Amanda handed him his cup.“I had a great time at Thanksgiving yesterday.”
“It was eventful,” Kell said.
“Do you think Sidney’s going to sell the mansion and go back with her ex-husband?”
Kell shrugged.“I don’t know.”
“I always figured she’d come and go.”
He couldn’t imagine Sidney not being here anymore. She’d come onto the island and lit it up with her wit and sass and bright red crazy hair. The thought of her leaving made his stomach hurt.“I guess we just have to wait and see.”
He left the café and drove back home. Going down his short driveway, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Sidney dragging a ladder. She threw it against her house. Her breath hit the cold air and she exhaled. She climbed the ladder carefully, tugging on the lights behind her.
She swerved and then started connecting a string of lights to her roof. Why was she doing this all by herself? Where was Betty? She swerved again. She caught herself and flung all her weight against the house. She reached again, clipping her lights onto the house. White icicle lights. The mansion would be amazing with white icicle lights. That was, if Sidney lived through the project.
He got out of his car and walked over. She was concentrating so hard on clipping in a light and maintaining her balance, she didn’t notice him.“Do you want some help?” he asked her.“I’d be happy to put your lights up for you. I’m doing mine today as well.”
She didn’t turn around but stayed close to the side of the house.“Oh, Good morning Kell. I think I’ll be fine.”
“I saw you swerve, Sidney. I’d be happy to do it for you.”
She shifted around to look at him,but lost her balance and swung back fast and gripped the gutter. A loud popping noise shot out.“Thanks for the offer, Kell. But since I’m already up here, I think I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She leaned against the house.“I want to thank you for helping me yesterday. You were a true friend.”
Her kind words caught him off guard.“You’re welcome. I’m glad you weren’t annoyed that I interrupted.”
“On the contrary.” Her voice was direct, but not rude. She was concentrating on the lights.
“Are you sure I can’t help you with the lights?” Christmas lights were tricky and he’d been putting them up for years. He could do it in about half the time it would take her and he wouldn’t fall or die trying.“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of doing them. But, since I’ve been putting up Christmas lights for years, it might be easier for me to do it. Don’t you have guests coming in a little while? Where’s Jeff?”
She kept her face toward the house.“Remember? He’s running the Seattle Marathon today. He left late last night. He’ll be back this evening for the Christmas lighting, though.”
“I forgot about the marathon. Sidney, let me help you.”
“No thanks, Kell. I’m not really in the mood for conversation.” Her voice cracked, almost like she was fighting back tears. She swerved again and had to catch her balance and was going as slow as a turtle. At the rate she was putting the lights up, they’d be done tomorrow.
“Let me know if you change your mind. I’m going to put mine up now.”
She ignored him. He walked over to his house and into the garage. He pulled out the lights and grabbed the ladder.
He threw his ladder against the house. From the distance, he eyed Sidney as she moved her ladder to another section. She would have to go higher. The ladder wobbled back and forth as high up as she was. He moved quickly getting his lights up. He jumped onto the roof, attached the colored lights to the windows. Then got back on the ladder and started putting up the white lights. As he was almost finishing, clipping the last set of lights on the roof, just off to the side of his house, Sidney yelped. His heart skipped a beat. He dropped what he was doing, climbed down, and ran over to her.
Sidney leaned against the ladder with her forehead on the gutter.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She didn’t move. She breathed in and out like she was trying to calm herself down.“I’m fine, Kell. I’ll be fine.”
The nervous tone in her voice did not convince him.“I thought we were going to be friends,” he said.
She turned around and glared at him.“It’s not that. I just need to be alone right now. I’ve got a lot to think about is all.”
He gulped.“Okay. I’m right here, though.”
He turned his back to her and she moved to go up the ladder. The ladder groaned and then a slip. She screamed.
The ladder fell across the yard, crashing into a set of bushes. She hung from the gutter by her hands, her legs dangling in midair. Kell raced to her. She was trying to slide her hands across the gutter and was about to fall.
