Mended Fences: Will love and kindness be able to mend the fences broken by intolerance? (Mended Hearts Book 2)

by Sarah Markel

  Setting Kelly down on the bed, Alex stood up straight and smiled down at the woman. “God you’re beautiful.” she said, dragging her palm over Kelly’s thigh. With a sensual smile, Kelly sat up on her knees and took Alex’s belt buckle in her hands. Locking her eyes on Alex’s, Kelly undid the belt and pulled it free of its loops. Dropping the belt on the ground, she kept her eyes up as she slowly unbuttoned Alex’s shirt and tugged it free from the waistband of the pants. Once the shirt was free, Kelly leaned forward and placed her lips on Alex’s stomach, just above her waistband. Sucking in a breath, Alex wrapped her hand in Kelly’s hair and shivered. “Oh wow, baby. That gave me chills.” she said breathlessly. Smiling against the woman’s skin, Kelly kissed her way up Alex’s abdomen and breasts before claiming the woman’s mouth in a slow kiss. Growling against her lover’s lips, Alex stepped back and pulled Kelly to her feet. “I love you.” she said softly, reaching out and tracing her finger along Kelly’s jaw. Smiling, Kelly reached up and took Alex’s hand, pulling it down to rest on her ass as she pressed herself against the other woman. Moaning softly, Alex squeezed Kelly’s ass and led her back to the bed. Before laying the woman down, she reached around Kelly’s back and slowly drew the zipper on her top down. As the top came off, Alex smiled to herself when she tossed it behind her. Using her hands to massage the large globes, Alex dipped her head and kissed along the top of each breast. “Oh, Alex.” Kelly said with a moan as her lover sucked one nipple into her mouth. Cupping Alex’s head, Kelly tipped her own head back and purred deep in her throat. Sliding one hand up to support Kelly’s back, Alex carefully laid the woman down on the bed and stood between her legs. “Baby, don’t tease.” Kelly said with a pout. Smirking, Alex pulled one of Kelly’s legs up and removed her boot. Repeating the action on the other foot, Alex set Kelly’s legs down and tugged on her skirt. Dropping the skirt on the floor, she reached up and ran both palms along her lover’s thighs, stopping just before they touched the black silk of Kelly’s panties. Whimpering in disappointment when Alex pulled her hands away, Kelly begged “Baby, please. I need you.” Smiling, Alex lowered herself to rest on her knees on the floor. “Relax, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” she said, sliding the woman’s panties off and pulling her hips to the edge of the bed.

  Looking down at her destination, Alex grinned and raised her eyebrow as she looked up at Kelly. “Is that my Halloween treat, baby?” she asked softly. Biting her lip, Kelly nodded and lifted her hips slightly. With a chuckle, Alex pressed a kiss to Kelly’s freshly waxed mound. Moaning loudly, Kelly fisted her hands in Alex’s hair and pushed her hips up. Gently, Alex placed her hands on her lover’s hips and pressed them back down on the bed. Taking her time, Alex laved her tongue expertly over the swollen bud between Kelly’s thighs. When she heard Kelly’s breathing hitch, Alex used her fingers to part the woman’s folds and dragged her tongue over the opening. “Oh, yes Alex.” Kelly panted, releasing Alex’s hair and gripping the sheets as she arched her back. Growling against Kelly’s skin, Alex dipped her tongue inside and savored the woman’s juices as her orgasm hit. When the waves of pleasure subsided, Kelly pulled Alex up and claimed her lips. Wrapping her legs around Alex’s hips, she whispered against the woman’s mouth “I love tasting myself on you.” Sucking in a breath, Alex felt the throbbing between her own thighs intensify. Kissing the woman again, Alex quickly stood and tugged off her clothing before reassuming her position between her lover’s legs.

  “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Kelly asked breathlessly a few hours later as she laid on Alex’s chest. Chuckling with the same breathlessness, Alex rubbed the woman’s back and replied “Nope. I’m guessing you only love me for my amazing skills in bed.” Laughing, Kelly smacked Alex’s chest and rolled off of her. Pulling the woman against her to cuddle, Alex answered honestly “Baby, you can’t possibly love me any more than I love you.” With a happy sigh, Kelly said “Well, we are just going to have to agree to disagree then, my love.”

