Kyle gave Jenna a half-hearted smile as they dug into the fully packed picnic basket and started to eat.
Chapter 8
"He said you ruined him?" Becca asked, with her mouth hanging open.
"Yep. Shocked me too."
"Then maybe you have a chance."
"No, I don't think so," Jenna said, wrapping a plate and putting it into one of her many moving boxes.
"Why?" Becca asked as she taped another box closed.
"For one thing, he told me that
there could never be anything else between us."
"He could just be blowing smoke. Guys don't like for us to think that we have the upper hand," she said smiling.
"True, but if he ever found out how I contributed to breaking up my own family, he'd think I was a complete idiot. I mean, how desperate would he see me then?"
Becca stopped packing and looked up. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Seriously."
"Come on, Jenna. Nick did a lot worse."
"True, but maybe he wouldn't have if I..."
"Stop. You know Nick was never going to be faithful." Jenna nodded and looked back down at the plates she was packing.
"You got any wine?" Becca asked.
"Sure. Above the fridge," Jenna said pointing behind her.
Becca poured two glasses into red plastic cups. "I couldn't find any wine glasses," she said laughing as she handed the cup to Jenna.
"Already packed up," Jenna said. "You know, the crazy thing was how fantastic he was with Kaitlyn. She seems to adore him already, and that scares me."
"Why?"
"Because she's already lost her father, and now she's going to be getting closer to Kyle since we'll be living there. He's already made it clear that he doesn't want me in that way anymore. What if Kaitlyn gets attached and then he bails on her, too?"
"First of all, he does want you in that way, but he sounds terrified after the way you hurt him. Secondly, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to bail on anyone. And third..."
"How many points are there?" Jenna asked chuckling.
"This one is the most important. Third, if you want to get him back, you'll have to make a plan. A good one."
"What makes you think I want him back?" Jenna asked, trying not to smile and give herself away.
"Oh, please. A stranger walking down Seabreeze Avenue could spot your lovesick face from a mile away!" Becca said throwing a balled up piece of newspaper across the room and hitting Jenna squarely on top of the head.
"Ouch!" she said, overreacting at the light piece of paper hitting her. "Okay, what kind of plan do you suggest?"
"One that makes him realize he is in danger of losing you all over again. Then he will either poop or get off the pot," she said nodding her head. Jenna had always hated that nasty sounding old Southern phrase, but it seemed to fit the occasion.
"First of all, gross. Second of all, how can I do that?"