One hand dropped and Sidney hung in the air, her whole body dangling. She swung herself upwards and managed to get the other hand up again.
“Drop Sidney! I’ll catch you.”
She yelped again, trying to hold on and slide her hands across the gutter to the edge of the house. She winced in pain and yelped again.
“Sidney, drop. I’ll catch you, I promise.”
She glanced down at him, her body swayed. The gutter moaned in protest.“What is it with me?” She looked around and then with a quick shake of her head, let her hands go and cried out.
He caught her in his arms.
They both fell to the ground, but he did his best to cushion her fall with himself. Sidney landed on top of him. Her head on his chest.
She winced again, in an attempt to get up.
“Hold on,” he said.“Are you okay?” He gripped her back and tried to keep her from moving too quickly.
“I’m fine,” she said, squirming.
“Just wait a second. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to help you, Sidney.”
She lifted her head and their eyes met. Her hair tumbled everywhere around her face.“I think I hurt my wrist.” She moved off him, holding her left wrist with her right hand. Her face was pale.
Was she going to pass out? Her eyes widened and she clung to her hand.“I’m fine. You don’t have to stay.”
“I’m not going to leave now, Sidney. I’m going to help you into the house. We may need to go take an x-ray.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to focus her eyes. She put her head between her knees. Her breaths were shallow. He called her name a couple of times. She didn’t respond. He gently touched her shoulder and cupped her face to get a better look at her. A light glaze of sweat covered her face. And her eyes were closed.
Kell stood and picked her up from the ground. She was light and smelled of the cold air and a hint of vanilla. Her hair frizzed around her face. She moaned in protest.
“I’m going to get you inside,” he said.
Sidney opened her eyes and stared at him for a brief moment, then closed them again. He brought her into the warm house and laid her on the living room sofa. He took off her boots, figuring she wouldn’t want them to get anything dirty. He set them by the door and walked back over to her. She was pale white. He checked her pulse. It was low, but stable. He took her wrist and held it carefully in his hands. Her hands were small. She moaned again. He was almost positive it wasn’t broken. Just a sprain. He had an ace bandage he could wrap it with at the house. He went to the kitchen to grab a bag of frozen vegetables. She had some frozen corn, and he took it and a paper towel, wrapping the towel around the plastic bag.
Her eyes were open. They looked bright against her pale skin.“I’ve got some ice for your hand. Where do you keep the ibuprofen?”
She focused on him and winced when she tried to move her hand.“In my bathroom. In the cabinet beside the mirror.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper. He handed her the ice, setting it gently on her wrist.
“Let’s start with this and I’ll get you some ibuprofen and Tylenol. Together they’ll help the pain.”
She nodded, closing her eyes again. H
e moved quickly to her bedroom, feeling like an interloper. He glanced around. The room was decorated in navy blue and white, clear and pristine. The room had a Cape Cod feel to it. Her large king size bed with at least ten pillows immaculately placed on it, a throw blanket at the end, sat against the center wall in between two big picture windows where the view of the sea stunned him for a moment. It smelled faintly of vanilla. He pictured her hair strewn across the white pillow cases. He didn’t linger.
He grabbed the medicine and a glass of water from the kitchen.“Here, take this,” he said.“Do you pass out very often?”
She sat up and put the pills in her mouth, and then took the glass, swallowing everything down.“I have unusually low blood pressure. It’s been a life-time problem. I’m sorry it startled you. My mother always teases me about how I have classic denial syndrome. When in crisis, pass out.” She laughed a little but her voice was soft and vulnerable.
Kell’s throat tightened and his stomach flipped over.“I’m glad you passed out on the ground and not up on your ladder.”
Sidney was distracted. She picked up the ice bag on her arm.“What am I going to do?” she asked, with panic in her voice.“I have guests coming in a little over an hour. Candace isn’t coming till tonight. I gave her the day off. She works tomorrow morning and Betty’s off with Dan. She’s coming to help with breakfast tomorrow. I need to get cleaned up.”
