Coming Home

by Kimberly McKay

  So far, the plans for shower duty were working out. All the girls took turns to keep watch so that the others could shower in solace. She needed to ask one of the crew for shower curtains - so that this would no longer be an issue.

  Anne asked Ned if she could make the group meals for dinner and lunch, if in turn the show would cater in breakfast. Not only did he agree, but he also added, with a very satisfied smile, that Chad would be very pleased to hear about her offer. She wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything, but she was glad to have some substantial meals coming soon.

  As she stepped onto the warm wood floor, she heard it moan under the pressure. She giggled, thinking how her best friend, Chastity, would crack a joke about her needing to lose weight if she were here today.

  Anne had curves, but by no means was overweight. Her long legs lead into what some said was her best feature, and what Chastity would call her ba-donki-donk. She definitely had junk in the trunk, but it wasn’t what she considered a big butt. She smiled again at the thought of Chastity’s humor. She missed her friend – almost as much as she missed her sister.

  As her heart was still easily tangled in her dream, and since she was already sweaty – Anne reached for her running shoes.

  “You up?” Kamryn yawned, sitting up slowly. “I was going to do my devotions. Want to join me?”

  “Actually I’m going for a run.” Anne whispered, lacing up her shoes. “You want to join me?”

  Kamryn sleepily smiled, and rubbed her eyes. “Sure. Give me a minute to find some clothes.”

  Within a few minutes they were out the door, where all you could hear was the crunch under their feet as the gravel gave way from their shoes. They ran to the tune of the bird’s morning song, which gave her the solace she needed after her rough start to the day.

  Having a running partner was nice, especially in unknown territory, like these overgrown woods. The last few mornings, she felt like she was running into a horror film as she navigated her way through the dense trees.

  Her mind quickly shot back to her dream, as she ran the course through the forest. She wondered why she had such a horrific dream, and was glad she was running in real life with a friend, instead of running for her life with her sister.

  “Thanks for joining me today.” Anne puffed as they ran uphill.

  “No problem. It’s something that can fill my time and we’re all looking to do that lately. How long have we been here – almost a week?” Kamryn groaned. “With your long legs, I’m struggling to keep up.”

  Anne sprinted a bit faster, and yelled behind her. “We’re almost there. Pick up the pace, Kamryn!”

  Anne ran over the ridge, which wound toward the shoreline. This was why she loved to get up this early, to see the sun rising over the lake. She heard Kamryn’s heavy footsteps tumbling down the hill behind her and turned just in time to see her face light up at the view.

  “Wow. Now I see why you were in such a hurry. Beautiful! Just beautiful... God’s got a great paintbrush doesn’t He?” Kamryn marveled at all the color splashed across the water, as the sun’s edges kissed the horizon.

  “You better stretch, or you’ll be more sore than you bargained for.” Anne leaned over to stretch out her legs, and asked softly, “You’re religious?”

  Kamryn rolled her eyes and leaned over to stretch. “There’s that word. Ugh. I’m a believer … a Christian. Religious can get awfully pious in my book.”

  Anne shrugged. “I guess I never thought of the difference.”

  “Well to some, there may not be … sadly. Do you go to church?” Kamryn wondered. Anne seemed to have a peace about her.

  “Sometimes. I’m not sure church is all it’s cracked up to be.” Anne thought of her grandmother sitting in her hard pew. “I see so many people getting dressed up to be seen at church, yet during the week they don’t display those same qualities that the church advocates.”

  Anne sat down on the picnic bench and reached out for her toes, stretching her back. Kamryn joined her.

  “But then … there’s my friend, Jim … back home.” Anne continued. “He helped start a church in California, and they practice what they preach. It’s not small or too big, but it’s inviting. I felt comfortable there, like God was really there. But I don’t know about the whole church thing.”

  Kamryn saw the cameramen finally catching up to them and groaned. “I’d like to talk to you about this but without an audience. I see so many ways they can take what you say on these shows and skew them. I don’t want my faith skewed that way. So I’ll say this fast.”

