by Lauren Marie
“Oh, Jay, I heard from Mattie. He’s our other son,” Libby said and looked at Kate. “He thinks he’ll get to be home from the Middle East for Thanksgiving and might not have to ship back out until after the first of the year,” Libby said.
“That’s great,” Jay said. “Matt’s my younger brother and he’s in the Army.” He looked back at his mom. “Is he going to re-up?”
“I think so. He still wants to go to school, but he if he puts in another six years, his school coverage will be better.”
“Matt wants to go to school? Wow, the service must have turned him around. He hated school.” Jay stood up and got the coffee pot. He refilled the cups around the table.
Kate looked at Jay after he sat back down. “What’s ‘re-up’?”
“Matt initially signed up for six years. When you get to the end of that, he can sign up for another six. He called it re-uping.” Jay took a sip of his coffee.
They finished the food and Libby shooed the men out of the kitchen. She’d smiled and told them she wanted a little girl talk. Kate felt instant nerves set in and didn’t know what to expect. She got up from the table and helped to clear the plates and cups, then stood by the counter while Libby filled the sink with water.
“How long have you been in Canon City?” Libby asked as she rinsed the plates in the sink.
“About six weeks.” Kate watched her load the dishwasher.
“Do you have a job?”
“Yes. I work over at Harry’s Diner across the street from the rink.”
“I’ve known Harry for years.”
“He’s a good boss.” Kate’s nerves continued and she picked at a hangnail.
“Do you cook at the diner?”
“No, I’m a waitress. I can do simple things in the kitchen - grilled cheese sandwiches, warm up soup and make green salads. If it gets any tougher than that, I get confused.”
“Why don’t you two come over for dinner sometime this week? You can help me in the kitchen and I can show you some tricks.” Libby pulled the drainer up and dried her hands on a towel as the water funneled out.
“I’d like that, but I work nights. Monday and Tuesday are my days off.”
“That’s workable. Mike gets home by five.” Libby turned and closed the dishwasher.
Kate moved back to the table and sat down. Jay’s mom acted very kind to her, but she knew from experience not to trust first impressions. Anything could happen. Her nerves jumped up a notch. She could see Jay and his father outside the kitchen window. Jay stared at her and smiled.
“Kate.” Libby sat down across from her. “I hope you and Jay can keep things going. He’s been at loose ends for a few years and I think you would be good for him. I know it sounds crazy, since we’ve just met.”
“But?”
“No, no buts. There’s one thing you should know and I’m sure he hasn’t talked about it.”
Kate waited patiently and felt like another shoe was about to drop. She couldn’t expect everything to work out great.
“The last woman Jay got involved with seemed like a nice girl, but it turned out she’d slept with two other guys. Mandy got pregnant and dragged Jay through a paternity suit. The blood tests proved he wasn’t the father, but he became very bitter after that. That happened several years ago and, as I said, he hasn’t dated much since. He seems very taken with you.”
Kate felt stymied that Libby was so open with the family secrets. She also felt a little embarrassed to know something about Jay that he hadn’t told her. “You’re right, he hasn’t mentioned it, but he hates being lied to.” She saw a question form on Libby’s face. “The first time Jay asked me out, I lied and said I had to work. Harry came out of the kitchen and talked about my day off. The look on Jay’s face...”
“Yeah, that dredged it up. Just be honest with him and you’ll be all right.” Libby patted her hand.
Kate felt so surprised by the fact that Libby pretty much just gave her blessing to her relationship with Jay. She calmed down for a moment, until the back door flew open and Jay stepped into the kitchen. She jumped in her chair and felt her nerves pop back up.
“Okay, that’s enough girl talk.”
“I should also mention he’s very stubborn sometimes.” Libby winked at Kate.
“See Dad, I knew they were talking about me,” Jay said to Mike as he came through the door.
“Sorry Lib. I tried to hold him back, but he’s gotten stronger than me,” Mike said to his wife.
Jay sat down next to Kate and put his arm over her shoulders. She nudged his chest.
“Hi there, babe. I didn’t mean to make you jump. Are you okay? Mom didn’t torture you too much?”
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him.
“Lord, Jay do you think I would torment a perfectly nice young woman, who for some reason, that I’ll never understand, finds you acceptable?” Libby asked and winked at Kate, again.
“No, but I know you were probably talking about my evil side.”
“Are you still doing blood sacrifices?” She grinned at her son.
Kate wasn’t sure where this conversation led to. “We did talk about cooking. Do you like blood stew?” she asked.
Jay, Libby and Mike all stared at her and then started to laugh.
Jay leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Are you teasing me, too?” he whispered in her ear.
Kate didn’t answer him. She just smiled and arched her eyebrow.
****
After Jay’s parents left, he threw her over his shoulder and carried her back to bed. They’d only gotten about five hours of sleep and he wanted more before they went to play Broom Ball he told her. They settled into his bed and she tried to sleep for another couple of hours.
