Love & Devotion

by Jove Belle

  Kendall’s mouth quirked upward. “Absolutely. But first let’s worry about Trina.”

  When KC left Kendall’s house, she felt much better. Her troubles with Lonnie paled compared to what her sister faced. She could help her and sort out her own mess later.

  *

  Emma entered the side door without knocking. “Are you going to cook or should I order pizza?” KC had a lot of work to do to get her small house in order before Trina could move in. Emma was there to help.

  “I’m not the only one who knows how to cook, ya know.” KC set the pile of books she was carrying on the couch.

  “Come to my house, I’ll cook for you. Your house, you cook.”

  “Did you come here just to give me shit? Or are you here to help?” KC smiled her first real smile since leaving Lonnie’s office earlier that day. Emma had been there for thirty seconds and already she felt better. Emma settled her heart.

  “It’s kind of a package deal.” Emma rifled through the menus in KC’s kitchen drawer. “Julian’s?”

  “Mmm, no pepperoni this time.” KC made it halfway down the hall toward the bedrooms and thought better of it. She returned to the kitchen and gave Emma a brief hug. “Thanks for being here.”

  Emma looked bewildered. “Of course.” They smiled at each other stupidly for a moment, and then Emma visibly regrouped. “So what exactly is the plan? Why are we clearing your office?”

  “Kendall has decided for us to go tomorrow while Jackson’s at work and collect Trina and Buddy. Kendall’s house is too full, and she doesn’t think Trina would want to go back to Mama and Daddy’s right now. I agree. That leaves here.” KC made a sweeping gesture. She’d inherited the house and thought Trina would find it a comfort and draw strength from being surrounded by memories of their maternal grandmother. She’d been the family matriarch and the strongest woman they all knew. Kendall especially strived to be just like her—strong, capable and trustworthy. KC and Trina were still a work in progress.

  While they waited for the pizza to arrive, KC and Emma set about rearranging the furnishings in KC’s house. The guest bedroom was already good to go. It held a bed, a dresser, and not much else. It would do for Trina. The spare room, KC’s office, was another story. It was full of KC’s work. An heirloom oak desk sat in the middle and was home to her oversized iMac. She loved the computer because the screen was big enough for her to not go blind trying to read online essays. It wasn’t easy to move, however. She also had three large filing cabinets: one stuffed full with records, the second well on its way, and the third waiting its turn. The online school she worked for required each teacher to maintain records for several years. They were too heavy to move on their own, but Emma had brought her daddy’s hand truck.

  She hated to pack up her office and move it to a corner of the living room, but it seemed the only way. Hell, Trina might not even want the room for Buddy. She might prefer to keep him close, put his crib in her new room. But it couldn’t stay like that for long. Trina was pregnant and Buddy would have to make the sacrifice of big brothers the world over and give up his bed to the new baby. Besides, if the room was empty and ready, maybe Trina would feel like less of a burden. She doubted it, but she had to try.

  The doorbell rang as she was hauling her teachers’ manuals from office to living room. She added them to the stack on her couch and cursed. “Em, pizza’s here.”

  KC smoothed her hair and hoped she looked halfway presentable. Odds were against it with as much dust and sweat she’d been mired in for the past hour. God, it’d been a long day. KC glanced at the wall clock. It was barely seven thirty. She still had a long evening of work in front of her.

  Glen Truvall stood on the porch. The light of day dimmed behind him, and the porch light flickered on before KC could convince her mouth to work. What in the holy hounds of hell brought this man to her home, unannounced, at night? She felt faint.

  “Mr. Truvall.” KC unlatched the screen door and pushed it open. “What a surprise to see you.”

  KC cast a look behind her. Emma had disappeared. She didn’t know if she should be thankful or disappointed. The last thing she wanted was for Glen to tear her ass up in front of Emma, but Emma’s support was a balm. She could make it through anything, even this conversation, with Emma there to guide her.

  Glen stepped into the kitchen, his shoulders square and his back straight. He looked like a man with marching orders. “Well, KC, I was hoping we could talk.”