  Kamryn put her finger up, asking the men to wait. After what happened with Anne last time in the woods, they respectfully kept their distance.

  “Since you’re a fan of working out. Let’s look at it like this … the church can be seen like a gym.” Kamryn smiled down at Anne’s confused face.

  “Okaaaay?” She laughed. “How so?”

  “Well, you get there to work out and you see a lot of different people. You have the meatheads, who are there just to see their own muscles working out in the mirrors – kind of like those people at church who are there just to be seen. You’ve got the guys, who are there because they think it’s a meat market and cruise for girls. There are those guys at churches too.”

  Anne laughed at Kamryn’s analogy. She had a point.

  Kamryn quickly wrapped it up. “But you also have those there, who are like you, who want to work out to be the best you possible. They’re focused and healthy to the best of their knowledge. There are members in church that solely go for their spiritual health, and want to follow the path God put them on. Boom. Church or the gym – can be exactly what you want it to be. It’s the people inside that make up the crazy mixture.” Kamryn wiped her face free from sweat, and pursed her lips before continuing, “You

  can’t let the meatheads distract you from your personal goals, right? The church is there to give us what we need in God’s word, and it’s about our relationship with him … not anyone else’s.”

  Anne threw her towel at Kamryn. “You’re crazy, girl. But yeah, I get your point.”

  “Hey sometimes – but I’m a firm believer in an individual relationship with God. That can be here in the middle of the woods. Or it can be on Sundays at my parent’s church. Although, I think Christian fellowship is needed … it’s how we grow and learn.”

  “You’re a pastor’s kid?” Anne’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that why you don’t drink?”

  “Um,” Kamryn’s eyes squinted. “Let’s just say … pastor’s kids have a reputation for being kind of wild. Not every P.K. is, but I fell off the path and found a lifestyle that wasn’t right for me.”

  “P.K.?” Anne wasn’t sure what she was referring to.

  “P.K. stands for pastor’s kid.” Kamryn clarified. “I fell into drinking quite heavily. I stay clean now because I have to ... and I want to. It’s not just a casual drink for me.”

  She took a deep breath, and continued, “Thankfully, I don’t crave it anymore, but there used to be a time when it was a hard struggle to stay sober.” Kamryn lowered her voice as she noticed the camera operators were starting down the hill, to set up.

  “Thanks for sharing that with me. I guess you just never know where people have been in their life. And you’re proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover, because I thought you were little miss innocent.” Anne laughed.

  “Me?” She snorted and stood for her final stretch. “I’ve seen a lot in my short lifetime. Let’s just say I’ve seen enough to know I can’t handle it all on my own. God is the reason I’ve come so far and stay on the right path.” Kamryn didn’t mind if that was taped.

  Both girls stood to enjoy the view, as dawn burned brighter into morning sun. Anne slung her arm around Kamryn’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze.

  “So, tell me. What’s your story?” Kamryn smiled. “You know mine.”

  Anne smiled mischievously, and thought of her family. Her mind quickly flew
to Grace.

  Kamryn saw the concern flash over her friend’s face and then disappear moments before being replaced with a smile. Anne’s eyes were twinkling once more.

  Kamryn got a glimpse of something deeper, but it was obvious Anne was guarded. And that was okay by her … because she knew everyone opened up in their own time.

  “I’m an open book.” Anne lifted her eyebrows, teasing Kamryn. “There’s nothing to me. I'm just a girl, from California, who likes to cook. That’s it.”

  “Yeah … right.” Kamryn didn’t look convinced. “Okay, so you’re not going to spill it? That’s okay. Let’s talk lunch. Since we’ve already planned your menu, when is our first decent meal here? Hopefully … today?”

  Anne drew her shoulders in and rubbed her hands together. Her eyes gleamed and her mouth started watering in anticipation. It dawned on her how much she missed cooking on a daily basis. She thought of her sandwich shop back home, and wistfully smiled.