“I’ll help you with whatever you need.”
“I should have accepted your help with the lights when I had the chance. Thanks, Kell. I’m sorry.”
He cleared his throat.“Let’s get you taken care of and then we’ll finish up on the house. We’ll figure it out.”
“I can’t believe this.” She put her good hand to her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment.
He leaned toward her.“Sidney, it’s only a sprain. It’ll be fine. We’ll get everything taken care of.”
“Thank you.” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
Her soft words made his stomach flip again. He wanted to explain that he was jealous of her balding ex-husband. How could he tell her he didn’t want her to go back to some principal who didn’t even know what he had in the first place? He realized she was staring at him.
“Why are you all of a sudden so quiet?” she asked.
“I was just thinking that it’ll be hard when you leave. I was looking forward to our growing friendship is all.”
“You were?”
Kell’s eyes showed surprise.“I have a hard time showing how much I care sometimes. So, it’s true then? You’re going to move off the island?” His voice cracked and his world started closing in on him.
“I don’t know yet. We talked about it last night after dinner. He wants me to sell the mansion and go on a second honeymoon. I’m not sure.”
Oh how he wished he could tell her to run away from Jeff, to date him, to stay on the island. She just got here. She’d crashed in like a shooting star. He wasn’t ready to lose her.“We don’t want you to leave, Sidney. None of us do. Jake would hate to see you go.”
“Jake’s a little boy. He’d get over it.”
He stared at the carpet.“Maybe it’s not just Jake who would miss you.”
He heard her sigh.“Thanks. I’d miss you all too. A lot. I may seem like a strong woman, but I’m a real softy on the inside.”
He was on his knee, in front of her. Without thinking, he reached up and put his hand on her cheek. He rubbed it with the side of his thumb, cupping her face in his hand. Her tenderness engulfed him.“I think, I knew that about you. I’d still like to be your friend.”
He brushed her cheek with the side of his hand. Sidney closed her eyes and leaned her face into his hand. He took a deep breath and watched her, thought about counting the freckles on her face one by one. Kell brought his other hand over and cupped the other side of her face and pulled her in, without even realizing what he was doing. He caught her vanilla smell in the air and it mesmerized him. His lips grazed hers, and then he felt her lean in slightly toward him.
The kiss was unlike any he could remember. He put his hand behind her neck and their kiss deepened. She put one hand on his cheek. The kiss wasn’t long, but rich and tender and made him forget where he was.
“I wasn’t expecting that.” Her voice was gentle. She bit her lower lip.
“I wasn’t either. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”
She leaned back, and adjusted herself on the couch.“Why did you?”
He pulled himself up, rubbed his forehead, struggling to breathe.“I don’t know.”
Sidney reached her good hand up to her forehead and pushed a few strands of her hair out of the way.“It’s okay. It’s been a stressful morning. We’ll blame it on the drama.”
Kell cleared his throat.“Why don’t we get you something to eat? Since your blood pressure is low, you probably need some food, and then I’ll get the lights up. I need to go home and get you an ace-bandage. You need to keep this still.” He held her sprained wrist.
She stood and adjusted her shirt.“I’m going to check on the rooms,and then I’ll be in the kitchen. I’m going to make a pot of coffee. Do you think you could help me get their suitcases upstairs when they arrive?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you, Kell.”
~
Sidney walked upstairs holding her sprained wrist. What a morning. Kell had kissed her and she liked it. She glanced at the guest rooms. Candace had done a great job with everything. The rooms were immaculate. The front door opened. Kell was back with her ace bandage.
She walked downstairs. He was in the kitchen, unwrapping the ace-bandage. He glanced up at her. She blushed.“I was just checking the rooms to make sure they’re okay.”