  Panic flooded her and she felt the blood drain from her face. A voice in her head screamed, Run! Run you damn fool! Her feet were nailed to the floor. “About…” The word barely scratched out and she swallowed hard. She craved a tall glass of water. Or a short glass of Jack Daniel’s. Either would do. She tried again, “About what, sir?”

  Glen twirled his hat in his hands and looked around the room. “I haven’t been here since your grandma passed. Looks good.”

  KC could barely breathe for trying to figure out what Glen wanted She was in no condition to give him a tour of the house that doubled as a stroll down memory lane. “Thank you, sir.” The anticipation was damn near killing her.

  “This is harder than I thought it would be.” His shoulders slumped a bit, but he continued to twirl his Stetson like it was a damn baton. KC wanted to yank it out of his hands. Maybe that would help him speak.

  “Mr. Truvall, would you like to come in and have a seat?” If he was here to kill her, so be it. It was his right to seek retribution. That didn’t give her the right to be impolite, even though she would have preferred to keep him on the porch where Emma couldn’t overhear.

  Glen moved inside and selected a chair at the kitchen table. KC poured them both a glass of iced tea and sat opposite. She liked having the distance of the table between them.

  Glen took a long pull, drinking half the glass. “KC, I don’t quite know where to start.”

  She waited, sure that Glen was here to call her out about Lonnie. She was also sure she deserved whatever he sent her way. That didn’t mean she wanted to rush him through the process. Besides, her lungs were seizing up with fear and guilt. Toxic combination, those two. She could barely suck in a breath. Black spots circled her vision, and the threat of passing out grew stronger with each moment.

  “It’s about Leann.” Leann was Lonnie and Glen’s youngest child. At seventeen, she was quite the handful. Still, KC couldn’t imagine what she could do that would have anything to do with Glen avenging Lonnie’s honor in her kitchen. She tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs refused to cooperate. Her body was in full-on panic mode.

  “When I mentioned to your daddy what’s going on, he suggested that I talk to you. He said you’d help,” Glen said.

  It didn’t seem as though he was here to kill her, but she couldn’t be sure just yet. She relaxed incrementally and tried to breathe again. It worked well enough for her to ask, “What am I helping you with, sir?”

  “Oh, that’s right. I need to tell you.” At this point, Glen was speaking more to himself than to KC. She’d never seen him so upside down. “Well, you see, she’s a lesbian.”

  It was an odd thing for Glen to blurt out. And even odder that he thought KC should help her with it. Odder still that Lonnie had never mentioned it. If it troubled Glen enough to seek her out at home, why hadn’t Lonnie said something to her?

  “That’s very nice, sir.” KC wasn’t sure what else to say. Perhaps a thank you was in order, since he clearly didn’t have homicide on his mind. She would live another day, and that deserved a little gratitude.

  “Yes, I imagine it is.” Glen half smiled. “But we’re worried about her, Lonnie and I. She’s been withdrawn…sad. And she just won’t talk to us.”

  “I’m sorry.” KC remembered being seventeen and trying to sort out her sexuality in this small Texas town. She’d been fortunate enough to have a supportive family. She could have just as easily found herself exiled. “I’m sure she’ll come around. She’s lucky to have you.”
/>   “I hope so, but it breaks my heart to think she’s going through this alone.”

  “Sir, can I ask, how do you know she’s gay if she won’t talk to you?” It was a legitimate question. They could be making a completely inaccurate assumption. Hell, Leann could be sad about not getting a new pony for Christmas.

  “She told her mama flat out about a month ago. We’ve been trying to get her to talk to us ever since. But she keeps herself locked in her room most days. Won’t even come down for dinner.”

  Lonnie had been worried about Leann for a month and KC knew nothing about it. Why was Glen the one sitting at her kitchen table? She’d seen Lonnie a half-dozen times in the past few weeks, plenty of opportunity to talk.

  “How does Mrs. Truvall feel about all this? Does she know you’re here?” KC tried to focus on the conversation, but her brain kept jumping back to Lonnie. She cared for Lonnie enough to put her life on hold just for the chance to spend a few stolen minutes together, yet Lonnie cared so little she never mentioned a real problem in her life. What did this mean for them? And why did KC even care? Their relationship was as good as over. It was just going to take her some time to work up to good-bye.

