Nothing had changed on Harper Lane, though. Certainly not the houses, which were still all painted in one of three color combinations – blue and yellow, green and white, or blue and white.
And judging by the few neighbors that she had seen out on their lawns, the people hadn’t changed, either. Mrs. Belmont still watered her yard in that same pink and green moo moo she had worn since Katie could remember. Mr. Peters still mowed his lawn in white shorts that were two sizes too small and black socks that he pulled all the way up to his knees.
As she pulled up in front of her Aunt’s two-story home (painted in the white with blue trim option, for that Mediterranean flair, Katie thought with a small smile) she felt a confusing combination of relief, nostalgia, sadness, and anxiety. She had always known that at some point she would need to come home and face her past. She’d just…been busy.
After she graduated from law school at Pepperdine University she had immediately started working at Wilson, Martin, Gregory and Assoc., a very prestigious law firm in San Francisco.
The first three years at the firm went by in a blur. Katie worked 80+ hours a week and even worked every holiday, including Christmas. She'd barely had time to breathe, let alone go out of town.
Last year, even though she was on the fast track to make Junior Partner, she had taken a vacation.
Well, vacation might be a bit of an exaggeration. It was two days off, tacked onto a weekend...and she hadn't gone in on the weekend, which was her normal custom. So, it was four blissful, unscheduled days all to herself.
Katie had spent her ‘vacation’ in her apartment, so it was really more of a ‘staycation’ - but still. She cleaned, cooked, slept and had a Julia Roberts movie marathon, but she had indeed taken time off.
At the end of the four days, she had felt herself starting to take stock and think about dealing with her past, so she had been MORE than happy to go back to work on Wednesday.
Now, as she opened the door to her rented blue Honda Accord, Katie took in a deep breath and let out a cleansing sigh. The air smelled of a familiar combination: sweet from Mrs. Greyson’s beautiful flower bed, and fresh from the trees that lined the street. Katie was home.
She moved to the back of the car, popped open the trunk, and reached for her suitcase. She was stopped cold in her tracks by the sound of a man’s voice.
“Need a hand Kit-Kat?” a deep voice sounded from behind her.
A shudder rippled through her body and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her carry on slipped from her shoulder and dropped to the cement ground of the driveway.
“Jason?” she said, her voice a whisper of disbelief.
Katie had known that she would have to face Jason at some point on her trip home. He was, after all, the best man in Sophie’s wedding - and seeing as how Sophie was marrying Jason’s little brother, Bobby, well let's just say it was inevitable that their paths would cross. She just thought she would have a little more time to prepare herself before she came face to face with him.
She also thought she would have the buffering (protective?) shield of a room full of people surrounding them.
Nope. Here they were. Face to face, for the first time in a decade. Alone.
She stood frozen with her back to him, staring down at her pink and black suitcase, wishing with all her might that she could just climb into the trunk and hide. That, however, was probably not the most mature response to this encounter...and also, shall we say, not the most subtle.
As the realization sank in that the extra time and buffer-people she so desperately needed to get through this encounter with Jason WERE NOT FLIPPING FORTHCOMING, Katie felt as though the air was literally being sucked from her lungs.
Great. Panic attack number two, here we go. And right in front of him. So, yeah. You could say this visit was not going well.
Jason Andrew Sloan had chestnut brown hair, dark soulful brown eyes, and a smile that could, as her Aunt Wendy always said, “melt butter in a freezer.” He was also the first person Katie had met in her kindergarten class at Harper's Crossing Elementary.
23 Years Ago
It was the first day of Kindergarten and Katie was paired up with a boy as a table buddy. A BOY! Could this day get any worse? The class’ first official assignment as kindergartners was to write their names on the white paper sitting on the desk in front of them and then tape it to the back of their seats.
Katie wrote her name in all capital letters and rainbow colors and taped it on the back of her seat, just as she had been instructed to do. She was proud of finishing her assignment in time to go out for recess. She noticed her table buddy (THE BOY!) had not.
After the first recess, when the kids came back into the classroom, she saw a few of them standing around her chair laughing. As she walked up behind them to sit in her seat she saw that the 'ie' at the end of 'Katie' on the nameplate she had been so proud of had been crossed out, and the word 'Kit' had been written in front of the 'Kat' that remained of her original creation.
She was so embarrassed. Why would anybody ruin her name paper? She looked over to see her table buddy Jason (THE BOY!), smiling a toothless grin from ear to ear as he patted her chair “I think this is your seat Kit Kat” he said.
All the kids started laughing and Katie just slumped down in her chair, furious at her table buddy aka THE BOY aka Jason Sloan.
Jason never admitted to being the one who had defaced her beautiful rainbow colored name paper but she knew deep down in her heart that he was the culprit. And she would never forget it, just like no one ever forgot the nickname. From that day on Katie Lawson was Kit Kat. Well, to all the kids in Harper’s Crossing Elementary, anyways.
Present Day
His voice interrupted her thoughts now.
“Wow all this time and you know it’s me without even having to turn around. I guess that means I still got it,” he said with his usual cocky tone. A tone that had always amused Katie, not that she would ever let him know that. His ego was big enough!