  CHAPTER 11

  “Moms, you’re not going to guess what happened last night!” Zane said excitedly the next morning. After the party the night before, Kelly had called Angie and asked her to keep the kids for the night. Sipping her coffee at the island in Angie’s kitchen, Alex turned her attention to her son. “Were you abducted by small creatures that constantly demanded sustenance and currency every waking moment of the day?” she asked, scrunching up her face in mock concentration. Snorting into her own coffee, Kelly smacked Alex playfully on the arm. “Sorry, son. Go ahead, tell me what happened.” Alex said when she saw the irritated look on his face. “Well, we were almost back here and Uncle Steve said he needed to pee. Aunt Angie told him to find a bush and take care of it, but he said no, he would just wait until he got home. After we finished the houses at the end of the block, we crossed the street and were making our way back here. All of a sudden, Tommy walked over to Mr. Hemming’s azalea bush and whipped it out. Before anyone could stop him, he started peeing and this man screamed and stood up from the other side of the bush! Mr. Hemming came running out of his house and screamed at the man. Poor Tommy was so scared he couldn’t stop peeing on the man!” he said, with a wide smile. Looking back at her twin with a raised eyebrow, Alex waited for an explanation. Laughing hard, Angie finished the story. “It turns out the guy had been sneaking around Mr. Hemming’s yard at night for weeks, sabotaging the flowers. When Tommy peed on him, the guy freaked out and starting screaming for the police. Steve calmed the guy down, but Mr. Hemming wanted to press vandalism charges. So Steve called dispatch and the guy was arrested. The kids all thought it was hilarious, and Mr. Hemming gave Tommy a twenty dollar bill for catching the guy. It honestly was a great way to end the night.” she finished, trying to contain her laughter. Shaking her head, Alex took her coffee cup and went outside.

  “So what happened to your face, Sis?” Angie said a few minutes later when she and Kelly joined the woman. When Kelly had called the night before, she hadn’t elaborated her reason for wanting the kids to stay the night. “I got up close and personal with a fist.” She replied, touching her swollen cheekbone gingerly. Noting the scowl on her sister’s face, she decided she had better explain. “Do you remember Jessie McGowan?” she asked. At Angie’s nod, she went on. “Well, she got married to Judy’s sister Rachel. As it turns out, Rachel is a total wife-beating-douchebag. Anyways, when Judy told us about Rachel having a history of domestic violence and seeing Jessie with bruises, I went out to talk to Jessie. When I got out there, they were over by the fence and I saw Rachel grab Jessie’s arm and I got mad so I marched over and stood between them. After telling Rachel to leave her alone, Kelly said she wanted to go home and Rachel called her my sex toy. When she said that, I lost my temper and punched her in the face. We started beating the crap out of each other and Celina’s husband Brett came over and pulled us apart. Celina was there in her uniform, and after we explained what happened she took Jessie inside and she showed her the bruises under her costume. So Rachel got arrested and I got a stern talking to from my doctor.” Looking from Alex to Kelly with a smirk on her face, Angie asked “So I leave you two alone at a party and you go and start a fight? At least it was Celina and not someone else.” She added, patting Alex on the leg.

  *****

  “Good Afternoon Mr. Coates, I’m Dr. Taylor.” Kelly said when she walked into her exam room. Shaking the man’s hand, she took a seat on her stool and settled herself in front of a short, elderly woman who smiled up at her. “Did Nurse Carrie explain why we called you down here?” she asked, turning her attention to the man. “Yes, she said my mother fell this morning and you needed me to sign some papers.” he replied. Nodding, Kelly opened the woman’s chart and flipped through the pages. “It seems your mother’s dementia has progressed to the point that she is forgetting to use her walker when she tries to walk around. This time she didn’t actually hit the floor, her RA caught her and assisted her down. I went over the daily log reports for the last few weeks and spok
e to some of the RA’s and it seems that her mobility is becoming an issue.” She explained, citing the increasing frequency with which his mother was forgetting her walker. “I’ve gone over her medication reports, shift logs, spoken with her RA’s, and conferred with Ms. Walker over this issue, and we both agree that to help reduce your mother’s risk of serious injury we should try one of two options. That’s where you come in, Mr. Coates. I’m going to have Ms. Walker join us so she can explain the legalities of each option, with your approval of course.” she added. When the man nodded, Kelly used the phone and called Alex. When she stepped in, Alex greeted the man and took the empty chair next to Kelly.