  When she left California to move to Oklahoma, she happily signed it over to her friend, Jim, whom she knew would take good care of it, but it didn’t stop her from missing the day to day bustle of the crowds.

  And more than anything, she missed having a creative outlet. She loved the thought of people specifically coming to Anne’s Deli for her famous concoctions.

  So the thought of reinventing herself here gave her more peace than she’d imagine.

  “In a day or two … I’ve only just now given them our list of supplies, but I can share with you a few more things I have planned.”

  Kamryn’s face lit up as she leaned in to listen.

  Anne smiled and started to run through the other menu ideas with her friend. She was glad she had someone here she could connect with. Friends like Kamryn were too few and far between.

  Chapter 12

  Alone in his cabin, Ned sat under a solitary light, smiling as he read the latest tweets about the first episode. His staff set up twitter accounts for each contestant and assigned hash-tags for Broadcast Affair, which made it easier to track.

  Reports came back saying the first episode was a huge hit. Viewers voiced surprise over the sudden exit from the mansion to sparse living conditions, and couldn’t wait to see who turned into a raving Diva and who rose to the top. Some of the front-runners were already being mentioned, and as he predicted … Anne was already America’s darling. She was real without pretensions and viewers responded to her wit and natural beauty. It gave him real satisfaction that people were rooting for her already.

  The only downside to instant feedback was that it was an open forum, where everyone could say anything. But Ned liked to think the complaints were insightful on how they could do better.

  So far the only issues he’d seen to date were that fact that viewers hadn’t any access to Chad on camera yet. Ned was going to introduce Chad in this next episode, so he knew those complaints would die down soon.

  Chad opened the screen door to Ned’s cabin and stepped through. He loved hearing the loud squeak, as it’s swung open and slammed shut behind him.

  Ned spun his chair around to face him. “You can’t sneak up on anyone here.” He grinned. “Hey man. Take a look at these reports ... we’re a hit.” He eagerly handed his laptop over.

  Chad grinned from ear to ear. “Great. Good news for you guys.”

  “After this week - when you cast a few girls off, it’s going to even get better.”

  “Why wait till the end of the week?” Chad cautiously asked.

  “I thought we talked about seeing how the girls used their gifts, and how that would reveal their true colors.” Ned sighed, confused. “Did I miss something?”

  “We did. But I’ve slept since then, and there are a handful that I know aren’t for me. So why waste their time when we can narrow it down real quick?”

  “We’re not going to have any girls left for taping over the next four weeks. Besides we’ve just started.”

  “Yeah, but listen. Can’t we get rid of the ones I know aren’t my type?”

  “How do you know? It hasn’t been that long,” Ned laughed.

  “Um, I can tell by some of the catty remarks and behavior that a few of them need to go home. My mother said if they don’t play well with others …” Chad’s voice trailed off, and he stared down Ned.

  “Okay. It’s your show, man. I’m just here to run it.” Ned laughed.

  Chad handed him the list. “Thanks. There are only seven that need to go pack.”

  “That leaves thirteen, which means we can move them into two cabins.” Ned nodded absentmindedly. “That would keep them guessing for sure.”

  Chad grinned. “You’re salivating Ned.”

  Ned threw his arms out. “I think it’s great.”

  Just then, Ned’s phone buzzed, with an incoming text, from across the room.

  “Will you hand that to me?” He asked Chad.

  Chad reached for it and saw the name Guy Masters on the screen. The text read:

  How’s our little Annie doing? I saw the first episode. She looked as good as I thought she would. You can thank me later.

  Chad handed the phone over and let Ned read his text before asking him about Anne. He’d been meaning to for a while, but the timing hadn’t been right.

  Ned looked to his text and chuckled.

  “So, tell me the story. Who is this dude and how did he play a part in Anne being here? I went for a run early yesterday morning, and heard her talking to a friend, on her phone.”

  “You what? Did she see you?” Ned sat up a little straighter in his chair, concerned.