“Everything fine?” he asked.“Do you need me to move anything around?”
She shook her head.“No. Candace did a good job.”
“I’ll finish the lights in a few minutes,” he said. He reached out his hand asking her to give him her bad hand to put the ace bandage on.
Kell wrapped her hand.“Do you want some coffee? I thought I could make you a sandwich before the guests arrive?”
“I’d love a cup of coffee and a sandwich. The bread’s in the pantry. I’ll get the coffee.”
She started for the coffee pot and Kell looked at her.“I don’t mind. I’ll get it ready. You just sit there and rest your arm.”
She sat down on the stool at the kitchen island and watched Kell make himself at home in her kitchen. His kiss had taken her breath away. The fastest way to raise her blood pressure. He picked things out from the refrigerator—turkey, cranberry sauce, cream cheese, and then took out the bread, and got out a griddle. He fried the bread for a minute on the stove and poured them both a cup of coffee. She liked watching him, his quiet way of working.
Kell spoke, breaking their silence.“You said Betty is with Dan? What happened?”
“He came last night and swept her off her feet. Swept me off my feet, too. He was so romantic.”
Kell’s face lit up and Sidney thought it was relief.“You were worried?”
“I was very worried. I didn’t want to see them get divorced. You were a good friend to Betty.”
“Betty has been a good friend to me. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
“You’re an everyday Mother Theresa, ready to take in anyone who needs help.”
“Betty and Candace don’t quite qualify as untouchables,” she said, frowning.
Kell put her sandwich on a plate and walked over to her and set it down in front of her.“That’s true, but you’ve opened your home to people in need. I think you’re very kind.”
She lifted up her chin.“Thank you, Dr. Kellen.”
“Aren’t you going to eat your sandwich?” he asked, his voice filled with tension.“Your guests will be here soon. You need to eat. I should go and string up the lights”
“Aren’t you going to eat, too?” she asked, taking a bite of the
sandwich, which was delicious.
“I’d like the lights to be ready for when your guests arrive. After that I’ll need to go and pick up Jake.”
She felt him withdrawing. His lightheartedness began disappearing by the second, almost like a shield he was beginning to pull down. He was probably freaking out about the kiss.“Kell? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said, trying to smile.“I’m fine. Good, actually. How’s your wrist?”
“The ace bandage made it feel a lot better.”
He took another sip of coffee. Sidney ate a few bites of her sandwich. He was sitting on the stool right next to her and yet she started to feel as if he was a million miles away. “Kell,” she said, staring at her coffee mug.“Don’t be worried that I’m going to read anything into what happened this afternoon.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was just a kiss. I realize that.”
He swallowed the last of his cup of coffee.“Of course,” he said. There was something in his voice she didn’t recognize, almost disappointment. He got very serious.“Friends, right? You can count on me to help with whatever you need. I may not be the most social man out there, but I’m very loyal.”
She ran her fingers over her forehead.
The doorbell rang before she could say anything. He spoke.“Your guests are here, early.”
She stood up and started walking towards the front door. She turned back, trying to show that she was thankful. She wanted to say more to him,but couldn’t find the words.
He waited in the shadows.
She went and greeted her them. A large family. Grandparents, mom and dad, and three children. The Allen family. They’d be staying for two nights.
Christy Allen, the mother, shook Sidney’s hand.“We’re hoping to see the town lighting tonight.”
Sidney smiled, as the family gathered in her foyer.“I’ve heard it’s quite beautiful.”
Kell graciously picked up their suitcases.“The village lighting is one the most popular nights on the island,” he told them.“You’re in for a treat.”
Sidney followed behind Kell and took them to their rooms. They’d be using three of the bedrooms. One was a large honeymoon suite she thought that Christy and Dave Allen would enjoy staying in. After everyone was settled, she walked back downstairs. Kell followed her.
An Ordinary Love (A Christian Contemporary Romance) (Sidney's Sanctuary Book 1) Page 22