For the first few years after Kate ran from her mother, she’d experienced terrible nightmares about things from the past. Even though Jay held her in his arms and she felt safe, she found it hard to rest. Now that her secret escaped out of the bag, she felt nervous that the nightmares might come back. She didn’t want to hear her mother scream about her inadequacies or the coach hit her again. She finally did doze off and didn’t dream.
Kate heard a buzz and opened her eyes. She rolled over and saw Jay grin at her. “How long have you been awake?” she asked and yawned.
“Not long. I dreamt about you.”
“Yeah? I hope it was a good dream.” She found his lips waited for her and they kissed passionately for a while and then made love. It lasted long and went slow. Kate orgasmed at the same time as him and it felt more powerful than the night before. She realized that for the first time a man really did make love to her. It wasn’t just sex and she knew that the other times with Jay were love, too. It felt like a powerful thought and she almost started to cry, but held it back. She’d done enough crying last night.
When they made it to the shower, it amazed her to find his penis grew hard again. They soaped each other and she stopped. She put a soapy hand around his shaft, looked up at him and smiled. She started to move her hand along his hard length.
“What’s going on in the beautiful head of yours?” he asked and brushed his lips over her chin and jaw.
“I know what the word was you were going to say last night, but were afraid you’d scare me.”
“Do you feel it, too?”
“I do, I think. I’ve never felt it before and I suppose it could be indigestion.” She gave him a gentle squeeze.
“Indigestion? I don’t think so woman. Am I going to have to teach you the difference between it and an upset stomach?” He pulled her up eye level and put her back against the shower wall. Her legs came up around his waist and he adjusted his rock hard shaft to her opening. He pushed into her and they locked lips.
It wasn’t until they got out that she realized they’d spra
yed water all over the bathroom. After they dried themselves and the fixtures and mirror, they got dressed. Jay made them a quick, late breakfast of toaster waffles and microwaveable sausages. He said he didn’t have time to go through all of his mother’s dishes to figure out what she’d brought. While the sausages were in the microwave, he made a phone call and arranged to meet his lawyer friend at the rink around five o’clock. He joked with her about having breakfast twice in one day.
When they arrived at the rink, Frank Donnelly waited for them. He and Jay went to high school together and were friends from kindergarten. He, like Jay, was tall with dark brown hair and dark brown - almost black - eyes. They went up to Jay’s office and Kate pretty much told Frank the things she’d told Jay during the night. Frank scribbled in a note book. Kate mentioned one new thing that she hadn’t told Jay.
“The last time I saw my mother was about four or five years ago. She said if I didn’t come back, she could prove that I’d become a danger to myself and anyone who came near me. She said she’d have me committed to a mental facility where I could rot for the rest of my life.”
Jay stood up and faced the wall. He started to pull his fist back like he wanted to punch it, but stopped and put his palm on it flat. He turned back around. “Kate, your mother needs to be shot.”
“Jay, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that,” Frank said and scribbled more notes in his book. “No more threats against the mother, okay?” Frank looked at him with a stern look. Jay nodded. “Good. Now Kate, from now on you are Kate Beck only. We’ll get it legalized down the road, but you have no idea who Stacy Douglas is, if anyone should ask, got it?”
Kate nodded. “That should be easy enough.”
“I’m going to need to get some records, so you’ll have to stop by my office tomorrow. I’ll see to it my secretary has the forms ready for you to sign. You’ll have to be Stacy for about five minutes and sign that name. Do you know the name of the hospital you were taken to after the short program at the Nationals?”
“I was flown to Portland. I think it was Portland General, but I’m not too sure of the name.”
“Good, it’s a start. Do you have any idea if your dad might be of any help?”
“I don’t know. I’m not even sure if my parents still live in Portland.”
“Okay, I have some work to do. It will probably take a couple of days. It’s easier said than done to get records quick, but try not to worry. And you,” he pointed at Jay. “Rein in the threats. The last thing I want is to have to defend you, too.”
“Yeah, yeah, message received. Can I still kick your butt tonight?”
“You wish. Go tell the gang we’re good to go.” He stood up and held Kate back. “Now Jay, be a good boy. I want to talk to my client alone for a minute.”
Jay looked at Kate. She nodded and he left the room, but didn’t close the door.
“This man you were involved with, do you remember his name?” Frank asked.
“David Farnsworth, Jr.”
“Very good. We might be able to get him for raping a minor, but it’s a stretch. If we threaten him with that, we might get him to help against your mom and all that business about the payoff’s. I think our main goal is to get her off your back so you can stop looking over your shoulder. After the game tonight, would you take a minute and write down a list of places and dates where you’ve had run-ins with her, or her gang of idiots, over the last eight years.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Jay’s a good guy and I can see he’s stuck on you. Trust him, no matter what. He’ll keep you safe.”
“I will, thank you. Frank, do you think there is a real chance that I’ll be able to stop running?”
“It’s too soon to make any promises that I might not be able to keep, but I think we have a very good chance. To try to prove that your mother’s badgering you for no good reason, could put us into a grey zone, but let me see what I can find out and we’ll go from there, okay?”