  “No, she had no idea I was there. But I overheard her talking to a friend, who asked her if she was happy she was here after all. From what I understand Anne didn’t want to be on the show … to meet me? Do I need to be concerned?” Chad stood and started pacing the floor. “I mean … I don’t want to get my hopes up on a girl, only to find out she could care less to get to know me.”

  Ned’s smile was enough to send Chad over the edge.

  “This is more than a career boost for me. I’d really like to meet a nice girl.” Chad stopped pacing, and dropped down onto the bunk.

  “Dude. Chill out, would you?” He laughed. “You really like her, don’t you?”

  “I like what I see so far. I’d like to arrange to spend time with her now. I don’t want to wait.”

  “Well dates are supposed to start this week, right? So pick her first.”

  “First tell me – how Anne ended up on the show.” Chad insisted. Before investing in her, he wanted to make sure he had a shot.

  “One of my best buddies, Guy, attended our best friend’s wedding in July. Our best friend married Anne’s best friend.” Ned’s mouth twisted in a smile. “Guy tried everything to hit on her, and Anne didn’t fall for it. If anything she was repelled by him. And if you knew Guy, you’d know that women throw themselves at him. He’s a handsome successful doctor … who doesn’t spend much time alone.”

  “Okay, so far I know Anne doesn’t fall for handsome successful guys. Great.” Chad groaned. “At the restaurant she acted like I didn’t exist.”

  “Let me finish …” Ned laughed. “Since I missed the wedding, I called Guy at their reception, to see how the married couple was. We started talking about the show, and I told him about you and how many applicants we’d received. I told him I needed someone that wasn’t easy.”

  “Easy?” He grinned at Ned’s choice of words.

  “Not that kind of easy big guy. I just needed someone who you might have to work for. And, he thought she’d be the perfect candidate. So he suggested she come on the show, and I accepted. She flew out unsure of the whole process – not wanting to know who the bachelor was because she wasn’t sure any of it would be real.” Ned finally finished.

  “So when we met, and she practically ignored me at the restaurant … she didn’t know I was going to be on the show? And I didn’t know she was going to be on the show. What a coincidence that we’d meet there
.”

  “Nope … not really. I arranged that little meeting to see how the sparks would fly. When I found out she didn’t want to know who the bachelor was - I thought I’d test the waters.”

  “You knew I liked her that day, didn’t you?”

  “Yup.” Ned smiled. “So, she may be the one?”

  “There are a couple of nice girls here. But she’s the front runner.”

  “You’ve not spent any time with her. She may not even like you!”

  “Then I’ll have to sweep her off her feet.”

  Ned looked at Chad incredulously. “What?”

  “There are some nice girls here. I wouldn’t mind taking a few on dates. But there’s something about her that I can’t shake.” Chad ran his hand through his hair. “That day at the restaurant, I was so intrigued by her. No one else even comes close to that.”

  “Wow. I wish I could say I understand how you feel buddy. I hear it happens to some people, but I’ve never experienced it myself.”

  “Experienced what?” Chad stood and leaned against the bunk. He folded his arms and waited.

  “Love at first sight. You’ve got it bad.” Ned looked up to see his friend’s face drop.

  Chad let out a deep breath. He didn’t know if Ned was right, but he was definitely infatuated by her.

  He stepped toward the door, and pushed it partially open. “Wish me luck, because now I’ve got to win her over.”

  “Break a leg.” Ned hollered at him, as he walked out the door into the night. Ned looked to his lovesick friend, as he walked across to his own cabin, and laughed to himself. This was going to get interesting.

  Chapter 13

  If she were in Washington, Kamryn would definitely be facing cooler temperatures and lots of cold rain. But here in Texas, in the middle of September, Kamryn was blessed to experience warm sunrises and 85-degree temperatures throughout the days.

  Each morning, she couldn’t wait until the sun peeked over the horizon. The rays wove their way through the trees, sending ambient light onto the cabin’s front deck. She’d arise before its ascent to watch it all unfold before her eyes.