Jason had had girls swooning over him for as long as she had known him. In fact, Katie believed that even their sixth grade math teacher Mrs. Carson had a crush on him. Whenever Jason would turn on the charm, usually to get out of detention for not completing his homework or being tardy, Mrs. Carson would just smile as her cheeks turned a light shade of red and say “Oh, Jason if you were just 10 years older…”
Mrs. Carson never finished the sentence but Katie always knew what she meant, and Jason never got detention…at least in that class.
But, it’s not like his charm only worked on older women. Jason had always had girls eating out of his hand and he knew it. There wasn’t a single girl in Harper's Crossing that wouldn’t do just about anything to get Jason’s attention.
Well, there was one girl. Katie.
“Oh yeah, you still got it, Mr. Sloan,” Katie said sarcastically, trying to buy herself even a few more seconds before she would have to face him, “If by 'it' you mean the maturity of a five year old, then yes, you definitely still have 'it.' There's no other explanation for why you would still call me by that stupid nickname.”
All of the oxygen seemed to have disappeared around her. Deliberately and methodically, she slowly breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying desperately to remain as calm as possible. She HAD to be calm in hopes of staving off panic attack #2. She absolutely couldn't think about how humiliating it would be to fall to pieces in front of him, of the maddening satisfaction it would give him, or fear would take over – her heart would start to race, her breathing would quicken...and it would all be downhill from there.
“Come on Kit-Kat...you know you always loved that nickname,” Katie heard Jason say playfully, but his voice sounded as if it were coming from a long distance, across a great expanse. She felt his hand grasp her arm, and then she felt her body being turned in his direction.
As Jason’s fingers wrapped around her arm they were causing tingling sensations in places located much lo
wer south and not nearly as innocent as the place where he was touching her. Hmm, that wasn't a very good sign. It also wasn't doing a whole helluva lot to help her in the campaign to keep her heart rate under control and slow her breathing. Nope. Not one little bit.
As she turned, her eyes alighted on a broad chest that...oh my, yes...filled out his white t-shirt quite well. Her mouth instantly filled with saliva, like one of Pavlov's dogs. Hmmm, she thought...so this is what they mean when they say something looks 'mouth-watering.' She didn't disagree! In an effort to avoid drooling, she swallowed, but to her own ears it sounded like a shockingly loud gulp.
Slowly, Katie moved her eyes up the length of the solid, strong, statue-like figure standing mere inches away from her. She paused momentarily to admire (against her will) the smooth, olive skin at the base of Jason’s neck. It just so nicely contrasted with the stark white color of the t-shirt's v-neck it was peeking out of, she couldn't help herself!
Unconsciously, she licked her lips and saw the pulse on Jason’s neck jump. Her eyes darted up to meet his chocolate brown ones, which caused the aforementioned tingling places to start pulsing.
Katie felt her heart beating so hard she thought it might beat right out of her chest. And the mantra began.
You can breathe. Just breathe. Breathe in and out slowly. You can breathe.
--- ~ ---
As Jason stood in front of Katie, who was wearing a simple grey tank top and blue jeans, he was momentarily paralyzed with shock at the effect that she had on him.
Suddenly he was back in Mrs. Garcia’s kindergarten classroom.
23 Years Ago
It was the first day of kindergarten FINALLY. Best. Day. Ever.
Putting his backpack in his cubby he felt a brush of something that tickled his arm. When he swatted his arm he felt the softest, silkiest thing he had ever touched.
When he looked up to see what it was, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There she stood, a real life angel! Rays of sunlight from the window streamed through her long blonde hair, and she was looking down at him with the biggest blue eyes Jason had ever seen in his life.
The earth stopped spinning and everything stood still. Nothing existed except this amazing creature. She slowly reached her hand to her neck and flipped her long blonde hair behind her back as she placed her backpack in her cubby.
Jason could not speak. This was a new phenomenon for Jason, as the spoken word has always been one of his greatest gifts.
Since the time Jason was able to put two words together he always knew just the right thing to say to either get out of trouble, get what he wanted, or just put a smile on the women in his life’s faces. Even before he was old enough to speak, he had exuded a natural born mojo. The first word ever used to describe Jason in the nursery was charming. All of the nurses in the infant care ward would fight over who could hold him. Even as a newborn he had a twinkle in his eye and a little smirk on his lips that the opposite sex just couldn’t get enough of. But in this moment, five year old Jason could not even remember how to say 'Hi.'
But, luck was on his side, as it usually was. YES! He was assigned to the same table as this heavenly being. Jason could barely sit still next to her. He fidgeted, and couldn't keep his eyes off of her.
She, on the other hand, sat next to him totally composed, completely ignoring him, working on their first assignment, the name paper.
Jason had tried all morning to get her attention somehow, but to no avail. When she finished her paper, she looked so proud of it as she taped it to the back of her seat.
When she sat down again beside him, he had the sudden urge to pinch her, just to see what she would do. Anything to get her attention! He was desperate to have her acknowledge him!