  “Lonnie doesn’t know what to do. She’s beside herself with worry. Leann is her baby, you know. She doesn’t have any idea I’m here. Frankly, I’m not sure she’d approve. But we have to do something.”

  “And what is it you want me to do?” KC circled back to her earlier question. She still couldn’t see what this had to do with her.

  Glen looked at her like perhaps he was seeing her for the first time. “You’re a lesbian, aren’t you?”

  KC thought about saying no just to see how he’d react. He looked ready to apologize for calling her a dirty name. But given the circumstances, she couldn’t. “Yes, I am.”

  “Can’t you talk to her? Give her someone older to discuss things with? So she can ask questions.” Glen reached across the table, his palm outstretched. “I’m worried about her, KC. A father doesn’t like to see his little girl suffer. I may not like all this, but she’s still my baby and she’s hurtin’.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea, sir?” If Leann wanted to talk with her, she’d have already done it. They’d been eating Sunday dinner together since Leann was born. It’s not like she had no idea how to get ahold of KC. Not to mention she didn’t feel like a very good example of what good, honest lesbian living looked like. Talk about awkward. What should she say? Hey, kiddo, I know times are rough, but since I’m your mama’s secret lover I thought I’d check in and see if you need a friend.

  “She needs someone. She used to have friends over all the time. Now? No one.”

  KC sighed. He was right. Maybe she could convince Emma to go along with her. She was better at reading people than KC. If someone didn’t speak plain, she’d miss it. But Emma was more like Kendall, fluent in nuance and subtlety. “All right. I’ll do it.”

  Glen stood, his mission completed. “Thank you, KC, really. This means a lot.”

  “Happy to do it, sir.” KC nodded, not at all pleased with what she’d gotten herself into. Having her lover’s husband confront her out of the blue, then feeling so much relief that he hadn’t found her out had clouded her judgment and impeded her speech filter. Her heart and head were spinning. She was mad as hell at Lonnie for keeping such an important secret, worried about Leann, and certain the whole deceptive cluster fuck would crash in on her at any minute.

  KC shook his hand and bid him good night just in time for the pizza to arrive. Emma materialized at her side with a twenty-dollar bill and a smile for the driver.

  Chapter Six

  KC stretched, working the sleep out of her system. Emma’s body was hot and tousled next to her. After the day she’d had, last night KC had needed to recharge. She needed Emma’s comforting presence. They’d always slept in the same bed, starting when they were little. It never occurred to KC that should change, even when she was old enough to own a house with a spare bedroom. Emma belonged beside her.

  She couldn’t imagine it any other way, but apparently her sister could. And that caught KC off guard. She evaluated Emma as she slept. Did Emma realize that other folks thought they were a couple? What would she think about it? The notion had seemed ludicrous to KC the day before, but was it really such a bad idea?

  KC smoothed Emma’s hair away from her face. She was a classic beauty, with flawless skin, honey-blond hair, and a smile that brought out the sun. But she hadn’t been smiling much lately and still hadn’t told KC why. Emma shifted and rolled closer. She dropped her arm over KC’s waist and KC returned the embrace, her body heating at the touch. In the half-awake moments of early morning, she had to work harder than usual to control her physical reaction to Emma.

  They’d slaved clearing out KC’s office, and she felt guilty disturbing Emma’s rest. But they’d slept as long as they dared. Any longer and they’d be late.

  “Wake up, Em. I’m taking you to breakfast.” KC spoke gently in Emma’s ear, then kissed her cheek. All perfectly normal. The flare of heat in her cheeks was not.

  “Dun wanna.” Emma mumbled and held KC tighter. She never woke up easy.

  “We’re meeting Kendall, remember?” KC shook Emma lightly. “Come on, hon. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

  Emma whined. “KC. Quit moving.”

  She walked her fingers down Emma’s side and Emma squirmed. When she reached the narrow part of Emma’s waist, Emma jumped out of bed with a glare. “Dammit, I’m up.” She stomped to the bathroom mumbling about tickling and not fair.