  “Mr. Coates, the first option is for me to classify your mother as what we call ‘wheelchair bound’. That means that whenever she moves around, she will need to be pushed around by an RA so that she doesn’t try to walk on her own. While it will take time for her to get used to it, it will help reduce her chances of stumbling or falling. Ms. Walker?” Kelly said, giving Alex her turn to explain. “There aren’t really any legal issues with this option, except that it could be classified as a restraint unless we have your mother officially moved to the dementia care floor. In order to do that, we will have to have Dr. Taylor order the move and change your mother’s CDR from two to three. This will change her status from moderate dementia to severe dementia, and will include a change to her medications as well.” Alex finished, turning the floor back over to Kelly.

  “Option two is to classify your mother as assistance required. That means that whenever she wants to walk around, an RA will be with her in case she falls. This means that as time goes on, your mother may start having more bruises since the RA’s can’t actually catch her. In order to comply with federal and state regulations, all an RA can do is slow down the fall and assist her to the floor. Unfortunately, in the elderly this can cause bruises and skin tears since their skin is so fragile.” Motioning to Alex, Kelly took the elderly woman’s hand and patted it. “While this option sounds easier for your mother, it’s a little stickier in the legal department. When an RA causes a bruise or an injury to a resident, the state has to be notified and they will come in to investigate. If the inspector determines that the injury was caused by the RA’s actions, the RA can be charged with abuse. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to prevent that if it were to happen. Now abuse won’t always be charged, but the possibility of it is enough and our RA’s may feel that they cannot care for your mother, which would mean that she would have to be moved to another facility. I went over her resident file this morning, and saw that she has been with us for almost ten years. Here at Serenity home, we do our best to avoid transferring a patient out, because any big change with a dementia patient can cause unnecessary strain on their mentality. The choice is yours, Mr. Coates. If you would like to take time to think it over, we can give you twenty four hours. After that we will need a decision, so that your mother can be as safe as possible.” Alex finished. Shaking the man’s hand, she gave his mother a hug and a kiss on the forehead before stepping out of the room.

  Once she had finished with her patient, Kelly went to Alex’s office to give her the elderly woman’s paperwork. “Mr. Coates will be back tomorrow morning with his decision. From the questions he was asking, I think he is leaning towards the wheelchair, but he wanted some time to discuss it with his sister.” Taking a seat in the bright yellow visitor’s chair, Kelly crossed her legs and waited while Alex signed the papers. Before handing them back, Alex asked “Has Dr. Peck called you today?” Shaking her head, Kelly pulled out her cell phone and checked her call log. “No, not on my cell. I haven’t talked to Jack yet though.” she replied, putting her phone back in her pocket. Blowing out a breath, Alex ran her hand through her hair and said “Well, I doubt that you are a match.” Looking confused, Kelly asked what she meant. Unsure of how her fiancée would take what she had to say, Alex stood and went to her. Kneeling down and taking the woman’s hand, Alex explained “Dr. Peck called a little while ago. He said that I was a match for your mom, and said he would call me back if she decides to accept my marrow.” With tears in her eyes, Kelly surged forward and wrapped her arms around Alex in a crushing hug. “Thank you so much, sweetheart.” she said before releasing the woman. Relief flooded through Alex when Kelly didn’t get upset. Smiling, she pulled Kelly to her feet and promised to tell her as soon as the doctor called back.

  Once she was back in her office, Kelly pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mother’s number. “Hi mother. I was just wondering if you had spoken to Dr. Peck today.” she said when her mother answered. “Yes, in fact I just finished speaking to him when you called.” Karen replied, her voice shaky. “What’s wrong?” Kelly asked, unsure for the reason behind her mother’s tone. “I’m afraid it’s not good, Kelly Shane. I got a phone call this morning, and I’m just devastated.” Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her desk, Kelly asked why. “Are you and Alex free for lunch? I’d rather not discuss this on the phone.” Karen answered, struggling not to cry. “I’m free, Mother. Let me check with Alex and I will call you back.” Kelly said before ending the call.