But, reason prevailed, and he realized that pinching her wouldn't be the best course of action. He had to keep thinking. Before another plan could take shape, however, she was out the door to recess.
Finally, genius struck! As he sat in his chair while all the other kids were at recess he decided he would ‘redecorate’ her name paper to give her a nickname. That would be a way he could start to talk to her, an ice breaker of sorts. He knew that would get her attention. And it would be special! If he gave her a special name paper decoration, she would know for SURE how special he thought she was!
He looked at her name page, which so beautifully read 'Katie' and the first thing that came to Jason’s mind was Kit Kat...the best candy bar in the whole world! He quickly changed her paper to read just that.
He had not expected any of the other kids to notice it when they came in from recess, or to think it was funny. It was supposed to be a special, inside secret between him and his blonde angel.
In fact, to be honest, he had completely forgotten that any other kids were even in their class. No one existed in the room for him but Katie.
But after the look on Katie’s face when the other kids were all gathered around her desk in giggles, Jason knew that he had made a huge mistake.
Okay, he had to fix this and quick. The only thing he knew to do was try to relieve some of the tension by stating the obvious. It was part of his charm, Jason was always being accused of saying what everyone was thinking. Instinct kicked in and he simply said “I think this is your seat Kit Kat”.
He was shocked to see a look of anger and embarrassment that suddenly appeared on Katie’s face. He didn’t know how things had gone so terribly wrong or why his charm and wit had not gotten the smile that always had appeared on the opposite sex's face whenever he spoke. But the one thing he did know was that he had never met anyone else who made him feel the way this girl sitting next to him made him feel.
And he hadn't known it yet at the time, but he never would.
Present Day
The same feeling that had paralyzed him upon seeing her for the first time in Kindergarten class washed over Jason now as he stood in front of Katie. His world stopped spinning and she was the only thing that existed.
Katie had grown into the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Standing five foot three, with a petite figure that had curves in all the right places, she still had incredible long blonde hair, and the most intoxicating blue eyes in existence.
And when he looked at her, he still saw his angel.
Excerpt: Sweet Reunion
THE HOPE FALLS CHRONICLES
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Excerpt from Sweet Reunion
As Amanda moved the bite-size chicken pieces and chopped vegetables around the sauté pan in front of her, her head swam with conflicted emotions. Was it always going to be this way? If Justin did decide to stay and run the adventure resort with her, was her consciousness going to forever exist in such a state of unbalance?
Karina, Sam, and Lauren had gone to visit Karina's grandmother, albeit reluctantly. They hadn't wanted to leave Amanda alone, but Amanda had insisted, coming just short of physically shoving them out the door.
“I need to get my head on straight!” she had told them, “The only way I am going to accomplish that is with some serious soul searching and contemplation. And, barring that, a little 'come to Jesus' meeting with myself. Trust me! An hour alone will do me a world of good. I'll make dinner, and be a whole new woman by the time you get back.”
So, the rest of the Fabulous Four had departed amidst skeptical expressions and admonitions to call if she needed anything.
And now Amanda was by herself, cooking and contemplating, and not a whole lot seemed to be moving forward. She had started out feeling confused and vulnerable, and that was squarely where she still found herself. It didn't help that she had had ZERO hours of sleep the night before! Maybe it was time to try the 'come to Jesus' meeting.
She heard a knock at the back door which led into the kitchen, and turned around to see the very source of her confusion and angst standing there, his handsome face framed in the glass pane of the exterior door like a finely wrought portrait.
A tremor ran through her from head to toe, but she quick
ly reminded herself that she could not show him her weaknesses. She again thought of her sleepless night, and noticed how well-rested he looked. She couldn't let him see she was coming apart at the seams!
No, she was only going to show him a completely strong and together facade. She quickly pasted a smile on her face, striving for as natural an expression as possible, but truthfully not even caring if it came off as slightly artificial – as long as her face didn't betray the roiling emotions just below the surface, it could look as plastic as a mannequin's for all she cared.
She crossed to the back door, opened it, and stood aside, inviting him in.
“Is this a bad time?” he asked as he entered.
“Not at all,” she assured him. “The girls went down to see Karina's grandmother, and I'm just cooking some dinner.”
“How is Renata doing?” Justin inquired.
“Oh, you know Renata. As indefatigable as ever. I think she'll outlive us all, and be working on twelve different community projects as she does it.”
“She's a rock,” Justin agreed, “Karina's lucky to have her.”
“True. All of Hope Falls is lucky to have her, when you think about it. So, what were you up to today?”
“Oh, just cleaning out the bunkhouse and getting it habitable. It brought back a lot of memories of living there.”
“I bet.” Amanda said, and sitting between them, making the air electric, was the unspoken memory of the last time they had been in the bunkhouse together. The last time they had seen each other at all.
She quickly turned back to the stove and focused her attention on the chicken sizzling in the pan.
Justin moved behind Amanda, close. So close that she could feel his ragged breath on her neck and in her hair. The nearness of him paralyzed her. Her vision swam and her body felt on fire, and he wasn't even touching her.
My Everything - Seth & Amber Page 28