  *

  They arrived at Over Easy a few minutes before Kendall, and KC gloated when she rushed in to find them already seated and holding menus.

  “Sorry,” Kendall said as she slid into her seat. “Kids.” That was enough of an explanation for KC. Kendall’s brood were well behaved for the most part, but it still took effort get them all pointed in the same direction.

  “Hey, girls. Two days in a row.” Roxy poured coffee for Kendall and Emma, and set a juice in front of KC. “What did I do to deserve this?”

  KC winked. “Just lucky, I guess.”

  Kendall smacked her. “No flirting with the straight girls.” For good measure she kicked KC’s shin beneath the table. Her gaze darted to Emma and back to KC.

  “All right, damn, I’m sorry.” KC rubbed her leg.

  Roxy laughed and walked away. “I’ll be back to get your order.”

  Emma nudged her. “Look, Leann’s over there. Didn’t you want to talk to her?”

  KC turned in her seat. In the back left corner of the restaurant, Leann sat in a corner booth. With Lonnie.

  “Now isn’t the best time.” KC had too much to sort out before she could approach Lonnie. Just because her head knew what she had to do didn’t mean her heart and mouth were on board with the decision. And her body clearly had other ideas.

  “Shouldn’t Leann be in school now?” Emma asked.

  “Yes. What do you need to talk to her about?” Kendall unrolled her silverware and set the napkin in her lap. She looked deliberately casual, which frightened KC.

  “Nothing urgent.” At least KC hoped it wasn’t urgent. She glanced behind her at Leann again. She looked sullen, but fine. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see inside the girl’s mind. She could be two steps from throwing herself off a building, and KC wouldn’t know it. “Mr. Truvall stopped by last night and asked me to speak to her. Seems he and Mrs. Truvall are worried about her.” KC was careful with her use of Lonnie’s surname.

  KC studied Leann a while longer but saw no signs of impending mental breakdown. She darted a glance at Lonnie and was met with a hard glare. Only Lonnie wasn’t focused on her. She was looking directly at Emma. And Emma was glaring back just as hard.

  “Everything okay, Em?” KC asked.

  “What?” Emma turned her attention away from Lonnie. “Yeah. Fine.”

  Roxy returned to take their order. This time Kendall asked for
pancakes and bacon instead of a fruit plate. She shrugged. “It’s going to be a rough day. I’m storing up.”

  Emma ordered French toast with strawberries, and KC requested oatmeal. Her stomach was in knots, and she didn’t imagine them easing at all as the day progressed.

  “What does Mr. Truvall want you to talk to Leann about?” Kendall asked.

  “How to be a lesbian in twelve easy steps,” Emma stated between sips of coffee.

  Kendall raised an eyebrow. “What? Does he want you to give her lessons or something? If that isn’t just a fuck-all mess, I don’t know what is.”

  “No. Jesus, Kendall.” KC almost spit her juice all over the table. “She’s depressed, and he thinks talking to me might help.”

  “You’re the Dalai Lama for lesbians now? Christ.”

  “Now you’re just being absurd. I’m a teacher. I’ve been trained to relate to young people. And me and Emma are probably the only lesbians Mr. Truvall even knows.”

  “Yeah, if you don’t count his wife.” Kendall mumbled the words into her coffee mug and KC’s ears burned. She hoped like hell Emma hadn’t heard. She wasn’t ready to explain that remark to her. Kendall lowered her cup. “Now’s your chance. Looks like Mrs. Truvall’s headed to the bathroom.”

  Normally, the invitation from Lonnie would be implicit. If she left the room, KC found an excuse to follow. This time, sitting between Kendall and Emma, she couldn’t think of a reason good enough to excuse herself to the little-girls’ room behind Lonnie. And she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to. Despite the promise of sex, the risk was too great. For the first time, she wasn’t willing to take the chance.

  “I’m not going to ambush the girl during breakfast.” KC didn’t want to talk to her at all, let alone between bites of oatmeal.

  “I’m not saying you should treat her to a therapy session.” Kendall rolled her eyes. “Go talk to her. Ask if you can get together later.”