  *****

  A short time later, the trio sat in a booth at the small diner across from Karen’s hotel. Once they had ordered their food, Kelly took her mother’s hand. “Mother, what’s wrong?” she asked. Shaking her head sadly, Karen began. “Kelly, it’s about your sister. The warden at the prison called this morning to inform me that she passed away last night.” Unable to hold back her tears, Karen pulled her hand free and covered her face. Stricken with a sudden wave of anguish, Kelly went to her mother and pulled her into her arms. “What happened?” she asked, gently rocking the woman back and forth. “He said that she had been sick for the last few days and last night her heart just gave out. He said she had a heart attack and the doctors weren’t able to bring her back.” Karen sobbed. Unsure of what to say, Kelly sat silently embracing her mother until the woman was able to gather herself. “Now Kelly Shane, I know that you and your sister didn’t get along but I would appreciate it if you would come back home for her funeral.” Turning to Alex, Karen added “Even though you didn’t know Kristen, I would like it if you would accompany us considering you are Kelly’s spouse.” Laying her hand over the woman’s Alex nodded. “Just let us know when and we will be there.” She said reassuringly. As their food arrived, Kelly went back to her seat and took Alex’s hand. “Thank you, Honey.” she whispered with a sad smile.

  CHAPTER 12

  The following week, Alex and Kelly made arrangements for the kids to stay with Angie and Steve. After rescheduling her meetings with the dress maker, the baker, and the florist, Kelly asked Jack to see to it that all of her appointments were changed. Karen and Alex had spoken to Dr. Peck and made the appointment to do the bone marrow transplant after the first of December, which would give them the rest of the month to prepare for it. On Friday morning, after dropping the kids off at school, the three women squeezed into a taxi and headed to the airport. After checking in at the ticket booth, the trio headed to the lounge to wait for boarding. “Your father is going to pick us up when we land and drop us off at the hotel.” Karen explained as the women waited. Nodding, Kelly took Alex’s hand and thanked her again. “Baby, stop thanking me. My fiancée is going through a loss, and it’s my pleasure to help her through her time of grief. I remember what it was like after Callie died, and if it wasn’t for Angie I don’t know how I would have managed. I know it’s not the same, but having someone there who knows you better than anyone else helps immensely.” she said softly. Smiling, Kelly laid her head on the woman’s shoulder.

  Once they had boarded the plane, Kelly noticed that Alex seemed a little flustered. “What’s wrong, Honey?” she asked when the pilot announced that they were ready for take-off. “It’s nothing, baby. I just realized that this is the first time I have left the state without the kids.” she said, offering a smile. Taking her fiancée’s hand, Kelly nodded. “They’ll be fine, Love. A
ngie and Steve are their two favorite people and will make sure they are safe. I double checked the bags and made sure that Dej has plenty of food for the next few days, made sure that you packed all of her meds, and called PMFPC to have them drop her delivery off at Angie’s.” Turning to look at the woman, Alex let out an amused chuckle. “Well, look at you go. I didn’t even think to call Pembrooke.” she said, a bit embarrassed. Smiling, Kelly leaned over and kissed Alex as the plane taxied away from the gate and took off.

  *****

  “Daddy!” Kelly screamed as the women exited the airport terminal in Tallahassee. Dropping her bags, she sprinted forward and flung herself into the open arms of her father. “Kelly! I’m so happy to see you, sweetheart. Let me look at you.” the man replied when they broke their embrace. While the man looked Kelly over, Alex did the same to him from her spot a few feet away. While she had never seen the man before, Alex could tell that he was definitely Kelly’s father. As much as the woman resembled her mother, her resemblance to her father was just as obvious. The man had the same blue eyes as his daughter, and while he was at least a good six feet tall, he carried himself with the same confidence that Kelly exuded. Reaching her hand out to Alex, Kelly introduced them. “Daddy, I want you to meet my fiancée, Alex Walker. Alex, this is my father, Kevin Taylor.” Shaking the man’s hand, Alex thanked him for picking them up. “Not a problem. Despite the circumstances of the visit, I was thrilled to get the chance to see my baby girl again after all these years.” he replied with a wave of his hand.