“Canon City would be a nice place to stay. I really like this little town, you know?”
“I know. Now are you ready for Broom Ball?”
“I’ve never played before, but it should be fun.”
They walked out of the office and went down the hallway to the stairs.
Kate played the first half of the game and then sat down. Her left lung was on fire and she couldn’t keep up the pace. She told Jay to get back on the ice because she wanted to watch his cute butt and daydream about his lips. He wore a worried look on his face and she didn’t want him to feel that way. She wanted him to have fun. She felt guilty that she’d brought all of her life issues into his world.
Jay’s friend Lark came and sat with her. Lark owned an online company that sold mixes for baked goods and she’d just gotten married last year. Her husband, Charlie, attended veterinary college and she’d become their main support, money-wise for the next couple of years. A lot of the people out on the ice went to school together. Lark and Charlie grew up next door to each other. Before long a couple of other women came and sat. They all got to know Kate and she got to hear all kinds of hilarious stories about Jay as he grew up.
After a while, the men were all with their women on the benches. Stories flew around the rink and Kate didn’t think she’d ever laughed so hard. She tried not to think about her mother and what that could possibly mean for her.
“Jay, do you remember Bobbie Reynolds?” Lark asked him.
“Yeah, I remember the dick that always picked on you. I think Charlie beat him up more times than I did in middle school.” He put his feet on the bleacher and sat forward. “What have you heard?” He snickered.
“I didn’t hear this from Frank...” she started.
“Hey...I didn’t say anything I wasn’t supposed to. I’m not defending that jerk,” Frank said and took a swig of his beer.
“Right. Anyway, he’s been charged with drug trafficking. He got caught with a trunk load of something down in Cortez. I heard that if he doesn’t name his supplier in Mexico, he could be in prison for a very long time.” Lark grinned. “I don’t mean to be evil, but he deserves every year he gets.”
“What’s the name of the guy that used to hang out with him?” Charlie asked.
“Dexter or Jamie?” Jay said.
“Dexter, that’s it. He owns a bar up on I-25. It’s supposed to be a real skanky place. Every time I drive down from school I pass it. He has it all lit up with neon. Apparently, Dex has stripers male and female.” Charlie grinned at his wife.
“As long as you keep passing it, we’ll have no issues, sweetie,” Lark said and leaned in to kiss him.
Jay laughed. “Maybe we should have a boy’s night out there. We could scare the crap out of Dex. You know, haunt him like Scrooge’s ghost of Christmas past.” He grabbed Kate around the middle, nuzzled her neck and made weird munching noises.
She laughed and Jay moved her legs over his and wrapped his arms around her. “You guys did hear Jamie went from high school into law enforcement?” There were a couple of what’s, but mostly just shocked expressions. “Yep, he’s down in Texas and is a Ranger. Go figure, right? I saw his mom at the grocery store a while back. I never could understand why he stuck with Reynolds. That guy was the biggest jerk in town for a long time.”
“Yeah, he worked hard at making my life miserable as much as he could,” Lark said.
Kate saw her look at Charlie and sit up straight.
“But then every time Bobbie harassed me, my prince came along and saved me.” Lark put her head on Charlie’s shoulder.
“Yeah, and I beat the crap out of him on a couple of occasions.” Charlie kissed Lark’s nose. “I’d do anything in those days to protect my princess.”
“Speaking of, Charlie. I’m still working on the assault charges from the dance last Christmas,” Frank said and grinned.
>
“I’ll make an appointment, kind attorney.” Charlie put his hands together and bowed in his seat.
It was a fun and relaxed evening and Kate met some new people. Lark invited them to come for dinner soon and Kate said she’d have to check the schedule at work.
They talked until ten o’clock and then the new friends started to filter out of the rink. The security guard, Zack, showed up and Jay turned the place over to him.
They walked hand in hand out to his Jeep and he opened the door for her. After she was in the seat, he leaned in the door and gave her a light kiss. He put his hand on her neck and looked into her eyes.
“Did you have fun?” he asked and kissed her again.
“Yes, I did. I need to start an exercise program so I can keep up out there on the ice. I wish I could have played longer, but I kept losing my breath.” She smiled and touched his lips. “I’m really out of shape.”
“I think your shape is great and I thought you just wanted to watch my butt?”
“Yes, there was that. I did enjoy watching your behind and your legs and your arms.” Her voice faded and she reached around him and patted his rear. “I’ll have some questions about the discussions that went on earlier, so I can get up to speed with all of these new people I met tonight.”
“Like, what?”
“What was all that business about Charlie being charged with assault at some dance?”
Jay laughed. “Lark’s ex-fiancé showed up at the annual Christmas dance last year and got really ugly. The jerk said some pretty nasty things about Lark. Charlie defended her and knocked a couple of the creep’s teeth out. I guess the ex is making a stink about it and wants Charlie to pay restitution or some such nonsense.”